3 gifts in dirt

today's three gifts in dirt came as the result on one event...

i went on a trail ride put on by harry and charlie at their family's ranch...

the first gift of the day was meeting new people who took this city girl under their wings, new friends are always a gift...

the second was the time outdoors in the dirt and seeing all the things God creates to delight us with...trees, grass, flowers, vines, and so many others...

the third gift was meeting the dirt up close and personal after falling off my new friend Taupey and being okay in spite of a few bruises, bumps, and abrasions...the ground is a little harder at 50 than it used to be...they say that if you fall off you need to get back on and i will, but for now ice bags are calling my name....

this is what i saw most of the day

this is what i saw right before i fell

taupey showed me a lot of dirt this way today

there were many other gifts this day, but these three were the ones to share...

just over this rise is where i met the dirt up close and personal

thank you harry and charlie for letting this city girl play in the dirt!  God willing i will be back again and i hope double trouble has fun with the rides to come.  i thank God that i was able to go and pray you know what a gift you have in this place and those you share it with.

3 gifts orange

today's gifts are to be orange...

so here are some backgrounds that started orange...

they are becoming art...

and will be given to those i love and pray for as i create...


art is prayer, prayer is art...


co-creating with God feels like a vacation...

3 gifts "ugly beautiful"

the table in my art room as a project calls to be finished (my eucharisteo banner)....

the mess left behind by another generation of sparrows who find their way back to our porch each year...

the treasures found in the midst of last year's destructive storms (safety in harrowing moments, lives rebuilt, relationships mended, courage, hope, perseverance, and always God's tender mercy)...

this picture was found on a lawn in our little town miles from where it was caught up by the tornadoes and has formed relationships that remind me us how small our world truly is.

3 things moving

the tires on my new car that keep me safe...

the love between my bear and me on the eve of our anniversary...

God at work  in the lives of those i love...

a gift of cloth, a gift of steel, a gift of wood

a blanket that provides more comfort than warmth...

a work of art reflecting listening ears...

a tree that shows the depth of a Savior's love...

3 gifts fragile

good health...

a loving marriage...

unconditional friendships...

3 gifts reflecting

unconditional love in the eyes of my bear...

perfect acceptance in the presence of my joshua brayden dog...

life's lessons as i look in the mirror

3 gifts close

it seems somehow cheating, but my 3 gifts close are the sweet little baby robins i have been watching for the last ten days.


here they are as newborns...

a few along the way...

and here they are today as they prepare to leave the nest.  i know it will be soon as they are flapping their wings as mama and daddy call to them from a nearby tree.  i can no longer get close to the nest as they are so aware and i don't want them to fall if frightened.

what a gift it has been to be so close and watch each step of their journey.  i hope they return to nest as mama and daddy did.  this is our second spring here and the fifth nest.  this gift was right outside the window my desk faces.


how can one doubt God while watching the miracle of birth and growth?

3 gifts found in Christ

it is hard not to be trite in choosing today's three gifts.   there are the obvious gifts like salvation, forgiveness, grace, peace, and many other "churchy" answers.  


limiting it to 3 is also difficult.  when i think about it prayerfully the gifts that are most precious to me (today)they are:


the ability to come to table each week in the tradition of the Episcopal Church even when we don't agree with one another...

the ability to be a priest in Christ's one holy and catholic church which brings another set of gifts...

the ability to see Christ in others as i make this journey...

stacked stashed, stilled

a gift stacked...pallets found in a stack, now in the process of becoming a home for growing things...

a gift stashed...the apple juice found in the back of the frig on the middle shelf...a delightful treat to a tired gardener...

a gift stilled...me for a nap on a day of rest after a busy month with no time to be still...a reminder that naps are a joyful gift...

catching up on gifts

i've been at a clergy gathering the last few days and intentionally left my computer at home...so here i am catching up on gifts.  i found while i was away this has become a good discipline for me.  it reminds me much of the examen and is likely why i am refreshed by it.


3 things woven...


the nest i watch with fascination each day...

this community of colleagues....

a cross in my home away from home...

3 things inherited...


my nose (and ears, and eyes)...

my need to please...

my love of nature...

3 gifts square...


the book that contains the words of the One who loves me...



a place i am safe...

the middle of the town i call home...

3 hard eucharisteos

The New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number:  2168 eu)xaristeÑw Original Word Word Origin eu)xaristeÑw from (2170) Transliterated Word Phonetic Spelling Eucharisteo yoo-khar-is-teh'-o  Parts of Speech TDNT Verb 9:407,1298  Definition to be grateful, feel thankful give thanks healthy boundaries in community.... a body moving in healthier and new ways... the call to minister with others...