God causes the sun to rise over our little corner of the world. He paints the skies with ribbons of azure, magenta, fuchsia and blush. Moment by moment His canvas is transformed  as He blends from His palette shades of coral, indigo and sapphire. I stand transfixed by the display of His splendor, impossible for any camera to capture in its magnificence or for a brush in human hand to duplicate. 

Morning dawns quietly here. A doe and her fawn stealthily slip through the wooded horizon. Raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks scurry hither and yon with nary a sound in search of breakfast. Gracefully and confidently, the resident bard owl swoops in majestic  hushed rhythm from treetop to treetop surveying the awakenings below. All is well.

That same sun is rising over our nations Capitol today where national guardsmen are on high alert. Miles of razor wire are stretched across Washington DC threading it’s way through  barricades, blocked streets and soldiers with automatic weapons. Helicopters hover. Security is high. Newsmen refer to the “wall of steel” synonymous with the human and weapon blockade in place surrounding the area.The 46th President of the United States will be inaugurated into a hot seat of civil unrest, a worldwide pandemic, political uproar and economic struggle. Still, He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  Heaven rules.

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,

Who rides across the heavens to help you,

And on the clouds in His majesty.

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

And underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Deuteronomy 33:26-27a

Lest we forget where we’re going, let us remember where we’ve been. From the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun, our God rules over all the earth. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His Kingdom is forever and He shall reign forever and ever.

Inscribed on the aluminum cap of Washington’s Monument, which towers above the DC landscape are notable names and dates in the monument’s construction. On the east side, facing the rising sun, the Latin words “Lause Deo”are inscribed , which translate  “Praise be to God.” These are the very first words emblazoned in sunlight each morning above our nation’s Capitol. PRAISE BE TO GOD

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January 2018 musing

We (the family) are totally bemused at what the new normal would/should/can possibly be. For myself, I have been camped in John 15...the Vine and the branches, assured that I need only abide in Him. 

I drive through the glorious beauty of these spring days and observe all the blossoms and leaf buds at various stages depending on the variety of bush or tree ....white, pink, red, purple and a gazillion shades of green. And mixed in-have you noticed?-there’s a kind of tree (I don’t know what it is, but they are tucked in everywhere) that is still full of fall foliage that never fell off.I have learned that the condition has a scientific explanation called marcescence, which is the retention of dead plant organs that normally are shed.  I’m  thinking that’s me. Reluctant to let go. Withered, weathered, and worn but not dead. Just clinging to what was once a beautiful abiding, while, at the same time, hardly able to remember the sweetness of the other season. 

Those dry, dead leaves will let go  because life is  sprouting and  energized and sanctified by that which is the Source. The old will pass away and the new fruit will blossom through no effort of its own, but because it is connected to that which is Life.

“Is the tree that's pruned

preoccupied with pain?

standing with its wound

in the wind and rain....

Shrouded in cool mist,

kissed by the dew, 

chosen for a nest

by a bird or two

Enveloped with fragrance

of rainwashed air,

bloodroots and violets

clustered round it there

gently transfigured

as sap begins to flow

flowers, leaves,

choicest fruit...

How I'd like to know:

Is the tree that's pruned

preoccupied with pain?”

RBGraham

Am I being pruned because  there is no fruit...or that there would be more? I haven’t stopped abiding in Him, so I have to believe He is going to bring me back to life again. Those dry, dead leaves will let go because life is sprouting and energized and sanctified by that which is the Source. The old will pass away and the new fruit will blossom through no effort of its own, but only because it is connected to that which is Life. “I shall not die but live and proclaim what the Lord has done.” Psalm 118:17