Bringing the Outside In

Pooka Keeps Company with a Succulent
We are stewards of the earth.
And split the shoots from the soil,
Nestling them safe in urns and pots:
Places to grow where we can train them
To thrive and yield, supernaturally provide company.
As well as a woman knows to rest her soul
Against verdant leaves and blooms,
So other creatures come to find in them
A counterpoint to their own kinetic pace.

God Paints My World

God wants to be a part of all that you do! That includes the music you listen to...if you do not already listen to praise and/or gospel music check out this awesome radio station. It is the only Christian Music radio programming in San Diego and one of the best Christ centered networks I've found. Also, it's listener supported so there are no advertisements other than for the station itself. They play a lot of favorites: Cutless, Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, etc... but they also feature up and coming artists that you might not otherwise hear about. So...GO CHECK IT OUT!

2 Kings 3: 15

"But now bring me a musician." Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

Draft Day is Drafty

~*~

A Haiku for Draft Day

Tired from cov'rage,

"Hey, this is my normal head!"

Silly reporter.

~*~

Where is your fire?

Love, where is your fire?

I've been sitting here smoking away

making signals with sticks and odd ends and bits, but there's no sign of a flame

Imposters have been passing, offering good-feeling glow

but I'm holding out for what you are about - an inferno that burns to the bone

some urge me to be temperate, lukewarm will never do.

'Cos I, I wanna (know I'll) blaze with you

So I'm holding my heart out to you

Holding my heart out

So I stand, handing out torches

speaking words that are lamps to their feet

Til the time when you come an I'm whole and we are one and the fire in me is complete

Some tell me to be moderate but lukewarm will never do

Then a doubt comes to lie at the back of my mind

That I'll offer you me and you'll politely decline (no thank you)

So I hasten to mute it, I'll shout and rebuke it - "away!"

~*~ Love, Where is your fire? by Brooke Fraser

Two Takes, One Great Book

It is the sop against the teary face of our tragedies.

It is the tourniquet against teh wound that kills.

It is a clear violin that roars above the cannonade.

It is a touch that tells us we are not alone.

It is teh compass whose needle is set toward the throne.

It is the pole star whose wisdom is fixed adn immovable in every crisis.

It is the holy Word, free of error, free of fraud,

Breathed by teh holy breathing of our ever holy God

To make of us such creatures as angels might applaud.

How blessed odd that our Holy God, could give such need sod

His healing, saving light- The Word, the Life, the Book of God.

~Loving God Up Close by Calvin Miller

Bringing Truth into Focus

Luke 8:14-16

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

Led through the Flowers

"He took my hand then and led me through the flowers, over onto another path which stopped at the very edge of the mountain, on top of the highest cliff. From where we stood we could see for miles. I thought I could see Sugar Fork, but I couldn't be sure, there was lots and lots of hollers, and I saw them all, valley after valley, ridge on ridge, Bethel Mountain beyond - but now for the first time I could see over top of Bethel Mountain to another mountain, blue, purple then mountain after mountain rolling like the sea. It was so beautiful. A single twisted pine grew bravely up out of the rocks before us. Mile after mile of empty air stretched out behind it, the sky so blue, the sun so bright. And the wind, which kept on blowing all the time - now I recalled the famous endless wind on the top of Blue Star Mountain."

~ Fair & Tender Ladies by Lee Smith

Purity in the Word

Proverbs 30:4-6
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Guest Photographs: from Florida

I was thumbing through an old photo album which contained pix of trips to South Florida growing up and it made me think that it might be fun to show off the beautiful blooms at my parents' house (they live in Florida's Treasure Coast area). So I rang up my mummy and daddest requesting that they snap some loveliness on daddest's iphone and send it along to me to share with the blogosphere.

Lo and behold, they delivered! And being the sort of people who actually know the names of the plants in their yard I even have their accompanying common (non latin) names below each photo.

This is Mandivilla - I don't think I've ever noticed this type of flower before, but it's so tropically gorgeous! I want to put on in my hair, but I think it would take over and I would look like I was crazy. Mebbe I am.

This one is "some kind of Lily"...do you recognize it?

Mexican Heather. Don't these look like they're glowing? My parents have been feeding them radioactive vitaminds and soil supplements. They'll be cashing in big I expect...wouldn't you love glowing flowers?

Jatropa - the buds look like little poisonous berries and the petals of the blooms remind me of orange frangipani.

Now, here is one I recognize...jasmine! Jasmine grows all over Southern California and I miss it up here in Washington. I can just smell its fragrance when I look at this picture. Aaah!

Here is the quintessential tropical flower; the Hibsicus!

My parents are lucky enough to have scads of gardenias around their house. Along with peonies, these are my favorite flowers. They're blooms are so lush and each petal so thick and soft.

You cannot see it in this picture, but there are thorns all over this plant and that is where it gets its name, "Crown of Thorns." The red petals are flat and sparse, but large and very colorful as you can see for yourself. My parents are not trying to kill the plant, those white splotches are poisonous dried "latex" goo. Eek!

Lastly, this is Alamonda which reminds me of a daffodil without the center tube. I have no idea what that middle part is called, sorry. :)

I hope you all enjoy this glimpse into the more vibrant and kaleidiscopic flora of another place in this great nation. We are so blessed to be citizens of a country with an abundance of natural resources that provide and inspire.

Happy Spring!

Letting Colors Show

The Lord makes us in all shapes, sizes and colors. You do not see the emerald leaves willing harm on the snow white petals.

Ernest was an elephant, a great big fellow,

Leonard was a lion with a six foot tail,

George was a goat, and his beard was yellow,

And James was a very small snail.

~ A.A. Milne

Observations on a Glorious Day

Since the weather turned warm, even bare branches suddenly extend flowers, not wanting to be left out. Where are your leaves?


I found a place to sit and my seat was warm and dry - such a difference from two days ago when I could have floated along in this same place. The wonders of absorption. Drink it up, little blades of grass. Mama needs a resting place.



The water makes the funniest moss grow up out of the earth. This sort looks prickly, but is actually very soft and delicate.

I spotted a beast of a branch ready to take on any little birdies or pests that might have designs on its shoots and sproutlings. Armor equipped? CHECK!

Eww, what is that ugly flower/seed sack? Ghastly! But the lady bug seems to like it. I took a jillion photos of that little guy and he just sat pretty for me and did not zoom away.

I'm looking over a [three] leafed clover, that I over looked before! They were everywhere, these little clovers, but this one stood alone.

Psalm 66: 8-10

Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

Who keeps our soul among the living,

And does not allow our feet to be moved.

For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

When I go walking in solitude, or rather semi-solitude because I've got my dog tugging leash to leading the way, I feel a sense of home and contentment. It's strange - there is a certain smell that travels into my nose and triggers something familiar in my brain. I feel warm and fuzzy even if my fingers are chilly as snowflakes. As I lift my eyes up toward canopy of branches above me, I am sheltered from the torrent of rain drops that miraculously collide onto the needles and dissapear and I feel I could stay just as I am in that gaurded spot for the rest of my life. My usual preoccupations become fuzzy and soft around the edges until they tumble backwards piling one on top of another in the anterior of my mind, stuffed so dense they are indiscernable from the damp air sucked into my nose and breathed back out again. There isn't silence and there isn't noise, there is just the flow of life eternal which only He gives.

~*~*~

Matthew 25 - 27

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"