Whispering

My heart knew Him well
As a child, many things are clear
He has always whispered to me
Whether I have ears to hear
But I have made other choices

There are times when I have walked away
Yet, He follows my every footstep
I have looked for different meanings
In various places and people
But have seen He is in all Creation

I have turned my back
While He laid the feast for me and mine
I have been all things, and more
Still, He awaits my return
In each lost human moment

I have begged for Mercy and Life
Because I am the cause of the death within
I realize that I am the one in desperation
While He sits with open arms
Freely offered and ever-present

Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity
Adjoin our hearts and minds
All of us, one with another
For we are cut from the same cloth
Though we have worn ourselves thin

Fuse us to the point of unrecognizable
Bring us peace in Your Mercy and Light
Grow us in Your Love and Understanding
To the inconstant, be the Rock
For the broken, heal the imperfection with Grace

Teach us to be as that child
The one who comprehends the inconceivable
Wearing our faith and diligence with honor
Pinned to our hearts within
Keeping us contented and simple

Lord, have Mercy on us all
With Your guiding, perpetual presence
Usher hope and comfort
Contributing to Peace and Love
Glory to God for all Things

The Girl Who Stole My Heart...and My Wimple

This one above is my girl in her special blanket that she has had since she was a month or two old, that my dad's mom made her and that thing on her head is the wimple. I made it for myself because I like to keep my hair short and it is like a hat and scarf joined together as a tube shape. It has a really pretty and simple pattern called Old Shale. She decided it was cozy and perfect, so she appropriated it for most of our trip to the mountains for her birthday!




This is Katherine and her good friend the first morning in the mountains and Kat is wearing the vest I made her (with the wimple, of course!!!) that I mentioned in my previous post. That vest only JUST fits and I hope it will last her, otherwise I will be picking up some stitches on the bottom edge to lengthen it!

Well, just wanted to remember to share the vest with you all, since I had posted about it earlier. Have a wonderfully blessed day, full of love and peace!

Soften This Heart

Broken from the inside out
Unable to think where to begin
Words speak little of the truth beyond
As hollowness skulks nearby
Awaiting its prey in the shadows
Where depths of heaviness descend
Sinking into the person within
The farther they go
Down into brilliance
With an absence of color
Night interrupts day
Into peaceful solitude
Contemplation begins anew
Resolve is barely conceived

O, God, my God
Hear my call and visit me
For this darkness can be nothing
With You by my side
Emptiness is refilled
In Your very wake
Weakness is complete
In Your embrace
Strength is given freely
By virtue of Your peace

Dispirited and disheartened
Gather me together
Soften this heart
Teach patience and fortitude
Humility and wisdom
Though I am a capricious student
Heal this mess in spite of me
Grant me the opportunity
To walk with You in Grace
To talk with You in times of need
To listen when I cry out
Answer what I need to hear
Be always by my side
In this weary tumult of life
Mold this heart of mine
Keep my path before me

I do not know how to be unbroken
O God, help set my feet aright
Glory to God for all Things
In all ways, forever

Glory to God for All Things

ODE 5
The dark storm-clouds of life bring no terror to those in whose hearts Your fire is burning brightly. Outside is the darkness of the whirlwind, the terror and howling of the storm, but in the heart, in the presence of Christ, there is light and peace, silence. The heart sings: Alleluia!

IKOS 5
I see Your heavens resplendent with stars. How glorious You are, radiant with light! Eternity watches me by the rays of the distant stars. I am small, insignificant, but the Lord is at my side: Your right arm guides me wherever I go.

Glory to You, ceaselessly watching over me.

Glory to You for the encounters You arrange for me.

Glory to You for the love of parents, for the faithfulness of friends.

Glory to You for the humbleness of animals which serve me.

Glory to You for the unforgettable moments of life.

Glory to You for the heart’s innocent joy.

Glory to You for the joy of living, moving, and being able to return Your love.

Glory to You, O God, from age to age

I found this Akathist: Glory to God for All Things and think it is beautiful. I was actually looking to download any audio of Akathists, but this is what came of it instead. This portion which I have decided to share are my favorite, I think. It is the Ode that caught me and lines like "
Glory to You for the joy of living, moving, and being able to return Your love" that really stir around and settle in. I hope you enjoy!

Mountain Midnight Musings

I was thinking while we were in the mountains for my girl's birthday how surreal everything seemed. To be the most alive, the moments almost don't even seem to exist. In the mornings, I would turn to the sunrise and say my prayers to God; eyes closed, warm rays on my face, nothing else quantifies. Simplicities, in measures beyond comprehension, yet more complex than I will ever fully understand. The surreality of the moments that make up this life take me far from myself, toss me beneath the wings of Glory and I find myself caught in the currents, blasting forth transient flickers of self; past, present and future, as though only one was in existence.

What a time, place and person to be! Lord have Mercy that my lessons be swift and purposeful, with a gratefulness to follow.

If The Shoe Fits

In our situation here, with my husband being disabled and our income quite fixed, I am the caretaker, both of my husband and our daughter. I keep an eye on all of the things that need management, tiresome as it is, and troublesome to boot. I have been told, on occasion, that I am so strong and good for being here and caring for the family, probably because they cannot imagine the requirements being asked of them. I signed up for this, all of it, no matter what, our lives are bound. In this life, it seems to me, that my husband is the stronger of the group; being under 40, he has chronic illness that has included pain and suffering seemingly devoid of end, struggles daily from within and without, the dealings of a growing daughter and the waning of a tired, young wife. He is the stronger for being able to contend with all of that, but still believes himself to be the lucky one. He thinks me merciful for staying in these times, at times bleaker than imagination, to working things through, particularly when his mind does not serve him well and especially, when I make him laugh. That, my friends, is the way our marriage looks. In the illness and purpose that has beset us, we seem to each be convinced that the other is a Godsend.

It is a life in spectacular magnitude, begetting us eternal and temporal simplicity in peace. I am born and made to be who I am, so no matter the stress, it fits. I have mused endlessly about our lives and how they have changed, but really we just turned our paths toward a brighter sun. We are complete in our struggles, as they usher in a purposeful focus. Unless you have been here, it cannot merely be described, but known in the heart, deeper than your mind may fathom. I would not wish our specifics on anyone, they are no picnic, though we have a profound sense of self, one another and life, in our attempts to forage our way. In peace, do we hope to continue, though the swells in the ocean of life may toss our ship. God's Mercy, Grace, Peace, Comfort and Love be with you all, in all ways.

Pieces of Peace

We are not the same as when we married
Though we are each one half of our whole
Sometimes my heart gets broken
All over again...

We are so young
Yet aged so quickly within
This life so fleeting
With flashes of the present

It isn't what we thought it would be
Nowhere near what we dreamed
To be crushed by this weight
By this unforgiving humanity

A better life than we had planned
Unfolds before our eyes
Beneath our feet, the path is laid
One step at a time

More than ever, heartfelt devotion
Divine compassion and symbiosis
The coal becomes a diamond
The fire of these trials purifies

O God, continue Your Mercy
Give us strength and wisdom
Patience and kindness
Peace and Love, Forevermore