Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

Heart's-Ease

by Amy Carmichael

Oh, there was never a blossom 

That bloomed so blithe as she,

On the bitter land, by the salt-wet sand,

On the margin of the sea.

Where never a flower but the gorse can blow,

And the dry sea-pink that the mermen sow, 

There grows she.

Oh, there was never a blossom

That bloomed so brave as she, 

On the narrow ledge of the mountain's edge

Where the wild fowl hardly be.

And over her head the Four Seasons go

With a rush of wings when the Storm Kings blow-

There grows she.

Oh, there was never a blossom 

That bloomed content as she,

In the heart that burned, and loved and learned

Of the Man of Galilee. 

And plant her high, or plant her low, 

In bed of fire, or a field of snow, 

There grows she. 

Western Tiger Swallowtail

     Today, this western swallowtail emerged from his chrysalis. We found the caterpillar, 11 months ago, hurrying across our back porch. We scooped him up and put him in a container with some host plants. In a few days he went through the process of changing from a caterpillar to a chrysalis. We expected him to emerge in a week or so, but he did not. We had read that western swallowtails can overwinter, but we did not expect to wait for 11 months.

     We had left the house early this morning to go to a 5K race. We came home a couple of hours later to find this beauty in the butterfly house. It was quite shocking to see him there after waiting so long. Once he was ready, we took him outside and let him have his freedom. What a beautiful creature!

western tiger swallowtail
  Papilio rutulus

November World in the Rocky Mountains

Today, we went for a nature walk with camera in hand to document our November World. We took a hike up the hill behind our house looking at the colors and also following some deer tracks. At this time the predominant colors are brown, green, straw, blue, and a little white. It will not be long before our entire landscape is covered in white. Usually, by this time it is already blanketed in snow. We are not complaining though. It is nice to be able to hike these trails this late in November wearing tennis shoes.

Big Sagebrush 

Artemisia tridentata

Ice and snow on the trail. 

The Continental Divide, in the distance, covered in snow.

Fairy Slipper

Calypso bulbosa

On a hike, last week, I saw this beautiful flower. I have been looking for this flower for about 3 years. It is the fairy slipper and is an endangered species here in Colorado. It was only about 3 inches tall.

Orion

"During the evenings of January, February, and March the splendid constellation of Orion takes possession of the southern half of the heavens..." Handbook of Nature Study, pg 823

September in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocket Launch

Wendell Berry and A Sabbath Mood

The Angelus, by Jean-Francois Millet

 

 

Whatever is foreseen in joy
Must be lived out from day to day.
Vision held open in the dark
By our ten thousand days of work.

 

The hand must ache, the face must sweat.
And yet no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled

And left to grace. That we may reap,

Great work is done while we’re asleep.
When we work well, a Sabbath mood
Rests on our day, and finds it good.

 

-Wendell Berry, 1979, no. X

I read this poem a few years back on the blog that takes its title from this same poem. I was struck by the beauty and realism in this poem for us homeschooling families. We work hard and yet the growth is up to God. It is to Him we look. Yet we don't leave the fields unplowed. Indeed, "the hand must ache, the face must sweat." But it is God who gives the increase as the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians. We are not in this alone and that should give us great comfort.

*************

A few weeks ago, in the library, I came across a book of poetry by Wendell Berry. I was eager to read it because of my experience with the above poem. So I have been reading my way through it and then this week I came across an article, on The Gospel Coalition, about our need for Wendell Berry's perspective on nurturing as opposed to exploitation. Read it here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/wendell-berry-and-the-revitalized-pastor