More Spring

So, on Sunday I spent a lot of the day moving pretty slowly.  The sun was out, though. and I kept thinking about the horse pasture.  After watching the birds and cloud rainbows above me in the sky while lying on the trampoline, I decided to go give it a shot and see if I might capture some of the spring beauty that Boomer had been telling me about.

The first thing I found was a patch of trillium, which never ceases to thrill me.  And both white and purple, to boot!









Then I spotted some wild strawberry plants.  There were quite a few of them creeping through the leaves and greenery.

Then I found this.  We wait every spring for the emergence of these beautiful wild iris.  I wish I could capture the scent and share that, as well.  It is so amazing and says "Spring!" better than any other fragrance of the season.

The salmon berry bushes are blooming now and the color of their blossoms is so unique.  I delight in spotting the bright petals in the denseness of the green undergrowth.

And I really didn't want to miss a good long gaze at the mountain.  To my delight, the neighbors have gotten more cows, and they were grazing right in my way.

Back in our vegetable garden, I found these chives going to flower.  Isn't God amazing?  I love what He does in a garden.

And here is a better shot of that amazing tulip with green in the petals (from last week)..


I am so glad I live in the northwest!

Delight........

The other day I was talking with a sweet couple about their own experiences with feeling the love and passion of God for them, and their love for Him.  This is something I'm chasing after: experiencing the love of God in my heart.  Not just my head.  They both had some cool things to share, one of them being the aspect of recognizing God's grace.

While we were talking, their firstborn 2 1/2-month-old daughter started crying.  I watched as distraction crossed their faces and then a complete change of focus and a dash to her side to soothe and comfort her.  They both had such looks of concern and devotion on their faces.  At the time, I smiled and remembered what that was like for me with my firstborn: alert to every sound and mood.

Then yesterday, as I was going over and writing down some of the things that had struck me from our conversation, the Lord reminded me of Psalm 18:19 -- "He rescued me because He delighted in me."

Some things kinda clicked into place for me.  Not long ago, some dear people were praying over me, and one of the things they were speaking was the word "beloved," broken down to 'Be Loved.'

"Be Loved," they said.  "Know that when you were born, God held you and marveled over you and adored you."  Like a firstborn.  Like my friends who are so tuned in to the cry of their tiny daughter that all else flees in the face of her need.  They rescue her because they delight in her.  Wow.

Once again the Lord has surprised me with fresh truth.  Like a first-time parent, He rescued me because He delighted in me.  Whoa.  I'll take that.

~

Sunny Spring

Yesterday, the mountain came out.  It is always an event when she does.  We can see both Ranier and St. Helens from our property when the clouds part, but Ranier is my favorite.  She is just so magnificent.

When I went for a walk to take her picture, I came across some bleeding hearts in the woods.  Boomer tells me the trillium are all over the horse pasture, but I haven't made it out there yet.  Next sunny day.

  
On the way back in, I passed Maggie's bee hive.  The bees are happy and healthy.  She checked the boxes in the afternoon, and they are rather full of new bees.  She'll be adding more boxes and frames later this week.  Her honey is amazing.  We're blessed.

  Just outside our front door, there is a riot of tulips.  Jessie says she splurged last year and bought this one tulip bulb!  The picture doesn't actually do it justice.  There is green in the petals, as well as pink and white.  It's really rather stunning.

These were my splurge a couple of years ago and we've been enjoying them for a few weeks now.  I'm so glad they stayed around for awhile.

On the kitchen windowsill, my begonia is going at it, and it cheers me while I work in the kitchen.  I'm so grateful for flowers.  And mountains.