God’s gifts — Page 22

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 22

October 22, 2012 By Diana

Seemed like time for a survey, of sorts.

Only a very small one, of course.

And maybe not the last one in this series, either.

Today, I am traveling to northern California

for a spiritual directors’ retreat

and will not have internet access until late tomorrow.

So here is just a small sampling of

the ways in which I am saved by Beauty

in this life of mine.

Most of these reflect the wonder of the

natural world around us.

But there may be a few surprises here and there.

A cormorant, low over the water at Summerland Beach.

A roadside stop on the way to San Luis Obispo.

The best ice cream in three counties.

The view from the Monastery of the Risen Christ, San Luis Obispo.

Island view at sunset, Highway 101 near Gaviota.

Goats-for-hire, clearing weeds near a winery in the Five Cities area.

A variety of shore birds at the Goleta Slough.

Looking down the coast from the slough.

Hay bales off O’Connor Road, SLO.

Stained glass on the north side of the sanctuary, Montecito Covenant Church.

“Beauty is one of the rare things that do not lead to doubt of God.”

— Jean Anouilh

“You are as beautiful as your thoughts.”

— Unknown

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.”

— Helen Keller

“Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.”

— Psalm 23:5-6

Joining with a few friends as the week begins:

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, God's gifts, photography, The Sea

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 21

October 21, 2012 By Diana

Sitting in the swing one evening about ten days ago, I noticed a little bit of color creeping onto the western edge of the clouds.

So I took a little look around the sky.

Sometimes it’s hard to know which direction to look,
toward the setting sun,
or toward the hills to the east.

The weather was, as usual, changeable.

Hot sun, followed by blustery wind.

Those two together often create ideal conditions

for a beautiful evening sky.

So looking toward the west allowed lovely silhouettes,

especially these king palms, which are one of my favorite
California trees.
Something about them speaks of pre-history,
quiet grandeur.
They also provide hidden homes for scores of birds,
birds of all kinds and sizes, from
tiny finches to screech owls.

But the view from the backyard?
Well, this particular evening,
it was nothing short of spectacular.

The layers of sky and hill upon hill
took my breath away.

Every once in a while,

I feel like God sends me a telegram.

“Look around!” it says.

“Admire my handiwork.

Enjoy the beauty I have given to you,

and to all humankind.

I Am, indeed.

I Am the Author of all things Beautiful.

And here is a hand-signed copy

of my latest release!”

What can I say?

Only thank you, thank you,
THANK YOU.

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, God's gifts, Photo Essay

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 20 AND 5 Minute Friday – LOOK!

October 20, 2012 By Diana

Every Friday, she pulls one out of the hat.

A word or a short phrase.

And we’re supposed to set the timer

and free-write in response to that prompt.

Lisa-Jo Baker is dang good at this prompting business

and a couple of hundred people join in the party

each and every week.

I’m late this week . . . but I’m here, for the first time in several.

Hop on over to her website and check out a few:

Today’s prompt?

Look . . .

GO:

Idou –

a tiny Greek part of speech

that imitates an earlier Hebraic one.

A small word that modern translations

don’t even bother with,

but oh! SUCH a good word.

It means . . . LOOK AT THIS!

And it’s usually translated, “Behold!”

Think about all the places in scripture

where you’ve seen that word!

“the handmaiden of the Lord,”

and “I tell you a mystery”

are the first two that spring to my mind

in these five minutes.

The Incarnation

and the Resurrection,

bookends, in a way,

of our faith,

of our story.

And what a beautiful,

mysterious,

glorious story it is.

And you know what?

I think there are evidences of these ‘beholds’

all around us, every dang day.

We are invited to be the incarnate Word

in the lives of our families,

in the neighborhoods in which we live.

We are encouraged to be Easter People,

shining forth hope

of better things ahead.

And if we stop,

if we slow,

if we open our eyes,

and loose our ears,

and tune our minds —

we can not only look,

but SEE.

The Glory of the Lord

is present in our world,

and in every one of us.

Imagine!

Look!

Behold!

Idou!

STOP

Yes, I thought about this for more than 5 minutes. But I did not write for more than that.

And here, in these pictures, most of them taken with my not-so-smart phone

are some real-life examples of the glory of God made real in this world of ours.

LOOK. SEE. BEHOLD.

A lone young woman, journal in hand, sitting on the wide sand, looking. Looking.

Off in the distance, a cruise ship –

. . . a reminder that sometimes we might feel invaded

by uninvited tourists making demands

upon our time, energy and resources.

But.

Every person on a cruise ship is also made in the image of God, whether they know and acknowledge that or not.

So maybe I need — in general — to be more welcoming,

and gracious to those who feel to me like. . . interlopers?

And sometimes those might even be members of

my own family?

A wide stretch of sand

on a beautiful sunny day.

Behold! The goodness of God.

Friends, neighbors and strangers —

out for a walk, just like I am.

Can I be a grace-filled, smiling co-conspirator

in the joys of life?

And that water, lapping on the sand?

Pure refreshment,

reminder of all things good and lovely.

So, hop on board,

set your sail into the wind,

and see where Ruach* takes you next

But never forget that sometimes

the very best adventures of all

happen under a striped umbrella,

alone on a wide beach,

reveling in the beauty around you.

LOOK!

*Ruach is a biblical word for ‘wind’ or ‘spirit.’

I use it here for Spirit, Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit.

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, 5 Minute Friday, God's gifts, photography, The Sea

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 17

October 18, 2012 By Diana

Since Lilly started pre-school in September,

her grandfather has been volunteering

every week,

on Wednesdays —

the very day we cared for her

for over two years.

He spends about four hours —

helping with stories,

snacks,

lunches,

naps.

He loves it.

I have never known anyone who has such

natural rapport with small children.

Every one of our grandchildren

adores him,

and with good reason.

Today was a field trip –

and I got to go, too.

“The wheels on the bus

go round and round…”

Thirty pre-schoolers,

about a dozen adults,

all of us singing,

doing the hand motions,

anticipating a fun couple of hours.

The day was warm,

HOT, to be exact,

and crystal clear,

as we unloaded

ourselves from the

big yellow school bus.

The Pumpkin Patch

is only a few miles

from the school

and is small and compact.

Thank goodness!!

Have you ever tried

to corral 30 small persons

around a large open field?

In we marched,

and Lilly found

Poppy’s hand just as

soon as she could.

Everyone filed into the shade

for a presentation

about pumpkins, gourds,

and Indian corn.

These two little girls – our Lilly on the left,

and Carolyn, on the right,

were born on the same day,

just hours apart.

And the director of the pre-school

was in the waiting room with

all the grandparents.

Each of these cuties

has an older sibling

who was a student at the school

at the time of their birth.

I have no memory of ever

seeing a school administrator

at any of my kids’ births!

After learning about fall veggies,

and enjoying a much-needed cup

of cold water and a snack,

the kids were let loose to pick a pumpkin.

Lilly chose a small, compact one

and her teacher happily wrote her

name on it and put it in the class wagon.

Trying to get a class photo was interesting.

And fun.

The two girls in the center of the front row,

that’s our girl and her BFF, Alice.

They truly love each other,

hugging when they meet,

choosing to sit together often,

sharing long connections

through their parents and

older sisters –

all of whom are friends.

For the purposes of this 31-day challenge,

I could wax eloquent

about how much beauty this

small person has brought into our lives.

And before this month is over,

I most likely will do so.

But tonight?

Tonight I want to celebrate the

beauties of friendship,

the joys of shared history,

the ties that connect

people over time

and life experience.

We are designed for community,

and it shows up very early.

I was delighted to see these lovely threads

winding between two small girls,

not yet three years old.

One of the most beautiful things

I’ve seen all day, in fact.

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, family, God's gifts, Santa Barbara

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 16

October 17, 2012 By Diana

It was darkening by the time I returned from the store.

That’s happening a lot earlier these days,

and I am not pleased.

I love the sun.

I love a reasonable amount of heat.

I like long days,

with lingering sunlight,

lengthening shadows,

sunset coloring the sky for a good, long while.

So as much as I enjoy the onset of fall-ish weather,

and as glad as I am to re-enter some

semblance of a schedule with the

start of the school year,

there is a part of me that feels

a little bit lost,

and a slow, creeping sense of sadness

as the dark claims more and more of the day.

But in just the two minutes

that it took to drop my purse on the bed,

look for an anticipated email,

(it wasn’t there),

and rattle down the list

in my head of what needed to be done

in the next 45 minutes,

I glanced out the screen door

and saw this glorious spilling

of crimson,

lightening and brightening the

growing gloom of too-early nightfall.

The last gasp of summer,
radiating hope
and light and
stunning, stop-me-in-my-tracks beauty.

What is it about red roses?
Something about the depth of color,
the strong, familiar scent,
the sturdy call to pay attention?
I’m not entirely sure,
I just know I love them,
and they always stir
something joyful in my spirit.

I like them best
when they’re on the bush,
lending their glamour to the garden,
forcing me to look,
and to look again.
It seems almost a sacrilege to cut them,
although I do it from time to time.
Even red roses need pruning,
dead-heading,
trimming back.

And soon enough,
this one will be trimmed, too.
But right now,
tonight,
when I’m pondering
a proposal that surprised me,
wondering if this is what’s next
on God’s plate for me,
I will enjoy their vibrant cry
for my attention.

Red is the color of hope,
I’m told.
And of life.
It is a scarlet thread that weaves
its way through scripture
and my life,
splashing passion,
crying ‘courage!’,
promising good things ahead.

Joining with Jennifer, Duane, Emily and Ann tonight:

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, God's gifts, personal journey, photography

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 15

October 16, 2012 By Diana

So there are some days in which

beauty takes you by surprise.

I had a doctor’s appointment today –

not usually something that comes

even remotely close to being beautiful.

But for just a moment,

I spotted it.

“You look really good today,”

the cardiologist told me

when I went in to see him

for follow-up to a change

in blood pressure meds.

“Your numbers are exceptional.

I’ll see you in a year.”

That was a spot of unexpected

beautiful news.

And I had about one hour

after that appointment,

and before my next one.

I chose to spend it

in my second ‘office,’

reading through a couple of days

in a new devotional guide,

recommended by my friend, Nancy Franson,

and prayerfully pondering future writing

themes and projects.

This is “my” spot on the bluffs, overlooking Butterfly Beach.

From the front of my traveling office space,

this is the view.

Shifting just slightly to my right,

brings in this one, which is a little bit less dramatic.

And this is the view to the rear of my work space.

Not too shabby.

We have been blessed to see some of the most beautiful

coastlines in the world –

the Garden Route in South Africa,

the Amalfi Coast in Italy,

the Italian Riviera,

the north Atlantic seaboard,

from Connecticut all the way up to Nova Scotia,

the Caribbean shores of St. Thomas and Mexico,

the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Baja,

and the entire Pacific Coast of North America,

as far as Alaska and the Yukon.

And this right here?

This is at the top of the list.

And I can drive here in five – count them FIVE – minutes.

Thank you, Lord.

I will admit this about being surrounded by such beauty –

I can easily be distracted.

Take today, for example.

This was a day for boats,

a subject about which I know very little indeed.

My friend, Sheila Lagrand, might be able to tell you a lot more about that particular subject,

though I doubt these photos will give her enough

info to identify what type of boats

I was watching today.

This one was very purposeful,

heading toward waters down

the coast. (You’ll note that I did not say

heading south down the coast. That is because

our funny peninsula here faces south

rather than west, so it gets a little weird

if you say you’re heading ‘south.’)

This tiny guy, however, was content to just drift a bit,
taking in the sights,
enjoying the beauty of a suddenly balmy day
after a tender taste of real fall weather late last week.

Then a bit bigger boat came into my sight line,
looking sleek and intentional.
Again, he was heading down the coast.

Suddenly, the meandering mellow guy
began to rev up the engine,
and before I knew it,
I had an interesting shot –
the islands in the distance,
the oil derricks in silhouette,
and two ships, passing in the daylight.

And just before it was time to move my office
to a parking spot in front of a favorite restaurant
(yes, lunch with a friend is an appointment, right?),
one final flourish from a small craft heading up the coast.
Perhaps this was the first guy heading home?
Perhaps this was boat number 4 in 40 minutes?
Perhaps it was time for me to put the camera DOWN,
and write a bit?

I did grab a few ideas here and there,
and quite possibly some of those will
show up here or at
A Deeper Story/Deeper Family/Deeper Church.
Who knows?
All I know for sure is this:
today’s office visit(s)
were rich with reminder
that I am – truly –
being saved by beauty as I walk through each day.
O Lord, may I have eyes to see!

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, God's gifts, personal journey, Photo Essay, Writing

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 14

October 15, 2012 By Diana

After all the dramatic weather of the past few days,

today brought clear skies

and warm temperatures.

Our small group did its monthly thing,

gathering at our home.

And on this fall day, October 14, it was still more

than warm enough to meet in the yard.

These are such good people,

so dear to us,

and we enjoy our 2-hour window

for sharing and prayer,

sipping cool (or warm) beverages,

enjoying a few sweet or savory treats.

Every one of us carries around

some points of concern and struggle;

every one of us finds moments

of grace and redemption

even in the middle of the messy.

The theme of our morning worship

carried over into our conversation a little bit.

We looked at the story of the rich young ruler

and the call to surrender,

to let go of all those things

that bind us and keep us

from fully following Jesus.

I don’t like that story very much.

It hits a little too close to home, you know?

But today, I liked it just a bit better.

We pondered the line,

“Jesus looked at him and loved him,”

in juxtaposition with the

end of the story –

when the young man sadly walks away.

Ever wondered why Jesus

didn’t do what we might be likely to do?

Soft-soap the deal?

Make a different offer?

Do everything in our power to

change this potential great-leader-for-the-kingdom’s mind?

Yeah, me, neither.

But today, I did think about it.

A lot.

And here’s what I’ve come to:

Jesus looks at us and loves us;

Jesus invites us into a full-bodied relationship

of community and action;

Jesus loves us too much to either force us to follow

or to back-pedal about what it might cost us to do so.

So, as I cleaned up the kitchen

after they left this afternoon,

as I rested and caught up on Facebook,

as I took my walk and spied

this glory on the Carpinteria foothills –

I asked God to help me to want to let go.

To let go of . . .

how much I love living where I live;

how much I adore my grandchildren;

how controlling I can feel inside,

wanting to ‘fix’ everyone’s problems,

not trusting that God’s got it – no matter the outcome.

Because we all have those things that trap us,

and bind us,

and keep us

from becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

What are yours?

“Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the earth and all living things join in.

Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD.

For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with fairness.”

Psalm 98:7-9, NLT

Joining with a few friends tonight – Michelle, Jen, Ann, Laura and L.L. to name a few:

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, biblical reflection, community, God's gifts, personal journey

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 13

October 14, 2012 By Diana

When I spend time in my daughters’ homes,

I am reminded of many things.

First and foremost,

of how very well they mother their sons.

And secondly,

how they have taken some of my

patterns and traditions and

greatly improved upon them.

I was – once upon a time – a great

seasonal decorator.

I saved art work for years and put

up my children’s creations

for every holiday.

I shopped the sales at Michael’s

and gathered a lot of

decorative detritus

that we used for a long time.

Joy is doing the same thing.

And she is doing it so much better.

Her sons love this tradition

and beg her to pull out the bins

and put up the cute stuff.

Take a little look.

The manzanita branch

is used with a different set

of hanging ornaments for Halloween,

Thanksgiving, Christmas,

Valentine’s Day,

St. Patrick’s Day,

Easter.

And every one of her Mission style door frames

has a decorative object or arrangement

that fits the season.

These photos only capture a little of the fun,

and in about 3 weeks,

they’ll be switched out for

Thanksgiving decor.

This is the beautiful family room they added

about 10 years ago.

A lot of good memories have been made here.

Their home is always open for

friends,

family,

church youth groups,

neighbors.

They are superb hosts,

unfazed by groups sized anywhere

from 3 to 50.

I stand in awe.

And pictured below is our home-away-from-home

whenever we come down to see my mom,

who lives about 30 minutes from them.

This is where Dick stayed from Tuesday through Thursday

every week for ten years while he worked

in southern California before he retired in 2010.

Here is one of the really great things about retirement:

our schedule is flexible.

Packed and ready to return home last night,

we discovered that two of our grandsons

would be playing basketball games

as part of the YMCA fall season

this morning.

So, we unpacked,

enjoyed dinner & some good conversation,

and woke up just in time

to go to Griffin’s game at 9:00 a.m.

Griff plays with the 5-6 year old team –

half court, no score,

frequent substitutes.

He is one of the older members

of his 4-person team

and for the first time in his life,

one of the tallest.

He is a dedicated b-ball player and

it shows.

Good game, Griffin!

This is his team.

Holding his team treats after the game.

Colby is 11 and one of the younger and
smaller members of his 11-12-year-old team,
but he is scrappy and quick
and played well today.

Big brother Wesley and little brother Griff on the sidelines,

otherwise occupied.

Colby had a bigger team, they played the full court,
they kept score.
And they trounced the opposition.

Colby played most of three quarters,
and in between
sat on the sidelines
sucking down water.

And a picture of Colby with his after-game snacks,
but apparently,
an 11-year-old is a little too sophisticated to smile.

The trip home was spectacularly clear after that volatile
thunderstorm blew threw the area on Thursday.
These are the foothills in Ventura,

and a quick shot of a small slice of Halloween on the highway,

This is our favorite 20 acres on the side of the road north,
where we’ve watched strawberries,
lettuce,
tomatoes,
beans,
and now berries-under-plastic
thrive for sixteen years now.

And then, around the next bend, we begin to see the coast,
and we know we’re almost home.

Every single time I make this trip,
I am grateful
to live where I do.
Close proximity to the ocean
is nourishing to me in ways
I cannot put into words
and I am still amazed
that God brought us to this place.

I have loved every place we have lived –

six months in a 1-bedroom apartment

in Santa Monica as a newly-wed college student;

six weeks in a single room at a

Christian camping center

right after graduation;

a concrete block 3-bedroom house

on the savannah of central Africa

for two years;

an apartment in West Los Angeles

and a rented house in Eagle Rock

when we returned to California;

three homes in Altadena,

each with memories and beauties

all their own.

But this one?

This ranch house we’ve pushed and pulled

and added onto and made to fit us,

this space that God led us to

just as we were ready to

purchase another,

far less desirable place –

this place is a gift of grace

and beauty

that God has used

to save me day, by day, by day.

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, family, God's gifts, Home, photography, Travel

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 12

October 13, 2012 By Diana

This weekend, we are traveling,

heading south to be with family,

in parts and pieces,

for just a day or so.

And as we leave,

the first storm of the season

is building in drama

and beauty.

As we round the curve on the 118,

heading into the hills and canyons

that separate the valleys

San Fernando and San Gabriel,

we can see what we’re heading into.

We have splashes and splitches

on the windshield as we drive

the two hours,

listening to a play-off game on the car radio.

But after we are safely ensconced in our

daughter’s small, cozy guesthouse,

the clouds burst their seams,

pouring water,

hail and something new to our ears,

graupel,

all around us,

looking for all the world like

small pellets of styrofoam packing material.

Time with mom is good.

My brother has made the long trek

from northern CA

and she is delighted to

have her two remaining

children (and her daughter’s husband)

in the same space,

making her laugh til her sides hurt –

even when she can’t quite understand

everything that is being said.

I take a walk in the late afternoon,

around my daughter’s beautiful, old

neighborhood,

filled with Victorian cottages,

bungalows from the turn of the

twentieth century,

and a bounteous buffet

of doors and porches.

This old codger was somehow

both delightfully out of place
and quite comfy
in this collection of
oldies, but goodies.

The street just to the west of our children
is filled with magnificent
old jewels like this shingled glory,

mixed nicely with smaller, more modest
abodes.

This lovely avenue positively defines
the term ‘tree-lined street,’
and is always deliciously inviting.

Turning the bend below the elementary school,
brings a bright row of small charmers,

and the delightful surprise of a healthy,
blooming plumeria plant,
six feet tall and thriving in this
decidedly non-tropical environment.

And this is a garage.
Oh, my.

This small gem, with its bright red door,
stands diagonally across the corner
on the street where we are staying.
When I see it,
it always seems to call out,
‘welcome!’

One more small Victorian on the way up the hill,

and then I’m back where I began,
the charming Sears & Roebuck bungalow,
which our children have tastefully and carefully
enlarged and improved,
and where we are always received
by grace-filled, loving hearts.

I think this front door is my very favorite of all.

The beauty found in
thunder storms,
architecture,
history,
neighborhoods,
city streets
and warm welcome
is saving me
right here, right now.
And I am thankful.

Much longer than usual for the weekend quiet hosted by my friends Sandy and Deidra, but this is what I’ve got for now. I hope to do a simpler one for Sat/Sun, which means I will not quite make all 31 of the 31-day challenge.

Filed Under: 31 Day Blogging Challenge, Beauty, family, God's gifts, Home, photography, Quiet for the Weekend

31 Days in which I Am Saved by Beauty – Day 10

October 11, 2012 By Diana

I’ve been thinking a lot about contrasts lately.

Light and dark,

small and large,

near and far.

And about how so many of those things that we

tend to put into opposition to one another

are not all that opposed after all.

Both things are true,

both sides are instructive,

both realities are beautiful,

each in their own way.

Last summer, I spent two weeks

looking at this view.

Here is the view on a sunny day –

with all the colors popping,

the architectural details sharp,

distinct,

easy to follow,

the palm trees leading your eye out to the horizon.

If you look closely at the wing of the building

that was just outside my window,

you can see that the right side of the roof

looks a slightly different color from the left.

It doesn’t seem dramatic, does it?

Now – here are some similar views,

taken on a foggy morning.

The colors blend a bit more,

nothing stands out,

even the lines of the building

are fuzzier, the trees

fade away into the fog.

There is no horizon to be found.

In the cool of that foggy morning,

I began to see that the two sides

of that roof were quite different from one another.

I am facing due south in this picture,

so the westside of the building is the darker one.

I was intrigued by this and began to draw in

a little bit closer.

The fog was beginning to lift as

I screwed on the telephoto lens,

and this is what I began to see.

An astounding display of lichen,
moss, multi-colored plant life,
clinging like crazy-colored barnacles
to the terra cotta tiles

I found them stunningly beautiful,
especially in contrast to the rich red
of the roof; I was
fascinated by
these green and gray polka dots,
scrambling wildly down the rows.

I would not have seen them at all
if the fog had not rolled in,
forcing me
to take my eye off the horizon,
to stop taking the long view,
and instead,
to pay attention
to what was right in front of my face.

I have spent much of my life searching
toward that horizon,
thinking and dreaming about
what was to come.
One of my major regrets
is that I did not fully appreciate
what was
right in front of my face
while I was living it.

I got better at it over time,
thank God.
But how I wish I had
celebrated the glory
of the single moment
just a bit more,
especially when my
children were small
and I was tired all.the.time.