Category Archives: Nature

The Glory of Purpose

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Doc Arnett

These may well be the ugliest apple trees I have ever seen, Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Farming, Gardening, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged appearance, apple cider, apple trees, apples, cider, glory, life, purpose, work, yielding fruit | Comments Off

Of Floods and Droughts

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Doc Arnett

This reminds me, too,
somehow,
that it is far easier
to give alms
than to endure poverty.
Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Poetry, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged drought, drought relief, empathy, flooding, gratitude, Hurricane Isaac, poverty, rain | Comments Off

Isaac Makes Landfall

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Doc Arnett

In the surge of the storm
one finds a focus
so easily lost
in the days of ordinary ease
and comfort. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Death & Dying, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Poetry, Prayer, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged biopsy, cancer, courage, faith, hope, hurricane, Hurricane Isaac, loss, love, storm surge, storms, value | Comments Off

One Piece at a Time

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Doc Arnett

Whether you’re talking about mills or marriages, or a whole lot of other things, fixing one part is a start to things working better. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Family, Farming, Gardening, Nature, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation, Work | Tagged apple cider, cider mill, fixing things, repair, repairing cider mill, replacement | Comments Off

Rain Dance

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Doc Arnett

This sort of freshening
does not often come in August:
soft and slow,
a gentle seeping
from cloud to earth, Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Farming, Gardening, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Poetry, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged blessing, drought, drought relief, prayer, rain, showers | Comments Off

In the middle of August, on a Saturday that seems more like September, Randa and I are making apple cider from the windfall apples that we picked up in the three-tree orchard last evening. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Farming, Gardening, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged blending, cider, gifts, imperfection, making apple cider, perfection, submitting to Christ, submitting to God, yielding | Comments Off

Incomprehensible

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Doc Arnett

The vastness of the universe
reflected
in a single drop of dew
blazing like the sun Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Death & Dying, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Poetry, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged God's love, heaven, immortality, Jesus, love, mercy, value, worth | Comments Off

The Sound and the Fury

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Doc Arnett

To be sure, there are times for righteous indignation in a wicked world. But we should also keep in mind that we were not saved by the whip with which Jesus drove the money-mongers from the temple. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Farming, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged Christian extremists, condemnation, grace, humility, hypocrisy, mercy, politics, self-righteous, self-righteousness, sin, Westboro | Comments Off

Redirection

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Doc Arnett

For all the promise of the skies and all the signs of cloud and breeze, the longed-for rain did not come. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Farming, Gardening, Nature, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged attitude, Christian devotions, dealing with disappointment, drought, focus on the positive, rain | Comments Off

Hard Ground

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Doc Arnett

Sometimes we are called to a task
that we cannot quite complete
but must make a beginning,
leaving its finishing until
the soil is softer
or we are strengthened, Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Farming, Nature, Poetry, Spiritual Contemplation, Work | Tagged acceptance, challenge, Christian devotions, determination, driving posts, drought, effort, fencing, hard ground, heat, obstacles, persistence, setting posts, steel posts, t-posts | Comments Off