Flurries

Flurries

Fairies

We've experienced today in the weather

A migration of little white fairies,

Whose singular mission in winter

Is to banish the brown-ness that wearies.

They powder and polish with vigour.

And the world sparkles white with their numbers!

Piling high (each one on the other!)

Brown-ness gone 'neath the world-cleaning wonders.

But they raise such a heat,

With their small fairy feet,

That the end of the day

Finds them melted away,

And the work waiting there for another.  

  :)

 

Holy Bread

"Holy Bread"

ruminations of 1 Samuel 21:1-6 and

2 Timothy 2:21-22
- - -

Hungry, hunted

Alone, in need,

"O Priest! have you five loaves for me?"

"I have, but 'tis

Of holy make

For holy vessels--men stainless, meet."

"In glorious march,

Or journey plain,

For all my men 'tis one the same!

"Kept free of sin--

Pure and holy

Consecrated, serving wholly.

"So on this day

When need is great,

Much confession I need not make.

"These hands are clean,

My heart is right,

In holy bread, I may delight."

Priest gave the bread

And too, a sword

To David, chosen of the Lord.

- - -

And so to you

The offer stands

Of holy bread and sword in hand.

Not because

Of your own deeds--

It's not your work to cleansing leads.

But on the cross

The High Priest bled

And fed you with His holy Bread.

To clean the vessel:

Body, soul.

In word and deed, to make you whole.

So that you

Before Him be

Soldiers, holy, chosen, clean.

In glorious march,

Or journey plain,

Found in Him without a stain.

Defending truth

With Truth's own sword

No more in need, fed by the Word.

Reconciled

 "Reconciled"

"Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Timothy 1:2) 

Consigned to disobedience

Rebellious to His face.

The Law said, "He deserves God's wrath!"

God said, "I'll give him GRACE!"

Free grace that I so ill-deserve,

"O Lord, depart from me!"

Love points to blood on MERCY-seat,

Both guilt and misery flee.

Christ's precious blood spilt willingly,

For one who is the least!

Where sin deserved God's enmity,

God's mercy calls out, "PEACE!"

Get into the boat!

"'Get into the boat!' Thou didst whisper,

At first how I feared to obey;

I looked not at Thee, but the storm clouds,

The darkness, the waves, and the spray.

But then came the words, 'Will you trust Him?

Will you claim and receive at His hand

All the definite fullness of blessing?

Launch out at thy Master's command!

Thou art willing, my Lord, could I doubt Thee?

Hast Thou ever proved untrue?

Nay! out at Thy Word I have ventured,

I have trusted. Thy part is to do."

--Laura A. Barter-Snow

The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;        

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.      

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.        

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

--Robert Frost

Full Bloom of Obedience

Full Bloom of Obedience

                                                          ~John 15:8-11

My heart did struggle to comply

     to my Lord's command.

Dear sins, self-love--all things to which

     the Lord held out His hands.

But seeing these hands were pierced for me,

     my heart released its hold,

And found that in so doing I

     abided in His love. 

With great surprise my heart did note

     the rush of sap and life.

I saw the fruit, not of myself,

     replace the sin and strife.

When next the Lord of Life walked by,

     with pruning-shears in hand,

His face did shine with glory-light

     at growth and fruit sustained.

And then did heart full understand--

     the end of obedience see--

When Lord, through life, be glorified,

     more full our joy shall be.

Doe The Nexte Thynge

"From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
It’s quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And on through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DOE THE NEXTE THYNGE.”

"Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, doe the nexte thynge.

"Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all resulting, doe the nexte thynge.

"Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as he beckons thee, doe the nexte thynge."

 --Anonymous

The Two Houses

I pity that house

whose snow-bedecked yard

lacks good-hearted snowangels

standing their guard.

Where a squirrel eating seed

needn't sharply petition

more accurate throwing

of white ammunition.

Whose steepest descents

lie smooth and so fair

with narry a grass

by tobogan laid bare.

Where lacking are cries,

"My nose feels frostbitten!"

And, "Wouldn't you know?

I've misplaced my mitten!"



Whose guests are not greeted

by families of white

Carefully crafted

to look perfectly right.

But blessed is that house

with doorway of puddles

where shoes of the many

get into great muddles.

Where Christmasy lights

are of color! Not bland

and preferably blink

when switched on by the hand.

So perhaps a bit lively

with plenty of chatter

'specially when cocoa's

to be had by the fire.

But I'll take that house

full of kids to the top

to the serenest abode

happy children, has not.



Woods in Winter

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When winter winds are piercing chill,

And through the hawthorn blows the gale,

With solemn feet I tread the hill,

That overbrows the lonely vale.

O'er the bare upland, and away
Through the long reach of desert woods,

The embracing sunbeams chastely play,

And gladden these deep solitudes.

Where, twisted round the barren oak,

The summer vine in beauty clung,

And summer winds the stillness broke,

The crystal icicle is hung.

Where, from their frozen urns, mute springs

Pour out the river's gradual tide,

Shrilly the skater's iron rings,

And voices fill the woodland side.

Alas! how changed from the fair scene,

When birds sang out their mellow lay,

And winds were soft, and woods were green,

And the song ceased not with the day!

But still wild music is abroad,

Pale, desert woods! within your crowd;

And gathering winds, in hoarse accord,

Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear

Has grown familiar with your song;

I hear it in the opening year,

I listen, and it cheers me long.

Winter Snow

Winter snow falling lightly,

And it shines so very brightly.

When it's cold and icy too,

Then your toes turn quite bright blue.

Dark clouds come

Gathered round.

Then the snow

Will soon be found.

Sledding can be so much fun,

But you'll see grass when you're done.

Now I've told you about winter snow,

Now

I

Must

Go.

--Kate vdH

:)