Almost November...

Tomorrow the madness begins.

I am taking the National Novel Writing Month NaNoWriMo Challenge for the second year.

God hasn't told me what I'm to be writing about, but writing I will be, 50,000 words in the next 30 days.

I intend to continue to blog regularly as well, but if you notice me more silent than usual, pray that I'm writing, writing, writing away....

Window Views - Ready now

The cold came, and the wind,

loud howl

strong enough to blow away

the predicted snow.

The forecast had ushered in expectation, resignation, the dying of Autumn so that Winter may arise.

I find that in these days of reprise, my heart has prepared and settled.

Come snow. Come icy winds. Come frozen mornings.

I'm ready now.

I will find my shelter in the secret place.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! Psalm 91:1-2 Amplified

Linking to Cassandra Frear's Moonboat Cafe - stop by and read what other's are seeing today.

Speak Lord - I'm listening

Years ago I received a precious gift from the Lord. I could be anywhere at all and suddenly hear the sound of chimes, a silvery flicker, a shimmering sound, just on the edge of my natural senses. After acknowledging the sound I would sense a word, a phrase, a message in my spirit. Once this had happened a few times I realized that I would hear the sound when the Lord had something to share with me.

Lord, You used to call me

with a ring

and I would answer

"here am I"

like picking up the telephone

or opening the door.

Did I grow too accustomed

or familiar?

Did I begin to rely on the gift

instead of the Giver?

Or was it simply time

to remove the easy access

the familiar gate

that had made me lazy?

You have not stopped speaking

but more often than not

You wait until I ask.

I hear you in the breeze

the beat of my heart

the scratching of a pen on crisp pages of my journal

the sky streaming golden at day's end
the warmth of a house shut tight against the wind

my husband's "I love you."

In the "yes, Yes, YES" that rises in my spirit

when I read Your love letter

written for me, for all of Your children

eternal promises.

I will seek. I will wait. I will listen still.

But speak Lord.

And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening 1 Samuel 3:10 Amplified

I'm double linking today at:

Stop by Bonnie's Faith Barista and see what others have to share about hearing the Lord.

visit Emily at In the Hush of the Moon for more words imperfect

Uncommon wind

Brittle twigs
and branches shatter
scatter
fill the ground
surround
old maples, dying
crying out
in the winds
far too strong
so long

abandoned.

The yard awaits
the promised blanket
of snow
the flow of white
not only covers
imperfection
but washes it away.

So too I

call out
for cleansing
a season of rest
then rebirth.

Stop by One Stop Poetry to read more One Shots

Keep my eyes open, Lord

Cover via Amazon

One hundred jetliners crashing every day, day after day after day. Hundreds of thousands of lives lost. That would surely make the media and the world take notice, right?

That many lives and more are lost each day to illness, starvation, the ravages of poverty. Lives ended one at a time, so silently that our comfortable lives do not feel the whisper of their passing.

Richard Stearns discusses this in Chapter 9 of The Hole in Our Gospel, leaving my heart broken again, gasping for air, on my knees asking the Lord how I can keep myself attentive to things my flesh would rather turn away from.

I may not be able to help the millions, but show me how to bring comfort, provision, life, to one at a time. Help me see the faces in the big picture, and to see the big picture in the eyes of each one.

This chapter makes me dislike myself, and for that I say "Thank you, Mr. Stearns. Thank you."

Come join the discussion this week at Sarah M. Salter's Living Between the Lines.

Storms forming...

This is what is waiting around the corner, perhaps only hours away, or days, but sure to come and always sooner than we'd like. Rain all day turning to snow tonight and lots of it.

It seems that more often than not, our first snow of the season isn't a scattering but a measureable accumulation. I shouldn't complain, however, but praise God that at least it's the end of October and not the beginning. Here's a look at October 9th last year:

I'm off to town today to shop, not knowing what roads will be like tomorrow. I might be snowed in...

Nowhere to go, stuck in the warmth of my home, time to worship, pray and rest....

Actually, I don't really mind the sound of that.

Autumn drizzle

Rain has dampened the edges of the day.
Nothing violent or dramatic
but a persistant drip, drip, drip.
I almost wanted to call for a downpour
and then be done with it.
Drip, drip, drip.

Rick worked about the yard
until the chill soaked in
trimming branches, shrubs
down to the ground
to encourage new
better growth next year.
Like the Father
seeking fruit.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2 NKJV

Wet leaves
share their colours
the scent of decay tempered
by the hope of His promises.

I'm linking to L. L. Barkat's On, In and Around Mondays

I'm talking marriage again at Internet Cafe Devotions

Marriage is serious business, yet God also intended it to be a source of joy. We can often get so caught up in the trials and struggles of day to day life that we forget to take time to breathe, let alone enjoy ourselves.

When’s the last time you just let go and played with your spouse?

Come on over to the Marriage Counter at Internet Cafe Devotions where I'm pouring out advice about lightening up a little...

While you're there check out the Fall Into Jesus Giveaway

Fire exchange

I want
to want nothing more

than to step

closer to the fire

that any ice

around my heart

would turn to tears.

All that I am

for all that He Is

an offer extended

through His mercy alone.

Exquisite grace

trades ashes for joy.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29

Waiting for light

The days have grown shorter almost overnight. I went to my chair for my morning appointment with God and noticed that the sky did not yet show even the faintest glimmer of light. Flipping the light switch, I grabbed a fleece throw, my journal and a pen, and settled in to hear what He would say.

Just as you are able to see in the dark by turning on lights - so too do you try to see spiritual things using natural means, like your own understanding. How much better and clearer is My revelation?

It takes patience to wait for the sun. How much harder to wait on Me to shine My light?

I know the uneasiness in your heart, little one. You want to know what I Am asking of you in these days. I need you to watch and wait and keep walking in faith.

The hardest part of that equation for you is the waiting. You hunger to move, repair, right wrongs and move ahead. The idea of doing nothing frustrates you, I know, but there is more happening than you can see.

Can you withold judgement, trusting that I see a bigger picture?

Can you simply pray into the rising of the light?

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth Hosea 6:3 NIV

Window Views - Visitor

I am stepping back a few days to share with you the view from the door (a door is like a window, right?) Sunday morning as we spent our last hours of retreat at a lovely getaway cabin.

While snuggling in bed was inviting we didn't want to waste the little time we had left. We rose just before dawn, wrapped ourselves in sweatshirts and blankets and took our coffee out to the screened in porch. In the chilly stillness we watched the light of the sun rise over the lake, keeping our ears and eyes alert to catch any critters that might be wandering about.

We were happy to see a red fox pass by, catching our scent and stopping to look up at us. Soon, the wind that blew the coldness through us was enough to drive us back to the warmth of the fireplace inside. Stopping to refill coffee mugs we looked out the window to find the fox right outside, hoping, we assumed that we had something for him to eat.

Rick rolled a couple of fresh eggs onto the deck which the little fox relished quickly. A few minutes later, fox was at the door of another cabin and was rewarded with a strip of bacon. We also noticed a much larger fox taking some of the food also. More eggs from us, a bit of discarded baked potato we recovered from our trash can and leftover buns provided quite a breakfast.

We learned later from lodge keepers that there are four foxes that hang about regularly. What a blessing to get to share part of our morning with one or two of them, adding to the wonderful memories we had already stored up from this special time.

O Lord, how many and varied are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures. Psalm 104:24 Amplified

Stop by Cassandra Frear's Moonboat Cafe to read about the window views of others!

Imperfect Prose - China

I am home.
My haven in the prairies.
Unpacking dishes
that journeyed
across the miles
wrapped tight
in the back of our vehicle.

Plates, soup bowls
salad dishes
cups and saucers
serving platters
and small fruit bowls.

They have been stashed
unused for years
on shelves
in my mother's kitchen
cherished because
they belonged
to her mother
before her.

Delicate floral on ivory
crafted in Bohemia
edged in gold.

These will find a way
to my table
where hearts gather
to find their joy
in the love and provision
of the Lord.

And here I feel
almost as fragile
as the fine china
moving my past
into my future.

Stop by Emily's In the Hush of the Moon to read more imperfections

Harvest hearts

Harvest hearts slow.

There are last acres

lost acres

unexplained gains.

A season completed.

Before the scales

are balanced

cultivators scratch

the soil, preparation

for preparation

for a season

at once distant

yet soon again

upon us.

What sweat

seeds and prayers

will fill the soil

as the hope of abundance

carries on?

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. Psalm 67:5-7 NIV

Come on over to One Stop Poetry to read more of this weeks One Shot Wednesday poems.

Snow Day

One of the many blessings of my time away on holidays was the opportunity to finally purchase and read Billy Coffey's first novel Snow Day.

I have been a fan of Billy's writing since the first blog post I hit upon and had been looking forward to reading his book with hungry expectation.

My expectations were met with extra poured on, like the cherry on the whipped cream of a hot fudge sundae!

Billy takes us on a journey through one day but in the process covers lifetimes, not only of the main character Peter but the community that surrounds him. I found myself stepping into the lives of ordinary people only to realize that God has made each one of us extraordinary.

Through the words of Snow Day you will smile, cry, laugh, nod your head in recognition and encounter the wisdom of the Lord in the simple truths Billy relates.

For those of you who are near to me in-real-life, I would lend you my copy but I really sense you need one for yourself, to turn back to again and again as I am sure I will. Snow Day is a purchase you won't regret.

And don't forget to stop by Billy's place to read his daily blogs, always filled with his special blend of insight, humour and wisdom. Leave him a few encouraging words while you're there, for it takes courage to write so openly and I know that God has much more to speak through this servant of His.

Word Filled Wednesday - Deep roots

[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 Amplified

Stop by Internet Cafe Devotions for more of His Word!

One Word Carnival - Condemnation

I stand accused
in my own eyes
projecting guilt
into the minds of others.

Perhaps they do judge me
more likely they are
busy, as am I
in self-critique.

In this
I find I am in opposition
to the very One
Whom I adore.

I am, we are
as the woman caught
to whom He extended His love

When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more. John 8:10-11 Amplified

Shall I then
continue
to deny such grace?

Shall I reduce
to nothing
His sacrifice?
Or perhaps add
yet another nail
to His cross?

No, let not
my own tears
wash away
the blood
He shed to cover me.

Not lost, but found.
Not bound, but free.





Join Bridget's Carnival for more words about Condemnation

Greatest Story Ever Told

When I noticed that the word for this edition of 3 From Here and There was Storytelling, I realized I had recently taken a shot of the greatest story ever written, ever told, ever lived.

Check out more views of Storytelling at 3 From Here and There

Welcome home gift

I've been to the cities

their malls, expressways

concrete and noise,

where my spirit tembles

and sputters.

We covered miles to see

lakes, forests,

breathing in silence,

peace amid all He has created.

Last evening

we drove back into our yard.

With the crackle of leaves underfoot

we unloaded suitcases,

groceries, purchases made along the way.

As the familiar began

to settle

around me

I saw a welcome home gift.

Glory painted in the sky
by the One

Who is with me

when I wander

and when I am still.

There is no place like home,

where I abide

in Him.

Stop by L. L. Barkat's Seedlings in Stone for more On, In and Around Mondays