Friday, March 31, 2006

Bud 9


Now that I've rubbed winter's sleep from my eyes, I feel like stretching into the freedom of spring.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Bud 8


The winter coat is opening! 50 degree days are working their magic.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Hymn to the birds


Our church is celebrating “Bird Sunday” this week and I was asked to write a new hymn for the occasion. I have just finished it and am eager to share it. Verse four is the capstone. This is a hymn to ongoing, evolving creation, to God's gift of birds, and it calls all people to work together to care for our planet. Enjoy.


HYMN TO THE BIRDS
By Thomas Wright


Glory to you, O God of all creation.
Who from the dawn of swirling galaxies,
Wrought teeming life from chaos and commotion.
Creation’s song goes on with each reprise.

You send us birds, aloft in every nation.
Soaring on high, our eyes are drawn to heav’n.
On wings of song, flocks welcome each new season.
Bringing fresh life, renewing hope within.

Nighthawk and owl, befrienders in dark places.
Falcon and eagle lifting spirits high.
Swallow and raven call to open spaces.
The lowly sparrow rests within God’s eye.

Just as the hen, her brood is watching over,
God cares for you, and will not let you fall.
So let us join our hands and work together,
Treating as sacred this terrestrial ball.

The tune for this hymn is VICAR, by V. Earle Copes. It is # 178 in the United Methodist Hymnal. You can play the tune below.



Sunday, March 26, 2006

Bud 7


With temperatures predicted to be in the 40's and even up to 50 degrees for the coming week, this may be the last time we see Bud with his winter coat on. You can see that he's about ready to burst forth.
Any day now.


Friday, March 24, 2006

Squirrel accepts challenge

This squirrel is taking on the challenge of defeating my squirrel-proof feeder. He is not easily discouraged, as you can see.



Bud 6




With temperatures rarely above 37 degree all this week, my poor little bud has chosen to remain indoors waiting for warm weather.



This morning I heard blackbirds, chickadees and cardinals.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Bud 5



Waiting for more spring warmth to peal back the shroud of winter.



At least we can enjoy some sounds of Spring. Listen for the Cardinal and rushing snow-melt heading for the Mississippi river.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART




MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE?

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Bud4


The sun is out. It's cold. Little bud is waiting patiently for the return of Spring.

Monday, March 13, 2006


Longing for Spring.

Bud 3


We woke this morning to a reprise of winter. My poor little bud is covered in fresh snow.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Waterfall in Cabela's super store

Waterfall within Cabela's super store.

Cabela's Outdoor store


I stopped at then new Cabela's super duper outdoor store today... along with about a thousand other shoppers and gawkers.





Cabela's has a huge walk-through aquarium.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Here's lookin' at ya...



Move cursor over the picture.

Women

This is your life (if you are a woman) --
  • 1% of the titled land in the world is owned by women.
  • A baby girl born in the UK is likely to live to 81 - but if she is born in Swaziland, she is likely to die at 39.
  • 70% of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty are women and children.
  • 21% of the world's managers are female.
  • 62% of unpaid family workers are female.
  • 9% of judges.
  • 10% of company directors.
  •  and 10% of top police officers in the UK are women.
  • Women comprise 55% of the world's population aged over 60 years old.
  •  and 65% of those aged over 80...

This one is more challenging

Bud 1


I will keep track of this emerging bud over the next few weeks as a way of welcoming spring.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Solve by moving the pieces.Try it

Stay Flexible


Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of Shape.

Friendship

All I can do is to urge you to regard friendship as the greatest thing in the world; for there is nothing which so fits in with our nature, or is so exactly what we want in prosperity or adversity. —Cicero

Monday, March 06, 2006

Be Yourself

To be nobody-but-yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
- e e cummings

Happiness

The three grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Grandma uses grandson's face to teach daughter about the meaning of lipstick kisses

The Power of Imagination

When the imagination and willpower are in conflict, are antagonistic, it is always the imagination which wins, without any exception.” — Emile Coue

http://www.durbinhypnosis.com/coue.htm

Friday, March 03, 2006

EMPOWERING BELIEFS

by Thomas Wright

  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with hope.
  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with courage.
  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with energy, emotional, intellectual, and physical.
  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with the resolve to take action.
  • An empowering belief is one which supports our goals.
  • An empowering belief is one which enables us to tap into our creativity.
  • An empowering belief creates within us habits of intelligent action.
  • An empowering belief offers us the best use of our strengths.
  • An empowering belief offers us the best means of putting our virtues into action.
  • An empowering belief enables us to maximize personal control over our destiny.
  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with a sense of certainty about:
our worthiness as a human being.
our entitlement to get our needs met.
our ability to get our basic needs met.
our ability to overcome misfortune, challenge, and tragedy.
  • An empowering belief is one which provides us with a sense of meaning and purpose for our lives.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

What Children Live With

A child that lives with ridicule learns to be timid.

A child that lives with criticism learns to condemn.

A child that lives with distrust learns to be deceitful.

A child that lives with antagonism learns to be hostile.

A child that lives with affection learns to love.

A child that lives with encouragement learns confidence.

A child that lives with truth learns justice.

A child that lives with praise learns to appreciate.

A child that lives with sharing learns to be considerate.

A child that lives with knowledge learns wisdom.

A child that lives with patience learns to be tolerant.

A child that lives with happiness will find love and beauty.

-Ronald Russell

Prayer for Ash Wednesday



Gracious and merciful God, you call us from the complacency of our warm kitchens, noisy classrooms, comfortable homes and busy offices to the wilderness of radical obedience.  
You invite us to earnestly review our spiritual lives, especially our relationship with you. As we enter this season of sober reflection and quiet contemplation, grant us, we pray:
  • Rigorous soul searching — without despair,

  • Genuine humility — without self-disgust,

  • Honest self-appraisal — without self-hatred,

  • Personal scrutiny — without self-loathing,

  • Contemplative solitude — without social isolation, and

  • Quiet reflection — without turning aside from intimacy.

Do not, we pray, tempt us beyond our limits. Let the challenges of radical obedience bring us close to you as we rediscover our utter dependence on your grace and mercy.
And, most of all, Holy God, bestow on us the simple joy and healing power of authentic surrender.

In the name of him who turned away from fame and fortune to save us all. Amen.