Category: Unexpected Delight

Speechless…

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It was dark this morning when I started my walk. Cold, too, thanks to the clear sky. Venus, the brightest object in the morning sky at that point, glowed in the east. The planet accompanied me as I walked alone down the path.

As I walked through the tunnel of trees, I met my morning surprise. It dawned on me that in a few weeks, when the leaves pop out again, there would not be much chance of seeing anything noteworthy through the thick canopy. Yet, this morning, peeking around naked branches, Venus and I played our game of hide-and-seek, coaxing grins from me as I trudged on.  But, that wasn’t the surprise.

So there I was walking deep in my thoughts, deep in my prayers, alone, in the dark, surrounded by silence except for my mumbled prayers. Then, under the canopy of trees, nothing. 

Everything stopped. No praying. No more steps. Silent and frozen in place, I turned and looked to the east, speechless.

I don’t believe things happen by chance. I believe that even in ordinary everyday happenings there’s a plan, a purpose, a design by God. At times we can say, “Ah, that was a God thing.” Other times we’re left scratching our heads wondering.

This morning as I gazed at the rising waning crescent moon, I gasped. The moon’s beauty caught me by surprise. I was speechless. The slim, orange, lunar slice appeared huge on the horizon.  Balancing on one tip, the crescent was perfectly framed by the trees. I was in awe. I was at the right place at the right time to experience a remarkable celestial event.

Things happen for a purpose.  It was this unexpected, surprising bit of God’s handiwork this morning that reminded me that I don’t walk alone. He is always with me. Surely, today’s gift of unexpected delight.

“The heavens declare the glory of God.” Psalm 19:1

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The following picture, taken with my phone, in limited light, with cold shaky hands doesn’t do justice to what I experienced. I thought I’d include it anyway.

It Was Time…

On By dklinegIn Other Stuff..., Square Inches, Unexpected DelightLeave a comment

I decided. Last night. Out of desperation?  Perhaps.  Considering the prospects of another day forecast to be cold, dismal, wet. A Saturday, no less. Empty. Gray.  I decided.

It was time.  Time for a change.  After a long week.  A week of closeting in the house.  A week of early to bed.  Late to rise. Random needed naps in between. A head full of who-knows. Blowing my nose. Sneezing to the world, “I am sick and I don’t like it!”  After a woe-is-me week. It was time. 

I decided that it was time for a change.  Since the road to my recovery seemed imminent. I decided it was time to venture out.  Not far.  Just a 100 foot radius.  Just the yard. And not alone.  

I decided that after a miserable week it was time to venture out, with my camera. It was time, once again, to try the 5 – shot challenge.  Would it be possible to photograph five things in my yard on a gray Saturday that would be worthy of publishing in this blog?  What could there possibly be that would pique my interest, that would be noteworthy on such a day as this?

The morning greeted me with a snowy surprise. Here’s some of what I found.

It was time. Indeed, it was time again to remember and enjoy, amid the challenges, that each day is God’s gift.

It’s January – Unexpected Delight

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My walk was about to end. Thankfully so.  For over an hour, the morning’s brisk air poked at my cold, rosy cheeks and as I wandered along the path, I wondered, “What am I doing here?”  Brrrr…  

My car waiting in the parking lot offered the promise of warmth. The end was in sight.  But, then, I stopped. A flurry of activity caught my eye. In the middle of a scrubby bit of brush that was all twigs and a few berries clinging to bare branches there were … Robins!

Really?  Robins in Michigan, in January?  In the middle of a short burst of snowflakes, a half dozen robins, feathers fluffed to insulate against the winter cold, plucked frozen berries from the branches for their breakfast.

Robins!  Imagine that!  I thought I had seen my last robin months ago.  Yet there they were in the middle of January, no less.  Is spring just around the corner?  Why did they come back so soon?

Then I realized that they never left.  Even though I missed them and thought they were gone, they’ve been around all along.

What was I doing here? Without realizing, walking this path, I was opening myself up to the delights of God’s world. In spite of the blustery January morning, this week’s unexpected delight came in the form of ones who were gone, at least in my mind, yet never left.  Today’s delightful gift.

This photo was not taken in January. I could well have been the same bit of shrubbery. It’s probably not the same robin. But who knows. 🙂

Something

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This morning 

There’s something about the relentless wind

There’s something about the stinging sand

There’s something about the rolling water, the crashing waves

There’s something about being there

…To hear the relentless wind

…To feel the stinging sand

…To see the rolling water, the crashing waves

There’s something humbling in all this…

It’s knowing that the One who holds the wind, water and waves

Loves us more than we can know

“More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord!”

Psalm 93:4

Today’s gift.

An Advent Moon

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This morning as I walked, the waning crescent moon winked in and out between spotty predawn clouds.  Maybe you saw it too.  It’s the same moon here as there.  A waning crescent.

The crescents are my favorite.  The flashy full phase is fine, too.  However, the delicate fine features of that tiny, frail sliver of light  make me smile.  That’s what I saw this morning.  I smiled.

That illuminated crescent is slowly going away though.  Each day it’s getting smaller and smaller, until one day, poof it will be gone!  No more moon.  At least that’s what it looks like.  

Yet, the moon is still there.  All of it.  Even during the crescents.  Look closely.  It’s all there, the complete sphere.  It’s just not terribly obvious sometimes. It takes some looking. 

Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent.  Once again, for those who commemorate such things, it began a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming of the Savior, Jesus. The celebration culminates on Christmas Day.  Sadly, for many, after all the hoopla surrounding the holiday passes, our interest in the birth of the Christ Child and even the Christ Child himself wanes until one day, poof, it’s gone.

Here, on these cold, clear, crisp Michigan mornings, the beauty of the crescent moon presents itself.  And even though it’s light dims for a time, the moon is still all there.  The Good News of Christmas is, even though our faith may dim, the One whose birth we celebrate again, is always here.  That’s one of the names we know him by – Immanuel, God with us.

Today’s Gift.

The Mystery Poem

On By dklinegIn Other Stuff..., Unexpected Delight1 Comment

It’s a rainy Saturday here and I’m shuffling through some old things that I’ve written long ago. Tucked away in an old folder, I came across a poem that I had typed out all nice and neat waaaaay back. Who knows when?  Who knows why?

On the bottom of the page there was a note I had handwritten. “Who wrote this?  Did I?”   Apparently, there had been another rainy day when I’d done similar things and had similar thoughts about this particular poem.

I didn’t want to toss this out until I did some research, which of course meant, I Googled it.  So, I searched by title.  I searched by subject.  I even directly quoted the whole poem.  No hits. I found nothing that said that somebody else had written this or even thought about writing such a thing.  So, I’m laying claim to it.

To be sure, there’s nothing notable, earthshaking or life changing about this little ditty.  It’s just that I like it.  It makes me smile. It’s what I needed, a little bit of nonsense to brighten a rainy Saturday. 

Today’s gift.

Emperor Penguin

I am the king of all I see.

I am the monarch of all ice, see.

I am the sovereign of the icy sea.

I am the king of all I see.