Light Coming Through Leaves

Look out!
Look up!
Light is coming through the leaves!

Thank you, God, that I know I am beloved by:
*church on the radio
*remembering an old friend's birthday
*a red-headed woodpecker on the lawn
*walking through the woods
*good and faithful pets
*the smell of lemons
*words of integrity
*a day of rest
*praying for Victor
*turning the page in the love book

With gratitude,
Sally

Be My Bridge

One day
as I was sitting
on a bench
by a stream
at Green Bough
drawing the plank bridge
I had just walked across
I heard God say
"Be My bridge."

Thank you, God, that I know I am beloved by:
*early morning sounds of birds singing
*Victor being interested in what I love
*slow Saturdays
*laughing and crying with Margaret as she reads to us from her book
*circling this place of prayer with prayer
*alleluia chimes
*a promising letter for Joseph
*listening
*releasing clutter
*beautiful Margaret wearing my pearls

With gratitude,
Sally

Solitude

"Once we have had a sufficiently intense dose of solitude,
from then on we know by personal experience
the necessity and the value of solitude.
After we have been sought out
initially by solitude,
we are then drawn spontaneously
to seek it out.
Gradually,
the need for solitude
parallels that
of eating and sleeping."
(from The Way of Spiritual Direction)

Thank you, God, that I know I am beloved by:
*Friday morning prayer and "the grace of new beginnings"
*circling this place with prayer
*birds bathing
*four tiny baby birds where there were just four little eggs
*a great spot for the pair of cool circular side tables
*Little Darlin' walking with me
*driving JV on another Friday morning
*a day to do what needs to be done
*a cushion and a footstool and a window to the backyard
*remembering Mama

With gratitude,
Sally

After the Storm

On the third of July at Tybee
a storm came up during supper.
Darkness suddenly fell
except for flashes of lightning.
Thunder rumbled close by.
The dogs were shaking
and searching for shelter.

But the storm passed.
And as I walked out on the upstairs porch
to sit on the swing
I spotted a section of a rainbow
slipping through the clouds
as a ship headed out to sea.

Thank you, God, that I know I am beloved by:
*everyday signs and wonders
*books delivered to my door right on time
*the promise of small groups
*Joseph grilling hamburgers on Amber's birthday
*going to get the stump with Vic
*hearing good words about Ben
*and then about Margaret
*making progress, even slow progress
*almost all the Grace Girls are coming
*Sister mentioned fondly

With gratitude,
Sally

Happy July Hibiscus

Doesn't this hibiscus blossom sing
"Happy July!"?

Thank you, God, that I know I am beloved by:
*beautiful butterflies wrapping a wonderful birthday gift
*"my sweetest friend"
*filling bird feeders
*fertilizing plants
*finding four tiny eggs in a nest in a fern
*seeing a mama bird (or a daddy bird?) feed two of her/his young birds
*an invitation to pray
*replying that things are better
*Ben going for an interview
*having a large window near my secretary

With gratitude,
Sally