Lynda’s Journal of Blessings – Trees – #780
Welcome!
On this journey of sharing BLESSINGS
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Lynda’s Journal of Blessings – #780 –
>> Trees <<
Walking by Inner Vision, since December 2009.
__My Thoughts
“Mom, come outside for a minute. I need to show you something.”
This past summer, our son, Andrew, was now in his mid-fifties.
He was visiting for the weekend as he typically does now and then. I never know in advance when he will come. But, when he does, I am delighted to have him enjoy a few days with me here in Western Pennsylvania. Andrew and I can talk for hours about anything. We love to talk about philosophy, art, the Bible, and God’s love. He is a high school counselor so we like to discuss life in general He lives in Maryland, and I appreciate his long drives to come up here to western Pennsylvania to visit with his Mom.
Andrew walked with me across the porch and down to the sidewalk, pointing overhead to the large Norway Maple tree that his father and I planted so long ago. I recalled that it was on such a warm sunny day as this one when my husband, Bob, came into the yard one spring day holding a sapling that he dug up while walking in the woods between our house and the Connoquenessing creek. Soon, I carefully held the skinny Norway Maple sapling while Bob began to shovel soil all around it’s delicate and thin roots. The sapling seemed to thrive as the seasons changed, and the years passed..
Our Norway Maple was the last tree in our yard to lose it’s leaves. While all the other trees stood bare and somber at the end of autumn, our Norway Maple still held onto the large leaves that were changing from the green of warmer months to the colorful orange-yellow-tan leaves that would eventually drop to cover the grass.
This summer I often walked over to the tree and surveyed its massive trunk It looked so powerful, and it was enormous now.
Often a small grey squirrel would scramble up the trunk into the limbs and leaves as I came out on the porch. At the base of the tree, I served left-overs, seeds, and corn in a large tin pan. It was usually empty in the morning, but I would fill it again with more delicious treats so that the birds and our beautiful Wood Chuck family could dine in the shade.
Our Norway Maple tree was witness to five generations of Lambert adults and children.
Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren learned to swim in the large in-ground pool on summer days. Our Norway Maple tree watched over the children as they celebrated birthdays on the picnic table below – providing shade, and a perfect place to celebrate summer birthdays as the children were growing through the years.
I looked up as Andrew pointed to the large limbs near the top of this tree. He pointed out the danger of a couple of hefty limbs that were nearly dead. As I brought my attention to the dangerous position of the branches, I recalled a conversation from several years ago. I knew that this day was coming, but each year I was thankful that the Norway Maple made it through another year with us.
Several years prior to this day, my tree service told me, “I hate to tell you this, but your tree is beginning to die. Keep an eye on this tree in the next couple of years, because eventually it would need to be taken down.”
I did some research on Norway Maple trees, and learned that this tree lives about sixty years in America. It is not a native tree and does not have the longer life that it would have in Nordic countries. I realized that my tree was nearing that age, and now, we can see it beginning to deteriorate.
Just this week, my grandson, Stephen, and I watched from the porch as four men carefully orchestrated the dangerous job of taking down our noble and generous Norway Maple tree. I was glad that our grandson Stephen walked into my kitchen just before the truck arrived to begin this job. Stephen and I would witness to the departure of our precious tree.
Stephen was going to be leaving after lunch for his trip back home to Burlington, Kentucky. He said, “Let’s go over to the hot dog shop and have some breakfast before I go home. As I reached for another hot French fry covered with cheese sauce, I asked, him, ‘How old are you now?”
“I am thirty-three now!” he replied. We laughed together and then we drove back home to watch the team at work.
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__Scripture
This is how Psalm #1 begins, by describing a person that is like a tree.
A person who is transformed by God.
Think about this verse in scripture and imagine yourself as the person in this promise.
Knowing God intimately determines the quality of our life journey.
Psalm 1:3
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” [1]
_Daily Action Plan
1_Read about the history of the Norway Maple Trees in America_
2_Have you ever planted a small sapling, and watched it grow over the years?
3_Perhaps you would like to write a short poem about the experience.
4_Write about a special tree that you are familiar with.
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026._
Please let me think as you read my story. Thanks!
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” Lynda’s Prayer Garden”
Photo by Bob Lambert
FYI
Final Note:
What inspired me to begin writing blog posts about BLESSINGS?
Your comments and prayers inspire the best in me.
Let me know if this message is helpful to you.
Thank you for sharing my Sunday Blessings posts with others to encourage them and share the Love of Jesus.
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026.
FYI: My Background:
Professor Lynda McKinney Lambert taught fine art and humanities at a Christian college in Western Pennsylvania, She was a tenured professor, an actively exhibiting artist, and a published author.
I created exciting courses across the disciplines – Art –
English Literature – Humanities.
My courses were taught on campus during the spring and fall semesters. In the summer, I taught in Salzburg, Austria for a month of travel and studies.
My passions in academia are poetry and fine art. I author books and I create fine art in several mediums – Painting and Fiber Art.
How I Found HOPEFULNESS in Unexpected Changes:
I discovered a new life after sudden sight loss. For the next two years, I learned to see the world and my place in it in an entirely new way. I completed training for Personal Adjustment to Blindness, It took two years of training and lots of challenging work to learn to read and write using adaptive technologies for the blind. Ad the months went by, God was showing me that my creative life would continue,, but in some new ways.
I began to write Divinely inspired life lessons
New experiences and God-directed Opportunities
New DISCOVERIES to share with the world
A NEW SEASON on the Narrow Path with Jesus.
365 Days – My ONE WORD for 2026
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Lynda’s Latest Books are now available on Amazon and all retail booksellers.
Interview with Lynda Listen Here!
Each Day Holds Some Small Joy – Collection of Haiku and Tanka nature poems.
You May Also Like:
Songs for the Pilgrimage…A Collection of Poems and short writings from journals and travels
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Songs for the Pilgrimage:
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©Lynda McKinney Lambert, 2025. All rights reserved.
Photo: Courtesy of Allauthor. Thank you!
Books illustrated were created by DLD Books.
Lynda has 6 published books.
Memoir, Poetry, Non-fiction.
More About Lynda
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026.
I am INSPIRED each new day!
For instance:
I begin my day with set-apart time for reading God’s WORD in the Bible. My early morning time alone with God begins in the fourth watch of the night most days.
I read the writings out loud, as I see them with my eyes due to the assistance of my Acrobat Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). I SEE the WORDS on a large screen. White letters on a black background, and greatly enlarged by electronics made for people like me with profound sight loss.
As I READ the WORD out loud, I am also praying the WORD.
As I pray, I am speaking to God and praying for those whom He places on my heart.
One by one, He brings to my awareness those people or situations that I am to pray for that morning.
I also read some passages from a very little but powerful book, Come Away, My Beloved, by Frances J. Roberts. The book was a gift to me in the summer of 1973.
I’ve been reading that book for FIFTY YEARS!
I also write NOTES of ENCOURAGEMENT
to friends and strangers.
When I am paying my bills by sending a check in the mail, I place a little note of encouragement with that payment. After all, it is a human who is opening those envelopes and taking care of my payments. I wanted to do something that could give that person a lift for the day – a spot of brightness. This morning, I was making out checks for my yearly taxes. I put the checks into the envelope, and I included a special note to the person who will be processing my tax payments.
I do this with all utility bills, and other random mailings that come up as the months go by.
I write such notes to send to friends or as a thank-you for little surprise gifts that come to me in the mail. I love to send out surprise correspondents to others, as well.
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Below is the special note that I included in the envelopes today.
Autumn Greetings from Lynda McKinney Lambert
I hope this little note will brighten your day.
You are appreciated!
“Do not question and do not doubt.
Each day holds some small joy that shall
escape you if you are preoccupied with tomorrow.”
~ from the book, Come Away my Beloved, Frances J. Roberts, p. 30.`
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Appalachian Native Wildflowers
From mid-August to fall
Yellow jackets and wasps
dance with intoxication
as they sip nectar
from Mountain Angelicas’
greenish-purple flower cups.
Lacey bright sea-green
Lady ferns shimmer
in late afternoon sunshine.
Aromatic White Asters
mingle like overgrown weeds
beside woodland deer path.
American Goldfinches dine
on tiny seeds dropped by
Appalachian native wildflowers.
©Lynda McKinney Lambert, 2023. 2026. All rights reserved.
Poet from the Village of Wurtemburg, in western Pennsylvania.
www.lyndalambert.com to see more of Lynda’s writings.
To think about:
What can you do to encourage others and spread joy from your own little spot of HEAVEN-ON-Earth where you live?
How can you BLOOM where you are planted?
Get Lynda’s latest book!
Photo: Songs for the Pilgrimage – Stories & Poems.
Available NOW.
NEW – Songs for the Pilgrimage: Apple Books
Lynda’s books at Bookshop.org
Lynda’s e-Books at Smashwords
Lynda’s Books at Amazon
Lynda McKinney Lambert
Author of
Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage; Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems; first snow, a poetry chapbook; Star Signs: New and Selected Poems; and Songs for the Pilgrimage, a collection of poems and stories.
