Hope for the New Year

What a delightful surprise to find my hibiscus blooming this morning. When I opened my garage door and looked out and there it was smiling up at me.

As cold weather set in, I decided to try and save my three small hibiscuses by putting them in a pot and keeping them in the garage all winter. With warm temperatures above normal, I began to set them outside the door. I noticed that a bud was forming. It sat without much change for the past two weeks, and now on the last day of the year it opened into this beautiful flower.

What a message of hope that the beauty of life will go on in 2022!

Hibiscus bloom shines

Defying mid-winter’s chill

Hope for the new year

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Running Free

I did this painting was for a friend of mine who gave it to her sister for Christmas in 2020. Little did we dream in 2019 that being out and running free would take on a whole new meaning in 2020. When Covid-19 arrived we all began to feel the restriction of freedom as lockdowns occurred all over the world. Many of us stayed at home and only dreamed of getting out and running free once again. We realized how important it is to be able to run free with our family and friends.

Freedom restricted

Running free holds new meaning

When life is at stake

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

 

Seeing Positive and Negative

This beautiful block print was done by my granddaughter and given to us as a Christmas gift. If you look at it, you can see both a positive and negative rose. This is just like life. Sometimes the roses shine bright and are easy to see. Other times they may be dark and harder to see. I believe it is important to understand the relationship between the two.

Life’s bright roses bloom

While shadows linger nearby

Thorns keep us careful

*

Block Print: Molly Roth

Celebrating 52

We were married two days after Christmas 52 years ago. Time has flown as we watched the whole world change around us. My first classroom had slate chalk boards. I typed my purple masters for school on a big black typewriter with keys, arms, and a ribbon!  Our TV was black and white with 13 channels and an antenna on the roof. We had a pushbutton telephone mounted on the wall. Seatbelts were not required when riding in our car. The Viet Nam War was still going strong. We had a record player with 33 1/3 vinyl records, as well as a cassette tape recorder for music. It is amazing how much has changed since then.

As we reflected on our past years of marriage. she came up with this jingle that sums up our years together.  I thought it was perfect!

Fifty-two years of hit and miss bliss!

Photos from our trip to Myrtle Beach 2012

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Salvia

A few weeks ago, we had a heavy frost that killed off most of my red salvia along my front walk. This was followed by a couple of weeks of unseasonably warm weather. I was surprised to see new green leaves coming out at the base of the plants I had broken off.  Two of the last plants near the sheltered door did not freeze. They kept on blooming and some of the frosted one grew enough to bloom as you see in the top photo.

Blooming in spite of the Frost

Santa will bring coal/cold

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

The Returning of the Light

In the midst of Faith’s dark winter

Searching

Waiting

Anticipating an end

of overshadowing darkness

brought on by Roman occupation…

A child is born

Faith’s Winter Solstice of sorts

Light of God’s Love

Piercing the Darkness

Hope is reborn

Light returns

in life’s darkest time

A message of God’s Love and Grace

that forever changed the world

^“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”   ~John 1 NKJV

Painting, Piercing the Darkness: Dwight L. Roth

Nature’s Holiday Lights

Bushes sparkling

Holiday decorated

Electric sunshine

*

A seed in every sparkle

Welcomes cold Winter Solstice

*

and… another pandemic holiday!

iPhone Photos from my walk today

Light a Candle

 

This is my watercolor painting from this afternoon. The warm weather we have been having has been great for painting in my garage.

Winter days grow dark

Cursing the darkness won’t help

Just light a candle

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

No Room at the Inn

Travelers came knocking on the door of the inn

After traveling all day tired, hungry, and thirsty.

The donkey needed fed // they needed a bed

A full inn afforded them nowhere to lay their heads.

*

Pregnant Mary needed a place to deliver.

Water broke // waves were coming on strong.

No time to look elsewhere for a private room.

The inn was no place for a delivery room.

Travelers standing around gawking at the sight

Of a newborn baby coming ready or not.

*

The kind Innkeeper suggested, “Perhaps the stable…

A private place to deliver away from prying eyes?”

The animals provided warmth from their exhales.

He did what he could to make them comfortable.

Brought water and a blanket as Mary screamed in pain.

*

He was not the villain in this story as portrayed.

Rather a compassionate keeper avoiding gossip’s scandal.

Why do we think they should have been entitled?

Unknown travelers from afar // they had no reservations.

*

Thankful for a private spot, it all came about

A child was born in private, and would soon,

In the course of time, change the world.

A Savior who is Christ the Lord!

.*

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This a Christmas poem I wrote last year, which I am reposting again this year. It is a different perspective on the Nativity.