Our Beautiful Earth...

"The Earth. . .

is a sparkling blue and white jewel. . .

laced with slowly swirling veils of white. . .

like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery."

EDGAR MITCHELL, US Astronaut

This morning I want to join with many others who are commemorating Earth Day 2014. I stop to give thanks and to say a little prayer for the beautiful blue planet we all call home. With Spring unfolding with all its promise for new life, we certainly feel the wonder again of how lovely nature really is... all of it, I believe, created in its very beginnings by God Himself.  

But, for all the joy in that, there is a piercing of the heart as I look around right here in my own region of the world to find that there are far too many in our world who do not share this wonder, nor do they seem to have any care for wise development of resources, or conservation or finding how to keep the delicate balance of nature and progress in our cultures.

Instead they seem intent on 'raping and pillaging' our lands, our forests, our wildlife, oceans and lakes, polluting our air, making the land work overtime so that nutrients are depleted, treating our domestic animals with the cruelest of actions.

But I'm reminded even as I type this piece today that if I keep my eyes on these things, I will surely lose hope.  For it is only in keeping my eyes on the Creator that I can find wisdom on how to live and care for the little corner of my world, not to mention how to speak 'heaven on earth' so that healing, restoration and hope can come to our world and we can have a better tomorrow.

There are many people who are doing their part to make the world, our very planet, a better place to live. I am grateful for each one.  Too often these good news pieces don't get as much attention as the bad news stuff -- but yes they are out there too.

In the middle of this, I want to tell you a little story I heard years ago. As I recall, there was a man, a poor rice farmer who lived somewhere in Asia.  This man learned how to pray for and bless his little rice paddy. As the story goes, he began to see results -- his fields began to flourish and he got bumper crops.  He began to pray for his neighbourhood then. Apparently he would stand on a little hill and he would lift his arm and hold it out in front of him as he prayed, turning himself around so that whatever he could see from every direction he would bless.

If that is a true story, and I believe it is, I think it serves as an example that we, too, can use our voices, not to lament and wail that this world is going to 'you-know-where' in a hand basket, but to use our voices to bless that which needs healing, restoration and fruitfulness. Do you have lakes that are polluted and fish dying in those lakes? Start to bless them and ask the Lord of this earth to give people ideas that can start to shift things to make a difference. 

If my people which are called by my name...will humble themselves and pray...I will hear and heal  their land. This is how I want to bless my beautiful blue world today.  Will you join me? 

 For a glimpse of that beauty, here is:

What A Wonderful World with David Attenborough

Sending my love to you and to all God's creatures,

O Happy Day!

Hugs,
Brenda

Easter Meditation: The Song Breaks In

I woke early this morning, as is my usual wont. It was still dark out...all was quiet and peaceful.

And then I heard it. The very welcome sleepy twittering of the first robin of the season. Yesterday there was no sign of him, and yet there he was now... singing in the dawn of a new morning.

For me it was my little joy gift from my heavenly father... and the perfect start to what many know as Resurrection Sunday.

The early morning skies were still shrouded in pre-dawn shades of gray, and I began to think about the story in the Gospels of how the women went early in the morning to the tomb to put spices around the body of their beloved Jesus.

Did the robin's song break the solemn silence of that morning?   

Did the song give those sorrowing women a lift in their heavy hearts? Was there a hint of the joy, still hidden, that was waiting just around the corner when they arrived in that garden?

Whether they had an inkling or not, I can well imagine the surprise and later the utter joy at finding out that He wasn't in that tomb anymore, but was actually walking around -- full of life and joy -- giving us the promise that one day we too can rise with Him into everlasting life.

Today I'm singing.... and if you desire to join in, I've shared two pieces that you might enjoy. The first is a modern piece In Christ Alone that I like very much, and the second is a more classical piece This Joyful Eastertide as sung by a choir at King's College Cambridge.

See the land, her Easter keeping,

Rises as her Maker rose.

Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,

Burst at last from winter snows.

Earth with heaven above rejoices…”

~ Charles Kingsley

 

  

 On that note, I'm sending you sprigs of joy and peace

with a gentle kiss atop thy head,
Brenda
xox

Photo source:  Panoramio.com

A Good Friday Wrap

The week flew by, didn't it? I started two different posts I wanted to share with you. Somehow my writer and editor selves got all tangled up trying to create and edit all at the same time. Soon the postings were all tangled up too. And so neither got finished, as we have some untangling to do.

Does that ever happen to you? You start with a simple, but lovely idea that you want to post about and then somehow it turns complicated? You start adding too much, then it gets too heavy and now you've got more ideas creeping in that could wait for another posting. And you wonder how you got off track. So while I weed out the extraneous, let me give you some snippets from my week.

It was my birthday yesterday. Had a lovely day with hubby. Rick took me out for a very nice lunch and we strolled through our local conservatory to take in the spring displays. Plus, we visited our local art gallery for a joyful look at the work of two amazing glasswork artists, Susan Rankin and Manola Borrajo, both from Canada.

It's been snowing. I'm not joking. Seriously too. Not just a few flakes. Tell me, somebody please, did I tear off too many calendar pages too soon, and it really is only February? The birds migrating into town this past week seem a little disoriented.  The Canada Geese are sitting atop frozen ponds looking forlorn. The juncos, usually feeders on the ground, couldn't find any seeds as they were all covered with the white stuff. So we tromped out there to throw some seeds around for them to peck through.

The memoir story is coming along. We have almost finished Week 2 of the little 30-day challenge to write 750 words per day, every single day, no matter what. I happily report that the momentum has been building, and some days I've not only met the quota but nearly tripled the amount. Celebration time, my dear friends. 

This is what I found works for She Who Tends To Get Easily Overwhelmed and Distracted:

1. Her goal is small enough not to feel pressured but big enough to stretch just a little.

2. Because it's small, she can do this every single day ... no matter what else is going on.

3. She is focusing on being a writer in this freefall first draft. The self-editor voice who felt it was her place to look over her shoulder as she typed to help 'fix' things... well, God bless her, the writer finally locked the door on her and kindly told her that her turn will come later and to just go relax with a coffee or something. Eat some cake, for pete's sake.

4. She remembers something she read on one site: write your first draft as quickly as possible. The whole thing. The author shared a insider tip on how to separate the newbies from the veterans. "The latter race through the first draft while the first timers belabor every word, parse thrice every phrase, and start again and again and again." ~ Gordon Burgett

5. She found a copy of Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art in which the author talks about pushing through the resistance we all face and to start acting like a professional about her writing -- which means showing up every day and getting her goal done, no matter what.

* * *

That's a little of what's been going on with me. Now I take a moment to wish those of you who are commemorating and celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, a truly blessed and meaningful weekend of reflection and celebration.

Sending you sprigs of joy and peace,
Brenda
xox

To Add Some Beauty

Image by Sonja Kalee from Pixabay

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more...though I know that IS the noblest ambition...but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me...to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.” ~ L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams

 Ditto and Amen!

Wishing you little joys and happy thoughts,
Brenda
xox

Introducing My Dust Bunnies

"Please don't feed the dust bunnies."

UNKNOWN

Dust bunnies are quite shy, did you know that? They tend not to come out into the wide open spaces but prefer nice quiet, undisturbed corners of one's house. Under beds and behind book cases seem to be particular favourites. That's why I was quite surprised to find a pair of them right out in the open yesterday. Perhaps they thought they could get away with not being seen, what with all manner of Easter bunnies showing up this time of year. But we spotted them right away. Cute though, aren't they, with those big brown eyes. Amiable too.

Judy mentioned the other day that she enjoys the way I share my dust bunnies stories. I smiled. Oh my, I didn't realize just how often they do figure into the conversation around here. As we all know in blogland, just about anything works for blogging material, doesn't it!

Neither hubby or I put dusting near the top of any to-do list. We seem quite able to live happily ever after with our little dusty friends. It's only when the sunlight makes their presence too well known along the piano top or bookshelf that we take feather dusters and skitter them all away....for the time being at least. It isn't long before one sees evidence of their quiet return.

If dust bunny conversations really stir up your sense of fun and imagination, then you might enjoy some of my past posts on the subject.

Can you live a beautiful life when...

Dust abounds

Disturbing Dust Bunnies

Miss Kitty Helps

Dust Bunny Conferences

The dusting is done. The carpets are cleaned. And today we're gathering up the silver for polishing (believe me I don't do that very often, but I'm in the mood). On that note, I'm away.

Wishing you a beautiful, bunny-free day,
Brenda