Daily Offering
Heavenly sunshine
Landscape gathers gift of grace—
Rising every morn
Tender Touch
Gentle breeze above
Cascading with every breath—
Dawn’s signature peace
Invitation Received
Daybreak’s welcome light
Encouraging renewal—
Darkness overcome
Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir (1838-1914) was an Scottish-born, American naturalist. He was one of America’s earliest advocates for wilderness preservation, and he has been referred to as the “Father of National Parks.” His unwavering support and influence led to the establishment of Yosemite National Park.
Sitting home, isolated and alone
Taking virtual trips, changes life’s tone
America’s landscapes invite us in
Scenic mountain vistas, adventures grin
Alaska Range, home to our northernmost peaks
Denali “the tall one” forever speaks
Cascade Range roams the Pacific Northwest
Snow-capped volcanoes offer stunning quests
Sierra Nevada’s enchanted land
Host national parks, majestic and grand
Rocky Mountains form this nation’s backbone
Stunning beauty, more precious than gemstones
Sawtooth Mountains salute from Idaho
Endless summits bring skiers to the snow
Bighorn Mountains, sacred to native ways
Montana-Wyoming border sings praise
Adirondack Mountains, New York’s playground
Winter skiing, fall foliage—best around
Great Smoky Mountains push for Tennessee
Fog-covered peaks, spellbinding all agree
Blue Ridge Mountains welcome us back home
Free-flowing Shenandoah smiles and roams
Wherever you live or where your travels take you, you may have a favorite mountain paradise. One of my precious favorites is the Beartooth Mountains in south-central Montana, a stone’s throw away from Yellowstone National Park.
You are invited to share one of your special places in the comments.
Originally published July, 2020.
Guard, protect, and cherish your land, for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven.
The West is dead . . . you may lose a sweetheart but you won’t forget her. (Excerpt from his book, Trails Plowed Under: Stories of the Old West.)
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926) was an American western artist. From his adopted home of Montana, he produced some of the most notable paintings and sculptures of Native American life, cowboys on the open range, and unforgettable landscapes of the Treasure State.
This poem is inspired with Creation’s visions from Psalm 104 (the poem’s first 12 verses), and with a response from the hymn “My Life Flows On in Endless Song” (the poem’s final six verses).
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
Clothed with Holy majesty and honor
Heavens stretching out to infinity
Our Lord’s masterpiece endures forever
Clouds witness this sacred affinity
Earth’s foundation, never to be shaken
Lofty mountaintops look upon it all
Safe refuge waiting in fertile valleys
Creation’s spirit fulfilling each call
From flowing springs, animals quenching thirst
Every season following moon’s phases
Birds singing praise from highest tree branches
Rising and setting sun painting praises
God’s creation flowing as endless songs
Nothing shall ever shake its inner calm
Echoing across earth’s fruitful valleys
Scaling each mountaintop as joyful Psalms
Creation’s fountain forever springing
Beauty of the Lord’s harmony singing
Photo by Aleksey Kuprikov on Pexels.com
From Colossians 1:16: “For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Here is the melody and lyrics to “My Life Flows On in Endless Song”:
Originally published June, 2020.
Fall’s invitation
Fulfilling countryside drive—
Witnessing brilliance
Autumn’s gifted day
Shaping life before our eyes—
Mum’s changing colors
Tree-lined avenue
Passing cars stirring up leaves—
Landscape swirls about
Nourishing landscape
Radiating at sunrise—
Creator’s spirit
Enduring sunrise
Wakening morning’s treasures—
New day beginning
In early dawn’s light
Nighttime passes her baton—
Horizon’s sunrise
Shared through countless scenes
Multitude of pages speak—
Creator crafts script
Nature’s adventure
Invited by Creator—
Endless dynamics
Each cherished landscape
Mother Earth sharing her gifts—
Creator’s vision
Have you ever visited any of America’s western badlands? Some of my travels have allowed me the privilege to experience these wonders of nature.
A panoramic view of the Painted Canyon Overlook off of Interstate 94 near Medora, North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Hidden beauty, waiting to be found
Western badlands, ready to be crowned
Nature proclaims its rugged features
Wildlife views from its austere bleachers
Kaleidoscope of creatures around
Falcons, eagles, deer, bison abound
Barren environment, a wasteland
Native tribes nicknaming this “bad land”
Slippery clay gumbo, sinking sand
Fur trappers evade these harsh badlands
Timely erosion unearths treasures
Fossil beds offering up pleasures
Late spring rains transform the quiet view
Green velvet covers buttes, right on cue
Sleeping landscape erupts with color
Prairie flowers dazzle and holler
Brilliant colors reflect morning’s light
Ravines, gullies paint prismatic sights
Another view of the North Dakota badlands. If one looks closely, there is an American Bison in the center of this photo.
My journeys out West have offered opportunities to visit three of America’s treasured badlands: Makoshika State Park (near Glendive, Montana), Theodore Roosevelt National Park (near Medora, North Dakota), and Badlands National Park (near Rapid City, South Dakota).
Originally published May, 2020.
Transition’s river
Creation’s tireless seasons—
Lasting ebb and flow
Blessed reminder
Painting life’s daily landscape—
Creator’s witness
So much to enjoy
Waiting again to blossom—
Steady persistence
Big Sky Buckeye 