Photo: Fountain show at Longwood Gardens
The new confrence center building and covered walkways allowed us to get from our rooms to our meals to our classes and back again all without going out in the rain. So naturally, it gave up on raining and we had a pleasant sunny weather. I had an amazing week of learning about the craft and business of writing, plus amazing worship times, combined with great people and good friends, and oh yeah, and the "comfort food." Fortunatly Ridgecrest offers an excellent fitness plan along with all that food -- I took the stairs.
They're faster than the elevators anyway. And I think I actually lost weight.
Land where my fathers died
May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name. -Psalm 68:3-4a
Bending beside back roads it flows, this stream swollen with fallen rain. Each drop of water adding itself to the creek, pounding itself into the nearby soil and rolling down the bank to flow and flood, each drop of water like one more piece of information. At a certain point it becomes clear that we can hold no more. The stream has spilled over its banks already, and even one more critique or piece of advice cannot be held or comprehended rationally by the tired brain. I love coming to writers conferences I love the energy, I love each conversation, each drop of water, each cutting critique, each "you had to be there" hysterical moment. I am sad when they end. But I am full to the brim and spilling over with floods of ideas and projects.
The tree deserves it's name as you can see. 
The colors of lightening and fire in wild tongued nectar.
I saw them burn the roadside as I passed.
Today I begin classes at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We slept in Mt. Laurel, breakfast is in Rhododendron, and the keynote speech will be in Azalea... keeping it all in the same botanical family. :-)
You're not really supposed to stop 
Native American woodland flower and surprise volunteer plant. For years we have planted seeds to no avail, and suddenly, this year, there it is -- nowhere near where we put any seeds, probably brought by birds -- and growing happily.
Random Scrappy Bright Sample.
Controlled Coordinated Blues Sample.
The white iris are blooming in my garden.
There is a story told about King Clovis, who in searching for a way to ford a stream on his way to battle found wild yellow irises (aka English Flags, German Lieschblume) growing in the water where he was able to cross. He snatched one up and wore it on his helmet as a symbol of God's provision for victory. It is said that French kings ever since have used a yellow fleur de lis on a field of blue in their coat of arms.
Creeping Sedum Blooming in our Front Walk.
Windmill Quilt Block, a Scrappy Sample
Making Fresh Mayonaise
I wish I knew more about photography... why things work and why light does what it does... Both these photos were taken outdoors, at the same time of day (and of the same flower) but for the second angle it looked like it was coming out too dark. A shadow of flower against sky, which is neat but not the shot I wanted really, so I turned on the flash. I got my flower, but... for some reason the sky became a piece of painted backdrop, a piece of paper instead of itself. Why did it do that? Does anyone know?
Mind you, I'm not saying Christians never sin -- we do. Humans are, by nature, fallen and need repentance. So maybe I'm missing something, but.... Where's the part where we go to the Scriptures and figure out how to do better? REPENTANCE means to ask for forgiveness and to turn away from our sins. I don't see the part where someone explains what constitutes sin and says "Go and sin no more" as Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:11). You know what you have done wrong. This act is a sin, He told her, but you do not have to keep on sinning. So don't do this anymore.
Why aren't we more helpful like that?
The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20, states:Part one: Go ... where to go Jesus does not say exactly, but we learn from the journeys of the apostles in the rest of the New Testament, and from Jesus' actions during His time on earth, that anywhere we go there will be people who need to hear the Word of the Lord.
And Make Disciples... disciples are followers. Followers of Christ will be those who recognize the Truth when it is told to them and these disciples will want to learn more. Disciples choose to follow God even when it might be difficult. And even when they make mistakes or don't understand right away, disciples want to do better and are eager and excited. They just got hold of TRUTH and it's intoxicating.
Part two: Baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In Jewish custom, the ritual of Baptism was a sort of rite of membership. To be baptized in the name of Christ would be to signify and witness to the other Jews of the day that these disciples had chosen to align themselves with the newly forming Christian church. Ideologically and in every other way they became Christians (i.e. their tithes would go to that church and not the synagogue). But the commission given to the disciples (and by extension us) does not end there. Baptism, or membership, is just names on a list and the eagerness of a new Christian will fade away if the third part is lacking.
Part three: "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded." To observe in this context means to obey. A new Christian or a mature Christian cannot expect to know everything and to live perfectly. We need guidance, which is found in Scripture. But where in Scripture?
Do you remember the first time you went to the Smithsonian Museum, or the first time you tried to drive in New York City, or the first time you had to find the gate for your connecting plane in one of those big hub airports? It's confusing, can be overwhelming, even paralyzing for some. But maybe you had someone with you, someone who had been there before and knew which wing the exhibit would be in, or could tell you not to turn left because you'd never get through the traffic on that street, or knew that airport and could say 'we've got 28 minutes and our plane's on the other side of that far terminal we'd better hustle.' It helps. We need to do that as Christians. Is it really that hard? To say, hey, I've been there before, let me help you find your way... This is that passage you're looking for... Here's where Scripture talks about that... The Bible says this about what you're dealing with...
I suspect we are afraid. I think churches are so happy that someone actually shows up on Sunday morning that we pander to feel goodism. We don't want to tell people what sin is because we don't want to appear judgemental. We hesitate to tell people how to live according to Biblical principles, because they might take it as a personal criticism. We don't offer gentle reproof to help others stay on track or get on track because we are afraid that they will be offended and stop coming to church. And we're just so thrilled to get someone into the baptismal that we want to stay there.
We have forgotten the bonus part. We do not need to be afraid. Christ is with us always. We do not need to be afraid of offending when we approach in the Love of Christ. We will not drive away new members who are fellow followers. We don't have to be afraid to teach the commandments. (If someone is uncomfortable because of a sin in their life -- that's a good thing, God wants to make us uncomfortable with our sins so that we move past them.) To fulfill the Great Commission we need to do all three parts. We don't need to tread water.
The rains have washed most of the apple blossoms away already. It seems too soon, we have not even passed our last frost date. Still, there are a few late blooming buds lingering on the trees.
Strawberry blossoms balance spring rain on their leaves.
The plant itself is such a round puffy ball this year. I think it likes it's new spot in the garden.
And the upside-down trouser-shaped flowers are more prolific than ever.
I love the way the raindrops just balance on the leaves in this photo.
