The Orchid Journal

The clouds were spread like pulled cotton batting across the steady blue sky and the remaining yellow, orange and brown leaves rustled dryly in the meandering breeze. I stared wide-eyed at the scene as I walked along with Winston on the end of his leash. His nails click-clicked as he padded along the sidewalk and my footsteps syncopated rythmically to his. Frequently Winston would stop and sniff a row of dried grasses or a painted garbage can, but I didn't hurry him along. We both seemed to enjoy the peaceful day and pleasant walk. I felt so happy! Generally, I am a happy person, but the happiness that flooded over my heart was one that I hadn't felt in a while. It was a deep, contented happiness, that made me not only appreciate the scene before me, but look forward to the future. The scenery and my thoughts lead me to ponder *"happiness." The day before, I had heard a man on the radio tell a woman whose husband wanted to divorce her, "God did not create...

"By abandoning commitmet, our narcissistic culture has lost the one thing it desperately seeks: happiness. Without commitment, our individual lives will be barren and sterile. Without commitment, our lives will lack meaning and purpose. After all, if nothing is worth dying for (the anthem of the '60s anti-war protesters), then nothing is worth living for. But with commitment comes the flourishing of society- of calling, of marriage, of the church- and of our hearts. It is the paradox Jesus so often shared when he bid us to come and die that we might truly live." Exerpt from: " The Lost Art of Commitment: Why We're Afraid of it and Why We Shouldn't be" by Churck Colson with Katherine Larson (article in Christianity TOday magazine. More on this later....

Orson likes the piano... This piano is closed. "Is it ever used?", he wonders to no one in particular. After all the playing, Orson is thirsty. He is frustrated. How to turn the handle and drink at the same time? He loves the beautiful windows And especially loves the bowls arranged with different flowers every week- amazing that someone found green hydrandreas in the middle of November.... Alexis' bandaid is an exciting shade of green- She cut her finger on a broken bowl. Orson balances precariously on her thumb Living dangerously is what polar bears do best- Orson runs madly along the back of a church pew... Whew! What an exciting time at church! What will Orson do next? Oh, wait and see, wait and see...

Recently, I bought a teeny polar bear from the St. Louis zoo. I love tiny things so I couldn't resist the display of miniature lions, polar bears, elephants etc, all for a mere 75 cents each. (I must go back and get a lion and elephant next- wish they had a grizzly bear) Anyway, I carry the polar bear around in my purse and show it to people that I don't think will roll their eyes at me for being a 26 year old with a toy in her purse. So far he has been passed around at Bible Study amid "oohs and ahhs" and made to break dance by my Associate Pastor on the back of a pew during a wedding. That alone was adorable, and the polar bear proved to be a limber dancer. Last week, my friend Alexis had this genius idea: "You should take pictures of the polar bear in random places!" I was immensely inspired and tickled at that idea, so I have commenced my chronicling of mini-polar bear's adventures. Here are the first few. Next I will post a series of photos...

Love without return is like a question without answer. ~Unknown