The trees are slowly changing their colors
some sooner than others – ones of all sizes
and shapes surrender their leaves, but one
stands stronger than the rest!

The breeze blew upon the trees the poplar beech and willow, once providing
shade now their leaves in piles lay but the old oak tree stands alone
fully dressed quietly defying the rest. Not one leaf shakes, not one branch
breaks. It is unshaken! . . . Standing below this majestic tree, surveying the
strength it is to me, I like the oak holding on to the the old, must wait in His
time making room for the new. Until then I am unshaken!

This poem appear in
my book “Unshaken”

And the sky was blue, the air clean, only in the
distance was the haze that our inversion brings.
But as the morning hours continued and smoke
began to fill the western sky, the mountains and hills are
hidden from view . . . we thought we had been spared but
once again devastation is brought upon our land.

The creatures have no perch to raise
their young to rest their wings
Yet unlike us, when tragedy comes
and into despair we fall, they
spread their flight to brighter spots

Please may we be reminded the blade
of grass will once again push up through
dust and ashes
The grain of wheat will bring
bread again to our tables
And though we cannot see it now
the hills hidden from our view
will one day reappear when
the sun breaks through!

“[We] will lift up [our] eyes to the
hills, from where comes [our] help”

They toil not neither do they spin!

Every morning I visited the
meadow
where the pleasant summer
flowers grew
the daisies with their
sunshine faces
and lily white petals
until there was a meadow
full of paper
dolls dancing in the middle

Then I visited one day and
all the summer flowers had
faded and were gone
petals fallen one by one
crumbled and soiled and
fallen to the ground

And I began to mourn
when a voice said “Do
not weep
for each have saved a pocket
full of seed
and leaves have made a bed
for them to sleep
in place of the daisies the
asters and mums have raised
their heads
Red rosy apples and
sweet vines of grapes will reap
a harvest where a meadow full of
paper dolls once again will come out to
play!

“Consider the lilies how they grow, they
neither spin nor toil yet
[Kings] in all their glory were not arrayed like
one of these”
Book of Luke 12:27

On the first Friday evening of September!

A Sabbath Reflection

We have the promise and by faith may we believe “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid … the calf and the lion together and a little child shall lead them”

Isaiah 11:6

Happy 1st day of September to all!
Welcoming this glorious autumn season!

September’s child is
special
September’s child is
lovely
born in changing leaves
adorned with God’s own grace
September’s child
is full of love for family and friends
September’s child
is filled with life graced
with special beauty [from within]!

Goodbye – Dear August – we wish you well
your month has treated us very well

And though we wish you would never end
your slants of light would not lessen and
your carefree days will not soon pass
your summer brings forth our glorious
fall and autumn!

Spiders can be creepy and scary and sometimes frightening,
but they can be funny and whimsical and fun to watch. One
day when I was walking, I came across some juniper bushes
with some spider webs spun amongst the branches. I thought
about how diligent and earnest these little creatures are.

Every year they packed
their
bags with their spinning
wheels

To spend the summer
in bungalows

on green juniper bushes

where the wind doesn’t blow
hanging from balconies
high in the air

With green fern and
monkey flowers they sit
in their chairs

spinning away as their

babies play

They are proud of their

bungalows and feel
like the elite, their
suites are the best

The other spiders are
late and stay as
guests on the bottom
floor
visiting their friends
next door

In the evening they gather
together to share their
tales and play their
fiddles on bended knees

To eat Juniper Berry pie
and watch the dance of the
fireflies

The little spiders sang and played
the yellow moon rose and with
a yawn their eyelids closed

The season flew by as they
busily spun, a spiders work
Is never done

The rainy season came and

they packed their bags
and said their

farewells – But they would be
back next year to stay at
The Spider’s Hotel!

Wishing God’s Blessings on this Sabbath Eve
May you find rest during these peaceful hours!

Have you ever felt like the load is too heavy, as if we were
carrying the weight of the world, the sky seeming to fall on
our shoulders? The earth below us swallowing our steps?

There is a time between dusk and twilight
shadows filling the sky, the sun grows weary
and bows its head, fading in the west
and then dies. An evening star dressed in its
gown of sparkling white rises in the west, it

is a happy star with a smile on its face

it feels important . . . holding up the sky alone

One night it gets tired and begins to fall calling to the
rest – hurry quickly – I can’t hold this up any longer
the weight of this sky is too much**. . .

I wonder sometimes, do we get tired of holding
up this world, forgetting we are not alone, there
is a God working through others to help us to do
His bidding?

**These are selected verses from my
poem ‘An Evening Star’

A Summer Reflection!

Among branches with green dappled
leaves weaving through shadows and
sun, a bright cocoon sways in the
breeze
A butterfly emerges on a summer
afternoon
brightly fashioned

enchanting and elusive with
shiny colored wings
in a pretty yellow dress
sipping nectar from a fragrant rose. A bee stops by to say hello, and the butterfly
replies – “Why is your dress so drab and dreary, you busy bee
why aren’t you pretty like me?”

The bee looked her in her eye –
“If it weren’t for me there wouldn’t be daisies – no – nor apples
on apple trees
no nectar for you to drink
nor honey stored for a cold winter night!”

“So you see, what would you be without me?
Perhaps we can sit down and be friends and have a cup of tea!”