When a streak of red passes my window in the gray days of winter, I know the Redbirds have returned. In the South, we call these stunning Cardinals-Redbirds. Their cheerful ways and bright feathers always make me happy and remind me of a beautiful poem called ‘At the Winter Feeder’ by John Leax. Winter Holidays can be difficult- may we never forget those who are broken. The Winter Season falls hard on some. These are the special ones- the ones whom God has sent to us as Messengers of Need. Look for them, offer them relief if you can- a kind word, a gentle embrace, a seed of hope at the Winter Feeder.
At the Winter Feeder
His feather flame doused dull by icy cold, the Cardinal hunched into the rough green feeder but ate no seed. Through binoculars I saw festered and useless his beak, broken at the root. Then two, one blazing, one gray, rode the swirling weather into my vision and lighted at his side. Unhurried, as if possessing the patience of God, they cracked sunflowers and fed him beak to wounded beak, choice meats. Each morning and afternoon the winter long, that odd triumvirate, that trinity of need, returned and ate their sacrament of broken seed.
An ‘odd triumvirate that trinity of need…a sacrament of broken seed…’ We would do well to watch for Messengers of Need throughout the Winter Season.
Love y’all, Camellia
These Amazing Photographs were taken by my friend Sally Smith of http://www.CampCreekCreations.com and are used with permission.
John Leax is a retired English Professor and Poet in Residence of Houghton College. His author page and wonderful books may be found on Amazon.com and other major book retailers. All material may be subject to copyright
Women from the Deep Coastal South love our Pearls. The Mother of Pearls is the Oyster, one of our most highly prized culinary gifts from the sea. Especially in November and December when the waters are cold enough- out of our beloved bays and inlets fishermen retrieve the finest oysters in the world from their peaceful beds beneath the waters. Stormy rough waves or an out-of-the-blue rush of water- a grain of sand enters the rare oyster. The sharp edges bother and irritate the delicate flesh of the oyster. All oysters live in a close knit community called an Oyster Bed. 
Holidays are often a source of nostalgia- as the Trees let go of their leaves- we are also letting go… some are even finding themselves in a Season of Loss. It was during just such a Season of Loss- that I began writing a Bible Study, by email of all things! A self professed tech challenged writer, I was studying and teaching from John’s Gospel, chapter 11- the account of two sisters named Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. For a period of Four Years, I wrote; mostly for myself with my sister, then bit by bit a tight circle of trusted friends from Four Denominations within an area of Three Counties. Very few, in the study- even knew the others! I guess you could say- I wrote myself out of the Season of Loss. 
It is a Time to Mourn when hearts are broken. In the last few weeks, folks we love have died, Hurricanes have taken the lives of those on our American soil and hundreds have died in Haiti. It is a Time to Mourn. A Candlelight Vigil was held in our county to honor those who lost their lives at the hands of someone who had said ‘I love you’ but whose anger went unchecked in domestic abuse and violence. It is a Time to Mourn. Two notable Alabamians, our friend Lucy Baxley, former Lieutenant Governor of Alabama and Mary Jo McMichael, the friend of Fanny Flagg- Mary Jo fried green tomatoes for decades at the Irondale Café. It is a Time to Mourn as wise King Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 3:4. It seemed appropriate to show respect and honor for these who have left us- with the beautiful hymn, ‘Nearer My God to Thee’- performed by Andre Rieu’s amazing musicians. Please pay particular attention to how the musicians surround the audience. If you have lost a loved one recently, we honor your loss and mourn with you. We pray that you are surrounded by the loving Presence of God. Love y’all, Camellia
Camellia's Cottage 