SELF A STEAM

                "As far as the east is from the west," Ted puffed a huff, "that's when I can stop." 

                In hie hurry stride Ted neared sidewalk trot, as he blast past Autumn Boutique, past Summers End Flowers, past Open Door Cafe... stopped, froze, ceased breath.  He stepped backward to the open door of Open Door Cafe; took eternal breath.  "There," breath rushed out, "in there, there I am."

                Ted thread door, tread up to cafe table, pulled out chair, sat down, stared eye to eye narrow at coffee sipping Self. 

                Coffee mug met table top.  "Do I know you?" Self smugly smiled. 

                Ted's noggin hurt.  "What," was all he had, yet his mind raced on, almost spit out the obvious conclusion.  

                "No Ted, I am not your twin."  Self's smile grew a tad.

                "But how, why, who?" Ted be befuddled. 

                "I once lived in you," Self hoisted mug, "but now I am sitting cross table."  Coffee steam arose, became one with inner nose.

                "So you would have me believe that you are my, my conscience, and now this is your new thing?" 

                "Not new, more gradual.  Gradually you pushed me out each time you had no time, each time you hurried out home door with Tess right there, waiting for the scent of kiss that wafted away."

                "Who are you to criticize me?  I don't even know you."  Ted's own words hurt his head.   Bewildered cry escaped Ted lips, "Jesus help." 

                In forgotten corner an antique, broken down, and unplugged jukebox whirled to life, lit up rainbow bright, set up record, played a knowing tune of knowing light, "As far as the east is from the west, that's how far love is..."

                Ted turned attention back cross table.  Through swirl of steam from lone coffee mug, he beheld empty chair.

                Ted pulled out cell phone and cancelled all appointments, accept one, a certain lip to lip at home open door... 

                ...And during that kiss, Ted held Tess tender tight till she giggled.

                "Do you feel it?" Tess whispered in Ted ear.

                "Love." Ted whispered back.

                Tess eyes found Ted's. "Yes, our love bump."  Tess tummy kicked his. 

   
To get attention, you gotta give attention... to God, to his son Jesus, to each other... Love... 

Proverbs 8:17 KJV  "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

John 3:16 KJV, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

As far as the east is from the west, Psalm 103    

                   

   

                      

                   

HYGGE

                    "Hygge," puffed joyful purr, neath plush nest of comforter.

                    Head popped out.  Right arm followed, stretched bove unkempt sun lit auburn hair.  Eyes squinched tight, Tess yawn trailed off into nother purr, the near succumbing to nether cover.  Her arm collapsed... right across face of fellow nestee.

                    "Owwee," Ted head complained, pushed Tess arm from lips and nose.

                    "Not owwee, hygge," Tess stretched again, plopped arm back into place atop Ted face.

                    "Whut?" Ted lips mumbled neath Tess elbow.

                    "Hygge," Tess struggled to open eyes, "to us tourists pronounced as if it were spelled hue-guh." She shifted to snuggle, turned toward Ted, somehow replaced right elbow with left armpit astraddle Ted nose.  Tess slipped into snore.

                    Ted just wished he could breathe, pulled nose from armpit to atop Tess shoulder, took breath, squeaked, "Bouquet of roses with undertone of hazel nut, or as in this case, Tess nut." He chuckled, kissed Tess shoulder.

                    Eyes sleepy slits,Tess snuggled closer, purred, "Hygge," started to snuggle even closer, eyes popped wide, "Road trip!"

                    "But we are newlyweds," Ted whimpered, teased, "More warm hygge snuggles, less trip?"

                    "Oft soft dreams of night mirror... tucked away kisses of day..." Tess eyes danced.

                    "Well," Ted smiled, "if its an ice cream run, I'm in."

                    "Ice cream in Iceland?" Tess eyes reflected chocolate vanilla swirl in hygge a twirl.

                    "Well, we best get dressed. Although, "Ted lifted brow, "it is early June in Iceland. What hour of the twenty-one hours of sunlight is it and what is the weather up to?"

                    Ted strode to cabin door, opened, "Snowing, in June, but it's not sticking, but it is wet and chilly. So let the routine multi-layer Icelandic dressing begin."

                    Content neath warm covers, Tess watched her brand new husband meticulously lay out his and hers clothing on edge of bed.

                    Twenty minutes later, "Let's see, for our tops," Ted ran through checklist, "we have thermal non-cotton long sleeve under shirts, check; loose lambs wool sweaters, check; thick water repellent coats with hood, check; and lamb fleece head warmers, check. For our bottoms we got thermal non-cotton layer, check; non-cotton active pants, check; and outer layer rain proof pants, check. For feet we got thick wool socks, lamb of course, check; and insulated waterproof hiking boots, check. For hands we have warm gloves with outer waterproof shell and lambs wool liners, check. And of course the mandatory sun glasses for my Tess' pretty almond eyes."

                    Head propped up by hand and elbow, with lifted brow Tess voiced concern, "Which part of his obsessive compulsive disorder did my new hubby forget to tell me about and what's up with this non-cotton obsession?"

                    "Cotton kills!" Ted offhandedly replied, while surveying job well done.

                    "Cotton kills?" Tess eyes strained wide. "You suffer a cotton phobia too!"

                    "Naw," Ted smirked, "it is an old Icelandic adage belaying the fact that air pockets in cotton fabric fill up with sweat like a sponge and hold it. To stay warm clothing must trap air near the skin and wick away water."

                    "So you are not the least bit nuerotic?" Tess teased.

                    "Not at all." Ted eyed undershirt, smoothed out wrinkle. "Oh my, now I've got to go back over the entire checklist."

                    "What!" Tess mouth did not close.

                    Ted busted out laughing. Tess clobbered him with pillow. The giggling began. Those neatly arranged clothes got a few new wrinkles, til Tess pinned Ted down, demanded, "Road trip!"

                    Minutes later a sunglasses and multi-layer clad Tess and Ted paused just outside cabin door in the drifting down snow, and said this little prayer, "Thank you Father above for this beautiful hygge day. Help us be blessings all along the way, in Jesus name." And the newlywed Tess smiled and sighed, "So now we even pray in unison?"

                    And so on the way in that Volvo AWD the radio sang, "A leidinni aftur..."

                    "Now that's a lively tune," Tess giggled, "but I can only imagine what the lady is singing."

                    "A leidinni aftur," Ted flawlessly pronounced.

                    "So now Mr. Cotton Phobia speaks Icelandic? Because if you do, that is another OCD red flag, check." She only half kidded.

                    "A leidinni aftur means: on the way return," Ted matter of facted.

                    "I repeat, so now you speak Icelandic?"

                    "Well, no," Ted sorta wondered himself, "although why am I understanding every single word of this song on the radio? A leidinni aftur... on the way return."

                    Then in sync Tess and Ted felt the gentle and familiar warmth of Jesus' smile, and their mission for the day to share Christian joy all along the way, in that oh so very icy, icy Iceland.

                    Thus it came to pass in a certain grand ice cream parlor, that in line awaiting for ice cream order taking, the bouncy giggly, snuggly kissy newlyweds caught attention of every native and tourist; so every eye did see and their hearts infected be, by that old hygge. And soon round tiny parlor table Tess and Ted sat down, gathered hands together round snowy ice cream sundae peaked with chocolate cherry drizzle, and lifted up thanksgiving: "A leidinni aftur... on the way return, for our Jesus saith, 'I am the 'way', the truth, and the life; no person cometh unto the Father, but by me.' A leidinni aftur... on the way return..."

                    And every foreign and native ear did understand and hear, that their lips breathe and bear, "Amen."

                    And later that evening, returned to cozy cabin, after a hygge a wonder kind a day, midst warm comforter nest, twixt passionate embrace, Tess purred in Ted ear, "Oft soft dreams of night mirror... tucked away kisses of day."


To feel Jesus' smile: study his word, fellowship in his church, pray in his name, love God and love one another...

John 14:6... Johannes 14:6...



                         

                                                                                                                   
                 

SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN

                "I just can't take it any more!  Where did all the flowers go?"  Exasperated by her own flower garden ineptitude, Jena Scarsbury cried out across backyard fence to her neighborette.

                At the end of water hose, Rosie Mai Chi grinned, sprayed prize tulips with streamlettes cool and clear.  "That too bad, Jena," Rosie kidded, "maybe you have better luck with cactus." She giggled.

                "It's not fair!" Jena fired back, "You guru worshipin' Chinese come over here and foreign idol up America, fill our roads with pint sized cars and fill our minds with inferiority.  And what do you get for it?  You get rewarded for it, that's what!  I can't take it anymore!"

                "Jena, Jena, you not know gurus from India, pint sized cars Korean and Japanese the smart ones?"  Smiling, Rosie shook head, turned spray on thirsty bed of posies.

                "See that is exactly what I mean: you people are inscrutable," Jena groaned.

                "You crazy mix-up American, nice try to get my goat, you know husband and I are Christian missionaries to here.  You guys need Jesus.  And you wonder where did flowers go!  You silly." Rosie smiled.

                Suddenly, as if heaven sent, bright sunlight and rain cascaded down... Jena scrambled to shelter neath covered patio.  She turned to search for her favorite neighborette and sparring partner.   Jena hollered loud above the rain on tin, "Who is crazy now?  I am not the one standing in the rain!"

                And there Rosie stood amid the garden, smiling, watching, rhythmically nodding along with the dance of her kindred roses, flowers and ferns as they bent and leaped... neath the weight of sunlit rain... then Rosie breathed his name... "Jesus..."


                In his last words, the man after God's own heart, King David spoke of the coming of Jesus: 2nd Samuel 23:4 Living Bible, "He shall be as the light of morning, a cloudless sunrise, when the tender grass springs forth upon the earth, as sunshine after rain."

Post script: "The Little Miracle":

                In the story after Rosie declared, "You silly," the writing ended with no foreseen way to connect it with the chosen scripture nor the title, "Sunshine After Rain." So I prayed.  Then the thought struck me that perhaps Rosie's accent was a tad too stereotypical.  So I figured why not give her a third generation Chinese from Copenhagen Danish accent.  Like that would work?  But there I went.  I was stuck anyway; so I Google Danish accent, right!  Well there she is, the stereotypical little Danish girl answering questions on how to say phrases in English with a Danish accent.  And so someone types in and she repeats the question in her natural accent, "What do they call it when the rain falls when the sun is shining?" She giggles, pans camera to window and says, "It actually does right now..." And there is the sunlit rain falling in the beautiful garden just outside her window.  And she says, "It is coming a rainbow..."  John 20:15-16...

             
   

THE WINK

                Tess wink shouted conspiracy.  The flip of her sun kissed auburn hair sang I don't care.  Both hitched glitch to over the table negotiations; and as her eyes locked into Ted's, her left hand inched closer to last slice of Galactic Pizza Palace pizza.

                Ted winked right back.

                Tess blinked. "You know I am only doing this for your own good, saving you from indigestion, heart burn, even flabbier love handles."

                Ted winked again.

                "You didn't!  Did I just see the unmistakable eye nod of innuendo, the hint of insinuation, veiled reflection, perhaps oblique allusion, or even more the wink of retaliatory shenanigan?" Tess huffed.

                "Just flirting, Hon." Ted eyes had grown wide with, "Let me outta here!  Women are crazy."

                Tess arose from seat.  One hand on hip, one behind back, she rounded table, stood over and glared down at him, slid arm round his neck, plopped in Ted lap, cooed, "Ahh, the conspiracy... of love."  Tess lips met his.

                Ted's right arm and hand hugged her to him, while left hand searched table top for last gasp grasp of...

                "Looking for this, pizza breath?" Tess teased, waved last chance for peace, piece a pizza, before Ted a hungered eyes. "Do you smell it? Smell the," Tess took whiff, "savor that aged parmesan atop pepperoni, mozzarella and marinara on that fresh baked crust?"

                Ted tummy gurgled.

                Tess nibbled a bite.  Her eyelashes fluttered delight.

                Ted whimpered.  Lower lip trembled.

                With pizza aromaficated breath Tess kissed that lip a tremble.  Then Tess eyes to Ted eyes shined love, as she shared with hubby last rites bites of Galactic Pizza Palace pizza.

                Ted mumbled through mouthful chew, "Tess, you are my Queen of the Wink."


                More than a blink tis the wink.  By the nod of the eye what we see is not always what we get.  For many be the signals beamed by curtain drawn eye: conspiracy, innuendo, insinuation, retaliation, even scorn; or perhaps playful shenanigan, flirting, teasing, favor, the yes of agreement, good point acknowledgement... or even I saw what you did.

                Like pizza, like most things people eat, the wink can be good or bad.  Depends on how used, the amount consumed, the motivation behind it, and most of all how God weighs it.  Just remember: God sees it all...

                Proverbs 15:3 KJV, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

                Maybe acting in love is a good idea...


                   

             

                   

HAIKU

                              Haiku

                              Mighty Prince

                              Haiku

                              Paddle canoe

                              Thru sunset

                               Kissed milieu

                               Away Haiku

                               Away

                               Waters way

                               Haiku

                     
Romans 12:15

FISHIN' IN THE AMEN RIVER

            Not all appears as it seems in the hill country streams.  For in the burning Texas heat how can cypress, cedar and oak grow so green long the dry bone rocks and sandstone slabs of the Amen River bed?  But just as the Amen River twists round every foot of hill, so does that hidden; for sometimes a few feet below rock, sometimes only inches, fresh running water runs, and often, so very often just round the next bend lays an open pool of living water.

            And round one such foot of hill, at a certain upper pool, on a large flat stone sat one Miss Faith Ann McTurity with fishin' pole in hand.  O' so still Faith sat with brown eyes not blinking.  He was there.  There below.  There also with unblinking eyes.  Not moving.  Contemplating eating. In a snap the worm was his.  Unfortunately for him so was the hook Mr. Perch took.  To the surface Perch got jerked.  And no matter how Mr. Perch flipped and he flapped, that hook to erase, he could not erase the smile of Faith Ann McTurity.

            Fish full stringer swayed from that old cane pole on the shoulder of Faith, as she walked round the  bend of the Amen River toward her tiny hamlet called Amen Corner.  And Faith sang, "One less fish in the Amen River; one more dish we can set for dinner.  God bless the Amen River..."

            For you see... Miss Faith Ann McTurity lacked not faith and maturity...

                                                      ...Where Faith meets Knowing...

                                                               ...The Amen River...


                                          Hebrews 11:1&3; Isaiah 32:2&3, 43:19; John 7:38
                                                             Mathew 18:3&4, 21:16

                                            Jesus the Rock from which the Living River flows...
                                                1st Corinthians 10:4 & Numbers 20:8 KJ

                                                           
                                    .          

NUT GRASS

                "Ever wonder how far is away?" Tess yawned, uprooted yet another sprig of nut grass from the garden.

                "Often does the way remind, before the shadow shines the light." Grunt punctuated Ted response, while pulling yet another long rooted weed that he knew not the name of. Ted glanced over at Tess, his eyes lingered there, and he thought, "Even in the late afternoon heat, even in dirt infused sweats, even with garden soil on the tip of freckled nose neath brim of cap, my Tess rocks that strawberry blond hair and pale blue eyes."

                Like all intuition imbued women when being watched, Tess wiped speck from nose, looked up, smiled, "Less admiration, more weed pulling, ol' man." Her smile grew as she resumed nut grass war.

                But a curious Ted could not help but wonder at a certain Tess brand of peculiar behavior. "Mind if I ask why you are separating the nut grass into two separate pots?"

                "Horchata de chufa." Tess extracted yet nother nut grass sprig out of the garden.

                "Horchata de what-a?" Familiar female voice chimed in from edge of garden.

                Tess and Ted smiled at each other, chimed together, "Good morning Barrett." They looked up to see husband Grinn at her side, both wearing their signature line of Grinn & Barrett khaki knickers and tees.

                "How are our neighbor clothing moguls this glorious and blessed morning?" Tess extended greeting.

                "Now Tess, you know we love you, but," Grinn grinned, "but when you start slinging round words like glorious and blessed, you usually slip into that irritating witnessing for Jesus stuff."

                Barrett elbowed hubby.

                "Owww!" Grinn rubbed ribs.

                "Don't be rude, Grinn. Tess only witnesses to you cause she loves you. Besides, you need to listen." Barrett returned attention to Tess, "Anyhow, what is this horchata de what-a you mentioned earlier?"

                "Horchata de chufa is a delicious icy drink made by mixing water with a ground blend of select nut grass nutlets, rice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and tad a nutmeg." Tess blinked those pale blues appretiatively up at Barrett.

                "Oh sweet deja vu," Ted eyes lit up, "that's what that creamy white drink was the other day. Fresh n cold right out a the fridge and putting the yeeeeeee back in my haaaaaaa! Tasty E-N-E-R-G-Y!"

                "More like ick, nut grass!" Grinn grinned.

                "Too proud and stuck in your ways to try something new, no matter how tasty and good for you it is?" Barrett hugged Grinn arm.

                Grinn barely noticed the ebb in time... as lightning filled the east and shined even throughout the west, but Tess and Ted knew, knew the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, He was here...  then they were there... in the clouds with Jesus...

                At the edge of the garden Grinn sank to his knees alone... no Barrett hugging his arm...

                                    Matthew 24:27 (Jesus)

                                    Matthew 25:13 (urgency) 

                                    

                                    1st Thessalonians 4:15-18 (the rapture: "caught up together" in the clouds with                                          Jesus...)

                                                       

                                     John 4:35   

                                        

                                     John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that                     whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

                                        

                                     Romans 6:23;  5:8;  10:9 & 13 (The most wonderful of news... salvation.)

                                     Jesus loves You! Love him right back.      

                                             
                                

FROG IN THE FOG

                                                            FROG IN THE FOG


                "Wake up, Larry," Karen whispered, "Someone is at our window."

               "Ugh,"was followed by Larry roll over.

                "Larry," Karen shook him, "Larry, go see what it is."

                Larry let out mid nightmare moan.

                The unseen thumped window screen.

                "Get up!" Karen pinched his posterior.

                "Mommy!" Larry screamed, "Tha crabs are eating me!"

                "I'm not your Mommy!  I am wife, scared wife.  Someone is breaking into our bedroom window," Karen huffed.

                "What?" Larry raised head, rubbed rear, listened.

                Thump! "Brrrrooookkke!  Brrrrrrrooooookkke!"

                "Its just a frog singing and catching mosquitoes," Larry yawned, crashed head back to pillow.

                "No you don't.  If it is, just a frog, how can I sleep with that green, that thing, ripping through the screen.  Get up and get it away from me, or the crabs will eat Mommy's little boy!" Karen jabbed pincer.

                "Okay already." In the dark Larry hung legs over mattress edge, stood, felt around on night stand for flashlight, knocked it off squarely onto little toe toenail. "Ou-ou-ou-ouch!" He whined.

                "Quit goofing around, Larry!" Karen growled.

                "Lord remind me why I love this woman." The thought accidentally found path to his lips.

                "What!" Karen fumed.

                "I'm going. I'm going." Larry stepped, the flashlight rolled under foot, Larry's legs flew up over his head, head hit floor, his lungs compressed.  Silence...

                "Larry?" Karen turned on reading lamp.

                "Am I dead?" Larry gasped.

                Thump went the window screen!  "Brrrrrrrooooookkke!"

                "Larry, paaa-lease get out there and do something!" Karen seethed through teeth.

                Larry grabbed flashlight, crawled to feet and stomped out bedroom to front porch door. Unlocking, he muttered, "At least I can let Muffin back in; another thing I should-a already done." He opened the door.  Not even the flashlight penetrated the night fog.  "Great, just great," Larry complained.  He flicked on the porch light.  The fog reflected it back as blinding light.  Larry turned it off.  "I guess a little light from the flashlight is better than no light at all," he groaned.

                Something rustled in the wife's flower garden off to the right of the porch and right under bedroom window. "No doubt Muffin is stalking the wife's nemesis as well," Larry deduced.

                The frog in the fog thumped the window screen, again barked warning, "Brrrrrooookkke!"

                The rustling under the window increased.  Larry stepped off porch directly into potted begonias.  Struggling to extract foot from pot, Larry spied the black and white silhouette of Muffin in the fog.  "A stroke of good luck at last," Larry sighed, scooped up his precious kitty.  He rose, brushed the frog in the fog off window screen and headed back in. "Victory at last." He praised self. "After all, finding a black and white cat in night fog is no small feat.  So glad I found you little buddy."  Larry hugged Muffin.  Muffin hugged Larry's neck, rubbed soft furry cheek on his chin and began to purr.  "Love you too little buddy," Larry added, "Let's go cheer up your Momma."

                Triumphant and loved, Larry entered bedroom and strode up to mattress edge. "Say hi to Momma... Muffin..."

                The volume of horror on Karen's face was only exceeded by the decibels of her scream...

                It was then that the startled skunk began to spray...

                Thump went the window screen...  "Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooookkke!"


                                             ...What does the frog say...

                                   ...If it ain't brrrrrrooookkke, don't fix it...

                                     ...What a deep pit, burning lips dig...        

                               ...As the shrill voice reeks,so the skunk stinks...

                                   ...Why stir up trouble where there is none...

       ...Let singing frogs in the fog sing and catch mosquitoes like the LORD designed them to...


                            Proverbs 16:21 & 27; 10:14; 30:33 and Matthew 6:33-34

                Like that old Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, as recorded in Exodus, focusing on the frog as an idol or as a plague is just misplaced focus.  Focus on what matters, The Living God and his son Jesus...