Monday, March 18, 2013

my favourite things/ this precious love

These precious children
are already the heart of my daughter
and though years of gathering papers
and now watching them flutter in the wind
and be lost

even so

all is not hopeless

There is One who sat as King of the flood
and He sits as King forever

He is the One who moves in hearts
and makes ours like His Own

and if courage comes
by standing and knowing He stands with us
then stand we will
unmoveable
pressing forward
believing
in His Goodness

This mama heart is a long ways from the ache
across mountains and oceans and deserts
but nothing can separate us from the love of God
no ache
no distance
no thing

I looked through the deep blue sky last week
thinking how amazing that there was no end to it
I twirled a dance out in my snowcovered fields
looking for a cloud
for something
anything
the blue was flawless
deep and reaching
like God's love
unending
higher than anything I could ever imagine
I could see that 'He' would always be 'enough'


That night on my goat watch
at the midnight hour
looking for new life
sweet baaas in the night
warm and nestled in the soft hay
rapturous lickings from the mama baaa
sweet goat talk back and forth
to those she held within her
all those months
She couldn't see them though they were there
and now she does
It always makes me stand amazed
This new life
This knowing

the sky was star studded
I did my twirly dance in the night
under this rapturous heaven opened before me
What I didn't see through the deep blue of the day
What I could have only imagined
now lay before me in all its glory
It was always there but now in the darkness
I see a heaven glory stretching out to touch me
I see what in the day 
I was blind to

When all is well
We do not always remember God's "great' faithfulness
Oh we know He is there
His deep love far and extending
and we may rejoice in what is good
but we are merry
and sometimes
we forget it is He
that gives
merry

But
when darkness comes
any brightness becomes our hope
and when we see it
we remember He has always been with us
and we remember other nights He has brought us through
though some with torment and anguish
He has always brought us through to morning
and deep blue skies
and a remembering
of His faithfullness

The sun is reaching through the forest branches this morning
golden sunrays
Golden Sonrays
Waking my remembrance to His Abiding Love

He is unchanging
Though we do not see Him
He abides with us

He will gather
the lost papers
that dance in the wind

He will show us the beauty of the dance
as He gathers the wind in His hands

The deep blue
The starry night
His unchanging love
He cares for little ones
and their mama's love
This precious love

my favourite things


----------------------------
The courts have again lost papers
But God is able
please pray with us













Sunday, February 10, 2013

my favourite things/ the fast and furious

 


















today was another of those days
skis on
dogs along side

only it was -5C and slippery

our trail was already packed with two grooves
the dogs didn't sink nearly as badly

and we flew

so much fun these days together
the sun on our faces
no breeze
only the freshness
lifting off the snow

the air tastes good
I shouted up through the swooshing of our skis
it was more than just the smell
it had savour
of pureness
and it
tasted
good

it was pure sweetness
a God gift

we
were
the
fast
and
furious
today

my favourite things




two dogs
my man
skis
sunshine
clear lungs
speed
laughter

home in one piece
contentment
thanksgiving
to the One
who gives
good
gifts






my favourite things



Saturday, February 9, 2013

my favourite things/ back door skiing


out our backdoor we go
we call the dogs
get on our skis
and hit the trails

Eduardo is the adventurer
he likes to break new ground

I am the skier
I like it groomed and straight
fast and sleek

so we did the packed trails first
then headed into virgin snow
two hours of beauty
and laughter
exclamations and praise

passing rabbit paths
and moose
coyote
and fox
squirrel
and a mouse dragging its tail
grouse and raven
beaver
and
us

two people
two dogs
and the Maker of all this glory

a warm day
warm hearts
trees casting shadows
the Son casting sun rays
colour returning into the winter lands
rich blue sky
yellow in the willows
red thoughout the brush
green lichens and old man beard

birch and alder seeds
scattered for the birds

underground tunnels
for all the little animal folk
them nibbling bentover trees
caught in the deep snow
frozen chantarelles
leftover cranberries

All of us feasting in some way
on all of this glory

up hill
down hill
gliding and
resting
then
home again

skis off
up against the garage
a walk up the hill to the house
goats calling in the distance
spring birds singing from the tall trees
a warm fire waiting
a family weekend
a new holiday
for British Columbians










a fit just perfect
for us

back door skiing
my favourite things
















Friday, February 8, 2013

My favourite things/ Mr Snowfriend



Mr Snowfriend on a lazy day
you rolled and rolled and rolled around
you found a scarf and doffed a hat
put on your smile
and laughed a lot
my dogs were happy too

my snowfriend
my favourite things



Sunday, January 27, 2013

my favourite things/ chasing the moon


a long day done
riding home up the old Airport Hill

and there
rising above the Fraser
and Nechako
was this Mr Moon
my Old Friend

funny I could still see the same face there
I had always seen
the serene one
always calm
half smiling

pleased that I had dared look up

we smiled at each other

all the way home I stopped
jumped out of my car
and snapped

my camera was happy
the light was fading
but the brightness matched
the shine of my countenance
as we traveled together
my 32 kms

it was peek a boo
and catch me if you can
a stop in the misty fields at Marsha's
click again
her cows away in a different field for the night
the old cabins held in the mist like a dream
angel webs swaying through the trees
the night singing a lullaby
with the night hawk
and fox in the field
mice gathered
for the young

past my driveway
a stop at our neighbours
Mr Moon playing leapfrog
with their big rounds of hay
coyote paths wound round and round
in games of tag
me balancing
stretching
to catch his fullness sitting in the trees
Mr Moon
round and soft
in the haze of the
fleeing afternoon

old fences
gates
barb wire stretching far
the mist settling deep
humming a 'go to sleep' song
'a day is done' song
my camera clicking
almost too dark

Past another dear neighbour
cows stretched across the horizon
fronts seats to the rising Mr Moon
their low mooing
sweetness in the
closing of the 
curtains
day sunk wearily into night

at the Willow now
beavers in lodges silent
the water's flow mostly beneath snow
Mr Moon
fuzzy in the fog
soft above the trees
blurred
and
stopped for the night
as I look over the bridge
all around
I breath deep
to fill my being with more
of this vigor
this laughter
of our game
of chase and find
and the rest
refreshed

Home now
He slowly follows me
up our driveway
and I leave him
sitting above the poplars
company through the night
for our horses
and goats
Blue dog and Sam
all the wild ones of the
night will howl
together
front seats
with Mr Moon
and the night

a God gift
this
chasing the moon

my favourite things











Wednesday, January 23, 2013

my favourite things/ the manure pile



A strange thing this manure pile
It grows on me
in more ways than one

Today as I laboured
on stall number two
right down to the bottom
wheel barrow filled thirty times
pushed thirty times to the gathering place
where it will sit and age and become useful
through the Winter months
the Spring season
into the middle of Autumn
when all the fields are grazed
and dirty tractor tracks
won't spoil the fields

the goats
already
back
on sweet
gathered
hay

then
the manure
will be spread
and within the first weeks of
'Spring snow' disappearing
the new grass will be rich
and lush
growing high
so that the droughts won't harm it
the blazing sun won't scorch the roots
the heat won't burn it
and the goats and horses
wandering all through these now 'snow baren' months
will enjoy like gourmands
eating as they play and leap with joy
gathering strength and health
for Winter's long months ahead

and so the cycle goes on

I will find myself
again
in the manure pile

cleaning stalls
thirty wheelbarrow loads one day
fifty the next
weeks of this
digging

I am not the prodigal
now
though I may have been
once
caught in my rebellion
before I knew the truth
and was set free

still I dig manure

and do it gladly

I am constantly reminded
that it is out of the mire
that He pulled me
and set my feet upon
a Rock

I am free to walk away

In my heart I am free
but I buffet my body to continue
in this labour
to remember
from where He has brought me

And at night as I walk home through the starry night
I rejoice that just as the uncountable stars that He knows by name
I am one of the 'named' in His book of Life
names as many as the grains on the seashore
uncountable
as the stars above
uncountable


I am one
of many

on the cross
Jesus said
It is finished

His labour of love complete

we are His rich harvest
we stand forgiven
and loved

all this
I learn
from
a walk home
on a starry night

and a manure pile

my favourite things







Sunday, January 20, 2013

my favourite things / just wondering

wondering about all this glory tonight
in the clearness and quietness
of the midnight sky

Your glory Lord
so unfading
unending
so whole
my soul
always satisfied

in Thee alone
O Lord
I rest

I revive
I energize
I lift praises
I exalt You

I never tire
with You
in this place

the sky is bright tonight Lord
each star I see
I pray You keep my heart clear like this night sky
nothing clouding Your will
for me

keep me O Lord
on Your steadfast path
and like the good Samaritan
give me purse and desire
to bless those flogged
upon my way
to uphold the weary
bind up their wounds
and always
return to bless
with Your sweet grace

it is enough this grace

wondering about all this glory tonight
in the clearness and quietness
of the midnight sky

keep my heart so clear O Lord

my favourite things