night moons with rainbows/my favourite things

I am back
to my
night
watches

or perhaps
they have never ended

the moon has danced
with me
last night a rainbow circled it
and set the mood merry
the clouds swept lazily
along
with us
and the owls came back
to whooo whoo

my smile is still with me today
and I had to say
I have
just
too many
favourite things
everyday
waiting to be told
and I don't think
that anything
should
keep me
from
saying it

so busyness
aside
and storm threats away
I will let the rainbows in
with their smiles
and brightness
on my path
to lead me
along
my
way

by day
it is snowman building
with precious
grand kids

and
soon
goat kids
are coming

night watches
night moons
with rainbows

my favourite things

my favourite things/ my goats call me

my goats call me
from the moment they hear me
come out of the house
until I squeak my bicycle's brakes
at the garden gate

they call me
they wait at the gate
for their goatherder

this old goat lady

three carloads of kids and adults
unpacked themselves as I came to do afternoon chores

instead I let out all the mamas and babas
from their stalls into the running area
and we all played

the children had no questions
they simply picked up day old babas and week old ones
and snuggled and cooed sweet babblings
that the beastlies immediately understood
to be love and joy and peace

the adults asked questions
and more and more
questions
but never once stooped to feel their softness
or smell their newness
or listen to their sweet murmurings

they missed the dancing on goat wings
the little ones sucking
they missed
the soft breeze come in
to refresh
and
renew

they missed the sighs
from children
and kids

I don't think they heard the laughter

It took a long time before anyone noticed
the quiet joy
of each child
mesmerized
rallying in their own little world
of peace and bliss
a kid
with a kid

and then they saw it
and were drawn in
and became part of the fun
and laughed with the children
and stooped to know
the precious babas

this old goat lady
watched with joy
quiet splendor
as the families
became playmates
and laughter was the bond
and love the strong chord
that joined them

this is how God works in the hearts of his children

all around are His signs and wonders

the bird song and new Spring life

and though we busy ourselves with our own
understandings and misunderstandings
at last
we do see the sunrise
or the sunset
or the child He has lent us for a season

and we will play in the beauty of this gift
He has sent us
our laughter
becomes praise
to Him

like this old goat lady
He looks on with joy
that they noticed
His love
gift

He is already planning their tomorrow

and He smiles

...............
my favourite things

my favourite things/ Mr Snowman

                                             Photos by Beth Lynn

the packages arrived
today
over the mountains
across the prairies
to Springtime
springing
water runoff perfect for a five year old
to ride bikes through
a trampoline perfect to count rocks on
for a wee girl

snow giving way
to green grass
and puddles
treasures
that lay hidden
a whole
entire
winter

today
Mr Snowman
arrived in the mail

you build him and then he melts
you build him again
and watch him
melt
all over again

it is Spring after all

and the giggles
and happiness
of mama hearts
watching little ones find simple joys
is enough

Mr Snowman

my favourite things

my favourite things/ trusting

this majestic puppy

visited a porcupine today
I'm certain she was surprised

perhaps it was the first time
something ever turned on her

this friendly

still puppyish hound
always
greeting the world around her 

with great 

enthusiasm

she
surely 

had no

enthusiasm 

when she 

returned home 

this morning

Eddie was fine
perhaps he saw what had happened to Willow
and decided a distance between him and the prickly friend was a fine thing
or perhaps
he is just 

a wee bit
wiser

in life

having been around 

loads of years 

more

never once did Willow try to bite me

I pulled the needles out one by one
and after two hours
I finally thought to calf tie her legs
and put a horse blanket over her
I held her firmly but gently

while I sat on her
and with encouraging words

took only seconds more

to remove the last needles 

stuck deeply 

in her 

chin

all out at last

there was no
biting me

just kisses and puppy romping

puppy slobber
and more 

kisses

This was my gift for hurting her with each needle out

she let me do it

I wish I could be such malleable clay in the Master's hands
His gentle gracious hands
He knows best

I know He loves me
I want to trust Him
like Willow trusted me

He knows best

trusting

my favourite things

my favourite things/amazing grace stories

amazing

this grace

but today I heard it differently

it was a sermon
at the Army church

after a weekend of learning together
the students performed for us

their giftings varied
and finely honed

and from Toronto
a speaker talked of
all the 'amazing grace stories'

filling our sanctuary

and I  thought for a moment of heaven
and how eternity would be filled with 'amazing grace stories'
all of us laying down our crowns for the One
the One...

the One worthy of these amazing grace stories
and I wept for the joy of it

how comforted He will be one day
to know we count Him worthy
of this honour

we will never tire of  hearing 

the stories 

from each soldier
each child
each one known 

before conception 

by the One
who so freely
bestowed
on us 

this 

amazing 

grace

For Him it was costly
more than we will ever understand

but 

joy will 

be His
on the day
we all
recollect to the Father
our
'amazing grace stories'

I long to see His face

my favourite things

my favourite things/ that tree

I caught a glimpse of that tree tonight
Dear Lord
walking out
into the night
I caught its darkness
and why You said not to eat of it

You
Dear One
Who formed us

You Abba Father
Holy One
Who knew we were but dust
until You breathed
Life into us

You knew

You knew we could not bear the knowledge
of such evil
You knew it would consume us
break us
and leave us
lifeless

You knew we could not grasp the fullness
of Your goodness

so You came
to show us

we still couldn't
comprehend

so you had to die
to help our hearts see

and now by Your Spirit
poured out to us

and with
Refiners Fire

this dust is being made pure gold

now we have a hope that is not ashamed

our eyes can see something new

a tree

but of Life
and we
may
eat
of
it

Abba Father

it
will
be
the
healing
of
the
nations

that
tree
Dear Lord

that tree

my favourite things

my favourite things/ green granny smith apples

my favourite things

He visited us today

The old woman walked right to us
though her zig zagging gait suggested
she'd had too much to drink
her plastic bottle empty
swaying in her hand
we all gazed at her steadfastness
to join our picnic celebrating

our blankets spread
on the velvety grass
the children celebrating a tenth birthday
fruit trays and veggies
finger food banquet arranged in its fullness

we all held our breaths
waiting

she spoke

do you have some water
its my heart
and the water helps

water

water

of course we had water

I reached one cool bottle to the children
to pass on to her
almost too eagerly
grateful she did not seek to spoil the children's fun
or take from their "abundance"

what heart is mine
I thought
O Lord, forgive me
I thought
I must give her more

we have so much

she gently folded her hands under her chin
gave Thanks
to the Eternal One
for the water
for us
our
kindness

then walked on

wavering still
but kindly
and with a grace
as she passed by
we could see
in her coat pocket
bulging
a perfect specimen
of a green
granny
smith
apple

I smiled thinking
an apple was also good for her heart
and it reminded me of the Garden
the fruit on that tree
and how even there
God's grace found us

I wanted to give her a veggie plate
Shoshanna wanted to give her a strawberry tray
Everyone wanted to give her more

but we each said nothing out loud
about it
and
we did nothing

we wanted to
but
she left so quickly

all we did was kindly return the blessing
she so graciously left for us
as she walked on

later the children found her sleeping
not far from us
peacefully

-------------------------
we are home now
and at the evening table we shared how we all wanted to give more
but she was so content
with the water
and we were frozen in time and could not move
though our hearts wished to

it was just a cup of cold water
-------------
tonight after all were settled
I did my last watch of the night

out into the dusk I went
dogs at my side
the goats and horses happy for
the evening meal
new kids put safely away
water taken around

and there arms raised to the Eternal One
with the night sky swathed in softness
He met me and touched me
I communed and rested and prayed
and praised and trusted
and waited
so long
I stood
His breath mine
His healing mine
my heart His to reshape
renew

I turned and there sitting poised and tall behind me was my Willow dog
eyes on me
and more
she had my back
she was so stoically calm
and still
waiting
so close

and I am thinking how sometimes the animals see God and angels more easily than we do

they seem to know if we entertain angels unawares

green granny smith apples
faithful guardian dogs
angels in old women disguise
birthday celebrations
little happy hearts
His Word that reminds us
He is with us

And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’…(Mathew 25:39)

His heart

my favourite things