honoring the process

The Mountain The Blooms

| Shelly

The ground

YOU

walk on

“HOLY, HOLY.”, says the bees.

And all in the forest

concure with the trees.

What’s all your fussin’

what’s all your blame?

Take a walk in nature

do you hear it shame?

Of course not!

We, while beggars

see not the trees

or know the sound of eternity

humming like bees.

It takes a broken moment

forged from deep faith

to see the truth in light

from where all

and all

is right.

Metal your efforts

return to child’s play

for Christ has plans

and Christ has ways.

Now go to the Mountain

walk through the blooms and blaze.

Take the hand of Christ

follow all Christ’s ways.

Join the journey

stop to smell the blooms.

Heaven in your heart and mind

has many

many

rooms.

Divine ambush

| Shelly

My spirit

took the straight path

My feet the winding trail

At each switchback

and level gain

My heart in you

the same

Lifted from the burden

abuse and shame

Free now upon the

Mountain

My heart remains

the same

Divine, the ambush

free

fully yours

Hear the Mighty Mountain

sing now love songs

to the shores

Mount Angel Abbey

| Shelly

The coffee house and bookstore bustle with gentle motion. The aromas are coffee and port. This is not your common coffee house…

I walk to the counter expecting my order to be a medium latte. Instead, I’m greeted with offerings that I cannot pronounce, (yet). There are cocktail coffees made with Monk made Port. There are teas seasoned with the spirits of the vine, oh my!

Sweets made from other Monks or Nuns, held under glass domes seek my attention.

I ask the young woman barista what her favorite is. She says something that sounds like, “Anchorite”. I ask her to make this for me, “Please.”

The dark liquid arrives at the self serve counter. It’s dashed with a sprig of Rosemary. The first sip has me wondering how long I’ll need before I should drive!

Jesus has asked my life to shift or expand in a direction I have not anticipated. All that I knew to be my daily norm, is now another reality. I’m observant and attentive to HIS plan and the part I have upon me to accomplish HIS will.

So raise the glass, and sip the blessings. Life takes new roads and unexpected turns. But it is the life in Jesus that is Forever straight and True.

May your day be blessed knowing HIS work in you is ever present.

Thanks for reading.

Shelly

I’ve left these tiny scrolls for you!

Begin Anew

| Shelly

We seek

We search

We stumble

We fall

and Low and Behold

we discover…

There in the supplication

and our open hearts

we discover anew

thankfully

our Divine path

our Eternal guide

Our Beloved Jesus.

Thanks Given

| Shelly

There are seasonal reasons to be thankful.

I am thankful for the rain that arrived today.

There are national reasons to be thankful.

I’m thankful for the original Americans for their generosity in feeding our ancestors a turkey dinner for which we now celebrate family and thanks.

I am thankful for my kids, my dog Violet, my friends and family.

Primarily I am, as well, thankful because I know who to thank.

That’s a big one for me.

I know who is ultimate, infinite, eternal, loving and close by; it’s Jesus.

There are times it feels like finding a needle in the haystack, seeking God when all about seems like dried hay, while I’m grabbing for straw- that messy, unmanageable and itchy stuff; I still know Jesus is in there waiting for me to glorify him and grace Him with my appreciation and ignore the mess in life.

Today has been a day where I feel I’m covered in a huge pile of loose straw.  I keep finding I’m in a messy haystack but I keep busy seeking Jesus somewhere inside.

When tomorrow comes and we are sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner; let’s ready ourselves to thank the one who brings everything to us.  Be prepared to thank for what is, what is not, what might have been and what will likely never be.  It’s all His and He is using all of this to do His wondrous mysteries for the benefit of us all.

Pretty cool huh?

And a Happy Thanksgiving to All..

Humbleness + Stillness

| Shelly

Some days are for growing.  Some days are for learning.  You can’t always take your pick.

If you are a Christian; you can as well accept the joy in this truth.

Now a story…

She arrives at my door moments after nine political yard signs are dropped off on my porch.  I don’t choose the timing of this.  She couldn’t miss seeing them.

She is my sister through Christ, a beloved friend and a long and dear childhood acquaintance.

I know that her stance on this particular political issue might be different than mine.  She comes in and I can feel an elephant in the room with us.  I suggest we clear the air of this thing before anything else.  As we sit opposite the table (physically and figuratively) I take hold of my stance.  She is much less positioned and even pokes at the side she is leaning toward.  She is brilliant.  I take baby steps to explain my views; yet I feel an urge to be a bit more serious and persistent.

At one point; we feel a presence of grace between us.  I credit this because we both agree to let Jesus be more important than any of this political manmade stuff.  Then she adds…”the horse is already out of the barn.”  I ask the meaning of the phrase.

She leaves a container of homemade Alligator chili.  She is remarkable in this way- full of surprises and unusual gifts.

The afternoon finds me gardening and planting, weeding and watering seeds.  I feel unsettled the entire afternoon, so I thank Jesus.

By the time I arrive home; I know that I had been yearning for an outcome on this political theme.  I was urging for it.

But this morning Jesus was up early teaching me some things.  I sat down and wrote long-arm, a letter to my friend.  It was to share blessings with her and gratitude for her, oh- and thank her for Alligator chili.

By mid-day these words fill a page:

What do you yearn for? For what are you eager?

Humbleness is freedom.  It is free from yearning and free from desire.  It is free from placing hope in future desires.  I give you humbleness that you can be free.

Humbleness is a state of stillness.  It is where thanks can be given, grace received and HIS will accomplished.  It is where HIS spirit is shared.  It is where we give HIM glory.

One gift of stillness is peace. One gift of humbleness is communion.

Today I see the efforts that robbed me of my stillness and peace yesterday.  Today I learn another great thing about God and why he offers us the wisdom to stay humble!

Yearn for HIM only…it’s truly freeing.

Thanks for reading.

-Shelly