Changes

I love shooting butterflies, especially when they are on brilliantly colored flowers. Their lives are so short, as are the lives of the flowers they light upon. They are so incredibly stunning and graceful as they meander through the gardens.

The orange color of the center stage in this photo is such contrast to the lavender that surrounds the main attraction. I would not paint a room in my house 'orange' or wear that color on my body, but I am so appreciate it when a sky is spread with orange/coral tones or a butterfly wears it so well.

The butterfly reminded me that my high school colors were orange and black, until we consolidated with the little town down the road and the colors became black and white. Their colors were green and white, so it seemed a good compromise would be black and white; one color taken from each town. Thank goodness they did not choose green and orange together! Although a green and orange garden is gorgeous, a cheerleader outfit is not.

I think of all the changes that I have been through since those high school days. I will be 60 next year, married 40 of those years to my one and only husband. We have married daughters and four grandchildren. I can feel the season of changes as we go towards retirement and I have been getting nudges to chase yet a few more dreams.

Our bodies deteriorate, and we are but vapors; not really having many more days in the scheme of things than the butterflies or flowers that fade so quickly. In the life to come we will put on immortality. There is such fleeting beauty here, yet it draws us to it as we are drawn also to God. Beautiful beyond description!

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We shall all be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52

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Conversations with H & G

I had an extraordinary time with a Great Blue Heron yesterday morning. As I approached a pond at the end of a trail I thought I saw a Great Blue Heron. I could sense him looking at me, and began to pray peace between us. Except for the big turtle and some dragonflies, we seemed to be totally alone with God. The heron stayed at the pond and followed me with his eyes as I rounded the corner and came closer. He showed no aggression or fear. I began to speak to him and he actually approached me during his slow walk back and forth in the pond. It was a heart link between God, the Heron, and me. I was delighted to have been given such a precious time covered in love by the Father!

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And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Colossians 3:17

Buzz and Flutter

My schedule cleared today because of clients being sick, so I took off with my camera to the Botanic Gardens in Ft. Worth. The bees and butterflies were everywhere, and I even saw a blue heron and some hummers. These are my favorites of the buzz and flutter bunch this morning.

Encourage Yourselves

Just talked to my husband, who is on the road sick with the same nasty summer cold that I have. It again went over 100 degrees today in Texas; to be exact, 107! Tomorrow will be a record 71 days this summer over 100 degrees. Lest I feel sorry for myself that loneliness has no solution without spreading the germs, and I am tired of the homemade chicken soup I made myself and mountains of Kleenex everywhere, I see a solution to get out of the house without exposing anyone else. It is time to encourage myself in the Lord.

I looked up the phrase I had remembered about encouraging ourselves to see in what context it was said. It was certainly more than a 'cold' and a bit of stir crazy loneliness that was revealed in 1 Samuel. David and his men had returned to Ziklag after the Amalekite raid. It was destroyed by fire and their families had been taken captive. The men wept until they could no more. David could hear talk of his impending stoning, but HE ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD. My little cold, in comparison to this scenario, is really nothing.

I found myself out in the car at sunset letting the Lord minister to me. I went out with a spirit of seeking and finding. I found fields of the last two flower shows of the summer: False Purple Thistle and the star-shaped flower bushes that crowd the pastures at the end of the Texas summer. I know that when I see them the fall weather is not far away, PRAISE GOD! I caught beautiful rays highlighting a water tower, and a calf nursing before nightfall. All in all, it was good to get out of the house by myself and spend some time getting grateful and praising the Lord. So be encouraged, if not by someone else, by yourself! Know that the Lord is good all the time.

A Strong Tower

I wrote this song ten years ago,
and thought it fitting to share again today.
May our country find new strength,
unity, courage, mercy and grace; truly
sow the fruits of the Spirit
as we move forward from
this milestone in our history.

A STRONG TOWER
By Connie Wisman 9/01

THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER,
AND FOREVER IT WILL STAND.
IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS
AND NOT THE PLANS OF MAN.

MY EYES SAW MANMADE TOWERS FALL.
MY HEART FELT UNTOLD NUMBERS CALL-
UPON THE NAME OF JESUS.

MY EARS HEARD HERO STORIES
OF PEOPLE WALKING OUT THEIR FAITH;
LAST MINUTE CALLS TO LOVED ONES
BEFORE THEY SAW THE PEARLY GATES.

I SAW SERVANT FEET OF STRANGERS
WITH YOUR MERCY IN THEIR EYES.
I SMELLED THE PRAYERFUL INCENSE
AS IT LIFTED TO THE SKIES.

I PRAY THE UNBELIEVERS
WILL NO LONGER WANT TO BE APART-
THAT THE COLD AND LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN
WILL LET THE FIRE COME TO HIS HEART.

THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER
AND FOREVER WILL IT STAND.
IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS,
AND NOT THE PLANS OF MAN

MY EYES SAW MANMADE TOWERS FALL-
MY HEART FELT UNTOLD NUMBERS CALL
UPON THE NAME OF JESUS.
CALLING-
JESUS, I LOVE YOU………..JESUS, I NEED YOU…….
JESUS, I’M COMING………..JESUS………I SEE YOU

As Time Passes

It is now a year ago today that my friend Jim Durkin passed. The year leading up to his death was a walk that was not easy for anyone involved. A small group of people came together to get it covered.

I realized it was the day when we were watching Good Morning America this morning. They were discussing the coming ceremonies in two days, and I realized that it was the 9th of September. There were reports of new threats targeting American soil as we near the 10th anniversary of the Towers coming down in New York City.

That morning ten years ago Jim and I were on the phone all morning in disbelief as we watched the second plane hit the second tower in real time on television. Jim used to work for American Airlines and had his own perspective to add to the horror of what was happening live before our eyes as the stories of the airplanes began to unfold.

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Jim passed on September 9th of last year. I guess if you live long enough and are willing, you will be at someone's bedside caring for them through to the end. There are piles and rooms and mailboxes full of stuff to handle even after the person dies. It took about a year, though the 'estate' was miniscule, to clean up and put to rest all the stuff.

I have come across more pictures of times we spent together in France. This portrait we displayed at his memorial was a sketch of him done by a street artist. When Danielle made a trip with me to Paris we both had ours sketched in front of Notre Dame. I can still hear his animated travelogues of historical points during our long walks through the city and French countryside. He loved to share stories with visitors. Indeed, my life was so enriched by him. He was more my brother than my own siblings.


As his health deteriorated he could still manage to get out to have meals at our home or restaurants. I recall one night when he came to dinner with his visiting New York cousin that he announced he wanted to eat early (not in character with his typical late arrivals), went over afterwards and laid on the couch, and soon after asked his cousin to take him back to the nursing home. Come to find out later, he left because he thought he was going to die on our couch and did not want the grandkids to have to remember that. In a way, if you knew Jim, that was tender and hilarious at the same time. He did always like to be the center of attention, and did not like it so much when a grand child of ours would steal center stage. But at this particular juncture he did not want to have the focus be on him if it meant dying in our living room with the family around.

As time passes our memories are bittersweet, and the stories shared are precious; even of the ones that were horrendous as we walked through them. A small group of people bonded and were able to get to know one another. There were 'spokes' of people that never touched except when we came together because of Jim's illness and death.

We do not know the number of our days. Surely the folks trapped in the towers did not expect such a day when they went to work. It is enough to stay in the day, and one will come be your last. As our pastor reminds us, 1 out of 1 of us dies. How will we run our individual races?

I hope that Christ will continue to be more and more at home in my heart. (Eph 3:17). I want to be mature and act maturely so that my character reflects Christ. I fall short, but I keep at it. We must encourage each other to love God and one another.