Category Archives: Creation

The Sound of Silence

Janis Van Keuren

     Silent. Soft swirls encircle the trees. Quietly the flakes drift like wafers on piles of whipped cream. Building without a sound until one by one they heap up softly curved drifts that reach windowpanes and block doorways.      The only sound heard is the whipping wind whistling round the corners of the house and through the gaping meadows. The roaring wind drives gentleness across the landscape. Trees bend white, skies are whisked gray, the visible becomes invisible.      … Continue reading →

Walk in His Ways

Janis Van Keuren

Sands of Carmel      Lord, grace me with your Holy Spirit that I may walk in Your ways. Fill my heart with a desire to follow You.      “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” Psalm 119:133 NIV      Where is the Lord leading You on this journey with Him? From My Heart to Yours, Linking up with Word Filled Wednesdays at the Internet Cafe

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Colors Roll Across an Autumn Sky

Janis Van Keuren

 Arizona Fall sunset last night as seen through our Palo Verde tree      The last vestiges of summer’s searing heat flare across our autumn sky. Exhausted, depleted, they leave their mark in colorful hues. A whispered good-bye, as the sky’s cool breath pushes the strands into summer’s compartment, awaiting next year’s return.      The colors of autumn mornings sparkle with children dressed in red sweatshirts, brown sweaters, and long pants to greet their morning yellow bus. The chill will deepen, … Continue reading →

Does Your Home Need Repair?

Janis Van Keuren

The Fam–a few years ago “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1 NIV      It’s hard work to build a home. The love, the nurturing, the every morning breakfast, the Mom taxi, attending every recital or sporting event, mundane laundry, helping with homework, long hugs to heal the hurts inside, bedtime stories, prayers at night, twirling round the living room dance floor to lullaby music, trips to the … Continue reading →

The Blessedness of Friendship

Janis Van Keuren

“I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul rememb’ring my good friends.” William Shakespeare      Winding up the mountain road, praise music reverberated through the car as we beheld His majestic creation.  Strong boulders piled in formation, one atop the other stretched across the mountainside.  My friend exclaimed from the back seat, “Look, it’s the cloud of witnesses.”  Her description of the pillared boulders.  Others had already been named by the park service–“The Seven Cataracts”; “The … Continue reading →

On the Mountaintop with Friends

Janis Van Keuren

     Climbing mountaintops with our special friends, Jon and Julie.  We’ve known each other for 23 years, been separated by a distance of  500+ miles, yet our relationship continues to reach new heights. Through the years, we have supported each other in the raising of our young men, cheered each other through the good times,  shared and prayed with each other through the difficult times, talked hours on the phone, traveled hundreds of miles just to laugh, cry, and shop … Continue reading →

Autumn Marks Its Season

Janis Van Keuren

         Autumn stirs my senses and beckons me to embrace its vibrancy like no other season of the year.  Pumpkin orange, sun-fire yellow, burnt cranberry, maple-leaf red encircle me like a forest of color.  Candles glowing dance with fragrances of autumn leaves, apple cider, and pumpkin pie spice.  The whole house tingles with the season’s sensations and the anticipation of holiday celebrations.     Gratefully, the Lord has created beauty for each season of the year and each season of our lives.  … Continue reading →

Learning the Ways of the Lord

Janis Van Keuren

  Crater Lake, Oregon 2004      “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”  Michah 4:2 NIV      While a physical mountain will not teach us the ways of the Lord nor bring us His wisdom, direction, or help, sometimes  basking in the magnificence of God’s multi-faceted creation, we can find His peace, see … Continue reading →

The Rock is Our Refuge

Janis Van Keuren

     The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  Psalm 18:2 NIV Linking up with Word Filled Wednesday at the Internet Cafe

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Finding Joy in the Desert

Janis Van Keuren

         When we first moved here, it was the middle of a blazing-hot Arizona summer.  I laughed as we crossed a bridge with a caution sign that read, “Ice Forms First on Bridge” and the thermometer was sizzling in the triple digits.  I thought the road crew was crazy.  Ice on the bridge would have been a welcome sight!     As we wound our way up to our new home, wavy heat shimmers radiated off the asphalt street.  There were … Continue reading →