sweet robin

oh

that i could sit with you 

for awhile

that i could 

hear the thrumming

of your little heart

and see up close

into the pools 

of your tiny 

magnificent eyes

"Art thou the bird whom Man loves best, The pious bird with the scarlet breast, Our little English Robin; The bird that comes about our doors When autumn winds are sobbing?"

                                                      -William Wordsworth

I end the year 2017 with this wish for you in the year to come: I hope you see more beauty this year than ever before. I hope you are startled by little things like robins, raindrops, and tiny red berries…for even the smallest things have their part in telling the story.

doe

and suddenly
they were
there

in the middle
of the
meadow

i marveled
at the
sight of them

"and the lion
will lie down
with the lamb"

imagine

walking with elephants
petting the panther

running with wolves


"In that day, the wolf will lamb will live together. The leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all."  ~Is. 11:6

In the past few months i have read several books that have enlarged my thinking and vision of what lies ahead. The hope of heaven and the renewal of all things is becoming more real to me. I seem to be coming across this message everywhere. Here are some books to investigate if you are so inclined.

All Things New by John Eldrege

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

King’s Cross by Tim Keller

The Story of Everything by Jared Wilson

Surprised by Hope by Norman T. Wright This one is a heavier read and takes some wading through (N.T. Wright is a world renowned new testament theologian)…..i read it with a friend so we could bounce thoughts and questions off one another. 

"Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while.  The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him.  For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing:  there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach…….Putting away all fear, he cast himself into a deep untroubled sleep."

                                                  J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

morning coffee and contemplation

have you ever

wondered

how you can sit

in a chair

on a cold december morning

drink a cup of coffee

and read a chapter or two

while the house you are in

in the country you are in

on the planet you are 

on

is shooting through space

while simultaneously spinning 

(at some thousand miles per hour)

round

    and

       round

and this

on an axis

invisible

have you ever wondered why 

you aren’t dizzy?

some would say

“it’s simply gravity”

but if you are like me

you rarely 

give things like gravity

a simple second thought

and that,

i’ve come to believe

is a thing 

of gravity

too 

   I’ve been contemplating the wonders of the solar system of late and am struck anew by an obvious design and plan that far exceeds my intellect. I am amazed that there are some very smart people who say this all “just happened”. It would be like a Rembrandt “just happening” because some wind came along and blew some paint cans off a table onto the floor and “wa la” ……. a painting is born; hmmm, shall we call it “The Return of the Prodigal”?

it's the birds

of late
they have been
the messengers

it is they
who have given me
reason

to take the first step
out
into cold morning air

for one never knows

what a small bird
might say

by his just sitting
in a tree


"Come forth into the light things. Let nature be your teacher."  ~William Wordsworth

excursion

i'll see you later
i'm going
out

to walk in oak leaves
freshly
fallen

and watch the brown squirrel
gathering
in


"Nature is man's teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence."
                                                                   ~Alfred Billings Street

sustenance

autumn seems hungry
this year

late in coming
she is making up for lost time

swallowing up the landscape
quickly

and all the while
filling me

with her ravenous
beauty

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread. Places to play in, and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike."   ~ John Muir

rhapsody in motion (seeing the birds)

walking through the cornfield
that evening

i marveled

at how they danced
(as to an unseen symphony)

the little band of birds

high
in the pink 
november sky

then suddenly
they were gone
and i was alone

quieter
wealthier

and maybe 
just a little less
afraid


*Witnessing that little band of birds brought this quote to mind:

"To live content with small means,
to see elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly,
talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,
await occasions, hurry never,
in a word to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common,
this is to be my symphony."
                       ~William Henry Channing