Home is where the Hollyhock is

Driving home late from a long day of work I spotted the lone hollyhock by a fence... or maybe it spotted me. It was as if the red bloom pulled my attention to itself with mighty strings, saying "come home."

Image from www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/.../hollyhock.jpg

There is something about a hollyhock that reminds me of work-free summers yet endless hours watching and tending seedlings as they grew into full bloom flowers. I took great pride in my hollyhocks that stood tall in the fence corners and along the porch. There is more words can't seem to explain...

Many times I go by places and say, "Hollyhocks should grow there..."

Picture from Allposters.com by Roger Williams
I can't fully explain my fascination with hollyhocks but when I see they fill me with great joy! After a wearisome day its good to come home and find joy or have home and joy find you...

Winds of Change

In April, I went to the beach to spend time with God and work through some heart issues. He was quiet as He has been. All day the weather was warm and sunny and I sat with only a sweater on and was quite comfortable. Near to sunset, the wind suddenly changed directions and I was cold. I heard, “the winds of change are coming.” The change of direction caused me to grab a coat and seek some shelter. I went into the beachside souvenir shop where I pondered whether the change coming would be good or bad. To commemorate the day and the word God gave me I bought a bamboo wind chime. Its chime is very soft more like “tong” than “ting” or “chink” so I have to listen harder to hear them, kind of like listening to God speaking these past “silent” few years.

Home

If this house isn't the picture of Eden I don't know what is! The porch swing on the screened in porch is a sanctuary like no other! It's charm and dust bunnies go hand and hand. And as long as the circuit breaker in the cellar doesn't trip while I am home alone then I am pleased to stay here as long as God would have me live here!

Drinking in Pink

“Smell them, Marilla—drink them in,” said Anne Shirley referring to the freshly picked flowers she was carrying. Coming up over a hill, I drank in the delicate pink of the blossoming cherry tree. Thinking to myself, worshipping God truly must involve drinking in the splendid pink petals on a tree.

Standing under the tree, the boughs were holding up a pink umbrella creating my own private sanctuary and scattered on the ground were pink petals like a dusting of snow. I was surrounded by pink peace, beauty and majesty all an outpouring from the Makers’ own peace, beauty and majesty. Overwhelmed, I call myself blessed to be in wrapped in His pink tree as I worship in the beauty of His holiness.

Perfect Pine Cones

I came across a pine cone that looked crisp and as perfect as a pine can get in this world. I took a handful of pictures on various camera settings but I knew what I was capturing was not what I was seeing. Sure enough when I downloaded the photos there wasn’t a good one in the bunch, a fine reminder that as much as I might try to take a snapshot of a “glimpse of perfection” sometimes the best photo is in my mind and not my camera.