Sabbath in a Sanctuary of the Oaks

"Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, 

a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn."

William Arthur Ward

Photograph by Lisa Moreland

Today's Sabbath was experienced 

in the sanctuary of the Oaks.

Paths lace the curvature of a creek and its pooling ponds that flow through the neighborhood. Decades of consistent water has populated the shoreline with a variety of stately Oak trees. Their diversity is never more apparent than in autumn, as acorns of every size, various patterns, and a range of color cascade from leafy canopies, down through the limbs, to cover the ground with an abundance of uniquely capped nuts. 

Photograph by Lisa Moreland

Their scattered presence speaks boldly to the soul.  Boldly, as evidence of the Creator's mandate for diversity in all species.  Boldly, as examples of His sustaining provision in all seasons. Boldly, according to St. Bonaventure, as an inscription of God's "footprint", along with all things that cover the earth. 

"God writes the Gospel, 
not in the Bible alone, 
but also on trees, 
and in the flowers and clouds and stars."

Martin Luther

~

May your Sabbath be filled with God's tender presence and reassurance,

Lisa

Linking with these faith writers: Spiritual Sundays, Scripture & a Snapshot,  & Coffee for the Heart. Click on the links to read more posts. 

November: An Invitation to Gratitude Series {Celebration in Gold}

Subtle hues and neutrals rest calmly in the rooms of our living.

Celebration merits a touch of gold to herald our gratitude.

The dinner table festive in glided pumpkins amid hydrangea past its season.

Around the house, dry arrangements in appreciation of stems gone to seed.

Gathered pinecones, some whitewashed for contrast.

In a few hours aromas will be heavy, candles will be lit, and heart felt prayers will rise.

May your Thanksgiving be blessed.

“From the Fulness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” 

John 1:16 

“Thanks is the highest form of thought 

and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

C.K. Chesterton

*   *   *

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening

Day 2 Boundless love

Day 3 Time Away

Day 4 New Roads

Day 5 Legacy

Day 6 Indian Summer

Day 7 Transforming Power of Gratitude

Day 8 Home Fires

Day 9 Between Times

Day 10 Sacred Wait

Day 11 Celebration in Gold

Sharing this post with communities at Still Saturday, Weekend Whispers, Tell His Story, and Coffee for Your Heart. Click those buttons below to read other writers of faith.

November: An Invitation to Gratitude {Sacred Waiting}

Photograph by Lisa Moreland

November: An Invitation to Thanksgiving {Sacred Waiting}

Cloudy November days, the ones that hint at rain and blow chilly against the window panes. Soft grey skies a stark contrast to the brilliance in the leaves that toss and tumble across the patio. 

Gazing out across the the woods, mind pondering the brief days left in November, musing on to Christmas. 

The thought arrives... of the young woman two millennia ago waiting, already. 
Many months she has already carried her child. 
Carried sacred knowledge silent in her heart through the passing of three seasons. 
Her whispered thanksgiving already keen for long, long months. 
Her Christmas already a living truth, a swollen heaviness, a beating heart, a mother's patient wait. 

Humbled. 
Grateful.

The trappings of my times fade in importance as I imagine her. 

Two millennia ago she continued the waiting 
with thanksgiving and silent hope. 

*   *   *

Listen to her story as it is sung in this stunning version of Hallelujah.

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy
Day 6 Indian Summer
Day 7 Transforming Power of Gratitude

Day 8 Homefires
Day 9 Between Times

Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 

Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.
Click here to link with Share Your Cup Thursday.

November: An Invitation to gratitude {Between Times}

November: An Invitation to gratitude {Between Times}

Autumn hoovers gently as the early morning mist between the exuberance of summer and winter's crisply chilled grip.  Shade loving foliage spread wide, florals risk one last burst of blooms. Spear shaped Elm seeds and tiny Live Oak acorns cast wide for the sake of another generation.

Between times offer grace, holding a place for the promise to come.

Monarch's flit enroute for the tropics. Canadian Geese and pristinely elegant swans glide onto the ponds. Continuous flocks of song birds darken the sky, settling in unison to fill power lines and  treetops. Winged migratory guests taking a brief layover, build reserve until the morning they're gone.

Between times offer grace, holding a place for the promise to come.

Families gather goods for holiday seasons rapidly advancing on calendars. Households harvest the last cool weather produce from the garden, sweep the chimney, stack the wood pile, then walk lazily down leaf strewn paths. New life beats steady and ever so small, cradles deep in mother's precious darkness as a family prepares in patience, prays for the promise, waits in love. 

Between times offer grace, holding a place for the promise to come.

A world revolving on its ancient orbit, turning until it is made new. 
An ancient people humbled by resurrection, living in grace and abundance until the return.

Gratitude for the between times bursting with grace, 
holding a place for the promise to come.

*   *   *

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy
Day 6 Indian Summer
Day 7 Transforming Power of Gratitude
Day 8 Homefires

Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 

Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.

November: An Invitation to Gratitude {Homefires}

Mom on her own during Dad's 1958 tour of duty in Korea.

November 11: An Invitation to Gratitude {Homefires}

“Keep the homefires burning” historically meant

women tasked with keeping the embers hot and the pot cooking until the men return.

Military families blow kisses and wave final good-byes.

Then, tears still falling, with all the strength they can muster,

gather up the children to return home 

to an all too quiet house, to a table with an empty place,

to the chair vacant of its usual lounger, 

to the bed missing the other half,

to the closet partially empty, 

to singlehandedly keep life going 

for long months or years.

They keep the heat on, the bills paid, the lawn mowed, the larder filled, food on the stove, give every bath and read books followed by bedtime prayers, every night. No one comes home at the end of the day, or on the weekend or the holidays, to offer a hand or a cherished word.

In my childhood a world map hung over the stereo in our home and we learned the geography of far east nations, the distant locals of our father and his fellow pilots and soldiers. 

Mom was a petite girl, a provincial small town girl of her era, yet as an officer’s wife she grew to become the gale force, the CEO and master organizer with steely strength born of necessity that singlehandedly kept six kids feed, clothed, carpooled, and motivated on their individual paths while maintaining a household, continuously writing letters overseas, all under the constant filmed coverage of war on the evening news. 

Extend gratitude to the nation’s military families. 

Our nation is protected from the creeping tide of war

by their loved ones,

and their lives are forever changed.

*   *   *

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy
Day 6 Indian Summer
Day 7 Transforming Power of Gratitude

Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 

Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.

November: Invitation to Gratitude {Transforming Power of Gratitude}

November 8: Invitation to Gratitude {Transforming Power of Gratitude}

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." 

Sarah Van Breathnach

I began recording just one blessing that I noticed each day. That small step primed my mind to be more vigilant, more attentive, cued to my world with a different eye. The daily notations increased and seemed to stream from the pencil, my hand urgent to record quickly lest I forget some one gift before I had scribbled them all down at the end of the day. One daily recording, became a multitude of daily gifts. I pursued the practice of listing daily blessings for nearly a year, reaching a goal of one thousand recorded gifts. One thousand. The weight of the journal with the number of pages filled was stunning. The tangible evidence of this new spiritual discipline. 

The deeper reward, 

the more constant outcome, 

was the heightened sensitivity of my soul 

and the groundbreaking transformation of my demeanor and perception of daily living. 

Even without daily listing of blessings I still saw them daily. I noted the abundance daily. I praised God's presence in those blessings daily. 

I continue to add to the list periodically, recording full pages at a time. Today there are hundreds more with nearly fifty praise and thanksgiving scripture verses intertwined with the bounty of blessings. But it was the initial daily listing that successfully trained my heart and my eyes to internalize a habit of maintaining a grateful heart, an awareness of God's hand in all things, in all places, at all times. Gratefully, that remains the blessing carved deep into my soul.

"...if a joyful heart is good medicine, then giving thanks is my daily prescription." Ann Voskamp

"Without gratitude there is no joy." Brene' Brown

View Dr. Brene' Brown's interview on the topic of JOY here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKV0BWSPfOw

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy
Day 6 Indian Summer

Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 

Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.

November: An Invitation to Gratitude Series {Indian Summer}

November 6: An Invitation to Gratitude {Indian Summer}

Indian summer bliss,

those brilliantly bright days of late fall, warm like melting butter on pancakes. Foliage rustles in rich color, breezes move with a gentle warmth. Folks linger on patios with their coffee, faces upturned to capture the sun’s last kiss of warmth before crisp temps return, forcing us all back behind windows to watch leaves spilling from the trees. 

In some regions its called a "little summer"; a brief nod to the mid-day warming reminiscent of a bygone season. Though the light and the scent is distinctly different; the lights angle lower, recognizable as fall, the herbed aroma of dried leaves inescapable.

Our area has basked in this "little summer" all week. Cafe patios overflow with business. Park playgrounds are bustling with post halloween super heroes and princesses going down the slide. Hopeful end of season fisherman cast lines across the ponds. Kids walk home from school with hoodies stuffed in backpacks. 

Its temporary, appreciated because its fleeting.

Raise your head from distractions. 

Neither of us wants to miss it.

Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:

Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy

Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 

Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.

November: An Invitation to Gratitude {New Roads}

November 4: An Invitation to Gratitude {New Roads}

A canopy of trees arching across the road, captivating in every season, though reaching a pinnacle of beauty as the trees turn to their autumn splendor. As I approach it is not unlike entering a cathedral. The awe of such grandeur reaching heavenward, God's design of seasonal change accented in a bounty of color.

The road threading through the woods disappearing around a bend or over a hill, the destination unknown. Yet I would not have arrived to partake in the beauty overhead if I had not been willing to travel the unknown road that God offered.
Continuing the journey, this one, or any other that is charted on the geography of a life stretches knowledge of unknown worlds and unfamiliar people. 

In our faith we are taught to do just that. Travel far, at least in the heart. Expand ourselves beyond known places to embrace all that is within our reach to meet the measure of God's use of our talents and potential to extend His glory in the world. 

Grateful for the ever new roads that He guides me to explore.


Additional Posts in this Series:
Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away

November: An Invitation to Gratitude Series {Time Away}

November 3: 

Time away. Uncharted days intended for restoration. Extended sessions of simply watching the day open and close. Hours, when left unscheduled, become fertile ground for new conversations, thought filled impressions that birth new intentions. Seeking to hear God's whispers as waves roll.
                 

~

Additional Posts in this Series:
Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love

November: An Invitation for Gratitude {Attentive Listening}

November 1: An Invitation for Gratitude Series

Early morning light rises to skim the ripples of wind blown streams. Grateful for practices of faith that draw us into quiet and attentive listening to Holy Spirit prompting as each day dawns.

*   *   *

Links to the full series of An Invitation to Gratitude:

Day 1 Attentive Listening

Day 2 Boundless love

Day 3 Time Away

Day 4 New Roads

Day 5 Legacy

Day 6 Indian Summer

Day 7 Transforming Power of Gratitude

Day 8 Home Fires

Day 9 Between Times

Day 10 Sacred Wait

Celebrate Transformation

“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”

Edwin Way Teale ~
Naturalist, Photographer, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author

~

Indications of fall’s transformation begin to accumulate. 

Canadian Geese appeared on the pond, thousands of miles from their home. Two pair, regally adrift on the water’s surface, robust rounded torsos fitted with elegant long necks to facilitate their alert attention. Their gazed followed me with all confidence and mild interest as I passed slowly along the bank. I marvel imagining the distance that I know they have traveled, pondering where they may have “stopped over”  the last time they rested. I address them with soft words of welcome, compliment their migratory feat, and offer travel mercies for the journey still ahead. Within days they are gone. 

Crisp mornings welcome long sleeves pulled from the back of the closet and vapor rising from mugs of hot tea. 

A myriad of seeds and acorn varieties litter the paths, popping as my step breaks numerous shells. 

The first hues of mustard, old gold, school bus yellow build at the edges of hedge rows and tree tops. Nature begins to shed in brilliant golden showers.  

The neighbor’s produce garden looks leggy, over grown. Spindled stems and yellowing leaves serve as scaffolding for spider webs spanning across the rows.

The sun’s rays rise later and its angles fall differently. Briefly the moon burns blood red.

In this season, nature is transformed; widely opening its hand to disperse hope for the next generation and offer sustenance for a darker season. 

How like the transformation that God wills for own lives. 

In collaboration with Him and by His grace, 

as faith grows, the elements of 

generosity {Duet. 15:11}, 

gratitude {Ps.111:1}

love {Lev. 19:34},

joy {Ps. 90:14},

patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control {Gal. 5: 22-23} 

transform our character and therefore, the living of our days. Widely opening our hands to disperse hope and offer sustenance to others.

Linking with Soulful Friday, Still Saturday, and Weekend Whispers. :-)

September Memories

Brilliance and creativity arrive on my screen throughout the month. Some really talented folks creating gorgeous posts and some really smart folks sharing their expertise. Here are a few that lit up my heart this September.

~ Got inspired to transition the house to fall decor after watching these home tours, "Finding Fall Home Tours",  inspired by BHG. Which home is your favorite?
http://jeanneoliverdesigns.com/blog/2015/09/18/finding-fall-home-tour-with-better-homes-and-gardens/

~  Prose that reads as poetry. A beautifully written post honoring September memories.  http://ripplespeak.com/2015/09/september-singing/

~ Thought I was Word Wise, not so much. Confounded hard word usage article that husband and I used to test-ourselves. Yeah. Missed nearly half of these.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/65217/20-word-usage-mistakes-even-smart-people-make

~ Sang loudly in the car, with this song by Jordan Feliz. Favorite verse,"YOU WILL BE CHANGED!"

~ Getting past seasons of chaos; who doesn't need insight on that from time to time. Thoughts shared by Seth Haines.
http://sethhaines.com/recovery-room/4669/

~ Read these words on intercessory prayer;  pondered them for days and imagined God dispatching angels in a collective response of His will and the believer's faith.

Gathering the beautiful, the inspired, the faith filled...punctuates my days with encouragement and blessings. What shined brightly for you in September?

Hope Waits

Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday of the liturgical year; we rejoice in the Genesis through Revelation accounts of God’s hope for the world. And for the world, because of hope, our faith, our Christian beliefs, will never cease among people. God has taught us hope, promised us hope, revealed the blessings of hope. The sacred texts record the history of hope among the faithful from generation to generation. Our traditions of worship and prayer, our holiest days, nurture hope. We are galvanized by the legacy of hope, thousands of years of hope. Hope fueled by His Spirit persists, endures, and waits. To live with the Hope of God is to experience Hope's triumph.

~

This post is submitted to communities of writers at 

STILL SATURDAY and THE SUNDAY COMMUNITY 

who share a message through photographic praise. 

Visit these sites by clicking on their buttons listed below.

God Whispers Grace Over the Good Earth

A pair of squirrels race across rooftops leaping effortlessly onto tree boughs, swirling down the trunk, to join in the mingled mass of leaves drifted across the still green grass. Heron’s grey serpentine neck is silhouetted against the low light sky as it’s perched at the upper most reaches of a fall canopy of tree color. Roses bravely continue to offer a few scant blooms, opening fragile petals despite the dropping temperatures. The afternoon air is uncommonly still. Beyond the squirrel rustling and bird twitters, its quiet. Quiet enough to encourage a pause. Quiet enough to close the eyes, to stand among the living woods, to hear the season’s heartbeat, to wonder if that breathing hush is God whispering grace over the good earth. Hopeful, I stay in place, stand open handed, listening amidst an age old whisper that can be heard in God’s natural world.

                                                                ~

"And God saw everything that He had made,

and, behold,it was very good."

Genesis 1:31

~

“As soon as we acknowledge God to be the supreme architect, 

who has erected the beauteous fabric of the universe, 

our minds must necessarily be ravished with wonder 

at His infinite goodness, wisdom, and power.” 

John Calvin


Link up with the photographers over at Still Saturday or The Sunday Community for more photo beauty paired with praise by clicking on their buttons found below. 

Living Art

There eventually came a time in life when a new expanse of freedom allowed me to design how I wanted my days to be filled. 

Instinctively I craved creative endeavors. My interests ranged from typical artistic pursuits of writing, painting, and photography, to the theology of spiritual gifts and  neuroscience findings related to brain function. All under the larger umbrella of creativity. 

An additional layer of my quest at that time concerned the desire to understand how my experiences with creative pursuits dovetailed with a sense of meditation and a sense God’s presence. 

I began studying oil painting in an artist’s studio and spending time photographing everything, everywhere. I wrote children’s stories, memoir pieces about family and professional recollections. I participated in a spiritual arts journaling workshop and began teaching the first of many years of Women’s Bible Study classes. Eventually in this same season I posted the first  entry on Reflections-Beside Still Waters blog. 

The deeply rewarding outcome of these endeavors continue today, with new elements emerging from time to time to constitute the richly woven fabric of a redesigned, greatly rewarding, deeply faith filled, creative daily life. 

“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, 

in wisdom, in understanding 

and in knowledge and 

in all craftsmanship” 

Exodus 35:31

~

Celebrating with Emily

A Million Little Ways

We Will Make Art 

link up.

I Am the Gate

Wait for Hope to Appear

Leaving the house behind I turn my face into the blustery winds, crisp with the promise of fall, sharp with urgency; willing the force of cold to burrow through my mind and sweep out every shred of worry clinging in the corners. I whisper to myself with kindness, “Breath deeply”, wanting to hasten the air’s cleansing properties through my heart and lungs . Fall’s shifting nature spills a brief shower of rain in the midst of the afternoon’s shining light. I step under dense, overhanging trees until the weeping cloud drifts on. Walking on, step following step, breath following breath easing the mind to emptiness, working the chest to fullness, purposefully leaving space for holy presence and peace.