by Cathy Baker | Faith |
September Midnight
by Sara Teasdale
Lyric night of the lingering Indian Summer,
Shadowy fields that are scentless but full of singing,
Never a bird, but the passionless chant of insects,
Ceaseless, insistent.
The grasshopper’s horn, and far-off, high in the maples,
The wheel of a locust leisurely grinding the silence
Under a moon waning and worn, broken,
Tired with summer.
Let me remember you, voices of little insects,
Weeds in the moonlight, fields that are tangled with asters,
Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us,
Snow-hushed and heavy.
Over my soul murmur your mute benediction,
While I gaze, O fields that rest after harvest,
As those who part look long in the eyes they lean to,
Lest they forget them.
My favorite line?
Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us,
Snow-hushed and heavy.
How about you? Does a particular word or line catch your fancy?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Self-disciplining, though rarely fun, is always beneficial. I have more than one area in my life in need of a clean sweep and a fresh start, but today I’m focusing on money. It’s all God’s. He simply allows us to steward it.
Budgeting has never been my, shall we say, forte, but it is an integral part in managing God’s money well (at least for us), so with my part of the budget I’ve started using cash envelopes.
Dave Ramsey is a fan of this method (as well as my sweet friend
Ellen), but I also came across Trina from Beginner Beans…on growing in faith + life for God’s glory. She shares her own personal budget along with cash categories and a multitude of other wise ideas.
A few other frugal favorites:
Have you tried the cash envelope system or do you have another method that works for you? I’d love to hear about it!
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and
count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when
he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin
to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to
finish.’ Luke 14: 28-30
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
End of Summer
An agitation of the air,
A perturbation of the light
Admonished me the unloved year
Would turn on its hinge that night.
I stood in the disenchanted field
Amid the stubble and the stones,
Amazed, while a small worm lisped to me
The song of my marrow-bones.
Blue poured into summer blue,
A hawk broke from his cloudless tower,
The roof of the silo blazed, and I knew
That part of my life was over.
Already the iron door of the north
Clangs open: birds, leaves, snows
Order their populations forth,
And a cruel wind blows.
Stanley Kunitz, “End of Summer” from The Collected Poems of Stanley Kunitz. Copyright © 1953 by Stanley Kunitz. Reprinted by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Source: The Collected Poems of Stanley Kunitz (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2002)
Have a favorite line?
Mine: “Blue poured into summer blue”
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Years ago I heard a pastor say that God could care less where a person lives or what house they decide to buy.
I disagree.
Sure, in the grand scheme of things, purchasing a particular home may not seem like much, but:
God is sovereign.
He alone knows our future. He alone knows if a house will become a home. He alone knows how one family could impact a particular neighborhood or neighbor. He alone knows the details.
The Word says the Lord knows the number of hairs on our head (and the true color! 🙂
Luke 12:7 Why even the hairs on your head are all numbered.
If Since He cares enough to count strands of hair why would He not delight in leading the way for us to find a place to live, work, and do life with others to His glory?
I confess this subject is on the forefront of my mind because we’ve decided, Lord willing, to sell our hundred year-old home. I can envision myself and our family in certain places—but above all, we want to hear God well and follow Him closely in this process—confident that He is at work for our good and for His glory.
Is there some area in your life where you need to rest in God’s sovereignty today? You’re not alone, my friend.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Reading. A true summer delight! In celebration of Read-A-Book Day, here are five of my recent, and not so recent, faves:
1. The Book. No other book was breathed into existence by a living and active God. Here are 23 creative reading plans.
2. Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald. Many books are written about organizing our time and schedules but this book focuses on maintaining spiritual order within. It’s a classic that’s sat on my shelves for years. I’m reading it now for the fourth time. (I’m a slow learner.)
3. Carolina Reckoning, a NEW release by my friend and gifted author, Lisa Carter. I plan to pick up a copy at her book signing on Saturday, October 19, from 10-12 noon at LifeWay Christian Supply on Haywood Road, Greenville SC. If you live in upstate SC, please plan to stop by!
4. For my poet friends…Poemcrazy, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. It’s filled with ideas, techniques, and inspiration.
5. The Creative Call, by Janice Elsheimer. I know, I know. I’ve mentioned this book more than once in the past, but it’s THAT good. It can be read/studied as a bible study — something I’m praying about leading in 2014.
Now it’s your turn. What book will you read in celebration of Read-A-Book Day?
