Pinheads and Poets

I was reading about our newly-named Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin, an 82-year-old Maui recluse who started writing hymn lyrics when he was only five. He credits Ezra Pound for encouraging him to write 75 lines of poetry daily. It's difficult, at least at first, as I've tried. Much easier for me to write prose than attempt poetry as one thinks poems should be more esoteric, prompted by deep, inspired thoughts. David, the shepherd who became King, wrote a lot of poetry - some joyful, some from the depths of despair. I love his Psalm 8 which begins and ends with this: "O Lord our Lord, how Excellent is Thy name in all the earth!" Three verses later he writes a verse that I took as the name of an artwork I did (not the one pictured above which is a detail of a print I adore but did not do). The verse: "What is man that Thou are mindful of him?" In my painting there is a wee pinhead man looking heavenward. David's awe-inspired and humbling question echos today but I for one am very thankful GOD loves pinheads and poets equally.

Where Have You Been?

Where have you been? Just heard that the other day in reference to my Encouraging Words blog. I have no good answer. Life gets in the way sometimes but that doesn't mean we don't need Encouraging Words - in act, probably need a whole lot more, right?

I look through my journal - 2010 volume 2, and see so many wonderful encouraging words that I've transcribed during my morning quiet times. I'll share a few with you, willy-nilly. I also pledge to be more faithful in sharing these!

"...nor trust in uncertain riches, but in The Living GOD who giveth us richly ALL THINGS to enjoy!" I Timothy 6:17

After that entry I wrote: Doesn't He? Yes, He does. Look around you and see what He's given you to enjoy.

Another one: "GOD is our Refuge and our Strength, a very Present Help in trouble." Psalm 46: 1 which ends with another one I love: "Be still and know that I am GOD."

That's my re-entry into Encouraging Words. Encourage one another!!

PHOTO: Taken last week: A morning image on my dining room ceiling. Couldn't resist it!

Cloaking Device - Old and New

I am a lover of science - physics both mystifies and intriques me. I'm also a keeper of magazines that I mean to get around to reading, thus recently I picked up a 2008 Discover Magazine. In it was a piece about invisibility cloaks - concealing objects from anything that travels as a wave. Fans of 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars' know them as cloaking devices. Its no longer science fiction as scientists have engineered metamaterial to cloak items - bending the incoming waves of light or sound (submarines can hide from sonar - the unfortunate concert goer behind a column can still hear the music). Reading that I thought of how we, as Believers, have our own cloaking device - the love of GOD surrounds us and protects us. We will not always be free from physical or emotional harm, but the cruel barbs and arrows of the enemy that would affect our Soul are deflected through GOD's love and compassion. I think of David as a boy who came against the giant and heavily armed Goliath. He said "Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear and a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts." He is our shield - or cloaking device. "For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in his pavilion." Psalm 27:5
PHOTO: Prescott Spring Iris

Twittering Revelation - Go Figure

I'm working on an article about a local pastor who is tweeting on the book of Revelation! To me, Revelation has always been a scary book, though I've often said sometimes reading the front page of the newspaper is like reading Revelation (and yes, it is singular despite common usage as plural - Revelations.) As part of my research, I opted to read the first chapter of this last book of the New Testament - akin to dipping my toes in a chilly stream. Found a verse I loved, and one I'd read before I'm sure but nevertheless, it moved me. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," said The Lord, which is and which was and which is to come." Revelation 1:8. Take this with you today and have a great one!
Photo is part of my Artes de Calle series - rusty metal pieces found in out-of-the-way places.

Bikers and Bibles

A recent article I wrote dealt with the Black Sheep Harley-Davidsons for Christ organization - an international group of committed Christian bikers who minister to Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) members and other motorcyclists. The passion of the Arizona regional director Tom Anthony and his wife Tina, one of the first women chapter presidents (there are still only 3 worldwide) is palpable. My lead mentioned they not only wore leather but carried it in their saddlebags (their Bibles). They spoke of how ministering the mercy of GOD to folks who might never go inside a church propelled their mission (though a membership prerequisite for all Black Sheep is they attend a local church ). Mercy of GOD got me to Psalm 136 with its 'call and response' refrain. "For His mercy endureth forever" is repeated in all 26 verses!

Verse 1: O give thanks unto The Lord: for His mercy endureth forever!" and verse 26 "O give thanks unto The GOD of heaven: for his mercy endureth forever!" Its a wondrous read and I encourage you to check it out. Regardless of where we are or what we've been, we can be assured "His mercy endureth forever!"

Photo is a budding ornamental plum tree in Prescott. Don't you LOVE spring??

Unsung Heroines of the Nile

After Saturday's 'Ten Commandments' movie, I decided to do a bit more research on Moses and that time.
In my reading I found two very-much unsung heroines: Shiphrah and Puah. Heard of them? If I had, I certainly didn't remember but these two Israelite midwives were brave women.
Worried about the increase in Israelites in Egypt - where they'd been invited to live during Joseph's time as he was the then-ruling Pharaoh's top man - the new Pharaoh told these two midwives to kill every baby boy born to their countrywomen. "But the midwives feared GOD and did not," says Exodus 2:17. When Pharaoh called them to the palace to ask why they said,"The Hebrew women are not as Egyptian women, for they are lively and deliver ere the midwives come." Smart. Of course Pharaoh eventually ordered the people to cast every son born to them into the river, but as we know, Moses' mother put her own spin on that ruling, prefering to place him in a river-ready basket before putting him in at 3 months of age. The rest, they say, is history..or movie.You might enjoy reading Exodus 1-3 for a bit more background. Photo herein makes me think of what the Nile may have looked like but in fact was taken last week at Tucson's Aqua Caliente Park. A true desert oasis.

Moses and the Big 10

On Easter Eve, for the first time in my life, I watched the 1956 movie "The Ten Commandments". Most of you have probably seen this Oscar-winning Cecil B. DeMille epic, but I never had. Though ABC aired it the same night, I watched it on a digitally-remastered DVD and was enthralled. Some liberties were taken, doubtless, but it was nevertheless quite moving - especially the Passover scene as recounted in Exodus, chapter 12 and the crossing of the Red Sea in chapter 14. This morning, I read Psalm 113 and was taken by the fifth and sixth verse which reads "Who is like unto the Lord our GOD who dwelleth on high; who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in earth." Isn't that what happened with Moses and the Israelites? Isn't that what happens with us? Verse 7: "HE raiseth up the poor out of the dust and leadeth the needy out of the dunghill that HE may set him with princes, even the princes of His people." Aren't you thankful GOD still beholds us, raises us up and leads? Me, too.
I took this photo of the Ten Commandments erected in the Library Park of Yuma, Arizona in 2007. I learned today it is still there. Cool.