my favourite things/ Spring thaw

dripping

roof's snow gathered
through the North's long winters
six months

stretching
bending
reaching
for earth's safety net

released to find Spring's many rivlets
her creeks

raging rivers
her endless oceans
a joyous journey
celebrating
the coming of new life
rebirthing

the Spirit awakening
in the old and dead
the Spirit refreshing

in the life laid down

the rest complete

the Spirit breathing
be
born
again

Spring

the rebirth of earth's sleeping creation
spores
seeds
babies

on wing

in the nest

on the hearth

in the heart


"from the tomb"

catalysts of new joy

Easter rebirth



always the dying

before the resurrection

the crown of thorns

before the crown of glory

after three days

He said he would rebuild 'This' temple

hope never dies

Jesus

my hope of glory

-----------

winter of my life

now

the lovely

and incessant

dripping of the thaw

to bring ~the rebirth

to manifest ~the born again

the seeds shooting forth ~to bear fruit

the blessing for many

Grace complete

His Spirit

brings

Spring thaw

my favourite things

                      

Spring thaw

my favourite things

my favourite things/He dances and sings in the night

my hoody pulled high
my coat zipped
boots crunching
with each step
along the path

the night kissing away
the warm playings of the day
while people sleep

but God...

I caught Him dancing in the night
sweeping His paintbrush through the aspens
across the sleeping spruces and firs
red and green springing up through the white glow
across the northeastern horizon
sprinkles sent on wings
to brighten the heavens

reaching upwards
to our Abba Father
I could see
earth prayers
lifted in glory rays
from hearts of faith

dancing to the Son's song
lifted softly
to Heaven's heart
to the One

I caught Him singing as He sprinkled the evening stars
His song
in harmony
with the forest owls
the night train
the distant howl
of village dogs
soft around me

a cool freshness on my cheeks
the melody bursting for joy
in my lungs
as I laugh with the night

I am not alone

I caught Him dancing in the night
painting a Glory picture
another Masterpiece

I might have been sleeping

I caught his song
dropping from the scattered stars

while man sleeps

God neither slumbers nor sleeps
He plays in the night

while we sleep
and take our rest
and dream of other worlds

He holds us in His hand
while He dances in the night

Red
Green
warm glow on Night's canvas

our prayers rising

His heart answering

we sleep
He dances and sings in the night

my favourite things

my favourite things/ the moonrise

tonight
I was entranced
by the light
of the
moon

I had to lay myself down
in the deep snowbank
and I wondered
while I watched

how we might
reflect the Son
so beautifully

could it be possible
to stop people in their tracks
for God's beauty reflected
take their breath away
the way the moon did to me this night!

only a moon

no light of itself
but for the sun

and us
clay

no light of our own

but breathed in

by Him....

and
made living

When He shines on us
just perhaps
people could catch a glimpse
of His beauty
of His glory

tonight
the moon sat cradled
in the arms of the aspens

I felt God's arms
hold me up
embrace me entirely
in all that He is

I close my eyes
and hear the softness of the night's caress
blue and deep around her golden orb

I feel heaven's touch
graced in the evening sky

I close my eyes
and wonder

will I hear His voice
soft on the wind
of the night
could I sweep up into the heavens
with the nighthawk
light on wing
and hear His breath
as He grants flight

or perchance
follow the cry of the owl
as it shadows
the small and helpless
seeking
His Hiding Place

a cleft in the Rock

the Shadow of His Wings

I am the small and helpless

tonight I take my flight to Him
He alone is my Refuge
my Strong Tower
His wings will lift me up

I will cradle in His arms
like the moonrise
and know love's embrace

His Light will hold me
sustain me

tonight He took my breath away
and gave it back again
fuller
stronger

even the darkness is Light to Him

tonight
I run freely
with the night

and dance in the Light
of the Son

embraced in His love

the moonrise
my favourite things

slow flakes/my favourite things

slow flakes
light flakes

drifting weightlessly

covering

covering where pain and tears

were yielded

all the fears
given up

traded for

Eucharisteo

Thanksgiving

now the snowflakes fall
whimsically
where they may
with laughter
and lightness of heart
covering
filling the holes
pain made
the emptiness
sorrow dug
the chasms
fear chiseled

The giving of thanks
Eucharisteo

Snow flakes

His grace

falling

filling

making whole

where emptiness lay

now filling with joyous laughter

overflowing tears

because He has given everything we need

there is no more left

than
Eucharsiteo

giving of thanks

I have come back

like the leper

to give thanks

and I go away

rejoicing

full

weeping

complete

cleansed

like Janet said...slain

but whole

snowflakes

falling ever so lightly

His Grace

covering

my favourite things

His Grace

my favourite things

---------------------------

readings to bless....Ann Voskamp~ One Thousand Gifts~

blog by Katie/ Amazima ministries

and a sermon by Andy Stanley~ I Owe Who~ about the lepers Jesus healed and only one returned to give thanks...but went away whole ! Complete!

the journey/my favourite things

we wake
we sleep

and then there is the inbetween

the journey

we all journey differently

and occasionally we see the same things
or feel the same outbursts of inexplicable joy
over the most ordinary

moved to tears we may feel one
with those who have tasted with us
seen our dreams
felt the same joys or sorrows
felt the same closeness
to a part of humanity
somewhere
or touched the same soil
or seen the same glory
or held the same child
or another

felt the same love

the outgoing of love

the coming in

given freely

washing each other's feet

sharing
with the homeless
the sojourner
the fatherless
the widow
the orphan
a friend
a loved one

the journey is richest
when we touch another
from the heart
heartstrings singing
with undiluted heart love
a God love
that always believes
always hopes
always endures
always goes on
and on

touches the forgotten
the lost
the needy
the hurt
the abandoned
the sick
the weary

laughs with those that laugh

weeps with those that weep

takes joy in the giving

sees the face of Jesus
in every life

along life's journey

they will rise up with wings as eagles
they shall run and not be weary

they shall walk and not faint

in this is inexplicable joy

the journey
my favourite things

my favourite things/Sihle's snow

I knew it as soon as I swept my feet down the path

this was Sihle's snow

and my heart remembered a little girl
two Christmases ago
sweeping the feathery light snow
to the wind
with her gloves
catching it and seeing it dance and flit
letting it fall on her upturned face
eyes blinking for the joy of it
her laughter caught up
forever in my heart

I love how God brings back the moments
they are never lost
and My Abba Father knew
the longing in my whole being
for this little girl's laughter
and her
"Gramma,
I Love you"s

my chores were light and easy today

she was in the snow angel making
in the games around the ladder
with the little goat-feet
flitting as joyously
as her snow tossed
to the wind

the baby goats would have loved her gentle presence

she was in the castle making

the face planting in the snow's freshness
to cool my face

she was in the dogs' game chasing

with each step home
I could see my little Sihle
and imagine the joy
of Pamela and Musa
when one day they discover
Sihle's snow
light
feathery
wings in the wind
a gentle beauty

my favourite things

my favourite things/ Jesus, You are my River

Jesus
You are my River

I run down to Your banks
and sit by Your side
resting wholly in You

there is no other

You are alive

You sing to my heart
awakening every longing
deep within me
to be one
with You
flowing
gently
in Your flow
refreshment renewing my being
my breath replaced
by Your surging current
soothing
strong
stirring my longings
to see Your face

today
Your reflection
rests
mirrored in the still waters
Your beauty
takes my breath away and I gasp for life

Your filling
Sweet
Spirit
may it flow through me

I rest
by the ice
and see your clarity
I feel Your warmth
keeping the flow
from freezing

I see hearts

earth turned
and waiting for Spring
for the planter and the waterer
praying for a harvest rich

Shoshanna harvested a squash
from her garden today
42lbs
19 kg
bigger than her children
a rich harvest
and her
the happy gardener
and friend Hannah rejoicing
and us laughing
all the while thinking of soups
and pies
oven roasts
and freezing some away

I saw the fallow earth
when I was there
and lifted a prayer
for a harvest
Jedaiah dug deep
manured
and planted
Bethany watched

together
Shoshi and the children
watered and watched

while we waited
the Master Gardener
put 42 lbs into a squash
a miracle

to be there but not really see it happen
like my babies that were once only a thought
and now
play and dance and sing
another miracle
I'm not sure how God does it
but I can't hold back the mama joy
and the thanks
as I sit at His Riverside
catching His image
catching His love words
giving life
to my soul

Be still
Know that it is I

I AM

one with my Jesus
He is my River

my favourite things

----------------
Your image
resting near the banks
where I drink
my thirst 
quenched

the willows
heavy in winter's blanket
bend burdened
they stretch their arching boughs
and bring their praises
their petitions
to your flowing source
reflecting themselves in You
made glorious in You
Your Light in their darkness
Your blanket of winter's cover
Your temporary
offer of rest

until that day
when we
will be complete
the calm waters flowing
hiding us in You
and when we look into your River
we will see You
not us
we will see You
face to face
and will know You

entirely
completely
openly
transparently

our groanings will be
satisfied
in You

Jesus
You are my River

my favourite things