Many who know the hobby of my husband know he has a wonderful eye for photography. When he retired from the laboratory his fellow employees wanted to know how best to gift him. I suggested they take up a collection towards a new camera. More than once he has considered dropping photography as his hobby. The verse that follow tells what happened next. Loosely based on the ideas from If Your Give a Mouse a Cookie.
If you get a retiree a camera He will want to buy the instruction manual And then spend a month reading the manual Playing with settings, and learning the camera Just when you think he will never take a real photo He will venture out to snap some shots
When it is time to go beyond the house he’s gonna want a case And if the book doesn't fit in the case He is gonna need a new case
If you get a retiree a camera He is going to need time to edit And through away the “junk” shots And print only the perfect ones
If you get a retiree a camera There are episodes of frustration Away from home on a special occasion When the settings somehow escape him And he goes back to the book Fuming that it seemed so simple When he practiced in the living room
If you get a retiree a camera You need to plan time to review The videos and best shots And praise his hard work learning the contraption And the expert eye that is seeing The things you had hoped all along he would capture
All of the photos below are by rmdutina
Yes! Always give this man as many cameras as he needs! What does your eye see most often? CAn you capture it in a photo?!?
LORD, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for You or yours, but quiet homes of prayer and praise, where You may find fit company where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, and wide, sweet spaces kept for you; where holy thoughts pass up and down and fervent longings watch and wait your coming. - Julian of Norwich
Can you tell I am confused? My editor for the book about prayer has instructed me that it is not proper to capitalize the pronouns that refer to God. Oh golly. I have capitalized those pronouns for years as a sign of respect. So if you look back on the re-written prayer you can see my now inconsistent writing. Below is the Old English copy of the prayer. Which do you prefer?
Lord, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for thee or thine, But quiet homes of prayer and praise, where thou mayest find fit company, Where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, And wide, sweet spaces kept for thee; where holy thoughts pass up and down And fervent longings watch and wait thy coming.
Julian was born in 1343 so obviously we have no photos of her!
My mind was racing and I was sleepless. I asked the Lord to help me through it and these verses came to me. I looked them up using key words or phrases on the iPad mini, saved them to the i Cloud Notes and was able to get back to sleep after reading a few pages on the novel I had been reading earlier. I thought the verses might be a good reminder to some of you, so here goes. The trouble starts when I think I need to have the answers to the questions that trouble me.
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Rev 7:11-12
Ponder that for a moment. Angels around the throne, around the elders, and the four living creatures – I wonder how many angels it takes to surround that great company of beings? And the words they sing! BLESSING and GLORY and WISDOM and THANKSGIVING and HONOR and POWER and MIGHT be to our GOD. I do not think we can declare this too many times! I need not fret. Wisdom belongs to God first.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. Psalm 32:8-9
Do these sound familiar? Yes, I have posted these before, but I need to be reminded of them often. I am learning to trust that the Lord will instruct me, teach me, and counsel me. That also means the Lord thinks of me as instruct-able, teachable, and able to receive counsel. He has great faith in me. Do we have great faith in the Almighty One?
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
Have I waited? Have I listened? Am I willing to follow the instruction I am given?
Years ago, when I was first beginning to tell relatives that I was writing Peggy, the wife of my Cousin Art, told me these verses. I was reminded in the night.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. 3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faithfulness. Habakkuk 2:2-4
So when it comes time to give away the printed copies of the poetry, I am trusting that those who do not get a printed copy will be able to use the electronic copy I can send to any email address. As long as they open it in Microsoft Word, it should appear just like the printed copy. The tablets of Habakkuk have taken on a new form!
And this picture also popped up that night seemingly out of no where.
Veteran in a New Field by Winslow Homer
The image shows a man cutting the harvest. One of the first art images the Lord used to speak to me was by Vincent van Gogh, entitled the Sower. There was more than one of these paintings. Here is the first I knew about.
From the sower to the harvest. Wow. Such blessings for us all.
Yes, well. Storms blow through Cincinnati all the time. About 75 degrees and lovely.
Shortly the heavens opened! We were seated next to folks who were rooting for the White Sox. From our seats the State of Kentucky disappeared! The winds came, the rain blew. We moved under an area with a better roof. There we talked with a pipeline construction worker from Oklahoma who was excited to catch the game. He was worrying that they might cancel it.
The screen kept saying rain delay. We eventually chimed in with “No joke!”
The best reward for waiting through a rainstorm is a rainbow. And this one lasted and lasted!!
They were not very accurate at updating the weather radar. Eventually the game began, almost 1-1/2 hours late. I was wearing shorts and had brought a very thin hoodie made of t-shirt like material.
After the rain came the wind became steady and the temperature dropped. The lady next to me was able to go to her car and get her winter coat. She offered me her tiny scarf which I declined.
We left after 3-1/2 innings as it was just too chilly to be enjoyable. We got home before the game ended. And then the Reds lost 5-1.
We did get to go to the ballgame and eat peanuts and throw the shells on the ground! It was also 1-2-3 Tuesday. $1.00 UDF ice cream cups (chocolate sundae cup was delicious.) $2.00 hot dogs. Yep, they were good, too. and $3.00 beer. Bob enjoyed his Kona wave. My husband always love a thrifty deal! A good time was had by the Dutinas!
The opening photo is by r m dutina. Early in the spring, right before a frosty night, I feared I might lose the poppy plant. I covered it a couple times an then decided to let it survive on its own.
They did fine through several very cold nights. I have watched the buds on the poppy plant certain they would open today. Then nothing. Certain they would open. Not yet. And then … drum roll …..
Notice all of the spiny buds!
Yes, they are blooming. I cut the first one to take to a friend. It went into shock but then perked up on her mantel.
Now they are bursting with color.
They were so top heavy with blooms I needed to support them with a piece of fencing or else they would have fallen into the driveway and been crushed by the Volkswagen! I bought these at the grocery store a few years ago. The tag said something about pastel colors. I thought too bad. I really enjoyed the bright red ones at the other house. They did bloom with a few pastel blossoms. Well, here they come all growing in this year with bright red color! They do not bloom for long, but so spectacular! Grateful for these lovelies.
There is another poppy plant growing at the other end of the front flower bed. The Sweet Viburnum shrub has overgrown it. Guess it is time to shovel it out and place in the back flower bed!
As with a house, the work in a flower bed is never finished!
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” ~ Isaiah 40:8
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Matthew 6:28-29 NIV
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work: who lives and reign with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever. Amen. BCP
There used to be a painting/print that hung on the wall in the Guest dining room at the Convent of the Transfiguration. It was a depiction of the meal Jesus shared with disciples after the walk to Emmaus. It was a simple depiction that I cannot find online. The portrait was like an icon to me. It has been replaced and put in storage somewhere. No one at the Convent knows exactly where it is.
I have scoured hundreds of online images trying to find a copy of that painting. I would buy it in a heartbeat if I could find it!
This past weekend the Associates retreat was lead by Father David Pfaff, Rector at Christ Church, Glendale. His topic was the icons written after the crucifixion through the Ascension. Yes, the Walk to Emmaus was also featured. He pointed out in the icons he had chosen that one of the people on the walk was a woman. Cleopas is named in verse 18 but the other disciple is not named. In the image he chose that disciple is depicted as a woman, unlike the pictures below. (See opening picture)
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:13-35 NIV
At first glance it would seem this retreat topic was stuffy and not contemporary. That is a mistaken idea! The icons are ‘drawn’ as an aide in prayer. They lead us to the Holy God. The images attempt to help us envision what the truth is about how God comes to humankind. How we can interact with the Almighty.
Each of the four talks brought me to a place of stillness and enlightenment. There is so much more to discover about our God. Lord, help our hearts burn within us as You speak with us.
Never stop looking for those treasures in plain sight, even if it requires you go to a religious bookstore or, as one man mentioned, shopping on Etsy for an icon! Yep! I tried there for that painting. No such luck!
I was delighted while in Florida one sunny day to just feel the ocean breeze and hear the waves. That is one thing that Ohio certainly does not offer! I really miss it. Oh well, landlocked except for the mighty Ohio river and several fishing lakes.
Our friend, Kathy, had suggested that while we were in Florida we check out the tiny coastal town called Dunedin. She even drove us through it during her auto tour. The town has a Scottish theme. Wikipedia says: “The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.” Since Bob went to college in Scotland for a year we are usually interested in such places. Sadly, we would miss their annual Highland games and celebration. Bob is not a lover of window shopping, but he indulges me and finds a bench to rest upon or a sight to explore while I browse a shop.
The first shop was one I had already looked up online from Ohio, The Celtic Shop of Dunedin. I already knew they did not have the Tam O’Shanter that he wanted. In the window were some a Irish bone china items including a flower bud vase that resembled the tower at Glendalough. I browsed around. Found a dark green t-shirt that shows a tree roots in Irish colors and the tree in American colors. I loved it. They did not have my size, but I bought it anyway. If it does not shrink I will merely sleep in it! My deep purple hyacinth bloom rests in the tower vase today.
I had spotted another interesting shop. Business finished at the Celtic Shop I went back 2 doors to a tourist shop whose name I am having difficulty locating as I paid cash there! A pair of earrings on the rack caught my attention. They only had the one pair. If there had been more I would have bought a couple to have as gifts.
Ocean Wave
I was delighted at how well the artist captured the ocean wave! Yes, I now wear them often. The earrings reminded me of a children’s book we once purchased.
Being sad about leaving the seashore a young boy asks if he can take home one wave. The story regales the delight and then difficulty of living with a wave in the house. It is a great story. Once we got home I had to pull it out and read it again!
As we continued our Clearwater visit and went to a glass museum in nearby St. Petersburg called the Imagine Museum, Contemporary Glass Art. We both love glass art and are always amazed at what the artisans can come up with! There, to, we saw the fascination with the ocean.
photo by r m dutina, “Cabriolle” by K. William LeQuier
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a theme going here! My delight knew no bounds. I have the photo Bob took propped up against my monitor even as I type this. No I am not wearing the earrings right now. Such a lovely get away for us!
I have been trying to compile a booklet of my writings to publish regarding prayer. I suddenly realized I did not have enough about intercession – praying for others. You are now my guinea pigs as I put these ideas out there first to you!
The dictionary says intercession is offering petitionary prayer to God on behalf of others. Also, acting as a mediator or standing in the gap before God on behalf of another. How often do you go to God on behalf of others? Is there an awkward feeling when someone asks you to pray for them?
Just like other forms of prayer, intercession takes some practice and should never actually feel comfortable. No one can assume to have the mind of Christ in its entirety. However, there are times when we glimpse the glory and power of our Savior. Intercessory prayer is asking for that intervention and movement of God in a given situation.
We ought never to forget that we have a Lord who is also our High Priest, and that this Priest is able to empathize with our weaknesses.*1 Knowing this High Priest, we can learn to come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in time of need. Believing and practicing these verses can teach us to trust that we are heard when we pray and that the Lord cares about the needs of His people.
How to begin? Imagine someone brings a request to you. As an intercessor, you are required to listen closely when someone brings a request. Do not assume you know what they are asking for. After listening, start by clarifying what the person is asking for. It is perfectly fine to state something like “ I think I heard you say….” and then repeat back to the person their request.
Prayer does not change God’s mind, but it changes us. With every request there should be in us a yieldedness of being willing to accept that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.*2 The answer from on high might actually be different than what the person requests. We trust the highest and best God has to offer will come as we open ourselves to invite God into the situation. Stating as part of your prayer “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done” is always appropriate. This shows our willingness to come under the rule and reign of Christ.
One of the best teachers I ever heard on prayer demonstrated to his congregation how to put the method into practice. So here goes my attempt. Judy comes to you asking prayer for Aunt Lucy. Aunt Lucy is slipping mentally and has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Judy tells you the family is upset and does not know what to do with her. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Wait upon God for direction. Listen for that still small voice perhaps giving you instruction, and then begin to pray, slowly and calmly.
“Father, we come into Your Presence with praise and thanksgiving that You are Who You are and You love us just as we are. We lift Aunt Lucy to You now. You know what the doctors have determined about her current state. We ask that You step into the situation and give Lucy and her family Your peace and comfort. Lucy must be frightened by all of this. Help her to cling to You and to trust You.
“Her family is bewildered by the changes that have come over her. Give them patience and wisdom as they deal with this current state of affairs. Guide and direct the decisions they must make on her behalf. You are the God of all comfort, and we come to You seeking Your highest and best in this situation of change and loss. Help each person adapt with Your grace and mercy to what is going on. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in these situations Lord. We look for You to manifest yourself in these various situations. And as You bring these things to pass, we will be careful to give you all of the glory. We ask all of this in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Sit with the person for a moment and ask if there is anything else on their heart. Often your prayer will stir up something else they forgot to mention that is bothering them. If they share something take it right then to the Lord in prayer. Be certain to assure the person regarding confidentiality. We have a mandate on ourselves to lift others in prayer, but not to gossip about their needs.
I have had people mention that they could never be intercessors assuming they would just worry all the time about what happens to the person after they pray. We must learn that when someone brings a request that the request gets lifted to God and we are to leave it on the altar for the Trinity to deal with. We were never meant to carry the burdens of the world. Listen. Pray. Release. Move on.
If the Holy Spirit brings the situation to your remembrance, again then listen, pray, release. There have been a few times when the Lord wants me to pray and keep on praying. Believe me, if that situation occurs the Holy Spirit will not let me forget the instructions to continue! The Holy Spirit has been called the Hound of Heaven. The persistence of this Mighty One cannot be understated.
Intercession requires trust and faith. Trust that God is truly in charge, and we are not. We are called as intercessors to comfort the people of God. Hebrews 11:6 say, “And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” We have faith that God exists and God rewards those who seek Him. We do not dictate how God must answer but we hold as true the fact that God will answer .
Pray on!
*1 Hebrews 4:14-15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
*2 Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Do you know where you live like this man does? I am always astounded when I learn that others around me are unaware of the bounty we are blessed with right in our neighborhood, county, state. As I age I seek to know more about the things around where I live. I think the quote below shows tremendous wisdom!
The earth is a living thing. Mountains speak, trees sing, lakes can think, pebbles have a soul, rocks have power.
HENRY CROW DOG
By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky. Proverbs 3:19-20 NLT
The blog is entitled Treasures in Plain Sight. This day I found mine among many other treasures at Treasure Island, Florida.
(See the red pin on the map above.) Driving along the beaches in Florida, we found a nice place to park and walk the beach without too much exertion. There was a little boardwalk and then acres of flat sand to the water. Again, not many shells there. This was a wonderful sand sculpture someone had made.
We delighted in the sharks around the sculpture!
As you can see the day was glorious with sunshine, though seriously closer to summer temperatures than what we had left in Ohio. We walked to the water’s edge and back to the parking lot. While Bob used the facilities, I waited watching the crowd from a little ramp.
We had already seen damage from the recent hurricanes. I was a little surprised to see one palm tree that was stripped of all foliage strapped to another thriving palm tree. And then, BOOM!, it caught my eye. A little green bird. As I watched it went into a nesting hole in the seemingly dead palm tree. Then out again, to perch right there.
Yes, the young lady is lovely, but so is the tiny bright green bird!
I found it online and here are the details from Audubon.
The https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/nanday-parakeet site says: Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast. Smaller numbers are seen elsewhere, including other parts of Florida and near Phoenix, Arizona.
Of course, I always love a close up!!
What a treasure! I wanted to tell the lovely young lady about it, but then her boyfriend joined her and they were gone! For the remainder of the vacation anytime I saw a palm trunk without foliage I was on the lookout for the Nanday! Was not gifted to see another one. There was mighty praise to the Father for allowing me to see that one single bird! It literally made my day!
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 NRSVUE
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 