Words Adrift

A chilly breeze met me as I rounded the stern of the ship during my daily walking exercise. It was a routine that I had established to buffer the guilt of knowing how much I would be eating during the coming day. Cruises are like that.

From the corner of my eye, once again I saw the same gentleman jog by whom I had just seen at the other end of the ship. He was in a mode like me, but he put much more effort into the exercise routine. This time though, something new caught my attention. Maybe there was more to his efforts than just the need to exercise.

Did I hear correctly?

Yes I did. He had said the words "I love you, Helen."

Immediately my imagination took hold.

Who was Helen?

Was he newly married? I doubt it. She'd be by his side if that were the case.

Maybe she was his lover who couldn't commit to him yet, or possibly divorce was in his future.

I dismissed the idea that he was recently widowed, preferring instead to believe she was still available for him.

In any case, I'm assuming Helen was really special to him...special enough for him to audibly speak the words within earshot of me.

My imagination didn't end there. In my story, Helen will someday sail the same ship, and as she reaches that very spot, her ear will catch the faint words that have been drifting on the breeze since they were spoken. Maybe he will be there with her, but if not, will her heart be touched as she hears those same words? I hope so.

How many other spoken words are drifting out there, just waiting for a listening ear?

Sheets

So often, as a mom of young children, I would try to write down the funny things the kids would say so we could remember and laugh about them when they were grown. Unfortuantely, many of the comments would go un-recorded because I didn’t have pen and paper in hand. Try as I might, I could never remember them later.

Now all of the kids are grown, and some have little ones of their own. We still enjoy the funny remarks from the little ones, but the grown ones, too, continue to keep us laughing. I’ll let you listen in on a conversation that took place after Thanksgiving dinner while my two 30-something daughters were discussing the Black Friday sales advertised in the paper. I became aware of the conversation after Emily mentioned that there was a sale on "Dora" sheets for children's beds. They were laughing hysterically because Dana stated she would like to have some Sawyer sheets. (LOST is a favorite TV show of hers.)

Dana: “Mom, who would you want on your sheets?”
Emily: “Maybe Alf?”
More laughter.
Me: “I want two different ones. Considering my age, I would pick Robert Redford and Sean Connery. One on the bottom, one on top.”
Dana: "You mean you want to be sandwiched between them?"
More giggles erupted as we discussed who would be under me and who would be on top.
Finally my son-in-law Steve casually threw a question our way without even taking his eyes off an ad for a large screen HDTV.
“Don’t you think they would find it a bit awkward when you weren’t there?”

That's when we all lost it!


I just had to write this down before I forgot it.
Oh…I’m so thankful for our wonderful family!

Pictured above: Dana, Emily, Steve

Bless the Little Beasts

Ooooh! Fresh clean air... cool... camping midst the scent of pine. To a desert rat like me this is close to heaven.


We swapped the heat of Phoenix last week for a refreshing stay in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Lazy is the best way to describe our days among the tall trees. Even the wildlife must have been relaxing hidden in their woodsy home. We didn't see much except a cute little grey squirrel that ventured into our campsite one morning.


It was the morning I discovered our peaches had been stolen from the table. I thought they would be safe wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in a tupperware-like container. But NO! I found one half eaten still inside the bag and another about ten feet away with enough eaten away for the ants to descend on it and have a feast. But....there had been three. Where was the other?


Later, the squirrel reappeared zig-zagging across our campsite and finally scampering up a nearby tree. It's so seldom that we see a cute little creature like it, that we had to laugh at its antics as it disappeared on the far side of the tree high above our heads. We waited for it to appear again, and finally, after some time, it didn't disappoint us. But WHAAAT!!! That little stinker perched itself on a limb and casually began to knibble on OUR OTHER PEACH! I imagine he had stored it in the tree just so he could bring it out for this moment. It was almost as if he wanted us to know he was the thief. I think he also enjoyed our laughter as we realized he got away with it.


God has created such a beautiful world. Hope you all get a chance to appreciate it this summer.

ABC's of a Successful Life

Accept differences
Be kind
Count your blessings
Drink in nature
Express thanks
Forgive
Give freely
Harm no one
Imagine more
Jettison anger
Keep confidences
Love unconditionally
Master something
Nurture hope
Open your mind
Pack lightly
Quell rumors
Reciprocate
Seek wisdom
Touch hearts
Understand
Value truth
Win graciously
Xeriscape
Yearn for peace
Zealously support a worthy cause

The Stress of It All

It was a tragic day. Emily lost one of her good friends. It was to be expected, as it had been a long time in coming. Emily's bosom buddy, Bra, collapsed to its ultimate demise on Monday, March 31, 2008. With all of the weight...the stress it was constantly having to endure...it was only a matter of time. It happened so quietly, so peacefully as the girls sagged lower and lower. When they finally reached Emily's belly button, we knew it was gone. In a peaceful ceremony, Bra was laid to rest on Friday, April 4 in Emily's top dresser drawer.

The girls (Boo and Bea) and Emily have been tirelessly searching for a new home for them for a couple of days. Finally they thought they had found a permanent address. The place had all the top notch amenities: pretty colors, lots of living space, a sturdy frame and even a great security system. It looked so promising. But, alas, it was not meant to be. The girls had found their way out by the end of that first day. Again, they are homeless and looking for the perfect fit.

I'll let you know if they find it.

Contributed to this website by my daughter, Emily.

Nature Sings

I walked the mountain in my neighborhood this past weekend. The wildflowers are at their peak.

ART LESSON
Complementary colors are Blue/Orange, Yellow/Purple, Red/Green. When complementary colors are placed side-by-side, they create an excitement. They sing!

GOD LESSON
Next time you are out in nature, notice that most of the wildflowers are either yellow, purple, orange, or blue. Oh...and today I saw a rock with lime green and rust (dark red orange) lichen on it. God paints in compliments. His nature sings! Listen to it through your eyes.



"Arise my love, my fair one, and come away;
for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come."
Song of Solomon 2:10-12

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

After re-reading my last post, and considering how long it's been since I posted, you probably thought I fell off the tip of that branch... KLUNK.... never to be heard from again.

Well........I'm back!

Thanks for the input in the comments from “The Journey” post. You are beginning to make me think, which doesn’t come easy for me at times.

My thoughts regarding decision vs. destiny…
I have to approach it from my Christian point-of-view…Just cuz that’s who I am.


Obviously decisions do affect a life, and that life can take many different avenues. As a human being, my knowledge of God is miniscule, but I know God has given us a free will and does not manipulate us as puppets on a string. Psalm 139 says he knows everything about me, even my very thoughts. He might have a specific direction for me to take, but he still leaves the choice up to me. Of course it helps if I ask him. Duh! All to often I take off on my own.

He knows which direction I will take even before I do. Some of these decisions might be wise and take me down the road to peace and contentment, but others can be foolish and might eventually lead me into an uncomfortable situation. Still, wherever I find myself, He will be there. And I know that wherever I am at any moment, God will have a plan to use me and guide me ... if I’m willing.

All in all, I’d say that my belief is that decision wins out over destiny. But whatever the decision, God is there to laugh with me, cry with me, rejoice with me, and hold me in the shelter of his arms.

So, I send many thanks for the input to my friends.

I really must go now and rest my brain.

The Journey

Have you ever considered all the decisions that popped up throughout life bringing you to the place you are today?

The first major decision that steered me in the direction of where I am now was made not by me, but by my father when I was four years old. He decided I was to go live with my grandmother in a small town in Wisconsin, hundreds of miles from my birthplace.

Throughout the years I can see one decision after another directing me this way or that. I picture it as an ant climbing a tree deciding which limb to explore, which branch to exit on. Eventually the ant reaches the tip, possibly forty feet from the opposite side of the tree...and a view he will never experience.

Where would I be if not for the decisions made by me or someone else close to me? Or, of even more importance.....WHO would I be? So many people have influenced my life…helped me become who I am today. What if I had never met them?

I said before, “The first major decision”, but perhaps, maybe every decision we make is a MAJOR one.

Hmmm.......Just something to ponder.


"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in my mother's womb, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." ~~ Psalm 139:15,16

Consider the Lily

When given warmth and nourishment, the budded Lily awakens.




So it is with humankind.





"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." ~~Psalm 105:4

The painting "Lily Awakened" courtesy of my paintbrush :-)
From a photo by Russell McGeorge

Dealing with a Creative Personality

Sometimes, to keep a marriage on an even keel, you just have to accept your spouse for who he/she is. I put my husband to the test recently....and happy to say, he passed. He sighed, rolled his eyes at me, but he passed.

We were heading to San Diego to escape the heat. I casually mentioned I had to make a side trip to LaJolla. Not that he didn't enjoy La Jolla, but he wondered what was drawing me there.

"Well....I have to take a picture" was all he got from me.

"A picture of what?"

"A tree."

"What tree?"

"I'm not sure which one...but when I see it, I'll know it."

"Where is it?"

"Well...I think I know the street, but I don't know for sure until we get there."

"What's so special about the tree?"

"The bark."

"Whaaat?"

"The bark. I need to get a picture of the bark."

By this time I think he was ready to give up on the conversation and go into his silent mode. Let me explain....he knows me well....we've been married for 42 years. But, I proceeded to tell him I needed the picture of the bark so I could try creating an abstract painting. I once photographed the bark on another trip but lost the photos.

This is when he rolled his eyes.


I've never painted abstract before. I enjoy some abstract paintings, but my paintings always turn out to be representational. I assumed that painting tree bark would help me produce an abstract.

Well, I've completed the painting but couldn't break free of my representational slant. I call it "Risen Life". There is a figure hidden in it, one that is experiencing a resurrection not visible to the human eye.

Resurrection God, you bring life to that which was dead. You bring joy to our sorrow, comfort for our pain. You call us out of the graves of greed, isolation, depression, distrust, fear, and indifference to come alive with your Risen Life.

~Child, you have nothing to fear. Sin, too, is conquered and forgiven, as you live and move and work with Me. All that depresses you, all that you fear, are powerless to harm you. They are but phantoms. Let nothing hinder your Risen Life. Rise from your fears and go out into the sunlight to meet Me, your Risen Lord.~

P.S. My husband likes it.

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." ~Isaiah 60:1

Remember Me

Zero in.

That's what I told myself in my August 31 post.

A restlessness has taken up residence in my being.
Too many interests are competing for my attention.

Remember me

Zero in ~~focus, organize, eliminate.
Find which path to follow, where to concentrate my efforts.

Remember me

What?

Remember me

Oh.

Yes.
Thank you for reminding me Lord. Zero in on you and everything will fall into place.

I'm waiting.

Excuse me now while I curl up in my Abba Father's lap and spend some long-overdue quality time.

"Ultimate worship takes place when we, like children, find ourselves climbing into the lap of our heavenly Father with the desire just to be with him. At that moment there is no agenda other than to sit in his presence, to love him, to whisper in his ear our gratitude, to feel his face, to hear his heart, to rest in his embrace, to enjoy the moment, and to understand more fully the God who yearns to enjoy us." ~George Skramstad, quoted in Renovare Perspective, Vol 7, No. 4

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. ~Proverbs 3:5,6

Picture courtesy of www.sgeier.net

Simplify

Every parent at one time or another hears the words, “I’m bored. What can I do?” Then you begin to play the “Yes, but…” game.
“You could ride your bike.”
“Yes, but it’s hot outside.”
“You could go to the library to get new books.”
“Yes, but I can't find my library card”
“You could paint a picture.”
“Yes, but I don’t feel like getting out all of my supplies.”
“You could clean your room.”
HA! This is where the “Yes but…” game usually ends.

I think I’m in a “Yes, but…” mode. I have so many interests to fill my time, but I find myself unable to zero in on anything. Maybe I have too many interests. It’s time to simplify.

My craft closet is filled with tools, supplies, equipment, how-two books, you name it. These are my treasures. Half of the closet space is taken up with items that I use…what?...maybe once a year? But I can’t seem to let go of them. I might need them soon. Let’s see….when was the last time I made handmade paper? Last year? Two years ago? But what if I decide I need some for a special project? I can’t get rid of my screen and the scrap paper I use for the paper pulp. Or can I?

Simplify.

How about scrapbooking supplies? I have gazillion sheets of decorative papers, rubber stamps, fancy-cut scissors, but have I done a scrapbook yet? No. But wait…don’t throw them out. I can use them for homemade greeting cards…of which I might make about two or three a year. Is that worth taking up half of the closet?

Simplify.

Where are my interests? Maybe by looking at my reference library I’ll get a clue. The majority of books are on painting and writing. But even the art books are diverse. Will it be watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, or drawing with colored pencils?

Simplify.

Get rid of some of my treasures.
It’s going to take courage, but to accomplish something, I must zero in.

Wish me luck.

The Love of God is Greater Than Tongue or Pen Can Tell

"Religion is nothing but a crutch," a friend of mine told me many years ago. Back then I believed in religion…trying to be a good person, going to church, all that kind of stuff. Today I still believe in an "r" word, but it’s no longer religion, it’s relationship… a relationship with the Living God. There is a difference.

Since starting this blog, I’ve been spending more time reading at the computer. It’s been a blessing – and a curse. A blessing because I’m exposed to so many points of view, but a curse because I allow it to take too much of my time. The internet could definitely become an addiction. AGGH!!

Anyway, I’ve read a number of articles and posts ridiculing anyone who would believe that God exists and would consider worshipping Him. They call us stupid, crazy, gullible or whatever. It’s sad. They turn their backs on a love greater than anything this earthly life could offer them.

That love was so evident while I was going through a cancer crisis recently. He knows me completely and would "speak" to me in ways that I would recognize it was him. Some might call them coincidences, but how many coincidences have to occur before they are no longer coincidences?

Yup! I’m no longer religious…I’m a Christ follower instead. He is far better than a crutch. I don’t have to lean on him; instead he sweeps me up into his loving arms and carries me.

Isaiah 43:3 "...You are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you. "
Thank you Lord. I love you too.

Image: http://www.drawneartogod.com/

This Moment in Time

There are no guarantees. We live from day to day as if there were, but who’s to say we will be here tomorrow?

Returning back to work after my vacation, I learned the sad news that the wife of a coworker had died suddenly, unexpectedly from a brain aneurism. She was here last Friday, living her daily routine, expecting to be here today.....…but she’s not. Today is her memorial service.

There are no guarantees.

The thought that each moment is a precious gift has been magnified today.

This moment........…how will I spend this moment?

How do I make it count?

Will I make it count?

Please Lord, help me to make it count.

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ~~James 3:13-15

Gone Fishin'

Well.......not really.

I'm a poor example of a fisherwoman. I don't like to touch worms, and I feel sorry for the fish.

But on the positive side, I do like to float out in the middle of a lake in a rowboat and listen to the gentle waves slapping the side of the boat. But if I were to spend the whole day fishing out there, my boat would have to have an upholstered seat and pillows like the Venetian gondolas. Oh, an a supply of books to read and possibly a box of chocolates. The nutty kind. Then I could really enjoy fishing...but only if someone baits the hook, holds the pole, and throws the fish back after catching it.

Back to reality...actually, we're heading to San Diego (probably along with thousands of other Phonicians) to get out of the HEAT!

See ya.

At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get pleanty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. ~John 21:4-6

The Storybook Tree

Find a tree…any mature tree …. and I bet it could tell you a story or two. Most trees are filled with stories if only they could speak to us. Maybe they do….we just have to listen closely.

This beautiful Texas Ebony tree that was planted 30 years ago to shade our driveway from the blistering afternoon sun has witnessed so many events. Please allow it to share a few with you. Thank you.

Year after year, I watched young Tracy hop into the car with her piano books in hand and set out for the weekly piano lesson.
Recently I proudly watched as Tracy once again entered the car to head back home to Colorado and then on to Africa to be a music worship leader for missionary women.

I remember standing silently in the dark evening as Dana appeared at the front door, heading out in her "I Dream of Jeannie" costume for a night of trick-or-treating.
And years later, I celebrated as Dana carefully tucked her wedding dress into the car and ventured out to experience her dream-come-true.

I gladly provided shade and orange-scented blossoms as Emily hosted a tea party under my branches for her teddy bears and baby dolls.

And years later I breathed a gentle, Ohhh…, as I watched Emily step from her car with newborn baby Nathan.

I clapped my branches after little Matthew made his first basket through the hoop that Dad had just installed at the driveway's edge.
And years later I shaded Matthew’s truck as he and Mom packed it for his long trip to Denver, saying goodbye to the home he had known since birth. I can honestly say I shed a few sappy tears along with Mom.

I sadly remember the night Dad and Mom put Sherman into the car and drove off to the Emergency Animal Hospital.
And I remember them returning….alone.

Yes, the Texas Ebony is our family’s storybook tree. There are so many more stories it could share if we had time to listen.

If you're still reading...then you have arrived at the real reason I’m writing this post. Finally! Plan now to write the story about YOUR life. I recorded my childhood memories, because my children have experienced a totally different lifestyle growing up in a large desert city than I did as a child in a small town in Wisconsin. I wanted them to "know" their mom and her experiences as a small girl. The book offers no exciting plot...just lots of recorded memories in a very thin bound book to be past down to future generations. I don't want the history of our family to be lost.

Don’t lose yours either.


Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!... Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord! For the Lord is coming! ... ~Psalm 96:11,12

How About a Little Help Here?

I really must contact the public library with a suggestion. Wheelbarrows. Yes, wheelbarrows -- stacked at the door for its patrons.

I visited the main library today. A familiar thrill bubbled up in me as the double doors sensed my approach and politely opened for my arrival.

You see, everytime I enter this huge 5-story building, I'm like an alley cat that's been accidentally locked in a fish market overnight. Such a feast! Where do I start?

But today my time is limited. I must restrain myself and settle for a small nibble; an audio book I've reserved is now waiting for me on the "hold" shelf.

Okay now Suz, with audio book in hand go directly to checkout, do not pass bookshelves, do not collect 200 books.

One audio book, four DVD's, seven art books, and three how-to writing books later, I make my way to the elevator. Juggling my treasures in both arms, using my chin to secure them, I press the elevator button with my elbow. It's at this time I think, "Good heavens, I sure could use a wheelbarrow about now!"

Thus, my suggestion.

P.S. Because of my desire for so many books at each visit, I have a problem keeping track of them. Maybe that explains my $9.00 library fine!

"Do not store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." ~Matthew 6:19-21

A Desert Fantasy...NOT!

rain (reyn), noun. 1. water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls in drops from the sky to the earth.
2. a rainfall, rainstorm, or shower.


It was necessary for me to check the dictionary to be sure that what I was witnessing outside was what I understood rain to be. Sure enough, that’s what was happening. We haven’t seen much of the stuff here in Phoenix for the past few years.

It started as a true desert storm, with the dark cloud buildup and wild winds whipping up the dust and causing my plastic patio chairs to do summersaults across the yard. Then came the first flash of lightning off in the distance. As the thunder grew louder I began to pray that this not be just another all-talk-and-no-action storm leaving the crocodile-skinned soil still begging for relief.

I stood at the door and shouted, "COME ON!! YOU CAN DO IT! GO AHEAD, LET LOOSE. SHOW US WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF!"

I waited.
Nothing.
Even the wind died.

Then slowly, a few wet marks appeared on the concrete patio, but rapidly the drops grew in number until the rain gutters were overflowing causing our patio to flood. Yes it really happened. Not just one of those pretend rains that deposit a few damp circles on the sidewalk to tease you into thinking that you should run to turn off the automatic sprinkler system. No. This was an all out gusher -- the whole shebang.

My plants and I are thankful.

"The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." Isaiah 55:10,11

Results of the Primo Paintbox

While walking home from Starbucks one day, I snatched this dying leaf from a tree.
As I looked closely studying the veins, I thought...

Okay now. This leaf was green at one time – a mixture of blue and yellow – no trace of red in it. (The artist in me is speaking here) Yet this leaf has turned red.

The color green could just as easily fade from the leaf upon death and become an ashen gray like the one on the right. But, it doesn't.

Why?

Maybe because this world is created by the Master Artist?

He is wild about color and has designed our eyes to see the beautiful colors of His world.

So.......let's enjoy this gift.

Allow time for a magnificent sunset to take your breath away.
Enjoy the variety of colors in flowers.
Tropical fish – oh my goodness. Incredible.
Study the beautiful color of your eyes.
And yes, laugh at the color of that zit on your chin!!

I know there’s a scientific explanation for all of this, but I like to give credit where credit is due.
God created our eyes to distinguish color.
He didn’t have to.

YAY!! and AMEN!!!!!

Well....so much for my art lesson/spiritual meditation.
Have a great and COLORFUL day.

Psalm 139:13,14 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! (NLV)

Summertime...and The Livin' Ain't Easy

Another 110 degree day in Phoenix. So...what's new? Everyday is the same. HOT! Don't bother to listen to the weather report. It's always the same. This is the time of year Phoenicians forget why they moved here. Nevermind that eight months out of the year we have weather that many people would give their eye teeth for.

Here we are with yet another hot sweaty day. The monsoons have arrived so we have humidity to boot. We can’t even boast to the summertime visitors of the "dry heat" of which we're so proud. I still haven’t figured out why anyone vacations in Phoenix during the summer.

Today, even some of the birds, who are drinking from a source of water I've placed in the back yard, are panting. Well, I don't actually HEAR them panting, but they look like they’re panting. Especially the California thrashers, as they walk around with their beaks hanging open. So, I say they're panting.

I thank God I can jump from my air-conditioned house, to my air-conditioned car, to my air-conditioned office, or store, or theater, or whatever. Needless to say, we Phoenicians spend no more time than necessary outdoors during the summer.

Wait! Unfortunately, that last sentence isn’t true. I have visual reminders of this everyday. I’m speaking of the homeless. Not only do they battle the heat of the day, but often the temperature doesn’t get below 90 degrees at night. Yes, I know there are some who prefer to live the homeless life, but many are thrown into that lifestyle through an unexpected situation. My heart hurts for them.

I thank God for the organizations here in the valley to help. One that I’m familiar with has a different approach than feeding and giving shelter. It’s called The Open Table. They go beyond taking care of the necessities for comfort; they help people get back into a state of self-sufficiency.
You will find there website here

But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person? ~I John 3:17