Yellow. Yellow. Yellow.

I smiled as I prepared a greeting card to mail to Linda, who has been my friend for over 50 years. (I’d chosen that card for her because it had so much yellow on it--and also came with a yellow envelope.) Below my signature, I wrote: “I remember how much you’ve always loved yellow. (You even did your bathroom in that color!) I’m hoping that this card will bring a smile to your face and add a bright spot to your room.”

That card triggered “yellow” memories. For instance, during the four years Linda and I attended the same college, the yellow rose was our class flower. Consequently, we and our fellow classmates sent and/or received yellow roses on special occasions.

I also love the sight of yellow daffodils that often bloom as early as mid-January. I think they add such a beautiful splash of color to winter’s drab landscape.

Although I seldom wear yellow clothing, I do love having that color nearby. Yellow leaves in the fall. Yellow corn on my plate. Yellow lemons on the trees in our yard. Yellow bananas in the fruit bowl. Yellow bell peppers in the garden. Yellow finches at the bird feeders.…

Why? According to Internet sources, most people associate yellow with happiness and spontaneity and gentleness. Some, however, associate yellow with jealousy and cowardice and greed. As for me, yellow helps me feel cheerful (and sentimental). So, I’ll continue to delight in splashes of yellow everywhere God graciously allows me to see them.

Not Alone (poem)

Note: The poem I mentioned in my previous post inspired me to try my hand at writing a poem that describes experiences I've had on beautiful beaches, especially those on the Gulf of Mexico. Please feel free to comment.

Not Alone

 My feet made prints in the wet sand
As I strolled near the ocean's foam.
I marveled at all God had made 
On that island far from my home.

The shorebirds fascinated me,
As did pelicans plunging down
To fill their large, empty pouches
With fish swimming in their playground.

As the breeze restyled my grey hair,
And the sun's rays reddened my face,
I continued on, praising God
For His handiwork in that place.

Sea oats swayed in the gentle breeze, 
And puffy white clouds drifted by.
Seagulls swooped and strutted and shrieked,
While some swimmers toweled themselves dry.

Concerns and fears I’d brought with me
Vanished quicker than morning dew,
As I pondered this awesome truth:
God made me and sustains me, too!

I saw no footprints beside mine,
Yet, I sensed I was not alone.
Awed by His presence near to me,
I praised Him as we journeyed on.
 --Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill, (c) 2021
 
[Jesus said to His disciples:]
"I am with you always,
even to the end of the age."
--Matthew 28:20, NLT
 

Photo courtesy of Upsplash

It's Time to Praise

A few days after I’d taken photos of spring blooms, I read The Making of the Beautiful: The Life Story of Annie Johnson Flint. (She wrote many of the hymns we love, including He Giveth More Grace.)

One of the poems interspersed in the telling of her story is Spring Song of Praise. In it, the poet imagines all of creation being “roused from winter’s chilling dream” and beginning to praise the Lord.

That’s an apt description of springtime, isn’t it? A world that has seemed asleep—even dead—begins to show signs of awakening, signs of coming to life.

Buds and blooms and bees and birds suddenly appear everywhere. And what a delight they are. How the sight of them lifts our spirits. How the sight of them should cause you and me to join them in songs of praise to our Creator.

One of my favorites is This Is My Father’s World.* What’s yours?

* written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock and published in 1901

Set a Good Example!

Day after day, I observed a mama and daddy bird bringing bugs to feed their four hungry baby birds in the nest on our porch. Every time I looked out the window, I’d see one of the parents sitting on a post watching expectantly for an unsuspecting bug to fly by, or I’d see a parent swoop in—bug in mouth—to feed the young ones.

As human parents, we understand the struggle to provide for our offspring, don’t we? We know about the extra—often difficult—things we do in order to meet the needs of those in our care. Although we’re often worn out from working so hard to provide what our children need, we continue to do all we can for them. That’s what loving parents do!

Soon the day comes, as it did for the bird family, when the young ones leave the security of the nest and enter the adult world. Hopefully, they will thrive there. And when it’s their turn to parent, they’re likely to follow the examples we set for them, examples of faithfulness, kindness, dependability, loyalty, love....

And children do model what they’ve heard us say and seen us do. Although some children will behave dramatically different from their parents, most usually follow the example Mom and Dad provided for them. Scriptures such as 1 Kings 22:51-53 (below) confirm that.

Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly imprinting our attitudes and actions on others, especially the younger generation whose minds and hearts are as easily molded as Play-Doh.

May God help us to provide good and godly examples.

Ahaziah the son of [King] Ahab began to reign…
He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD 
and walked in the way of his father 
and in the way of his mother [Jezebel]…
[Ahaziah] provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, 
to anger in every way that his father had done.

1 Kings 22:51-53, ESV

A Kind Word

God's Beautiful World

He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11, NKJV

Especially in springtime, I readily acknowledge the truth of those words that are in the Bible. 

As I look around at the beautiful world God created, I also think about how He continues to keep everything running on schedule—the seasons, the tides, the sun, the moon….

I conclude that God likes orderliness and harmony—not only in the natural world He created but in every situation.  

Therefore, I say to Him, “O Father, help me to love beauty and orderliness and harmony—like You do. Help me to do all I can to create them wherever I am."

Beauty is God's Handwriting

The Creator's Work

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, 

who turns darkness into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who summons the water of the sea

and pours it out over the surface of the earth —

the LORD is his name.

—Amos 5:8, Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Floating Along?

By being stricter with yourself, you will begin to live life more deliberately, on your own terms rather than simply reacting to life the way a leaf floating in a stream drifts according to the flow of the current on a particular day.
~Robin Sharma (Who Will Cry When You Die? p.9)

Prayers of Praise

One day I heard Elisabeth Elliot quote a few words found in the Te Deum (tuh-DEE-um). Being unfamiliar with the Te Deum, I searched the Internet for information about it. I learned that it is an early Christian hymn of praise, possibly written by Saint Augustine or Saint Ambrose in AD 397. The words Elisabeth quoted are translated this way in the Book of Common Prayer:

Sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico--Gulf Shores, Alabama

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy glory.

I plan to memorize those words so that I can readily (and often!) offer them as a prayer of praise to God.  I also plan to read regularly Psalm 104, which is a beautiful hymn of praise. Would you like to do that too? 

Declare!

The heavens declare the glory of God, 

and

the sky proclaims the work of His hands.

~David, in Psalm 19:1

Acrostic of Praise and Prayer

Note: After reading Psalm 25, written by David, I noticed the note at the bottom of page that said “This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.” I’m glad I read the note, since, being totally unfamiliar with the Hebrew alphabet, I wouldn't have recognized the psalm as an acrostic. And…even though I know nothing about the “mechanics” of David’s psalm, I tried my hand at writing the acrostic below, which, of course, is far less excellent than his! But the words came from my heart, as David’s did from his! Dear Reader, would you like to create an acrostic of praise and prayer?

Awesome God,

Blessed forever,

Creator of all,

Desire of the ages,

Emmanuel,

Forgive me for all my sins against you and others.

Give me peace—wonderful, indescribable peace.

Help me to praise You in all I do and say.

I humbly thank You in

Jesus’ name for blessing me, for

Keeping Your every promise, and for

Loving me more than my mind can conceive.

May You be honored and adored both

Near and far.

Open my eyes so that I may see Your

Perfection and purity.

Quietly now I wait before Thee,

Ready to do what You say,

Seeking to please You in all

Things, both great and small.

Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my

Voice—and unto Thee, O LORD,

Will I do my work so that ordinary tasks become ways to honor and serve You.

X-ray my entire being, give me a thorough check-up, and then cleanse Me and heal me.

You, the One who can do ALL things, increase my

Zeal for You—not only for today but also for all the days You’ve planned for me.

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge is one of six refuges in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex located in the Sacramento Valley of north-central California. The refuge is about 70 miles north of the metropolitan area of Sacramento.

In His Time

Several years ago, a friend who lives in Nevada said, “We have five inches of snow on the ground—and more on the way."

“Well, then," I said, "I won’t e-mail you the spring photos I’d planned to send you. I wouldn’t want you to think I was saying, ‘Ha! Ha! We have spring and you don’t!’”

   “Oh, I wouldn’t think that!” she replied. “Go ahead and send the photos. They’ll encourage me!”

   As I scrolled through dozens of digital photos I’d uploaded to my computer, I had a hard time deciding which ones to send. I finally settled on five.

   When I checked my e-mail the following morning, her reply was waiting for me. “The pictures are just gorgeous. Thanks for sending them.  Makes spring feel a little closer for me.”

I knew she was as eager for spring as I was! Early in February I began going outside frequently to check for signs of spring. Once they began appearing, I was so excited. I took pictures, pictures, and more pictures of the daffodils, of the delicate blooms on the flowering almond tree, and of anything and everything that had color!

I don’t know if I could stand to wait until late March or April or perhaps early June for spring to arrive, as folks in colder climates have to do. I’m sure I, like everyone else, would be asking, “Will it ever be spring?”

After the chilly, dreary days of winter, we long for spring, for signs of new life, for splashes of color, for warmer temperatures ...so that we can end our hibernation and get out and about once again.

We long for the time when we can say, “…the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come…The fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Yes, spring is here!” (Song of Songs, 2:11-13a.)

But sometimes we feel stuck in one season—in life, as well as in nature—don’t we? For example, children often feel they’ll be children forever! They long to grow up and do the things big people do. Likewise, people who are battling an illness may see no end to that season.

Whenever we’re feeling stuck in a season, it’s good to remind ourselves of this truth: “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest…A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance… ” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4).

Although we enjoy some seasons more than others, we benefit from experiencing a variety of seasons and cycles, else the Creator wouldn’t have designed them. In fact, we need the harshness and bleakness of winter in order to appreciate the warmth and beauty of spring. As 17^th century poet Anne Bradstreet pointed out, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

So…whatever time, whatever season, we find ourselves in, especially if we’re feeling stuck in it, let’s follow David’s example and humbly say to God, “My times are in thy hand…” (Psalm 31:15, KJV). And then wait patiently for Him to provide the next season--in His time.

© 2012 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill, www.jgaskill.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quoted is from the New Living Translation.

Wonder Everywhere! (Haiku)

One day, I decided I'd try my hand at writing Haiku (pronounced high-koo). I went online to learn more about that kind of poetry and to read some examples. I learned that Haiku (short poem) can be written on any theme, BUT must adhere to a strict format of 3 lines and only three lines, each with a specific number of syllables, totaling exactly 17 for the entire poem.

• Line 1 has 5 syllables (no more, no less)
• Line 2 has 7 syllables
• Line 3 has 5 syllables

Haiku poetry originated in Japan, but has been adopted and adapted by poets in many other nations. The poets use sensory language to "paint a word picture" about a poignant experience, a thing of beauty, or an element in nature, etc. Thus, writing Haiku requires poets (and "wanna be" poets like me) to be observant and appreciative of nature and beauty. 

Here are some of my first attempts—and the photos that inspired them. I won’t win any awards with these little poems, but I had fun writing them. I pray the lessons they contain will “speak” to your heart, Dear Reader, as they have to mine.

Wonder everywhere!

Open my eyes, Lord,

that I may see it.

Beautiful stages!

First the bud and then the bloom—

beauty unfolding.

One of many, yes!

Yet, standing out tall and proud

From among the crowd.

The Creator's Works

One day a week or so ago when my daily Bible reading brought me to the 104^th chapter of Psalms, I came to these words: “O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions. There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great” (Psalm 104:24-25, New American Standard Bible).

Immediately, I recalled places my husband I had especially enjoyed this past May while on a trip to northwestern Nevada and northern California. One place in particular seemed to fit the Scripture passage. So, I mentally returned there to reminisce about what we’d seen and experienced in the Fort Bragg area of California. While standing on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, we’d seen not only the beautiful blue waters of the seemingly endless Pacific, but also two harbor seals sunning themselves and a migrating whale that surfaced just for a moment. We’d been intrigued by men in scuba diving suits who’d managed to get down the steep, treacherous cliffs to search around the rocks for abalone and other creatures hiding there. 

As I recalled such scenes, I realized anew that the psalmist was exactly right in giving the Creator the credit for all the wonders we’d seen on that trip—as well as those we see all around us every day! What a beautiful world He has made!

(c) 2014 by Johnnie Ann Gaskill

Consider the Lilies (and Other Flowers)

Here in the South, Spring came early this year--and, as always, we were glad to see it.

As I write this, it's early April. Yet, so many of the spring blooms have already put on their annual display of splendor and each now lies in various stages of decay at the base of the bush or tree that they adorned.

Since I still yearn for Spring's beauty, I purchased a small container of potted tulips and placed it in a sunny spot on the screened-in porch so that I could enjoy the lovely blooms. One day when they were especially beautiful, I set aside my many chores and went to the porch to photograph them so that I'd have a lasting remembrance of their beauty. In addition to my camera, I brought along a vase that contained a large stem so heavily laden with amaryllis blooms that it had broken off from the main plant. (My husband had spotted it in the yard and brought it into the house, knowing I'd be thrilled to photograph the blooms, as well as enjoy them as they sat on a counter top in the kitchen.)

The minutes flew by as I took close-up photos of the blooms. I was in awe over the intricate details the Creator has placed in each one, even though they would only bloom for a short time and then fall off. As I took photo after photo, I began to think about these words of Jesus that are recorded in the sixth chapter of Matthew, verses 25-33, New Living Translation):

"So I tell you, don't worry about your everyday life--whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet [King] Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you?"

We should believe Him, shouldn't we? After all, as He said to those gathered around Him (and to you and me, as well), "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

Wow! How different our lives would be if we, like the flowers, simply relied on God to meet our needs. We could stop worrying, stop trying to “make things happen,” stop obsessing over “stuff,” and stop being overly concerned with “tomorrow.” If we doubt that God will supply all that we need, we should find assurance as we look at the birds, lilies, tulips, amaryllis blooms—and all of nature.

Fall's First Blush

Like a blush rising in a maiden’s face,
Fall is arriving at her own slow pace.
A hint of color here and over there
Makes me say, “Oooh!” or just sit and stare.
A touch of pale red, a burst of soft gold…
Aaah! Soon these colors will be rich and bold.
As Fall’s blush deepens and spreads day by day,
I like to linger long along my way.
For all too soon Fall’s colors will be gone,
Leaving trees and vines barren and alone.
But, for now, Fall’s lovely blush delights my heart,
Each time I gaze at the Great Creator’s art.

© September 14, 2003 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. For permission to use, please contact her.