Unwrapped Gifts

Ode to the Gift That Comes Unwrapped

When the eyes of my heart are opened to see

To see further than the beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree

To listen with the higher reaches of the mind

I begin to see amazing gifts of a far different kind.

Gifts of time and special thoughts may lift me to a higher realm

To see with purer purpose through distractions that overwhelm.

Perhaps a gift is received of which the giver is unaware

Often the Lord has further purpose for a small gift chosen with care.

Such gifts may plant a seed of inspiration to write a new song

And to thrive through unity that to the soul is a balm.

A word of encouragement may lift one to reach a lofty aim

To fulfill an eternal desire, God’s promise to claim

A joy filled greeting flowing from a loving friend

Is such a gift woven into the tapestry of life without end

It may instill confirmation that God’s work in me is true

Validating His love with glorious sounds and colors of every hue

It may be an awakening to ever brighter hope through an apt word

Shepherding with extra contentment through what is heard

Such a gift, coming unwrapped, may surprise both giftor and giftee

Coming in providence, not placed under the tree

That it comes with such startling innocence causes the soul to sing

With unbridled joy as a soaring nightingale singing at taking wing

When given ears to hear the melody of the true giftor above

We are blessed beyond blessing, born of divine love.

Christmas Eve Morning 2011

Ina May Pummill

Christmas Inspiration

The Trumpet Call of Hope

Trumpets pierce the stillness of the night

Listen! Anticipate the glorious light

A trumpet stirs the soul. It excites the heart

It transcends worldly noise with news to impart.

The Word of God is filled with both warning and grace

It confirms the wonder beyond boundaries of this place.

A trumpet sounds with triumph to signal life that is real

It is a call to lift the eyes heavenward as bells of truth peal

It sounds with joy that cannot be contained

It overflows with salvation’s joy abundantly sustained.

You who are suffering along this pathway today

Trust in Jesus our Lord, eternal Son of God, when you pray

Those who hear trumpets resounding as music sweet and bold

Rejoice in God’s promises His prophets long ago foretold

Be comforted by the Lord’s compassion from old

Angels sang over Jesus” birth; He is Shepherd of the fold.

With renewed strength you will soar to heights joy

As on wings of eagles you are lifted to glimpses of glory.

These wings enfold you enabling strength to stand

They encourage believers to persevere just as God planned.

In this glorious Christmas season of celebration and light

Pause to listen for the Spirit Who ministers in the night.

Give from rich gifts received through the gospel of grace

Echo assurance to others from this set apart place.

Behold God’s mighty power revealed in all He has made

His marvelous deeds lift us to splendor that shall never fade.

Wings as of eagles formed in clouds of great height

An expanse of light appeared as a dove before my sight.

Sing a new song to the Messiah, Jesus, Everlasting King

Voice praise in adoration as overflowing joy takes wing

We shall never be disappointed when we pursue God’s grace

Mercy flourishes with abundance when we seek Jesus’ face

May blessings abound each morning that is new,

Carry His joy with you and respond with what is true. 

Imp/11-2011



It was thrilling to discover this image of clouds as eagle's wings spread across the heavens and an image of light shaped as a dove being carried along with the previaling winds.



Continued Thanksgiving

Father, How Can I Thank You?

Heavenly Father, I sing to you… praise you…

But I wonder, do I thank you enough?

When I am rejoicing in the things you have done,

Does my heart reveal my thanksgiving?

Does my joy make You smile at my recognition of glorious gifts?

Sometimes in moments on the mountain, I fear I forget to thank you.

The joy of the situation overwhelms me…

I smile in jubilation until my face aches with gladness.

I automatically thank You for the beauty of the spring flowers,

For the fruits of summer…. For the warm autumns golden glow…

I praise you for the way the moonlight glitters on the fallen snow.

You should receive thanks each time the Bible is opened…

Your words to me should echo from within.

When  thoughts in Your word reach out in a special way

A verse lights my soul and I claim the truth of the message.

In great rejoicing and awe of Your presence I find delight.

Inwardly I am filled with thanksgiving, but do I form it into words?

Do I consciously communicate this great love I have for you?

Do others see evidence of Your presence in my words and actions?

As You fill me with the joy of salvation…

As You grace me with the love of others…

With the joy of witnessing grandchildren running to me with open arms…

Running to me with open arms of love and delight in their eyes…

I am overcome with the overflowing of Your loving kindness.

I love to write praise to worship Your glorious presence…

But do I stop and simply say thank You?

When obstacles are moved… when pain is lifted and my body healed…

Do I whisper my appreciation of Your hand gently guiding my life?

Do I thank you, then sit in stillness,

Enveloped with the certainty of your attentive hearing?

It is in this quiet expectance that I feel the warmth of Your gentle breath.

It is then I feel the prevailing presence of Your acknowledgement…

Your Spirit within me whispers “you are welcome.”

My thanksgiving to You must go back to the beginning of time…

Back to creation where You prepared my heart to receive You.

Back to each providence along the way.

For through Your perfect providence Your light guided my pathway…

Through providence You awakened desires which You then abundantly filled.

How can I begin to thank You for drawing me with Your powerful love?

Drawing me to hunger and thirst for Your truth in all things?

If I do not express my thanksgiving as often as I should

Please take my joyful praise of You as declaration of gratitude for Your grace.

May desire to touch the hem of Your garment be a sincere expression…

One of love for You Lord, and of thanksgiving from the depth of my soul!

Time Flows Gently Into Autumn

This concept of time continues to capture my imagination with its powerful purpose and its illusive nature. A day or two ago summer was moving toward its grand finale with the late blooming purple ironweed and stands of magnificant goldenrod smiling in the morning sunlight. I turn around and the mornings arrive with a distinct chill. The valleys fill with layers of fog moving along the natural curve of the riverbed to lend a surreal misty element to a soft morning. It seems fall combines the brilliant flourish of a summer's end with a softening of the surroundings to prepare us for winter's harsh glare. These mornings can be so beautiful as to cause one to linger at this window of time.
As summer slips through my fingers as quicksand the hourglass of time is being refilled with a new crisp atmosphere.

There is a sense of urgency. Something of longing stirs my heart as I remember times of preparation in decades past. As a little girl autumn was accompanied by the arrival of a load of firewood and the time of staking wood into neat rows when my dad got home from work. At that time fall was a step of preparation for the comforting fires in the wood stove later on when I would walk home from school and stand by the stove to get warm, first front then back, and feel the radiant heat clear to my bones.

Fall meant a time of outdoor activity; of taking Sunday afternoon drives through surrounding hills to delight in the turning trees. Now as I drive from the mountaintop and travel country roads the sumac is shining in bright red along the road and the goldenrod catches the sunshine to make my heart glad. I think of some years in the high country of Colorado when the aspen were at their peak and whole mountains were ablaze with that gold that contrasted with the deep greens of the fir trees.

We just have to enjoy each of these days as it quickly passes by and to celebrate those images from other days in the realms of memories of another time. Such are the yarns of many colors stored in the heart through which we delight in the previousness of God throughout the span of years given to us for His glory.

One Season Blends Into the Next

Fading Breath of Summer

Amidst delight and exuberance

A longing for an essence noticeably out of reach

Summer is a time of sowing, reaping, giving out

Often drawing one from quiet time with the Book

There is a noticeable weakening from not being nourished

A hunger for that quiet path of restoration to be refilled

Along the way there appears a bit of mountain crispness

Astonishment accompanies a gasp of breath in the chill

A lingering summer tanager sounds a cry without answer

The cacophony of strife stills as

Hummingbirds begin their arduous journey

Glossy deep green leaves on black gum trees

Suddenly sing out in magnificent red

A few loosen their grasp to drift in downward circles

Carried along on a wisp of wind

To lie along a dusty roadside and gleam in the grass

The late afternoon sun shines through tall trees

To illumine the leaves with special light

Shorter days allow time for pondering and awaiting insight

For hearing what the Spirit brings to mind

To refresh and refill the storehouse of the heart

A harvest of treasure from which to pour out love

Lengthening shadows reveal a dramatic landscape

Golden leaves glow with more vibrancy in the evening sun

And tendrils of fog lift upward in the cool as the day is done

In a special way my soul is in tune with the seasons

I am compelled to praise God for many reasons

Autumn takes its cue

And paints the landscape with every hue

How marvelous the bronze and gold

Like the color of the pavement in Jerusalem of old

Oh to stop and allow that warmth to envelope my soul

My whole being rejoices in the process of being made whole

As a spectator of the changing of the guard

One season hands the baton to the next

It gives witness to the faithfulness of the creator

Just like promises, each season arrives in designated time

Though we may not recognize its presence apart from changing leaves

Yet the soul may sing out at hearing the cries of wild geese over head

Cold winds may come early and we walk briskly

Golden rod smiles with warmth enough to store in memory

To chase the cold with reflections of a time of blossoming

Perhaps sitting beside a fireplace wrapped in an afghan of gold

Imp 9/25/11

Peaceful Reflections

There are scenes of beauty that lift me above myself in a way that is almost indescribable. At first the impact of the vision might move me to stop and just stand in witness of such a lovely sight. I have framed the vision in my mind and almost unknowingly I bring the camera up in position to align with the image in my soul and record this moment to witness forever. It is a little piece of the fabric of my life. The reflections in the pool are more detailed than I first realized. Reflecting on moments of my life are filled with much more than I was aware at the time they came to be.

The soft, almost impressionistic image shines with a depth of which there are far too few words to express the magnitude of all of nature represented in this small garden beauty. The reflection of the rocks in the background contrasts with the lovely flowers, and surrounding the whole of it is the refelction of the glorious blue sky. Those rocks provide anchor for the pool and add texture and character. Oh how much I see some of the same images through pondering the moments of my years. I see how the Rock has always been there for me even when I failed to rely on Him. Instead of these flowers I recall faces of the years... teachers, friends, parents and grandparents and all the aunts and uncles and cousins... I recall moments as photographs of picnics and of riding the bike down a country road; I remember smells and sounds and dear voices; I can close my eyes and imagine passing scenes along the roadways of many trips whether short Sunday afternoon trips or longer journeys.

The colors and sounds and smells of celebrations and sorrowful occasions blend with the wildflowers on a set apart hill and the birth of my children; the wonder of meeting my husband of all these years as the memories of special times along the way grow more special to me every day.

Looking into this vast canvas more deeply I begin to see more of the providence of God along the way, weaving the pattern with details that could not have happened by chance. It is in looking through the memories that I can look forward with continued anticipation because I know the faithfulness of God in the fullness of His power and glory.

Looking at the reflections in this pool are a quiet time event. It is in stillness that we see more deeply into the intricate details with growing awareness of the mystery of life. It is delightful to watch rushing mountains streams and feel caught up with excitement that will carry me forward, but without quiet time beside a garden pool I cannot know the lovely nature of all with which I have been gifted. These wonderful moments are jewels, sparkling as the flowers in the garden pool, blessing after blessing that I would miss were it not for set apart times. Looking back fuels delightful anticipation for every new morning.  At times it is tempting to set up my tent and stay a while in what seems perfection for my soul. The Lord is still weaving the tapestry of my days and there is still work to do, so I must tarry for only a little while. Just as I gaze at the amazing details in the pool I realize that if I returned they would have changed and present something totally new. My experiences would also be different, my quilt would shine with new jewels through the numbering of my days to gain a heart of wisdom. The pool would still be beautiful in every season and every part of the day in the changing light from sunrise to sunset. God is unchanging but He is constantly at work in me so that I may be changed to blossom in His timing. Knowing this I must move forward with great anticipation while these beautiful images remain to help cheer me along the beautiful way.
I am thankful.

Looking Forward: Another Year

The old oak tree stands in witness of all the storms of life, of the beauty of the sunrise, and it hosts the joyful birds who sing throught the day. It is an anchor with which I frame each sunrise, a measurement of the seasons, and always an image of lovely form.



Through the years it seems we learn to yield to the temptation to sit a while in a quiet spot. It is in these times of reflective pondering that we have time to taste the deeper things in life.

 69 Going On 70
     Beginning another year leads to a new decade, 69 going on 70. It seems
so unreal, to be swept along in detached awareness of the passage of
time as if in slow motion, seeing more of the stages of life at the
same time.
     Body is aging, and yet I am still “me!” I am still the unique person I
was created to be. It is a journey of discovery in moving toward the
light. There is a vague longing for what I what I am that still lies
hidden and enfolded in the many peculiar layers of my dance of life.
This is another milestone in counting the days of favor, as I see with
redeemed vision as it works out what is being restored. It is an
amazing transformation when new compartments of the heart are swept
free of years of coveting worldly things. This brings new circulation
of life which adds renewed vibrancy to what was formerly a
struggling spark of eternal hope.
     As I climb further up the holy hill, different portions of life come
adorned with new applications of truth that measures against the
standards of holiness sublime.
     Seasons follow seasons, each perhaps as a rung on the ladder of ever
brightening ascension. Some trails navigate narrow dangerous drop-offs
on either side necessitating great care. The next segment often
arrives as on a gentle plain that encourages confidence. Tranquil
boundaries are such restorative blessings that confirm favor bestowed
by a loving Father.
     It is a gift to appreciate the precious expressions of God’s delight in His creation. We are encouraged to respond with the measure of delight we are enabled to absorb.
It is written that we are to be still and know that God is God. We
must be still to hear the truth of the ages; then in awe we become
aware of the gravity of being humbled before the Holy One of Israel.
There are points on the heights of joy when we can scarcely contain
the overflowing love. We are lifted up with emotion at seeing the
character of God made real through what He has made known, and then we
are lifted above our appointed boundaries to catch our breath in the
brilliant light of glory.
     Time travels its prescribed course and fills my mind with wonderful
memories. Though I cannot stay long on the mountain I can ponder the
accumulation of such moments through my sixty-nine years. With
childlike excitement I am blessed to anticipate many wonders as I move
forward into my seventieth year which is yet a mystery.
     Colorful jeweled memories mixed with patterns of poetry, marbled with
times of suffering and longing, bring more humbling of self inawareness of
the broader spectrum that is beyond present comprehension.
     My own shadow leaves but a trace when measured against eternity.  I
respond to the incomprehensible richness of the knowledge and wonder
of God with exciting joy in being compelled to tell others as I rejoice.
     I then step aside for a time to a quiet place with God given humility,
realizing I am as a unique shell along the mighty sea. I am counted
with purpose, then set free to be about the work prepared for me, assured of my place at the table for eternity.
     The Lord has been weaving the fabric of my life ever so firmly, strand
by strand until radiance unbeknownst to me is revealed. It is the
depth of the riches of this knowledge that thrills me so that I cannot
remain silent. I cannot attempt to keep this glorious river to myself.
For every thought or action that does not align with what I know to be
true of God the light remains dimmed until I respond. Jesus has more
to tell me but I cannot yet bear it. Perhaps I cannot yet carry the burden
of understanding nor deal with suffering and pain of life’s lessons.
     But I think perhaps it is that the weight of glory is so vast that I
cannot consume it all at once. Each coming day will arrive with
lessons and joys of its own. I trust He will enable me to pick up my
mat and walk forward with Him as He teaches me the joys of loving
others with His divine love. I ask that He help me take one day at a
time to delight in what I receive from His hand. July 2011