Bücher von Catherine Lawton

Lawton's poetry evokes, provokes, and soaks the reader in both the earthy and the transcendent. Enter these poetic pages and let yourself feel that you are: musing in an old-growth Redwood forest. exploring an Island off the coast of Maine. finding hope in a wildlife-welcoming garden. awe-struck in a Rocky Mountain meadow. amazed by stars singing in the night sky delighting in the return of spring birds attending births and deaths of loved ones experiencing healing of painful memories affirming faith in the God of all creationcomposed in lyrical, penetrating, sometimes-playful words, these sixty-six poems and meditative verses, varied in style, are organized into seven sections: Relating Communing Trusting Living Dying Praying Word-playingAs the author states in the Introduction: "What do I mean by 'Glory'? A taste, a flicker, a glimpse, a glimmer; a flash, a whisper, a rustling breeze; a fleeting moment that lingers on taste buds, nerve ends, rides overtones of sound, tingles with goose bumps of closeness, surprise, recognition...God is for us, with us, in us, among us; but only in the glimpses--usually coming uninvited, unexpected--are we awake to God's presence and life's mysteries and surprises...We may be awakened in momentary, sensory experiences--as the Spirit hovers over our chaos--of beauty, living things, a word spoken, thin places...These moments in which we receive glimpses of glory are worth holding and treasuring. That is my purpose in writing these poems."

An Advent/Christmas story in verse for children and for adults who want to be more child-at-heart and wonder-filled.As days shorten, leaves fall, nights become chilly, and lights are strung on houses and trees, the backyard birds at the feeder observe the changes and the sense of anticipation. What do the activities and preparations of people during this season mean? What is coming?The story is told through the eyes of a little Finch who can sense something significant approaching. A climax in the story is reached when snow falls and the children come bounding outside to play in the snow. They bring the Finch a suet feeder and greet him with 'Merry Christmas, little bird.' Then he knows what is happening! He understands what is coming--Who has come--and why all the Christmas lights make him feel like the stars--and Heaven--are coming down to earth!This story will encourage a sense of wonder and bring teachable moments to consider how even the wild creatures are cared for; to observe the changes in nature with the seasons; and to talk together about what it means for all people and all of creation that Christ came to earth and was born as a human being, which is what we celebrate on Christmas.The author's water-color and mixed-media illustrations are intentionally childlike and make this a visually-engaging story for young and old.