Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Stories

Sit and knit while listening
To a story
Swept away into an adventure
In the warmth of my own home
The world passing me by
As the story unfolds in my imagination
Yesterday was Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione
Today may be Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
Each story carrying me away
Without ever leaving the house

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Musings

Decisions for the future
Make interesting challenges, Lord
As we try to make the best choices
While not knowing what emergencies
Could arise to panic us
Or happy moments emerge
To overflow our hearts with joy
Life has so many mysterious moments
And yet we continue making decisions
As an integral part of living life
Trusting the outcome to You, Lord

Monday, January 25, 2016

Counter Culture

Since a Roman emperor
First became a Christian
The church has set culture
On many fronts
But the culture is now trying
To set the rules for the church
Is it time to remember our roots
When being counter cultural
Was much of what defined us
In the eyes of those around us
Because God's call is to be in the world
But never of it
As we love Him and one another

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Paw Prints

The scurry of an animal
Crossing the trail ahead of us in the dark
Leaves us a mystery
What was it?
Once daylight came we found
Paw prints in the snow
Yet the mystery remained
Not a dog or cat
Not a raccoon or squirrel
Do muskrats or groundhogs ever run?
What would their paw prints look like?

Details

Life is funny when it feels
As though it's standing still
Even as details fall into place
For whatever is next

Friday, January 22, 2016

A Quiet Life

A home for two where
Quiet is a frequent companion
Until the television
Is turned on for the evening
Everything is low key with
Two people simply hanging out together
Life in the slow lane seems to
Inspire a vague contentedness
Freeing us to simply
Escape . . . ?

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Life in Community

How do we determine life in community?
Where are the lines drawn between the group
And the individual?
Community talk does not give permission
For one person to hijack another's freedom
Throughout history our social constructs
Have swayed back and forth between the two
Somewhere there must be a balance
That allows for the group and the individual
Lord, are You that balance?

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Good Morning, Lord

Good morning, Lord
This winter has been quiet
And yet life keeps moving, changing
Agitating in the direction of growth
May conversations with You
Always be a central part of all
That's happening

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Storytelling

So tell me a story
Take me to my roots
Or I won't know my place in this world
Reveal the depth and dignity
You and I share as people
Teach me truth by touching my heart to
Enter life courageously with
Love and joy sparkling from my eyes
Life is amazing but
I need to be reminded that
Nobility and joy exist in ordinary people
Growing through every adventure they live

Monday, January 18, 2016

Back To Our Roots

Special meetings
Church retreat
What do we call a week long event
That re-introduces us to our roots?
To our stories
And how we know the God of the universe
And why we trust Him with all that we are

Good Morning, Lord

What to write about?
The thoughts are scattered to the four corners
Of my world
A conversation with Dad yesterday
A book launch a week closer
It's all so unreal
And yet so wonderful
Lord, You've given me life
The most incredible gift of life
May I use it well!
(Even on the Mondays)

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Ballads of New

Can the old stories
Be retold in a fresh way
To keep them alive
In voice and memory?

Ballads of Old

The songs of roots
Tell the stories of long ago
With a lilt and a tap of toes
We retell tall tales
Of danger, love and excitement
Calling us to remember

Saturday, January 16, 2016

By The River

A place of quiet
Where highway sounds are dampened
Among the trees
As the river flows always onward
Through town on the way west

Snowshoes

A walk by the river
Through powdered snow
Leaving 'bigfoot' prints
To confuse those who come after
Proved to be easier than anticipated
As feet were kept wide
To keep from tripping me

Friday, January 15, 2016

Approaching

It's such a strange feeling
To be approaching a door that will open soon
With no concrete idea of what's on the other side
Except for a quiet, "It will sell."
Lord, I'm trusting You with that
As my imagination ranges far and wide
With ideas about what to do next
As teams will need to be built
To make the next pieces reality

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Flourish

Deep roots firmly planted
Grow the plant to flourish
With sunshine and rain
What makes our roots deep?
What brings such growth to our lives?
How do we flourish in hardship?
Much of it is attitude--a resilience
To bounce back
From even the worst setbacks
To an abundance of joy
And hope overflowing

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Letter Writing

Words filling the page
To offer a glimpse of life
From me to an old friend

Lunch Out

Responding to an old friend
Becomes something new
As we arrange to meet for lunch
Just the two of us
When in the past it was her family
And my family spending time together
But we've both reached our goals
And can now see what conversation brings next
If we talk without the noise

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Dreams

A hope
Grows into more
Ideas become plans
Move slowly toward becoming
Here now

Friends

Time fades
Over hot tea
As we share bits of life
In conversation back and forth
With joy

Monday, January 11, 2016

Water

The drip of water
Quenches the longing for life
Welling up inside

Living Water

Lord, You supply living water
That refreshes, renews, grows
A person in relationship with You

Why do stories draw us?
The pictures are drawn in our minds
As the words paint the scene
And drive home the truth
You desire us to embrace
Stories mold us
Into people of Your love

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Butterfly Conservatory

A brilliant blue flew past
As the morpho butterflies chased each other
From leaf spiralling toward the windows
The flash of blue disappearing from sight
While the ricepaper butterflies simply putter along
Landing on leaves and fruit trays
Before two ventured onto a child
For a photo session with mom

Friday, January 8, 2016

Early Morning

Time spent outside in the growing dawn
Walking up a country road
Into possibility

Propitiation For Life

Jesus before us
Advocate and sacrifice
Blood carrying priest
Blood spilled lamb
So many pieces assembled
Into a whole picture
Of our Lord becoming our
Path to the Father and forgiveness

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Abide In Him

Alive to more than common sense
Begins a walk of daily faith
Intent on resting in trust in You, Lord
Details emerge quietly
Experiences grow depth as the 
Inward flow begins 
Nurturing life radiates out as
Hope draws action
Instinct it seems; yet whatever the reality it
Makes the pieces work together as a whole

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The Lord is My Shepherd

The stories begin so long ago when
Hope died in the land of
Egypt: a people enslaved, distrusted
Longing to be free
Once again, when their Shepherd
Raised up Moses listen to Him and guide them
Down country and across desert
In expectation of the Promised Land
Some grumbled along the way
Many rebelled even after amazing demonstrations
Yahweh performed to care for them as their
Shepherd moving them through
Hostile territory toward
Everything they needed and away from
Pharaoh and all
His chariots
Every single slave walked out
Relinquishing every tie to a land not their own
Doing what their Shepherd asked

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

A Story

A story to tell
As I used to tell the children's story
But now to be a church retreat?
During which we remember You, Lord
As we remember Your stories to us
The stories that captured our love
And provoked our loyalty
A time to refresh that simple childlike faith

Monday, January 4, 2016

A Time To Remember

A time to remember You, Lord
Our mighty God
The maker of all that exists
The sustainer of life and substance
The saviour of sinners
The lover of all You have created
The provider of breath and joy
The One calling us to unity with Yourself
And each other
But it becomes facts to list
So many facts
And theology to debate
So many words
But inside it all is the Living God
Whose story is intimately entangled with ours
It is time to remember
That moment when I threw my life in with Your's
When the common sense of culture
Was released for the free flight
Of life danced hand in hand with You, Lord
When the music began