Tomorrow is officially the first day of March (the word snow was heard in the forecast).  This morning a sweet chorus is chirped outside the window - welcoming March. 

March

January,

February,

then it’s March – finally!

It seems to march in slowly...

after short days marked without seeing the sun,

after long days bogged down with a cold and less fun...

after many weeks of freezing temperatures,

then when you think you can no longer endure...

last month right on time the ground hog marched in for an appearance

to determine if spring will be early or late in its occurrence,

though just a quick glance

under the circumstance,

for snow still covers,

so he again cowers

and will hibernate

until another date.

The ground hog’s short, quick march

may parade later in March

when winter is past

and spring’s here – at last!

But don’t count on the ground hog

to keep an accurate log.

It’s the birds who march in

with the first news of spring.

When March is here

just listen, you’ll hear

their chorus each new morning

of songbirds returning.

Yes, birds herald in the coming of spring

with many joyous songs they sing.

Will the bulbs under the earth

hear the birds then march with growth?

Do bulbs wait each year

to hear this song of cheer.

I know I do.

Do you too?

Take time to listen

to the song they send

then check your flower garden

for green shoots just now peeking.

A most welcome greeting

under the snow was waiting:

snowdrops and crocus,

daffodils and tulips.

They can’t wait to march out.

Gardeners want to shout.

A shout of glee is heard

in each gardener’s heart.

Marching to the beat of a ticking drum

under each day’s beaming, warming sun

chasing away winter’s doldrums

March has finally begun...

but don’t put your boots and mittens away

for March has to be persuaded to stay.

More snow may fall

surprising all.

Strange creatures that we are:

We can’t wait to see the first snow fall,

then we can’t wait to see it gone

and want spring to hurry before long.

March is here:

everyone cheers

as spring begins in March.

Let’s celebrate March.

* * * * *

Check out this verse below from Psalm.

It should give you a sense of calm.

It says God goes before us.

So all we need do is trust.

God has already marched through our wasteland

where our troubles, disappointments, and fears stand.

He is there ahead of us,

waiting to refresh us.

Yes, life is certainly weary, as this verse states,

but God is already there and will not be late.

Trust that God has a good plan and purpose for you,

then put on your marching shoes and march on through.

When you went out before your people, O God,

when you marched through the wasteland...

You gave abundant showers, O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

Psalm 68:7, 9

I will refresh the weary

and satisfy the faint.

Jeremiah 31:25

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Daybreak Yesterday

 

Sky brightened early yesterday then caught daybreak (above photo).

Papa cardinal was singing his cheery Cheerio-o-o (which means Godspeed).

Heard chickadees joyous dee-dee-dee.

Even heard redwing blackbird's single note opus.

Bluejays cockle added to the songfest.

Birds certainly have much to teach us, especially to start each day with a song in our heart.

When I see the sunlit clouds like yesterday, I think of "when morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries, may Jesus Christ be praised..."

It has been my impression that birds call forth sunrise.  It's true.  When I goggled for information to support a poem yesterday, it said that birds start vocalizing around 4:30.  I know this to be true because I've closed the window at 4:30 as too early to get up with the birds.

I also read that birds singing in the morning is called "dawn chorus" - calling forth sunrise.  Isn't that precious.

Take a moment to sing "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for you..."

(In fact, when a hen lays an egg it is called "egg song" when all her sisters join in to celebrate. I hear this celebration from my neighbor's hens.)

Alas, this morning is gray and rainy.  Haven't heard birds singing but did watch this bluebird below take a bath. That put a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

I hope you have opportunity to witness a feathered songfest! Surely it will put a song in your heart. What better way to start the day.

Taking a bath this rainy morning:

WAITING

 

Waiting

For the beauty of the snow,

piling high in valleys low...

Decorating trees and earth

with a cover of new birth...

Yes, there is beauty in the snow

but there comes a time, you know,

when it seems "enough already!"

as for spring we're more than ready.

Enough of the below zero temperatures.

Enough of being frozen to the core.

Enough of shoveling.

Enough of sniffling.

We're tired of sunless mornings.

We're tired of long, dark evenings.

We're tried of the wait for warmer weather.

We're tired of the wait to feel better.

We can't wait to put away our boots, scarfs, and mittens.

We can't wait to be rid of this weather that sickens.

We can't wait for spring.

We can't wait to garden.

We're quite antsy

which is funny

for we couldn't wait for winter either.

Our minds quite often are halter-skelter.

Though come February

we can't see snow's beauty.

We are weary of this weather.

We seem to think spring is better.

We forget weather is temporary,

although it often makes us contrary.

When winter does give way to spring

we forget there's more work to begin.

Then there'll be something else to complain about.

It's a wonder we don't wear a permanent pout.

Are we ever content?

Or do we just vent?

Enjoy the beauty of the snow

for it's temporary, you know.

In a few weeks the birds will again sing

when they announce it's here – finally: spring!

* * * * *

Bottom line, though,

snow is a gift for

its an insulator

to the plants below.

Without the freezing snow

many bulbs wouldn't show

their brilliant beauty each coming spring

for bulbs need this time for rejuvenation.

Yes, beauty is found in the snow's offering.

Take a moment to watch it quietly falling.

See it covering the trees,

that is, until there's a breeze.

On sunny days it melts

then puddles come out

to water the earth

wherein lies new birth.

Next month it may be gone

then you'll have to wait long

for snow to return again.

You might find you'll be welcoming!

So enjoy it today.

Make today a play day

for snow is a gift, a present,

then gone when spring is present.

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'...

so that all men he has made may know his work,

he stops every man from his labor.

The animals take cover;

they remain in their dens.

The tempest comes out from its chamber,

the cold from the driving winds.

The breath of God produces ice,

and the broad waters become frozen.

Job 37:6-10

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower

and bread for the eater.

Isaiah 55:10

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;

it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.

Zechariah 10:1

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Valentine's Bouquet

 

Valentine's Day Bouquet

I'm sending you a bouquet

filled with flowers today

that in their own shy way say

you're loved each and every day.

Your bouquet is filled with

these flowers I chose to give:

as orchids mean beautiful lady,

I chose these for you, beautiful lady.

Red roses that ensure you're loved

by me and by God in heaven above.

These zinnias mean thinking of you

which I find is always nice to do.

A hydrangea to say thanks for all you do.

You are a blessing to others and to me too.

Some daisies for I know you'll act innocent

when someone thanks you for the gift of your presence.

These hibiscus

mean filled with grace

which is seen on your beautiful face

and bestowed on all you embrace.

Tiny blue forget-me-nots do remind me of you

and your faithful friendship to me through the years, so true.

A sunflower will bring uplifting sunshine

even on days when the sun doesn't shine.

Blue and yellow

go so well together

whatever the outside weather

as we’ll be friends through whatever.

Sweet faced pansies for remembrance

of your gentle spirit emoting sweet fragrance.

Surrounded by lily-of-the-valley bringing happiness to you

as I know from time-to-time circumstances make you feel somewhat blue.

Accented with ferns that signify sincerity

and ivy that indicates friendship between you and me.

May this little nosegay

bring you much joy today.

Be sure to give your own bouquet

to those near and far away

for they all need a bright ray

to remind them they're loved, okay?

* * * * *

Flowers in my yard remind me of someone kind

for many were given to me once upon a time.

My friend, Connie, gave me lily-of-the-valley.

Thinking of my dear friend makes me happy.

Lesley gifted me with hostas, hibiscus, creeping sedum,

lungwort, foxglove, Japanese maple, begonias, rose campion

and so much more.

Friends who share we adore.

Pansies were my gram's favorite which I yearly purchase

even though I don't need pansies for remembrance.

A package of zinnias is planted to attract monarchs each year.

You'll find me chasing with camera in hand when they appear.

Next time you see these above-mentioned individual flowers,

may you be reminded of their sincere meanings thereafter.

Not only do flowers beautify planet earth yearly,

they provide nectar for bees producing honey.

Flowers please our senses - our sight, our smell, our touch;

they also speak, silently that is, with an unspoken blush.

Flowers speak to our hearts with a message of love

direct from God, the Creator, who loves you. Hugs.

We love because he first loved us.

I John 4:19

Let us love one another,

for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God

and knows God.

I John 4:7

How great is the love

the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called

children of God!

and that is what we are!

I John 3:1

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind!

Blow on my garden,

that its fragrance may spread abroad.

Song of Songs 4:16

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Thankful for winter afternoons spent enhancing stories previously written.  As saw the first robins yesterday (first week in February in the northeast) and thought I heard red-winged blackbird, this story was edited today from the chapter entitled Feathered Friends. Sharing.

Chorus

What’s this I hear?

Pleasant to my ears.

One instrument starts,

though it’s not a harp,

than another joins in -

soon it sounds like singing.

Another member joins

this joyful chorus line.

A new composition

is being written.

It’s an original opus

which seems to greatly please us.

One member of the choir, late

joins this original debate

richly enhancing the song

with his a Capella long.

Confident, he’s not at all shy

as his voice floats through the sky.

Another member who felt sick

now feels better for the music

lifted his woebegone spirit

and he soon feels better for it.

He now joins in with song

while tapping his toes along.

This chorus sings without instruments

for their voices are their instruments.

Finely tuned they sing,

morning and evening,

songs of thanksgiving -

a heartfelt offering.

You’re met these chorus members before.

They were welcomed outside your door

when the first robin of spring

and other joyfully singing

songbirds

are heard.

Take a minute to lend an ear.

Which bird sound did you hear?

Or maybe it was a cricket you heard,

even though they never say a word.

Nature creates a beautiful synchronized harmony

as all God’s creation comes together in unity.

* * * * *

Music can lift our spirit

whenever we hear it.

Not just from constructed musical instruments,

but also from nature and all it represents.

The buzz of bees is sweet to hear

when to flower blossoms they veer.

The singing of birds

is joyous music heard.

The lapping of the ocean’s foam,

the rushing of the river’s drone,

the wind that blows,

the cattle’s low.

The bleating of sheep,

a chick’s peep-peep-peep,

the rooster’s er-er-er-er-errr,

the drip of a passing rain shower.

And quacks and clucks and gobbles and honks

all add to the music that talks...

in fact, shouts for joy to the Lord

for nature is never bored.

It celebrates with music.

Don’t be shy, join in it.

Make any joyful noise.

Your spirit will be buoyed.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn –

shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together with joy;

let them sing before the Lord.

Psalm 98:4-9

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people,

the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:1-3

A neighbor raises hens. They too have organized their own opus. It seems one starts with a verse and the others join in with a refrain, like a chorus; which is actually celebration when an egg is laid, known as an egg song. The entire hen house celebrates with an opus. I look forward to their harmony. Being serenaded makes tedious chores enjoyable.

Robin redbreast breakfasting on crabapples in February.

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Miss Fancy Dress

 Ms. Fancy Dress

Here comes Ms. Fancy Dress.

She’s today’s garden guest.

She’s invited herself for afternoon tea.

She comes because this tea party is free.

Wearing an eye-catching floating gown

this afternoon she’s seen waltzing round and round.

She sips pink lemonade tea first. Delightful!

Does she know its Latin name? Echinacea.

Purple cone flower is its common name.

Ms. Fancy Dress sips from its hedgehog* frame.

She sips from one, then another

as her gossamer wings flutter.

Then orange juice tea attracts her attention

at this mid-summer afternoon luncheon.

This tea is really turk’s cap lilies.

Soon she becomes quite silly.

She’s seen hanging upside down

covered with orange pollen.

Next, lavender garden phlox is quietly sipped

as her long feeding tube unerringly dips,

but she seems to like pink lemonade the best

as she shares with other tea-drinking garden guests.

They’re her friends the bees,

here for afternoon tea.

Just who is Ms. Fancy Dress?

Who is this welcome garden guest?

A yellow dress with black dots and stripes and a blue ruffled hem,

to see her waltz in my ballroom always attracts my attention.

No fashion designer or seamstress the world over

could come up with these coordinates of color.

Too soon her belly is filled.

For a few minutes I was thrilled

to visit with my garden guest.

There she goes, Ms. Fancy Dress.

She’s a yellow swallowtail

who waltzes about in this tale.

*The name "echinacea" comes from the Greek word for "hedgehog" due to the spiny appearance of the cone-shaped seed head.  Did you know?  Now I know.

* * * * *

Oh the poise of Ms. Fancy Dress as she waltzes about.

Even if a gossamer wing is torn, she still gallivants.

Though her God-given mission

is for pollination

she attracts much attention

from gardeners and children.

As if not a care in the world,

she seems to reduce worries that whirl.

Her agility and grace

brings smiles to many a face.

Her buoyancy exhibits

lightness of spirit.

She’s not weighed down with the cares of this world,

trusting in her Creator her needs are upheld.

She brightens many a day

with her cheerful, carefree ways.

If life is a dance,

her waltz will enchant.

This lightness of spirit is also available to us

through believing faith as we choose to live a life of trust.

Life has many worries that tend to get us down,

forgetting God’s faithfulness and leaving behind a frown,

but God has a solution for worry

or a feeling of anxiety.

It’s “cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.”

Yes, seeking God in prayer is the antidote for what worries you.

If you’re at all familiar with the Psalms,

you’ll realize that David prayed often -

in thankfulness

and in distress...

when victorious or at wit’s end;

when pursued by enemies without end.

Rather these enemies were physical,

emotional, or irrational,

David knew one remedy for anxiety was to offer praise to God at all times.

Praising God focuses on God’s loving kindness allowing God’s faithfulness to shine.

Through life’s various surprise twists and turns,

disappointments, not knowing which way to turn,

let prayer bring you needed peace and comfort,

healing emotional and physical hurts.

God hears our heart’s cry when we pray,

even when we don’t know what to say.

In him we live and move and have our being.

As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Acts 17:28

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts

knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Romans 8:26-27

For everything that was written in the past

was written to teach us,

so that through endurance

and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he commanded and they were created.

He set them in place for ever and ever...

Praise the Lord from the earth

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

you men and maidens, old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Psalm 148

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