The winter weather broke and we were going to sleep with the windows open. On that warm evening there many dogs out of doors and they had lots to say. Lucky was uneasy with all those canine voices. She looked out the window with her paws on the sill. Had trouble making sense of it. She laid on the floor next to my side of the bed, under one of the open windows. Seriously restless.
Finally she decided the only safe course of action was to scoot 1/2 way under bed.
Later in the night when I got up she was on her sleeping pillow as the other canines had retired to sleep and were no longer causing a racket.
Lucky has not yet met Noodle, but we have a Great-granddog puppy! Baby Corgi! Congratulations Lizzie and Drew!!
Pink lightning streak on her nose!Eye shadow on this eye only
I think my favorite name for her is pinky toes!
When she is awake she has loads of energy. When she is asleep she is out cold. There is a little eye make-up on one eye and a faint black stripe down her back. She is quiet vocal and for now has a tiny bark. With her personality they are going to have their hands full!
I can’t wait for her to get all her shots so Lucky can meet her!
What? you might be asking? What in the world does that mean?
Then a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits deep on the ground. 32 So the people worked all that day and night and all the next day, gathering the quails; the least anyone gathered was ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34 So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth.
Numbers 11:31-35
The people wandering in the desert were complaining about only having manna to eat. The Lord God had given them a heavenly food, unknown before or since, a food to nourish and sustain them. They complained and he brought them quail to eat. The quail lay all around them about 2 feet deep and the minimum they gathered was “enough to fill the bed of a full sized pickup truck to overflowing, mounded high.” They gathered much more than they could possible eat. Perhaps their plan was to dry them or preserve them with salt? We are not told. No language scholar here, but thankfully the references translate Kibroth-hattaavah for us. It means, the graves of craving. While the meat was still between their teeth, the anger of the Lord was kindled against them. Yikes.
Have you asked the Lord for something other than what you have? Has He given you that very thing? Have you been greedy about it?
Many years ago I was leading a study about these verses. Me, being the Queen of object lessons, decided we needed one for this verse. So we made a tombstone out of “Fimo” type clay that can be baked. Then we took alphabet beads and spelled out the name. Baked it and placed it in a prominent location to help remind us that there are consequences for acting on our cravings. The beads did not hold up well to the baking, but the idea worked.
Grave of Craving
Amused that it is now in my display of tiny things and the carved wooden pliers are pointing to it! (Lord, perhaps pulling out my cravings is like pulling teeth?) And those tiny glass birds could represent the quail, though I did not consciously place them for that. Oh Lord, remove my inordinate cravings with Your holy pliers, I pray.
The grave of cravings. What would you bury in that grave? Or would you be the one in the grave, the one who craved things inordinately and gave in to the greediness of wanting more than needed? I confess, I waver between the two.
All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].
1 Corinthians 10:23 Amplified
I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV
Yes, Lent is over and the Easter season continues with rejoicing, Alleluia! That does not mean my self discipline ends. If I crave anything more than God my walk is in jeopardy. Here is a video with a little preaching from Keith Green.
Are you putting cravings to death or are you in the grave of craving? If you are stuck remember “a rut is just a grave with ends kicked out.” Ask the Lord to help you worship Him above all else. He is faithful to do just that.
So why this poem? Inspired by awareness of the call upon my soul to worship my King at all times, gloom gave way to sunrise and song. Sung here acapella with choral parts, is the song I referenced:
“We are an altar of broken stones, but You abide in the song we sing”
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46
Purported to be the largest pearl ever found
So what do you value the most? The parable says this is what the kingdom of heaven is like …. Do you value the Kingdom and your relationship with the Trinity above everything else? Would you give everything you have to get this pearl?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
Matthew 6:33
Jesus said the above after telling the people not to worry about clothing or food or anything else. If we are willing to seek Him, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will have everything else we need.
St. Isaac of Syria, from the 600s, continues to influence Orthodox spirituality today. He is known as one of the greatest spiritual writers of the Christian East. His writing was suggested to me in 2009. Remarking on this parable he wrote:
A swimmer dives into the sea naked, in order to find a pearl.
A wise monk journeys through life, stripped of all that he has, to find within himself the pearl, Jesus Christ, and finding him, he no longer seeks to acquire anything else beside him.
Daily Readings with St. Isaac of Syria
I believe the first thing we stumble over in this pursuit is naked, or stripped of all that he has. We are simply way too attached to our things. If you were from Ukraine right now you would either be putting your life on the line for your country or running for your life with few, if any, possessions. Are we willing to turn loose of our hold on possessions so we might grasp the Lord firmly as our source of life and reason for living?
Have you forgotten –
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
Job 1:20a
The saying goes “You can’t take it with you” but what if you turned loose of the all-encompassing life-draining drive for power and possessions now? It is unlikely you will move to a barren wasteland and become a desert father or mother. You could however focus your life upon the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You could pursue this pearl of great price and find treasure you never suspected was available to you in 2022. Never will the question be answered in your own heart unless you experiment with opening your hand, letting go of the tenacious grasp of things, so you can grab hold of the Lord.
Do you have a Halloween store near you? Once when I was having difficulty turning loose of my teenage children the Lord had me buy a rubber hand like the ones below.
I took it home and easily cut off the red line of ‘blood.” I placed it palm up on my dashboard. The Lord had said I could turn my kids loose to Him or He could pry them out of my hands. Every time the car hit a bump those fingers would vibrate and wiggle. Yes, it was a clear object lesson for me and it made me laugh to boot. God has such a sense of humor!
Perhaps you need to visit the local part supply store and get a hand for yourself? Turn loose of a few obsessions first, trusting that He is able to be in charge of those. Then a few more things. Then a few more, filling your time and mind with His word and presence. He is able to inspire and help you with this if only you will ask.
From my Journal: 13-4-22 Woman at Porter’s Creek, Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Lady’s Slipper, Wild Orchid
On our hunt for Lady’s Slippers, I saw a woman at Porter’s Creek trail today with a walker that rolled and had a seat. At first sight, my thought was negative. Second thought was that her walk is HARDER than walking under my own pained power … but she was there to see the same sights as me.
Her progress was slow, but she was more cheerful than me when I stopped to speak with her. As we parted she asked the Lord’s blessing upon me. She posed the question, “Well, what else are we going to do?” We cope as best we can and go on with our lives.
Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
even when you turn gray I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
Isaiah 46:3-4 NRSV
That was 2013. Today in 2022, I can still walk without a cane or walker, but the pain is stronger from the arthritis and fibromyalgia than previously. I am trying to move more. I do not stretch as much as I should. I have been given strong medication for when I have a flare and cannot bear it. I do not want that medication, but it is here if needed.
Praying I can be as cheerful today as she was as I get to walk the dog, see flower bulbs getting ready to bloom, wash windows! If living brings me a walker and limited mobility I want to be cheerful then, too!
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God.But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3 Living Bible
We recently got away for a few days. It was so refreshing just to get out of town and break up the daily routine. Whew! When we arrived at our room it was gloomy, early evening and beginning to rain. We did not notice much outside our windows except for a pond/lake. The next morning I could not wait to get outside when I saw this!
I had already been thinking for a few days about Psalm 1 and the tree planted by the streams of water. Been wondering how to write about that tree theme and there it was!
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NRSV
The willow tree! Her lower branches almost touch the water.
There was a willow tree that grew on the edge of Kuhner’s field. I played there when I was growing up. Daffodils, a stream and a willow tree. Land snails that left me their discarded shells. I was close to heaven there. I used to play under the branches of the willow assuming that no one could see me. Hidden there in her long wavy arms my imagination was allowed to be still or run wild. The tree did not care which I chose.
Bob and I have been fascinated for decades how the tendrils and buds on the willow turn yellow before other things are giving a hint of spring to come. Now I am in room 303 and out our windows are 3 willow trees planted by this water.
From my journal: “Wood ducks and Canada geese vie for position on the water. Those ducks glide past as if propelled by some force other than themselves. Lord, help me relax and let You propel me today. Help me not to talk too much. Hush me from giving suggestions. Let me just look, watch, ask You for ways to follow You more closely. Increase my trust in You I pray.”
And yes, those trees sent out lots and lots of roots! Look at the opening photo (top of page). Not always easy to see the path of tree roots, but these are easily delineated in the strange winter grass that almost looks like moss.
We arrived in rain. Enjoyed a day of sun and our last morning there was SNOW! I did not venture out to get a shot of snow on the willow buds.
My photo above taken indoors and the chandelier light is reflected on the window (oops!). What a difference in weather!
r m dutinar m dutina
You can see those willow tendrils in these photos. “Their leaves shall never wither. Never having fear or anxiety.” Yes, Lord! I want to be like these trees. Help me to trust You and drink daily from Your Living Water. Help me to delight in You and meditate on Your word day and night. Make me deeply rooted and grounded, established in Your love. (Ephesians 3:17)
You Lord are my hope and my salvation. Help me become a tree to Your glory, a living testament to Your power at work in 2022. Help me delight in doing everything You want me to do.
Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.
Ezekiel 43:1-2 NIV
Last time we went to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, I insisted we go behind the falls again. There are hallways there that let you stand right behind the falling water. The water moves at about 150,000 American gallons per second. The sound is glorious! It does not matter that from behind it only shows in grays and white. I’ve found no other experience like it in this world. On this video the sound is somewhat distorted as the water falling is so loud! Sadly, as is usual in our lives there are human voices competing for the experience of being heard. Perhaps play it twice; once with sound and once without, yet listening for His word to you today.
Listening, a powerful force we each have, yet few use. Do we truly listen to others or simply formulate our response as they speak. Do we listen for their heart and intention or guess what they are going to say then interrupt, not letting them even finish a sentence?
How about in our faith life? Do we think we have all the answers? Are we truly listening for the guidance and wisdom of God for ourselves? Too often I think we are like the people in the desert with Moses.
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Exodus 20:18-20
They no longer wanted to experience God. Our refusal to go to God ourselves has made for terrible sin in the world. There has been an awful rash of crime in America by churches groups that come under the sway of one person or a small group of persons then fall into sin because the people do not seek God themselves. The people just go along like deaf lambs.
How can we claim intimacy with Jesus if we never spend time alone with Him? The risen Christ wants to live in and through you. Will you allow that? I believe some denominations have grieved the Spirit of God by claiming the indwelling was just in the past. Unleashing that mighty power of the Spirit in each Christian would unleash the power of God for salvation and redemption that no governing church body could rule unless they were acutely in-tune with His will and His purposes. Even then, the leaders might not rule but only cooperate with the work of God. At times that scares leaders to pieces, so they clamp down on control measures.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power …” to grasp and to know this love that surpasses knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God. Can you imagine the roar of His voice if we would let ourselves be filled with this living water? Indeed, just as in Ezekiel, the land would be radiant with His glory.
Glorious sun and welcome warmth drew us to take Lucky to the dog park. Remember, this dog is basically a nose on legs!
The dog area has double gates so no critters can escape the confines. There were more folks than I’ve ever seen before going in and out of the double gates. The recent hard rains made the ground mushy. Really mushy! Mud and goo that made for some dirty dogs!
The dogs played fetch and some just followed the leader. As owners departed they would leave the fetch ball for the next player. Lucky just goes to sniff. She basically ignores the other canines.
Some owners pickup the droppings from their animal. Best watch out for ones that didn’t! Especially from the large dogs. Ick.
It was an hour of sunshine, fresh air, blue sky.
Even a kite did dips and races, reminding me of the vultures searching the nearby woods with dips and races, searching for a snack.
Kite photo extremely difficult to capture! Best r m dutina could pull off with iPhone. Vultures were too quick for me to even try!
R m DutinaLike I said, tough to show you. So IMAGINE!! First kite sighting of 2022!!
-is not gold. Some things are more precious than gold. Some do not last but an hour or two!
r m dutina 22-2-5
Late morning down the streetBack yard to our left
The winter storm we had brought over 2 inches of sleet at our house, sheet of ice beneath and topped by a couple inches of snow. The weatherman said in 25 years of forecasting he had never seen anything like that sleet accumulation. It will take many days for us to thaw out. Especially since we no longer live on the sunny side of the street!
That is sleet piled up , not snow. And Claudia’s cheerful sunflowers! Can’t see the flower bed edges for the sleet.
Bob insisted after the last storm that I buy Lucky some boots. Previously she would get salt in her paws and be in pain during his long walks with her. This morning she made it about 3 steps out the door before losing the boots. Walked like a weird untrained soldier in them, trying to get them off. Today, no troubles with salt. Go figure. Returning those things to the pet store. I failed to grab the camera after putting her boots on. 😦 Lovely yellow silicone items with velcro straps.
Even the tree trunks were glazed with ice. Very strange and hoping for NO MORE of that type of storm. I do not mind snow. I HATE ICE.
Shine on the trunk is ice reflecting the sun
One thing fascinated me. From morning to night the sleet ticked on every window, sort of like fingernails tapping the glass. The front office windows gave us new art-form. Not even certain what to call it. At first glance it looked like coral to me. Remember riding in the car as a child and watching raindrops go down the windowpane? Choosing one and racing against a sibling?
Here is how it was made. If you turn up your volume you can hear the ice ticking on the house.
Keep trying to put that sleet sound into words. Maybe Suzette can write something for us!?! She is my haiku Queen.
Tree roots grow down into the soil and draw water and nutrients to the trunk, branches, twigs and leaves. Our roots must go deep into the Kingdom and draw similar nutrients to our being. This song helps elaborate that for me.
Years ago I enjoyed a CD by Michael Card and John Michael Talbot. Recently two songs from that collection have come to my attention. And yep, I cannot quit humming them. They roll around in my spirit and bring me joy and encouragement. One of those is called “Live This Mystery.” I hope you, too, are able to LIVE this mystery. Here are lyrics from LyricsFreak (not exactly in the order they are sung) and also the recording for your enjoyment and encouragement.
When I consider the secret of the One
Who dwells in me
That there is truly a presence
In the heart for all who believe
To listen to a silent call
The quiet hunger to give it all
As the river seeks to be
Forgotten in the sea
My life is hidden in Thee
I must live this mystery
Like a moth around the flame
Drawn to the light
And to the pain
Since my life is hid in Thee
I must live this mystery
In Him we live, in Him we move
In Him all things are made new
The mystery of life in Christ
Is Christ can live in you
I hear the silence , it's clamoring
There is only Christ, He is everything
In the language of the soul
It's burning like a coal
There's a voice that is saying
"You can be whole"
A life where all is new
Of timeless moments waits for you
With the heart alone you see
You must live this mystery
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 