Lightkeeper's Journal

Faith Changes the Impossible...

 

Photography and Article by Norma Beaird

 

Faith Changes the Impossible....
to Possible. Miracles are Real and Divine.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Your survival depends upon your faith in God. Faith is about believing that God is God, that He answers prayer and that miracles are still possible. The world's answers are temporary and cannot offer lasting solutions. Money, power or status cannot guarantee stability. Change is inevitable and even frightening to those without faith. But, when we believe...our faith in the Creator of the Universe makes the impossible.... POSSIBLE. Your true key to success is salvation, prayer and belief. There's not a magical formula, a ten-step process, or a current religious trend that can do what God can do in your life.

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mark 9:23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

God is not a trend or a Santa Claus in the sky. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He loves you. He wants to be the stabilizer on life's rocking ship. The world will catapult us into stormy seas and God desires to anchor us in His presence, power and knowledge. His power is a power to change.... and it can change your circumstance, your health, your financial situation or your impossibility. With God, all things are possible. We must first believe in Jesus as our Savior and repent of our sins.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

We are coming to a time in this country (and in the world) where we must learn to depend on God for our survival. The world's political and financial systems have failed us and will continue to fail. Family and friends may be there for you....or.... they may not.

Remember, fear and unbelief will make people behave in strange ways. Fear will drive a sane person crazy and will render them dysfunctional. But, when all else fails, we can cling to our faith in God. We must depend upon God to guide us through these perilous and uncertain days. Jesus still saves, miracles still happen and the promises of God will stand.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

All scriptures are King James Version.

 

 

Copyright 2022, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.

 

Let us Pray

 

Prayer by Curtis Beaird

Photography by Norma Beaird

 

Father, we come before You, this Your day, with thanksgiving and praise. We bow before You with joy and gladness, that we might look away from the tangled and sad mess that is our world, and find Your holy face and celebrate your grace in Jesus Christ.  

We come not to escape the world,

but to confess our need for Your everlasting truth and Your never-ending mercy. 

Father, our vision fails. We are overcome with confusion, fear and anger.  We have lost our way.  We live among a people who have lost their way. 

We pray, oh Lord, that time has not ended, that Your created order is not too broken to mend.  We seek Your healing, Oh Lord. 

We turn away today from the half-truths, manipulations, political charade and unseemly power plays to confess our over-reliance on men and women who can’t find their way in the dark. 

We ask, Oh Lord, that You allow us to hear again, Jesus’ words from the cross, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

Father, Your world stumbles, relying on itself, guessing at the future, while posing as powerful.   

Father, we look to You, not to avoid the world; but, that in these last days, You will pour out Your spirit upon us afresh. 

We look to You in hopes that we may silence the self long enough, that Your Holy Spirit might move us away from our self-seeking and selfish ways. 

That we might find the courage to bring Your light to the dark world, 

that we might find the heart to share Your truth in a world, lost in the same tired ways of greed and fear that has alway been. 

We pray, oh Lord, that You will open our eyes that we might see; and, in seeing, celebrate the joy and gladness that comes from trust in You. 

Father, this day, Your day, we praise Your Holy Name with grateful hearts. 

And now, Oh Lord, because of Your love and grace, we turn strong to meet another day in our broken world, glad that we are Your people who are privileged to serve Your Holy Name. 

For we know Father, that You are good, that Your mercy is everlasting; and, Your truth endures to all generations. 

 

Amen and Amen

 

Grace and peace

 

 

Copyright 2020, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.  

In the Wilderness of Life, You Can Find the Cross

 

 

Photography and Article by Norma Beaird

 

Romans 10:13

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The picture above is our newly decorated coffee corner. It was time for a change. After we wake up, the first thing that we do is go to the coffee corner, unless we decide to go outside first and check on the plants. Curtis likes his coffee. I like my coffee. Regular or Decaf, coffee helps to get us in gear. Sometimes, it puts us in Drive, or gets us out of Neutral. Coffee helps us to focus on the day ahead. No, we’re not addicted, but we’re not 21 anymore. We need a little assistance.

In the wilderness of life, evil attempts to steal our focus.

The world. Well, what can I say? It doesn’t matter where you’re living. Our communities, towns and cities are experiencing chaos on a widespread scale. To turn on the news is to fall into a ditch of despair and to be exposed to unending propaganda. Therefore, we decided that it was time to be reminded every single morning of what is important. Each morning, when I go to make coffee, I see the Eastern Bluebird picture and the three crosses. Each morning, I am reminded of what Jesus did for me on Calvary. So, before I get too discouraged over shootings, wars and upheavals, I am reminded that God is still in control.

For the last few posts, I’ve kinda had a theme going, “Manna in the Wilderness…..”, “…..Finding Peace on a Front Porch”. Sometimes, life is just difficult. The world around all of us refuses to make it any easier. In many ways, it always has been difficult, especially if you’re a Christian. At times, you feel like a fish out of water and wish that you could find the right river to swim in. You always feel that you’re swimming upstream, while everyone else is happily tubing downstream, catching the rays and drinking their favorite carbonated beverage of choice. You continue to swim upstream, tired and worn out, hoping that someone will throw you a life preserver attached to a rope to pull you back to the river bank.

Does this mean that we’re unhappy, pining away in this world, drowning our sorrows in Eight O’clock coffee and Chocolate Chip Cookies? Of course not! However, as Christians, if we think for one minute that this world is not becoming more spiritually wicked, then we haven’t been paying attention to the signs and people all around us. Have you noticed the constant anger in people? The rudeness? The bad attitudes? Have you paid attention to the number of people who are lost in a world of chemical enhancements? You attempt to pay for your items at the store and the clerk is so stoned that they can barely count the money back to you. Heartbreaking, to say the least.

Sin will keep us in the wilderness.  

The number one problem with the world that surrounds us falls under the category of “Spiritual Wickedness”. Everywhere we look, we find people who are living in opposition to the Holy Scriptures. They are living in sin. There, I said it. It’s called SIN. We find people who live life, not before a holy God, but they live a life bowing down to the god of “self”. Anything that you worship more than Almighty God is an idol. People bow to the gods of materialism, narcissism, selfishness, drunkenness, lasciviousness and desire. They bow to greed, lust and envy. They bow to their careers and put their family last on the list. They bow to everything and everyone but God. And, they can’t figure out why they’re so incredibly miserable.

Some people bow to these gods and still go to church. They may outwardly do and say the right things, but all that they have is a head knowledge of family tradition, a tradition of “every once in a while” church attendance. They know about God, they know about the Christian holidays and events, but they don’t know God on a deep, personal level. They don’t pray and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. They don’t talk to God because they're busy.

Their prayers are reserved for when they get into trouble, physically or financially. They may pray if they sense that a relationship is in trouble. But, they don’t seek God on a daily basis and praise Him for His many blessings. Unfortunately, many people don’t want to know God on a deep, personal level. He may reveal some things that they need to change. And….change is not always negative. Our lives constantly need the positive change that only God can bring.

Going to church does not spiritually save a person. Only Jesus can save people and forgive them of their sins. Good works and generous contributions won’t buy a ticket into Heaven. Confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repenting of your sins will pave the way to peace and eternal life in Glory. Salvation is not a tradition, it’s an experience with God. Traditions are nice, but they’re not life-changing. Tradition can enhance family relationships and make a holiday more fun, but a tradition will not save your soul.  Going to church encourages the congregation in their Christian faith, but church must be about the worship of God, not a family tradition.  

Right now, we are living in a spiritual desert, a wilderness, wooded acreage with buried sins. Some people live in a high-rise of sin. The city beats them up every single day. It’s much easier to pretend that sin doesn’t exist, to ignore it, to look the other way. Because, with admission of sin comes a burden of necessity, the necessity to ask for forgiveness and to make a change. Why change when you can just cover it up with pretense?

 

1 Peter 5: 6 - 10

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,

walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith,

knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,   

after that ye have suffered a while,

make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  

                                                                                       

We’re living in very dangerous times. People have an agenda; and today, most agendas are rooted in selfishness. Everywhere we look, we find unhappy, discouraged and depressed people. They don’t lean on God for help, they lean on prescription medications, alcohol, and illegal drugs. They are angry and stressed. They scrap and fight every day to make another dollar to buy another gadget or item that they believe will bring them happiness and satisfaction.

About satisfaction……we are all born with a spiritual void that can only be filled with Jesus Christ. You will never find peace and satisfaction until you find Jesus. There is a reason that He came to Earth in human form as a baby, endured ridicule and scorn and then died a horrible death on the cross of Calvary. He knew that all of us come into this life born in sin. He knew that we needed a loving Savior to rescue us from eternal damnation. He knew that we needed to feel the true love that only a loving Savior can give. Jesus loves us like no one else can love us. He always has and He always will.

Turn to Jesus. Confess Him as your Lord and Savior. Repent of your sins before Him. Lay your burdens at the cross. As the old hymn says, “Leave them there….” Don’t try to carry what God has already carried for you. Lay down the substances and pick up the Bible. Start reading. Start praying. Find a place of prayer and call upon the Lord. Make your prayer requests known to God. He hears your prayer.

In the wilderness of life, you can find the cross.

 

Romans 10:9

"That is thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 

and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the sea,

thou shalt be saved."

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2017, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.  

Wood Storks and Expectancy

 

 Article and Photography by Norma Beaird

 

At the end of last August, Curtis and I were on our way to the Recycle Center (the dumpster where we take our trash). Usually, we have our cameras with us in case of a new bird sighting or just in case the good Lord provides us with a unique sunset. On this particular day, we were driving slowly down the country road when something caught my eye. There were a line of trees on the right side of the road, but behind those trees was a pond lined with old Cypress Tree stumps.  Standing on those trees was the most magnificent sight.   There were approximately 75 Wood Storks standing on those stumps, all over the pond, and in the woods behind the pond.

This was not a sight that we expected to see. It was as though we were peeking into a fantasy world. Consequently, we had been wanting to photograph Wood Storks for quite a while. We had once again missed going to a National Wildlife Refuge where the storks breed each year in Georgia, and we were disappointed that we had missed this opportunity. However, God knew the desires of our heart and He birthed a blessing on the way to the dumpster.

For many years, storks have been part of a legend involving the birth of babies. The legend of the stork delivering a baby began with the famous 1838 fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen entitled, "The Storks". Even though storks don't deliver babies, the association of the stork and birth actually birthed a thought process and a question in my mind.

What if we actually lived every day with an attitude of hope and expectancy,

as though each day God could birth a new idea,

a new blessing or a new miracle in our lives?

So many times, we go through the day, never expecting anything good to happen. It's the same 'ole routine, the same 'ole job, same 'ole menu, same 'ole.....everything. We never expect anything good to happen or to be "birthed" in us because things like that always happen to other people. However, on this very ordinary day, going to do a very menial task of taking garbage to the dumpster, God blessed us to see something that many people never see. Wood Storks. And not just one Wood Stork, but many Wood Storks.

Since that day, I try to look at life a little differently. Maybe on this ordinary day, after eating my ordinary breakfast and drinking my ordinary cup of coffee, God may have a surprise blessing for me. Maybe the Lord will open up a door that has been closed for a long time. Maybe He will show me a path where He would have me to walk. Maybe He has a job for me to do where I can bless others. Every time I look at these pictures of our Wood Storks, I am reminded to never take any day for granted. You never know when God has a blessing.....just around the corner.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

 

 

 

Copyright 2017, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.  

What's Next?

 

A Great Blue Heron flies into the sunset in Laurens County, Georgia.

Birds are inspirational.  They can teach us a lot about life, faith and forward movement.  

 

Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird

Article by Curtis Beaird

 

Once upon a time, anticipation was the engine of the future.

Well, at least my future. Today was good, tomorrow would be better. All I had to do was wake up in the morning.

The present moment, whatever it might be, was all prelude to a bright and shiny future. Digging ditches in the summer put jingle in my jeans, gas in the tank and tuition money in my bank account. A hot, dirty day in a ditch was what I did while looking forward to the good times. Cruising my 1955 Ford. Arm out the window. Girlfriend tucked in behind me. Heaven on a bench seat.

Even if the day was long and tedious, the view of tomorrow was a vision, a dream, a list of possibilities a mile long. The real issue was sorting through all the options. Dreams had a way of living in spite of the context, in spite of institutional stupidity; and, what I learned to call systemic evil. I lived with an open future.

Later, Alvin Toffler became the new guru in town. A futurist who brought us "Future Shock", which to me was no shock. I found whirl a good thing. I don't do boredom. It gets me in trouble.

I was not alone in my thinking. I found many others on this road of optimism. Without realizing it, we lived by cliches. Later, some of us would call those cliches rose-colored glasses. For us, the future would be a hopeful unfolding. The glass was always half full. The sky was the limit. No - check that - there were no limits. Unique people secure in their personhood would know no boundaries.

Then it happened. “Wars and rumors of wars” took over. The assumed bright and shiny future of our unbridled optimism found itself trapped in the reality of limits, the consequences of bad decisions, and dreams discovered to be illusions. It was the Tower of Babel all over again. We were scattered.

In the shuffle of pain that followed, we found trolls under the bridge. A lot of trolls. The stock market crashed again and again. Social issues revealed the giant cracks in our culture. Then, a 9/11 forced us to admit that all things bright and beautiful just might not tint the shimmering light on the horizon. Instead, storm clouds gathered. The future broke bad. It was now shrouded in grim uncertainty. We discovered fear. We discovered anger. We discovered blame. It was “their” fault. We escaped.

We escaped into nostalgia.

From home design, mid-century modern, to photography, old barns and plowed fields, we rushed into remembering the past the way we wish it had been. “My hometown” we sang. “Simpler times,” we told ourselves. Turning our face away from the future, we stalled.

Is there a better way? Is there a better way to the future? Yes! But, the truth of Johnny Lee’s, “looking for love in all the wrong places” applies as effectively to hope, vision and dream, as it does to love. Searching for the future in all the wrong places leads to dead ends, not to a fresh tomorrow.

The future begins here:

1. Jesus said to his disciples. “……I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20 We are never alone in our endeavors regardless of how it feels. “Stuck” is a state of mind. It is the backside of "there are no limits.” The presence of Christ changes everything. He frees us to get on with it.

Life is lived forward.

2. Paul to the Philippians. "…..forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14  God calls us into the future. If we focus on Jesus Christ, we will turn our face toward tomorrow. In His Spirit and by His truth we will move in our intended direction—toward the future.

3. From Matthew's Gospel. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13.  No one said it would be easy. However, we assumed it would be. We thought all that was necessary was a little bit of education mixed with hard work, a few extra dollars, and our kingdom would come in. It didn’t happen.

We discovered that we were not in charge.

Things spun out of control. Thankfully, Matthew steps in to tell us the truth. The way to the future goes by the way of endurance. The Christian life is a marathon. The way of faith knows nothing of giving up. The goal is achieved by those who endure. His truth frees us to turn strong to meet the day.

4. The Apostle Peter quotes the prophet Joel to those gathered at Jerusalem "… I will pour out my My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” Acts 2:17  Clearly, God and the free gift of His Spirit is the source of anything worthy of the word Dream. God and the free gift of His Spirit is the source of a clear understanding of the future. God and the free gift of His Spirit is the source of visions capable of drawing us into the future.

My Dad was forever saying, ”Son, I wake up in a new world every day.” When I couple his view of the future with the promise and calling of God, I’m gifted with the question born of anticipation and faith...

“What’s next?”

 

 

 

Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.

 

The Birds Still Sing on Cloudy Days

 

The Duchess of Soperton, our Northern Cardinal

 

Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird

Article by Norma Beaird

 

I've thought long and hard about writing this particular article.  I've wondered if it's necessarily the best idea, considering the fact that we're still living in the same area that is the subject matter of the article.  However, sometimes it's easier to be honest about your situation than try to hide the truth of the matter.  

For the last three years, we have been documenting the birds of rural Georgia and submitting our reports to Cornell University's eBird.  We photograph, count, document and write about the amazing avian community in our backyard and in the surrounding counties, state parks and wildlife management areas.  Our birds have been a blessing beyond words to both Curtis and me.  I cannot properly describe with words what our birds have meant to us.   As a matter of fact, our backyard birds have been just one of the reasons that we have kept our sanity in the midst of a very dark place called rural Georgia.  

Within the last three years, a dark cloud has crept in over this part of Georgia.  Drugs, drug trafficking, meth labs and the subsequent meth lab busts have increased and are the subjects of the weekly newspapers. Two of our small-town weekly newspapers have the monthly Jail Report.  This edition of the newspapers feature almost full pages of mugshots, mostly due to drug possession, assault or theft.    

....Talk about the myth of Southern hospitality....

Almost three years ago, I remember having, what felt like, a very dark cloud to descend over me, a cloud of fear and dread.  It felt as though something bad was going to happen and the feeling produced an anxiety about the unknown.  Curtis felt the same thing.  A few weeks later in May 2012, our house was burglarized and approximately $7,000 worth of stuff was stolen, to include a laptop, camera, jewelry, tools, not to mention photos that can't be replaced.  We were devastated.  

We had just returned from a doctor's visit in Dublin, Georgia and Curtis had received wonderful news, thanks be to God and a great doctor.  Later that day, we had driven into Riverbend Wildlife Management Area in Laurens County and photographed the beautiful Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, a bird that we had not photographed before.  We celebrated the good news with one of our favorite pastimes, birdwatching.  

The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron scratching his head as we photographed. 

 

We were overjoyed to have found this entertaining bird hanging out in a very swampy area of the WMA.  We had a good doctor's visit, a nice lunch and a fun excursion back on dirt roads in a rather remote avian hangout.  And then we came home....

When we arrived home, our front door was open, a door that was locked when we left.  My heart just sunk.  I knew what had happened.  It had happened twice to my mother and me when we lived in Augusta, Georgia. Words can't describe that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, knowing that some low-life thief has busted through your door and stolen precious treasures that can never be replaced.  

For a while, Curtis and I were simply devastated.  They had even stolen a one-of-a-kind custom pocket knife that I had given to him on a special occasion, a knife that cannot be replaced.  They had stolen my beautiful Native American Squash Blossom Necklace that was a gift from Curtis, a necklace that I dearly cherished.  

Talk about going into the emotional dumper.....  Many people say that things can be replaced and "just be thankful that you weren't at home...."  That's not the point.  An alarm was sounded that we were no longer living in Mayberry.  We had known for a long time that the seemingly innocent small town that we moved to wasn't the same anymore.  Now, we knew for sure.  

Even though there has been an increase in drug arrests and subsequent takedowns of meth labs, we continue to feel the dark cloud of spiritual oppression.  Drug addiction is a strong, demonic force and drug trafficking is the result of greed and selfishness.  Law Enforcement has a difficult task in taking down a criminal element that has affected this area for decades.  There is a constant battle of good versus evil.   Law-abiding citizens must remain vigilant and alert.     

At times, in various counties over rural Georgia, crimes are committed that are never solved.  Some shootings have occurred that seem to disappear off of the front pages of  newspapers.  Some burglars are never caught.  We have read reports of drug dealers being arrested and then released.  

Sometimes, it feels as though communities remain complacent while the Jail Report continues.  No matter how many arrests are made, it never seems to jar the community as a whole.  Law Enforcement can only do so much.  Communities must rally together and look out for each other, patrolling their own streets and forming neighborhood watches.      

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure things out.  And, no one wants to talk about it or deal with it.  It's easier to ignore it than admit the truth.  Many locals would prefer to turn a deaf ear even though they know what is going on.  As Curtis says, "We are living in a pine straw ghetto."  When people refuse to admit there is a drug or crime problem, then a once-safe community can turn into a crime-ridden ghetto in a matter of months.  

An Umbrella of Faith

Why am I writing about all of this?  Hopefully, we can encourage you to open up an umbrella of faith in the midst of a raging storm.  That's what we had to do and are still doing.  We pray constantly for God's wisdom, guidance and protection.  

In the midst of this dark place, God sent us the most beautiful birds to photograph and document.  We have bought bird identification books, researched them and studied taxonomy. We have fed the birds, filled up the birdbath and even named our avian friends.  We have talked to chickadees, woodpeckers and crows and we have felt their love when we walk outside to greet them in the morning.

In the midst of your dark place, God can send powerful reminders that He created this world and that He is still in control.  

Rocky, the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

 

Therefore, do not despair and don't give up hope.  The answer is on the way.  Don't allow distrust and bitterness to take root in your life.  Allow God to show you the big picture and introduce you to His magnificent creation.  

In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah had delivered a message to the evil King Ahab, husband of Queen Jezebel.  Elijah told King Ahab that there would be a time of neither dew nor rain.  After the message was delivered to the king, God told Elijah to turn eastward and hide by the brook Cherith.  He would drink of the brook while a raven would bring him food in the morning and evening.  

Whenever I think about how God sent birds to us in the midst of a bad situation, I think about the prophet Elijah and the raven.  The Lord used a bird to physically feed Elijah.  God used birds to infuse our hearts with joy and teach us about migration and nesting behaviors.  Birdwatching increased our focus and our faith. The majesty of God's creation will bring a sense of peace to your spirit.  

In the midst of spiritual hunger and despair, God will feed our souls with the bread of Heaven.  Sometimes, He gives us great joy in the midst of sorrow.  At times, He sends us a distraction from the cares of this life that breathes hope into a seemingly hopeless situation.  He knows all and He sees all.  He is still in control.  

No matter how long you've been in a dry barren land or how desperate your situation, I pray that God will send you manna in the wilderness.   May He brighten your day with blue skies and cotton clouds or the fragrance of a Honeysuckle vine.  May He send you an encouraging word or laughter in the midst of tears.  

Just remember, the birds still sing on cloudy days.  

 

1 Kings 17: 1 - 6

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab,

As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand,

there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward,

and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook;

and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord:

for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning,

and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

 

 

 

Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.   

Just a Little Bit of Light

 

Tybee Lighthouse, doing what it does best......shine.

 

Photography by Curtis Beaird

 

Just a little bit of light will dispel the darkness.

A beacon of hope shines, even in a culture of chaos.  

                                                                                                                                        Norma Beaird

 

 

 

Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.   

The Simplicity of Living

 

The Simplicity of Living

 

Photography and Poem by Curtis Beaird

 

One day at a time. One moment at a time.

Each one, day or moment, a gift offered with an open hand in the generous hope that the time of my life, day or moment, will be offered up in service with purpose.  

Complaint spoils the silver tint of every second.

Grim projections, imagined and fleshed out with a hope spoiled by cynicism, sours the leading edge of the strongest of promises and buries them in a cave of despair. 

Why abandon yourself to the worst that can be seen?

A solitary, standing in the shadows of fading dreams and ignored possibilities.  The gift, the precious gift of day or moment, those often presumed upon treasures allowed to slip away, even as they are offered fresh with the morning light.  

Complain at your own risk. See only the parade of passing darkness.

Miss the stunning gold of each new sun. Ignore the silver in every full moon. Never hear the rustling in the wind of sunflowers in bloom.  Embrace, without thought, without question, the noise.  At your own risk. 

Refuse the invitation of silence.  That silence free of conflict and filled with the flutter of bluebird wings, the Bob White's call or a Mocking bird's songs.  At your own risk… 

One day at a time. One moment at a time.

Each one, day or moment, a gift offered with an open hand in the generous hope that the time of my life, day or moment, will be offered up in service with purpose. 

Smile.

 The life we have is the only one we will have.

 Sing.

 

 

Copyright 2014, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.

God Sends a Pop of Color on a Cloudy Day

 

House Finch (Male)

 

Photography by Norma Beaird

 

God sends a bright pop of color on a cloudy day

......just like He sends a ray of hope in the midst of life's storms.

 

 

Copyright 2014, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved. 

What To Do.....When You Don't Like Anything

Article and Photography By:  Curtis Beaird

 

You don't have to listen close to hear that the glass is half-empty and about to be drained.  Doom is pronounced on every hand.  The dreary end is cited as an accomplished fact, even by those who once thought there was a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. 

And we wonder.  What shall we do?  Who shall we listen to?

The forward look is now controlled by the assumption that the bottom is about to drop out.  Anticipation has turned to dread.  Tomorrow is no longer welcomed.  Its arrival creates anxiety, worry and doubt.  How many of us are tired, even before we start the day?

The possibility of a bright future is automatically exchanged for a view of the abyss. Exhaustion is our reward.

And we wonder.  What shall we do?   Who shall we listen to?

Frowns are the face of choice today.  Our sense of humor has been exchanged for sarcastic barbs. Criticism powers most, if not all, observation.  Exposing the presumed and assumed ugly has been raised to an art form.  Exploring the seedy and demeaning is the path of choice.  Tabloid is relished. Honorable has been forgotten.  Anticipation is nowhere to be found, unless it is the anticipation of the next wrong thing.  We are sad.

And we wonder.  What shall we do?   Who shall we listen too?

Everyone waits for the other shoe to drop. It, whatever it is, is never right.  Whatever "they" are doing is considered wrong.

Choose any subject, even the subject of the need for rain, and you will find an instant difference of opinion.  "Push back", as it is called today.  Argument is the communication of choice.  We prefer anger to vision.  We choose fear over courage.  We indulge in preplanned disappointment rather than seek opportunity for creative risk-taking.  We quit before we start or add the burden of denial to any new effort or project.  “I really don't think this will work.  But, I'll do it anyway."

And we wonder.  What shall we do?   Who shall we listen to?

To accomplish, should we bring ourselves to the point of actually trying, requires the double expenditure of energy.  First, the energy spent to overcome our negative outlook, then the energy necessary to accomplish the goal.  Our creativity is consumed in wasted effort to resist our own initiative.

And we wonder.  Is there a source of motivation deeper than the froth of hype, and more lasting than the adrenaline rush of a moment of thrill?

Is it possible?   Can we escape the way of insanity?   Can we escape the downward pull of gloom? Can we escape the gravity of the perpetually grim?  Can we find our way into a creative future?

All of this has been faced before.  All of these questions have been answered by one man in a single sentence.   

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”   Philippians 4:13 

That one decision enabled the Apostle Paul to change his world and mark the future for almost 2000 years.

We no longer need to wonder........  What shall we do?   Who shall we listen to?

 But, will we?

 

Copyright 2012, Curtis Beaird.  All rights reserved.