Category Archives: Notes

1444. I miss it if I’m not in it for any length of time; I don’t feel comfortable. I want trees and I want frequent rain. ~Murray Morgan

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The richness of the rain made me
feel safe and protected;
I
 have always considered the rain to be healing—
a blanket—the comfort of a friend.
Without at least some rain in any given day,
or at least a cloud or two on the horizon,
I feel overwhelmed by the information
of sunlight and yearn for the vital,
muffling gift of falling water.
~Douglas Coupland

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After no significant precipitation for months, heaven’s flood gates opened nearly a week ago, and the rains began coming. Falling off and on in varying intensity and duration it has brought us nearly 5 inches of the blessed wetness. When not pouring, gentle rains were coming down, and then at times there were merely fine mists falling upon us. And although not given the power of speech per se, rain in all its forms as well as other weather-related phenomena have distinctive voices. In that sacred chorus is a call to humanity imploring all of us to seek our Maker Tis why we were given eyes to witness the sacraments of heaven and earth, ears to hear the chanting of hallowed voices, intellects to question and understand what can be seen and heard, and a heart that in due time turns from irreverence to longing for that something more he/she feels nudging him/her. For the human heart is a sanctuary where worship is to occur, a place to begin a dialogue and relationship with the Maker of all that is, a place to dance with the Lover of our souls, a place to listen to His holy whispers of love and guidance, a place to learn of compassion and love. Tecumseh, a leader of the Shawnee, said, “Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing the essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.”

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? -Job 12:7-9 ✝

**Gladiola photo taken in her yard by Natalie

 

Thursday Thought 22nd February 2018 Bye for now, Billy

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Hayley Boden's avatarHayley Boden

Billy Graham passed away yesterday (21st February) at the grand age of 99. This is my tribute.

Thank you for defending the rights of the outcast and the downtrodden and for standing up for freedom and equality.

“Christianity is not a white man’s religion and don’t let anyone tell you it’s white or black, Christ belongs to all people.”

Thank you for your willingness to befriend ‘the enemy’ and for taking the gospel and light of Jesus to the darkest parts of the earth.

“I want to go as their friend. I want to see some of the positive things there, come out and report on them, because there has been so much negativism about North Korea.”

Thank you for being a role model and example for Christian men and husbands.

“We pledged among ourselves to avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion. From…

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1443. Be the light shining in the darkness. ~Julie Reed

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The world is holy.
We are holy.
All life is holy.
Daily prayers are delivered on
the lips 
of breaking waves,
the whisperings of grasses,
the shimmering of leaves.
~Terry Tempest Williams

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Be a light unto the world, and hurt it not. Seek to build not destroy.
How?
By your shining example. Seek only Godliness. Speak only in truthfulness. Act only in love. Live the Law of Love now and forever more. Give everything require nothing. Avoid the mundane. Do not accept the unacceptable. Teach all who seek to learn of Me. Make every moment of your life an outpouring of love. Use every moment to think the highest thought, say the highest word, do the highest deed. In this, glorify your Holy Self, and thus too, glorify Me. Bring peace to the Earth by bringing peace to all those whose lives you touch. Be peace incarnate. Feel and express in every moment your Divine Connection with with every person, place, and thing. Embrace every circumstance, own every fault, share every joy, contemplate every mystery, walk in every man’s shoes, forgive every offense (including your own), heal every heart, protect every person’s rights, preserve every person’s dignity, presume every person’s holiness, be every person’s blessing, pronounce every person’s future secure in the assured love of God. Be a living, breathing example of the Highest Truth that resides within you. Speak humbly of yourself, lest someone mistake your Highest Truth for boast. Speak softly, lest someone think you are merely calling for attention. Speak gently, that all might know of Love. Speak openly, lest someone think you have something to hide. Speak candidly, so you cannot be mistaken. Speak often, so that your word may truly go forth. Speak respectfully, that no one be dishonored. Speak lovingly, that every syllable may heal. Speak of Me with every utterance. Make of your life a gift. Remember always, you are the gift! Be a gift to everyone who enters your life, and to everyone whose life you enter. When someone enters your life unexpectedly, look for the gift that person has come to receive from you…” ~Edited passage by Neale Donald Walsch

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house…” ~Matthew 5:14 ✝

**Rose photo taken by Natalie in her yard. This is a China Rose that dates back centuries and was the find that was brought back to Europe so that she could be bred with their only once blooming roses. She has literally parented hundreds if not thousands of roses over the centuries and so she speaks to me of the holiness and importance of all things.