Flowers and Bears #8

The bears and I drove out to my secret road to see if the rain had brought forth any new blooms. To our delight, we found a few wonderful patches. When we turned the corner they raced out to crawl up in this tree surrounded by wildflowers. They grrr'd and giggled, tussled and wiggled. I was equally tickled to see all the rewards of being in the moment, and celebrating the present.

~~~~~~

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matt. 6:34

Flowers and Bears #7

Adopted by faith,
they will not be kicked out.
They have formed The Bear Band
to give God a shout!

Of course they'll do bluegrass
with a leaning toward jazz.
They'll do concerts in gardens
and share folk-rock pizzazz.

They will sing a new song
and shout joyful praise.
They will dance, strum and drum,
and their paws they will raise.

~~~~~

Give to the Lord
the glory due his name!

Flowers and Bears #6

The black bear was compelled
to walk up the hill.
He then heard the call
to sit down and "Be Still!"

He sat under the tree
in the blossoming field;
as his mind became quiet
he felt his heart yield.

He was glad that he listened
when he'd felt so compelled;
Awestruck, his heart melted;
no good thing was withheld.

The quiet time gave
the black bear such a boost.
He returned to the others...
what had their walks produced?
~~~~~~~

Be still and know that I am God.

Flowers and Bears #5

The three bears are restless
and my backyard is small.
It's wildflower season,
so best protocol
is to search for them now.
They will soon fade away.
So we are off having
a wildflower day.

~~~~

The grass withers
and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God
stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

Flowers and Bears #4

Each bear wandered off
for a small time apart
to follow the special
desires of the heart.

The polar was yearning
to 'get right on it'
to see for himself this thing
they call a 'bluebonnet.'

The winecup was calling
the little black bear.
He meditated on Jesus
while he spent some time there.

Lavender bear did not favor
one bloom over the other;
she sat in a mix
and just breathed in the color.

Each bear needed time
for a small intermission
and delighted in giving
God full recognition.

~~~~

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
and He shall give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Flowers and Bears #3

A carpet of fragrance
spreads over the land.
We will feed on His faithfulness;
in His love we will stand.

~~~

Trust in the Lord,
and do good;
dwell in the land,
and feed on
His faithfulness.
Ps. 37:3

Flowers and Bears #2

We spied a field of wildflowers,
but the undergrowth was dense.
We longed to see it better
so we climbed up on the fence.

The view from there? Spectacular!
Our gratitude list was long.
The peace of God was with us
and we sang Him a love song!

~~~~~~

He satisfies the longing soul,
and fills the hungry soul
with goodness.
Psalm 107:9

Let the peace of God
rule in your hearts,
to which also you were called
in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

Flowers and Bears

This is the first of a series of blogs I will post concerning flowers and bears. Let me give you a little background. We took a wildflower drive south of the metroplex today. On the way we spotted a big garage sale along a main street of a town we were passing through. I saw the bears and knew they would be joining us. (Anyone who knows me knows that I love wildflowers and I love bears!) I had been thinking that I really should have brought along a few props to place in the wildflowers to bring some interest and dimension to the colors and varieties we would see. These three bears had me grinning from ear to ear. They came along and I had a great time recording their adventures through the Texas hillsides. The polar bear, black bear, and lavender bear became fast friends as they padded through the wildflowers.
~~~

There are few combos
like flowers and bears
that can turn my frown upwards
and scatter my cares!

~~~~~~

Keep checking in for updates of the 'Flowers and Bears.' I hope they will make you breathe deeply, be encouraged to play, and most of all, smile!

~~~~~~

...whatever things are lovely,
pure, ...of good report....
virtuous....praiseworthy
~meditate on such things~
Philippians 4:8

Cast all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Carrying Sheaves

I visited my friend and spent some time in her garden today. It was amazing to see the difference in the crops with the passing of just a week. The size of the broccoli and the apples had doubled. The anticipation of the harvest is an exciting experience. I am so glad I get to see the garden grow and know that God is growing and maturing me as well.

One of my favorite life verses that has been a repeated truth is coming around again. There have been seasons of circumstances that have been painful to weather; a human condition. Sometimes pain comes from the most unexpected places; but as well sometimes new growth starts and takes hold in unexpected places as well. I am seeing the sheaves spread before me, ready to be gathered as blessings. I feel the song of gratitude swelling from my core to thank God for his provision and direction.
~~~~~~~~~

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

As the Deer

We sang this song at church last Sunday, and it brought to mind these friends that often come to visit me when I am on Evergreen Mountain in Colorado. They are mother and daughter. We named them Little Flock and Amber Flock. 'Little' received her name because I was reading, "Do not fear, Little Flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," from scripture when I looked up and saw her staring back at me through the front window.

I have had her on my mind. When I spoke to my Colorado friend this afternoon about my trip there in June she said Little has been coming by their cabin. I am so anxious to see these deer, and perhaps the bear; surely the foxes, elk, and perhaps a moose when we take our couple days away somewhere else in the state.
~~~~~~

Just ponder these beautiful words, and sing them if you know the tune.
Thank you Martin Nystrom for this beautiful work!
~~
As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after Thee.
You alone are my heart's desire,
And I long to worship Thee

Call us to Rejoice!

This beautiful scissor-tailed flycatcher kept returning to its post, so I focused on the post. As I walked slowly and sang softly, my patience was rewarded as it came back to roost. It stayed long enough to enable me to get closer and catch its gorgeous underwing as it lifted to fly away.

The wildflower blooms, as they swayed in the wind, seemed to have their own chorus of adoration to the Father. Their showy waving welcomed me to join the intimate harmonies of life on the flowery meadow. I felt like twirling in the wind as well, with my face lifted to the Son. As I searched the verses again of "Joyful, Joyful," I found the flowery meadow and chanting bird references that were perfect to accompany the time of rejoicing on the painted hillside.

Call us to rejoice, indeed!

~~~~~~

Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in thee.

(more verse from Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee)

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

As we sang this hymn at church this morning I was anticipating a glorious afternoon of wildflower hiking. We were not disappointed. The recent rains brought forth a new breath of color across the fields. I could not put the words together to describe being there any better than the very first verse of the song we had sung this morning. My heart was about to beat out of my chest with gladness and adoration for the Father of love. Let our hearts, indeed, unfold before Him!

These words came back to me again in the middle of the sea of color:

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
Opening to the sun above.
(words: Henry Van Dyke,
Arr. Beethoven to Hymn To Joy)

Hope and Restoration

Sometimes out of nowhere (yeah, right) I get an overwhelming pull to run outside to check on what the skies are doing. It was late afternoon, and not time for sunset colors, but what greeted me was just what I needed. The sky was changing quickly with rays of sunlight spreading across the sky. Just as soon as I thought I had photographed the most intense contrast, God would show me something more staggeringly beautiful.

I cannot help but describe such streaming lines of light as rays of hope. Coming out of the dense darkness, they speak of keeping faith and persevering through tough circumstances. In the thick clouds I could not see the sun, but knew the Son was there, nonetheless. In the top photo you can actually see the sun. I felt a little like Thomas in that, when I finally did see the source of light, I had to really look to believe it was the Son/sun.

Again, I thought that had capped off what I was supposed to have retrieved through the lens. As I turned to enter my front door, movement in the sky provoked a quick turn to see 7 egrets flying overhead. Photographing one is cool, but seven?! I thought it was so delightful that God would finish out the rays of hope with the seven white birds. To me they represented the sevenfold restoring of what the thief has taken from us.

~~~~~

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James 1:17-18

Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded...for in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith.
Hebrews 10:35-38

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see...by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3

How a Garden Grows

I had the privilege of spending time with my friend Fran in her garden yesterday. Even though the house is in the city, you would not know it because of the expansive garden, pond, sheep and pets, and a feeling of being in another time when people grew what they ate. They planted, pruned, picked, and prepared. There was a connection between good soil and abundance.

I am fortunate to be able to go to a place where I can connect with the earth and smell the dirt. I will be there, as promised, to help pick, cook, eat. It is a good thing to remember and practice the principles of how a garden grows.


I always go down the path of relaxation with self examination when I am walking the land. I see the preparation to receive the seeds or young plants. I see the forethought of planning where to put each row of seeds. I see the weeding and tending of the gardener. I see the pruning that must come in order to produce the best crop. I see the moving of a plant to a new place if it is not thriving in a certain spot, light, or soil. I see the monitoring of daily growth to determine the best time to harvest. I am grateful for the sharing of the bounty, the life produced in the garden.

I heard the parable of the sower (Matt. 13) last night that also stirred up the smells of the verdant crops I had experienced during the day. It was a pleasant reminder of personal inventory of myself being fertile soil, bearing fruit, sharing fruits of my gifts and labors, tending to my garden, willingness to be pruned, and so many more facets of how a garden grows.

Our Earthly Tents

After a conversation with a dear friend this morning who is walking out a painful time with her dog, I went searching for a picture of myself with my wonderful doggy, Doo. I found one of us together on her last Christmas with us. I also found pictures of falling barns that reminded me of our temporary time on the earth.

The bad news is that our earthly tents, whether made of skin, wood, or fur, will fail us. The good news is that as we have partaken in the death on the cross, we also will partake in the resurrection.

~~~~~

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 5:1

Hope

He is Risen!

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 7:19

~~~~~~

This cross is a sculpture that my brother-in-law made for his and my husband's grandfather. We were able to use it for my daughter's wedding. Though a valuable family treasure, our real hope and treasure is in our hearts, and heaven.

He Maketh Me...

He maketh me to navigate through many green pastures today.
He leadeth me to the drawer with the allergy medicine so I can stop sneezing and go to bed.

But it was worth it to notice all the less showy, smaller wildflowers in the city today.
The small ones that are not so noticeable are quite stunning when viewed up close.
Their unassuming size does not diminish how each can reveal God's love for us in His creation.