Category: Amazing Creations

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Family, Humor, Journal, Just do it, Memories, Nature, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Pearls

 “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.

Yield to Him and find out what He has in mind.

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Faith, Journal, Memories, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Traveling, Yield

2013 Flash of My Possible Future

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!

So even to old age and gray hairs,

    O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might

    to all the generations to come.

Psalm 71:18 NRSV

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Journal, Memories, Nature, Prayer, Special Event, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Traveling

Psalm 1

Like a tree planted by streams of water …..

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 dutina
r 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.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Memories, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Traveling

Insisted

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.

Speak, Lord, we are listening.
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Beagle, Humor

54 and Mushy

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 Dutina
Like I said, tough to show you. So IMAGINE!! First kite sighting of 2022!!
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Beagle, Faith, Special Event

All That Glitters

-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 street
Back 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.

He spreads the snow like wool

    and scatters the frost like ashes.

He hurls down his hail like pebbles.

    Who can withstand his icy blast?

He sends his word and melts them;

    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

Psalm 147:16-18 NIV
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Memories, Music, Nature, Spiritual growth

Eternally Fresh

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
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Journal, Nature, Poetry, Prayer, Spiritual growth, Writing Life

Journal Led to a Poem

Practicing the discipline my pastor suggested, as I listed the five things I am grateful for one morning, suddenly all this came to me. Hope you enjoy it.

photo by r m dutina
#5.  Cloud and mist fabric drawn across the moon
all that light originated from the sun?
Gray then white then yellow, clot of black then blue
For my attention and entertainment? No, a lesson more true
"I desire truth in your inward parts
To reflect My glory you must be clean, steady, sure
Certain of My love for all
Wavering not from circumstances
Leaning into My light"
Clouds move off and I can barely look away
The brightness of Your Glory my delight
Clouds clear and brilliance increases
I watch as moon orbits incrementally behind the tree
I want to move the furniture
Lie here looking out the window
Yet even now the sun is rising and moon will seem to go
Scour my being Father that I might reflect
Your brilliant glory, certain and true.
"Beware lest feeding feral cats from pity
You actually nourish marauding coyotes
Dimming the beauty of your intention
Encouraging the destruction of your very soul"
You parted the veil from before my eyes
Help me to keep Your glory in my remembrance forever.
Sun rises higher
Brilliant white moon beckons 
Cream colored clouds move in thickly
My soul knows what it witnessed
Your power glows across the universe
Regardless of my momentary ability to see.
Enemies of my soul say, "Nothing to see here. Move along."
My heart ever held in Your nail scarred hand
I spend my life to declare Your glory.

I am always amazed when this stuff comes to me. Coyotes, like the prowling lion seeking whom he may devour? We have coyotes in this neighborhood. A pack prowls the street every morning just before dawn. Likely other times, too. I was giving Lucky her last outdoor stroll the other night and she noticed something at the end of the street. I could not see a thing. She would not take her eyes off the end of the street. She even growled which is atypical of her!

photo by r m dutina

You desire truth in the inward being;
    therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Psalm 51:6 NRSV

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith

1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

Yes, Lord, I will have the courage to share. Bless the readers I pray.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature

Holy Eucharist Prayer C & Nova

“God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.

“Glory to you for ever and ever.

“At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.

“By your will they were created and have their being.“

So begins this form of the Eucharistic prayer. It was often called the form most like the way St. Francis reverenced creation.

Bob and I recently watched a PBS special entitled NOVA The Universe Revealed Big Bang. You might be able to see it on your local PBS station. I am no scholar in astrophysics, astronomy or planetary studies. I am not versed in dating events in the universe or our galaxy. I am convinced we have an amazing Creator!

The program shared theories from various experts and images collected by the Hubble telescope along with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) XMM-Newton space observatory. It all made my heart go directly to the Eucharistic Prayer C. The creation is beyond my comprehension and evidently also beyond my wildest imaginations!

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Psalm 19:1-6 ESV
A full view of DEM L249. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, DEM L249 is believed to be a remnant of a Type 1a supernova, or the death of a white dwarf star.  (Image credit: NASA/ESA/Y. Chou/Gladys Kober)

I rarely think of things like death of stars, yet above is an image of that happening.

You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Nehemiah 9:6 ESV

Here is an image from January 21, 2022. “The spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 3318 are lazily draped across this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This spiral galaxy lies in the constellation Vela and is roughly 115 million light-years away from Earth. Vela was originally part of a far larger constellation, known as Argo Navis after the fabled ship Argo from Greek mythology, but this unwieldy constellation proved to be impractically large. Argo Navis was split into three separate parts called Carina, Puppis, and Vela – each named after part of the Argo. As befits a galaxy in a nautically inspired constellation, the outer edges of NGC 3318 almost resemble a ship’s sails billowing in a gentle breeze.”

You can access this image and many. many more for yourself at https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/index.html

Have fun exploring with the outer space explorers at the site below. If you put in NASA Hubble images, then instead of clicking on All just click on Images you can enjoy the view of amazing things they have found!

And more news is coming! “On Monday, Jan. 24, engineers plan to instruct NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to complete a final correction burn that will place it into its desired orbit, nearly 1 million miles away from the Earth at what is called the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or “L2” for short.”

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:3-4 ESV
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual growth

Friends of Silence

This newsletter came to my inbox. I wrote to the author and asked permission to re-post it. She graciously consented. With my new quest to understand rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, this seemed the perfect offering for one day on this blog. Plus, I love the tree artwork from Shutterstock! “Now Let Us Welcome…January 2022″

Early in the new year some friends, who for a long time in the pre-pandemic world had met and worked together on leading retreats that touched on “nature and soul”, gathered on Zoom to contemplate a return to this work. The following reflection is based on what I shared as we began our meeting.


“Now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” This quote by Rainer Maria Rilke, with its echoes of wonder and unbridled anticipation, is appreciated by many of us. I have always liked it; though my enthusiasm for the expressed sentiment is curious, because the imperative to welcome all things is a fierce one. Rilke is also the poet who wrote, “Let everything happen to you; beauty and terror.”
The call to boldly set sail into a year full of unknowns is particularly piercing in a dark time, when the unimaginable has befallen everyone. We are now considering returning to hosting and leading in-person retreats. Yet we only dare to plot a course knowing that the map may dissolve entirely as we leave the harbor. In such a time, planning anything is an act of courage and defiance.


Most days now I visit the long stretch of wildish woods that stretches along the Potomac River near my home. It is part of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, which runs 184 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland, MD. There is a tree, a sycamore, which stands along the river bank a little downstream from Packhorse Ford.

This tree is gnarly, shaggy, and thick and has been there for a very many years. In summer, the wide leaves capture the sun, rustling dreamily by the river’s murmuring progress. In winter the twisted branches make intricate, knowing patterns in the air. Near this tree indigenous people once trapped eels and fish in the shallow water; a canal was dug and mules trudged along towing flat-bottomed boats loaded with coal, flour, iron and limestone; and by this tree in the late summer of 1862, men died in the water while fleeing the Battle of Antietam. All the while the tree bore witness to these and other mysterious events, the roots reaching forever through the dark, moist soil, connecting with myriad lifeforms and the subterranean community of other trees.


Sometimes, when peering into the unknown sea of a new year, it is possible to remember that there are living beings who have stood watch in thin places for eons, tightly woven to what is timeless and transcendent. Perhaps they are the lodestars by which to travel to other deeper and wider horizons.
They point us far upstream where the essential work of spiritual and soulful transformation begins. We need them if we are to be the apprentices and servants who might help reconnect our species to an animate Earth and the vast family of breathing beings who are patiently waiting for our return. Perhaps with these more than human guides we might dare venture onto that unknown sea and begin the possibility of a voyage to a home in the unfolding story on the far side of all that we know and are now.

Who can guess what that world on the other shore will be? The new year is full of things that have never been.
Watch this space for announcements, hopes, and plans for in-person retreats among the trees and wild, sacred spaces of Rolling Ridge and Still Point in 2022.
-Lindsay McLaughlin

May 2022 unfurl hope for each of us as we try to reconnect with the Lord through retreats and travel to thin places. May we grow and flourish in Him even as the pandemic rages on.