Zoom In!

My niece, Jill, was in high school, and being especially Jill, her stories of the day often had an unusual twist. She was in love, at the time, with Eric Estrada from C.H.I.P.S., and one day coming home on the school bus, she just knew she saw him zooming by on Fortune Road on a shiny motorcycle. She was ecstatic as she described seeing him, and I asked her, "Jill, what did you do when you saw him ride by?" She replied, "I pulled down my window and  yelled out to him, 'Welcome to Florida!'" You had to be there. She zoomed in, and  in her mind, she saw Eric Estrada in the flesh just minutes from her house. The moment brought us all a light heart and laughter; perception IS everything.

Life is fluid, and we move quickly through the construct we call time. To  infinity, the length of our all important life is neither a breath nor a sigh. That's not a depressing thought but a reminder to zoom in on life and look at things more closely to see what beauty or intrigue we might be missing. And while we're at it, especially zoom in on our own motives. They're all too easily overlooked.

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."
Luke 17:20-21.

Peace. Love, Linda

FRESH

Hey, do you want old fish?        

How's that stale cereal working for you?

Who wants a piece of moldy bread?

I like my lettuce limp and wilted.

Really? 

No, not really.

I like my lettuce FRESH!

Spring is especially FRESH, and green is a FRESH color.

But FRESH doesn't happen just in the spring.

FRESH HAPPENS EVERY DAY.

Be renewed in the spirit of your minds. Ephesians 4: 23

Peace. Love, Linda

Beyond the Barrels

Barrels are everywhere. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of them Narcoossee Road. They've been there for months, and now they've developed a strong attachment to the place. It's evident in the way they scoot out into the road when no one is looking, trying to make their finite square of ground just that much bigger.  Sometimes they join forces and decide to roll  into the highway in front of a car just to create drama. It's true, their job is very boring, so I have some sympathy for their need for action. Today when I looked out the window turning into our subdivision, a tart barrel winked at me. I tried to snap a picture for proof, but it froze when it caught sight of my camera.

It seems as if they will never leave, but I know that's not so. They're destined to move on, and I will not let them draw my attention away from the incredible first blushes of spring, no matter how hard they try to do so. I breathe deeply and picture our road complete, barrel free, and I don't even have to close my eyes to do it, which is a good thing since I'm usually driving when I see the barrels.

   In spite of the immediate evidence, good things are in store for us all, but don't look for the signs on the road, they're in the woods, the sky and the trees.

 The sun looks down on everything with its light, and the works of the Lord are full of his glory.

Sirach 42:16

Peace. Love, Linda

I Am Strong

It was 2:00AM, and Nikky's limp little head lay on my shoulder as I walked the living room floor, back and forth, back and forth. Her weak voice pleaded, "Sing 'Jesus Loves Me,' Mommy. Sing 'Jesus Loves Me.'" I sang, and when she dozed off, I prayed anxious prayers for her fever to break. It was one of those long "mom" nights you know about if you've ever raised a child.

A news show reported that Whitney Houston sang "Jesus Loves Me" at a party just hours before they found her dead in her hotel bathroom. I imagine her once perfect voice hoarse but melodic as she sang, "Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong." It's a wonderful assurance that Jesus loves me, but  "They are weak, but He is strong," can be a deceptive affirmation. We aren't weak. Paul expressed it beautifully in a letter to the Ephesians when he said in chapter 2 verses 21-22, "In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God." There's nothing weak in that image. Sounds rock solid and spirit filled.

Peace. Love, Linda

March Fourth

It seems fitting today that I post a poem I wrote years ago and modified many times but have finally let rest. The seed of it was planted when I worked outside in the nursery. March, most often, was a weather roller coaster ride with unpredictable turns and dips. My sister, who owned the business, and I would sing, "March came in like a lion..." almost every spring because even though March first may have been calm, it didn't mean March second or third would be the same. Then, Tommy came to work at the nursery, and he would, every March fourth, say, "It's army day!"

As I see the tragic scenes on television of shattered lives and mass destruction by havoc wrecked from tornadoes, and I listen to the wind buffeting outside at this very moment, I pray for the lives of those so tragically hit this March Fourth. Psalms has always been a comfort to me through sorrows. If you read this blog today and feel inclined, please say a prayer for those who have suffered from the storms after you read this verse.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. 

Psalms 107:19-20

My How You've Grown

I look at you and see the mess you left in the garage, and I think how it was just like yesterday you were small and spindly and not able to stand alone. A big wind could have blown you down. Now you are healthy and strong and almost thirty. How can that even be?

I notice the pile of trash you left on the front porch, abandoned, and I wonder if you even know what you are doing or are you so busy spreading your wings and stretching your limits that you've already forgotten what you dropped off? You have so much to do in such a short time. It's frustrating some times cleaning up your messes, but I do understand. I was your age once, and things just moved faster, then.

I switched on the back porch light because I heard a noise outside, and there you were. You were standing so still in the dark, and the shadow from the porch light made you look 100 yards long. I thought, then, how much I love you and think you are beautiful, even when some of your branches are bare and you dump pounds of pollen in my gutters. You may not be the most beautiful tree on the block, but you're my tree... for now.

Peace. Love, Linda