Sun climbs above trees,

as moon sinks beneath roof-lines,

      in between - it's me!

 

And a new day dawning. 

Improvement on yesterday's -

   Sky candles twinkle,

    lunar lantern glows to light

        the world's living room. 

 

Now for today - 

   Groundhog Day came, went -

   Still spring does not feel closer.

      Waiting, waiting, wait....... 

Giovanni Bellini, Presentation at the Temple, tempera on panel, c. 1469. 

(Today is  The Feast/Festival of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, also observed as Candlemas - the day when people would bring their candles to the church to have them blessed.  A nice article about it here  https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/a-light-to-lighten-the-gentiles)

 

Sky-candles twinkle,
full lantern moon glows to light 
      the world's living room.
 

 

 La presentación de Cristo en el templo by Kelly Lattimore

I'll be honest, God,

I'm not sure where I fit into all this -

  +doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly,

   +walking blameless, speaking truth from my heart,

   +being poor in spirit, and meek, and hungering  

       and thirsting for righteousness, and all the rest.

I do know that sometimes I feel foolish 

  or useless

  or just afraid.

I do know I want things to be better for all people 

  and for all of your Creation

So I'll take you at your word today -

  "Blessed are..... 

  "Blessed are.....

  "Blessed are.....

And try my best with all the rest.

I'm going to need your help. 

 

A ringed full moon casts

soft shadows on fresh snow as

         January ends. 

 

A peaceful image to end a rough month. 

Lights down, curtain up,

and "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" -

        music and dance - Wow!

 

NMU's co/lab dance performance. 

It was amazing and more.         

Sunlight sliding down

the roofs across the courtyard -

      a new day drops in. 

 

Ok - we don't really have a "courtyard", we have a greenspace with a pond that is snow-covered. Or you could use "commons" I guess.

Fried rice, chicken legs:

tasted too good, ate too much -

      community meal!

Afternoon shadows

stretch across snow covered yard -

         twilight approaches. 

 Robert Burns Supper -

Grace, Haggis, Toasts, Auld Lang Syne -

      missed it again - Rats!

(It was last night. Maybe next year. I always think you could do it with a pasty instead of a haggis!) There was a professor in the geology department where I went to college that used to do a Robert W Service dinner each year.  My roommate was a geology major and would go.  "There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold...."

 

Sweet Jesus -

I think I know what you had in mind when you said -

"I will send you out to fish for people."

I think you meant find all kinds of people -

  +the rich and the poor,

  +the littlest and the lost,

  +the strangers among us, whoever they are,

  +Moms and Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas, and children, 

  +the young (5 year olds) and the elders,

  +the discouraged and the enthusiastic,

  +the hungry and those who are well fed,

  +those in warm houses and those on cold (freezing) streets,

and gather them into the community/congregation/family of your grace

and wrap them securely in your loving arms

and shelter them under your holy wings. 

I don't think that is what we are doing today. 

 

And I love this picture by Peter Koenig -

Sunrise through the pines,

clear, but extreme cold lingers -

        good day to "clean house".

 

Or "bake bread", or "wash clothes", or "read books", or ?????

 

 Sims and/or eSims,

Voice over Internet calls -

     another day shot.

(i.e. - I can't figure this stuff out, let alone get it to work!  But I can use Google Pay to buy my coffee!) 

Extreme cold warning
stay inside tonight despite -
      silver sliver moon.

I have a feeling I used that "silver sliver" image before.

A grand old building,

One "teller", no customers -

    So how much longer?

 

Flagstar Bank downtown branch! Not sure if "teller" is still the appropriate term.

Sunshine, clear blue sky,

fresh white snow, and six degrees -

         take a walk, or no..... 

 By the sunlit bush,

 I dream of summer warmth, but -

      "Quothe the chick-a-dee......"

 

Not for a while yet!

Recognizing Edgar Allen Poe's birthday! 

 

And reprising this one from a year ago -

Earth folk together

Diverse, equal, included -

   Martin had a dream.

 

Heavenly Father, Mother, Parent, Friend -

I am trying to wait patiently for you to walk by, to take away the sin of the world,

but it still seems to me that the wicked prosper and the good die young.

Help me spot you among all those passing by, find where you are staying in our world and rest my heart there. 

Snow streaming off roofs,

Snow lining pine tree branches -

        Two figures walking.

 

My first attempt at a Japanese print!  Second attempt - 

 

Snow streaming off roofs

outlining pine tree branches -

      hunched figures walking.

Don't forget the key -

newspaper, ads, no letters -

       trip to the mailbox.

Tomato basil

soup, drunken pasty pot pie,

       chocolate chip cookie.

 

Lunch with friends at The Peace Pie. 

Wind gusts to forty,

blowing snow and falling temps -

         stay in, make waffles! 

Soo locks are closing,

Great Lakes shipping shutting down (1) -

         lighthouse keeps blinking. (2)

(1) at least Lake Superior shipping. Not sure exactly when.

 (2) every 7 seconds!

Sun rises (1) and sets (2);

Breakfast and lunch and dinner -

        Monday, a new week.

(1) earlier!

(2) later! 

Jesus comes to the Jordan alone -

  no Mary and Joseph with protecting arms 

  no shepherds telling wondrous tidings,

  no Kings bringing gifts,

  no disciples tagging along.

 Jesus starts his day as we do - alone,

     in a crowd but alone,

  looking for meaning,

  looking for direction,

  looking for security,

  looking for reassurance, 

  looking for friends.

Thank you God, for meeting us here

and for going with us through this day. 

Christmas tree is gone,

The Packers playing the Bears -

        Snow falling softly.

The tree is still up;

One last neighborhood event - 

          Christmas lingering? 

The wise men - gone home (1) -

The shepherds - back with their sheep (2) -

           Mary, Joseph, Child? 

                    or

           Family - on the run! 

(1) by a different route

(2) after telling everyone what was really happening

           

Plans, hopes, fears, dreams, goals;

resolutions on my part -

        what will this year bring? 

Snow turning to slush, 

Temps climbing to 30's  but -

           sunshine would be nice. 

By the parking lot

Christmas trees are piling up -

      "les bon temps rouler"!

So I am finding it increasingly hard to keep "Israel" as the people of God separate in my mind from "Israel" as the contemporary political entity. I am going to try to m use "the people of God" or even the Anishinaabe term "all my relations". The reality is that humans cannot just be at peace with each other without being at peace with the creation around them. So -

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow. Jeremiah 31

They are on their way, Lord -

practicing their songs,

bringing grain, wine, and oil.

The women are practicing their dance,

the men (young and old) are making merry.

They have mourned for too long -

 loss of their land, loss of their children,

 their homes and villages destroyed, 

their olive trees uprooted.

 Now is the time to turn their mourning into joy,

 now is the time to give them gladness for sorrow.

 Comfort your people, Lord, whoever, wherever they are....

 

 

 

 

 

January 3,

As for my resolutions -

      Haven't made them yet! 

"Thank you" the voice said;

"I enjoyed it" the card read -

         a call or a card?

 

or an email or a text... I guess I still go with a card.

And ok, no "New Years Reflection". Maybe tomorrow?

Shoveled out the car (1),

10 degrees, socks for mittens -

     home to a new year. (2)

 

(1) parked at the airport through the blizzard

(2) will try to have more of a "starting a new year" sense tomorrow! This is what I got for now.