What I am seeing these days.

This sculpture outside the Portland Art Museum.  It's all language symbols-fantastic.

Eagle Talon marks in the sand.

There were five eagles on the edge of the water.  They let us come pretty close...but not too close (see talon marks above!)

This charming little Rufous Towhee and his mate visit us regularly.  They are very fun to watch.

We have a community garden plot this summer across the street from the church.

Hilltop nursery-family owned and amazing. Can you see the top of Mt. St. Helen's in the distance?

Flowers on the campus where I work.

Life is full and busy these days. Elisabeth is getting ready to go to the Philippines this summer.  She is blogging at http://elbegoes.wordpress.com/ about her trip.  She will be regularly updating throughout the summer.

Paul continues to preach and teach at our small Chinese church.  I continue to teach ESL at a small program in Portland. Some days are happy and some days are sad.  We miss China and our life there.  We miss our foster son.  We miss our daughter.  

We also have days where we are blown away by the beauty that surrounds us.  It's just kind of a mixed bag right now.

Weaving Silence- a Celtic Prayer

I Weave a Silence 

I weave a silence onto my lips
I weave a silence into my mind,
I weave a silence within my heart.

I close my ears to distractions,
I close my eyes to attractions
I close my heart to temptations.
Calm me, Lord,
As you calmed the storm,

Still me, Lord, keep me from harm,  
Let all tumult within me cease
Fold me in your peace.

                                         

Found originally here http://godspace.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/celtic-spirituality-what-is-the-attraction-2/

Book Title Poetry.

One of my favorite publishing houses is T.S. Poetry Press.  They publish a weekly newsletter that comes with all kinds of great prompts, links and writing about poetry.  Here is the link to the site. http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/
One of their fun prompts was to gather books that were near you and form the title into a poem.  I gathered books off the coffee table and a near bookshelf and made this poem about this last year.

Otherwise

Year of Wonders

God in the Yard

God in the Dark

I told my soul to sing

A Sacrifice of Praise

Holy Silence

Benediction.

That pretty much says it about the last 9 months!  God has been with us in this otherwise year of wonders!  He has been with us in the yard and in the dark.  At times we have had to tell our souls to sing a sacrifice of praise.  Holy silence has been essential.  Amen.

I've been enchanted by another book title Poemcrazy. http://www.amazon.com/Poemcrazy-Freeing-Your-Life-Words/dp/0609800981  The writer lives in Chico where I went to college.  It's still a place that I love.  The author makes writing poetry so accessible.  She has great ideas for prompts and word play and so much more.  Highly Recommended.