Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Memories, Nature, Praise, Special Event, Thanks

My Treasure

The blog is entitled Treasures in Plain Sight. This day I found mine among many other treasures at Treasure Island, Florida.

(See the red pin on the map above.) Driving along the beaches in Florida, we found a nice place to park and walk the beach without too much exertion. There was a little boardwalk and then acres of flat sand to the water. Again, not many shells there. This was a wonderful sand sculpture someone had made.

We delighted in the sharks around the sculpture!

As you can see the day was glorious with sunshine, though seriously closer to summer temperatures  than what we had left in Ohio.  We walked to the water’s edge and back to the parking lot. While Bob used the facilities, I waited watching the crowd from a little ramp.

We had already seen damage from the recent hurricanes. I was  a little surprised to see one palm tree that was stripped of all foliage strapped to another thriving palm tree. And then, BOOM!, it caught my eye. A little green bird. As I watched it went into a nesting hole in the seemingly dead palm tree. Then out again, to perch right there.

Yes, the young lady is lovely, but so is the tiny bright green bird!

I found it online and here are the details from Audubon.

The https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/nanday-parakeet site says: Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast. Smaller numbers are seen elsewhere, including other parts of Florida and near Phoenix, Arizona.

Of course, I always love a close up!!

What a treasure! I wanted to tell the lovely young lady about it, but then her boyfriend joined her and they were gone! For the remainder of the vacation anytime I saw a palm trunk without foliage I was on the lookout for the Nanday! Was not gifted to see another one. There was mighty praise to the Father for allowing me to see that one single bird! It literally made my day!

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 NRSVUE

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Just do it, Nature

Determined and Deterred

Digging at the base of the oak tree, I was determined to remove the large, lush chickweed plants before they went to seed. With garden gloves, a bucket and trowel I was methodically removing the four inch tall foliage. Mostly the roots were very loose. A few were deep. Then I moved the decorative stone and realized it was crawling with ants. Lots and lots of ants. I went to the garage as I remembered seeing a spice bottle of cinnamon there. I had read ants dislike cinnamon. I took it back to the base of the tree and found it was still tightly sealed.

Drats! Could not get it open. Back to garage to find scissors or something sharp. Took off the gardening glove. At some point I noticed blood. Lots of blood from my right index fingertip. Put my glove back on and continued digging weeds out and sprinkling not one but two ant colonies with cinnamon.

By the time I finished and put my tools and gloves away I had quite a messy bloody nail. In the house I scrubbed with soap and the cut continued to bleed. Used Band-aids, antibiotic ointment both then and overnight. There is a cut in my fingertip.

This morning the cut is still tender and wants to seep blood. It will be tough going to type with the fingertip so sore! (Ha! You will likely find many more typos than usual!) The other nine will need to come to the rescue!! The tree does look better though without the chickweed crop! The ants were still thriving there this morning. What? They never heard about disliking cinnamon?

Go to the ant, you lazybones; {KJV you sluggard}
    consider its ways and be wise.
7 Without having any chief
    or officer or ruler,
8 it prepares its food in summer
    and gathers its sustenance in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 NRSVUE

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Surrender, Yield

March 25 Amy

Amy Carmichael quote again.

Proverbs 10:29: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright.

If by the grace of God my heart is set on uprightness, then I may count on the fulfillment of this word. It holds, however one turns it. Is my way beset by temptation? God is faithful, who will not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able to bear, that way of the Lord, therefore, is strength, not weakness or defeat. Do things happen that are shattering to the human in me? “He shall be the stability of thy times.”

5 The Lord is exalted; he dwells on high;
    he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;
6 he will be the stability of your times,
    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure Isa 33:5-6

This verse was given to me a few days ago, and I pass it on with joy. There is then no need for us to be shaken and unstable. Is my way clouded? “The Lord shall be a light unto me,” so that I can go on in strength.
Never once in Scripture do we find weakness expected in the Christian. There is provision for strength: “the way of the Lord is strength.” He who is our Way is Strength, the joy of the Lord is our strength. May God give it to us to hate the “I can’t help it” of the weakling. May He make us strong.
1 Cor. 10:13, Isa. 33:6 Darby, Mic. 7:8, Nehemiah 8:10

I read this while praying for my friends Betty and Kathy. One needs strength and joy as she deals with unrelenting, recurring pain. The other has a serious illness and also a husband who needs much care. Amy wrote, “the way of the Lord is strength.” Oh, Lord, we each need Your strength in so very many ways. Give us that strength always, we pray.

If I am falling into lack of strength I often have to reset my attitude, re-frame my experience in line with God’s way. The way of the Lord is strength. Help me find the best attitude and vision for my walk through You, Christ Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit, I need You now.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature

This Year

I am trying to outwit the deer this year. The last couple years they have mowed the struggling tulips to the ground before any flowers appeared. They also took out the bluebells I had high hopes for.

This year I went to the dollar store and bought Irish Spring soap which they are reported to dislike. I poked a hole in the bars and put fishing line through them. I also got extra “shepherd’s hooks” for the yard. I hung the soap over the bluebells and over the tulips.

When we got home from Florida I realized the rain water had been flowing over the soap and was dripping directly on the Bluebells. I waded through our swampy yard and moved it. There has been such a tremendous amount of rain that the bars of soap are splitting into layers!

They deer however have not made a meal of bluebells!

Just one plant!

And though likely underfed and stunted by years of abuse – tulip is up!

I will also see if the rose bush the deer chomped on last year comes back. If it does, it too will be adorned with soap near it!

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Rest, Thanks, Yield

If

I am almost always moved by the various quotes I receive in my email each day. I love this insight of Howard Thurman. Wikipedia says: Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, Christian mystic, educator, and civil rights leader.

In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper in the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.

HOWARD THURMAN

This was one wise man. How often do we listen in the stillness of the quiet?

Reading a novel last night I came across this quote. “Sometimes it was good to kick his brain into neutral and just exist.” Neutral like watch the dog eat, hear the spring peepers. Listen to the rain. Hear water gurgle and grumble in the downspout. Smile at the sunshine today.

Richard Rohr quotes a priest as having taught him just to look. Don’t think. Just look.

Practice this today. See where you land. Try it several times throughout the day. Make it a sacrifice of praise to God. Letting the Holy One have the action, the dialogue, directing your eyes and thoughts.

It is an amazing practice IF we will listen and just look. The stillness of the quiet. Dropping our inner chatter.

Stillness of the quiet. Wait. Look.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Nature, Special Event, Traveling

Falingos

Many years ago when we went with our family to the beach for the first time our oldest Grandgirl at a tender preschool age called flamingos, “Falingos.” On our recent trip to Florida we visited the Sunken Gardens and saw “Falingos!” Of course, I had to text and remind her of the name she chose for these weird, unusual birds.

Once I heard that they have their coral coloring from the shrimp that they eat. “For flamingos, carotenoids are consumed through their primary food sources—algae and small crustaceans such as brine shrimp. Once ingested, these pigments are broken down by enzymes in the flamingo’s liver and absorbed into fats that are later deposited into their feathers, skin, and even their beaks.” https://learnbirdwatching.com/why-are-flamingos-pink/

I would call the birds we saw a medium pink. Not the vibrant they showed on the website above.

Our first view of the flamingos

In “Alice in Wonderland,” the flamingos were used as mallets in a game of flamingo croquet. The Queen of Hearts ordered her subjects to use the live flamingos as mallets. This certainly slanted my opinion of the flamingos as we walked through the gardens.

Finally we came upon a closer view of them. At first they all seemed to have their heads under the water. Diving they sort of resembled frozen pink turkeys! Waiting and biding my time I finally I got a better photo of them.

We enjoyed the gardens. The many tropical flowers reminded us of our trip to the gardens in Hawaii. The pond where the birds were located attached to a running stream throughout the gardens. At one place, I noticed a flamingo feather floating the water. It was away from where the birds were. I SO wanted that feather, but it was too far in the water for me to reach over the plants and retrieve it.

As we moseyed along taking photos admiring the “angel trumpet flower” (Brugmansia) which we had seen in California I was delighted to find it in more colors than we previously had seen! Not just yellow, but pink and white, too!

And rounding a bend I saw it! The lovely flamingo feather that wanted to travel to Ohio with me!

It was soaking wet, but floating where I could easily reach it. Retrieve it I did! First I tried to put it inside my sunhat, but it poked through. So I simply wrapped it in our folder about the Gardens and took it home. I had to think a bit when we returned to Ohio about how the folder got all wet!

Yep, she is one of my very best souvenirs! Thanks, Lord, for helping me see and retrieve it!

Posted on in Challenge, Cooking, Faith, Music, Praise, Thanks, Traveling

Home Again

Unpacked. Mail read. Laundry still whirling in the machines. inches and inches of rain. More spring birds than before we departed. Went to church Sunday morning and reconnected with our loved friends there.

Then joy arose as I cooked Sunday after dinner with worship music playing and me singing to the Lord on high, the Christ within. One neighbor recently lost his wife to Alzheimer’s. I told him when we returned I would bring him food. He has lost so much weight. Joy at being home. Joy at being able to provide for another. The joy of the Lord is my strength!

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Huh! I knew the part about the joy of the Lord is your strength. I forgot the part about sending to food to those who have nothing prepared. God surprises me SO often! What a delight our God is.

The break from routine going to Florida was fine. The motel room more than livable. The bed so high off the ground that I practically fell out the first night.

Eventually we longed for our home with better lighting. Our usual surroundings. Our familiar abode. Our bed. Our own pillows. Even the dog who was suffering through continuous thunderstorms. (Actually, she was sleeping in bed with our Grandgirl and getting spoiled rotten!)

And now we are here. And we both hope to thrive more for the respite from routine, even as we participate in the routines again. I have so much work to do to edit selections for a booklet on prayer. I was able to set it aside for the duration of the trip. Now I need to figure out how to rearrange my schedule to accommodate editing and contacting the newly hired editor.

So if I miss a few days posting to this blog I hope you will understand and will be praying for me?

We found a very few shells. Enjoyed the breeze off the ocean tremendously!

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Obedience

Proposed Baptismal Covenant Additions

The Episcopal Church has a process whereby things are added to parts of the Prayer Book. The Baptismal Covenant is under review right now. (I won’t try to elaborate on the process that goes through General Convention, etc.) These following statements are being considered for inclusion in the Covenant.

  • Will you strive for justice and peace among all, and respect the dignity of the Earth and of every human being?
    • I will with God’s Help
  • Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?
    • I will with God’s Help

I think those are terrific statements to make, especially if we hold to them dearly as we do the other statements.

The Book of Common Prayer Pages 304-305

Read these prayerfully, perhaps renewing your commitment to faith in God.

CelebrantDo you believe in God the Father?
PeopleI believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.
 
CelebrantDo you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
PeopleI believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
        and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
        was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
 
CelebrantDo you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
PeopleI believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting.
 
CelebrantWill you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the
prayers?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
CelebrantWill you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.

304    Holy Baptism

CelebrantWill you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.

I pray these are things that you also hold to in your faith walk.

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Illness and Health, Music, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Yield

Refuge

This seems to be a week of musical postings! I write them out as they come to me. We are traveling one day this week. Then we are packing for a week away. House sitter coming to stay with Lucky dog.

I have been working really hard with a friend on editing the poetry collection and preparing it to self-publish. I was told it would be hard work, but at times I am surprised HOW hard! The satisfaction though is almost unbelievable. Perhaps it will be ready before Easter!! Then I can apply myself more diligently on a booklet about relationship with God or prayer life.

Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8

My God is One who will listen. I will learn how to express the word list of emotions to my Father.

So I listened to the song below and this prayer formed in my soul.

My heart opens to tell You
trusted Father and Brother
Pain left toe and right elbow
left finger - pinball machine at work
Lifted by cello to Your arms and Presence 

Rest, holy rest
Honey syrup of rest, truth, light
poured into dark of pain

Listening and praying, there was ease and some relief. There are times we just need to come to a stop. And rest there. Pausing in the presence of the Holy. See if that might help you, too.

Posted on in Faith, Memories, Music, Praise, Worship

Camp Song?

You likely know how I am regularly graced or haunted by songs or lyrics. Recently I awoke with these lyrics, “I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb…”

I learned this, not at camp, but while teaching weekly in the Women’s facility at Hamilton County Justice Center. I would teach a short Bible study. My friend, Linda, would lead worship with her guitar. When I first noted to write about, later in the day, I remembered my toddler daughter singing it as, “I’ve been redeemed by the Blood of the Wham.” And doesn’t Jesus just pack a wham!?!?!

So the lyrics draw our attention to the finished work of Jesus, as I mentioned in blog entry https://treasuresinplainsight.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=19380&action=edit

And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to you these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ …

I think this song upon awakening was my soul’s acclaim to Christ. Are you listening for what your soul is saying about Christ as you awaken? You might want to try this one! Here are some lyrics and below is one man doing an a cappella rendition.

1 I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb. (by the blood of the Lamb.)
I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb,
I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
saved and sanctified I am. 
All my sins are washed away,
I’ve been redeemed.

2 I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb. (by the blood of the Lamb.)
I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb,
I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
filled with the Holy Ghost I am.
All my sins are washed away,
I’ve been redeemed.

3 I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb. (by the blood of the Lamb.)
I’ve been redeemed (I’ve been redeemed)
by the blood of the Lamb,
I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
oh, and I praise God I am.
All my sins are washed away,
I’ve been redeemed.

4 And that’s not all; (and that’s not all)
there’s more besides. (there’s more besides.)
No, that’s not all; (No that’s not all;)
there’s more besides.
No, that’s not all; there’s more besides.
I’ve been to the river, 
and I’ve been baptized.
All my sins are washed away,
I’ve been redeemed.

5 He’s coming back (he’s coming back)
to take me home. (to take me home.)
He’s coming back (he’s coming back)
to take me home. (to take me home.)
He’s coming back to take me home.
I’ll shout “Hallelujah” before his throne.
All my sins are washed away; 
I’ve been redeemed.

6 It’s by God’s grace (it’s by God’s grace)
that I’ve been saved. (that I’ve been saved.)
It’s by God’s grace (it’s by God’s grace)
that I’ve been saved. (that I’ve been saved)

How to do acclaim your Gd?