Till the Bats Dance

It has been spiritually unsettling travelling in & out of town so much, with guests in between. Last night, I took a candle lantern down to the dock & spent some time making a heart-shaped basket of kudzu vines &, of course watching....God was painting the sky & it's my favorite time to meet with Him. Sitting on the water, I am literally surrounded by the colours. I wove & watched until long past the bats began to dance. The usual 2 in this area, were joined by a 3rd ... offspring? (There is at least one bat in this last image, if you can spy him.)


I returned home through the darkened forest by lantern's glow. I continued my therapeutic weaving, wrestling, & praying amidst fires' glow at home.

New Tenants

The day I was to see my sleep doctor I didn't have energy for much of anything. I sat on the deck & watched a pair of our wrens build a nest 9' away from me. Babies themselves, they are among those who were raised in our carport. They built their nest in a basket of geraniums, 30" from our sliding door. It is but 42" off the ground. The male was very timid & took many,many attempts before he would take his gatherings to the job. Momma was much more confident, though she did peek out at me while she worked.


I thought they had given up on the project, once they realized what a high traffic area it is. Yesterday my brother saw them adding to the nest again. Today, a friend of mine discovered a tee-tiny, speckled egg. NowI understand momma's urgency. Hopefully, the parents will return to tend it. (In this last image, you can still see baby spots on it's breast).

Mustard Seeds

Many of the people I know don't just live paycheck to paycheck. They live wondering where the next check of any sort will come from. A lot of them don't believe in God, but strangely enough, blame Him. Those who do believe in God know that He is not the source of their woes and have the deepest faith I have ever been privileged to be around. In my experience these people have witnessed more miracles than those of more adequate means. Things like an unclaimed insurance check suddenly appearing or a "stranger" delivering Christmas with only days to go...Yes, I do believe these are miracles. I call them,"God moments".I believe wholeheartedly that this will happen for you. I believe that God uses our greatest struggles for His greatest purpose.
One must have faith for things to become "miraculous". Most often growth comes through difficulties & hardships. When the disciples implored Jesus to increase their faith, He said it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed.(Luke 17:5-10) When you have exhausted all of *your* resources & only have Him to rely on, it will be time to watch for a miracle. This is not due to a lack of faith on your part; quite the contrary. I know you feel you it can't possibly get any worse~ you already ARE at rock-bottom. You are wondering when & where is He going to *finally* come through~~the closer you get to the edge correlates directly with the depth your faith will grow. It will not go beyond your faith, but it will grow it.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge Him & He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5&6)
You are more blessed in more ways than you realize. I've been there & I know it doesn't feel like it. He has chosen to let it go this far to grow you in your faith. I know you already feel that it has, but it will be deeper & stronger than you have ever experienced before....and how many others will be impacted by your experience?Start thanking Him now.
Get ready & get excited ! You are on the verge of the miraculous !

Summer Breezes

South Carolina's sky is so rich in hue, that is has it's own name. This summer is gloriously dominated by our "Carolina Blue". It is incredibly peaceful to lie in my hammock, under the trees & watch the ever-morphing, cumulous clouds roll by. The forest murmurs in the gentle breezes that carry them, dappling the forest with glistening reflections from the lake. The rise & fall of the cicada's summer song seems choreographed to the moment...& I am lulled to sleep.

Silence is...?

Last week, I had for the most part, 4 days of "silent retreat". It was so spiritually renewing. This is the forest scene I beheld as I enjoyed the soothing, therapy of maintaining the pool. It was peaceful, save for the incessant cries of a young hawk atop the tallest tree. Anxious either to be fed, or to be free of it's parental shackles,it's cry punctuated the forest. Once, I nearly found myself cursing the disruption. I caught myself however, knowing that very soon he would travel on to claim his own territory. That very afternoon, I gazed in awe as his momma, (who I have named Sienna) took him on his first open-air flight. They repeatedly flew low over our forest home. I also watched as she tutored him in the art of hunting. Throughout the following days, this pattern was repeated, until now the nest is silent~~~
HA ! HA! As I wrote that last line, the familiar cry of an adult streaked through the sky. It was My Girl, with the missing feather. She & her mate,are making their afternoon hunt~~~ right on time !