We all have our to-dos,
and there are times
when the tasks feel so many
as to be a steep mountain
too high to climb,
so that even the exercises
that fuel us and free us
instead overwhelm
and cast shadow.
Healing hours
are buried in boxes
of work and deadline
and we are embattled
for their honor.

My husband suggested making a list
to break the block of task mountain.

milk
blueberries
apples
onions
green peppers (2)
avocado (1)
lemon (1)
sweet potatoes (2)
broccoli
salsa (medium/hot)
deli meat (you choose)
sausage loop
chicken breast
reduced fat wheat thins
tomato basil triscuits
sandwich bread
tortilla
drinking straws
something salty
something sweet
AAA batteries
bubbles

For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. -Psalms 18:39

image: hightouchmoving.com

I’m full
in body, brain and soul
this week
and can’t seem to complete
a writing
to my satisfaction.
Also,
I’ve been binge watching Scandal,
and hours intended
for line and meter
have been swept away
in guilty pleasure.
Forgive me.
I shall return
to my post
soon,
refreshed.

image: Olivia Pope, Scandal.

When I was a child
Easter was a happy holiday
of bright brass and new cotton.
Colored eggs in crackled shades
of purple, salmon and teal
filled and fed our nest,
and end tables were fit
with crystal bowls
of jelly beans and pastel mint wafers.
Candy filled baskets
lined with crinkled green grass
were found before church,
and I’d wear white gloves
with ivory patent leathers,
admiring my spring dress all day.
Family would come over for brunch
bearing blue hydrangea
and fruit salad,
eager to be together
and talk of good things.
Blood and thorns were put away,
and gladness would rise
indeed
over pork and pink applesauce.
And though I didn’t yet understand
the cup of His suffering,
I was made new.

“Take with you the joy of Easter to the home, and make that home bright with more unselfish love, more hearty service…” – John Ellerton

An earlier version of this post had greater reference to Gethsemane. Here is the image and verse that went with it:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26:39)

images: goforfun.com.au, Jesus Praying in the Garden

wicker lamp
and florence dome
charcoal chaise
and amber tone
accent red
a printed grace
cabinet white
for plate and vase
footballs lined
on highest shelf
wire bin
of paint and brush
wedding trays
and summer stems
swaddle cloths
and favorite pens
antique buttons
three tiered stand
treasure box
of rubber bands
lord be with us
in this spring
to move and set
too many things
circumstance
the tasks pursued
to further mine
and thine
to You.

Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly. – 1 Chronicles 28:20

image: spoonfulofimagination.com

let go of the task
and relinquish your aim
leave message and room
unsent and untamed
pass over prep
and ignore chime and bell
quiet your will
and your work
and be still
the hour is here
of witching and test
the minutes have come
to unhinge and unrest
best to give in
to toddler and kid
lie on the floor
and flop like a squid
put secrets in pockets
of lions and queens
lift high on your legs
like an airplane might be
whisper of guts
in a sloped blanket fort
and help them to lose
and to win like a sport
the last of your list
will keep until morn
choose ease for the eve
to refuel and restore.

(and if the must dos
cannot be delayed
be patient and bribe
for sanity’s sake)

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. – Chuck Swindoll

And a few verses…

• Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. – Psalm 127:1, NIV
• I will walk in my house with blameless heart. – Psalm 101:2
• I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. – 2 Cor 12:15
• Always be humble and gentle, be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. – Eph. 4:2

image: The Belly’s Ocean by Matt Rota