Somewhere in the universe
There is a sphere
With myriad colors —
Light and dark,
Dryness and wetness,
Mountains and valleys.
On outer spheres,
The people peer inward
At the inmost sphere.
The people are spread
All over the outer spheres,
Some closer, or farther,
From the inmost sphere.
They all describe
The inner sphere differently.
Though they tell the truth
About what they see,
The descriptions sound very different.
Are we talking about the same thing?
The storm predicted was much delayed
Though clouds did threaten, though wind began
Its quiet moaning, tree branches groaning.
We waited, waited – wondering
When heaven’s tensions would bring declension
To weather’s warmth and pleasantness.
When least expected, suddenly
A hurried haste of air and water
Gushed and guttered from the sky.
“It’s like a deluge!” – We take our refuge
‘Neath covered arches, no comfort wanting.
But soon it’s finished, the rain diminished,
The wind decreased, or almost ceased –
The sun appearing.
Now water jewels appear on trees
On branches glinting, our minds imprinting
With dreams of fairy fireflies.
In dead of night, in silent places,
The deer creep out and take their places
For midnight dancing, their footsteps prancing.
They circle round a leafless tree,
For now it’s winter, though they might be
There other times — in summer, maybe.
Soon rabbits join them, an inner ring,
If you have ears, you hear them sing,
The lilting rabbit Hopping Song.
Next squirrels join in; it’s quite a din
To hear their tch-tch, as they grin
And join the creature chorus.
Don’t leave out mice; you must look twice
To see their little bodies quiver —
A dancing river.
So don’t disturb the animal fiesta —
You thought they would be taking siesta —
But to your wonder, you found their frolic.
I know nothing,
I am nothing.
But the One
Who is Everything
Cares for me.
And that means
Everything.
GOD’S LOVE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
Do not be too discouraged about your faults, even those that come up repeatedly. Of course, strive to overcome them, but don’t be depressed by them. Instead, let them lead you to humility and dependence on God’s grace.
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
All the world is filled with grief.
There is no place to find relief —
Except at the foot of Jesus’ cross.
All the world is filled with hatred.
Hardened hearts to sin have catered —
But some souls sacrifice themselves.
All the world is filled with violence,
With killing, thievery, fighting, riots —
Except when people learn to forgive.
All the world is filled with madness,
Insanity twists sense to rashness —
But reason can find a better way.
All the world must turn around
Until a better truth be found —
And hearts and minds are finally sound.
It doesn’t feel much like heaven now,
Though I get glimpses of it.
Those who nearly die
And have visions of heaven, or hell —
Live transformed by gratitude.
I don’t know why
Some see heaven
And others do not.
Perhaps we have to train
Our hearts and eyes.
Perhaps we need to deliberately
Think
Of seeming coincidences
As real miracles.
We have forgotten our wonder,
Filled with self-importance,
Thinking we are the only creators.
What a heavy burden to bear!
Do you ever stare
At the moving clouds,
And wonder?
Why do the geese fly south,
Through never-ending seasons,
Only to fly north again?
I cannot comprehend the rhythms of life,
Like making a bed,
Only to have it messed up again.
Perhaps the rhythms, like an endless tide,
Or waves that ebb and flow, go “left” and “right”,
Give glory to God, in every season.
We need a rhyme; we need a reason.
We need the heat, the cold — if I may be so bold.
We need the peace of winter freezing,
The new spring buds our nostrils teasing,
The summer heat, and frenzied days,
That turn to autumn — the harvest phase.
The work, the play, exhaustion, rest,
The climax, quiet, the tears, the jest,
The hardship, ease, the stress, the peace,
Success and failure; they never cease.
Up and down, pride and shame,
Through it all, our God’s the same,
And every breath we ever take,
He watches tirelessly, for our sake.
The deer are seldom seen by day on our street.
They stay in the nearby woods
Until all (or most) neighbors
Are safely in bed.
Dim darkness will be their cloak of safety.
Like ghosts, they silently emerge
From the nearby woods,
Grazing on cold lawns and shrubs
And leaving behind
Only their telltale tracks in the snow
To surprise us in the morning.
clarakatalin 
Thank You, Everyone!
Ohio Report: January 26, 2022
Here in southwest Ohio, it was 7 degrees Fahrenheit this morning at 7:20 a.m. No wind to speak of, clear skies, and no ice on the roads, so it could be a lot worse. No snow today, except little piles left over from January 17th.
I’m sure people from Siberia, Alaska, Canada, the northernmost states of the U.S., and other places will be laughing at me for thinking 7 degrees is unusual, but it is for this coastal California girl! Maybe a few times at Lake Tahoe, I’ve experienced 7 degrees.
If you have cold weather, never take for granted (if you have them) a home, a furnace, electricity, warm clothes, and food to sustain you. I once watched a documentary in which they did an experiment with three couples or families, perhaps around the 1990s or later. The challenge was to see if they could survive a winter without all the modern conveniences. I think they had a cabin already; not sure. At any rate, they had to grow and preserve enough food, and collect enough firewood to survive winter. All three families failed. They didn’t preserve enough food nor collect enough firewood. They had to go back to their regular life before finishing the challenge.
The goats at my son’s in-laws are doing well in their indoor winter pen. They have a milk house heater for when it’s freezing or below. These are Nigerian dwarf goats, so they aren’t as hardy as, say, Scottish goats. They eat grain, leaves, and hay, and seem to really enjoy having people visit and pet them, not to mention the food provided.
We are fine here because of hundreds, if not thousands, of people: those who made our warm clothes; those who grow, deliver, and sell food; those who make and sell and maintain furnaces and refrigerators; those who build facilities for and maintain and deliver gas and electricity; those who collect our garbage once a week; those who deliver mail and packages to us; those who sustain us spiritually and/or in friendship and love, those who helped us have health and the ability to work to pay for bills – the list could go on and on. Thank you, everyone!
Update: December 23, 2022
It was NEGATIVE 7 degrees Fahrenheit this morning. 7 degrees is balmy!
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