Deep Calls

I love it. I really do. Perhaps if I lived in Seattle or somewhere like that with skies a permanent grey and a dearth of sunshine, perhaps then I would find it tedious and drear. But I do not. I live here in the mono-seasonatic land of So. Cal.  Now do not get me wrong ~ I am NOT SORRY that I live here. I love southern California. I love the fact that even in the heat of summer, if you just can make it to sundown, the ocean breeze will flow in like a sigh of relief. I love the fact that when we get winter storms the snow glazes the mountain on the horizon, staying in the vista and off my roads. We get the beauty -- accessible in a mere hour's drive, if you wish -- but really, not the inconvenience and frustration. I love the fact that we can be at the beach  or in the mountains on a whim of any day. So ~ here, here where we get a bit of rain, here I love the rain. I love the color of the clouds: from gray to grey, steel to silver. I love the trees all washed green. I love ...

quiet and misty, the morning came.  cool and crisp, the air ~ falling from the grey ceiling of the sky ~ held the hope of autumn. perhaps that is what woke her, perhaps that is what called her from her dreams. as she opened her eyes she felt just the gentlest kiss of the morning breeze. the curtains ruffled, billowing playfully. stretching she closed her eyes and breathed in and just held her breath. the spice of autumn leaves crunched by someone's early morning walk mixing with the perfume of fresh made coffee.

it is kind-of in honor of Autumn...I think it still needs some more change...but that is alright now cuz the weather seems to think we need some more change too. 100+ degrees at the end of September is just not ok and really really not AUTUMN. yeah. So here a bit and there a bit. OR I may just do something totally different and then again I may just change it back. I am unsettled. can you tell? No, really, I don't know exactly why. It has something to do with the season refusing to change. I love Autumn. I went outside one day and the air was crisp and I looked up and just above me in my maple tree out back was my first of the season colored leaf. It was red ~ such a garnet, current, cranberry red  ~ just at the edges like the green had dripped out during the night, draining the stifling heat of summer away and leaving loveliness there...then another one...and another one. OH! I had the best day all day ~ just because it was autumn. Yeah, did you catch the "was"? ye...

... that perhaps all the hot air of the political campaign has risen above So.CA and caused the heat wave ... sometimes hindsight isn't "20 - 20", but that people keep looking in the rearview mirror anyway and trying to explain the gridlock ahead

there are events that 'mark' time ~ Alina Agopian was born 9 years ago.... I remember the day when we were chatting online with Alex and he told us that Candy was pregnant; I remember when we went to the hospital and I changed Alina's diaper. And those memories are like a cork in a bottle of memories of those day: the house we lived in, the church we led then, faces and places all tagged with hopes and dreams ~ George Tyree died 3 years ago .... I remember the email telling us he was in the hospital and asking for prayer; I remember the hours of prayer - the church gathered in the gym crying out; I remember the realization that George was fully with Jesus in eternity and . . . no longer here. surreal. those memories are like a bottle carbonated that fuzzes and bubbles and puddles all around the opening:  I remember too that during those days Beth told us she was expecting Seth. And Seth is here and with all the rest he is (and he is so much) one little tingling note w...

I saw a pumpkin last night, one of those cute little round ones ~ the kind you use when you really want to make serious pumpkin pie! It was sitting at the checkout at the store. No, lie: my heart skipped a beat. I felt like a kid who gets a party invitation -- so excited and kind of giggly inside. Then I woke up early this morning. Not so much of a surprise except that it is Saturday and Danny is sleeping over at a friends so I could have slept...oh, till the morning was long gone and I had to decide between lunch and dinner as my first meal. My eyes opened and I thought, "Hmmmm ~ coffee" and I snuck out of bed. So glad I did. While the water boiled I went out into the back patio and was greeted by the crisp, misty morning air of real, genuine Autumn! I looked up at my maple tree and saw my very first Autumn leaf. At the edges the summer green had dripped away leaving the most lovely eggplant shade of purple as a lining. Peaking out behind that leaf was a little...

When something happens        ~ a jarring crash, a shocking catastrophe ~ and we see the hand of God reach in and cover, miraculously rescue and protect, then we glimpse,                                          if for only a moment,  the shadow of ten thousands of ten thousands of days all canopied with a shadow of the protective Providential hand of our loving Father  -- his hand holding us --  keeping us from destruction untold. Thank you, Father. Thank you for all the protections and Thank you for all the things ~ all destruction ~ I know nothing of because You hid me in the cleft of the Rock. "...your life is now hidden with Christ in God" Col 3:3