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Tales of Fantasy, Mystery and Adventure Under the Influence of Christian Homeschooling

S. A. J. Lyttek, a multiple award-winning writer, always loved writing, but didn’t arrive at the profession in the typical manner. After college and graduate school, she plunged into government consulting. In this environment, she discovered a knack for writing tests, interviews and other measurements. That soon became the focus of her career—reigniting her love for the written word. Thus captivated, she spent evenings freelancing “fun” writing including short stories, poems, articles and cards. When her eldest was a toddler, she quit full-time work to stay home and write. Eager to spend more time with her children, homeschooling intrigued her. From preschool through high school, she homeschooled both sons while continuing to freelance. While an integral part of the homeschooling community, she developed and taught writing classes to a generation of homeschoolers. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Gary, Mrs. Lyttek loves to share her commitment to learners of all ages and her fascination with the written word.

 



This Day...Spring

3/13/2024 8:15:00 PM BY Susan Lyttek

Almost without my noticing

Spring has blossomed,

Opened its arms

To summer.

The leaves are losing yellow youthfulness

And uncurl their fingers in green strength.

Flowers grasp beauty vigorously

As seedlings crack the earth

In their eagerness.

In the quiet dawn,

If you listen,

You can even hear the blades of grass,

Shouting, “We live!”

The calendar may claim that spring starts next week, but the earth and the people enjoying today’s sunshine would differ on that. Spring is here.

That doesn’t mean that winter is gone for good. This region of the world loves to offer winter a last hurrah in March or even April. But spring has staked its claim in every flowering tree, robin hunting for a tasty worm, and warm breeze that urges you to remove coats and sweaters.

While fall (or autumn) is my favorite season for the sheer beauty of it, spring is a close second. Spring is when life comes from death. Spring announces Jesus’ resurrection to everyone who opens their eyes to see.

The browned lawns of winter perform their mystic color-changing feat…becoming increasingly green with every ray of sunshine that encourages them.

The lion’s teeth* claw their way up from crevices and stony soil, eager to reflect the face of the sun they love.

Crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and other early bulbs erupt from the earth, often still covered in frost, to announce the change of seasons.

Deciduous trees, each according to their own kind, either bloom or bud. Both actions broadcast their intent to reclaim their summer foliage.

Squirrels race across the lawns looking for buried treasure or the perfect place to bury a recent find.

Seeking Spring

When the wind has blown the moon

Clear, without spot,

Carved with a cookie cutter

Out of the twilight sky,

You can see the dead leaves

Skuttle across the road--

Stiff crabs of autumn seeking

Tropical breezes.

This time that is not quite,

This season of betweens,

Draws me into the waiting

And I treasure its gentle breath.

Spring is the time when you can’t tell from day to day what changes will come. What buds will be tomorrow’s blooms? Where will new life appear? When will the next bird return?

Watching spring, watching the transformations and seizing their joy can remind us how to live. We can choose this day to embrace what is new. We can step boldly into the explosions of color and let them teach us how to exchange the dust of the past for abundance of the future.

Our God is the creator of the eternal spring. He will always offer plenty for our nothing. Or as Isaiah 61 says of the Messiah, he will offer “comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

I’ll end with one of my favorite poems that has been published several times.

For Every Action There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction

The starless cold of a damp winter night

Hardened my heart.

A slow freeze of arctic ice.

Thaw will come

Sure as

    summer thrives on winter's silent life

    birds fly north in spring

    growth feeds on decay.

My heart will turn to joy

When the season to mourn

The changing of the guards

Is complete

And the celebration of the new

Begins again.

To everything there is a season...

 

This day, embrace spring and let it renew you from within.

*dent de lion means lion’s tooth. We call them dandelions.