The Throne

Years ago when my kids were little and still lived at home, I was cleaning the bathroom one day. Some people refer to using that room for an extended time as "sitting on the throne."


I was praying that particular day and thanking the Lord that I kneel before His throne even though I was momentarily kneeling before the ceramic one. I have often remembered that prayer.










Imagine my surprise during this recent vacation when I noticed the name on the toilet!

I was laughing out loud. No, I do not think badly of church, especially my home congregation. In light of that prayer years ago this was just highly amusing to me.

Hope I made you chuckle.

Guinea Pigs are For Loving!

Especially when you are three years old and your sisters are in school!

 Will he remember being this relaxed and enjoying something this simple?
Lord, I hope so!

Accoutrements for Being Made New 1979

Accoutrements for Being Made New © 1979       Molly Lin Dutina

2 COR 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:

everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

 

PART 1 - MADE NEW

"In Christ, there is a new creation..."

Yet being made over is a difficult thing

Yielding   Bending    Changing   Arranging  Relinquishing

               

I opened the door and invited Him in

I’m surprised to find I keep pushing Him out

and shutting that door!

Then I need to extend the invitation again!

Christ offers a new life

But I have to yield to Him.

Lord, give me an appetite to desire change.

To walk with the Lord

I must unpack my bags

Remove the unnecessary costumes

Discard excess equipment gathered on my own

Let the Lord

provide for my journey.

PART 2 - ACCOUTREMENTS

Once I sought to find a way

I hungered after truth

I thirsted for a refreshing drink

but philosophy was like drinking dust

the occult left me anxious and beggarly inside

my own will never satisfied for very long.

Books filled only with words, words, words.

My baggage was a heavy burden

Filled with unforgiveness and self-deceit.

Now I seek to find His way

through all circumstances that occur

I no longer hunger and thirst

(unless I choose to)

for provisions have been made for me

by Jesus

through God's Spirit

directly to the Father.

I needn't look to myself for answers.

no other person can wholly direct my way.

All I seek is knowledge of God's will for today.

He is given to me as the Bread of Heaven

with rivers of Living Water within.

And the Way is there

He goes before me

leaving food and drink

along the path,

gifts for my soul.

He is my Scout, Holy Guide

through the wilderness of this journey

to the Godhead.

How can I seek to serve any others

with Jesus carrying my suitcase?

He not only gave me new luggage

but filled it with armor and food,

Wisdom beyond books,

all delights of nature,

Treasures of heaven,

far surpassing old imaginings.

The door is irrelevant now

He is invited to dwell in every area of my life.

He abides with me and in me.

May I be yielded to Him forever.

 

Cincinnati Nature Center

Our family has drawn encouragement and amusement from this Nature Center for years. Can you guess what is making the rings in these photos?

Not raindrops!






Tadpoles singing "Reach up and kiss the sky!" as they grab a gulp of air.

Suet Flurries

We have been blessed occasionally  to have this Pileated Woodpecker come right on the deck to our suet feeder. I have been asking the Lord to never let the sight of him up close to become common place. Yep! He became a poem topic.
Suet Flurries © 2014 Molly Lin Dutina    

Pileated on our deck having breakfast

sends suet flurries as pieces roll down his belly

over his tail

to the ground

where squirrel, sparrow, cardinal, junco

all delight at the feast on the lawn

easy breakfast harvest!

Black capped chickadee wants a turn

At suet block

As yet unaware of free falling bounty.

The squirrel warms herself

on the tree trunk in the morning sun

stretched her full length

awaiting the infusion of warmth.

Spring rains

            Wind, thunder

            Fragrant hyacinths

                        Hillside purple with flowers

            Demure trout lilies quickly go to seed.

Forsythia blooms

            Lilac buds opening

                        Pussy willow full blown

                        Soon to send out leaves

Twisty willow branch from florist

            Rooted in the arrangement and sent out one leaf!

            Hope to nurture it and plant it outside

February Primrose is pot bound now

            Ready to live in the garden

I’m pot bound in homemaker duties

            Lord help me enter

            Your center-down silence

            And glory in praising You

            Even in activities of the mundane

Oh fragrant April morning

            Gusty hyacinth perfume

            Raindrops glisten on garden border fence

Symphony of bird song

            Sidewalk littered with night crawlers

Insistent bird cries, “Awake! Spring is here. Now."

I praise You in the work You have given me

in this part of Garden Earth.

Kemper Crabb - Doulos

This pretty much says it all for me! Went on-line trying to find a video of the song. This was all I could find. I own original vinyl album and would love to have it in CD form!

Doulos is one who gives themself for service of another. 

Murmuring

PHIL 2:14 NKJV Do all things without complaining and disputing,

NRSV  Do all things without murmuring and arguing,

ALL THINGS, yikes! I am in trouble.

So here is the hand causing so much pain and medical expense. Two surgeries the doctor would like to perform. One is on that thumb joint. he would take tendon from somewhere else on my body and rebuild the padding for the thumb joint. 
I have a lovely new black plastic splint for the index finger. It gets put on with bright white tape. Oh, so subtle!

And today, for no reason at all, my back has seized up. So I am gimping around trying to stretch it out - and not complain! 

But I did get lots of poetry edited today! And the rain sounds lovely. The web said this was a poster published in 1939. Certainly applies to us all today!