Monday, May 15, 2006

Tale of Two Dogs

Pictured on the right here is Bernard....part black lab and part rotweiller. That means he is part lap dog and part protective beast. He always loves on me but most of my guest get fearful of his fangs. Pictured on the left is Basil...part ausie cattle dog and sharpee (spelling unknown). That means she is part playful pup and part cart puller. She loves going for car rides, being a jogging companion and tent camping. No person is fearful of her, but many dogs have seen her furry.

The tail begins almost two years ago. The next door neighbors moved in. The house isn't much to speak of, the roof half undone, almost caving in on one side. Along with a couple people came an endless aray of dogs.....some dogs were full grown and others were just pups. At one point, there were at least 4 dogs there. The dogs were allowed to roam the neighborhood, being tortured by teenagers and responding with a fair amount of terror in return. Two little puppies showed up one day. Summer with it's 100+ tempertures came and I was compelled to visit them periodically throughout those days to freshen their water and make sure they were ok. These puppies were soooo adorable! One particularly hot day, I returned home having been gone all day and visited them in the neighboors back yard. I gasped in horror! One of those puppies was laying lifeless on the ground....the other just whimpered and begged for love. That day I made a vow that that dog would never have to see such a horrible fate. So it happened a little over a year ago, the neighboors moved into a small apartment that wouldn't accept big dogs so they gave the dogs to us. Bernard was the one I made that vow to and ever since that day, he has been my constant best friend. Look at that face.....who could resist!?

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Creation Color

"Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen" from Deep Enough, song by artist Chris Rice.

Tie-Dying reminds me how to imagine those kinds of colors. Colors that I have never seen....those that are so special and brilliant that they are tucked away waiting to be discovered.

It is my task to discover them and to give praise to the God who created all colors.

This shirt here is a mandala fold and it was my first attempt at it. This is only the beginning.

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless voice and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light; and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3

The formless, colorless, darkness....I cannot imagine nor do I want to.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

My Redeemer Lives



My husband Will and myself next to a banner. "I know that my redeemer lives." The text is from the book of Job and is one that I claim every day. We serve a God that is living and active in each moment.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Come to the Water

Last night around 8p.m. I returned from San Diego. Two other women and I did the road trip for a conference for women clergy. The road trip was approximately 30 hours. We did not stop for more than one hour at a time and switched drivers every few hours especially during the overnight hours when driving gets challenging. "Come to the Water" had two meaning for me this year. We physically came to water, meaning from Kansas City to San Diego. The pacific ocean water is beautiful and I had not seen it before.....breath-taking. The plant life around the conference hotel was also breath-taking! I also "came to water" in another way. The women clergy from many denominations and so many different places come with enough encourageement and spiritual richness to last a life time of drought. I drank in the Lord's goodness provided by these women and find that come rain or shine, God is faithful and will provide!