Let There Be Light

By Marlene Depler


Sunlight


          Moonlight


                    Starlight




Lamplight


          Nightlights


                    Flashlights



Light from campfires


          Light from our hearths


                    Light from candles burning



Porch lights


          Street lights


                    Floodlights




Headlights


          Traffic lights


                    City lights




Christ-light


          Light of the world

                    Light of truth


                              Light in our hearts


                                        Light on life’s long pathway home


                                                  Let there be LIGHT!




(c) Marlene Depler 2009 Permission needed from author to reprint in any form.

Hold on to Hope

Dear Readers:
Today I thought I would share a devotional that I wrote. I hope these thoughts and Scriptures bless you.

Hold on to Hope

By Marlene Depler

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galations 6:9).

Gardeners all have moments of weariness. They prepare the soil and plant seeds. They fertilize and water. Weeds are pulled until the back aches and perspiration drips. Gardeners may rest along the way, but they soon return to their toil. Why? Hope of harvest spurs them on even when they are tired. They anticipate slicing the first juicy tomato and cutting open a sweet watermelon. In time, their diligence and perseverance are rewarded.

Life is much like gardening. Doing the right thing and living well aren’t always easy. It takes effort to obey God. In the process, everyone experiences the malady of weariness from time to time. The cacophony of daily challenges and difficulties has a way of depleting energy. Physical or emotional exhaustion sets in. Efforts to serve may seem pointless. Weeds of discouragement take root.

Does this describe you? Are you worn out? Are you in the midst of something that has left you weary? Demands at work? Financial pressure? Health issues? Concerns over your children? Relational difficulties? Lack of appreciation for your ministry sacrifices? Have your best efforts failed to obtain the desired outcome? You are not alone.

God recognizes the human propensity towards giving up during seasons of weariness. He knows how easily hope is diminished and perspective is skewed. Thus, through the words of the apostle Paul, God encourages each believer not to give up. Because he knows that the heart craves hope, God reminds his children to refocus on the promise of an eventual harvest.

When the weariness sets in, know that it’s normal. Use it as a warning sign. You may be in need of rest. Jesus knew what his disciples needed when he said; “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). As we allow God to strengthen and refresh us, we can regain renewed vigor to continue loving, serving and giving. Once eternal perspective is regained, you can again eagerly await God’s promised harvest at the appointed time. Endurance eventually pays off. Hold on to hope!

Questions for reflection:

• In what ways are you experiencing weariness or discouragement? 
• What needs to be done to help to re-energize you? Rest? The encouragement of a friend? Renewed perspective on the promised reward?
• Think of a past example of when perserverance paid off.
• Within your circle of family and friends, who needs your words of encouragement right now?

Today: I will not lose hope. I will share this hope with a friend who is weary and in need of encouragement.

Additional References:

Isaiah 40:29-31

Matthew 11:28

Psalm 62:5

Romans 5:5

Hebrews 11:1

(c) Marlene Depler Permisssion required to reprint in any form.

 

A Winter's Walk

by Marlene Depler

Winter days, long and cold: I hunker down within my walls.

I have little enthusiasm for going out and about.

Today the sunshine coaxes me to overcome my hesitation

to brave the cold. I pull on a second pair of socks,

my coat, and purple gloves, stepping outside under a canvas of clear blue.

Fresh, cold air fills my lungs. I watch my breath---

then fall into a pleasant rhythm: right, left, right left.

I find room for uninterrupted contemplation in this open space.

I think about dormancy in nature as I view leaftless trees and barren rose bushes---

then wonder if I am in my own season of dormancy.

I notice the contrasts around me: the soft, virgin snow and the hard, crusty ice,

turned brown from passing cars. And the never-fading evergreens with the bare-

branched variety. Life is filled with contrasts, I conclude. Joy and sorrow, pleasure

and pain, success and failure. On I walk alone with my thoughts, one thought

cascading into another, until I finally turn to follow my lengthening shadow home.

I haven't seen a singe critter, I muse. Where are the birds and squirrels and fox?

Just then I am startled by a bird huddles in a nearby barberry bush,

soon followed by a honking "V" of geese flying directly overhead.

I smile. I walk on in pleasant reverie. I arrive home invigorated.

I promise to rendezvous with myself for a winter's walk once again---and soon.

(c) Marlene Depler 20010

O Christmas Tree

Putting up the Christmas tree is on of my favorite things about Christmas tree. The twinkling lights, the shimmering ornaments, endless possibilities for creativity, the overall beauty brings---all this brings me much satisfaction. Some years I use blue, some gold, and others the traditional red. This year it's PINK! It is fun to mix it up.



A full view! I almost have the presents wrapped.

A little closer shot. I really like the white birds!

Butterflies and watering cans bring in my love for nature and gardening.

On the fancy side! A little Victorian shoe!

My little gardener makes me think of spring!

A gift from a friend! She approves of my pink tree.

Right down to the wrapping paper! It looks so pretty when the packages match!

Gotta' love pink velvet ribbon!

And something fun for the grandkids! I was so surprised to find this one at K-Mart!

Thanking God for the gift of his son---and for family and friends. A Merry Christmas to all!

Book Review: The Gift of Years

Book Review by Marlene Depler

The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister

I look in the mirror and see the signs, the wrinkles and the gray hairs tucked between my highlights. Some signs sneak up almost unnoticeably while others are not so subtle. One thing is for sure: I AM aging! With this marching on of time, I am experiencing a wide range of thoughts and emotions. Some I bemoan to my husband or close friends, but many thoughts I never verbalize. And in spite of my best efforts, I see myself becoming more irrelevant in the world in which I live.

Recently, I started reading Joan Chittister's book, The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully. What a breath of fresh air! Her perspective is both honest and insightful. In the introduction Joan writes, "It is time for us to let go of both our fantisies of eternal youth and our fears of getting older, and to find the beauty of what it means to age well." I couldn't agree more.

Joan has written forty short chapters filled with wisdom. Some of the chapters included are Fear, Forgiveness, Fulfillment, Faith, and Freedom. Others chapters are Legacy, Limitations, Loneliness, and Letting Go. Each chapter bears pondering. Don't expect to fly through this book like a novel. I'm reading mine with a highlighter in hand to mark the passages that I want to reread again.

In the chapter titled Regret, Joan writes how that often what "pretends to be reflection" and "claims to be insight" slips into brooding, dragging us down. She says, "Regret is a temptation. It entices us to lust for what never was..." Then we may "doubt the God who made us."

Joan's overall message is to see aging is a gift. (It means we didn't die young!) We should not abandon our lives prematurely---before life in this world is truly over. This season is different that the previous seasons of our lives. Nevertheless, we can embrace it and live it fully.

Joan's words are making me often say to myself, Don't quit the game in the fourth quarter! Play on to the finish! This is a book I will read multiple times in the coming years. (I'm even considering leading a discussion group using this book as the focus.)

I hope you will pick up this book---maybe buy it for yourself for Christmas. Then if you enjoy it, recommend it to a friend. Whatever you do, appreciate your days and years, live fully until the time comes for "melting into God."

(c) 2009 Marlene Depler

Pacific Rim Sunset

Read then see photos below!!!

Psalm 92:4-5a The Message: "You made me so happy, God. I saw your work and I shouted for joy. How magnificent your work, God!"

Pacific Rim Sunset

by Marlene Depler

Silently, I sit in my front row seat

on the edge of the earth

where land converges with sky and sea

Sinking sun shimmers over crashing waves

as the Master Painter takes the stage

He lifts his brush to the canvas

pink and then lavender--

wide pastel strokes across the heavens

Next he adds bold highlights

of orange and plum

then smudges the rocks and trees

into black silhouettes

Hushed I admire the beauty

of the evening masterpiece

until the sea swallows the sun

Just when I think He is finished

He dips his brush in gold

signing his work with a simple cresent moon

My heart cries out as I jump to my feet,

"Bravo!" "Encore!"

He bows and waves, "Perhaps tomorrow."

(c) 2009 Marlene Depler

Reprints in any form only allowed with author's permission

Beauty Abounds

These are from our recent travels: Pike Market in Seattle, Tofino and Ucluelet (Vancouver Island, B.C.), and Victoria (also Vancouver Island, B.C.) Enjoy!

Flower boxes across the street from Pike Market, Seattle.

The beginning of a visual feast!

Flowers galore (Pike Market).

Fresh veggies! (Pike Market)


Succulent fruits (Pike Market).

Crabs in rows! (Pike Market)

Huge lobster tails! (Pike Market)

Rainbow of chilli peppers! (Pike Market)

From the bay side of Tofino.

Chesterman Beach looking toward Frank Isand

The Inn from Chesterman Beach

A room with a view.

And more views!

Pacific sunset on first night.

Sunset on second night.

The Amphitrite Point Lighthouse in Ucluelet.

View from the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet.

Strange roots seen on the trail.

Fishing boats on the bay side of Ucluelet.

Another shot of the fishing boats.

Abkaki Garden in Victoria.
(We saw Buchart Gardens on previous trips. We had just enough time to

check out this once private garden now open to the public.)

Another shot of the gardens.

The Empress Hotel in the harbor of Victoria.

Start Somewhere

(Note: I promised to share what I came up with from the writing exercise, so here you have it?)

I’d been sick for several days, and we were expecting out-of-town company in a couple of days. I was now way behind in my preparations and cleaning. Not to mention, that I was lacking in energy and short of time. There was so much I had intended to do before my friends arrived. Now I felt overwhelmed.

These weren’t the kind of friends who would judge me for a bit of clutter and dust. We’ve been friends for over three decades. Nevertheless, I wanted my home to be clean and welcoming. The tasks that I wanted to accomplish would make me feel like a better hostess.

I started to fret. Then I had a chat with myself. Stop wasting your energy fretting and just START SOMEWHERE! (Am I the only one who gives advice to myself?!)

So that is what I did. I started with the guest bedroom, dusting and tidying. Then I moved into the bathroom next to the bedroom. When those two rooms were company-ready, my spirits lifted and my perspective improved. I was able to prioritize other tasks and decide what mattered most. Before I knew my home was adequately prepared. Our friends arrived, and we shared several wonderful days.

Since then I have continued to think about the experience and apply it to other areas of my life—projects or chores that needed to be tackled and other areas such as health and personal goals. Instead of waiting until I have huge increments of time—that of course rarely ever happens, I remind myself, “Start somewhere.” If I begin and make a little progress, it gives me the impetus to continue later when I have a little more time.

Whether it is the weeds in my garden beds, the paperwork on my desk, or dirty windows, the process is the same. “Get started.” I started washing windows when I was preparing for my guests. I washed a couple of windows that were really bothering me. Later I washed a couple more. Bit by bit I’m making the rounds. Today I washed another three. Completion now seems possible. The end is now in sight.

The same is true with writing. I’ve intended to write about this experience for over a month. I finally said, “Just start!” Writing for about 20 minutes led to more thinking and more writing. Now I have a string of words on paper.
Most of us have heard it said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So true. Without beginning, nothing will be accomplished, and we will not reach the desired destination.

So first we start. Then we break things into smaller increments and things begin to seem possible. When my kids were younger and overwhelmed by something that loomed large for them like a school project, I would often tell them, “It’s a cinch by the inch and hard by the yard.”

I don’t recall where I first heard that saying, but I liked it and knew it was applicable to challenges both large and small. I wanted to help them see the value in starting and then breaking things down in to smaller manageable segments. Then when they put those segments together in succession, they ended up getting to the final goal. The same is true for the rest of us.

I have noticed that some things never seem to get completely finished, like the piles of paper on my office desk. Nevertheless, I keep starting. I make good headway. Then life calls me in other directions and things pile up again, so I begin again—and then again. Can you imagine how my office would look if I didn’t keep starting over and over again.

We will probably never have everything accomplished to our satisfaction in this journey of life. We will always have projects demanding our time and a variety of challenges to face. Yet if we constantly take the first step and begin again and again, we will move forward toward those things we deem important. And we won’t waste our energy thinking about what we must do.

What is it that looms large for you? What is it that you never seem to find the time to tackle?

*A college degree? It is possible one class at a time. So get started.
*Weight loss? That comes one pound at a time, but you first have to start.
*A relational issue? Start somewhere.
*Spiritual growth? Begin with one thing that seems doable.
*Health? Take a step in the right direction.
*Ironing? Turn on the iron and pick up the first piece.

Our personalities may be different and our challenges and dreams may not be the same. Yet we are still all on a similar journey. And we all need to regularly be reminded to START SOMEWHERE. So that means you---and me! Let's get going!

(c) 2009 Marlene Depler

Obtain permission to print, reprint, or duplicate in any form.

Writing Exercise

For those of you who like to write now and then, here is a little exercise to get you started!

Take 5 minutes and jot down 3-5 things you have been thinking about lately. (This can be anything, such as the change of seasons, aging, frugality, or your recent challenges with modern technology.) Now pick one.

Take three sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and a pen, and go somewhere that you would not normally write. Just start writing and don't stop until you have filled three pages! Neatness, grammar, paragraph breaks, and punctuation are not important!!! What you write might be random thoughts related to the topic you chose. You CANNOT do this wrong! So get going! HAPPY WRITING!

Later come back and put what you have written on the computer. Tidy it up a bit and put connected thoughts together. Just see what you might come up with. Consider sharing with me what topic you chose to write about.

In a few days, I will share with you what I wrote!!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

I love the cute things kids say, especially my grandchildren. I wish I had written more of their saying down. Anyway, I thought I would share this conversation amongst three of them.

My oldest daughter recently told of this discussion in the car:

Rachel says, "When I grow up I want to be a
vegetarian--you know a person who helps animals." (I smile.)

Brent says,
"Well, I want to be a scientist or a video game player." (I chuckle.)

Jacob pipes up, & I quote, "When grow up I want to be a
candy taster." (Uncontrollable laughter.)

Whose kids are these?

Well, I certainly know whose grandkids these are!!!!!