Battle of Wills

Monarch Caterpillars, April 2021

O my enemy,

we are more alike than we

might care to admit

Calendar Days

Kitchen Still Life with Flamingo Cactus Bloom
April 2021

Let yourself set sail

leave behind your yesterday

face the clear blue sea

*art work is The Aftercastle of Le Soleil Royal by Jean Berain (the Elder). The calendar is available here. 

 

Stepping Out

Gulf Coast Toad, April 2021

Neither of us run

when we meet on the cool porch

under the full moon

May You Know

Mealy Blue Sage, April 2021

            May you know the gaze of  unswerving love.

            May you know the gaze of one who delights in you.

            May you know the gaze of one who sees you as you are.

            May you feel the presence of this gaze your whole life through.

 

Abundance

Buttercup, April 2021

Translucent petals

enfold an abundant feast

for neighborhood bees

*The first buttercup of the season bloomed in the front walkway this morning.

Bravo!

                                                               Mockingbird, April 2021
 

It's concert season

each morning as sky lightens

he sings in the day

Lucky

Ladybug, April 2021

Lucky ladybug

climbing slender stems, at home

among verdant leaves

 

There is Joy

Spiderwort, April 2021

On every evening walk, something new has come into bloom. This time of year, it's a parade of wildflowers. They are not cultivated not in someone's yard or grown from purchased seeds. They seem to spring up overnight with their own shape and texture and hue against the greens of the walking trail. My eyes are constantly scanning the grasses for spots of color - and there are tiny treasures to be noted and celebrated. There is joy in the seeking and in the finding, in kneeling down to get a closer look. 
 

Closer

Yellow Cone Flower, April 2021

April's sunny friend 

waves across the greening field,

calling me closer

This is the day

Morning Sky, April 2021

Let my heart open

wide like the buttermilk sky

welcoming what comes

In my own backyard

Morning Light, April 2021

In my own backyard

light lines fall across the lawn

with effortless ease

Looking for Jesus

Lectio Divina, April 2021

            

                    Lord, help me to see and read the signs.

                    Lord, help me to get into the boat and follow.

                    Lord, help me to trust what waits on the other side.

                    Lord, let me never stop looking for Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy

Lupine, April 2021

A prayer for healing

whispered for my friend in pain

Lord, in your mercy...

                        

Welcoming the Light

House Sparrow, Winter 2021

Soft silver morning

perched to watch the day arrive

welcoming the light

Yes

Bridal Wreath, April 2021

Say yes to this day

where unexpected blessings

cascade into view

At Every Turn

Unidentified Wildflower, April 2021

 Lord in your mercy

you meet us at every turn

with unfailing grace

Finding You

Western Blue-eyed Grass, April 2021

I keep finding you

in quiet, wild corners

where I breathe in peace

The Gift of Sweetness

Easter Candy, April 2021
Mango wood bowl made in Costa Rica

 I gave up sweets for Lent. 

Not the most spiritual practice I have ever taken on - but I felt this one in my body. I felt the absence of a bite of something sweet after a meal. I resisted candy, chocolate, cookies, ice cream and baked goods with the hope Lent would feel more real, that my thoughts would turn more towards Jesus - and that I would live the Lenten days with intention. 

On the first evening, I went in my 17 year old son's room to say goodnight and we talked for about 30 minutes. Not about anything pressing, just about life, school, baseball and friends. The dog made a nest in the blankets at the foot of the bed. And in the half hour while we were talking, I felt the sweetness of that moment. I savored being in the company of my son, knowing that these evening conversations are becoming more rare. Two years from now, he'll be away at college in a dorm room. 

I felt that God offered me a gift of sweetness. A true and pure sweetness - not like the kind I try to fill myself with. All of the sweets I usually reach for seemed a substitute for the sweetness of life itself.

Life isn't all sweet. And there's nothing sweet about where Lent leads us - but each day, I found something sweet in the living of life. It was God's generous gift over the Lenten days. 

As we reached Holy Week, the practice had done it's work in me. I found the desire to give sweetness to others as a way of offering it back to God. Each day there was the opportunity to put sweetness into the world, into the lives of others. 

In these days of Eastertide, I give thanks for the practice that brought me into this season with a full heart. 

Abundance

Bumble Bee on Evening Primrose, April 2021

Life in abundance

where gold dust becomes honey

and primroses thrive

 

Sabbath Blessing

Hudson Flax, April 2021

            May you know the blessing of delight.

            May you discover treasure in the field of your life.

            May you be drawn closer to something or someone you love.

            May you sing your song of praise.

            

 

Perhaps

Wild Garlic, April 2021

Walk the well known path,

find that perhaps it's not so

well known after all

* I am amazed at the differences I see day-to-day on a familiar walking trail. There is always something new to see. 

Unlatched

Louisiana Gamecock Iris, April 2021

Unlatch night's door and

step into morning's garden

 greet a new old friend

*First iris bloom of the year

 

To Dream

Sweetheart Roses, April 2021

 

Sometimes all we need 

is a corner of blue sky

to wish and to dream

Both Glorious

The careful design

of the blossoming pear tree

is present in you

Pear Tree, April 2021

 

Listen

Common Evening Primrose, April 2021

Spring whispers the news

that the acceptable time 

for living is now

 

The Easter Tree

The Easter Tree, April 2021

 

Surround yourself with

signs of iridescent joy

let them guide your heart

Sometimes it is the Blue Iris

Iris, April 2021

 

In their silent way

graceful irises join the 

great halleluiah

Holy Saturday

Penstermon (Beardtongue), April 2021

I'll wait in the field

where the wildflowers grow

you'll be along soon

 

Good Friday

Jesus Stirbt am Kreux (Jesus Dies on the Cross)
Esben Hanefelt Kristensen

Be here for today

be here, as close as you dare

be here, with Jesus

 

Maundy Thursday

Foot Washing, Bob Gilroy SJ

You have travelled far

He meets you with tenderness

and unfailing love