A Bowl of Spring Leaves

New leaves unfurl ~
their color, tumbling; rolling, south to west; north to east.
Chartreuse trickling down the valley, to rest and blend with deeper greens at the foot.
Twisted lines enveloped and folded; revealed here, hidden there ~ plunging to the depth of this abyss. Before us lies a massive bowl that holds the fruit of Spring leaves;
birch and poplar; oak, beech and maple.

What a joy to be home for a few weeks! As many know, I had a surgery last week. It did not occur on the day that they'd planned it (Tues). My hemoglobin was only at 18 and they needed it up in the 30s. Another blood transfusion took place - 4 units this time. Praise the Lord it worked and they let me have the surgery on Thursday. Everything was fine and coming home on Friday afternoon was a joy! Something about being home really helps you to heal and rest. Though there are MANY things around here that tug at my organizational strings, I'm trying to be really choosy. Syd's cooking alot and doing dishes (smile). A couple of the ladies at church have provided food and the Lord is using the Spring weather to rejuvenate my batteries. What a beautiful rain we had last night and this morning. It makes the new green leaves even brighter!

The poem describes the scene that we take in from the top of Darling Hill on a week such as this. We are blessed to live in the country. It's hard to imagine how indescribably beautiful Heaven will be. Thankfully God inspired the writer, when He described the new Heaven and new Earth; else no one would ever be able to express the scenes of the place which God has prepared for those of us who love Him!

The sun is rising over the hill now and lighting the leaves in our woods. I'm going to sign off and take the puppies out to enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

First Things First

"Therefore, take no thought, saying what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these  things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
Matthew 6:31-33

It so wonderful to remember that nothing can separate the believer from the love of Christ. He loves us in the midst of tribulation, distresses, famine, nakedness, peril or sword! most of which I have never yet encountered. No matter what the tribulation or distresses are, the focus has to be on God and His righteousness. I was reminded today to stop flitting around, seeking what ministry I can have in someone's life here...or there...God will bring the opportunities for ministry along my path as I am focusing on Him. It does little good to look good on the outside (trying to please people by constantly "meeting their needs", perhaps) if I am not first focusing wholly upon and pleasing God on the inside. This is just something that the Lord has reminded me of in the past several days. He has a way of working in us very individually, doesn't He? God knows me so much better than I know myself. Let's be so in tune with Him that when He prods us in a particular area, we are ready to recognize where we've turned aside, confess it and go on with the Lord!

The Christian life is one of such simplicity when it is in tune with the Saviour. I wrote a line of a chorus once, based upon Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." The first time that the Lord helped me understand that verse it was pointed out that the word "workmanship" was "poiema" (spelling?) which is where we get our word poem. The question I have written in the margin of my Bible there is, Am I walking in the path wherein He designed this poem? We are His poem!

The chorus was only ever partly written but it comes to my heart often when I consider the "well worn way" that my feet are to be taking daily. "A poem for Jesus; His workmanship are we; the world reads each line daily, each word they see." The most important One who sees our poem is the Lord Jesus Christ, but our children, grandchildren, neighbors, co-workers and others are reading it as well.

I am thankful that nothing can separate us from Christ's love and that He guides our feet in the path that we should take. My prayer is that I consider Him first, knowing that "all these things" will be added to my life as I am seeking the things of "His righteousness".

Whether it's strewn with flowers and sweet;

sun-flecked, or with rocks, and dim;

I'd rather have Jesus to guide my feet

than to travel the path without Him.