Nature Beckons

As graceful as a bird on the wings of the morning sky,
As delicate as the look from a swan's eye,
As protective as a mother is over her unhatched born,
As a tired bird rests till the morn,
Are all that nature beckons.

No one knows the way the wind blows,
The bend of the grass beckons to the east,
The ripple of the waves counter to the west,
All responding in reverence to the Creator of all things,
The grass, as all creations, bows in reverence to what the eye can't see,
No one knows the way the wind blows,
but His invisibility still commands respect.

We as creation are all God's handy work,
Created to enjoy one another,
The carefree yet careful construction of all kind,
titillates the senses yet boggle the mind,
The petal of flower,
the abstract of a bare tree,
The ecological balance of peace and serenity,
Are all that nature beckons.


I went to Lake Bonny Park for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes. At Lake Bonny the constant blow of the breeze was inspiring. I just closed my eyes and allowed the breath of God to be a reminder of His omnipotence. During what little quiet time I did have I meditated on the ripple of the waves and the bending of the grass that looked like it was bowing in reverence as a response to the wind.

After I left Lake Bonny I went to Lake Morton and was completely encapsulated by the number of birds that use it as a "vacations spot". There were swans, mallards, ducks, crows, all there in harmony feeding off of the bread of its many visitors. I walked across the grass and around the lake and noticed just how at peace the birds were there in spite of the human presence.

I snapped so many pictures and just t stood and admired the tranquility of the area. Though it was in downtown Lakeland, there was a peace around the area. It was undisturbed and REAL.

I really enjoyed this outing. I began to read the "Messenger" by Mary Oliver and found myself constantly stopping at the line "My work is loving the world". That's what I found myself doing today, loving the world. Many days I have just driven by and not taken the time to notice the beauty of his handy work. Not only trees, flower, mountains, and streams, but birds, soil, grass, and all the things that we see as something common. I loved the waddle of the duck, the grace of the swan, the call of the mallard, the touch of the constant breeze, and the blessings of his creation. Today nature beckoned and I answered the call.

State of the Planet

"You come across it in the Mexican desert,A palo verde tree near-by, moss green. Some Insect-eating bird with feathers the color Of a morning sky perched on a limb of the tree. That blue, that green, the completely fierce Alertness of the bird that can't know amazement Of it's being there.......But soon enough We'd have fashioned sexy little earrings from the feathers, Highlighted our cheekbones by rubbings from the rocks, And made a spear from the sineweywood of the tree."

Just reading this part of the poem made me think about the ever changing fashion industry. Having worked in retail there is always new fashions. New York, Paris, London always debuting the latest fashions but we are never really curious about where things are coming from. The shimmer of eyeshadow, the sparkle of our nail polish, the twinkle of the blush. Most of the things are not 100% synthetic they have natural foundation.

I have seen the earrings, shoes, belts, and bracelets that were made of colorful feather, and animals skins, and because it is either "in" or "trendy for the moment the demand out grew the supply. Have we ever stopped to wonder if the feathers and skins were coming from birds, or reptiles, that once thrived on the planet who now, because of "fashion" may be on the endangered list. What about the minerals that support a multi-million, if not billion dollar cosmetics industry annually. Where are the sources coming from? The commercials tout that they are 100% natural so again because of vanity we are harvesting and exhausting resources that may not be around for the future generation.

During this poem it talks about the greed of humanity that is robbing the world of its resources. Just reading this section of the poem and looking at an ever growing fashion and cosmetics industry shows the greed and the vanity of humanity (whether we want to admit it or not). We are willing to strip some poor animal of their skin for the latest thousand dollar pair of shoes. It's no wonder PETA and other earth concious organizations are always full force - you have people wearing the skins, furs, and minerals that so rightly are being stripped from the earth at rapid rates. As fast as things are being taken nothing is being returned. This viscous cycle shows no sign of slowing unless we all wake up and realize that this is the "State of the Planet".

This Blessed House

First let me start off saying how much I really enjoyed this story. The first time I read it just because it needed to be read for class, but once I reread it I began to linger on the text and found it to be even more enjoyable than the first time around.

In reading the story the you learned more and more about the characters as the story progresses. Sanjeev and Tanima (Twinkle) are a newly wed Indian couple who in getting settled in their first home, also show signs of getting settled in their relationship. Sanjeev seemed like a very rigid, straight-laced, meticulous individual who always thinks he is "right". Twinkle on the other hand seems to be a fly by the seat of your pants type of person. Seriousness is not her strong point. In reading this story you find that Sanjeev, prior to marrying Twinkle, was a bit of a loner....Twinkle was way on the opposite end of the spetrum. Sanjeev in a sense saw that was one of her "flaws".

Throughout the story they are engaged to disagreements over "Christian" paraphernalia that is found in their home. Sanjeev does not want it in the house one bit but Twinkle refuses to get rid of it. Sanjeev cared more of what others would think than anything else. He just wanted to fit into preconceived societal mold and not appear to be different. Twinkle on the other hand could care less. Midway through the story, during their housewarming party Twinkle, through sharing the story of discovery, has pretty much recruited the entire party to look for more trinkets throughout the house. Even though by the end of the story Sanjeev is pretty much convinced that while they are looking for trinkets he could secretly discard the others, he stops and thinks of Twinkle and how all the little odd things that are not "normal" about her is what makes him love her all the more, and just goes along with the flow.


After doing some reflection on this story it made me think a little about the Christian types that are in the world today. There are the frigid and the free-spirit ones. Sanjeev represents the frigid ones (by the book and only the book, no room for tweaking the bigger picture - basically it is what it is and that is all their is. It's either the old way or no way. If you are not 100% living right (forget trying to live right - Chrisitans are not a work in progress), if you don't fit that "cookie cutter Christian" prototype... you are going straight to hell...do not pass go do not collect $200. Tanima (or Twinkle) of course would represent the free spirit - one who shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ in away that makes other want to get to know her God better. It is the reckless abandon for the search and the joys of the discoveries along the way that has the people mesmerized. Their light shines so bright that people can't help but jump on board. Christ said when He is lifted up he would draw all peoples to Himself.

How many times have you met people who say they "don't do" church because they do not feel welcome. It's either because of the way they are dressed, how they look, their past precedes them, etc. See people want to come to Christ but shy away from doing so because of the judgement of man. It becomes truly hard for people to accept the unconditional love of Christ because they are judged by alot of rigid "Christians". We should see the differences in all of God's children, not as flaws but as unique characteristics that make Him love us all the more. Can you imagine what the outcome would be?

Short story

“Okay stay calm, stay calm, stay calm,” Amanda kept repeating to herself as she waited amongst all the other families in the room. Clutching her “Welcome Home Bravo Company” banner and a 2-month old baby boy, she could barely contain herself. The atmosphere was filled with raw emotions of anticipation and utter excitement. “Haden your daddy will be here soon”, Amanda says with a giddy laugh. Swaddled in a blue fleece blanket, Haden just lay against his mother’s chest, listening to the stampede of her heart as he napped.

“Is this the first time your husband has been deployed ,” quipped a freckle-faced woman, standing just beside Amanda, who nervously clutched the hand of an impatient 5 year –old little girl. “Yeah I am so nervous I can hardly contain myself”, Amanda said. Amanda turned slightly to find herself face to face with a woman who was a spitting resemblance to Lucille Ball, all except for the freckles. She had the same flaming red hair and impeccable cheekbones. “Lucy I’m home”, echoed through Amanda’s mind as she stared into her intense blue eyes. She was in such disbelief that all of her senses seemed to come to a grinding halt. “My name is Elizabeth by the way,” she heard as she snapped back to reality. “This is the second time that little Katie and I have watched her daddy be shipped overseas since she was 2 years old. Thankfully this is his twentieth year of service and he is retiring next week”, she continued. “My name is Amanda, and this little bundle is Haden. He will be seeing his daddy for the first time,” Amanda stammered as she tried to continue into the conversation. All the while, Amanda incessantly stared at Elizabeth, quite to Elizabeth’s discomfort. “Are you alright hon,” asked Elizabeth, who at this point was quite blushed. “Oh I am so sorry Elizabeth, it’s just…...” Amanda said with a sense of hesitancy. “Has anyone ever told you that you look just like…,” by now Amanda was biting her lower lip, “Lucille Ball,” she blurted out. “You know I get that a lot and I just don’t see it,” said Elizabeth. Now that the never ending urge to tell Elizabeth about her uncanny resemblance to Lucille Ball had been quenched, she found herself more at ease in the conversation.

“You know Robert and I, that’s my husband whose arrival we are awaiting, used to sit around on our old beat-up microfiber sofa, that we had since we got married 6 years ago, and watch old episodes of I Love Lucy, eating popcorn and laughing at the high jinks and mishaps that Lucy continued to get into,” said Amanda with a chuckle. “He was my Ricky and I was his Lucy,” she continued with that far off look in her eye. “He would come home from work and yell “Lucy I’m Home”, and I would say “Awww Ricky”, she continued by this time laughing hysterically. She had to contain her laughter because she noticed Haden beginning to shift from her abrupt motions.
“You two seemed to have a pretty fun filled relationship,” said Elizabeth. “Yeah we are two big kids,” replied Amanda. “Edward and I are the same way, and I am so glad that after 20 years of being an Army wife, that I will finally have him home all time,” Elizabeth replied with sigh of relief. “We still have 9 more years to go,” sighed Amanda. “This never gets easier does it?” “Nope,” replied Elizabeth, “But your love for one another forms and unbreakable bond, that’s what gets us wives through.”


Not knowing how long it would be before their husbands’ arrival, Amanda and Elizabeth made their way to the rear of the capacity filled room and found three small chairs tucked off in a corner near the exit. Haden was still fast asleep and Katie getting more and more anxious by the moment. As the two ladies sat and talked, Amanda cradling Haden and Katie still hand in hand with Elizabeth, the chatter of the many awaiting relatives grew louder and louder -so much so that they almost had to leave the room to hear themselves speak.Suddenly Katie jumped up and said “Mommy let’s play duck, duck, goose.” “Honey mommy is tired right now, we can play when daddy gets home,” said Elizabeth. Katie was completely oblivious to what her mother said and was already circling the chairs like a honey bee circles a flower. “Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck.....goose,” Katie let out with a squeal and began running even though no one was chasing her.

With all the commotion going on in the they barely heard the military cargo plane touchdown on the tarmac outside. “Katie, Katie, Katie,” Elizabeth called out to her daughter as she watched her do donuts around the tables and chairs, her cute sandy brown curls and frilly dress flouncing to and fro, “Honey please sit down before you hurt yourself.” “Just let her run, my niece does that all the time,” Amanda chimed in, “she will tire herself out in no time.” As they continued to watch as Katie ran around the table, squealing at the top of her lungs, they barely noticed families reuniting with their loved ones who by that time had started filing into the room. “You know I can’t wait for Haden to be that age so he and Robert can have that rough and tumble play time,” Amanda said. “I can’t wait for Robert to come home, I miss his jet black hair and that Spanish accent that I fell in love with, when we met during a missions trip our senior year of college.”


As she was speaking Robert walked up quietly behind Amanda who was oblivious to his presence. Katie, who had been running nonstop around the tables and chairs, stopped abruptly and stared at this “stranger” who had walked up. Robert placed his index finger over his lips as if to tell Katie “shhh it’s a secret”. Elizabeth, not wanting to spoil the surprise leaned in and said, “Tell me more.” “He was so handsome and funny and did I say handsome,” Amanda said blushing. “Oh I can’t wait until he gets home just so I can hear him say…..” “Lucy I’m home”, Robert chimed in. Amanda spun around in utter shock and tears began to run down her face and she said, “Awww Ricky.”

Character

I would like to use a pass for this blogging entry.

Thanks

Freda

Freda's Blues

We live in a housing project....It looks like a parody of the good clean, faceless life- God knows the people who live in it to do their best to make it a parody. The beat-looking grass lying around isn't enough to make their lives green. The hedges will never hold out the street, and they know it."

Campbell Terrace, Fayetteville, North Carolina was one of the most notorious housing projects for drugs, raids, shootings, basically a lot of the bad stuff, but for quite some time it was home for me. Recently it was demolished and oh how I longed to have a brick as a memento.

Campbell Terrace was home to a lot of my family - mom, grandmother, cousins, uncles, aunt, and siblings (we had generations living there all at once). Most of the apartments had a small flower bed on the porch and a small patch of grass in the front, but no matter how you tried to dress it up it was still the projects.

The projects - home to drug dealer, users, struggling single mothers, under compensated elderly...but the best place to be to learn about life. There was only one way in and one way out of Campbell Terrace and because it was not a very huge place people knew each other. When something happened we all knew it. I remember seeing the drug dealers, the addicts, the loose women, and teens and young adults who not necessarily wanted to, but at times, wound up being just like them. There was no way to keep out the streets - Campbell Terrace was the streets and everyone knew it - from one end of Fayetteville to the next. When trouble went down, no one saw anything or heard anything. It was surprising though because most of the times it was rather quiet, in a place like CT that spelt trouble...lol!

Just reading a lot of Sonny's Blues took me back.....way back. Though the projects were not the most ideal place, it's where I hold the fondest memories. Memories of corner candy store runs, paper food stamps, sitting with my friends on the front stoop, seeing people out in the streets conversing with one another, big boom boxes in the window, Kool-Aid icee cups, and tube socks with the colored stripes. Those were the days when it was still okay to knock on the neighbor's door and borrow sugar, eggs, and milk or to even ask if their child could come outside and play (we played until it was almost time for the street lights to come on). Though it had its crime, we protected our own. Yeah…….. the good 'ol days.

Everyone from Campbell Terrace had their Blues, but the tune is always different depending on who you ask.