Sabbath Blessing

 

Gathered, February 2021

Everything you need

to nourish body and soul

is within your reach

After All

Watercolor, February 2021
Sing a New Soul Song! The Gathered Community Retreat

 

I will not forget

what was kindled in my soul

from the beginning

Remembering

Shadow play, February 2021
Magnolia, Texas

Hello shadow self,

now I am remembering

how you love to play

Thank you

The Hobby Horse, February 2021
Magnolia, Texas

Thank you Lord, for the things that have carried us this far.

Thank you Lord, for the thrill of adventure that came at the right time and shaped our becoming.

Thank you Lord, for helping us see what we have outgrown.

Thank you Lord, for this present day that opens before us.

Thank you Lord, that the adventure continues.

The Tree and Me

Pine, February 2021
Magnolia, Texas

 

We've both taken vows

setting roots in this place, our 

testament of love

* I am calling to mind the vow of stability taken by those in a Benedictine Monastery - the vow to stay for the long haul. To give yourself to a particular place and community. I admire this towering pine tree and I can only guess how old it is. I think of my connection to certain places over the years and the vows I've made in marriage and how they add up to a testament of love over time. I like to imagine that the tree and I share those vows of stability in some way. 

Silver Meets Sunlight

Tree Lichen, February 2021
Magnolia, January 2021

Silver meets sunlight

oysters from another sea

effortless and free

The Blue Sky Returns

Afternoon Walk, February 2021
Magnolia, Texas

 

Who would you most like to meet here?

First Sunday of Lent

Through the Window, February 2021
Magnolia, Texas

Allow yourself to 

be drawn into the wild

and walk with Jesus

Gathering Dust

Jewelry, February 2021

One of these days, I'll

 take them from the dusty hook

where they wink and wait

* I passed by my jewelry holder, where so many of my favorite pieces haven't been worn over the last year. COVID has made gatherings with others few and far between. Sometimes I'm afraid there are aspects of my life or myself that are gathering dust. And then I remember that while some things gather dust, space is opened up for other aspects of life or myself to grow into something new. Lent is the season for this kind of reflection. I'm grateful for these days. What seems to be gathering dust? Where am I experiencing new growth?

 

Hummingbird in Winter

Hummingbird in Winter, February 2021

Outside Temperature: 34 degrees

Winter companion

what a mighty heart you have

and what joy you bring

I was putting out birdseed for the regular visitors when a hummingbird buzzed by. The feeder was almost empty and frozen. I brought in the feeder and made fresh nectar. It froze overnight, so I thawed it for a few minutes with the hair dyer - and here's my new pal. I don't know where she is keeping warm, but it makes me so happy to see her at the feeder.

The Beginning of Lent

Crossing the Bridge, February 2021

                   

               
            How will I journey with Jesus for the next 40 days?
            

            Will I set my heart towards the Lenten journey?

            Will I set my feet on a path with few guarantees and certainties?

            Will I discover the rails that lend structure and support?

            Will I reach the end of what is seen and cross the threshold?

            Will I confess when I try to find an easier way?

            Will I enter the mystery of faith?

                        Christ had died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.

* The last line is from the United Methodist Communion liturgy. The winter storm continues in Houston and most of Texas. Power has been restored for now, and we still wait for water. 

                    

    

Given

Great Grandmother's Crazy Quilt

 

There is a comfort

that none of us can purchase

it must be given

* Day three of intermittent power and not even a trickle of water is coming out of the faucets. Grateful for a gas stove to make coffee and pasta. There is no comfort in the world like my great grandmother's quilt with cotton batting. The weight of it holds in warmth all night. Stitched with lasting love.   

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Candles, February 2021

Candles light the way

casting a golden spell on

this snow filled morning

* We are in the middle of a winter storm in Houston, Texas. Power was out for over a day - and the city is blanketed in snow and ice. Grateful for friends who check in and the shelter of home. I'm staying occupied with a puzzle, watching the birds, sitting by the fire, reading, and comfort cooking.  

Be My Valentine

Sacred Heart, February 2021
(Made in Mexico)

 You are loved.

Lord, Open the Doors

Preparing for a Freeze, February 2021

Lord, open the doors

to safety and warmth for all

who are cold outside

* I brought several plants in from the cold yesterday. This morning I was reading Mark 8 and the way Jesus feels compassion for the hungry crowd. As I looked across the room at all the plants I brought in, I thought of all the people who are cold and desperate for shelter - and felt compassion. 

According to the Search Homeless Project, on any given day, approximately 3,400 individuals in Houston experience the trauma of homelessness. Here is my prayer: Lord, we intercede for those that do not have shelter of their own. Lord, bless them with protection from the elements, bless them to have sufficiency of food and clothing, bless them with joy and peace of mind. (from Room at the Inn Shelter in Bridgeland, Missouri)

A New Day

Sempervivum Tectorum Succulent, February 2021
(I looked it up)

 
 

Bring your open heart

this February morning

welcome a new day

Praise

Cardinal, February 2021

Over the rooftops

a whole hearted praise rings out

across the distance

* I heard the cardinal's song from the kitchen and was surprised that he didn't fly away when I stepped out on the back porch. I would like to think the birds have become familiar with my morning routine of putting out seed and the dog's circuit through the backyard to chase squirrels. I'm sure the whole neighborhood could hear his song - so full and clear in the early morning. 

Life Within

Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, February 2021

Moving by instinct

step, tap, listen, tap again

search for life within

* I can see this tree from the dining room window. Early yesterday there was a crowd of robins on the grass. I looked up to catch this woodpecker coming in with an impressive dive to chase them away. For several minutes the woodpecker stepped carefully around the tree, inspecting it, tapping and listening.  If it weren't for the red feathered cap, she would blend in perfectly with the bark. 

Morning Prayer

Collage, 2021

                        Lord, may I follow the lilt your song.

                                Lord, you have cleared my once-crowded heart.

                                Lord, you bring all the pieces of my life into wholeness.  

                                Lord, you grant me courage to cross into new territory.

                                Lord. you lead me to places of refreshment.

                                Lord, you set the pattern of my days. 

*Artists and art: Playing a Tune by Karl Witkowsi, Ostersteen by Georg Schrimph, Little Walter's Toys by August Macke, The Blue Pool by William Victor Higgins, and Ottoman Turkish Izznik Dish

            

You

Rose, February 2021

 You are still a rose

no matter what they've told you

yes, you are a rose

Manna

 

Silver Sage, February 2021

It happens each day

moments appear like manna

 to hold in your heart

Goodness

Budding Sycamore, February 2021

 

Search the clear blue sky 

see the bower of goodness

reaching over you

Robins

Robins, February 2021

Robins have arrived

curious and ravenous

spring waits in the wings

 

So We Might Welcome

Ball Moss, February 2021

Let this morning be

unrushed, so we might welcome

simple gifts of grace

Love

Inside of a Conch Shell, February 2021

The turning of love

carves a pattern leading in

and back out again

In Due Time

Curled Leaf, February 2021

                                                                 

                                                                 In due time, true friends

reveal etched connections and

intricate beauty

* I am blessed with soul friends - as the years have passed, we have known each other through many seasons of life. Long conversations cover a lot of territory. In reflection, we have each shown more of our "underside" - more of the fullness of who we are. And still, not everything. The longer I know my friends, the more beautiful they become. It takes time and courage to know and be known by another person. Give thanks for your soul friends - and your own intricate beauty.

Lessons from a Neighbor's Cat

A Neighbor's Cat, January 2021

Said the sunning cat, 

"Pure delight to lounge and laze.

Let me show you how."