Last Sunday we drove down to Bernheim Forest in Kentucky to see the sculptures of Giants. We also saw a lovely purple flower I did not recognize. I thought I was saving the flower information to write about on this blog. I inadvertently posted it and most of you were likely scratching your head, asking, “What??”
Ruellia nudiflora, commonly known as Violet Ruellia, is a member of the Acanthaceae family and is native to several states in the United States, including Texas. This plant is also known as Common Wild Petunia, Violet Wild Petunia, or Wild Petunia. Violet Ruellia is a low-growing perennial that can reach heights of up to two feet tall.
It is known for its beautiful violet flowers that bloom in the summer and fall. Violet Ruellia can be found growing in a variety of habitats, including prairies, meadows, and open woods. It is also a popular plant for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.”
Violet Wild Petunia
What drew us to the Forest in the first place was these wooden sculptures of giants.
Entitled “The Boy”
as you can see he is a boy of great size!
Adults and children with “The Boy”
We had a nice turkey sandwich lunch with fruit at the Visitor Center and took off to fidn the Mother and Girl sculptures. We got lost in the maze of unmarked roads. Finally made it back to the visitor center area and asked a man if he was familiar with the park and could direct us to see the sculpture. He was quite helpful.
If you hike the main trail it is 2 miles and most of it through a meadow. Being a clear sunny day and considering our ages and my feet we opted to drive nearer to the other 2 sculptures. The woman was reclining under a tree and depicted as quite pregnant!
We heard many visitors comment on the giants toenails!
Being a hot and sunmy day I was glad she could rest in the shade!
We walked part of the way to the “girl.” Decided we were tired and as the trail went up and down hills we were finished for the day. If and when we visit again we will know just where to stop and likely begin with the girl next time. Overall, we were glad we made the trip and finally saw “The Giants.” There is supposed to be a similar exhibit in the Dayton, Ohio area. Hopefully we will venture there one day to compare the two parks.
Bob and I were eating dinner the other day and I noticed our kitchen counter top was littered with the color of summer! I took only a mental photo. A day or so later a neighbor gifted me with an Athena melon or as they are called locally an Indiana melon. Sweeter than cantaloupe, football shaped, in place of the round shape of the cantaloupe. Its flesh is drippy, lush orange.
When I noticed the bounty on the counter at lunch time the next day I did not get up to straighten the counter, just snapped these photos for the blog.
In the foreground are the zinnias Bob grew from seed. Only one plant came up, but what a beauty. The wind from a thunderstorm had knocked one branch to the ground. I picked that branch and a few other blooms to make a vaseful.
Almost in the background is the uncut Athena melon. The kitchen was redolent with its fragrance.
In the center of the photo are ripe peaches and a small vase with one zinnia and nasturtium blooms.
I stuck some nasturtium seeds in the ground this year hoping for the best! That means hoping for lots of flowers. When we were first married someone planted nasturtiums in the old fashioned driveway that had 2 cement tracks for tires. I have since thought of them as our newly wed flowers. Knowing my physical being is not what it used to be I comforted myself with the thought that as long as I can poke a hole in the ground (with a dandelion digger no less) and stick a seed in the ground, we can have nasturtiums well into our later golden years.
Nasturtiums do not fare well in fertile soil, as much as poor soil. The back hill has poor soil compared to the front flower bed. The nasturtiums I stuck in the ground out front are mostly large leaves, few flowers so far! I do love the round leaves that contrast so well with the feathery ferns! You might remember that my opening photo for the blog shows a snail within the flower of a nasturtium. Ah! treasure in plain sight! The leaves also remind me of the lily poem, “Perhaps I can ask you just to be a lily leaf, stand and tip.” https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/16894
Mom taught me to take hard peaches and ripen them in a brown paper bag. Wow are they sweet! On my calendar from Joan Chittister the August saying is, “What a gift it is to sit and let the juice of a peach run down your chin.”
So no, I did not straighten these photos or clear the counter, but I wanted to emphasize that each of us have treasures in plain sight. All about us, each day. Maybe you do not have flowers in a garden, but I bet there is something in your house or on your counter that gives you cause to praise.
I cannot sing this song enough. As I wait to see the doctor about “revisionary surgery” I still can praise. At times I just need to get loud with my praise. On film at one church I saw this performed during a worship service with prisoners at a prison in Ohio. If anyone needs to praise I would think, like Paula and Silas (Acts 16:25), those guys did. And praise they did!
In this video look at those young people willing to praise! If you cannot tolerate the tattoos or hairstyles just listen to the words and take them to heart. This is not just a rock concert, this in worship. “Praise is the water my enemies drown in!”
I’ll praise in the valley, praise on the mountain (Yeah) I’ll praise when I’m sure, praise when I’m doubting I’ll praise when outnumbered, praise when surrounded ‘Cause praise is the waters my enemies drown in
As long as I’m breathing I’ve got a reason to Praise the Lord, oh my soul (C’mon) Praise the Lord, oh my soul
I’ll praise when I feel it, and I’ll praise when I don’t (Yeah) I’ll praise ’cause I know You’re still in control ‘Cause my praise is a weapon, it’s more than a sound (More than a sound) Oh, my praise is the shout that brings Jericho down (Yeah) As long as I’m breathing I’ve got a reason to Praise the Lord (C’mon), oh my soul Praise the Lord, oh my soul I won’t be quiet, my God is alive So how could I keep it inside? (I gotta) Praise the Lord, oh my soul (Yeah, praise the Lord)
I’ll praise ’cause You’re sovereign, praise ’cause You reign Praise ’cause You rose and defeated the grave I’ll praise ’cause You’re faithful, praise ’cause You’re true Praise ’cause there’s nobody greater than You I’ll praise ’cause You’re sovereign, praise ’cause You reign (You reign) Praise ’cause You rose and defeated the grave I’ll praise ’cause You’re faithful, praise ’cause You’re true Praise ’cause there’s nobody greater than You
I won’t be quiet, my God is alive How could I keep it inside? (How could I) I won’t be quiet, my God is alive How could I keep it inside? (I won’t keep quiet) I won’t be quiet, my God is alive How could I keep it inside? (I gotta) Praise the Lord, oh my soul Let everything that has breath (Hey, hey) Praise the Lord (Hey, hey), praise the Lord Let everything, let everything that has breath (C’mon, c’mon, c’mon) Praise the Lord (C’mon, c’mon) Praise the Lord (C’mon, c’mon)
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 103:1 NIV
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6 NIV
These are questions we ought to be asking ourselves in every conversation. I was reminded recently of a situation in my life where someone did not filter her comments in this way. I was deeply wounded by her comments.
As you may know my husband almost died in 2019. In 2021 we began to build a new house, smaller house, no steps. etc.. Prior to the house being finished I was gripped by a fear that went something like, “What if he dies before we move in?” I was involved in a weekly prayer group at our church. I asked my prayer friends to pray for me as I was having difficulty shaking off that fear. Time went on. Bob continued to gain strength and we moved into the house.
A couple months later we held an open house for others to come and see where we live now. One of the women from that prayer group took me aside and said, “See! Nothing happened.” The comment felt demeaning and condescending. Was it true? Yes. Was it kind? Not in my ears. Was it necessary? Not in the least.
Not everything we think needs to be said aloud to others.
With chronic illness you quickly learn that those who do not suffer from a chronic illness likely have no inkling what you go through. With the near death of a spouse you also learn that others who have not experienced it likely have no inkling what you go through.
I thank the Lord everyday that my husband lived through that awful illness and recovered so well. I am so grateful for those who prayed for me to stay strong as I helped nurse him back to a full life and was enabled with the help of their prayers to release my fears to the Lord God Almighty.
This incident marred any fondness in my heart for that lady. She has good points. I benefited some from knowing her. I just cannot bring myself to trust her, at least with my innermost needs.
I believe we need to take care with our words. This applies to me, also. James warns us in Chapter 1
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry James 1:19 NIV
When I was a child we lived many of my early years in a four-family apartment building. My mother owned it and we rented out the other 3 apartments. Each unit was 2 bedroom, 1 bath. We had a paved driveway to play on. It ran along the side of the building, (a great place to play with a pinky ball or hopscotch) and a lower parking lot where we could ride bikes. The other side of the building had a strip of garden where I could find bugs and honeybees to experiment upon.
One of my favorite places was the closet under the stairs. In the basement, which at times flooded, there was a closet where my parents stored paint for the apartments. Due to the flooding there was a fragrance of dried mud on concrete. This closet had a door that could be locked from the inside and one light bulb. I would often go in there to hide from my family. I would turn over a paint can to use for a stool. Eventually I began swiping birthday cake candles to use in there so I could turn off the light. I had no idea I could have set the place ablaze with candles and paint cans!
Over time I began using thumbtacks to put up pictures of Jesus on the wall studs from various family funerals. The only person I showed the place to was my best friend Dana. Other than that it was private.
Recently during a Soul Collage retreat I was reminded of that secret place. Looking back I realized it was my early place of refuge and inspiration. For this collage, I tried to find a photo of a paint can. The only one I found was silly with polka dots on top of red paint.
The images each represent something to me. Clockwise from 11:00, they represent the Holy Spirit by the figure in the white cowl. The stained glass the church. The paper with words and the pencil, writing to His glory. The stream in the center is the Living Water. The candle for the basement closet with the paint can. The open hand, yielding to the Trinity. In one form or another all these things occurred or began in the secret worship place.
What is the foundation of your faith? Did you have spiritual formation in a secret place?
I once read The Secret Garden by Burnett. This quote sums up these ideas for me.
“Where you tend a rose my lad, a thistle cannot grow.” ― Francis Hodgson Burnett
I do not think Father God waits until the last moment to call and transform us. I believe He begins early in our life and continues until we answer the call to come to Him. Jesus said that in the book of John.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44 NIV
So much of our faith is formed and prospers in private.
Return to the Lord and find your resting place in Him. Surrender to the call upon your soul and spirit.
I had difficult news last week that left me feeling breathless. The foot surgeon had done a CT scan of the toe he operated on a few years ago. (See https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/17091) The results are in. He needs to see me about REVISIONARY surgery. The bone did not heal properly around the steel plate. The scan read that I have loose screws. Bob said, “Well, we finally have proof of what I’ve known about you for years!”
I was breathless. You might remember I just had shoulder surgery in January of this year! The last surgery on this toe required 8 weeks on a knee roller, NO weight bearing. I did everything asked of me, yet the healing was not proper. I was immediately angry, dismayed, disappointed and full of questions.
Times that challenge us physically, emotionally, and spiritually may make it almost impossible for us to feel grateful. Yet, we can decide to live gratefully, courageously open to life in all its fullness.
BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST
Since first getting this report, I have had a few days to calm down. I truly believe that nothing surprises my God. He is not dismayed by this news. If I begin to question, “Why now?” He knows. I often say, “God knows, and He ain’t telling.” He is with me/us in this. Bob, too, was startled by this news and immediately assured me he is right there with me in whatever lies ahead.
I think I need someone to take Lucky as a foster dog if this is indeed a required surgery. Bob has been so great about doing all of her care during the shoulder surgery recovery. The idea of having that foisted on him again overwhelms both of us!
Several years ago I found a key in a gift shop that was created with the word “Courage” upon it. I have been told over the years that I have great courage. The girl-child hovering in my soul is not so certain about that! Time to get that key out of the china closet and place it in front of me!
Just about the same time I found a stone engraved with the word strength in a different shop.
Yes,it is time to bring that back to the forefront, too! For me neither courage nor strength work unless I trust God. Trust begins with a T and ends with a T which reminds me of the cross. The word us is in the middle. Likely time to get out the Dremel that will engrave a stone and write trUSt upon one.
Again, I must ask myself if I will willingly surrender to the cross in order to allow my wishes to be crucified and the will of God done in my life. I do not need to understand the many things my heart wants to question about this. Just need to answer am I willing to follow where my Shepherd leads, knowing I am never alone, always accompanied?
My prayer and bracelet from a few years ago. I need constant, yielded, peaceful, joyful obedience to my Lord. So easy to pray. So easy to create in bracelet form. Another thing altogether to accomplish.
I will let you know how things go with all of this. In the meanwhile, I ask for your prayers for wisdom and grace to stay calm and listen for His voice of wisdom.
Grateful wants to reign in my heart. I will not bar it from doing so!
I must remember that each sighting and experience of wildlife out my window is a gift from the Father. I am always amazed at those who hold up traffic at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains because they see a white-tailed deer. We have them at home I declare! And then I realize that not everyone if that fortunate.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings the buck and the doe to flower and field. May they find nourishment and Your peace in this place. Amen.
Wherever Your glory be best served, whenever, however; there, then, and in that state let me Your servant be; only hide not from me Your divine love.
Help me to trust You to the uttermost.
Teach me to serve You as You deserve; to give, and not to count the cost; to fight, and not to heed the wounds; to toil, and not to look for rest; to labor, and not to ask for reward save that of knowing that I am doing Your will.
Let nothing dim the light that shines from within., not even physical ailments!
Yes, I added, not even physical ailments. I cannot seem to catch a break. There is always something with this body! I decided to walk at least one mile a day in dedicated exercise time. I got a few blisters. Wrapped my toes with slip on cushions. Got blisters on top of blisters. Double slip on cushion, no improvement. Added a Band-aid over the great toe and the cushioned sleeves over that. No relief. Orthotics? Shoes? Just my feet?
Returned to the foot surgeon because I was clueless. The toe he put a steel plate in a few years ago (with six lovely screws) seems to be rising up again. Arthritis had made that toe begin to stick up in the first place. He went in during surgery, removed the bone, shaved it down, turned it over. Screwed it down with the plate. He showed me on the current x-ray that it cannot rise up as the bone tissue has grown over the plate now. But respecting how it feels to me, he ordered a CT scan of that toe.
October 2019 after surgery
In the meantime a more expert orthotist the surgeon knows is going to rebuild a pair of orthotics for me in an attempt to correct what the other guy did wrong. We will not order new shoes yet, though that might be in my near future. Blisters need to heal.
Grrr – you must understand I have never been athletic. As a fibromyalgia person I know that the best treatment is exercise, but I do not feel better after I exercise so I shun it when possible. Even with this summer heat, I had FINALLY talked myself into doing this walking and now I am told to only wear open-toed shoes while my toes heal. Told to stop reaching for this mile a day goal. To get in a pool, or try an elliptical, ride a bike, i.e., find some other form of exercise besides walking. He warned me that if I do change this I could be seeing him in the future for toe amputations. NO diabetic wants to hear that, although Bob and the doc do joke that it might be easier to just cut off my feet.
Let nothing dim the light – Oh Lord! I need your help. And just to add injury to blisters, etc. I stepped down off a little foot stool and happened to step onto one of my shoes. As I went down I twisted toe #4 and #5 underneath my foot. Was not certain if I broke them or not. Purple and sore. When doc did the routine x-ray of that foot he could not see a fracture. Said there is a possibility there is a hairline one that the x-ray did not show. He wrapped it with brown stretchy tape (there is a name for that) and told me to check the toes when I got home to make certain there was no redness from the wrap. Then wrap them anytime I would be walking. By the time I got home I took that tape off because of throbbing toes! It has not been put on again.
So what does this mean in terms of the Maya Angelou quote? Let NOTHING dim the light.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him JOB 13:15a
God has not kept my toes from blistering or my feet from having troubles. Even now, I will trust Him.
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:36-39 NIV
Nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I wrote a prayer likely in 2020 and it still rings true today.
I have determined that this day, each time I am drawn up short by pain, I will praise You for I love You better than life - even better than quality of life.
My mother had in her belongings “A Prayer for Those Growing Old.” One stanza read,
Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my aches and pains. They are increasing with the years and my love to speak of them grows sweeter as time goes by.
I write all of this to say if you are struggling with physical ailments try to keep Christ Jesus in mind. He never promised to heal every one of us during this lifetime. However, we are told in the book of Revelation that in the new heaven and new earth glorious things await us! There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain (NIV). That is such a glorious thought it is almost inconceivable. I for one am willing to cling to those promises. Help me hang on to the end, Jesus.
Stay with each one of us, I pray. Fix our eyes on You and Your word. You promised You would never leave us or abandon us. Even to old age, and gray hair I will praise You and declare Your deeds (Psalm 71). You are worthy of our praise, all honor, glory and dominion. You have taught us there is so much more than just this physical life we know.
The lyric from “Show me Your Face” says I will make it to the end, If I can just see Your face, I know I will make it to the end, If I can just see Your face.
“Wherever Your glory is best served.” St. Ignatius prayer
In light of yesterday’s post about the Ascension of Christ I want to share some Scriptures with you.
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.Mark 16:19 NKJV
This is Luke’s account of when Jesus faced the Sanhedrin. He declares His future place with the Father.
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.”
But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” LUKE 22:66-69 NKJV
So yes, the Lord is with us now through the Holy Spirit but He also has a place of authority with the Father.
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 NIV
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NIV
Ponder these things! They are the foundations of our faith of resurrection and ascension.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.1 Peter 3:18-22 NIV
Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 8:1, 10:12 NIV
Jesus has accomplished for us a gift higher than we ever could have imagined in our longing for the heavenly places.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1 NIV
Stephanie Gretzinger sums it up beautifully for me with this lovely hymn by Graham Kendrick.
Regardless of your denomination in Christianity you have likely been exposed to the Creeds. Part of the Apostles Creed says, “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.”
In Lectio Divina we are told to read the Scriptures repeatedly, meditatively and picture ourselves in the scene described. How do you see the Ascension of Christ? The celebration is generally held 40 days after the resurrection. The Word says
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:6-11 New Living Testament
One website says that in Lectio Divina we are to take a step of meditation. “The second element is meditation (meditatio). By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to “see” the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this mediation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life.”
So what do you imagine they saw “as He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching”?
I was startled recently to come across the photo of this depiction in a church.
It took me a second to actually see the ceiling fixture above. It is evidently based upon some Medieval art such as below.
Well, I never! Never thought of this – never imagined this. Would love to see Kelly Latimore write an icon on this passage!
Here are a few more images. I hope you will use your imagination and sit with this verse for a time of prayer.
Not certain I would have been this calm and peaceful had I been present to see His ascension.
“Whaaat?”asked the balding man with long white mustache and beard. in the gray robe.
And a depiction in stained glass
It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 1 Peter 3:21b-22 NIV
If Christ came to earth, taught, died, rose again from the dead but never rose to take His place at the right hand of the Father we would not have the power available to us in our faith – the same power that raised Jesus from the dead – the gift that is given to each of us.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:17-21
Jesus promised to send the Gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within us, to walk with us and guide us. And His promise was not in vain.
Ask for this gift with a sincere heart and you will receive.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 