The Promise

The promise of Spring is here

buried under the snow of February.

daffodil buds in snow

The earth awakens from sleep.

Just as Jesus can awaken

the frozen darkness

of your soul

Fall, Winter, Spring

and resurrect it

to life

and beauty

and promise.

daffodil bud in snow

Linking up to iPhriday.

iPhriday Skies



The sky — it fills me with awe — and it fills up my camera roll too.

The electric wire hampers my sunset shots here at the cottage, but I take them anyway.

But sunrise on the other side — there’s nothing but hills and sky and sometimes beautiful color.

 Linking up to Graydaysandcoffee for iPhriday iPhotos.

148. The Cure for Christmas Scrooges

I’ve been feeling rather like a scrooge these days.

The world’s a mess,

it’s dark december,

and why should i buy more stuff to give to people who already have too much stuff

when so much of the world doesn’t have enough…

The cure?

Christmas ornament

Decorate your tree with old ornaments and don’t buy a single new one. Be sure to take pictures of the beauty.

Christmas angel

Go Christmas Caroling at a nursing home; spend your Christmas money on local kids who won’t get many presents; buy hats and mittens and scarves and donate them to the local Salvation Army; buy food for your local food bank; if you go out to eat this season, tip your server generously as a Christmas present; make gifts of food to give away instead of buying things; or alternately, give gifts from Kiva, World Vision, or Heifer International; visit that friend you’ve put off visiting, because you will regret not doing it someday.  I know this to be true.

the cat's tree

And thank God for your blessings. Your health, your wealth, your family, your house, the food on your table, the beauty around you…

Including a well-behaved kitty cat who loves the Christmas tree, and doesn’t bother those low-hanging ornaments.

 

I’m joining up with iPhriday today. Use your iPhone to take some pictures and post about them.