From the words of American-born missionary and Christian theologian, E. Stanley Jones: “The Gospel is not so much a demand as it is an offer, an offer of new life to man by the grace of God.”
From above the ground, a trellis provides a fertile place for grapes to grow.
From a ridgetop garden
Nature’s treasure hides out
Offering its harvest
Flora lives all about
Flowers blooming early
Winter now disappears
Colorful bouquets reign
Sweetest fragrances cheer
Warming springtime sunshine
Changes the ground cover
New, tender shoots of grass
Young deer will discover
A young deer finds the tender grass to her liking.
Trellis roof shelters grapes
Ripen in summer’s sun
Fill with juicy flavor
Birds enjoy tasty fun
Apple and black walnut trees
Shading nature’s grand shrine
Fruit dropping to the ground
Squirrels and deer will dine
Former home site lives on
Garden paradise waits
Coming alive each spring
Winking back at its mates
Apples ripen in the warm summer sun.
All of the photographs were taken during a couple of recent morning walk at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is just minutes away from Canal Winchester, Ohio. The hilltop garden remains long after the house (built in the 1930s) was abandoned. I was blessed to spend several minutes photographing a very cooperative deer while I was quietly standing near a tree.
From the words of German-Dutch Christian author, Thomas a Kempis: “Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.”
Earth Day is a yearly event on April 22. Many view “Earth Day” as an every day activity to preserve our planet for future generations. These verses from Psalm 95:3-5 bring to mind God’s wondrous creation, which deserves our fullest attention in being excellent stewards of what He has given us.
“For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. In His hands are the depths of the earth; and the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and the dry land, which His hands have formed.”
From Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There are days during this Covid pandemic in which I feel at a loss. The roller coaster ride of life suddenly takes a dark turn, and I feel left at the gate. This poem was written following one of these “blue” moments in my life. Together, we can continue to share prayers and encouragement with others. God’s peace!
Growing up in my childhood neighborhood, there was a little store just a few blocks away. My brothers and I made many a journey to the store for milk, bread, and other quick-to-find essentials for our mother. I cannot recall forgetting the milk and bread, but having a few coins in my pocket was treasure waiting to be spent on the candy found there.
The poem lists a few of the types of candy found back in the 1960s. Do you have a favorite candy from your childhood?
The German-inspired poetry style of Elfchen (or Elevenie) contains five lines of poetic verse, usually without the use of rhyming verses. A total of 11 words are used with a sequence of one, two, three, and four words before ending with a single word in the final verse.
Big Sky Buckeye 