Category: Amazing Creations

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Music, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Holy Saturday

This day is another time for reflection before the Resurrection Celebration. According to Britannica “The observance commemorates the final day of Christ’s death, which is traditionally associated with his triumphant descent into hell.”

The Apostles Creed says”He descended into hell and on the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven.”

He rested on the seventh – God rested.

The video below linked with Andrew Peterson’s music really touches my spirit.

Many churches celebrate an Easter Vigil with prayers and baptisms, lighting of a fire, etc. I think I prefer Peterson’s reflection. I am unaware of anyone making music about what Jesus did when He descended into hell. We know from Scripture He set the captives free.

Whatever you believe about His death, what He did before He resurrected, how His ascension takes place, I pray you will put your trust in Him. He is able to prove Himself to you, even you.

Here is an animation of one person’s idea of Holy Saturday. Yes, it is six minutes long, but I think they captured the ideas wonderfully. Hope you will watch it.

May this last day of Holy Week provide time and quiet for you as you prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Nature, Poetry, Writing Life

King of the Canopy ©1988, 2014 Molly Lin Dutina

We have more mighty wind storms this year than Bob and I can ever remember. Starting to think this too is a result of climate change? Seeing so many fallen trees the last couple months reminded me of this poem. Enjoy!

High in the canopy of the forest
	In one of the tallest trees
Four buds set themselves
On the end of a twig.

Sealed tight with scales
	They set themselves firmly
	Determined to survive the winter’s
	Thaw and freeze, thaw and freeze.

Then the unthinkable happened
The unimaginable,
 not even remotely pondered, occurred.

In that last big wind storm
	When we wondered what 
	Might be happening in the woods ….
This mighty home of the buds fell.
King of the canopy came tumbling down with a groan
And crash
Many splintering sounds as
The hollow trunk gave way to wind and decay.

The young saplings braced themselves
As branches flew past,
	Rubbing trunks
	Leaving lost members lodged in other’s forks.
The creak and the crash unsettled
The whole forest as small critters
Ran out of the tumbling parts’ way
Wondering why the canopy 
Would want to visit the floor?

With a sigh the mighty giant
Folded into the contours of the forest floor
And lay still in the windy gusts
The four buds, sealed tight, 
waiting for the spring sun to call them forth,
cling to the twig at my eye level now.

There’s a strange new light now
As we walk this bend in the forest.
Sunbeams pour in on a cloudless day asking
“Who will next attempt the role of
King of the Canopy? Come forth! Come forth!”
How many other buds of last year’s canopy 
have become a white tail’s fodder?
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Beagle, Faith, Family, Illness and Health, Just do it, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Give This Thought and Practice

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.

Omar Khayyam

This moment. Right now. Just now.

How many of us even think about that idea? We are so far off in “If only” and “What if” that we are usually barely conscious of right now. But we can be conscious of right now? We most likely will have to train ourselves to do this present moment thinking. I cannot overstate the benefits!

Can you stay focused on God for more than a moment?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30 NIV

This moment is your life and your chance to love the Lord your God. This moment. Right now. Just now. Many people before us have tried multiple methods to accomplish this. What is your method? Have you developed a practice towards keeping happily with His presence in each moment? Turn your heart towards Him as you sip iced tea or hot coffee? As you walk through a door frame do you remember you are walking in His presence.

Photo by Benjamin Rascoe on Unsplash

There are countless methods to mind the moments. What is yours? As we turn our hearts and minds continuously towards the Trinity we will find more satisfaction and happiness in each moment. Take the challenge for yourself. Practice His presence and find ways to be happy in this moment with Him.

Recently I was hit with a bout of nausea and other sickly symptoms. I had to stop everything I was doing to cope with my body and symptoms. Talking with a dear cousin she also was ill for a few days. She mentioned that she just cried out to the Father, “I know You have taken care of me and met all of my needs. I know You will do that just now, even while I am not feeling well.” And indeed, God did. Though she was not as energetic as usual, she was able to take care of herself and her attitude by staying conscious of God’s good care.

“Be happy for this moment.” Were either one of us happy to be sickly? Absolutely not! Rather than wasting time awfulizing or bemoaning our state of being we both made a decision to stay aware of our good Father and invite Him into the situation.

Photo by Valentina Ivanova on Unsplash
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Humor, Nature, Poetry

Just Silliness

Is a hearse on a tow truck twice dead? Not what Scripture teaches:

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

Hebrew 9:27 KJV


“Going to hell in a hand basket.” Now wait a minute. you cannot fit very much into a hand basket! Maybe a dozen eggs; certainly not a person! If you study the idiom, it means is to be rapidly deteriorating – on course for disaster.


Sign said, “Right on red arrow after stop.” Explain that to me! Lane only goes left.

And for a snippet of poetry:
The moon smeared the cloud strips with a large brush
She used a small brush to paint through my window
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Turning Away?

Is seeking for treasures in plain sight a turning away from the things of reality, especially challenging things? Not at all! The goal of seeking treasures in plain sight is to bring the reality of a relationship with the Almighty into the everyday world. Learning to seek the blessings surrounding us, regardless of the bleakness and in times in spite of the bleakness that sometimes accompanies human day to day life. Our paths are strewn with delights if we will open our eyes to see and believe.

Paul wrote:

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8 NRSVA
God used a donkey, (Numbers 22:21-39) He wants to use you, too!
Petrified Wood – Lord, protect me from congealing or solidifying!

Brother Lawrence, named Nicholas Herman, “Seeing a dry, lifeless tree in the dead of winter, and realizing that soon it would burst forth into life as the sap rose in the spring, Herman knew that he was spiritually dead and asked God to give him a rebirth. It happened, too.” https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/brother-lawrence/

photo by r m dutina

I am ever aware that the LORD blesses me with seeing things for encouragement. He did not have to let me see this land snail in the heart of the nasturtium backlit by sunshine, and yet He did.

Blessings surround you and me. As I watch snow squalls whip about our yard, the male and female bluebirds are perched at the top of the oak tree. The tree is barely more than a stick!

Keep your eyes open for blessings abounding to you!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Beagle, Faith, Just do it, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Wide Open Gratitude!

“Living gratefully offers a merciful path for walking through life with our eyes and hearts wide open.”

Kristi Nelson

“A merciful path,” think about that. Hearts and eyes wide open.

Let’s do that!

Walking about the yard I play Pick-up-Sticks with nature. The wind has brought down many twigs and branches that were loose or just waiting for a gust of wind to propel them to earth. Later I see my neighbor participating in the same game.

I see where the dogs have left their “pee-mail” as my friend Pat calls it. Tufts of grass higher than the others. Soon the neighbors will ask the Home Owners Association Board when the hired help is going to begin mowing!

Hearts wide open – I realize just how many folks my sometimes introverted husband has gotten to know by walking our beagle. Lucky will not ‘do her business’ unless we walk her. So 4 times a day we are out the door.

Bob told me recently about the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. Walking Lucky for her last walk of the evening I have been enjoying the moonlight, clouds, stars and seeking out those two planets in our sky.

online photo

Last night when I walked Lucky the almost full moon was behind huge clouds. The interplay of light and shadow, the warmth of the evening, made me wish for a lounge chair outdoors! I could hear voices and knew others neighbors were outdoors, too. Could not see what deck though.

Gratitude, merciful path, today is gray and cloudy but the grateful memory of last evening still makes my heart light. What have you seen or heard lately that keeps your eyes wide open? Watch for those treasures in plain sight. They surround us for the discovering!

Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,
    or declare all his praise?

Psalm 106:1-2 NRSV
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Illness and Health, Just do it, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

Book entitled The Lost

The quote below is from a novel I read recently. The wisdom of the LORD seems to show up in so many places!

The battle’s in here.’ Sunni tapped a finger against Jonah’s temple as he pushed himself upright on the bench. ‘Pain’s just your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong. It’s how you deal with it that matters.’ It was just hard to believe that when it hurt so much.

The Lost by Simon Beckett

The novelist knows that our biggest battle is between our ears. Whether it is bodily pain or the facts of life. Struggling with physical pain can be especially difficult. We can get lost in the facts and rumors and dismal dashing of hopes. What does the New Testament say about that?

 … for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NRSV

We have the power to take every one of our thoughts captive to obey Christ. Are we using that power to His glory and for our well-being? Yes, it is a big job, but we are given what we need to accomplish it.

In my experience if I am willing to use the weapons given me to take every thought captive to obey Christ the experience can be like falling dominoes (or that series that Dan likes so much where one action causes other actions., Gabe somebody?)

Nope, I found it!

Wikipedia says: “Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 – December 7, 1970), known best as Rube Goldberg, was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor.

Goldberg is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. The cartoons led to the expression “Rube Goldberg machines” to describe similar gadgets and processes.”

I take a negative or disquieting thought into the Light of Christ. Jesus, the Spirit of Truth, shines His light upon the thought. It can no longer hold darkness of untruth. That makes a whole sequence of things predicated upon that thought to come to the Light of Christ and be made captive unto Him. My thoughts change as each is taken captive. Maybe oversimplification, but I hope you get the idea.

Here is a Rube Goldberg video to illustrate how things can pass.

So what thought holds you captive? Are you willing to take it captive through the weapons of warfare you have been given? Do you want to see the sequence it controls fall to the LORD?

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Memories, Traveling

Ruckus!

If you play the video and close your eyes you might get a sample of what we heard on this walk! Not chickens, but what were we hearing? Such a ruckus and we could not identify it. Another couple of hikers walking past us and seeing our confusion set us straight with one word. Frogs! We knew right away they were not our typical tree frogs – spring peepers.

We heard them long before we saw them! Jumping and calling, chuckling and beating the water with their legs. (I’ve never wanted to eat them but wondered how they would cook up for frog legs? Maybe not large enough but muscular for certain.) I hope the lady frogs were impressed. I thought they were just silly looking and sounding. Yep! they made me laugh. When I loaded this to YouTube I laughed again.

The naturalist was not certain. Bob found them on line with his phone. She gave a booklet “Amphibians of Ohio” and there they were. Enjoy!

The video was taken by r m dutina

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

Oh Boy!

now to catch up from being away and breaking the writing rhythm!

Okay – all the charges are entered and the checking account is balanced. Got groceries. Took dog to vet for kennel cough vaccine and as the tech called it Lucky’s “Mani – Pedi!” Oi! Saw my new internist and I really like him. We are going to change some meds and reduce some other ones, so please pray for me as my body adjusts!

The next couple days are booked for me. It will be fun, but on the run and no naps.

No, I have not downloaded or edited my vacation photos yet. But I might as well throw in a few, huh?

Rock face at street corner on the way to Ash Cave. I love the tree shadow lines on the rocks.

I have not gotten accomplished in selfie photos. Below I took one and when I looked at it I told Bob, “Now smile!” and took it again.

Who are these white haired folks?

I will have to ask Ellie for lessons. She is a pro!!

We are not rigid about stopping on the way to any destination when we see something unusual we want to photograph. I saw this young sycamore tree. Bob on the other hand saw this tree growing inside a silo! He stopped and turned around for that shot. I do not have his picture yet.

Ye,s we drove as far around the silo as we could go to make certain it was actually IN the silo! Short of puling into the farmyard, yep, it was growing in there!

I am feeling guilty about not walking very far today! But Lucky still gets two walks today, so maybe I can make up for the lack of steps compared to hiking in a State Park. More Vegetables! More steps! Fewer sweets of any kind!! And Lean HARD upon my LORD.

Last but not least the stream that runs in along and through Old Man’s Cave.

LORD I praise You for times of refreshing.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

Acts 3:19-20 NIV