Incredible Beauty

My friend, Wendy, posed a question on Facebook last week. "What part of nature reminds you that you're cared for [by God]?" I sent back my reply after a few minutes.

Truth be told, most everything about nature reminds me of how much God loves me.  I sit on my back porch and see how he takes care of the birds, such amazing, aerodynamic, little creatures. In the woods, I see the trees that tower over me. I admire their photosynthetic system that guides them through the seasons. At the beach I watch the tide roll in and out due to the gravitational pull from the sun and moon. I could go on because so much of our amazing earth, the place God created for us to live, reminds me how much God cares.

So what part of nature reminds me how much God is concerned about me? 

Flowers and butterflies. 

I could watch butterflies all day, as they flit from lavender to roses to daisies. When flowers spring from the ground, I can't wait to see them grow and bloom. 

Both have an incredible beauty for which only God could be responsible. Both depend on each other. Both rely on other parts of creation, like rain and sun. Both bring me peace. When I see a butterfly in the flowers, I feel like I've found a treasure.

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." -Matthew 6:27-29

How about you? What part of nature reminds you that you are cared for? 

Did Martha Go Wash the Dishes?

John 11:21-27
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

I like Martha; Jesus' friend and Lazarus and Mary's sister. Too often she gets a bad rap. She's accused of worrying about the practical things while her sister rested at Jesus' feet, learning. But when you read the rest of her story...

Martha loved her brother and sister. It appears she takes good care of the household they share. Of course Lazarus has responsibility as the male in a Jewish household. No doubt, Mary does her part. But Martha makes sure the everyday things get done. Food is prepared, water is drawn, floors are swept, clothes are cleaned. But don't be fooled by Martha's focus on the essentials.

In her story from John 11, her brother Lazarus has died. Martha and her sister sent for Jesus, but he arrived after the fact. I'm sure she and Mary prepared Lazarus body with oils before they laid him in the cave and pushed a rock in front of it. So they knew Jesus was too late to heal their brother. I'm guessing Mary wanted to sit at Jesus' feet again and listen to his wisdom and comfort. But Martha wanted hope. In her heart she knew Jesus' power, she understood his significance, she believed he was the Son of God. That faith paid off. Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave and brought him back to life.

Martha and Mary witnessed this miracle up close and personal. Did Martha go wash the dishes? No, she confessed her faith to Jesus. When Martha needed to, she took care of business. Yet, along with her can-do spirit she worshiped her Lord and shared his hope. I like Martha. She's a nice blend of practical and faithful. Her feet scurried around the house even as her heart was full of Jesus' love.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

My Elusive Goldfinches

Goldfinches flit and flutter. They zip in and around the red bush in our backyard. In the spring, I tucked some finch feeders in the bush beside our back porch. Several times, I've relaxed in my Adirondack chair camera in hand, in hopes I would capture these acrobatic little birds on film. 

Male and female both eat from the feeders, along with house finches. They seem to enjoy hopping around from branch to branch on the bush. Do they do this when I'm out with my camera? Nope. But when I'm sitting on the porch talking on the phone, here they come.

Do they feel safe when my focus is away from them?  Maybe. But I'm determined to try from time to time to photograph them. Today they came by for a moment, buried in the shadows of leaves. I snapped a few pics, nothing stellar. But maybe, just maybe, they're getting more comfortable with me. I can hope!

Do you have something you're determined to do? A dream to fulfill? A goal to reach? I'd love to hear about it.

One thing is certain, and I have always known it - the joys of my life have nothing to do with age. They do not change. Flowers, the morning and evening light, music, poetry, silence, the goldfinches darting about. -May Sarton

Hope in the Lord

My Great-Uncle Walter

I am posting this in honor of my great-uncle Walter Leo Smith, who died during WW 1; while serving our country. I never met him, but my grandmother told me his story. Many of the soldiers who served during World War 1 were exposed to the 1918 influenza epidemic. And that included Uncle Walter. Grandma remembered going to the camp in Chillicothe, Ohio where he was in a medical unit being treated. Unfortunately, he died from the virus. Several of the men serving succumbed to this terrible disease. Not only do our soldiers die in battle, many are taken due to illness and environment. Regardless, they are dying for our freedom. God bless those who have lost loved ones in service. 

Fiction Review: Unintended Consequences by Dan Walsh

Book Description:

Jack and Rachel leave Culpepper for their long-awaited honeymoon trip, a driving tour through New England. On day three, they stop at a little bayside town in Cape Cod to visit Jack’s grandmother. After he gets called away to handle an emergency, Rachel stays and listens as Jack’s grandmother shares a remarkable story about how she and Jack’s grandfather met in the early days of World War 2. It’s a story filled with danger, decades-old family secrets, daring rescues and romance. Jack is named after his grandfather, and this story set the course and direction for Jack’s life to the present day. After hearing it, Rachel is amazed that anyone survived.

My Review:

Even though Unintended Consequences is part of the Jack Spencer series (book 3) this book is a great stand-alone read. And that's how I will review it. I like both Jack and Rachel. They're smart and kind. When they stop by Jack's grandmother's home on their honeymoon, I find them even more endearing. After Jack heads home for a quick few days, Rachel settles in to visit with Grandma Renee. That's when the real tale is told. During WW2 Jack heads to England to find a long lost relative. At the same time, Renee flees there to avoid the attacks on France. The story is a little slow to start but once it does, it's filled with action, romance, and the realities of war. I found the perspective of fighter pilot's interesting. My dad was in the Army during WW2 and didn't talk much about it. He's was proud of his service, but I think the terrors of it all were too difficult to discuss. Although this is fiction, it's an interesting and fact filled story. If you've read the other Jack Spencer books, you'll find the history in Jack's family interesting. If you haven't read them, this book stands alone just fine. On this Memorial Day weekend as we remembered those who gave their lives for our freedom, I find this an appropriate and entertaining read. I received a free copy of Unintended Consequences from the author.

They Will Walk and not be Faint

Isaiah 40:31
...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

When I worked in an elementary school library, I met a lot of children. Fortunately for me, my path has crossed with many of them over the years. I enjoy learning who they've become as adults. I've even had a few of them work for me at the college library. Today my story is about one little girl. As clear as day, I still see her sweet face peeking at me over my desk as she waited to check out a book. She had a beautiful smile with a hint of shyness. My husband delivered bottled water to her family, and he'd told me a little bit about them. "Good people," he said.

Hannah attended our school for a while, but eventually moved to a different district. But the Lord had plans for our paths to cross. We met up again at church, where I got to know her family. Though our journeys have taken us different directions again, I still keep in touch with her folks. The other day, her dad posted Hannah's photo on Facebook. In the picture, she's wearing glasses, her hair is pulled back, her cap pulled down and she's carrying a huge pack. But under it all is the sweet, shy girl I remember. And that sweet girl is all grown up and going through basic training as she prepares to serve her country. I'm thankful we have people like Hannah, who love God and the USA. God has blessed me just by knowing her.

This Memorial Day, I say a prayer of thanks for the men and women who gave their all for our freedom. I also ask you to pray with me for those who are fighting the fight. I pray the words of Isaiah and ask that "They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."