Wonderful God,

your daughter Hannah looked forward to a great reversal -

  when those who were full go hungry,

    and those who were hungry are satisfied;

  when the poor are lifted up from the dust

    and made to sit with princes;

  when the faithful ones will be guarded

    but the wicked and their ways will perish.

And did she see it, I wonder, or did she die waiting.

From the rising of the sun (or the blue moon!) to the going down of the same

  we praise your name, O Lord,

  as we also look and long for your great reversal.(1)

Thank you

  for Hannah and her faith,

  for Elizabeth and the welcome and hospitality she offered Mary,

  for Mary and her willingness to be a part of your dream,

     even though it meant suffering and sorrow.

Give us grace to follow their examples.

 

 (1) on 2nd thought, I had casserole last night, cereal this morning, pasta with pesto for lunch - I haven't been hungry for a long, long time.  Hmmm.......

Small white blossoms cast
off, drifting down on the breeze -
       Service berry snow.

Large leaves on thick stems, 

tiny leaves on long, lean stems -

     Squash and tomatoes.

Starts - hopefully the tomatoes will catch up before too long!

Jogger, with stroller,
woman talking to the air (1) -
      and more (2) on bikepath.

(1) with ear buds, talking on a phone. And I have to confess, I was listening to an audio book on my phone!

(2) bikes, e-bikes, dog walkers, folks heading for the beach, couples just walking!

One branch blossoms white,
another sprouts leaflets green -
         through both shows the moon.

Ok - 10:30, and not my best effort, maybe, but I still kind of like it.  And the way both are black against the moon.

Under clear covers
small green leaves on long thin stems -
        time to turn on lights! (1)

(1) grow lights, that is.....

A clear sky morning,
clouds and light rain afternoon -
       clear sky, warm moon night.

 God of all creatures and creation,
your Holy Spirit pours
over our world like a gallon of Sherwin Williams paint
and into every nook and cranny like a springtime mist,
bringing your love and life to all.
Help us live in the light of that love
this day and always.

 Hunched on the bracket
of the suet cake feeder -
       chipmunk poised to strike.

 Five buckets of soil,
6x6 timbers, cardboard -
       garden bed st camp.

 Afghan on the couch,
quiet sunlight on the floor -
     the afternoon nap.

Little plastic cups, 

growing mixture, seeds, water -

      now the wait begins!

 

Yes, we have done soil blockers; yes we have done newspaper cups; yes we have done peat cups.  This year we really have room and materials and just drilled holes in little plastic drink cups.   

Thought we had a plan;

 then unseen events arose -

          life is uncertain. 

Buds, birds  and branches 

outside my windows today.

        Tomorrow - blossoms?

 

Tomorrow night - frost!!?? 

 Everywhere and ever-present God,
friend, comforter, protector, guide,
shepherd, parent......
here we are in this season
when Jesus has ascended,
left us,
but the Holy Spirit has not yet come.
And honestly God,
sometimes it feels like we are on our own,
not just for these 10 days but for every day for all time.
We are so unjust, so cruel, so arrogant to each other.
Help us trust in the coming and the power of your Holy Spirit,
lest we get lost in the wilderness of fear and despair.
We pray this for our sake, that we might find our best lives,
and for the sake of Jesus,
that his life, death, resurrection, and ascension will not have been in vain.

 Multicolored flash
at the hummingbirds feeder -
      welcome little friend.

 White clouds drifting by,
wind sets the woods a-humming -
      sunshine on the deck.

 

Dark clouds now, rain coming? 

 Airplanes overhead,
Speed boats on the horizon -
        Bathers on the beach.

On the bench it's me - eating a pasty!

Grass is turning green,

buds are just ready to burst -

        summer in the wings!

                      or

         summer on the way!

                     Or even 

Grass greening on first, 

buds swinging for the fences -

        summer is on deck! 

Voices call from all

around me sitting in the

       public library. 

Dry leaves, bare branches,
many big trees blown over -
       walking Presque Isle trail.

And blue sky, blue lake, some verbal ponds (see today's Mining Journal) and stretches of muddy trail. All in all, really nice!

Father/Mother God,

in whom we live and move and have our being -

Evening comes and in the quiet darkness

we are grateful that you do not leave us alone,

but are with us through this night

and into tomorrow.

We rest in your love and care. 

Flour, sugar, salt,

baking powder, oil, milk, eggs -

         waffles for breakfast! 

 Warm sun, gentle breeze,

 birds sing, all is harmony -

      in my mind? the yard?  

On the lawn is Bugs(1);

on the pond are seven ducks;

       on the couch - is me! 

 (1) a rabbit friend - but not necessarily one that I could identify as opposed to another. 

 Yellow daffodils
gathering on the hillside -
        infiltrating May.      

The gas stove comes on,

the sun and the temps falling -

    Evening settles in

           or

Evening settles in,

the sun and the temps falling -

     the gas stove comes on. 

 

 Blue sky overhead,
Dark clouds on the horizon -
         take a walk - or no?

 All over, over all God,

"A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation....."

Really? 

Examples are few and far between

in these harsh and polarized and violent days.

Shine the light of your love into the backroom spaces 

of our hearts and lives

until they more fully realize the persons you have called us to be.

Oatmeal for breakfast,

soup, salad, muffin for lunch -

     now - what's for dinner? 

Floating serenely, 

a brief paddle, a headstand -

      May duck afternoon.