What Magic Will You Find Today?

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.
– Mary Baker Eddy

Photo taken early one autumn morning, at Lake Padden, Bellingham, WA. (Karen Molenaar Terrell)

magic 12

Church with Moz

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

I took a drive up to Bellingham yesterday. I decided to avoid the freeway and stick to the back roads. I had a yearning to meander.

Mindy Jostyn’s album, In His Eyes, played on my CD player as I drove down roads arched and lined in gold. Autumn leaves drifted gently down around me. There was no hurry here.

The title song of Jostyn’s album began playing, and I thought of Moz as these words filled my car –

In His eyes, you’re a fire that never goes out
A light on the top of a hill
In His eyes you’re a poet, a painter, a prophet
With a mission of love to fulfill
Outside there’s a world so enchantingly strange
A maze of illusion and lies
But there’s never a story that ever could change
The glory of you in His eyes…

Moz had loved that song. When she’d been lying on a hospital bed in my living room – her last day – I’d played Mindy Jostyn’s CD for her and I remember how, during that song, she’d gotten quiet and still – her breathing not labored – and her eyes had focused as she listened to the words. There’d been peace in the room.

And there was peace now in my car as the song played through the speakers. I could feel Moz with me. I felt surrounded by her expression of Love.

“The structure of Truth and Love…” is part of Mary Baker Eddy’s definition for “CHURCH” in the Christian Science textbook. And, listening to Mindy Jostyn’s song, I felt Moz and I coming together to have our own church service in my car. Under the golden trees. On a quiet country back road.

Autumn Road

Like Party Confetti

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

Gusting and pelting rain outside
and leaves of red and yellow
and orange are dancing
through the air like party confetti
and inside I’m cozy with a fire
in the woodstove and Earl Grey
tea beside me. I am content.
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

Gifts from the Wind

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

What gifts will today bring?
Yesterday I found laughter
with my students, and love
in a message, the music
of rain pattering on the window,
a cat waiting to be scratched
behind the ears and a dog
waiting for a walk. And on that
walk I found jewelry of ruby
amber, gold and copper, blown
by the wind to the side
of the road.
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

“…today is big with blessings.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

autumn leaves 3 this one

Copper Puddles

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

Copper puddles and puppy cuddles
autumn brings apple cider smells
and musky leaves and wool sweaters
out of cedar chests and crisp mornings
and rainy days and cold starry nights
that hint of winter to come…
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell

Autumn Sings

Image

autumn-sings

Today’s lesson…

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

“Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

So I’m out on my walk in Bellingham – there is much glorious autumnal color to be had – gold and ruby are dripping from the trees and forming arches over the paths. But there are people walking the paths, too – spaced in just such a way that as soon as one walker gets out of my camera’s view, another appears. I’m feeling frustrated by this. At this rate I’ll be waiting all day to get a people-less picture.

I smile at the walkers as they go by me, and they all smile back and wish me a good day. And finally! – the path is clear – I raise my camera to shoot a photo – and one more walker appears around the curve in the path. I lower my camera and wait. He’s moving at a steady pace. I smile at him as he approaches, and he smiles back. As explanation for why I’m still standing there – I point down the path to an arch of branches over the trail and tell him I want to take a photo of that. He smiles and agrees that it’s beautiful, and says that if you go further down the trail you’ll see more of those arches. I notice the cool earrings dangling from his ears and tell him how much I like them, and he says thank you. I ask him if I can take his picture and he tells me sure. I shake his hand and introduce myself, and he tells me his name is Todd. I have met a new friend.

Todd

And as I’m walking back down the trail, it occurs to me that God had been presenting me with gifts all morning – wonderful people who were walking the path with me. It took me awhile to realize and recognize Love’s largesse – but I’m happy to say, I finally got it. 🙂