Category: Water

Watch Your Step

On By Charis PsalloIn Photography, Trees and forests, Water1 Comment

Watch Your Step

It was the flash of gold that caught my eye that morning. The reflection of golden aspens on newly formed ice covering the pond beside the mountain road glowed with photographic potential. I turned around, found a place to park, looked around for signs of bears or wolves, then carefully found my way down the embankment. The scene was as wonderful as I had hoped.

I knew the nights had not been cold enough yet to make the ice safe to walk on. I learned that lesson early in life. My friend fell through the ice on the creek near our house when we were kids. Fortunately, we were near the edge and the only damage done was to her new patent leather shoes and the adults’ confidence in our wisdom. I had no intention of testing the ice this time.

I started looking for a good angle, but a cluster of bushes hindered me from getting that one perfect shot. I found a gap and stepped around them onto the edge of the bank. It gave way. I slid down to the water landing on the ice. It didn’t hold me. Suddenly I was knee deep in freezing cold water. Worse than that, the muddy boggy bottom oozed around my feet grabbing my boots and refusing to let go.

Eventually, I struggled out, grateful for overhanging branches and deadwood turned walking stick. Climbing back up the embankment, I wondered how I could have ignored the wet earth and sudden drop on the other side of the overhanging grass near the edge.

I didn’t see the hazard because my eyes were on the gold.

Every year, I ask God for a word that will describe the next learning season I am walking into. My attention has been drawn (several times) to the word “circumspectly” found in the NKJV translation of Ephesians 5: 15 & 16:

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Circumspect is not a word that shows up often in modern English conversation. It comes from the Latin circum “around, round about” and specere “to look.” The Greek word is akribos “exactly, accurately, diligently.” Many modern translations use the English word “carefully.”

The picture seems to mean that to walk circumspectly is to walk very carefully, placing steps precisely, while being aware of the atmosphere and surroundings, metaphorically (and perhaps literally) speaking.

I don’t believe that everyone is at the same point on their journey, or that what is pertinent to me is pertinent to everyone. I’m not saying this is a prophetic word for the world in 2024. Maybe it’s just for me, but perhaps some of you can relate. It doesn’t take a prophetic word from heaven for anyone who is familiar with scripture, and looking around with eyes to see, to understand we live in perilous times, times where even those with platforms and titles can trip up.

Someone once told me that if you think you can’t be deceived, you already have been. Deception and distrust magnify each other. We can accept the wrong things and miss the right things by being too naïve or too wary. We can talk ourselves into or out of almost anything when we are unaware of our own unexamined motivations. Temptation is custom-made by the father of all con men and the evil one does not play fair. There is a reason why the Lord’s prayer includes the plea, “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one…“

For me, walking circumspectly means listening to the still small voice saying, “Heads up! Pay attention. Proceed cautiously. Danger ahead. Lean on Me. I’ve got you.” It’s tempting to be distracted by the self-serving stuff, and by the seductive voice of the enemy of our souls. Not all attractive options spread before us are God’s ways. Without the wisdom and discernment he gives when we ask, and then applying it, we can find ourselves in a muddy bog before we know it.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I read reports and op-eds in the media from all manner of sources, I still don’t know who to believe even after employing research and critical thinking. When I see people I have admired exposed for serious misuse of power I am dismayed. I have questions!

Jesus said his sheep hear his voice. The book of Ephesians is full of God’s wisdom and advice on how to live wisely and walk circumspectly in this world where the evil one, although defeated, still has influence. God is good. He is not worried. He knows the way. Ask. Then follow through.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17)

The Lord is reminding me these are days when I need wisdom and discernment more than ever.

How about you?

Peace – Not the Fragile Kind

On By Charis PsalloIn autumn, nature, Photography, Trees and forests, WaterLeave a comment

“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!

-Jesus (John 14:27 TPT)

Thy Hope, Thy Confidence Let Nothing Shake

On By Charis PsalloIn Art, faith, Music, nature, Trees and forests, Water3 Comments

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.*

It’s hard to have hope and confidence when things seem dark and deep. It’s hard to leave the what-ifs behind and not allow your confidence to be shaken.

It’s hard, but grace empowers you to be who God sees when he looks at you. It is God’s abundant grace that activates hope so can say with confidence, “All now mysterious shall be bright at last.”

In every change, He faithful will remain.

*(From Be Still My Soul, music from Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, Lyrics by Catharina von Schlegel, translation to English by Jane Laurie Borthwick)

New Day, New Song

On By Charis PsalloIn Art, Mountains, nature, Sky, Trees and forests, Water3 Comments

A new song for a new day rises up in me, every time I think about how he breaks through for me.

Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free.

Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him!

(Psalm 40:3 TPT)

Praying Naked

On By Charis PsalloIn nature, Photography, Water2 Comments

When I was a child, I used to have a secret place where I would go to talk to Jesus. I told him things that weren’t safe to say out loud where someone might hear. I didn’t know that was praying. I thought praying was when people recited rhymes at meal times or before bed or stood on a platform and shouted at God in King James English as if he were as hard as hearing as some of the folk in the pews (who some of us thought may have been as old as King James).

I talked to Jesus because he was someone who loved the little children. I could be very open and honest with him. Somehow, I had picked up the notion that God the Father was angry and disappointed with me like so many other people in my life. I couldn’t let him see the confusion and pain in my heart. It seemed ungrateful –and perhaps dangerous.

I’m realizing, all these years later, even though I have learned that God the Father is not who I thought he was and is loving and kind and inviting, I still don’t feel comfortable praying out loud in front of people. When someone asks, “Does anyone want to close in prayer?” I’m already avoiding eye contact.

You see, when I pray, I am very aware the moment requires total transparency. I call it praying naked. It comes from a time when the Holy Spirit spoke to me while I was in the bathtub. He’s not dismayed by my many imperfections in body and soul. Other people on the other hand…

Someone, who I’m sure meant well, once told me she had heard me pray a few good prayers in an intercessor’s group we belonged to. Then she suggested I listen to some of the more well-seasoned women’s prayers to see how it was done. I didn’t know I was being graded. Suddenly I was back in Jr. High.

It was the last day of the dreaded “Extemporaneous Speech Unit” in English class. I could no longer hide behind Big Bob or make an emergency trip to the restroom. I rose. I faced the class. I pulled the topic from the hat. I spoke. I tried to be humorous. My joke fell flat. Sigh. The teacher asked me to explain it. Sigh. I did. She still didn’t get it. Sigh. Neither did the other students. Sigh. The students were invited to submit their evaluations. Can you die from humiliation?

People who know me now, can tell you I have no trouble talking about almost any topic. That’s probably because I am an introvert who learned to function as an extrovert to avoid the humiliations of youth. It’s a skill I needed when I became a singer and later a teacher. But performing can be exhausting.

Some good friends have helped me learn to pray together with them. They don’t judge. They don’t hide their weaknesses. They encourage. They challenge. They support. They give me freedom to be myself. How beautifully precious they are.

I walked down by the lake thinking about this. I love how clear the water is here. Its transparency reminds me of the hope that someday I can feel less self-conscious when praying out loud in public. I hope for unity in spirit with fellow believers who will be safe, where judgment is replaced by encouragement, where we are recognized by our love for each other, and where our focus when we pray is on God and not ourselves.

By This Will Everyone Know

On By Charis PsalloIn nature, Photography, Sky, Water5 Comments

If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example, justice without love is legalism; faith without love is ideology; hope without love is self-centeredness; forgiveness without love is self-abasement; fortitude without love is recklessness; generosity without love is extravagance; care without love is mere duty; fidelity without love is servitude. Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love.

-Richard Rohr

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians about the importance of treating each other well, with out prejudice and with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, he added an important truth: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:14 NIV)

His advice about wrapping our motivations in love is what keeps us from turning his earlier instructions into another to-do list for controlling types. A song from “The Slipper and The Rose” called “Protocoligorically Correct” demonstrates a situation many of us are familiar with, even outside a fairy tale kingdom setting.

“Yes, we must be protocoligorically correct
Good form must never suffer from neglect
The rules and regulations we respect
Must be treated circumspect
Else the kingdom will be wrecked
We’ve a system to protect
Checked and double checked
And protocoligorically correct.”

It’s an amusing song even if its satire stings a bit. Many virtues seem, well, virtuous, until we realize that without love they become mere rules and regulations and the means to maintain control. When virtues morph into protocols, the soul of Christian existence is relegated to the back of the broom closet. Sometimes it’s easier to preoccupy ourselves with protecting a system than actually caring for each other and raising each other up. Love is an investment in another person’s well-being and spiritual growth. Love requires sensitivity to the tempering wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and the kind of emotional courage Jesus demonstrated.

Love is not an option for the Christian. It’s not something to be sentimentalized and brought out for special occasions. Love is the identifying feature of the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will everyone know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 34, 35

By the Waters of Comfort

On By Charis PsalloIn Photography, Uncategorized, Water, Winter2 Comments

Relieve and comfort all the persecuted and afflicted;

speak peace to troubled consciences;

strengthen the weak;

confirm the strong;

instruct the ignorant;

deliver the oppressed from him that spoileth him;

and relieve the needy that hath no helper;

and being by us all, by the waters of comfort,

and in the ways of righteousness,

to the Kingdom of rest and glory,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

-Jeremy Taylor

I sat in a waiting room this week. I knew before I got there the wait would be long. The day after Christmas and New Years holidays had a fun-is-done back-to-business feeling at the medical lab. It may have been business-like, but there were so many feelings swirling about in that room.

Legal measures taken to protect patient privacy are trumped by thin curtains between beds or loud conversations between patients and a masked receptionist behind a plexiglass wall. It reminds me of a scene from the old comedy show “Get Smart,” when secret agents are covered by a “cone of silence.” They had to yell because they couldn’t hear each other. When the plexiglass wall of silence is in the middle of a crowded waiting room, all pretense of privacy is gone.

Some people are mortified at having to explain what is in the sample bottle they are dropping off. They avoid eye contact with other humans for the rest of the day. Others don’t seem to care. In fact, some people give their information freely (and repeatedly due to the impediments to communication). Then they take a number, sit down, and look for someone to tell their troubles to. There are a lot of troubles expressed in a crowded waiting room at the hospital lab in the week after the holidays.

I’m not good at blocking out sights and sounds. I’ve been given advice on how to ignore sad stories whether they are told in winces and groans or given in long detailed descriptions. I know what it is like to cry and not be heard. So I listen. It’s something I actually like about myself, so I’m not likely to take the advice to block people out. I can’t imagine a caring Jesus blocking people out. Prioritizing getting away to a quiet place where he could hear his Father’s voice? Yes, but not by pretending he didn’t notice or treating people as if their stories were not important. He always brought encouragement.

It’s the getting away to be heard by our heavenly Father, and to listen to His peace and kindness that heals our own souls and allows us to walk in hope in the middle of hopelessness. The comfort he has given us is shareable. It’s called compassion.

Earlier, while waiting for my husband at his own appointment, I was able to stop by the lake on a cool cloudy January day. There, by the waters of comfort, I found peace in the presence of the Lover of my soul. I could continue a day of tests of various types knowing, no matter what, I am loved and therefore able to extend love. And when I’m running low, I’m learning there’s plenty more where that came from.

For Yonder Breaks

On By Charis PsalloIn Christmas, Mountains, nature, Photography, Sky, Trees and forests, Water, WinterLeave a comment

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

‘Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth…

-From “O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam, English lyrics by John Sullivan Dwight

The Road Back: Psalms of the Sons of Korah, “All My Springs of Joy Are in You”

On By Charis PsalloIn Christmas, Music, Photography, Water2 Comments

Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes will say,
“All my springs of joy are in you.”

(Psalm 87:7)

There is something special about the city that King David loved. I didn’t expect my emotional reaction as we travelled up the hills to Jerusalem from Emmaus, but I found myself crying tears of joy that at last I would see this wonderful city for myself. I didn’t get to see the magnificent temple made of polished gold-toned stone that David planned and Solomon built and where the Sons of Korah sang and played instruments. I didn’t get to see Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city many years later. I do hope to see him return through those gates though.

The story of the Sons of Korah’s journey from the pit of shame to the heights of worship in the temple takes place over generations. It is a story of restoration and of grace. I hope to join them in singing my own song of restoration and grace one day too.

In the meantime, I include a link to a song of praise from my culture that I’ve often sung this time of year.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Behold Thy King cometh unto Thee!

The Road Back: Psalms of the Sons of Korah, With Skill and With Understanding

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Music, nature, Photography, Sky, Water2 Comments

Can you hear the joy in their voices? Perhaps Psalm 47 was written after a victory, or the recollection of a victory. Since some of the Psalms of the Sons of Korah have been proven to be prophetic, the triumph celebrated may be about a future event. We know that Psalm 45 is about Jesus, the King.

O clap your hands, all you people;
Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy.
For the Lord Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He is a great King over all the earth.
He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.
He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory and excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.
God has ascended amid shouting,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
The princes of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham,
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted.

(Psalm 47 Amplified Version)

Can you sense the change in the hearts of these artists who once mourned and walked in discouragement and poverty of spirit as they carried inherited shame?

When God lifts the burden of shame, guilt, rejection, and self-loathing, he replaces it with a better identity. When we see ourselves in our heavenly father’s eyes, the way he created us to be, we also find our purpose.

Worshippers worship. It’s just what they do. Purpose is found in a restored relationship with God. Some people find their purpose when they worship. It fits. It’s what they were created to do, especially when it is expressed creatively. Whether they sing, or dance, or shout, or write, or play instruments, or take photographs, or design houses of worship, or prepare food for the hungry, their hearts are full when focused on God. They sense his pleasure. The connection motivates a desire to give praise with excellence, and more importantly, creates a deeper hunger for deeper understanding.

The Creator wired his beloved in different ways. Korah, as a Levite, was given a position in the place of worship. His desire for control and recognition abused the characteristic that would give his descendants purpose. In this psalm we see purpose restored in the sons once marked by rebellion.

I’m including links to four different expressions of Psalm 47. Some styles of music can be more accessible to us depending on familiarity and custom.  All are performed with skill. Like the Sons of Korah, having gained some understanding of the character and nature of God, I long for more.

Who are you? How does God see you? Do you know your purpose in life? What motivates you to keep seeking when pain is all around and nothing seems to make sense?

Ask him. Pour out your heart. There is more for you to discover.