Prince of Peace born soon
A stable not so warm, yet
He will light the world
God’s whispered love
A vacant throne in Heaven
God with us always.
The impossible
One life embraced by Mary
To embrace us all.
Shepherds abiding
God’s bright chorus in the night
At once, sin reversed
A tender shoot fights
A cry splits the night, new life
A Savior is born.
To a book lover
All Never-ending stories
Like eternity
A book lover’s dream
One in the works, two in queue
In the wings, rapture.
Old friends these bookmarks
One with tiny cat teethmarks
Fondly remembered.
How to explain joy?
For the bibliophile…
The book never ends.
One train meanders…..
Another answers its call
Melancholy dawn.
Melancholy train
Early morning answered by
Another close by.
Slow rumble on tracks
I wait for melancholy
Whistle brings hope
Early morning train
Fills my heart with hopeful strains
Sadness and longing
The haiku is a Japanese poetic form that consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The haiku developed from the hokku, the opening three lines of a longer poem known as a tanka. The haiku became a separate form of poetry in the 17th century.
So yesterday was the first day of my two weeks off school. And it was one of those “perfect” days. My mood was buoyant, like a ship sail catching the wind. I read “Before We Were Yours” through 3 cups of coffee and then took a walk through the nearby neighborhood. Only a very few walkers were about.
There was a gentle rain that started later in the day and that made everyone happy because it’s so needed. It was one of those magical March days I remember from growing up here. All of the fruit trees around town are in flower. Popcorn in shades of pink and white. Then the wind comes and it rains blossoms and you feel like you are inside a Haiku. The real rain comes and the poor daffodils try so very hard not to bow to the ground with the weight of the water.
Good News! We finally found an elliptical that was in really good shape not too far away so we put all the seats down in the car and drove to get it. Once there we wrangled it into the back with one bungy cord and packing tape. I climbed in the back and held onto it the whole way home. It wasn’t going anywhere.
I felt like we really pulled something off and we did. This thing sells new for $600-$800 and we got this one barely used for $200. I feel 15 pounds lighter already.
Now it’s the next evening, Sunday. I have felt off all day. Not like the “Golden Yesterday” But it’s still good. Part of what happens in this life. Some days you just feel off, like the stillness before an earthquake or a tornado. You brace yourself for something but you don’t know what it is.
But this is the wonderful and weird thing. All day, and I mean literally ALL day, this Mockingbird has been singing and I feel like it is trying to sing me through the day. And this is what God does. He tells us that we will always be okay by giving us little signs. If this bird can sing all day, then I figure he must be right.
There is something to sing about, always.
Today the leaves played catch and release with their leaves…..
The river caught some.
Look, the fall parade has started!
The trees are sending down their floats of gold.
With every walk I take in nature……..
God’s heart beats.
“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home” Matsuo Basho
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” Melody Beattie
“The beauty of inviting Jesus into our heart and life means we carry Him with us into every circumstance of our lives, essentially He becomes our home wherever home is. Knowing Jesus is returning to our original home.” Me
It was hot out and I had been cooped up since I got home, moldering in my cave/chair with a book and my phone. Finally I had to take a break from the inside and step outside. You know how when you’ve been in a building for too long and you go out and it feels a bit like Narnia just to be out? I used to feel like that at work. We had no windows to look out. I would go out and feed the sparrows in the patio and reset my compass.
I was met by my the feline comedy duo who zigzagged across my path vying for attention. They followed me to the feeding station and then I was surprised by a dash of pink behind the shrubbery. My Aunt informed me they called these lilies naked ladies. (Come to find out, Elaine has been watering it)
I have come to realize in this place we have carved out here, that you can have a little piece of domesticity and it can feel like home, even when you are between homes. I sat with a glass of wine as I watched the cats roll in their own little piece of heaven and felt peace settle around my shoulders. I breathed deep…….it was a welcome feeling and I felt gratitude fall around me as I aimed my camera and clicked away.
When you know who Home is and that every step you take is leading back to Him, you can rest assured that all will be well wherever you land. Basho was somewhat right, the journey can be home when you know where you’ll end up.
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Jesus…….John 14:3
Peace be with your weekend friends………enjoy your journey.
Lori's Prayer Closet 