Watching and Waiting for Spring

I was walking the other day and noticed an Oriole nest dangling from a tree limb.  I remembered what I waited for every year...the return of the Baltimore Oriole birds.  Their song is lovely-- high and clear. 
Their nests are sack-like, built in dangling vines, hidden amongst leaves.  They will also weave colored yarns, lace, ribbon, plastic strips and dog hair into their nest, so we toss out yarn and ribbon in our brightest colors, hoping we'll be able to locate their nests.
Bird came out kind of wonky, tho...I'm learning.....
As always, this didn't photograph well, and every shot I took came out a little fuzzy.

I also watch for the Crimson Clover that lines the roadways and covers fields.  I never saw any of this back home in Maryland.

Now, I have to find a picture of the Weird Willie Bird--another bird I can only listen for as it is Nocturnal.

Petite Jean Overlook and likening the world unto conversion

There are a pair of rocks at Petite Jean Overlook in Arkansas that look like Gorilla faces. I had to attempt to draw them. I have a personal foto of them on another computer, but I ended up using a foto in a book of Arkansas fotos by Tim Ernst. I have come across 3 of his books and I love them. One is Arkansas Landscapes, Arkansas Wildlife and Arkansas Portfolio I (which I have not seen) and II. As always , this did not photograph well. I made the main "face" too long. There should not be so much space between the "brow" and "nose

Flowering cactus

I considered the gradual conversion, the softening of the heart of someone learning of the Gospel, how a flower begins to bloom among the pricklies.

Jack-in -the-Pulpit

The Wockenflock spoke in church today on the Love of God, which is charity, compassion, love, mercy.
If you read through each phrase slowly and ponder the meaning, the Charity verses take on life and true meaning.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long [endures], and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly [indecently], seeketh not her own [unselfish, seeks the welfare of others], is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth:

As always, this did not photograph well.

Cardinal at the feeder

Cardinal at my moms feeder (It was low on seed) on a snowy day
from a foto taken by Mary. As always, the drawing did not photograph well.

"When I began this day [Matthew said] my life was like the surface of a stormy sea. I was unclean. I was blind. I sat on my seat in the custom house, not realizing that it was I who was spiritually paralyzed, that it was I who was spiritually dead....as you marvel about what you have seen, do not forget this, I stand before you a different man. THe storm in my heart has been stilled. I am healed of my sickness, cured of my blindness, cleansed of my uncleaness. I have been raised from spiritual death to new life...What you saw in the house of Jairus was a miracle of astonishing power. But for me, the greatest miracle of all is what has happened to my heart."

---The Kingdom and the Crown, by Gerald Lund

(which volume, I am uncertain)

Echinacea

"Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn." 3 Ne. 29:8

I used a picture of many colors of coneflowers (as reference) because they represented to me the many tribes of the house of Israel.

This has been on my mind for a while. The Lord, in His kindness, allowed me to open right up to this when I as thinking about it, wanting to find it.

Echinacea is a medicinal plant used as an antibiotic.

"And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land--but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent quailties of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate--

But there were many who died with old age; and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him, as we must needs suppose." Alma 46:40-41

"And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy."

D&C 42:43

Pathways Between the Pyramids

Pathways Between the Pyramids
Pyramid quilt-variation, with a lattice.
Light and darkness.

Young lovers
seek perfection

Old lovers
learn the art
of sewing shreds
together

And of seeing beauty
in a multiplicity
of patches

a poem from the movie "How to Make an American Quilt"

Motherhood

As always , this did not photograph well. I loved this photo, this woman in all her beaded glory.

Turning to this photo in a book I own was an answer to a prayer. I have questions about who I am and my future.

"While we tend to equate motherhood soley with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "the mother of all living," and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. Sheri Dew "Saying it like it is" p.54

Proverbs 31:10 "who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil
12 She will do him god and not evil all the deays of her life
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it,: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow, for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the fruit of her handsl and let her own works praise her in the gates"