A Bitsy of Imagining

Imagine with me for a moment that you have just been awakened by your alarm. You turn it off, roll over, and slide out of bed unenthusiastically.
On with the work clothes, and after a cold splash on the face- off with the sleepiness.
Breakfast has to be eaten, so you pour a bowl of cereal.
Now you pull on your shoes and head for the front door, give the knob a twist and open it.
A warm honeysuckle smell is the first thing greets your cold senses; the sun is bright and cheerful; green trees wave their full branches because they are glad to see you; soft grass spreads out as far as you can see; and a cool creek flows to the brimful a few steps away that makes your mouth feel thirsty and your feet dry just to hear it.
But before you can even realize what you are seeing, a new object arrests your eye: it is a tall, healthy tree that is bursting with so much life, the bark is round and full and every leaf is green and strong. What a wonderful tree, and in fruit season! There are no bugs or worms to spot these perfectly-colored peaches.
In your amazement, the first thing you decide to do is take off your shoes and wade in the creek while enjoying a delicious and juicy snack! Then you eat another tasty snack, and climb the tree, and wade in the creek again, and roll in the grass.
After a long while, the sun has set and the sky changes to a velvet night studded with diamond stars.
The air is warm, and the creek cradles you to a naturally sweet sleep under the powerful protection of the great tree to a watery lullaby.

The first psalm says that the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night, being not ungodly or sinning or scorning, is like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings his fruit in season like a tree without a withering leaf. Whatever he does prospers.

Domestic Newsflash

 I have taken thought-leave of my blog for a little bit, but it is now high time for an update.
Cori’s wedding was lovely! This is her telling me that I could put all her reception flowers in my bedroom. Wasn’t that sweet? Mom insisted the fading blooms had to be sorted today- our twelve full bouquets in blue jars thinned to three modest arrangements in clear glass.

Now that life is quite back to its common state, we have time to make subtler changes to our home such as: put up the party lights! We do this almost every summer- take leftover Christmas lights to strand from tree to tree in our circular island before the house. It's perfect, elegant lighting over tea or coffee or conversation or even croquet! Only this year, I procured colored lights! And we threaded them from the girls’ back bedroom window to the studio porch! When I see them bouncing in the woods, it looks quite like a fairy trail to a lost nocturnal world. And then I remember that it’s just Candle working at night.

I finally made granola again. Last year I made it so much that we lost all taste for it. Every family seems to have a special recipe. This is mine:

A heap of oats
A smaller heap of shredded coconut
A little heap of crushed organic Cinnamon Harvest Kashi cereal
A large handful of crushed corn square cereal
A handful of slivered almonds
Some dried cranberries
A spoonful of cinnamon
A little oil
A cup-full of warm or thinned honey
Mix it all together in order of appearance very well until the oil and honey are thoroughly mixed. Bake on 400 until lightly browned. Stir around and brown again twice or three times. Then scrape into a bowl and add some raisins. Stir and break up when it’s cooled.
I like it best over vanilla yogurt.

It’s a wonderful thing when God shows himself to a person in a new light, with a new thought, like a new tune on a new instrument- it’s beautiful. That is what God has been doing with me. The funny thing is this: God is everywhere and in everything that He created and authorized, so why do I find it amazing when I simply remember it?

‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage
And He shall strengthen thine heart.
Wait, I say, on the Lord!’