I thought I would share an original. It’s a song I wrote a long time ago and recorded with a friend in his studio. Thanks Lindz from Big Bison Studios.
I sit down to the piano and sing it when I need some encouragement. I hope it connects with you as well.
I think my song would be way different if I did not know God on a personal level. It’s been a relationship that works in real life. That’s my story.
Share with someone who needs encouragement.
Gary
ps. lease let me know if this music format does not work, I’m on a learning curve on posting music.
I have been outside this summer except when in caregiver mode. I believe I’m hundreds of emails behind and wish to at least touch base with all you great bloggers and readers. I get to read a few blogs about every other day and sacrifice the interaction which is the best part of being a reader and blogger.
I thought I would at least put up a small gallery of pictures. small because I have not taken many pictures either. I have built a cabin in the woods. A few people have stayed there with rave reviews. Some have raved about the amount of mosquitoes outside the cabin but inside is great in those evening insect feeding hours. I have been busy taking grandkids fishing, wood cutting and gardening a few hours a day around a 24/7 caregiving (our daughter) schedule for my wife and I.
Click to enlarge any picture and then there are arrows for the next slide.
I realize some of these need explanation, especially taking down a tree threatening the house. I have been dehydrating things like rhubarb and making jerky. It’s all good. It’s late and I have another outside day tomorrow…I’ll stop by now and then for the next couple months…hope your summer is going well.
Our little wilderness group found something rare on a huge lake. Calm. Perfectly still water. I had never seen this lake calm. This lake always wants to eat our canoes. Usually when navigating these waters we are focused on the next wave, one wave at a time and no time to look around and actually see. A lot like life I’m thinking as I had never taken the time to really see what that big lake looked like. My brother commented that he may have normally seen two bald eagles while fighting the waves, instead he saw 8 bald eagles. My camera was out of batteries way too soon.
We moved our paddles as silently as we could, enjoying the reflections, commenting in low voices. We sipped these sacred moments. Bald eagles soared and some watched from high treetops. Ducks, geese and swans paddled silently as others flew by. Fish chased in the shallows of islands and narrows as we paddled by. We were leaving this pristine wilderness through some sort of vortex for the cacophony we call reality.
I wondered how many have a place of calm in their lives. To have calm from the deepest part of us is such a gift. We can see the storms of life from a place of calm deep within us. It is a by-product of ones walk with God. Calm comes subtly when we grow into knowing and trusting God in every aspect of life, and yes, we see more. We really see. But know this…Life’s storms will rail against and test that relationship.
Every once in a while, I find myself trying to be smarter than God. I know what I’m doing! I’m inwardly saying to myself, “I got this.” Sigh…I hear, “just cling to the rock Gary” Thanks Jesus, I needed that!
“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jesus to his disciples…and us John 14:27)
My juggling act came to an end this May. Probably for awhile. I’m 300 blog notifications behind and I am spending most of my time outdoors. I will be somewhere between mowing the lawn, planting garden, finishing up our little cabin in the woods and being in a canoe in the wilderness. I have intentionally dropped many of the internet connection juggling pins. One can only juggle so many fishing rods and fillet knives which still remain in the air.
I’ll be in and out here and there. Have a great summer (or whatever season you are in around the world). I do appreciate all my word Press friends. Enjoy a couple of this springs shots. The header picture color was caused by the Canadian wildfires
A time to renew with friends and family in nature, reflect with natures insights, re-evaluate life relationships and my walk with God and rest around a camp fire and in a canoe.
There’s a place where my zero to 60 lifestyle each day simmers down to almost nil for a week at a time. I personally need an edge and speed doesn’t do it. This is me I’m talking about. Your place to slow down, regroup, recover (or however you say it) and recharge your life is possibly quite different.
My idea of living in the edge is in a canoe exploring the rugged wilderness, traveling and camping from lake to lake. I have to go someplace where five miles per hour is fast to slow down.
The ice was just off the lakes so yes, I did get cold in my 20-degree sleeping bag. No internet or phone service distraction in much of the wilderness.
Reflective time. Good conversation flowing into depths of friendships. New determinations. Fresh fish to eat but most released as most would not fit in the fry pan. A week of wonder, awe of God’s creation and finding muscles that previously did not exist.Thankful for bonds of friendship grown in the hardship of many rugged portage trails. Our longest was a mile, in wilderness speak 300 plus rods. We were thankful for safety in the many roiling water rapids and exhilarating river chutes where atheists’ pray.
I often wonder how many partake in the journey to slow down and deepen who they should be becoming. I wonder how many ways there are to sharpen and shape the slow edge. Personally, I did not partake of the swimming in 45-degree (f) lake. I made some water boil for tea or hot chocolate to bring their bodies back up to speed.
It’s spring. 40 hours ago I tilled my garden as all the snow in that space had melted. Even the earthworms and night crawlers were up as the frost has come out of the ground. A couple hours ago I took a snowy picture from our front deck. I won’t be planting seeds today.
It’s still snowing. Nibbles and sips are somehow slipping into my agendas. Plowing out the drive, taking the dog for a walk and rescuing the little pup in the snow drifts when he jumps in and disappears. Meanwhile, I’m taking a walk with the camera and umbrella. Spring clean-up will definitely be delayed.
Somehow between nibbles, sips and taking winter-again pictures, one can become a philosopher, artist, customer of more expensive clothing online and notice similarities to life.
I deliberately took pictures with a perspective of life’s storms in mind. Most of us can relate to the tree that seemed to get more snow than the others around it. It’s very easy to hang on to trouble like snow sticking on everything, even tiny branches.
The snow stuck to everything except the main trunks of the big trees. They are still warm from the recent warming sunny days to let snow stick. Their sheer mass has not cooled down in the storm. I do admire people who seem to be less affected by their life’s storms than most of us. People of stature, character unbending.
I was intrigued at the poor visibility walking through the woods. Snow sure takes up a lot of visible space. Storms make us short-sighted. Two people in a marriage storm often have very narrow and different perspectives. Warring neighbors create storms. Just an idea, but maybe sharing nibbles and sips would help??
This I do know about storms and life, there’s an end. Parts of us may be broken but the storm ends and the sun comes out. There is relief, if only for a day. I see it with our handicapped daughter who lives with a lot of pain. Life is stormy but she looks for and sees the sun once in a while. She relishes those days. Then there’s our life. Yes, it will end. I’m looking forward to seeing the Son. No more storms in heaven sound really good to me. Our daughter echoes that thought louder than most of us.
Oh, and those nibbles and sips while gazing at snow laden branches in the storm? Merely hors d’oeuvres here while waiting for eternity.
I watched in wonder as the sun came out. Our spring snow immediately started falling off the trees. Color filled the sky as I had not realized how much the storm hid color. I raised my steaming mug of cider to the window and breathed a prayer…”Cheers Jesus. I Love the symbolism and the foretaste. I promise to share my nibbles and sips! Amen”
taken just after the last April storm
Come to Northern Minnesota in the winter (or possibly spring or fall) for your own personal snowstorm. Bring 2 cameras, hand warmers and lots of nibbles and sips stuff.
I feel quite little, as in small, as I am watching tons of snow falling out of the sky here in Minnesota. Forecasters giddy with bad news have predicted 12-24 inches in the next couple of days. At the present rate nonstop it will double that (I have faith in the brilliant forecasters accuracy though…_______________???).
Instead of just drinking some more coffee, hot chocolate, more teas and munching on stuff, I cannot resist creating something. I express my creativity mostly by writing, making up songs (I just posted one- click here- on God’s ways are different), play piano keyboards and create picture puzzles for friends to figure out how it’s done.
I took these awhile back but now the context is different. I’m older, thus less wise because I know more and it’s a different season of reason (I feel therefore I am). Those of you who have experimented with cameras know what I did here. Kind of fun ya?
One click each picture, no overlay or layers or photoshop…totally un-doctored.
See the 3 ghost figures on the shoreline?
A ghostly figure raising hands over the ready to harvest wild rice on the lake
One click of the camera, no altering the picture. This kind of stuff just happens unintentionally of course
It’s the celebration of Easter where millions of people will in some form recognize that Jesus Christ, who died by crucifixion, was put into a tomb surrounded by guards and came to life. God who entered his own creation by becoming flesh and blood through a physical birth got into his own picture.
I suppose some will doubt I took those pictures with the three of me in them with one click of the camera and no photoshop alterations. It’s OK and no harm done to me to conclude I lied but they would be wrong. However, if it keeps snowing and I keep snacking, I won’t fit into another picture. I guess you would really have to know me well, or read a lot of reviews to really know.
Is it any different with God? I’ve read all the eye witness reviews. I have also committed my life to being a follower of Jesus. He is definitely not dead but alive and still changing lives today including mine.
I realize I have a cheesy way to introduce God’s Easter message but if the whole world could know God’s love…why he got into his own picture…wow. Life changing. World changing.
Spring is not officially recognized in our family until we can have an picnic. I guess it was up to me to find the fire pit, check and make sure fires wouldn’t spread and burn down the forest and make the picnic table presentable.
My pictures prove it. Spring has come to northern Minnesota!! My wife declined, evidently she didn’t want her picture taken. Some birds and animals wandered about so they got in the pictures. I also threw in a couple good morning shots as it was a good looking morning. Click to enlarge and use the slide show arrows.
Every day is so unique. The beautiful frost quickly and quietly let go when the sun hit. I couldn’t let the day go by without getting the snow shoes out to have a picnic. It’s hard to imagine a back yard picnic in Minnesota without mosquitoes...I think I glimpsed a bit of heaven today.
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9
Evil walked into the store. The wretched man was encased. I looked into his hollow eyes that darted everywhere but seeing only his own pain. He was giving all his food away. Like a madman desperate to give everything away. Now. It had to be now. I had to take it or he was putting it in the dumpsters across the street.
I asked his name and the foulest unworthy proclamations came out. Desperate. More desperate. I told him I knew of three freezers with some space as he threw huge bags of food in my trunk. I gave him a contact card almost forcing it upon him in case he needed someone to talk to or in case he wanted his food back later. He couldn’t get away fast enough. Like it’s owner that car is not long for this world.
“What have I opened myself up to?” I thought as I walked back into the store.
I think He wants to kill himself and he wouldn’t even tell me his name” I told my new friend. “Most people are very afraid of him and would be happy if he did” he told me. Then he told me more that I didn’t want to hear. All I said was “Jesus loves him too.”
I had just met the shell of a man, dead to life, a house for demons and not capable of saying his own name. He said he didn’t deserve a name “for what it is”…whatever that meant.
As I drove home, I prayed “Lord, I failed.I said only a few words to a desperate man and only gave him my card. What good is that?” The answer came swiftly and almost audibly (which doesn’t happen often to me). “You know what I did with a couple fish and some barley loaves. I can do that with words in someone’s life”
I watched the snowstorm come from the safety of our warm loving home. I thought of the evil I had encountered. It’s like cancer, as the cells are there in all of us looking for a place to grow. It’s bigger than my love for mankind. It’s not bigger or stronger than God’s love that he can show through me.
At least these were my thoughts just before the phone rang. It was him.
