Blue

The wind blows bitter

but also

blows blue

bringing a breath

of bright

to a white

afternoon

Light

Four days
after the solstice
dark remains deep
even as
the world is stirring
for day
showers rushing
doors slamming
cars humming
voices murmuring
with anxious plans
The light is coming
Pause
Feel it
among us


John 1:1-5, 14

Shepherd

No account proclaims
Christ

born in the dark

Shepherds

heard songs

under 

a starry sky

but imagine

if

they found

the swaddled babe

not in night

but

as the dawn

reached out

for blazing day

Luke 2:1-7

Child

Photo: Laura Aase

Our hearts
leap
within us
or perhaps
turn
inside out
and open
the better
to receive
and reflect
love

Luke 1:39-45

Remember

Remembering

you

who not only spoke

the word of God

but lived it

Memory

breaks

and remakes

my heart

continuously

unraveling

and reknitting

my love for you

tighter

and tighter

Hebrews 13:7-8

Forgiveness

Can we

open our hearts

to be re-written

unfold them

like tattered

love notes

or uncover them 

like a hidden

diary?

What has been

will be erased

and over-written

with love

Hebrews 10: 15-17

Faith

Winter's darkest month
demands
we live by faith
for
though the darkness
presses the limits
of the day
and spring seems
not only distant
but impossible
in this monotony
of gray
dead
predawn
we must
open our eyes
arise
believe
in dawn
in warmth
in green                                                                                                             Hebrews 10: 37-39

Persevere

Found advice
from the writer
to the Hebrews
10:32-27:
Receive the light
Stand your ground
Sympathize
Accept loss
Persevere
He is coming

Hebrews 10:32-37

Holy

Not wholly
holy
as he is
wholly holy
but being made
holy
day by day
grace
upon
grace

Hebrews 10: 10-14

Peace

Transcendent 
peace
fills
the winter places
waiting
to be breathed in
to the smallest
capillaries
in the lungs
and exhaled
as joy

Phil. 4:4-7

Water

Water returns

to air

an invisible

abundance

in this

unexpected thaw

Repentance

is renewed

and acceptance

offered daily

as frost

dissolves

in sunlight

and reappears

as snow

Luke 3: 7-18

Generous

Weary

of the season's

expenditures

of energy

envy

and guilt

I long for

generosity

not squeezed

from obligation

or paraded

from privilege

but supplied

by grace

overflowing

2 Cor. 9: 10-15

Cheer

The light

of grace

fills every dark place

with all things

needful

and 

all things

needful

can be

enough

2 Cor. 9: 7-9

Gift

Desire

willingness

relieve

plenty

gather much

gather little

enough

2 Cor. 8:10-15

Inspire

If creation

is a pattern

for the creator's

grace of giving

our generosity

should know

no limits

as the circle

of seasons

knows no end

only rest

and rebirth

2 Cor. 8: 7-9

Hope

The epistle asks
Who hopes
for what he already has?
I hope for
the color
that must come
and yet is still
eagerly awaited
when winter's gray
seems endless

Romans 8:22-25

Alive (written 12/10/18)

I am alive

in cold

rooted

in fields

dotted with snow

and awaiting

the deliverance

of spring

Phil 1: 18-25

Path

My path

has not been

straight

the valleys

dark

the mountains

ecstatically high

But grace

has lifted

lightened

and led

my winding journey

home

Luke 3: 2-6

Preach

You speak to me

in the space

between the trees

in the blue

between the clouds

in the silence

of the snow

You speak

I listen

Phil. 1: 12-17

Praise

More stars

more light

more and more love

abounds

abundant

abiding

Phil. 1: 9-11

Compassion

These open hands
hold
the prayers
that are the completion
of the good work
of grace
Open 
to receive
Open
to release
Open
to redress

Phil. 1: 6-8

Pray

For sun

for play

for joy

for home

Thank you

thank you

thank you

Phil 1: 3-5

Strength

His grace

of water and sky

will

strengthen your hearts

increase

and overflow

like a river

released

from

winter’s

waiting

1 Thess. 3: 9-13

Promise

Day is coming

the promise of light

is given

as unstinting as

grace

or the green

that will enfold

these branches

again

Jeremiah 33: 14-16

Sky

Lift up your head

see blue

behind the gray

the color of waiting

the color of between

Luke 21: 25-28