~ Wonder ~

The wonder

is that we can see these trees

and not wonder more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Canon Rebel Xsi, 250mm lens, cropped 06-05-2010)

The Individual

The majority of flowers in this photo are bright orange California Poppies. They are all facing the same direction. There is one Shirley Poppy, and ironically, it is not only a different color, but it is facing the opposite direction!

Does that say anything to you?

(Canon Rebel Xsi, 250mm lens, cropped - 06-03-2010)

Peace in the Park

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

   When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well

It is well

With my soul

With my soul

It is well, it is well,

with my soul.

by: Horatio Spafford

(Canon Rebel Xsi, 250mm lens, cropped, 06-03-2010)

God Provides

"They all depend on You

to give them their food

as they need it."

Psalm 104:27

(Canon Rebel Xsi; 250mm lens, +4 close-up, cropped)

Passwords for Progress

I came up with an idea a couple of months ago. I needed to change some passwords and it can be difficult to come up with things that are memorable. I've used the common choices, i.e., a family member's name, birth dates in part or whole, street addresses, etc.

But, a couple of months ago, I thought of a phrase - just a two-word phrase - and every time I log into my email account, it's like a little pick-me-up! It reminds me of my direction in life! It has been an incredible source of encouragement at the moment I'm typing it in, and also in the cumulative - reminding me of where I was, where I am, and where I want to be!

If you would like some ideas, here are a few (no, I'm not going to tell you what mine is!)

-getting better

-be happy
-moving forward
-choosing hope
-getting out of debt
-smiling daily
-joy 101
-dream big
-God can do it
-all will be well
I've written these as separate words to make them understandable, but in your password it would be written as a single word - Godcandoit.
Go ahead and try it! Think about how many times you log into an account everyday! I think you'll be surprised the difference it will make in your daily perspective and in your overall attitude - Cheers!

Mother's Day and Mother Bird

Sunday afternoon - Mother's Day 

Two of my kids and I headed to Port Townsend. The first stop was for coffee and with the Arts & Crafts Fair in town, it was a miracle we found a parking space right away! 

Spirits were high as I parked the van. We had been listening to happy music and chattered most of the way there. The sunshine made Water Street look like it had been splattered with fresh primary colored paint. Balloons, flags, t-shirts, and flower planters danced in place. The kids were excited - giddy - and I was ready for a great afternoon of taking photos. 

As soon as I stepped into the street, with my camera bag over my shoulder, I could hear the familiar and nostalgic sound of "city sparrows" - as I had come to name them from childhood. I associate their song with happy times when we would visit my mother's relatives in the city. (I've learned since that they are called "house sparrows." )

I looked up in search of them, and there in the dark corner of the second story window, I saw a hole in the brick wall and there was a house sparrow trying to satisfy the noisy, demanding hatchlings. I raised my camera, but missed the "perfect shot." She was done in a second and had sat down to rest a while.

At first glance, you wouldn't guess that a bird's nest was there. I am impressed with the bird's determination and ability to chip away at the mortar long enough to make a hole just big enough to get in and out of. It is so well hidden, safe from enemies and weather. There is even had a ledge where the mother bird can rest in the sun, for a second or two, before heading out again for another mouthful of nourishment for her babies.

I thought of myself in the nest and God as my Rock (as the psalmist refers to Him) - a high, safe, huge rock that keeps me hidden, safe and protected. 

I thought of myself as the mother bird and God, my Rock, as a strong place to hide, defend and provide for my children. 

I thought of myself finding the moments of rest I need to carry on, as this mother sparrow did, on the ledge, in the sun.

Sunday Thoughts

"What a waste it is to be surrounded by heaven,
by a sky 'made white by angels' wings'
and to be unaware of it.
Perhaps the first step
is that we really should want
to unearth God
in our midst...
[to] let the mundane
become the edge of glory,
and find the extraordinary
in the ordinary."
Esther de Waal

"To find not perfection,
but
possibility."
Nora Gallagher

(Self-portrait photo taken, edited and designed by my daughter - an ordinary girl (?) filled with the extraordinary - not perfect, but loaded with possibility - writer, music composer, lyricist, deep thinker, pianist, horse whisperer, eyes open, heart beating, feet running, growing and changing faster than I can keep up with. I love you Leyah. )

Easter Sunday ~ St. Luke's

Easter lilies are traditional in church on Easter Sunday mornings - but, orange Gerber daisies? And yet, there they were - mixed with the Resurrection lilies - celebrating the message of life. Orange Gerber daisies were Odessa's favorite flower.

I was waiting expectantly for Sunday morning since the Maundy Thursday service. Thankfully, the depth of grief and loss that I experienced that night was disproportionate to the overwhelming celebration I experienced on this glorious morning.

Organ and strings, a packed church, candles, flowers, "Benedictus" by Mozart - sung by a quartet, "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place" by Brahms - sung by the choir, the readings and prayers, a baby baptism, the message, and the Eucharist.

Such relief and joy to know, Jesus is no longer dead. He is risen! He is alive! Though He had left us for a short time, which seemed like eternity, He is back, never to leave again!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

(iPhone photos taken at St. Luke's this morning. Edit: sharpened slightly, exposure increased slightly)

Henri Nouwen

I posted, "The Kings in the Moment" just minutes ago. I checked one of my email accounts and found this email from Henri Nouwen, whom I subscribe to. I couldn't believe my eyes!

"Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand."

Amen!

The Kings in the Moment

The Twelfth Day of Christmas marks the end of the journey of the wisemen. All during the Christmas season I have imagined myself travelling with them. I have thought about the anticipation, the frustrations, the concerns, the fears that they would have encountered when faced with the elements of the journey, i.e., the length of time, the weather, the message in their dreams, the darkness, the desert, the fatigue, the unknowns.

But, today, I am "there" with them - they have arrived at their destination and are face to face with the King they were searching for. The King of kings - the pearl of great price - the one, who alone, is worthy of such sacrifice, perseverance and worship.

In the moments, during which they looked on the baby (God with us) I'm sure there was no other thought, past or future, that crossed their minds. They were in the present with the presence of Eternity-in-time. They were "there," in the moment. They were at peace.

This made me reflect on my own experience. When I wish for things I once had or did;when I hang on to regrets from the past; or when I think I can only be happy when..., I make myself miserable!

For, you see, peace is not found in what I wish I could have. It is found in being content in the moment. Feeling the moment. Breathing the moment. Doing everything with my whole being engaged in what I am doing, in the moment. Savoring all that there is while doing the task at hand, realizing that everything I do is an act of worship. God is in the moment. He is the God of peace. If I want peace, I will only find it in Him. And, where is He again? He's in the moment, the now, the present.

If I am in the present, where the God of peace is, fully conscious of what I am doing, I will do a better job, I will experience grace so that whatever I do will glorify God.

As I wrote in a post earlier this week: it is always a good time to pick up the blocks and try again. I will be trying to carefully, consciously, place each block (each task, each thought) in its place. I will purpose to stay in the present with the Presence - worshipping the one who alone is worthy of the sacrifice.

What am I sacrificing anyway? Being so busy that I can't see straight. Pitying myself because I'm longing for something I don't have. Obsessing over the "plans." My own will.

When I don't pay attention to what I'm doing, it is so easy to drift down the path of life that everyone else is travelling on. Going with the flow doesn't necessarily mean you get to your destination faster. Everybody is in a hurry but, as you know, those roads most travelled are congested with traffic jams. Everybody in the traffic jam is anxious, sweating, cursing, even shooting, but are going nowhere fast.

When the kings travelled to worship the baby king, they took "the road less travelled". When they arrived, I don't think they waited in line with hundreds of people for the place to open. When they were with the baby king, it was all about the baby king.

I can't imagine that there was another thing in the world they wanted. And, I'm sure they wouldn't trade being there for anything, for they had found the King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the present Presence. The moment was priceless, as will be every moment be that you or I are present to.

A Prayer for the Tenth Day of Christmas

Today, I will persevere in prayer.
I’ll yield all I once thought I could not live without.
I’ll breath-in the brief and exquisite happiness of this holy nakedness.
Faith, carry me these last few steps.
Hope, hold me.
Love, fill me.

(taken from Awakening the Spiritual Life,
by Chris Erdman)

2010

I don't know about you, but I love new notebooks, freshly fallen snow, a box of brand new crayons, and the beginning of a new year. We have entered into the new year of 2010. It is a time for the traditional "resolution-making."

Someone once said that life is like building with wooden blocks. Sometimes you don't finish what you started to build because it falls down. But, that's ok, because you can just pick up the blocks and try again.

That's what new years' resolutions are like. We make them and (I'm told everyone breaks them by the middle of February), we make them again! If your resolution is something worthwhile; if it will benefit your life, don't give up! Pick up the blocks and try again!

And, this year, if you break your resolution (say by Jan. 4th?), don't wait until Jan.1, 2011 to try again. Try again on Jan.5th! You can do it! I know you can! ;)

May you have a successful 2010!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

After I left home, Christmas never felt quite the same as it did when I was growing up in Nova Scotia. I couldn't quite put my finger on it - I blamed the fact that there wasn't enough snow, too much commercialism, or too much stress.
As a young girl, I remember "feeling" Christmas from Christmas Eve through the New Year and then, celebrating Old Christmas Day or Epiphany, on January 6th, by eating any leftover sweets and putting away the decorations.
This year, I became acquainted with the Twelve Days of Christmas, as recognized by many older denominations within the Christian faith and, suddenly, it made sense! My mother's mother was Anglican (who had come from England with her family) and much of what my mom did in our home, at Christmas, was based on traditions she, too, had grown up with. I didn't realize until this year that these traditions were based on her religious background.
I'm not sure she would have understood it all - I'm not sure I do, but many of my memories around the Christmas season are reflective of what she did in our home.
Oddly enough, this Christmas does feel like what I've been missing and it is accompanied with peace and contentment and deep personal joy. It feels like I "came home."
The song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, has different stories of origin and as many interpretations of the lyrics. What I think is most important, though, is the difference between all the preparation for one day (Christmas) and actually having a "season" when my heart can meditate on and appreciate God coming to us. Like the wisemen, who journeyed to Bethlehem, these twelve days are a time for my own spiritual journey to the King.

During each of the 12 days, I am considering some aspect of my Christian heritage, in relationship to the birth of our Lord. I started out with some of the traditional symbols of the song, i.e., a partridge in a pear tree representing Christ in the cradle and Christ on the cross; two turtle doves representing the Old and New Testaments which tell His-story. But, with each day, my focus becomes more personal, i.e., today, there were many things that came into my life that were unpleasant and unexpected, so when I pulled myself together, I focused my thoughts on the peace that the angels spoke about - "Peace on earth..." and the peace that surpasses all understanding which keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

This is day #4 - the Christmas season has barely begun! So, I invite you to join me on a journey to see the King - to get close to Him, as the kings of old once did.

May this be a memorable Christmas for all!

While Shepherds Watched...

While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind
To you and all mankind"

"To you in David's town this day
Is born of David's line
The Savior, who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
And this shall be the sign"

"The heav'nly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed
All meanly wrapped in swaddling bands
And in a manger laid
And in a manger laid"
Emmanuel - God with us

Memory and December

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December~
Sir James Matthew Barrie
(creator of Peter Pan)
Photo - Diane Nelson - Panasonic Lumix 12-18-09

Light and Water

The beauty that is portrayed

when a vessel

is filled with

light and water.

Anybody see the analogy here?
(iPhone photo taken 11/27/09 - Diane Nelson)

Mountains of Spices - Gentleness

Chapter 10 - Mountain of Calamus

Gentleness (The Terror of Love)

This contrast became very vivid to the consciousness of Grace and Glory as she sat up there on the rocky throne beside the King of Love. On the one hand she saw the terror and the grandeur of the rocky cliffs, and on the other the grace and gentleness of the reeds which clothed the mountain slopes.

"The terror and the beauty of love." The words suddenly came into her mind with such force and clarity that she turned and looked at the king to see whether he had spoken them....

"My Lord," she said, "I have another question to ask you. You have brought me here to the Mountain of Calamus where the reeds of gentleness grow. And I know so much about the gentleness of your love in my own experience. But is there another side to love? Can love be terrible as well as gentle? Is love really like a consuming fire which cannot be approached without fear and trembling? Can love even appear to be cruel and terrible?"

..."Yes," he said, "Love is a consuming fire. It is a burning, unquenchable passion for the blessedness and happiness, and, above all, for the perfection of the beloved object. The greater the love, the less it can tolerate the presence of anything that can hurt the beloved, and the less it can tolerate in the beloved anything that is unworthy or less than the best, or injurious to the happiness of the loved one. Therefore it is perfectly true that love, which is the most beautiful and the most gentle passion in the universe, can and must be at the same time the most terrible ---terrible in what it is willing to endure itself in order to secure the blessing and happiness and perfection of the beloved, and, also, apparently terrible in what it will allow the beloved to endure if suffering is the only means by which the perfection or restoration to health of the beloved can be secured."

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard, Copyright 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,Inc. All rights reserved.

Mountains of Spices - Longsuffering

Chapter 8 - Mountain of Saffron
Longsuffering (The Suffering of Love)

Grace and Glory had seen the saffron crocuses growing on other parts of the High Places, but never in such glorious profusion as on this mountain. It was impossible for them to walk anywhere without treading on these delicate hued flowers and using them much as a doormat! As soon as their feet were lifted from them, however, she noticed that the dauntless, gay little things bobbed up again at once, as fresh and uncrushed as though they had not been trodden upon.

When she remarked on this to the King he explained with another of his happy smiles that this was the characteristic of true longsuffering. It bears quite happily everything that is done against it, resents not at all being trampled under foot, and reacts to the wrongdoing of others against itself as though no wrong had been done at all, or else as though it had forgotten all about it! For longsuffereing is really the lovely quality of forgiveness and bearing contentedly and joyfully the results of the mistakes and wrongdoing of others....

"My Lord," she said, "this is called the Mountain of Longsuffering. Has love no power to save and help others apart from suffering? Why must love suffer at all, and why, above all else, must love suffer long?"

"It is because the very essence of love is oneness," answered the King. "That is why love must suffer. If the beloved creatures whom the Creator created for love's sake must suffer, then the oneness of love makes it impossible for him to allow them to suffer anything which he is not willing to suffer with them. It is because the whole body of mankind is suffering so dreadfully from the disease of sin and all its dreadful consequences, that I, who am so one with mankind, must suffer it all with them. Ever since the first sin, the love of God has been, as it were, upon a cross of suffering....Think of what it means to be able to save and to heal. To be able to raise up out of that which has been so cruelly marred and deseased, something far more glorious than would otherwise have been possible."

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard, Copyright 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,Inc. All rights reserved.

Mountains of Spices - Peace

Chapter 6 - Mountain of Spikenard
Peace (The Atonement Made by Love)

The next of the nine mountains of spices to which the King led Grace and Glory was the Mountain of Spikenard, or Peace....The King's spikenard could be produced nowhere else in the world....It was from this lovely medicinal plant that he produced the famous balsam of peace, a great balm for all restlessness and pain and fever....
As they walked together among these bushes the King spoke to Grace and Glory and explained to her the nature of the true peace which can only be produced by acceptance with joy of all that the will of God permits to come to his people along the pathway of life, and of the streams of pleasure which sing as they leap down from the High Places, 'I delight to do thy will, O my God....'
"I would have you learn this truth, that love can never rest until real peace, which is perfect harmony with the law of love, is brought to the hearts of men everywhere....It must give to others all that it received or it cannot remain love. Love can only live in your heart as it propagates itself by sharing....
Love is the constraining power which makes my lovers willing to go all lengths, even to death itself, in order to bring the good news of the love of God to those who have never heard it. It is love to the Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world and still must bear it and suffer with sinners until every sin-defiled creature turns at last from their sinning and seeks his delivering power. For as long as sin lasts and defiles and ruins his creatures, Love cannot come down from his cross nor cease to bear the sin of the world."
Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard, Copyright 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,Inc. All rights reserved.

Mountains of Spices - Joy

From Chapter 4 - Mountain of Camphire -

Joy (The Victory of Love)

The Shepherd speaking to Grace and Glory: "The season when the (camphire) bushes are stripped bare and the bitter substance is poured into the soil and is left to be watered by the rains of heaven, is called up here 'the night of sorrow.' But this present season, when the bushes are all laden with blossom and the oil is ready to be extracted from them, is 'the morning of joy' when all the sorrow and bitter experiences are changed into gladness."

Grace and Glory thinking: "Oh, that I may always react to sorrow in such a way that it will be overcome and be changed into his joy."

The Shepherd: "Grace and Glory, have you ever thought of what joy it is to me to be a Savior? To be able to take something which has been marred and spoiled and ruined by evil and to produce out of it something lovely and good and enduring -- something which can never again be spoiled? No cost can possibly be too great in order to accomplish such a triumph as that. Whatever the price, love will pay it exultantly and with 'joy unspeakable and full of glory...."

There is absolutely no experience, however terrible, or heartbreaking, or unjust, or cruel, or evil, which you can meet in the course of your earthly life, that can harm you if you will but let me teach you how to accept it with joy; and to react to it triumphantly as I did myself, with love and forgiveness and with willingness to bear the results of wrong done by others. Every trial, every test, every difficulty and seemingly wrong experience through which you may have to pass, is only another opportunity granted to you of conquering an evil thing and bringing out of it something to the lasting praise and glory of God. "
Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard, Copyright 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,Inc. All rights reserved.

This is the goal, the desire and the prayer of my heart today.