Monthly Archives: November 2015

945. Darkness has befallen the beautiful city of lights. Let us pray…

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I am heartbroken tonight at what has happened in Paris. I pray that the Lord would comfort the families of those who have been senselessly slaughtered or wounded, that He would heal the wounded and return them to health and wholeness, that He would protect all the responders who are trying to bring an end to the carnage and care for the victims, that He would give leaders, authorities, and enforcers the strength and fortitude to face what lies ahead in the days to come, and that He would put His hand of blessing and safekeeping over Paris, all its citizenry, and the entire country of France. May there be no more heinous crimes against humanity therein. In Jesus’ name! Amen!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10   ✝

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943. If you wish to know the Creator, come to know His creatures. ~Columbanus, Medieval Irish Monk

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Out of the waters of God’s life
come the creatures of earth, sea, and sky.
With the birth of the creatures on the fifth day
there is the emergence of seeing, hearing,
smelling, tasting, and touching.
~J. Philip Newell

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One of the keys to listening needs to be simply an appreciative attentiveness to God’s creatures. The Book of Job says, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you.” And to look to the animal world is not to look away from God; instead, it’s a way to look at a showing forth of the mystery of God. For it reveals something of the way of God’s seeing and sensing, and one can see as well that in Creation’s mysteries is part of the Christ mystery.

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I’ve seen animals, such as the bird in the photo above, who seem to be bowing before the Creator in gratitude for life, for the day, for His continuing Presence here. There is also the unbroken song of the creatures. And in Revelation John envisaged an unending song of praise being sung by all that swims and flies and has motion. He said every creature on earth here below and in the ocean beneath and in the air above was giving glory to God, singing Holy, Holy, Holy. ~Both paragraphs contain directly quoted, paraphrased, and/or adapted random excerpts from THE BOOK OF CREATION by J. Philip Newell

Consider first the Canada Goose,
brown body, whitish breast
black head, long black neck…
Then there’s the Barnacle Goose…
flight note
a rapidly repeated gnuk
gnuk gnuk gnuk gnuk gnuk gnuk gnuk
(like an ecstatic Eskimo)…
The snow goose
has a pure white plumage
with black-tipped wings…
In Europe you might take her for a swan
or maybe a gannet
till she lets you know abruptly
she’s all goose
so
there they go
through the wind, the rain, the snow
wild spirits knowing
what they know
~Kenneth White

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” ~Job 12:7-10  ✝

**Mike Bizeau posted the great photo of a bull elk on his blog, and I found the image of the bird with its head bowed on Pinterest

941. Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity. ~Herbert Hoover

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I will not follow you, little bird;
I will not follow you.
I would not breathe a word, little bird
To bring thee here anew.
For I love the free in thee, little bird,
The lure of freedom drew;
The light you fly toward, little bird,
I’ll fly with thee unto.
~Edited excerpt from a poem
by George William Russell

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I awoke this morning by the Grace of God
in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
For that I am grateful Lord, and so today
I come to thank You as well as the women and men,
past and present, who have served and yet serve this great nation.
First was my sweet dad, Norman Franklin Holcomb, and
then are all those who like him sacrifice(d) life and limb
to stop those who would oppress our freedoms.
Thank all of you for keeping us free so we can enjoy
life and liberty as we chase our dreams in pursuit of happiness.
~Natalie Scarberry

Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to the yoke of slavery. ~Galatians 5:1   ✝

**I created the collage with an old photo of my dad at boot camp and two images found on Pinterest

939. Silence is the universal refuge… ~Henry David Thoreau

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When I am alone I can become invisible.
I can sit on top of a dune as motionless as an
uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned.
I can hear the almost unhearable sound
of the roses singing.
~Mary Oliver

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You have traveled too fast over false ground;
Now your soul has come to take you back.
Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.
Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free. Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of color
That fostered the brightness of day.
Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
~John O’Donohue

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ~Matthew 11:15 (ESV)  ✝