Fog Symbolizes Life

Last week Debbie Smyth of Traveling with Intent posted a picture called Trees in black and white that inspired me so I borrowed it and wrote this poem comparing the scariness of fog to the scary uncertain things of life. We can’t always see where we are going but we can always be assured that God is with us so be encouraged. In the old testament, Moses remind the people that God is always with you. Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” In the new testament, Paul also reminds us of God always be there for us. Hebrews 13:5b says “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” So rest assured knowing His love for you.

trees, Deb Smyth — Trees Shrouded in Fog

Eerie Quiet Fog

What is it about the eerie fog that mystifies us so

Moving quietly through the trees in the valley far below.

It snakes stealthy through forest engulfing each tree

Overtaking the land which once was thought free.

The coldness of winter brings a new kind of fog

Surrounding each limb and crossing each log.

Mystery overtakes them as we can no longer see

The coming together as one – quiet fog and tree.

In walking through fog, the light whisper you will hear

Is the trees reassurance, you there is nothing to fear.

If deep winter chill turns the clinging fog to ice

The crystal on limbs can make the tinkling sound nice.

But if the winds pick up shaking limbs all around,

The tinkling becomes cracking as limbs fall to the ground.

But a saving sun at last shows through, melting away the fog

Leaving only a dampness to linger around the trees and log.

The longer days of sunshine bring a warmth of hope to stay

As trees remember to wake and take in this bright new day.

The lessons we can learn when watching the fog and the tree

Remind us of God’s loving hand as he forever guides you and me.

Anita Neal

As you remember His great love for you, be a reminder to others of His love love for them. Always Be Kind.

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Pets = Stress Relief…at my house

I saw this definition on adogslove.com and thought it very appropriate for my house and a good source of my stress relief.

“Canine Paralysis – The condition of a person’s inability to move due to a dog being in their lap.”

rough 1 — Partial paralysis – only holding down left leg under plaid blanket

sofa — Full on ‘You ain’t going nowhere’ paralysis

They make us laugh, cuddly us when we are sad, sit with us when we are quiet and understand us better than anyone else. There is just something special that our pets do for us, whether is be a dog or a cat. For me, I prefer dogs, they seem to be more in tune with what I need.

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I found several pictures on Pinterest that I have saved as they touch my heart strings and I thought I would share. Its Friday, after a cold icy week, and we all need some warmth. And even if it is not icy where you are, puppy love is always a comforting warmth.

I don’t go to shelters when its time for a new love without abundant support as I would bring them all home.

And one last one…

I could post picture after picture after picture but I think you get the idea and my love for dogs. And if a dog can be that devoted to its person, think how much more God is devoted to you. Both are His creations and both deserve abundant love…as God gives. So I remind you to carry the devoted love of a dog to those strangers you meet on a daily basis and be kind.

God’s Night Light

The year 2019 for much of the midwest will go down in T-shirt remembrance mode. In the Quad-cities area alone for the season we have experienced 56 inches of white stuff with forecast for tonight and tomorrow of another 3-5 inches. It’s a running joke of “Has it snowed today yet? Just wait 10 minutes!”

Yesterday, last night and again today we have enjoyed balmy temperatures in the mid twenties which still seems cold but comparatively feels warmer. With cloudy skies during most of the month, the clear skies have been a much welcome joy and relief. The moon was a bright light in the sky that I thought I would share with you. Even though the tree are in the way, I think you can enjoy the pictures as we enjoyed gazing at God’s night light, an ever reminder that he is always there for us.

IMG_20190218_190216_1 — The night light in the sky

Due to our lovely weather or my internet service, I have been trying to get this published since this morning. It looks to be working properly so, Yippee.

With the second day of blue skies, the bird feeder was especially busy so I am including some of the beauty I had there. We will see if the 3-5 inches manifest tonight or if we get blessed with a small amount – not looking like that will be the result. Enjoy the birds and may spring come on gently to bless us. I guess one blessed thing I read was that due to the horrific polar vortex, we should have low bug turn out this spring and summer, so there is always a silver lining somewhere, you just have to look for it.

The ever playful Blue Jay.

Two different kinds of woodpeckers. There were many sparrows and chick-a-dees but they are very skittish and wont sit long enough to get their beauty struck.

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I leave you with a picture showing the kindness of feeding the birds and a reminder of something Jesus said telling his disciples how very precious they were and then going on to explain how much more precious we were in comparison. So remember to always be kind and let God’s light shine through you to others.

kind 12 — Any one or anything…as HE created it all

Treasures Found Cleaning Out

Winter is usually a time to rest with spring being the time to clean but this cold has just about done me in so I took the time to go through a closet I have not open since we moved in 6 years ago. In it I found a framed picture of a drawing and poem I wrote for my mother. Now I loved my mother but she was…a mess.She was an alcoholic and as an adult I understand why and that is probably why I don’t touch alcohol, other than it taste gross. I guess it is an acquired taste and I have has some of the better and more expensive to taste and I just as soon leave it be.

Sometimes God puts people in our lives to help us heal from issues we have faced and He did so with me with Miss Mary Lou. Miss Mary Lou is well in her senior years but has the most gentle soul I believe I have ever met. The first day I visited the church I am currently worshiping in, she came and sat me as she said she didn’t want me to sit alone. I am one of those weird people who to sit up front, second pew. With ADD, I don’t need any distractions. But the wonderful stories I had heard about Miss Mary Lou and her ever gracious husband never seemed to surprise me as they were always sharing God’s love.

The other thing about Miss Mary Lou that shocked me the most when she first sat by me was how much she looked like my mother, or rather how my mother would have looked had she lived the same age as Miss Mary Lou. They were probably within 10 years of each other in age. I look at Miss Mary Lou and believe this is how my mother could have been if she had been close to the Lord as she also loved people.

So I post this poem I wrote for my mother, probably for Mother’s Day, in May of 1986, along with the tea rose I bought for me. I send it to mom again in heaven in her honor and also with love and honor of Miss Mary Lou for giving me peace from a matronly figure.

Like a rose’s sweet fragrance that floats through the air,

So does a mother’s love as it flows through the home.

Like a rose that reflects its rich vibrant color,

So does a mother when she is loving her children.

Like a rose’s thorns that beckon you to beware,

So does a mother who safely guides her children.

Like the velvety softness of the rose’s soft petals,

So soothes a mother’s hand and voice calms a fear.

Anita Neal 5/11/1986

And in closing as I always remind readers to do – Be kind. Share your gentle softness with the fragrance of God’s love.

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Fun with Poetry

As I play with my blog, I enjoy what others say, write and photograph. Today I saw a photograph that so inspired me that I thought again I would write about it. I have done this in the past and it is relaxing to me. After the wonderful day of 48 degrees (before it plummets back to single digits) I was able to get out and enjoy the sun so I think more fun is good thing to do. Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine takes lovely and fun pictures of nature and things around nature and today she posted a Leafy Heart. Do drop by her blog and enjoy her photographs. So below are my words to go with Irene’s Leafy Heart.

The Autumn Leaf

The audible sigh of the leaf in fall as it begins to die

Drops slowly from trees above like tears when you cry

We wait for them all winter as they quietly rest and sleep

Popping out at spring and stretching to soak up warmth so deep

As summer comes in to brighten their worth, they create abundant shade

For we sit and rest under them and block the heat that is made.

As changing season turns again once more to cooler fall

The leaves display their dying hues that are admired by one and all

The leaf hangs tight to its dear life as long as it possibly can

But winds of fall will toss them down to be crushed by steps of man

As other lives rush over them when preparing their own winter deeds

A spider crawls around them to see if there is anything he needs

But alas he leaves as nothing was found for him of the leaf to give

And he heads towards home and other things in hopes of his life to live.

-Anita Neal-

And always in closing I remind all of the extraordinary value of kindness and how if we can share that kindness with others, even when we don’t feel like it, that may be the only kindness shared with that one person on that day.

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A Reprieve

Reprieve – To give relief or deliverance for a time.

That is what we had today – a one day reprieve from this tirade of winter 2019. The temps today got up to 48 degrees here in western Iowa and even thought we know that Nadia is closing fast, we accepted this gift of a reprieve to helps us not lose hope in spring forgetting us as in Horton who heard the Whos – We are here! We are here! We are here!

So today I was actually able to get out and run a few errands and of course refill the bird feeders. With all of that ice on top of the snow, I was just too fearful to try. But as we type the temps are already falling and will drop back to single digits. I was ever grateful for this reprieve of shining sun and “balmy” temps.

IMG_20190214_130638 — Blue skies and shining sun today

As as we brace for another cold and snowy onslaught, we will remember this breath of fresh air in hoping spring to come sooner that later.

And as we wait for milder weather, let us remember to be mild ourselves and show kindness where we can.

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An Elfchen

Midwest Fantasy has challenged us today to write an Elfchen.

An elfchen is an 11 word poem written in 5 lines— Line 1=1 word, Line 2=2 words, Line 3=3 words, Line 4=4 words, Line 5 =1 word. Lines 1 and 5 should not be the same word. Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda are currently hosting the Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge which was started by our star writer Christine Ray. We hope to offer all of you something that will spark your creativity and willingness to participate.

Since I had never heard of an elfchen, I thought I would play along and see what I could come up with. The three word choices are You, Stronger or Alive to be the first word of your poem. I accidentally used all three.

You

Dear Lord

Are the reason

I am stronger and

Alive

And as I close from this fun, I remind all to be kind. The kindness you share may be the only sunshine that person may see that day.

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Frozen Beauty

BEAUTY IN COLD

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We huddle close to fight the fierce and raging wind

Hoping to not face it as we round the next bend.

As we reach the building edge and peek around to see

We gets blasted in the face as the wind howls “look at me”.

Winter’s demanding blast this year, a force to reckon with

As snow joins low temps to break some record making myths.

But misery moves aside to reflect the beauty God can make

As we look around at mounds of white and tree crystals we pray don’t break.

We’d rather have warm temperatures with flowers all around

But will accept this fate for now until comforting times are found.

anita neal

When I got to the church this morning the trees were really beautiful but the parking lot was still to icy for much walking about for pictures. But as I was leaving this afternoon, the ice was still hanging in the trees and looked like crystal chandeliers so I was able to get a few pictures. Hope you enjoy them and are safe and warm.

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I also remind you of indisputable power of kindness. When we are all under stress due to this oppressive cold, remember the spark of kindness could warm a hurtful soul.

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Value of Old

To the many gifted photographers who pictures I admire and will periodically use, I thank you for you fabulous gift. It allows us in this blogging world to use them for the expansion of our imagination by taking them yet to another medium. Today’s picture came from Jansenphoto of Dutch Goes the Photo on Living in a Square World . Coming from grandparents that had farms, the pictures really struck me one in particular. Go check out his work and enjoy my take on his picture.

Old milk bucket

RUSTY OLD MILK CAN

It’s just an old milk can, some people would say,

But what if it could talk and tell of its day.

It would tell of its stories when the farm ran strong,

Amazing in it wonders for days were so long.

It sits in the yard now, its value no longer needed

As time and life march by, it’s worth totally unheeded.

Is this all there is to be, it wonders in dismay

As metal begins to flake and the rust eats away.

In same manner of this can, is this how we treat man?

As he begins to decline and struggles to stand.

How sad are we, who deftly refuse to see

The profound value of life, regardless of it’s age to be

To understand its wisdom and love still to give

So that the young may learn, for a better life to live.

As we all go through this life, remember it is all a cycle. So remember to be kind through your cycle so that hopefully the cycle will in turn be kind to you.

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Gentle Creature, Tell the story Challenge #9

Due to the not being able to get out much this week because our weather has been soooo lovely, I was super busy this weekend and just now sat down at my computer. I was tagged by sadje of keepitalive to do a writing prompt of a picture she suggested and since I have never done that, I thought I would give it a go. Do come along and play to see all the creative juices flowing from other.

Her picture prompt I had seen before and thought it was so interesting, so…

“Will she bite me?’ he asked as they edged closer.

“No, she is a sweetheart. She was hand raised when her mom got killed.”

“But she has eggs.”

“They are not real. Come see. They are made out of concrete. She knows they are not real but it helps with her maternal instincts.”

“Weird.”

“Not really. She is the only one left of her specie and the lab is trying to see if they can play God.”

“Oh, that’s not good. You don’t mess around with His creation.”

“Yea, you’d think scientist would have learned their lesson with the disaster of the dinosaur island they tried to create.”

“Wild animals are called wild animals for a reason. They don’t understand your reasons of why you do what you do and they are protecting their area.”

As the boys turned back to the main farm area, they could hear in the distance the large waterfall as it cascaded down the mountain side bringing fresh water to large farm area of rare and exotic animals.

“I understand it could be a dangerous task under any circumstance.”

Written for Tell the Story #9

Silly stories can expand our imaginations for those who write. And those who read me know my love for animals and somewhat warped humor, so see what you can do with this. I am tagging those who I know write and those I see doing challenges. Here is my prompt for you.

eagle dog