Summer's Return

And the sunshine
brings out my freckles
as it warms and shifts my skin,
returning them to the surface
where they belong.

The grass is green as spring
and soft under my feet;
the clouds float lazily
in a bright blue sky.

The beauty of it all,
and the inevitable return
of summer, is enough
to bring a tear to my eye.

This Redwood Cries

If I was a tree,
I would be a Redwood;
strong and tall,
reaching straight up
to hug the sky.

And they would stand amazed,
there on the ground,
staring up as high as they could,
unable to locate my
top most branch.

And like me, you are a Redwood,
but you cower as I once did,
believing the lie that you're
just an Oak.

How I wish you could see
from my view.

Burning Sky

The sky was on fire tonight,
burning casually against
the horizon.

And my heart was on fire too,
burning slowly in my chest,
reminding me that I'm
alive.

I wonder if the sky felt as
uncomfortable as I did.

Or if it felt like
folding up on itself,
being as small as possible
as to make itself feel
less.

But I suppose not.

After all, it is just a sky.

Samantha Love

Words cannot describe the pictures in this newest post from Grace, found here. Grace had to say goodbye to Samantha for now, until she can go back and rescue her for good. Please pray that this process would be quick, as it needs to happen before Mid-July, or it won't happen until after September. Samantha needs to come home, and we have a God big enough to do it!

Cardinal

Red feathers bound
out of a spring tree
diving to the ground,
then pushing toward the sky.

The sleek cardinal looks
scared, out of place...
As if he doesn't belong
in this fresh, warm April.

And she finds herself sympathizing,
looking to the sky for answers,
trying to find a way home.

Train Tracks

I hear a whistle

in the distance

and realize

that there are

freight train tears

running down

salty tracks

on my face.

Moving

so fast

I can't catch them.

But I chase

after them

anyway,

open arms

in an open field,

under an

eye blue sky

punctuated

with white clouds

that float away

with a

sigh of wind.

Precious Samantha

Here's another post from Grace in Bulgaria. The pictures included made my heart melt with joy. The story is heartbreaking. Please pray today that Grace and Anna were able to get the formula they took with them into the orphanage and to the children. Continued prayers for safety and health are also appreciated. Blessings to you all.