Appreciation

During my morning reading and meanderings around the world wide web and my Bible verse of the day, a common theme seemed for form in my mind.

Too many people don't learn to appreciate where they are and what they have. Always in pursuit of what they believe is better... the proverbial Greener Pasture. But that pasture is an illusion.

God has asked that we learn to find our contentment in what we have. That's the key to happiness.

Happiness isn't about being overwhelmingly giddy or always jumping for joy. Happiness is about acceptance and finding the beauty in the everyday things. Someone who's there for us... the little things they do that we often take for granted.

We all do it at times. We all fail to see the beauty that lies in our own back yard. At times, our own gardens and lawns and walkways don't seem quite as lovely as our neighbors, or those we see in magazines. It's a shame, really, that so many of us believe in the "if only..."

If only, I had that. If only, I had something different than what I have. If only, I had a fancier car. If only, I had a sexier woman/man. If only, I had more money. If only my house were more luxurious.

Well, "if only..." is an illusion and the Bible teaches us that. Where your heart is, that's where your treasure will be. And God knows, if you can't learn to appreciate the treasure you already have, those other things aren't really going to make you happy either. So we must set our hearts on things that are truly of the most value; always remembering that only God Himself can help us see precisely what those things are.

It's all a matter of perspective. All a matter of what you choose to see and focus on.

We should all spend more time enjoying what we have, right in our own back yard, instead of wishing we had our neighbor's. Keep in mind, their yard has weeds and pests and leaves to rake, too many rocks or too few flowers. You simply can't see it from the distance.

What's Going On?

As is obvious, I haven't posted much lately. That's due to several things, one of which is that I've been reading the Hunger Game series by Suzanne Collins. Very good reading. Well written. 

I haven't seen the movie, as I don't go to the theater. I always wait until it's out on DVD. It simply costs too much to go out to see it and I can't pause it and there are more distractions.

The series is great though and I highly recommend it.

Also, our boy shih tzu, Griffin, swallowed a bandana from the groomer. Who'd have thought he could do that? It ended up costing us a trip to the emergency vet (anyone checked those prices lately?) and some serious surgery.

And there was Mother's Day and some doctors appointments and several other things thrown in there. Enough to keep me muddled a bit and not terribly focused on blogging.

I recently saw two of the cardinals (see previous posts). At least two of the three survived. Possibly all three but I have only seen two. I know it's them because they have a strange mohawk head. Two females. They look well fed and I'm thinking they have just left their parents.

Anyway... that's my update. 

Stay tuned for an actual blog post some time soon.

Cover

When another group or person covers a song like "Comfortably Numb" is has to be really good to interest me much. Particularly a song as close to perfection as the original Pink Floyd version. But this one does intrigue me and there's a dreamy quality to the vocals... something ethereal that they brought to it. I like it. It won't replace the original, but it's pretty good.

Far Away

It's not uncommon for me to become overwhelmed by the multiple thoughts in my head. Until it calms down, it is simply too difficult to articulate.

I will say this, however... I wonder how many people understand how to crawl inside the music. Crawl inside and pull it around you like a blanket, until you don't know, for that brief time, where you end and the music begins.

Anyway, I'll just post a song for now. This is a nice one for today.

Far Away
Dishwalla


Just the other day, I was looking for myself again
Trying to put back all the pieces, back to the way they were
Sometimes it's not so easy, when you have so many voices tell you what to do
I think I've got it now, but I can't be too sure

Far away as I shoot across the sky
Far away to the corners of my mind
Sooner or later it will slowly come back to me

If I could build a spaceship
Would you fly away with me, or would you stay?
A million miles an hour
Flying circles as we orbit round the earth
If I stuck my head out the window, do you think it'd clear my head or would it burst?
I guess it's all the same, but at least it wouldn't hurt

Far away as I shoot across the sky
Far away to the corners of my mind

And the voices in my head
I think they've finally gone away
Far away (far away)
Far away (far away)
Sooner or later they will slowly come back to me

Fledgeling Cardinals

The third post/update on our little Cardinal chicks.They are fledgelings now and I can't believe how much they have grown in just 9 days. It's amazing. I don't know how many more good pictures I'll be able to get now that they have left the nest. They'll soon be a handful for Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal and difficult to keep up with.

Cardinals still feed and tend to their young for 25-50 days after they've left the nest. Then they mate again and have a late summer brood.















At 8 days old, they have grown so much they fill up the nest.














Leaving the nest at 9 days, I can't believe I actually got this shot.













Posing for his picture.














This one looks a little more disheveled.

Happy Easter

"Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there."
- Clarence W. Hall

"Thy dead men shall live , together with my dead body shall they arise . Awake and sing , ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
- Isaiah 26: 19


This is an old song by Carmen. A musical skit, of sorts, more than a song. It has a touch of humor but it's actually quite moving. The lyrics are included.

More Cardinals Nesting

The three babies cardinals are thriving. I'd estimate they've tripled in size, if not more. Here's a picture of Daddy Bird and the growing babies at 3 days old, then at 6 days old.













Above, a fine looking Daddy Cardinal.













Above, they are 3 days old, they are finally audibly chirping.













Above, at 6 days old, you can tell their eyes are beginning to open. The one on the far left hasn't yet swallowed the little green bug that mommy bird just poked in it's mouth.

More on the nesting habits of Cardinals HERE

Cardinals Nesting

A pair of Cardinals built a nest in a large bush outside our bathroom window. We've been watching Mrs. Cardinal lay and brood her eggs for about two weeks. Finally, this morning, the first one hatched. Then the next and, at last, the third.

I've been talking to her through the window and occasionally opening the window and talking to her through the screen. She has tolerated me more than I expected. A few times she stayed on the nest even while I pushed the screen out far enough to snap a shot. Photos aren't so clear when taken through window screen. Go figure.


Above are three speckled cardinal eggs.


Above, the mother cardinal broods her three eggs.


Above, the first hatched baby, just minutes old.


Above, we see all three eggs have finally hatched.
This is their first day of life. Weak and wobbly, and very tiny.

Time

This song has special meaning for me and it's also
one of the Stones' best, In my opinion.


Time Waits for No One



Lyrics:

Yes, star crossed in pleasure, the stream flows on by
Yes, as we're sated in leisure, we watch it fly

And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me
And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me

Time can tear down a building or destroy a woman's face
Hours are like diamonds, don't let them waste

Time waits for no one, no favours has he
Time waits for no one, and he won't wait for me

Men, they build towers to their passing yes, to their fame everlasting
Here he comes chopping and reaping, hear him laugh at their cheating

And time waits for no man, and it won't wait for me
Yes, time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me

Drink in your summer, gather your corn
The dreams of the night time will have vanished by dawn

And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me
And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me

No no no, not for me....

The Newling

This may need some tweaking still. It potentially could be part of the Anwyn story (See Right Column). But I haven't yet decided.

How I Came to Be

The great one dreamed with me. I, the Newling, remember. "Come, and I will show you" he said.

Hunched at his feet, arms wrapped around up-drawn knees, I listened to tales, time-worn. I heard not as if hearing with the ears but rather as one examines relics from erstwhile ages. This is how I came to be.

The first morning I arose to a sun rooted in the horizon. It's plush roundness seemed a celebration of my arrival. The sensation was not unlike riding through the sea on the back of a dolphin, above the surface there are glimpses of sparkles of light bouncing off the water. A quick breath, then down where watery colors sway like mingling curls of gold and green. Then up again, crashing through the taut surface to take another quick breath. Disorienting then illuminating, in turn. This is how I came to be.

The first night, as I lay down atop the warm sand, the great one dreamed with me. I, the Newling. "Come, and I will show you" he said.

The night-sky's lights, shone upon that same sea. Then out across we walked. Together we moved along an avenue of glass, through which the swirling currents below were still visible. As we did, he spoke of many things, and I saw all of that which was before - before the great one dreamed with me. This is how I came to be.

© Rachelle LeCount

Mansfield

When it comes to blues harp, Darrell Mansfield is The Man!!!
This is some totally rockin' stuff.



http://www.darrellmansfield.com/

Blues for Sunday

Nice!!



Lyrics:
Empty promises that were etched in stone,
Scattered by the wind to places I have known,
All the burning lamps by the window pane,
lit for their return, but they never came,
I lose myself in deep regret,
still I hear a voice that I can't forget.

It says we will run where roses grow, our feet unbound at last,
Laugh as morning dawns; the night forever passed,
See the face of glory, feel the river flow,
Hear the voice of God and run where roses grow.

Fading hope is gathered as the sky grows dim,
Somewhere it's raining, but it's drought... drought within,
Out across the desert - was it fate or was it chance?
I saw clouds approaching where I took my stance.

They say we will run where roses grow, our feet unbound at last,
Laugh as morning dawns; the night forever passed,
See the face of glory, feel the river flow,
Hear the voice of God and run where roses grow,
Hear the thunder rolling - can you hear the horn?
I'm climbing Jacob's ladder up through the storm.

Stand with me at the mercy seat, with mounds... mounds of ashes spread about my feet,
You know who I am, all I think I know,
See it in the marrow, buried deep in the bone,
How is there no anger in the words I hear, only love and mercy erasing every fear?

You say we will run where roses grow, our feet unbound at last,
Laugh as morning dawns; the night forever passed,
See the face of glory, feel the river flow,
Hear the voice of God and run where roses grow,
Hear the thunder rolling - can you hear the horn?
I'm climbing Jacob's ladder up, up, up through the storm.

Stones In My Pockets

If you could see that which eludes earth-vision
Or feel that which denies the grasp of hands,
Only then could you say you had known me.
But there are no lines to define my form,
Nor words by which to speak my name.

I try to keep my feet firmly planted.
I am not unaware of my tendency to take flight
And my lack of solidity.

Shall I fashion a tether so that gravity may hold me?
Or put stones in my pockets that I might have weight?

Rachelle LeCount

Love Spoke

We read, in the book of John, chapter 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Can anyone read those words and not, even for a moment, contemplate how deep the concept is? To me, it is one of the most profound passages in Scripture.

God spoke. He spoke, and all that exists came to be. It matters little whether you see that happening in six days or six hundred billion years. It's the same result either way. I can't help but wish that people would move past that particular argument.

Then comes the question of why. Why did He speak? What moved Him to create? I would have to say Love. A simple little word that can mean so many things. We read that God is love. He IS love, and love requires a response. Love. One simple word with so many definitions. But real love - true love - can't be still and can't be contained. By virtue of its own nature it seeks to be both given and received.

So, Love spoke. Love called out in the darkness and all that is, in all it's glory and vastness, came to be. And vast, it is. A universe reaching out infinitely is a pretty big space. We can't possibly see it all or have a complete idea of what it's all made of and what's out there left to be seen, beyond the reaches of our most powerful telescopes. Only hints and glimpses.

Still it is Love that spoke it all into existence. And when I look at the stars and imagine the planets and solar systems and galaxies, I am in awe of His handiwork.

I can't help but ponder on how much love it took to produce it all. From the grains of sand that make up the warm beach, the depth of the ocean as well as the complex system that it is in itself, to the tiny hummingbird and the variety of grasses. I try to imagine how far infinity is. It's like trying to grasp the concept of forever.

As I contemplate these things, every so often, I feel like I get a tiny glimpse. A glimpse of what The Eternal might be like. A glimpse of how things could be and I believe will be. What lengths God could and did go to, in order that He might have a creature to pour His love upon. Beings, in His own likeness, to love actively and fully and be loved by in return.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)

I think about the passage and it seems to me, it could be written, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Love. Without Love was not any thing made that was made."

When we are sad or afraid or troubled, perhaps we should more carefully consider all His works. Yes the universe seems so big and we often feel so small in comparison, and often quite alone. But sometimes it helps to think of God's love and the fact that it was all for us - all because of Him - because of Love. Some day we'll inherit it all. The planets, the stars and all of creation. When I think about all that, I can't help but feel a little better, no matter how down I am or how small and insignificant I feel. I realize it's all a result of His desire to love me and be loved in return. He created it all for me.

How magnificent and beautiful is Creation, and how powerful is Love.

Rachelle LeCount
March 2012

--------------------------------------------------

"Kaleidoscope"
by Kate Havnevik




Related Posts:
In His Wanting

It's a Put On

A song about being fake and phoney.
Perhaps one could say, even about blissful ignorance.

Plus, it's a killer tune.



The sun shines
People forget
The spray flies as the speedboat glides
People forget
Forget they're hiding
The girls smile
People forget
The snow packs as the skier tracks
People forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - It's a put-on.
It’s an eminence front
It’s an eminence front – It’s a put-on
An eminence front
Eminence front - put-on
Eminence front
It’s an eminence front
I’ts an eminence front – It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on

Come and join the party
Dress to kill
Won't you come and join the party
Dress to kill
Dress to kill.

The drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they're hiding
The news slows
People forget
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
An eminence front - it's a put-on
It is an eminence front
Eminence front – It’s a put-on
An eminence front
An eminence front - put-on
Eminence front
It’s an eminence front - it's a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on

Come and join the party
Dress to
Come and join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come and join the party
Dress to kill

Dress yourself to kill.

Past the Beginning

This is a rewrite of something I wrote and posted a few weeks ago (here). I decided I hadn't done a good enough job on it and it was too vague. So, here's the second attempt.

Past Our Beginning

the memory rises from the garden
of our mothers and our fathers
the place of our beginnings
it is the memory of our first need
and the first promise of redemption

it reaches the heights of infinite space
expanding in waves of motion
unhindered and undisturbed

only ancient particles of cosmic dust
can break the roundness of the circle
as it ripples across infinity

the universe itself responds
in tongueless chorus
chanting as trumpets
with no need of breath

the memory has been carried away
from this round globe
so far beyond that it returns
to the place that is past our beginnings

Rachelle LeCount
March 13, 2012