Not Too Much More Remains

Covid is wiping me out as far as energy, creativity and brain. At first, when we thought we were fighting a cold, I told Bob my brain had turned to snot. Now my brain has just taken a vacation from usual activity.

I have slept more hours than I thought possible. I have read an entire Louise Penny novel, The Madness of Crowds. I have been awake for a few hours this morning trying to catch up with writing I might have done yesterday. I am beat.

So no promises for more posts this week. If I get some done, you will know about it. Until next week, please pray for our complete recovery. This virus is a nasty thing. Yes, we had our vaccines and even a booster, but we still caught it. At least it is just the first time we have suffered with it. Many others have contracted the illness multiple times.

Lord, bless us and keep us. Lord, make Your face shine upon us, and bring us Your healing touch I pray.

Drumming© Molly Lin Dutina

He began before 6:45 AM
Drumming and drumming
In the distance there was an answering drumming
But the first drumming was insistent
“Not you,” it seemed to say
“How about you?” it called
“How about you?”

The call went out for five minutes
Ten minutes
Nonstop drumming
Not tapping
Think kettle drum
Occasional distant answer

I decided to try to capture
What I was hearing into words
Relentless love call
Or territorial boundary fencing?

Open the iPad
Set up the document
Typing I began to form the words
Around what I was hearing
And it stopped

Just like that a full stop
Not petering out
Not fading
Not a few measures of rest
Full
End
Stop

Human will never understand
That avian love call
Drummed fence of feathered ones or
Sonnet of spring

I never saw the maestro
But the love drum beats on
In my heart of hearts

Come to me my Lord
Spirit of God set fire within me
Beat out Your ballad of love
Your boundary of protection
Declaration of Your indwelling

Conquering Christ take me captive
I am Your bride
abide in me

Contrasts/Similarities/Delights

The trees I speak about in this post are the orange/yellow on the left with dark black trunk and the pale yellow/green one on the right with sprouts along the trunk. It is so difficult to capture a good rendition of falling leaves from these two trees. I have tried repeatedly over the years. The above photo was taken one year on October 20.

Now I am looking at the same two trees in April. Bob is not certain a post actually went out last week about the two trees, so click here to read it. https://treasures-in-plain-sight.org/2025/04/24/the-maples/ One began with red flowers and now a storm of helicopter seeds. The other seemed to be doing nothing and made me wonder if perhaps it had died over the winter?

Six months apart in these observations. Throughout the summer there is lovely shade from morning into early evening. Then October and November they provide a storm of falling leaves. Now in April/May there is a mighty storm of falling seeds. Helicopters blanket the roofs, the grass, the garden beds, the driveways, the cars. Falling storm of new life if given the right time and place to sprout and grow undisturbed. Prior to the falling of this years’ plenty I have been pulling shoots from my garden formed by seeds dropped last year! How do they do that?

Soon we will have another bumper crop of maples growing where I do not want them. Help me remember to give thanks for all the seasons of the maples. I hear them making their gentle seed music on the back deck. The glory of life God designed. I wonder if there is anything that EATS those seeds? I might consider one for a pet; a well-fed pet at that!

Brother Lawrence was well versed in observing the work of God when he saw a tree in winter and mused ….

That in the winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time, the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of GOD, which has never since been effaced from his soul. That this view had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such a love for GOD, that he could not tell whether it had increased in above forty years that he had lived since.

The winter barren tree, the buds of spring, the flurry of seed, the leaves pushing the seeds off the stems, the mercy of shade for the summertime, the wonder of falling leaves in a myriad of colors. Oh God, You are so good to us!

Watching the Maples © Molly Lin Dutina 4-26-25

Watching the maples
As one developed flowers and one did not
Watching the red one as compared with the rather yellow one


And suddenly the entire congregation
of deciduous everywhere
burst into green and green and more green


No longer a view between the trunks
no longer a big sky here
tree upon tree is festooned


In early gown of tender greens
The earth of southwest Ohio
Has exploded with life


The dead looking wood of winter dormant
Just a memory now as more and more bird songs sound
Ringtone among the branches


Unseen choristers overloading the sky
Praises of myriads fill the air
continuous chanting towards God on high

Do You Feel The Presence of the Holy?

Often we believers wonder if God is really present with us. Our musing is usually caused by not being able to FEEL His presence. This is especially true when we are ill. {I continue to ponder how strong the physical being is at blocking my faith and the truths that I know are always true regardless of how I feel. And I continue to fight to uphold the truth regardless of my feelings.}

Last week the terrible cold that Bob and I have been suffering through finally drove us to test for Covid. We had done every single thing we could imagine to fight this thing off and we were getting no better. No one was more stunned than Bob Dutina when the tests proved positive for Covid. We finally had contracted it. No fever, just a multitude of awful other symptoms. No wonder we could not just shake it off like a bad cold! We discovered we had the virus too late for antiviral medications.

In the Post Easter readings more than once this week I have come across the story from the “Walk to Emmaus” Luke 24: 13-35. Two disciples are walking along the way and talking about the arrest, beating, and crucifixion of Jesus. They are amazed at the stunning news the women brought that they saw the Risen Jesus – alive and walking the earth.

A stranger joined them on their walk and asked what they were talking about. They said he must be the only one coming from Jerusalem who did not know what had happened. They proceeded to fill Him in. It is only much later in the story that they realize they are with Jesus. They did not recognize Him. He was walking with them and listening to them tell His story.

Somehow I picture Jesus not in all white robes, but dressed just like the walking pilgrims.

Since that happened to two disciples who knew all about His life, death and resurrection, do you think perhaps it could happen to you? When have you wondered where is God? Does God not care what is happening to me? Have you been amazed to later find out that God was right there with you all of the time?

We have finally returned to our first church home at the Episcopal church. And this year I missed every single Holy Week Service including the Saturday Vigil and Easter Sunday because either Bob was sick or I was sick. And still, I was able to rejoice in all the Risen Christ has done for us. I could only do that by holding fast to what I have learned about my God. Hold fast the foundation of your faith, regardless of how you are feeling, regardless of what you can or cannot sense.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews might be called the Hold Fast writer! The New Revised Version sometimes translates it Hold Firm.

Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the boldness and the pride inspired by hope.  Hebrews 3:6 NRSUE

For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. Hebrews 3:14 NRSVUE

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. Hebrews 4:14 NRSVUE

 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 NRSVUE

But test everything; hold fast to what is good 1 Thessalonians 5:21 NRSVUE

Hold fast, hold true, never let go. He is coming again in glory. Until then God is able to keep us in all of our ways.

Reading, Collecting Prayers

With a study group I am currently re-reading When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd. She wrote in Chapter 2:

Waiting is the in-between time. It calls us to be in THIS moment, THIS season, without leaning so far into the future that we tear our roots from the present. When we learn to wait, we experience where we are as what is truly substantial and precious in life. We discover, as T. S. Eliot wrote, “a lifetime burning in every moment.”

The quote took me back to the Imagine Museum and my fascination with a piece of art called “The Precipice.”

The lighting is not always conducive to a good photo, but hopefully you get the idea. Sue Monk Kidd cautions us not to ‘lean so far into the future that we tear our roots from the present.’ Are you able to stay in the present moment in this way?

About the same time I copied this prayer from some source.

I pray now with the sixteenth century Spanish contemplative, Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)*:

Lord, grant that I may always allow myself to be guided by You, 
always follow Your plans,
and perfectly accomplish Your Holy Will…
Help me respond to the slightest prompting of Your Grace,
so that I may be Your trustworthy instrument for Your honour.
May Your Will be done in time and in eternity
by me, in me, and through me.

Yes, Father, that is what I desire most of all! Please Lord, grant this I pray.

HELP ME RESPOND TO THE SLIGHTEST PROMPTING OF YOUR GRACE. Yes, and Amen.

The Ocean

I was delighted while in Florida one sunny day to just feel the ocean breeze and hear the waves. That is one thing that Ohio certainly does not offer! I really miss it. Oh well, landlocked except for the mighty Ohio river and several fishing lakes.

Our friend, Kathy, had suggested that while we were in Florida we check out the tiny coastal town called Dunedin. She even drove us through it during her auto tour. The town has a Scottish theme. Wikipedia says: “The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.”  Since Bob went to college in Scotland for a year we are usually interested in such places. Sadly, we would miss their annual Highland games and celebration. Bob is not a lover of window shopping, but he indulges me and finds a bench to rest upon or a sight to explore while I browse a shop.

The first shop was one I had already looked up online from Ohio, The Celtic Shop of Dunedin. I already knew they did not have the Tam O’Shanter that he wanted. In the window were some a Irish bone china items including a flower bud vase that resembled the tower at Glendalough. I browsed around. Found a dark green t-shirt that shows a tree roots in Irish colors and the tree in American colors. I loved it. They did not have my size, but I bought it anyway. If it does not shrink I will merely sleep in it! My deep purple hyacinth bloom rests in the tower vase today.

I had spotted another interesting shop. Business finished at the Celtic Shop I went back 2 doors to a tourist shop whose name I am having difficulty locating as I paid cash there! A pair of earrings on the rack caught my attention. They only had the one pair. If there had been more I would have bought a couple to have as gifts.

Ocean Wave

I was delighted at how well the artist captured the ocean wave! Yes, I now wear them often. The earrings reminded me of a children’s book we once purchased.

Being sad about leaving the seashore a young boy asks if he can take home one wave. The story regales the delight and then difficulty of living with a wave in the house. It is a great story. Once we got home I had to pull it out and read it again!

As we continued our Clearwater visit and went to a glass museum in nearby St. Petersburg called the Imagine Museum, Contemporary Glass Art. We both love glass art and are always amazed at what the artisans can come up with! There, to, we saw the fascination with the ocean.

photo by r m dutina, “Cabriolle” by K. William LeQuier

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a theme going here! My delight knew no bounds. I have the photo Bob took propped up against my monitor even as I type this. No I am not wearing the earrings right now. Such a lovely get away for us!

More About Prayer

Intercession Under the Holy Spirit

There are situations where we are burdened to pray but words fail us. At times the enormity of a situation can overwhelm our limited comprehension.

In Romans, the writer Paul teaches us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8: 26-27

I have had experiences that I know in retrospect were caused by the Holy Spirit working to get my attention on behalf of someone else. For example, I will see a car just like that person drives. And then another identical vehicle. By the time a third one comes into view I know something is up. This is not just circumstance or happenstance. I take it as a call to pray on behalf of that person.

A call to pray can happen in any number of ways. I will remember the delicious walnut chocolate chip cookies she made and gave to me.  Then I will begin to wonder what she is doing now. I do not necessarily call that person. Some days I am not even able to make a call, but I can pray. I can lift the last difficult thing I knew she was going through. I can also ask the Metta Prayer, “May she be strong and healthy, peaceful and serene, may she know Your loving kindness and be happy.” There are likely a thousand versions of this prayer. The call might come with an urgency to pray or just a calm prodding. When the call comes to pray, I try to respond with obedience.

If someone asks me for prayer I do not always promise to pray about a certain appointment on a certain day or time. My calendar adherence is not that reliable. I can pray as I walk away from the conversation. I can ask the Holy Spirit to hold me accountable to do the praying at His chosen time and place. If someone asks me to pray for them, I pray for them.

Perhaps you keep a list of people to pray for and do that regularly. That is a wonderful practice! I ask that you also be sensitive to other times the Spirit may ask you to intercede on behalf of someone. Our creative God is unlimited in how to get our attention and obedience. May you be ever sensitive to the call to pray!

The Maples

These giant trees grow side by side. Mostly in spring do I notice their drastic differences. The left one is all bloomed in red flowers and now turning out seeds. The right one has nothing is the way of spring growth. At first I begin to wonder if it might be dead. Giant of the wooded ones, alive or not? And then, just barely, spied only with binoculars, a couple tiny yellow/green buds are there. Barely seen with my naked eyes, it shows that spring has come to this huge tree, also.

Thus it is with Christians in their growth, too. Are we each bearing flowers, fruit and seed for the Kingdom? Though barely visible to others, if we are yielded to our King and Gardener the fruit will come in due season. Growing side by side with others it may seem one is early or the other late, but God knows the path of each and honors a life yielded to Him.

Seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness and everything else will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Draw near to God and God will draw near to you. James 4:8

Pope Francis

When we saw the national news broadcast on Easter Sunday they showed the Pope surprising his people with an Easter blessing. I commented to Bob on how ill he looked. I wondered aloud if they were basically keeping him alive with a strong steroid cocktail? His face was so swollen. I lifted him in prayer again. He looked as if he were suffering.-

Then Easter Monday we awoke to the news that he had died. May he rest in peace eternal with our God and our King. I mourn with the Catholic church. He was such a voice for the poor and the outcasts. He wanted to shun the church riches and displays of ostentatious flashiness. He thought his people should return to the love of the peasant King.

Embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important. Pope Francis

He tried throughout his life to model Saint Francis. The photo below is before he was so deathly ill.

In His honor and to the glory of Jesus will you try to live your faith, not only with words, but with your actions?

The app Lectio on Tuesday morning said, “I allow these prophetic truths spoken by a dying man (Pope Francis) to a worldwide audience of multiple millions to stir my own soul with praise now.

Dear brothers and sister, In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever. He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all this new! (Revelation 21:5) Happy Easter to everyone!

Lectio also wrote, “I yield to the Lord today with a seven-word prayer taught to Pope Francis by his grandmother … ‘Jesus, make my heart more like yours. Jesus make my heart more like yours.’

Oh Father, grant this I pray for each of us!

Again I ask, in the Pope’s honor and to the glory of Jesus, will you try to live your faith, not only with words, but with your actions?

Easter Celebration

He walked out of that grave.

He arose through the same power of the Holy Spirit that lives in you and in me.

He accomplished all that the Father asked of Him.

He lives forever to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand.

He knows our hearts and accompanies our way on this journey.

There is nothing too difficult for our Christ.

His glory far surpasses chocolate rabbits, lilies, and eggs. Though chocolate is especially tasty! Thank You Lord for that!

His mercies are new every morning.

He knows us better than we know ourselves.

He is not here. He is now within us!

Live large in us Lord and have Your own way in everything! “Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power, may be a people of hope, justice and love.”