Autumn

Your arrival is unobtrusive.
Gently, almost imperceptibly,
there is a change in the character of the wind.
Oh, the heavy, sullen heat of summer
still dominates - but there is something different.

Now there is a chill in the night air.
We snuggle under the warmth of blankets
retrieved from closets, smelling sweet and clean.
The wind is crisp and clear,
sweeping away the idleness of summer;
putting new energy and life in our walk.

May it be so in my life, Lord.
As Your Spirit gently moves,
let there be a transformation, however gradual.
Come with clean, refreshing breezes,
taking away the old,
and bringing new life.

I am linking to Emily's imperfect prose.

Dancing

I'm not sure, but I think I came into this world with my dancing shoes on. There were no other little ones on the scene when I made my grand entrance onto the stage of our big Italian family, and it is safe to say I was doted upon. Everyone was enchanted with my dancing, and there was never a shortage of willing partners. I was the star, and they were the "back-up." Not a bad thing when you are just a wee girl, but not very attractive when you're a grownup lady.



The Father has gently brought this fact to my attention this past week.



I have been dancing through my days - ostensibly with Him as my partner - thinking that I am somehow entitled to choreograph the steps. Each morning I invite Him to take the lead and show me the way I should go. I even memorize verses to that
effect:

"Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul."
Psalm 143:8

In my heart of hearts I want nothing more than to live the life He has planned for me. Yet...I don't take many steps into the day before I am off and dancing - trying to pull Him along with me. So often it is the same dance, the one where I know exactly which move will lead to disaster and yet, somehow, I do it anyway.

The turn in the conversation that He gently tries to steer me away from, but I clumsily plow into - head-long. The time that should be spent in the way He has planned, but I am too involved in the pirouettes that delight me.

Those dances never are what I want them to be. They leave me discouraged and feeling as though I have ruined the dance beyond repair.

He is not willing to leave me there. He extends His arms and bids me come dance with Him. I am astounded at such grace. There is such peace when I rest my head against His shoulder and let Him lead me in the steps He has choreographed just for me. It has the makings of a beautiful dance.

I am linking to Emily's today.



Blessings,
Linda

pictures: me and Uncle Tony - me and Aunt Susie

I Am

We gather on Wednesday evenings in the huge rehearsal room for choir practice. I usually come feeling rather weary. I always leave feeling renewed and refreshed. Choir practice, under our Music Minister's leadership, is far more than learning music. It is worship. We begin to sing and the words of praise drift past the high ceiling, and He comes.

Ray, our gifted leader, always has words of inspiration, encouragement and instruction to share. Last week he said something that went straight to my heart - one of those moments when truth explodes in your spirit.

"When you have Jesus," he said, "your whole life makes sense."

And my heart cried, "Yes." Everything - the unimagined, undeserved blessings and the confusing suffering and pain - all of it. Jesus is there with us through it all, weaving it into the tapestry of our lives - making something beautiful. He gives life meaning and purpose - every single minute of it. He is everything we need.

Then we sang this song. I hope it blesses you as it did me. Jesus is all in all.



Blessings,
Linda

Worry/Trust

I used to think I was not a worrier. Then I began listening to my own conversations and was astounded to hear how many times the words "worry" or "worried" came out of my mouth. I could almost excuse it as just a figure of speech until I heard my daughter refer to me as a "Worry Wort." That pretty much sealed the deal.

I'm a worrier.

I began to search for the source of all that angst. After all, I've been a Christian all my life. I know all the verses about not worrying and about leaving my burdens with the Lord. I pray. How is it that I still fret about so many things?

I realized that all of those things had one common denominator - they were things that were out of my control. There is no question that I like to have everything under control. I'm a planner. I make lists. I want to know what to expect at every turn - anticipate every possible misstep. In my convoluted thinking process, I reasoned that if I had already thought about it then it wouldn't happen. Everything under control.

There came a day when none of those things worked for me. The Father allowed something to come into my life that was definitely not part of the plan. It was, in fact, my worst nightmare. There was simply no way I could work this one out. It was completely out of my hands.

Everything went dark for me, and for a long time I could not even pray. I wondered what the use of praying was, since I had prayed so hard that this very thing would not happen. In essence, I walked away from faith for a little while. Walked until I came to the place where I had to make a choice. Would I choose to walk the path of faith, or would I turn my back on it for good.

For me there really was no choice, because I knew the path away from God led to despair. Hope lay in His direction, and oh how I needed hope. In order to find my way back, I had to come to a point of surrender - a letting go of what I desperately wanted to be control of. I was going to have to trust Him. No more questions about what if. I had to believe with all my heart that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has said He would do (thank you Beth Moore).

When I finally surrendered to faith, the gentle Spirit of God put an inexplicable peace in my heart. It took me by surprise. The circumstances didn't change, but He changed something fundamental in me. For the first time, I fully trusted Him with all that is most precious to me - without holding on for dear life just in case He wasn't paying attention.

There are days when worry and fear try to worm their way back into my heart, and I have to go through the process all over again. It is all right. I have a dear Father who understands. With grace and love He draws me close to His heart.

"Do not fear for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10



I am linking to Bonnie's Faith Barista Jam today.

Blessings,
Linda

Summer's Adieu

Fall came in with great flair when we lived up north near the Vermont border. Almost overnight the mountains, framed in my kitchen window, went from green to the brilliant colors of autumn. There was the scent of smoke in the air as folks lit the first fires in their wood stoves or fireplaces and a definite chill in air.

It is far different here in South Texas. One season seems to slip gently into the next without much fanfare. Summer, like a refined southern lady, gently lifts her skirts and walks slowly into autumn. There is no blaze of color or sudden change of temperature, but as she goes she leaves behind gentle reminders that she will be back before too long.

Gone are the lavish blooms she favored in the height of summer. In their place she scatters tiny bouquets in the most unlikely of places.























Of course, what real lady can resist just one extravagant accessory!





Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.
- William Wordsworth, September

Blessings,
Linda

linking to One Shot Poetry today.

God In The Little Things

"Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.
Isaiah 49:16

There are times, I confess, when prayer becomes a bit rote - running down the list of things I would like to bring to the Lord's attention. Often, the list itself becomes repetitious - the same people, the same requests - and my mind wanders...

"Is it possible," I ask myself, "that the Lord really gets involved with the minutia of my life?" Of course, I know that He is involved in the BIG issues, but does He really have the time to intervene when I ask for the little things - a parking space in that hospital lot that is always so crowded, better control over my diet, help with piano practice..."

My little mind says it just isn't possible or practical. How could it be so? It couldn't...humanly speaking. But He is God and for Him it is simply what He does - the miraculous.

I think about how many people are praying at any given moment, thousands and thousands of voices, weaving in and out of each other as they make their way to a God who hears every prayer. I try to imagine the view from heaven - His eyes roaming the earth, seeing every single heart.

Amidst all the clamor, He hears my voice as though I were His only child - every word, even the smallest of concerns.

"In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice;
Psalm 5:3

He sees me, one among multiplied millions, and cares about every detail of my life.

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
II Chronicles 16:9

And I am thankful beyond words:

- that there is nothing in my life so insignificant He does not care
- that when the darkness comes, He is my light
- that when the need is so great I cannot find words, His Spirit prays for me
- that His promises never fail, for He cannot lie
- that He anchors my life in His love and grace


linking to Ann's One Thousand Gifts

Blessings,
Linda

God Is

The world hangs suspended in the universe
Never colliding
Each day people die and new life begins
Never stopping
Leaves die brilliantly and fall each autumn
Always returning
Birds fly south and then north again
Never forgetting
And yet some say there is no God.

I found this little poem tucked away in one of my little notebooks. I wrote it in high school, and it was published in our school paper. I thought I might share it now. It encourages me to look back at the Father's faithfulness in my life - despite this daughter's fickle heart.

It is my very humble contribution to Emily's imperfect prose.



Blessings,
Linda

I took this picture through the window of a tiny church in Wyoming.

Warren

He entered our lives at a time
when we needed
to see God's love
to feel His touch
to know He heard and cared.

An ordinary Grandfatherly man,
the outer covering for a heart like His
listening to my fears
speaking words of comfort and wisdom
wrapping me in a warm embrace.

Called to minister to others
the years slipped quietly by
the telephone ringing one afternoon
that gentle voice from the past
running back to those out-stretched arms.

My contribution to One Stop Poetry.

Blessings,
Linda

Jack (Zoom)

This is Jack. He lives just up the road "a piece," and I pass by his house when I go for my walk. Several goats used to live there too, but Jack is all alone these days. I think he is feeling rather lonely.

When the goats were there, he pretty much ignored me when I walked by and shouted out a cheery "Hi Jack!" He was the one in charge and was quite independent. However loneliness took a toll, and he began to acknowledge my presence.

One day I pulled up a handful of long grass growing along the side of the road and offered him a little snack. He munched it right down, apparently savoring the addition to his usual diet of hay. Thus began a little routine of Jack walking along the fence-line when he saw me coming, waiting for his snack.

If ever I was lost in thought and walked by without stopping, I would be startled out of my reverie by the loudest braying you have ever heard. That miniature donkey was not about to be ignored.

Jack has modeled something I have been pondering in recent months. Seeking and persevering. He has understood that I can give him something he cannot get for himself, and he waits patiently for me to provide it. If I seem to forget, he loudly, persistently reminds me that he needs it.

The Lord has told me to seek Him. He alone has everything that I need. He is always there, unchanging and faithful. It is up to me to go to Him. There may be times when it seems He has passed me by, but He has told me to be persistent in prayer. He hears and answers prayer.

If I, flawed and weak in so many ways, care enough about a little donkey to stop and gather grass or carry an apple in my pocket to give him, how much more does my heavenly Father care for me?

This picture of Jack is my contribution to Claire's prompt Zoom.
The devotional is my contribution to Emily's tuesdays unwrapped.




Blessings,
Linda

Guidance

On Monday morning I will be posting at Laced With Grace. A few thoughts on traffic congestion and guidance.

Please join me there.

Blessings,
Linda

Unexpected

I love to travel, but I never look forward to the plane ride. I'm not afraid. Well, to be more precise, I'm not afraid of flying. I'm afraid I will get motion sickness and make a fool of myself in front of whatever poor soul decided to take the empty seat beside me.

It wasn't always that way, but in recent years I begin to get a funny feeling in my stomach the minute I set foot in the airport terminal. I suppose it's all in my head, since my feet haven't actually left the ground yet, but I definitely feel it in my stomach. I have never actually gotten sick on a plane, but there have been times I wanted to kneel down and kiss the ground when we landed.

The flight to Salt Lake City wasn't bad. Once we got above the clouds it was smooth sailing, and I actually ate the "sumptuous" snack the nice flight attendant brought to me and had a diet coke. That didn't mean I wasn't counting the seconds until we could land, but I was doing fairly well.

It always seems to be a bit rocky when the plane descends through the clouds (and they look so fluffy and innocent!), and this time was no exception. Still doing okay. The flight attendants announced they would be coming around to make a final sweep through for any items we needed to throw away. Almost there. We could see Utah below us - clear and beautiful.

The pilot's voice shattered the illusion of a peaceful landing. He encouraged us to put our seat belts on and informed us that the flight attendants would not be making a final sweep after all. He wanted them in their seats, belts fastened.

Unseen currents began to bounce the plane around like a little toy. One of the flight attendants cheerfully reminded us that there were "sick bags" in the seats in front of us (just in case, you understand). I closed my eyes, prayed and hung on for dear life. After what seemed like an eternity, we bounced our way down onto the runway and landed safely.

In those moments when I was fighting to keep that silly snack in my stomach, I thought about how much this reminded me of life in general. We go along quite happily knowing full well there will be occasional bumps in the road - just as there are bumps when the plane slides down through the clouds. It's those unexpected currents that really throw us for a loop. Everything seems to be going so well when out of nowhere we are hit with the unexpected. It could be anything from a financial loss to the death of a loved one; an accident or the loss of a job.

When it comes, whatever it is, it sends us reeling and just holding on for dear life. On the plane, I had to follow the pilot's instructions and trust that He was in control and would get us safely down to earth. So it is in my life. I have the Father's word - filled with instructions for getting through the difficult times and promises of His faithfulness. Promises that never fail. My part is to be obedient and to trust.

It seems so simple, and yet I often find that my first reaction is to be anything but obedient and trusting. I want out; I want answers; I want it to be all better - now please. In reality, I am as helpless to do anything about my circumstances as I would have been trying to land that plane. It would have been beyond foolish to even try when there was someone so capable in control.

Ah yes, we have a Father who is more than capable of handling anything that comes into our lives. After all, nothing comes to us that does not first pass through His hands - hands that lovingly draw us to Himself. He will not only take care of us in the storm, He will bring us safely through to a place of greater blessing.

"Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

Blessings,
Linda

I Stand In Awe Of You

Hillsong United - I Stand In Awe Of You

by Hillsong United


You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful of comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp you infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above


And I stand, I stand in awe of you
I stand, I stand in awe of you
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of you.

My heart cries thank you - to the One who created the heavens and the earth; who placed the stars in space and gave each one a name; who made every creature - unique and intricate; who loves us with an everlasting love.




Blessings,
Linda

linking to Ann's Gratitude Community

Majestic

"O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!"
Psalm 8:9


























A few pictures from our vacation. My heart was overwhelmed at the magnificence of His handiwork.

Have a blessed holiday weekend!
Linda

Seek

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13

She calls herself a seeker,
and it pierces my heart.
For the familiar word has,
for many weeks now,
become confusing
as only words taken for granted
sometimes can.

It has haunted me -"seek."
How do I seek You Lord -
And how with my whole heart?

Will I find You in Your word,
Or in time spent in prayer?
Will I see You in creation,
or the faces that I pass?

I hear the words in worship,
"Here in Your presence,
I will seek Your face."*
And I long to see You,
To hear Your voice
and feel Your touch.

How will I seek You, Lord?


*"Here In Your Presence" Dennis Jernigan


This is my post for Emily's Imperfect Prose.




Blessings,
Linda