Paradise Found.

Laura, my beautiful soul-mate, loves and raises Roses. (One variety is named "the Paradise.") I marvel at her skill and tender care as she cultivates these beautiful and fragrant flowers. This was written several years ago as a tribute to my amazing wife. She has invested her gardening-gift with remarkable results. I'm reposting my tribute poem here--a reminder of what an extraordinary, lovely, gracious, woman she is; "thanks," to Laura for filling our lives with the grace and simplicity of beauty nurtured from the Earth.

Summer.
Deck brittle with age, surrounded by color, a wall.
Satin petals: Red, Pink, Ivory, Maize.
Thorns a reminder: look, don't touch.

Water droplets perfectly formed, wait to escape.
Bees busy, a harvest of nectar.
Woman sits, watches, filled with joy at the sight.

She labors with tender care.
Scarred by thorns, undaunted.
She plants, she feeds, she waters.

The full bloom of her effort,
a feast for the eyes,
Delicious to smell.

Autumn.
Sun's path plunges,
colors blaze then fade.
Not an end; pause, to rest.

Winter.
In time she plans for the deep white sleep of winter.
Well covered. Glory there still, but not.
They wait.

Spring.
She prepares the soil, a feast.
They awake from slumber, race to come out.
Canes the channel of life, carry lovely crowns through voyage to summer.

Summer.
In full bloom, they linger.
Paradise found.
Celebrated, loved; a reminder,
In the beginning, God.

We don't get to be here long...

Liveitwell!

Refuse the Sheep.

Lots of talk about the existential threat the Republic faces as we press into the final turn of 2020 and head toward the finish line in the race for POTUS 46. 

My neighbors, my friends, my community--our Nation feels profoundly divided; surly, rude, bombastic, mean-spirited because indeed, we are.  So much finger-pointing.

Here is the thing, we come by this naturally.  This isn't the first time we've had to face down our darker impulses.  THIS is the real existential threat.  We must commit ourselves to growth, personally.

Refuse the sheep.   

We grow by listening to people who don't see life through the same set of lenses we use to process the world around us--we need people who don't think like us, regardless of which direction we lean from the center; it's amazing how much common ground we can find when we listen.

Just imagine, people with whom we disagree strongly expanding our understanding, intellect, compassion, and yes perhaps most importantly, giving us the opportunity to exercise (and grow) the godly discipline of grace.  

America, a remarkable idea.

Liveitwell!