Category: Ordinary time

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This weekend was “The Great Backyard Bird Count.” I pulled out my binoculars, bird book, and piece of paper to write down all the birds I saw.

I started watching birds at 11:00 a.m. The first minute or so, my mind swirling with busyness, I didn’t know how long I would last. And then I started noticing the birds … and my mind slowed down. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly [Parent] feeds them” (Matthew 6:26, NRSV). These words from Jesus calmed my thoughts.

The Tufted Titmouse was the first bird I saw at the feeder. And then a Chickadee. These birds swooped in, grabbed a seed, and then flew back to a branch to eat it. A Robin was working her way through the berries on the cedar tree. In another cedar, a pair of Purple Finches were eating bugs from beneath the bark. House Finches, Goldfinches, Nuthatches, all took turns. And then the Red-bellied Woodpecker took over the feeder.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew into the yard and perched near the top of the tree to do some preening. The little birds took a break from the feeders until the hawk moved on.

I stopped watching at 11:30 a.m. Like the birds, I was grounded in the present moment. Grateful for birds and sky and binoculars; grateful to the Creator who made us all.

And — it’s not to late to count some birds … the Bird Count goes through February 21.

A Message from a Rabbit

Each morning and evening
The dog and I walk together
Up or down the road.
We startle a rabbit
Somewhere along the way.

The rabbit bounds away into the woods.
JJ wants to follow it.
I fumble for my camera.

The rabbit says to me:
Slow down. Stay alert.
There are treasures nearby
If only you will pay attention.

Be present right now.
Stop multitasking.
Take five deep breaths
And say a prayer of gratitude.

This moment
Every moment
Is a gift.

Summer Art Market – Purple Elephant Wisdom

Purple Elephant Wisdom Cards

I have contributed several items to the Virtual Summer Art Market at Art & Soul in Nashville, TN. (Art & Soul is an artist’s co-op which supports the arts and creative expression. We offer a variety of classes in a welcoming and inclusive space.)

At the market, you’ll find a fantastic variety of artwork, jewelry, leather handbags, photography and notecards representing thirteen local Nashville artists. I’ve offered several collections of my Purple Elephant Wisdom Cards. You’ll find sets of five or ten assorted elephant wisdom cards, packs of five wisdom cards mounted on colorful card stock (with envelopes), and a full set of 36 deluxe wisdom cards. (Learn more about the Purple Elephant Project.)

The Summer Art Market will be open through August 1. Visit SummerArtMarket.com and support the studio and local artists. We have set a pickup date and location for Sunday, August 2 from noon – 4 at the parking lot of Art & Soul in Nashville. If any purchases are from out of town, you will be able to contact info@summerartmarket.com, and each artist will contact you directly to arrange shipping.

Counting Time

When life has slowed,
And days run into days run into days
I count my time in dog walks and cups of coffee.
I watch the plants,
Reaching toward the sun
Offering beauty …
Blooming, fading, dying away.

When life has slowed,
I count my interactions in phone calls and Zoom windows.
I imagine seeing you,
Our arms thrown around each other in love.
How long until that day?

When life has slowed,
And loss builds upon loss.
We grieve in isolation
Far from comforting rituals.
Wakes and potlucks,
Shared tears and handkerchiefs.
The quiet words of a familiar reading, a favorite song.
The gathering of the family from far and near.

When life has slowed,
And days run into days run into days.
We count the time in sunrises and sunsets,
Breaths in and breaths out.

When life has slowed,
Breathe. Listen. Trust. Love.
We are not alone.

The Unwinding

How strange and wonderful that I can wake up in the hot, humid south and go to sleep in the cool mountains of Colorado.

Today is my first full day of seven here in this beautiful place.

I took two naps after lunch and then walked down by the river to see what was blooming and what I’ve missed in my two-year absence.

I stopped to visit with my favorite wildflower. The shooting star by the river was still there, yellowing and dying back so that it can bloom again next spring.

What comfort to find this place of stability in a world that is ever-changing and often feels out of control.

Now I need to unwind, to let go of the chatter, to be let myself be fully present to this time of rest.

Dear Doughnut Fairy

Dear Doughnut Fairy,

I don’t know who you are, but I wanted to thank you for this amazing gift you left for me this morning with the security guard.

The guard was so responsible. He did not eat the doughnut, but, instead, called me to come get it.

I am so grateful to know that Good Still Exists in this crazy world of ours. And yes, there ARE STILL Magical Doughnut Fairies spreading joy and doughnuts throughout the universe.

Yours, ever-so-gratefully,

Beth

The Least of Creatures

cardinal
I sit at the kitchen table, work,
And watch the birds.
I take a break and snap a picture.

The snow has come
And the birds have nothing to eat.

“Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly [Parent] feeds them.”
– Jesus, Matthew 6:26 (CEB)

Surrogate “heavenly Parent,”
I keep the feeders filled,
The water full,
Even for the birds I don’t care for as much.

What if it was so simple
To care for ALL those in need?
Bless all in need this day.
Bless all who mourn, who fear, who are in danger.
Guide me, that I may be your hands and heart in the world.

The Last Daisy

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I walked by
The last daisy bloom
In the garden at work.

No matter how I might resist,
Change happens.
Every day.

The teachers say,
Do not resist. Accept.
But it’s so hard.

I am attached
To the way things are,
The people I see,
The world I know
(Or think I know).

What if I welcomed
The new, the different,
With the same energy that
I resist?

Welcome, fall.
Welcome, change.
See what is to come.

Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness.
– Isaiah 43:19, CEB