A Glimpse Of The New Year

Into 2023

  I’m staring into two thousand twenty-three,

It will be the year I turn seventy.

  Will it be a generous, happy year,

Or a year to deftly handle some fear?

  Here are some things of which there should be more,

  Things I’m earnestly hoping will be in store.

More Jesus,

More artwork to do,

More walking and talking to you.

More music with left hand and right

More seeking for His spiritual light.

More loving and listening,

More searching for moonlight glistening.

I hope I don’t seem too be grasping

But, for these things I’m humbly asking.

And, maybe there could be less:

concern over health issues for my husband and myself,

spending for nothing,

procrastination over doing what I love,

clutching onto the ease of youth,

fear of the dark or the unknown.

I feel very good about the 2022 Christmas Calm I created and appreciated. If you read along I thank you very much for your time. Happy New Year!!!

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Relections

I Should Have Let Go

While on a walk yesterday

With my daughter and the dog, 

  She turned and bid the dog to stay,

Handed me the leash and ran off at a jog.

 The dog whimpered and watched her go.

My daughter was looking for a lost object,

  But the anxious dog didn’t know

That her quick comeback would soon take effect.

  

 

  At that point I should have let go.

The dog saw her eminent return,

  She lurched and I was unwanted cargo.

I fell and my body felt the burn.

  This was the main lesson I learned,

Some things we clutch onto, need release,

  We don’t need to be concerned 

Or be in control, let holding cease. 

  Reflecting on the year gone by I see that I have made progress in my spiritual life, my relationships, my health, and in my business. Nothing is perfect but my intentions are clear and I took many forward steps. I still have unrealized dreams, plans that are in my head but as Beth Kempton says in Calm Christmas,

 " Now after all that thinking about your dreams, its time to let go. Really! It can be powerful to think about your intention carefully, then just let it go. This allows the magic to happen. Note that 'letting go' is not synonymous with 'giving up'. Rather it means loosening your grip so that your dream is free to take it's own shape."

 Loosening your grip also lets the Holy Ghost guide you more seamlessly. When I clutch too tightly on my vision I often push against the inspiration I receive because it doesn't look like my plan. The spirit sees further and trusting His counsel is always a better choice. Maybe not easier but better eternally.

 A calm Christmas moves us into a calmer year.

                                                                                      

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Savor The Hush

Savor the Hush

  Now it is finally over.

The last minute shopping,

 The run and fetch, like Rover,

Meal prep and endless chopping.

  No guests are expected,

No visits to make,

  Hopefully no one neglected,

Time to nurse the backache.

 Still, I am a little sad.

And I really don’t know why.

  Plans looked finished on the notepad,

But what does this emptiness signify?

 Perhaps I need to process,

What did I learn about those I love?

  Where did I extend myself to bless?

“You did well,” I hear from heaven above. 

I don't always listen to the positive messages from above. Why do I hear criticism better than praise? That little sadness after Christmas is not from above. Let me compare it to the paperwhite blossom in the kitchen. It struggled to grow, up, up, up, and then finally produced the most beautiful cluster of white. The downside of this blossom is it's strong scent. 

                                                         "It stinks! Throw it out!," I hear. 

I have a cold so my nose is plugged. I just see the glory of the bloom.

You did well, paperwhite. You reached the measure of your creation. You don't need to feel shame for what is also distinctly you. Smell is in the nose of the receiver. In the hush after Christmas you may not hear praises for your plentiful efforts but nonetheless, if your focus was placed on Him you can rest assured that you did well.

There are a few more ways to bring your calm Christmas to a peaceful end. Stay tuned.

                                        Click here to go back to the Calm Christmas main page.

 

The Holy Night, Der Heilige Abend

Oh Holy Night, Der Heilige Abend

We start arriving,

Dinner is on time at five.

Dumplings in hot water are writhing,

Sauerkraut in bacon is revived.

The best dishes are on the table.

The compote in bowls at each place.

Squeeze onto the bench if you are able,

Somehow we all find a space.

After the dishes, (it isn’t my turn),

We gather for the Bible reading

In Luke, there is always something to learn.

Let it be short, the children are pleading.

By now we have been here forever,

Or so is seems, present giving is here.

Gifts, some handmade and clever,

Some purchased, all meant to be sincere.

The refuse paper pile is growing,

The punch bowl with floating fruit 

Has arrived and time is slowing,

The grumbling is almost minute.

What makes this night holy?

It is our bond that makes us more able

To honor a moment most lowly,

And gather for Him around the table.

How will it all turn out this year? The weather all across the nation has been colder and harsher. Will my family actually come across the water to be here on Christmas Eve Day? I can't predict, but then I have decided that this is a calm Christmas season and no matter what happens I have prepared to be happy and at peace. 

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The Anointed One

 The Anointed One

  Two women,

Two stories of precious, expensive oil,

   Two men who objected,

This expense could have been used more wisely.

  But, the women had laid aside this oil for the Christ, “the anointed one”.

  One wiped the oil on His feet mingled with her tears.

She was a sinner and condemned for her offering.

  Jesus rebuked Simon, the Pharisee, by pointing out her greater repentance and received her anointing.

  The other woman, His friend, solemnly massaged the oil into his clean feet with her hair as one of the apostles criticized her service.

   He rebuked Judas for his deceit and told them all that Mary had prepared this oil as a token for his burial.

   Two women,

Two stories of insight and symbolism,

  Serving their Lord, Jesus, The Anointed One.

Art work by Eva Timothy

   These two women amaze me. Their actions were inspired by the spirit of God and they were bold yet inexplicably humble. In both incidents they did exactly what Jesus needed. How often have I considered what Jesus needs? He is all knowing, strong beyond strong, does he have needs? Is worship partly considering His needs?

 

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Eyes To See

I Can See

  I heard them talking about me.

Did I sin, or my parents sin,

  That I am blind and cannot see?

A man said there was no truth therein.

  He approached gently and touched my eyes

With what felt like mud or clay, 

 Then instructed that I arise

And to the pool Siloam make my way.

  Yes, I can see, how I do not know.

But he is surely not a deceiver,

  There is light that from Him flows

And I am a blessed receiver.

                       Artwork by Eva Timothy

This story in the book of John tackles an age old question. Do we suffer because we sin?
I understand the question to be a way to explain mortal life. If there is a reason then there is a way to avoid suffering, right? Wrong.

John 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

"This blind man's suffering doesn't exist because of sin, but because if it, you have a chance to see God's miracles." Hank Smith

We are in a mortal sphere where there is decline and decay. But it is in this sphere that we can vividly see the miracles of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, of Jesus, the light of the world, and of angels that they send.

I have received of his light during times of severe stress. What comfort I feel to know that Jesus wanted me to see his hand in my life so that my suffering could be removed by his power. Christmas is calm because of His light.

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The Shortest Day

Greetings on the shortest day of the year! As 2022 comes to a close may there be the light of Christ to guide your way through these long nights.

                  

This video features me reading the book by Susan Cooper, illustrations by Carson Ellis, and original music by my piano student Rowan McBennett.

May we stay calm and content through the next few days ahead.

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Being In The Sheepfold

The Sheepfold

   When Jesus asked Simon Peter

“Lovest thou me?” Didn’t He know?

    More than an inch, more than a meter,

How far would Peter really go,

  To care for the most precious flock?

Would he tend to all the their varied needs?

  On the gate, would he secure the lock?

The sheep go wherever the Shepherd leads.

Artwork by Eva Timothy

  The apostle John recounts how Jesus referred  to himself as the Good Shepard and invited us to use this simile to explore how a Shepard, more specifically a Shepard in his time, cared for sheep. Their life was lived outdoors with the flock. Securing a place to feed was a priority and the greener the pastures the better the outcome. Often an animal required aid because of injury and the Shepard knew how to remove thorns and bind up wounds. He knew them by name and secured them in the fold at night. In the New Testament John warns about hirelings. To be hired to temporarily care for the folk did not guarantee the hired hand was committed to the sheep. Jesus is not a hired hand. He loves the flock of sheep his Father gave him, enough to die for them.

The Lord is my Shepherd; 

no want shall I know.

I feed in green pastures; 

safe-folded I rest.

He leadeth my soul 

where the still waters flow,

Restores me when wand’ring,

redeems when oppressed,

Thru the valley and shadow 

of death though I stray,

Since thou art my Guardian, 

no evil I fear.

Thy rod shall defend me, 

thy staff be my stay.

No harm can befall with 

my Comforter near

In the midst of affliction 

my table is spread.

With blessings unmeasured 

my cup runneth o’er.

With perfume and oil thou 

anointest my head.

Oh, what shall I ask of 

thy providence more?

David, the psalmist knew the Good Shepard, and we can know him too. He has been my guardian through many harrowing moments. Taking Him as my guide through this Christmas season brings such comfort and calm.

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Anticipation

  Let Go

                                                     A wise woman with a dozen children once told me,

                                                                Let go of your expectations and just be.

                                               Be what, I asked hoping she would show how to proceed.

                                                       Be faithful, be kind, be good with no guarantees. 

                                                       I scoffed. I so needed to claim my own destiny.

                                                 It will claim you, she said, who you become is the key.

Christmas is one week away and I'm up this morning very early staring at my little tree in the dark. The sculpture my father made of me when I was nineteen is looking expectantly. What is she thinking? Are you ready for Christmas? Has it been a hassle preparing on top of your normal life? Have you spent time with Jesus in honoring your Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother? Have you been faithful, have you been kind, have you been good for goodness sake?

Most of the gifts are under the piano but the mail hasn't delivered everything, yet. Invitations are out to family and decisions have been made about where we will be Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I've been writing about a calm Christmas for more than a month. Have I felt the calm peace of this season more this year?

Here are some precious moments of these last few weeks:

• Shopping with grandkids and observing what they think is special
• Participating every Sunday in a Zoom advent celebration with extended family
• Making a Gingerbread house with my grandson on his December birthday
• Taking a walk and coming upon a nativity scene in the woods
• Playing Christmas duets with my piano students
• Sharing scripture insights with my granddaughter almost everyday
• Hanging last year's Christmas paintings
• Writing every morning
• I wrote some poems

So far, so good. This season is percolating in my very bones. I am at peace.

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Neither Do I Condemn You

Speaking Of Him

  Hopkins said that the power of Him

Was a billion times more energized 

Than a Windhover’s soaring swim

Executed through dappled skies.

If the world speaks less of Him

Let me speak more spacious text

Of how he sees me out on that limb,

Extends his hand, and I wait for what happens next.

Artwork by Eva Timothy

What happened next? He sees the woman judged and condemned and sends her accusers away. 

John 8:10 

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

To this Joseph Smith translates this added phrase:

"And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name."

That is what happened next. She believed that he was not condemning her and that her faith in him would lift her up. He did not condone her sins but He did not leave her in her sins. Now she had a way forward and a way up. I believe she glorified him by testifying of his power and then moving toward a life of faith. Her story moves me and fills me with awe and a sense of calm.

  If you are interested in reading Gerald Manley Hopkin's "The Windhover" click here.

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Hearth And Home

 Winter 

   Rain, rain, rain, snow and sleet,

Keep the water at my feet.

   Whipping wind in my face,

I so love this tempestuous place.

  Looking for some signs of Spring

Listening for the birds that sing,

  When some sun comes peeking through

I’ll be ready for something new.

It is not officially winter yet, seven days until, but the short days are signally that we are in the darkest part of the year. Now is the time for hearth and home to have predominance. Christmas is always calmer when I have cozy corners throughout the house. Those are the places I retreat to in the early morning and late night hours. Do you have memories of siting underneath the Christmas tree, lights twinkling above your head? Those memories are filled with hope and love.

And what about your advent wreath? Does lighting a candle each Sunday bring a feeling of connectedness to the Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the reason for the season? Last year I purchased a wooden candle holder with 25 holes. Each slot for a candle has a title or name of Jesus engraved on the side. I have a tradition now at Christmas and Easter of lighting one candle  every morning. On the 25 day the whole wreath is ablaze with warmth and light. 

And what about your actual hearth? The reason we say hearth and home is because the hearth was a symbol of home. In years past the hearth heated and provided a place to prepare food. Much of the daily chores of living happened around the hearth. Take the 'h' off hearth and we have heart of the home. I do have a fireplace, which we don't really use, but much of my Christmas decoration is on the mantle and above the mantle. I find my eyes settling on my mantle often during the day and it  provides a calm resting visual place.

The last, but not least, place for Christmas calm is my piano. Here my piano students play their beautiful seasonal pieces every day. It is here that I come to rehearse a piece for church. It is here that I play just for myself when the night draws closer. It could very well be the heart of my home.

My piano by Pam Ingalls

A calm Christmas does have it's center at home. May all our homes feel more like heaven this Christmas. For many this may not be true but I wish it were so.

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His Yoke Is Easy

                                                                                                             His Yoke

  Jesus invited us to take

His yoke upon our shoulders.

 It is the covenant we make 

That allows us to be beholders

  Of His burden, which is light.

Why is it light? Why is it easy?

  How could carrying our sins be slight?

His deep love makes the yoke breezy.

 

Art work by Eva Timothy

Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

His yoke are the covenants which he is willing to make with us. Those covenants are a labour of love for Him as well as for our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. I believe he views them as easy and light because of the special love (Hesed) that he feels for anyone willing to enter in. In the artwork above notice where his right hand is resting. Can you feel the support and caring he offers?

The rest he offers has always been on my mind. That is why I wrote the song Into His Rest. If you missed the post containing the music video of Into His Rest, click here.

I can't think of any way to have a calmer Christmas than to rejoice in his yoke and feel him by my side.

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He Hath Sent Me

Forever

   How long will I yearn to be in thy embrace?

Forever

   How long will I walk in green pastures beside thee?

  Forever

   How long will I need thy comfort?

Forever 

   How long will I cry out to hear thy voice?

Forever

   I knew thee then, I know thee now, and I will know thee,

   Forever.

                                    John 7:21 "Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

It must have required light to see who Jesus really was. Light that was not clouded by past preconceptions or dogma. Here he was in the temple teaching that they needed to look beyond Moses. They needed to have their own righteous compass. He was before them to fulfill the Law of Moses. What did they need to see beyond their pre-conceptions?

John 7:28 "Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

At this Christmas season can I open my eyes and see Him? He offers me the knowledge even beyond Him to my Father. I knew him in the pre-existence and I can know him here and now. Jesus is the door to before and forever.

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