I embrace emerging experience. I participate in discovery. I am a butterfly. I am not a butterfly collector. I want the experience of the butterfly.
Wisdom is having things right in your life and knowing why.
William Stafford (1914-1993) was an American poet.
From Psalm 31:24: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
Facing life’s trials and critics
Soul and body wasting away
Discouraged, hurting, and distressed
Broken down, strength failing . . . decay
Needing encouragement with love
Safe from others, place for healing
Looking for refuge, where to turn
Life under siege, tired and reeling
Seeking lasting grace and mercy
Delivering us from dark gloom
Rescue arrives, stand and rejoice
His steadfast love, fully in bloom
Staffed by a special redeemer
Our strength, comrade, fortress, and rock
Holding us up with steadfast love
Follow Him, our living bedrock
Called by another name . . . Jesus
From Psalm 31:1-2: “In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.”
Originally published September, 2020.
Photo by Kerry on Pexels.com
When we see the enemy for what he truly is, the light of Christ beams even brighter.
Do you write a daily journal? This inspiring thought comes from my journal, and much of what is written in my journal comes from reading and commenting on other bloggers’ posts. Thanks to many of you for adding so much to my journal.
(Updated February 3)
Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense secure. [Taken from the hymn lyrics of “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”]
From Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was an English pastor, Christian theologian, and prolific writer of hymns. He produced lyrics for over 750 hymns.
From Lamentations 3:22-24: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.'”
Life’s darkened landscape
Harvest empty of grain
Hope seems so distant
Forgotten in pain
Heart’s desolate scene
Hope’s answers in prayer
Now mercy arrives
Laden with love’s care
Family finds hope
Answers no longer wait
Body now healing
Doctor brings update
Scars from troubles heal
Set to travel hope’s road
Spirit strengthens heart
Faith harvests what’s sowed
Earth’s torrential flood
Faith anchored on firm ground
Noah’s dove soars free
Hope’s olive leaf found
From Genesis 8:10-11: “He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark, and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.”
Photo by Kerry on Pexels.com
Today, God nourishes our hope for another opportunity tomorrow.
Do you write a daily journal? This inspiring thought comes from my journal, and much of what is written in my journal comes from reading and commenting on other bloggers’ posts. Thanks to many of you for adding so much to my journal.
(Updated February 2)
There is unwavering peace today when an uncertain tomorrow is trusted to an unchanging God.
From Isaiah 26:3-4: “Those of steadfast mind You keep in peace, in peace because they trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God.”
Ann Voskamp (born 1973) is a Canadian writer and Christian blogger.
About a month ago, photos taken around my home in the state of Ohio were posted in the Buckeye Photo Gallery. Today’s gallery brings an invitation to visit Montana’s Big Sky Country, which is my native state.
This past summer (August, 2024), my camera enjoyed a journey filled with capturing the landscape around Madison County in southwestern Montana. On the left, the Madison River flows downstream from the river’s canyon exit. Its destination will be the headwaters of the Missouri River, located near the community of Three Forks. The photo on the right looks downstream on the river, as one moves away from the canyon. The weather conditions were very windy, and fortunately, the camera remained steady.
An hour’s drive from my hometown of Billings, takes one to Carbon County and the town of Red Lodge. Both photos capture scenes found on main street. The photo on the left features the Carbon County Courthouse. On the right, the corner building has been repurposed into a retail shop on the ground floor.
My wife and I always enjoy visiting the city of Bozeman, which is home to Montana State University. This community was home to me during my college years (1974-1978). While Main Street has changed a great deal from my time, the atmosphere remains welcoming with a vibrant commercial district. The Rockford Coffee Roasters welcomed us for mid-morning refreshments with our youngest Montana daughter and her two-year old son. Across the street sits the venerable Ellen Theater, which opened in 1919.
Enjoy the contrast of these two photos. Taken during the summer of 2023, the photo on the left captures a smoky sunrise above the Billings neighborhood where I grew up. The final photo was taken during the summer of 2021. A rest area outside of Billings, along Interstate 90, shares a bit of humor as well as functionality for its canine visitors.
Photo by Kerry on Pexels.com
We grow more when we share more.
Do you write a daily journal? This inspiring thought comes from my journal, and much of what is written in my journal comes from reading and commenting on other bloggers’ posts. Thanks to many of you for adding so much to my journal.
(Updated February 1)
To reach a child’s mind a teacher must capture his heart. Only if a child feels right can he think right.
Often an ounce of humor is worth a ton of words.
Haim Ginott (1922-1973) was an Israeli-born school teacher and child psychologist. He pioneered techniques about how to converse with children.
Big Sky Buckeye 