The View from the Ridge

Heart Issues

2011-12-12T08:17:00.000-06:00

In a short story I wrote, I said this:

Can we allow within ourselves some force that is greater than we are, something that might cause us to fall headlong into it? We find it easy to give love when we want to—but can we bear to be loved?

The thing is, we give all we want to—or not—and maybe that’s because we perceive that we are in control. It is harder to receive love as a gift and allow it to draw us into it, to relinquish our control. To love and be loved is the greatest human need, so it’s a paradox, in a way, that we resist it so.

At our church’s last Bible study session for this fall, our pastor, Dr. K, led a discussion in which we all agreed that love is the most important response of the human heart to God. By nature, God is love. He draws us in to participate in his nature, in his love, to be honest in our feelings, to allow ourselves to be broken—and healed. Love enables us to be who we are, in him.

Dr. K said God primarily makes himself known by word—“thus saith the Lord.” Our response, too, comes by word. Proverbs 4:20-23 says

… pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to a (person’s) whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

And Oswald Chambers says, When love or the Spirit of God comes upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. …. Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.

And you are freed and transformed to be who you truly are. What all this means to me is that my response to the issues of my heart determines the course of my life.

I borrowed the picture from this site.

Truth--"Tell It Slant"

2011-09-08T12:46:00.001-05:00

Here’s a great poem by Emily Dickinson about truth.

Tell it Slant

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies;
Too bright for mind's infirm intent,
The Truth's superb surprise.

As Lightning to the Children eased,
With explanation kind;
The Truth must dazzle gradually,
Or every man be blind.

To tell the truth “slant” is, I believe, the most effective way to do it. If you just go up to somebody and say “Hey—God loves you!” that person is apt to go suddenly wide-eyed, turn on his/her heel, and get away from you quickly.

In fact, I remember a similar situation when I was a freshman at the University of Texas in Austin many years ago. Simply being there was a culture shock, since the freshman class was comprised of about a thousand people more than my entire home town. Contributing to the spinning of my head was the fact that professors were slinging truth and half-truth and not-truth at me as fast as they could talk. I was dizzy trying to figure out which was which.

One beautiful day in October or November, a student stopped me on the sidewalk as I was on my way to class, deep in agonized thought. He said, “Have you had the wonderful experience of asking Jesus Christ into your life?”

I was completely bamboozled, not to mention shocked, and said, “Yes.” I walked on. People didn’t do that kind of thing so directly where I came from, and I could hardly believe anybody would do it. My home town was a lovely, nurturing place to grow up, full of loving people. But most of them were shy about directly discussing God, for some reason. It was the time, I suppose. People don’t seem to be that way so much now, and I’m glad.

So what is the best way to present the truth about God’s love to people? How do we “tell it slant” in a way that makes people listen? It's a delicate and difficult question. I’m going to think about it and write more about it soon.

*I borrowed the picture from this site.

A Moveable Feast

2011-08-22T18:05:00.001-05:00

I just read somewhere that Good Friday is “a moveable feast.” Hmmm, I said. What does that mean?

Ernest Hemingway wrote a novel called A Moveable Feast, which is a collection of memoirs about his years in Paris. Someone wrote that Paris is “a moveable feast.” Somehow, though, I don’t think it is a moveable feast in the same sense as Good Friday. Maybe Hemingway moved around Paris feasting on…things.

When I looked it up, Wikipedia said a moveable feast is a holiday whose date varies, depending on different things—as opposed to a “fixed feast” like Christmas, always December 25. The date for Good Friday, it said, depends on the date of Easter, which is also a moveable feast. According to FashionGets.com,

Easter is considered to be a moveable date because the first council of Nicaea in 325 AD declared it to be the Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox. It was then changed by the Gregorian calendar in 1582.

That information was not quite confusing enough for me, so I also considered this mind-boggling erudition, found here:

The tables which appear here and, in more detail, in the Book of Common Prayer can be used to determine the date of Easter. These tables were compiled by the then Astronomer Royal, the Revd James Bradley (1673–1762) for the Calendar Act 1750 (by which the Gregorian Calendar was adopted in Britain), and the effect of them is mathematically identical to the more complicated tables devised in 1582 for Pope Gregory XIII’s reform.

In another sense, a website called “Moveable Feast” is about an organization in Baltimore that delivers healthy meals, groceries, and nutrition counseling to people who suffer from AIDS. There’s a similar organization with this title in Lexington, Kentucky.

Oh, dear. What to do with all that? The thing is, a moveable feast changes around, whereas a fixed feast does not. The title has an important ring to it. Of course, we don’t call holidays “feasts” in America these days, although we often do feast on holidays. I like thinking of Easter and Christmas as feasts of love and sharing. And I like thinking of a group whose purpose is to nourish people with AIDS—a feast of feeding, loving, giving.

The picture comes from Lemuria Books’ website.

Summer Blahs

2011-08-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

I think maybe I have ADHD this summer. I have gotten only halfway through the very good book I’ve been reading for the past month. Usually, I would have finished it and almost another one by now. My writing projects are on hold because I’m sort of not interested.

What could be wrong with me?

Here are a few things I’m considering:

1. For sixty days this year, we’ve had horrid weather.

2. It has been at least 100 degrees, usually 105 or so, for the past few weeks.

3. As a result, the grass is dead everywhere, and bushes and flowers are wilted.

4. Everything smells dry and sort of burned.

5. The stock market has gone crazy and my retirement fund is suffering.

6. Cantaloupes have not been good this summer, even with sitting on the cabinet for a few days.

I do see a couple of positive signs, however, that tell me there’s hope I’ll recover from this malaise:

1. The sun is coming up later. That’s good. Maybe autumn will arrive, eventually.

2. School is about to start. Life will be more on a schedule for a while. We can hear the high school band practicing, several blocks away.

3. Nectarines are still delicious.

I have figured out why my asparagus ferns are the only plants thriving in our yard this summer.

I learned that the asparagus fern, Asparagus densiflorus Sprengeri, is a native of South Africa. No wonder it likes Texas weather now!

Picture from http://www.hear.org/starr/images/image/?q=070906-8680&o=plants

Leap of Faith

2011-07-10T00:24:00.001-05:00

Here’s a truth.

Sometimes you will find that you cannot completely figure out some situation. But you may have a feeling it’s time to do something, regardless. Then is when you have to take a leap of faith.

A leap of faith happens when you just trust God to take care of you, and you don’t worry about what the second step will be. You fling it all out on him and jump into the first step, knowing he will catch you, set you down in the right place, and show you the next steps. Hebrews 11:1 describes it well: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

At this linked site, Ron Paul, the "Daddy Blogger," writes that

"in order to mature in the Christian faith, there are points in our lives where we have no option but to ... trust that God is faithful and will provide. During and after that process, we are left with the option of either publicly praising God or keeping it to ourselves." In these situations, rather than "just leaving us as fools hanging high and dry, God would rather be glorified by providing us what it takes to get through the problem, not around or over it." (The picture is borrowed from this site.)

I think God loves it when we can take leaps of faith. Going airborne with this kind of faith honors him and shows him our trust. He loves us for it.

Well….he loves us anyway, already. And we don’t deserve it.

Okay, that’s a couple of truths.

Maya Angelou: "Just Like Job"

2011-05-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Here’s a marvelous poem by Maya Angelou. She is a powerful poet who believes in a powerful God. Way back when Job lived his people knew God was in charge of the world, and they were glad. He still is. And I'm glad.

Just Like Job

by Maya Angelou

My Lord, my Lord,
Long have I cried out to Thee
In the heat of the sun,
The cool of the moon,
My screams searched the heavens for Thee.
My God,
When my blanket was nothing but dew,
Rags and bones
Were all I owned,
I chanted Your name
Just like Job.

Father, Father,
My life give I gladly to Thee
Deep rivers ahead
High mountains above
My soul wants only Your love
But fears gather round like wolves in the dark.
Have You forgotten my name?
O Lord, come to Your child.
O Lord, forget me not.

You said to lean on Your arm
And I’m leaning
You said to trust in Your love
And I’m trusting
You said to call on Your name
And I’m calling
I’m stepping out on Your word.

You said You’d be my protection,
My only and glorious saviour,
My beautiful Rose of Sharon,
And I’m stepping out on Your word.
Joy, joy
Your word.
Joy, joy
The wonderful word of the Son of God.

You said that You would take me to glory
To sit down at the welcome table
Rejoice with my mother in heaven
And I’m stepping out on Your word.

Into the alleys
Into the byways
Into the streets
And the roads
And the highways
Past rumor mongers
And midnight ramblers
Past the liars and the cheaters and the gamblers.
On Your word
On Your word.
On the wonderful word of the Son of God.
I’m stepping out on Your word.

*Poem borrowed from http://closetsuperhero.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/just-like-job-by-maya-angelou/

Photo borrowed from http://www.empirezine.com/spotlight/maya/maya1.htm

British Royal Family

2011-04-29T11:32:00.001-05:00

With all the flurry surrounding the marriage today of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton, I’ve been checking out the royal family. (I did not get up at 4:30 a.m. to watch it!)

Some interesting facts that I have read before and forgotten:

The royal family name used to be Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a Germanic name, because of the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert in 1840. In 1917, King George V (grandfather of the present Queen Elizabeth) changed the family name to Windsor; he apparently wanted to get rid of Germanic connections because of Germany’s part in World War I.

The present Queen Elizabeth’s uncle was Edward VIII, who abdicated his year-long monarchy in 1936. He wanted to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American woman who would have been unacceptable as the wife of a king. My 94-year-old mother remembers hearing that he said, “What kind of monarch would I be without the woman I love?” So he gave it up, and Queen Elizabeth’s father Prince Albert became King George VI. How romantic!

Just for fun, here is Edward’s abdication speech:

HISTORIC ROYAL SPEECHES AND WRITINGS

The British Monarchy web site [http://www.royal.gov.uk]

EDWARD VIII (r. Jan – December 1936)

Broadcast after his abdication, 11 December 1936

At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to

withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for

me to speak.

A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor, and now that

I have been succeeded by my brother, The Duke of York, my first words must

be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart.

You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the Throne.

But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the

country or the Empire which as Prince of Wales, and lately as King, I have for

twenty-five years tried to serve. But you must believe me when I tell you that I

have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to

discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and

support of the woman I love.

And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and

mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other

person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take

a different course. I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only

upon the single thought of what would in the end be best for all.

This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that

my brother, with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with

his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith, without interruption or

injury to the life and progress of the Empire. And he has one matchless

blessing, enjoyed by so many of you and not bestowed on me - a happy home

with his wife and children.

During these hard days I have been comforted by Her Majesty my mother and

by my family. The Ministers of the Crown, and in particular Mr Baldwin, the

Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has

never been any constitutional difference between me and them and between

me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father, I should

never have allowed any such issue to arise.

Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the Throne, I

have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people,

wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the Empire. For that I am very

grateful.

I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden. It may be some

time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the fortunes of

the British race and Empire with profound interest, and if at any time in the

future I can be found of service to His Majesty in a private station I shall not

fail.

HISTORIC ROYAL SPEECHES AND WRITINGS

The British Monarchy web site [http://www.royal.gov.uk]

And now we all have a new King. I wish him, and you, his people, happiness

and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all. God Save The King.

*I borrowed the picture of William and Kate from this site: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/04/prince-william-kate-kiss-twice-royal-wedding.html

Worship

2011-04-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

It’s been a long time since we did a word study here on “Connections.” I believe one is now in order. Here is the word for the day: worship.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote this: “A person will worship something, have no doubt about it. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we worship we are becoming.”

According to Dictionary.com (the Thesaurus part), worship (as a verb) means to honor or glorify. Some synonyms are admire, adore, bow down to, celebrate, chant, deify, dote on, esteem, exalt, extol, idolize, laud, love, magnify, offer prayers to, pay homage to, praise, pray to, put on a pedestal, respect, revere, reverence, sanctify, sing, sing praises to, venerate. In other words, it means not only a brief act of celebration, but also a constant state of adulation.

Emerson also wrote this: “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” When Emerson wrote this, he didn’t just mean men, of course. What we spend the biggest part of our time and money on is our most important priority. That is what we think about most.

God wants our every thought. He wants to be closer to us than our breath, part of our blood and bones and mind. He wants us to dote on him, to respect, esteem, and revere him, to seek his guidance in everything. He wants us to desire for our lives to glorify him. That is worship.

*I borrowed the picture from this site: http://godwordistruth.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/what-kind-of-worship-god-desires-from-his-people/

The Season of Lent 2011

2011-03-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a significant time for Christians—Lent, or the Lenten season. Many Christians aren’t really sure what that is because their particular church denominations don’t observe Lent. I myself grew up in the Baptist church, and Baptists don’t officially observe Lent. I learned about it when I became a Methodist about forty years ago, and Methodists do observe Lent.

The Lenten season came to mean a great deal to me ever since I turned into a real live Christian 17 years ago. On Ash Wednesday in the Methodist church, we had a special service in which the pastor put the sign of the cross on each person’s forehead in ashes and said something like “From dust you came and to dust you will return.”

The ashes were created when he burned a few palm leaves. The palm is significant because of the people of Jerusalem waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna" as Jesus rode into the city on a donkey colt just before he was crucified. "Hosanna" means something like "save us."

During Lent, it’s customary to fast or give up something meaningful so the deliberate act of sacrifice will help focus the mind and spirit on Jesus Christ—to know him more intimately and to love him more fully, to be repentant of wrongs we’ve committed, and to accept his forgiveness.

This year, I left the Methodist church and rejoined the Baptist church for a number of reasons, and I feel very much at home there. I thought I would miss celebrating Lent.

But our Baptist pastor talked about it in a way that touched me. He said his family decided to give up television in the evenings so they can spend the time talking and focusing on Christ instead of watching TV like couch potatoes.

Something happens in your heart, he said, when you voluntarily give up something. “Discipline develops through sacrifice. Obstacles become opportunities and problems become priceless,” he said. It’s a calling, bringing us into the presence of God, and this calling is personal and individual.

Last year, I gave up desserts. But this year, I’ve been reading Isaiah 58:6-14. The true fasting, God says, is feeding the hungry, helping the needy, seeing that justice is done. In other words, what he wants is my whole heart, my entire way of looking at everything. I’m looking for some opportunities to serve him in these ways, which involve serving his people whom he loves with an amazing and precious love.

Here are some previous blog entries I did about Ash Wednesday, in case you are interested!

Ash Wednesday 2006

Ash Wednesday 2007

Ash Wednesday 2010

*I borrowed the picture from this site: http://www.reddingtlc.org/

Baptist Birthday Club 1950

2011-02-21T22:32:00.000-06:00

As I was rummaging around through my 94-year-old mother’s boxes of paper stuff from years ago, I found a 1950 yearbook of the “Double Octet Anniversary Club.” My mother was secretary of the Baptist Birthday Club during the early 1990s, and someone sent this 1950 yearbook to them.

Some of the Club’s “By Laws” are rules we all might consider following:

1. That we elect our members by secret ballot, and it must be unanimous.

2. The members are to be Baptist.

3. That we either elect new members or change the name of the club.

4. That we always bring some change to do our part on any expense we might have. Be prepared to pay our part on the meal or to help with flowers or any other expense of the club.

5. That during these high prices, the ones helping on the meat pay sixty cents.

6. The club meet at the time most convenient for the hostess. Noon meal or evening meal. Any day of the week.

7. That club members be considerate of the hostess and not plan to attend other things soon after the meal. Also the hostess notify members four days ahead, if possible.

8. That the hostess may invite as many guests a she likes if she herself prepares the extra dishes needed for the meal.

9. That we have a social hour after the business meeting with some planned entertainment.

10. That the dishes be left alone during the club meeting and each one take her dish home dirty.

11. When we receive a new member the Secretary read the By Laws.

12. That we give a birthday gift each time, and every one contribute ten cents.

13. That the Secretary or reporter not report the resignation of members.

I believe they tried to be considerate and respectful of each person’s feelings, a thing that is missing in many settings today. I like the rule about contributing sixty cents for meat; would that meat cost so little now!

But especially appealing is the idea of leaving dirty dishes alone.

*I borrowed the picture from www.simihistory.com.

Love God--Love Others

2011-01-25T12:31:00.001-06:00

Our culture insists we should love ourselves, make time for ourselves, do something for “me” for a change. This state of mind is supposed to lead to a stronger self-image. A book by Robin Meade, published in 2009, is entitled Morning Sunshine! How to Radiate Confidence and Feel It Too. In preparation for writing this book, I remember seeing that she was soliciting suggestions for “what you do to gain self-confidence.” (I have not read this book and am not likely to.)

The more we concentrate on ourselves, the more self-absorbed and selfish we become, and our true self-confidence gets shaky. I remember as a self-conscious teenager, for a time I thought people were constantly judging me, staring at me, talking about me. Some wise person—I’ve forgotten who—told me other people were too busy worrying about themselves to worry about me. That thought helped me gain a little better perspective.

The more we are concerned about other people, their needs and longings, the less we worry about ourselves. The more we give ourselves away to God and to serving other people, the stronger and more free we are.

Here’s a little story in Luke 10:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The two most important commandments, according to Jesus, are to love God and other people. Nowhere does it say “love yourself and worry about your self-confidence.” It says to give yourself away and you’ll find life—a sort of paradox. It’s funny how much paradox is all around us even when we aren’t aware of it.

**I borrowed the picture of the God billboard from this linked site.

Contemplation

2011-01-13T21:07:00.000-06:00

Ah, yes. It is lovely to contemplate the sky, especially with a much-loved two-year-old.

Two-year-olds can find elephants and rabbits in clouds sooner than they can see thunderstorms or snow. And usually, it is hard to get them to sit this still for very long.

Here Is a Truth

2011-01-05T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here is a truth:

Things will not necessarily turn out the way you think they will. Perhaps it is true that they often will be different from what you expect.

However! If your trust is in God’s control, you’ll realize that he is in charge of the steering wheel, and you are along for the ride as a trusting passenger. If this is the case, you can sit back and enjoy the ride. The trip will be much more fulfilling and richer in every way than if you had planned it yourself. The bumps and dangerous curves in the road won’t be nearly so bad because he is in control.

Amen! He has plans!

Expensive Lessons: It's Only Money, Part 2

2010-12-09T21:20:00.000-06:00

(In case you missed it, here is Part 1 of this series. In order to reach the full effectiveness of these lessons, you must study each part.)

Part 2 further presents valuable expensive lessons learned, this time exploring money spent as a consequence of an unavoidable mistake. Well, all right. This mistake was not unavoidable. But once it was made, there was no other way around it.

Lesson 1: When I take my granddaughter and her friend to the nearby larger city for lunch out at the mall and an afternoon Christmas concert, I will be in for a great deal of trouble if I lock my keys in the car at the mall parking lot. My consequences are sure to be more serious, then, if I do not realize this has happened until much later.

Remedy: I could try to remain clear-minded while transferring important things from my purse to a lighter bag. Specifically, I might run through a mental list of “important things” that should make it into the lighter bag, including car keys. If I am not able to handle a mental list, perhaps I should write down this list and keep it in a handy place in my car.

Lesson 2: There are consequences; a chain of cause and effect can be spontaneously triggered. When we are almost to the car, thirty minutes before the Christmas concert is to begin, I will probably experience stress when I suddenly realize the keys are not in the lighter bag hanging on my arm.

Remedy: Fortunately, my friend could take us to the concert, leaving the locked-up keys for later solution. Note that this is not actually a remedy, but a temporary action, a postponement.

Lesson 3: However, because the keys are in the locked-in purse, we would suffer additional stress when we remember that the concert tickets are also not accessible, since they would be in the same purse as the keys. Stress stimulates the flow of adrenalin and causes the heart to pound.

Remedy: Quick thought and action are required in such a situation. The pounding heart and flowing adrenalin can either facilitate rapid thought and action or hinder it. If I do indeed have my credit card, I will be able to buy three new tickets at the door, for an additional $35, from a sympathetic ticket lady. Perhaps I will even make it to a seat just before the concert begins.

Lesson 4: Once the two-hour concert is over and we have discussed its merits and beauty, we will once again have to face the reality of the locked car across town in the mall parking lot. It will not go away on its own.

Remedy: If I am doggedly persistent, I can eventually find a locksmith who works on Saturday evening. He will probably have very little trouble opening the car door. Then I will be able to open my purse and write him a check for--you guessed it--a fee of $35.

Conclusion: Obviously, in Part 2 we have learned not to make the mistake of locking car keys in cars. This cause-and-effect chain can teach me to be more watchful of such small but important items like car keys. I will perhaps learn that I cannot let down my guard on myself, even in the season of joy and giving. I had best keep a wary eye.

**This disgusted kitty picture was borrowed from sarpysam.com: "Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere."

Peace

2010-11-19T21:26:00.002-06:00

Everywhere I look now, I see the peace symbol--on purses, shirts, hair ornaments, caps, books, shoes, cars, you name it. When I first noticed this phenomenon, I thought, oh, good grief--here we are back in the sixties with the flower children.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize this is a good thing. Peace is elusive today. You can hardly find a quiet, calm spot, not a physical place, not a quiet moment in your spirit. People long for peace. We are universally wired to need it. Let there be peace signs on every surface, I declare, and let there be tremendous awareness and deep longing.

One of my favorite Bible verses is this:

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This verse is found in the first chapter of Colossians, verse 17. In this chapter, we see that Paul was writing his letter to the Christians of Colossae, an ancient Greek city, who were said to have confused beliefs. Paul was afraid they would not see the true nature of Jesus. So he wrote a statement of the principles of Christianity to clarify it for them.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This verse is part of Paul’s statement of beliefs--a testimonial prayer for the believer’s life. It proclaims the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supreme power and love of God, who redeemed us from darkness through Jesus. It means God created the world and everything in it, and that he is in control of it all. His awesome love overcomes chaos in every situation. We can choose to live in his love, in his Spirit, in his peace.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This understanding gives us hope and a sense of security, helps us even when it may appear that our lives are falling apart. Because God is love, I know I can depend on him. I will not be washed over by chaos. He makes peace possible.

**I borrowed this picture of a human peace sign from Wrangler News.

Successful Living

2010-09-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

The preacher at the church where I visited this morning said some things of value that I want to remember.

He told about a coach (name escaped me) who gave his son these guidelines for a successful life. Here are his thoughts and my comments:

1. Be true to yourself.

This thought echoes the scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet when Polonius gives his son Laertes a few words of advice as Laertes leaves to study at the university in Wittenberg: “This above all—to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Thanks to Quote DB for reminding me of the exact words.)

In other, more modern words, if you will always be true to yourself, you can never be untrue to anyone else.

2. Help others.

If you think about it, it usually takes no more than a few minutes to help people. I remember the TV commercial in which a small act of kindness triggers a chain of helping. Each person who gets unexpected aid from a stranger then helps someone else. I have no idea what the commercial’s featured product is, but it’s a neat idea—and it’s true.

3. Make every day a masterpiece.

If we keep this in mind, we’ll be careful to make every moment count in a meaningful way.

4. Drink deeply from books, especially the Bible.

I am a definite, unapologetic bookworm. Here are a few blog posts I’ve written about books, in case you are interested: Thoughts on Reading, Speaking of Reading…, Best Books, and Books: Snicker-Snack!

5. Build shelter for a rainy day.

Yes, it will come. Do not doubt it. Be ready.

6. Make friendship an art.

I think this one goes hand-in-hand with #2. Relationships are everything. The second greatest commandment Jesus gave is “Love others as you love yourself.” Treasure the people you love, and let them know it. Love unconditionally, like God does.

7. Pray for guidance.

The pastor said, “You will only find meaning in what you were created to do.” So don’t spend your life doing things you hate, living for The Weekend. He added that it is important to respond to God in faith without worrying about how or what. He will take care of those things. Pray to have the courage to do it.

Excellent ideas, all, and worthy of remembering and following.

I borrowed the picture of Pinocchio from heavenawaits.wordpress.com

Expensive Lessons: It's Only Money

2010-09-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

I’ve been learning some expensive lessons lately. Well, let’s hope I’m learning. Here are several lessons I learned just two days ago, along with the remedies I suggested to myself.

Lesson 1: Bottled water is expensive. The ones that are not labeled are not necessarily the bargain water.

Remedy: I should take my own water in my handy-dandy insulated bottle. But if I’m in a pinch and can’t or didn’t, I must ask or find the labels/price tags. Or I could consider drinking out of a water fountain. Really, a dollar and a half for a little bottle of water?!

Lesson 2: Buying a Grow-a-Frog Kit does not actually include the frog itself, but a coupon for the frog, which will be sent when the grandchild submits the coupon. Therefore, there’s no need for me to worry that the frog will die if I do not have it shipped “overnight” for a considerably higher fee.

Remedy: I might perhaps practice paying attention to instructions and descriptions. Or as a sign I once saw said, “Surprise us all and THINK!”

Lesson 3: Having copies made at FedEx/Kinko’s can cost me up to about $15.00 by the time I ask their computer to print 12 copies of 2 pages, and then it only completes 8, and I then finish my copying on a plain Kinko’s copier rather than waiting in a slow, long line to complain, because I don’t have time.

Remedy: The key phrase here is “because I don’t have time.” The remedy is, of course, to be organized and make enough time to do the printing on my own printer at home and then make my copies at a free copy machine I know of.

You recognize, of course, that these are good remedies for familiar kinds of problems, common at least at my house. The question remains, though, whether I will forgive myself, saying, "Oh, it's only a little money," or watch myself with a wary eye.

I borrowed the picture of the disgusted kitty from this site: http://biganklevich.blogspot.com/

Love Songs: Unchained Melodies

2010-08-31T10:09:00.002-05:00

My friends and I were such romantics when we were teenagers. Great love was waiting out there somewhere, someday to ride into our lives on a magnificent white charger. I still love the stories of knights and their ladies.

Is it any wonder? All these marvelous love songs with their unchained melodies were the background music of our lives!

“Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers

“Only You,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “The Great Pretender,” all these in one video by The Platters

“Earth Angel”-- the Penguins

“Since I Don’t Have You” by The Skyliners

“Sixteen Candles” by The Crests

“There’s a Moon Out Tonight” by The Capris

“I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presley

And especially…. “In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins

The picture of Isolde and Tristan comes from this site:

http://www.squidoo.com/arthur-women

Truth: Facing It

2010-08-27T10:08:00.001-05:00

The typical living room has an invisible elephant standing in the middle of it, proverbially speaking. People who live in the house carefully skirt around it and try hard to keep from tripping over it. They feed it and keep it quiet.

In today’s entry of My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers says, “Continually bring the truth out into actuality; work it out in every domain, or the very light you have will prove a curse.”

One of the easiest things to do is gloss over truth. It is much more pleasant to pretend problems do not exist than to confront them. Confronting difficult situations can be complex and thorny, not to mention, daunting.

If we don’t bring out the truth into the daylight and stand on it, things become crazy and shifty. If we let falsehood be in charge of our lives, life becomes, as OC says, full of darkness, shot through with flakinesss and a feeling of instability. Whatever truth remains will be tarnished and shoved around by irony. And that's darkness.

Truth must be worked into every aspect of our lives. How? We can’t do it alone. Often we are too used to being self-sufficient. If we seek God, he gives us the help we need. In 2008, I wrote this:

He will be found if we want him—if we reach out, cry out, just say the word. Lots of people today (and always) think we can heal ourselves, actualize ourselves, fulfill ourselves. We can’t. People are imperfect; only God is perfect—only he has the answers we need. Love is the only source of healing. And God is the only real source of love; if we feel love, it’s because God put it there as a part of himself.

God is the ultimate truth. All other truth rests on him. Out with elephants.

The picture is me, quietly feeding elephants.

Great-Tailed Grackles

2010-08-21T10:50:00.005-05:00

I first experienced grackles when I was in college in Austin, TX, many years ago. Their loud whistles and gravelly squawks seemed cute and friendly to me. Click this linked site to hear a sample! God has a good sense of humor.

They made themselves entirely at home, wherever they were. Stalking around in a lordly manner, they obviously felt free to partake of any and all bugs that made the unfortunate decision to remain out in the open.

My family lived a couple of hundred miles farther north, and my home town had nary a grackle. They were citizens of the south.

Then about fifteen years later, I heard that familiar whistle. I rounded up my small children, and we took binoculars to the back yard to find the grackle. There he was, perched at the very top of our neighbor’s tall pine tree, whistling away. From then on, the grackle population has continued to increase, and now they make up a large number of our bird citizenry.

Many people complain about them, but I still find them entertaining and funny—that is, except when they roost in the trees over our driveway and deposit their waste on our cars. A big plastic owl keeps watch, though, and they seem to believe it is real. As long as he guards the place, they find other trees for roosting.

The picture comes from this blog: From My Perch: Great-tailed Grackles

Justin Cronin Novels

2010-07-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

Last year, I read two books I dearly loved by Justin Cronin, an author I accidentally discovered. The Summer Guest (reviewed in this linked site) was the one I read first. The story’s structure and characters and plot are wonderful, realistic and believable. Then I had to scramble around and find his other novel, his first, Mary and O’Neill. They are both about love as the thing most worth living for, not the terrible self-centered kind that we so often see.

The Washington Post review linked above has this to say about The Summer Guest:

"Cronin's unabashed skewing for joy when most authors would spill over into sentiment or only trace the callous missteps of love is brave and bold. The Summer Guest explores love as the binding agent of life, not the factor that pulls it apart."

Since I loved those two novels, I then had to buy Cronin’s latest novel The Passage , because that’s how I operate. What a shock. It is good for the kind of novel it is, but it is nowhere near the same kind or quality of story as Mary and O’Neill and The Summer Guest. (Now I have to admit that my reading preferences are probably different from many people’s.)

The Passage, I was surprised to see, is the ultimate vampire story. It is, like the others, beautifully written. The characters have distinct personalities and their lives have realistic, universal concerns with which a reader can identify. It is about 700 pages long; I thrive on big, fat books. The ending leaves things open for a sequel.

Reviewers love the novel and call it the most talked-about novel of the summer. As one Washington Post reviewer notes, "The Passage is for adults who've been bitten but can't swallow the teenybopper misogyny of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series.

I read that the book is already widely read and wildly popular. It was sold to a major movie maker for over three million dollars, and it is expected to be a blockbuster movie. I’m happy about that for Cronin. But I hope that he will someday write some more wonderful literary novels about the human heart in real life struggles, because he does it with supreme skill. And I have a hard time with vampire novels.

*The picture comes from this site: http://enterthepassage.com/author/

Wren's Nest

2010-07-11T14:26:00.003-05:00

I went into the garage one day last spring to take down the long outdoor extension cord for some yard chore.

A tiny wren had built her nest in the center of the cord. I could see her nestled down inside the nest. She had great courage to stay there while I peered at her.

So how could I take down the cord? My work had to wait, of course!

A Butterfly Frenzy

2010-05-01T22:47:00.000-05:00

When our neighbors' sage bushes bloomed last year, a whole cloud of these big black and iridescent blue butterflies enveloped them in a frenzy of feeding.

Another neighbor's yellow kitten was mystified by all the butterflies, and she kept leaping up and trying to capture them. Fortunately, she never succeeded.

A small swarm of bees joined the butterflies--those big, fat, yellow and black bumblebees. They were just as excited about the flowers as the butterflies were. A mockingbird squawked warnings at the kitten, which apparently was too close to the nest of mockingbird children. She occasionally dive-bombed the kitten, who ignored the bird--too busy with butterflies.

The underside of the butterflies' wings were blue and black with a curved line of orange spots. An Internet search shows that they are pipevine swallowtails. Here's another picture, showing the outside of the wings, which have a span of about three and a half inches. I took these pictures with my trusty Olympus digital camera.

Here is a linked site that has gorgeous pictures and lots of information about the pipevine swallowtail butterfly.

Sick Person in Need of Help!

2010-04-20T22:04:00.001-05:00

Too many people look in all the wrong places, trying to find something that will satisfy their needs and longings. Some things we don’t need to bother with can give us good feelings, and we may get deeply connected with some very harmful habits.

But the good feelings don’t last, and that’s because only closeness to God gives that rich, satisfied feeling.

Overindulging in alcohol or drugs or even food, for example, is not a sickness itself, but addiction is--and also a symptom of affliction of the spirit. The real malady is isolation from God, a deeper-than-the-bones soul sickness. He satisfies “more than the richest feast.”

Psalm 63 says it well—David was in the wilderness, thirsty, lonely and needy:

O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!

I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.

Desmond Tutu, on Goodness

2010-04-12T08:58:00.002-05:00

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a highly respected man, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work against apartheid in Africa, a worker for the helpless, the hungry, the hopeless. He has written a new book called Made for Goodness.

The April 2 issue of The United Methodist Reporter features an interview with Tutu’s daughter, Mpho Tutu, who is herself an Episcopal priest, a woman of distinction who helps the needy; she is the chair emeritus of the board of the Global AIDS Alliance.

In the interview, Mary Jacobs asked Ms. Tutu this question:

In (his) book, your father says: “We are tuned to the key of goodness. That is not to deny evil; it is to face evil squarely. We can face evil squarely because we know that evil will not have the last word.” Aren’t some people evil? How can we believe that we are all good when we see the horror that humans inflict upon one another?

Ms. Tutu answered:

He would say that no one is inherently evil . . . . that we are not born as sinners in need of saving; instead we are saints in need of seeing. We need to see who we really are and live into the truth of who we are.

Jacobs asked:

Not born sinners? Aren’t you contradicting a key statement of Christian faith?

Tutu answered:

I would say that we are not so much contradicting it as seeing it differently.

I have to respectfully agree with Ms. Jacobs’ assessment. The Bible clearly says we are all sinners from birth. We all need saving from ourselves. I think Archbishop Tutu is a wonderful man who has known and lived in the righteousness of God for such a long time that perhaps he has forgotten. That is one of the dangers we have to guard against.

We can’t forget that we need help to get out of the pit of self. Otherwise, why did Jesus Christ have to die on the cross?

The picture comes from this Nobel site: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-bio.html

Death--Our Ultimate Dilemma

2010-03-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

Death hits us hard. We hate seeing the affliction of people we love, and we hate suffering when we have to do it ourselves. Death separates us, and there are too many messy emotions.

Max Lucado says, “Something about death makes us accuse God of betrayal. ‘If God were here, there’d be no death!’ we claim.” Max calls death “our ultimate dilemma.”

Max writes about the passage in John 11, the story of sisters Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus, of Bethany, who were Jesus’ much-loved friends. Jesus heard about Lazarus’ desperate illness, but he waited three days to go to Bethany, and by that time, Lazarus had died. Jesus talked about belief to his disciples: “…I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

He was concerned about Martha’s belief. She was a little testy with him, saying if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died. He said her brother would rise again, and she said sure, sure, “in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus responded, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she said, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Everybody was talking in sort of accusatory tones about how Jesus could have saved him from death if he had come sooner. By this time, there was an odor. Too late. He had been there four days. But Jesus, moved to tears, prayed, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." Then he told them to roll away the stone at the entrance to the grave. He called to Lazarus to come out, and he did. People gasped, amazed. They believed.

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

The thing is, God never leaves us alone, even though we may turn our backs on him, angry and defiant and determined to try to cope with it ourselves, without his help. Max says “if God is God anywhere, he has to be God in the face of death.” Only God has the power to deal with it. We can’t handle death’s destruction alone. Lazarus, of course, eventually did die and remain in the grave. The story of Lazarus shows that God can do what he says he will do--give us eternal life. Do you believe this?

_____

Here is a link to this amazing story, John 11, from Bible Gateway.

These thoughts come from Day 23 of Max Lucado’s Lenten Bible study Only Jesus--Forty Days with the Son.

The "Death" picture is borrowed from poetry.wordpress.com/2005/10/

Science and Religion--Some Thoughts

2010-03-08T09:45:00.004-06:00

Take a look at the amazing and beautiful pictures of distant outer-space scenes at the National Geographic site linked here.

In her book Walking on Water, Madeleine L’Engle says there is no conflict between science and religion. “All that the new discoveries of science can do is to enlarge our knowledge of the magnitude and glory of God’s creation. We may, and often do, abuse our discoveries, use them for selfish and greedy purposes, but it is the abuse which causes the conflict, not the discoveries themselves” (230).

Look at all the brouhaha over Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. I am not going to say it is not true. It is a theory, and if it is true, that’s because it is the way God chose to do things. Darwin himself did not say his theory came into conflict with religious belief. Although he eventually declared himself to be an agnostic, he said these things:

1. "The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us...."

2. “It seems to me absurd to doubt that a man may be an ardent Theist & an evolutionist.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879)
3. “I hardly see how religion & science can be kept as distinct as [Edward Pusey] desires… But I most wholly agree… that there is no reason why the disciples of either school should attack each other with bitterness.” (Letter to J. Brodie Innes, November 27 1878)
4. “In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879)
You can find these quotations at this site.

We can’t know everything about God. There’s much we do not know, in fact, even though we like to think we know just about everything important there is to know. I am content to trust God and to know that he (not people) controls the universe.

Abandoned Children

2010-02-26T21:10:00.000-06:00

This twenty-month-old girl was discovered abandoned, crying, locked in a men’s restroom at a Shell service station in Newark, Delaware, on Feb. 21. Later, police found a possible link to a woman thought to be her mother, whose charred body was uncovered in the remains of a fire. This NY Daily News article tells the story.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a young man went out to socialize recently, leaving his nine-month-old baby girl alone in a hotel room. Some hotel employees used a pass key to open the room after she had been heard crying for hours. Apparently, she was alone there for thirteen hours. The story about this incident is in this Vancouver Sun article, dated Feb. 25.

The BBC Live News Channel features a story about a tiny baby girl, around two to four months old, who was abandoned in November, 2008, outside a hospital emergency room in Lincolnshire, England.

How can parents abandon their children, no matter what the circumstances are? Disclaimer: I am not talking about "tough love," which people sometimes must resort to in order to make their children aware of intolerable destructive behavior; what I refer to is parents leaving children for selfish reasons. Imagine the unspeakable devastation of children of any age whose parents reject or go off and leave them. What can comfort such a child?

The only thing of lasting power to give solace and healing to a child’s heart broken through rejection or abandonment is the sheltering love of God. The Bible says God is close to the brokenhearted, to children unloved and left alone. In Psalm 27: 10, David knows that “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” He will become both father and mother to children bereft of parents.

God’s love is the only perfect love. Parents are human and therefore flawed. Their love is imperfect, and they cannot hope to love unconditionally. But if they know love of any kind, they know something of God. God will heal the heart of anyone abandoned and left rejected and deeply hurt. And, too, he will forgive parents who cause such hurts.

I once met a pastor named Ruben in Mexico who made up a song he sang while he worked as a construction boss. These are the words (translated), a message to parents in a country with many abandoned children, especially near the border: All who can hear my voice, if you have children, never leave them, never abandon them.

Ash Wednesday, 2010

2010-02-20T20:53:00.001-06:00

Ash Wednesday was a few days ago, Feb. 17. In celebration of the beginning of Lent, I went to an evening service at my church. Pastor John put a cross-shaped smudge of ashes on my forehead, saying “Dust you are, and to dust you will return.” He said Lent is a time for reflection and repentance.

He said sometimes people give up something for Lent, but too often, they do it for the wrong reasons--to lose weight, for example. The purpose for giving up something is to help us focus on Christ, what he means to us, our response to him. I don’t have trouble with that focus, so I don’t give up anything, or at least I never have until this year.

My daughter and I decided to forego desserts except for one day a week. As I said, I have not done this before. On Tuesday, the 16^th, I celebrated the coming experience by eating the last big chocolate chip cookie, grown slightly stale, but homemade, and a handful of semi-sweet chocolate bits. Someone pointed out to me that Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday,” is for that purpose, so people especially in New Orleans can go all out in whatever debauchery they love, and then give it all up for Lent. Somehow, that bit of information always eluded me. I knew they did it, as loud and long as possible, but I never realized its connection to Lent.

The result of my sacrifice, so far, is that every time I see chocolate or have the opportunity, like today, to turn down a hot fudge sundae, I think about Jesus and my commitment to him. I believe my attention will be more riveted on him in the coming weeks because of it. I will spend more time in prayer, meditation, and Bible reading.

I grew up as a Baptist, and we didn’t do Ash Wednesday or Lent. I have been a Methodist for over thirty years, but have been paying close attention for only sixteen years--I fell in love with God in March, 1994, just before Easter. (Here’s a link to that story.) So I am still learning.

As I learn more about him, I see how wondrous his love is, how tender and precious. And I understand that this unfathomable love is the reason for the miracle of atonement through his son Jesus. I do not deserve it and never could, but I am forgiven and have a healed heart filled with sweet, quiet--sometimes loud--joy. And that is my strength.

Here are links to a couple of posts I wrote in previous years about Lent. I invite you to read them!

“Ash Wednesday”--2006

“Ash Wednesday, 2007”

The picture comes from this site: www.stbs.org.uk/

Ducks or Geese in Formation

2010-02-06T11:22:00.002-06:00

I had a forty-five minute drive home the other day. It was late afternoon, and I was tired, dreading the drive home.

Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds in an afterthought, so I looked up to see a little blue sky. High overhead was a V-formation of ducks or geese, headed north. I watched them as long as I could. Two other formations came along, then. I slowed down so I could see them longer.

As the road turned, I could see a large group of them from the back, and I saw something new (to me!). Occasionally, a bird near the front of the formation would move a little sideways. All the rest of the birds in that line followed that one exactly, and so the whole line rippled, like a wave in water. It happened in several waves.

I was amazed at the sight of how closely they followed, how precisely each one imitated the one just ahead. It was a beautiful thing--a ripple of birds.

The picture is from this site: ifornature.blogspot.com/2008/01/tg-halli.html

Before all things

2010-01-25T20:06:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite Bible verses is this:

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This verse is found in the first chapter of Colossians, verse 17. In this chapter, Paul prefaces his letter to the Christians of Colossae, a city in ancient Greece. The Christian Colossians are said to have been in error in their beliefs. Paul feared they were heading toward ways of worshipping that would reduce Christianity to a legal system and obscure Jesus.

The verse is part of a statement of beliefs--a testimonial prayer for the believer’s life. It proclaims the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supreme power and love of God, who redeemed us from darkness and emptiness through Jesus. It means God created the world and everything in it, and that he is in control of it all.

That gives me hope and a sense of security, even when it may appear that our lives are falling apart. Because God is love, I know I can depend on him. That doesn't mean he will keep me from being hurt or sick or from making dumb decisions. But it does mean that when these things happen, I will still be able to find a center of peace, a cool oasis in the desert. All will not be lost--even if all is lost.

The little drawing comes from this site: http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/

LBJ's Daughter and Me: Trivia

2010-01-09T16:34:00.000-06:00

Here is a bit of trivia from around 1965:

I graduated from UT Austin with (rather, at the same time as) Lynda Bird Johnson, oldest daughter of Lyndon Baines and Lady Bird Johnson. I saw her in her cap and gown just before the ceremony, walking down a wide sidewalk that extends a long way down in front of the UT library. She was surrounded by secret service agents, also in caps and gowns. They were looking about suspiciously. They reminded me of a flock of blackbirds.

LBJ and Lady Bird were there in the audience, of course, and I had a good view of them. My parents were there, too; it was a relatively small summer graduation outside on the “mall.” Apparently, the Johnsons had asked that the speakers pay no particular attention to them, as nobody even introduced them.

LBJ had the world’s longest ear lobes.

I borrowed this picture of the Johnsons from this site: americanpicturelinks.com/36lj.htm

Carpe Diem and Tattoos

2010-01-05T20:31:00.001-06:00

“Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero” means “seize the day and place little trust in tomorrow.” Apparently, this Latin phrase is quite popular these days as a tattoo. An Internet search of Google Images shows a large number of inquiries about it and many pictures of designs featuring it.

I have a young friend, in her thirties now, whose small butterfly tattoo grew to huge proportions when she was pregnant. But she really wanted to rid herself of the two-inch flower on her ankle, so she underwent five laser treatments to have it removed.

She learned several things:

1. Tattoo removal is painful and expensive. As the picture above shows, the inks/paints are deeply buried in the skin. This article describes removal options and gives other interesting information.

2. Getting a tattoo can be dangerous; tattoo artistry is not regulated and is often unsanitary. You can get hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases from dirty needles.

3. Some tattoo artists use metallic inks, even automobile paint, for their designs. Metal-based paints can cause pain and burning during later MRIs.

My friend moved away from the city where she was having the removal treatments. Now the flower tattoo looks like a bruise, and she is happier with her ankle that looks more like the perfect one God gave her.

Seizing the day is good. However, while you might enjoy your tattoo today and even for a few years, you can trust that a time may well come when you will wish you had seized it with less permanent means.

Children and Carpe Diem

2009-12-29T21:34:00.003-06:00

Here’s a truth: children grow up too fast. And here’s an auxiliary truth: life goes by too fast; we are too soon old. Therefore, carpe diem. As a poetry lover, I wish to share with you this poem by Thomas Lux.

A Little Tooth

by Thomas Lux

Your baby grows a tooth, then two,
and four, and five, then she wants some meat
directly from the bone. It's all

over: she'll learn some words, she'll fall
in love with cretins, dolts, a sweet
talker on his way to jail. And you,

your wife, get old, flyblown, and rue
nothing. You did, you loved, your feet
are sore. It's dusk. Your daughter's tall.

* * *

The Birth of Jesus

2009-12-19T23:34:00.000-06:00

The book of Luke tells us that the angel of God said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” And so she became pregnant with the baby Jesus.

Soon after that, Mary went to spend several months with her relative Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, who lived in the hill country, some distance away. The angel had also told Mary that Elizabeth was six months pregnant; beyond the child-bearing age, Elizabeth had been unable to conceive until then.

As soon as Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby in her womb, she said, “leaped for joy.” This baby, from the womb, recognized the Christ child in Mary’s womb. He was to be John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit within him saw the Christ and communicated joy to his spirit.

My friend and Sunday school teacher, whose name happens to be Mary, said this reaction of the unborn baby John to the unborn baby Jesus is a picture of what happens when we accept Christ. The Holy Spirit comes inside us to give us the mind of Christ so that we can discern truth. And so the Holy Spirit in us recognizes Jesus and causes our spirits to leap with joy.

On the previous Sunday morning, a man in our class said he wasn’t so sure all that was possible. In human terms, it is not possible.

Do I believe God can do anything—that he is omnipotent? If my answer is “yes,” then how can I question a pregnancy that happened without human intercourse? How can I question the pregnancy of an old, barren woman? How can I question one unborn baby’s reaction to another unborn baby?

Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing is impossible with God.”

The picture comes from this site: www.dst-corp.com/james/PaintingsOfJesus/NoJS.ht and it is entitled "His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful." The artist is Simon Dewey.

This is a re-print of this entry, from 2007. The picture is different.

Fear--A Cultural Focus

2009-12-11T21:41:00.001-06:00

The American cultural focus these days is on risk, threat, danger, hazard, warning. Swine flu, terrorism, AIDS, e. coli, massive blood infections. Dust mites, global warming, mad cow disease, tsunamis, Lyme disease, autism. Failure, computer viruses, insomnia, PAD, ED, TB, plagiarism, death. Losing face, losing money, losing custody, losing control. We are dogged by angst.

Max Lucado wrote a thought-provoking book about this subject called Fearless: Imagine Your Life without Fear. He made me think about it, and I realize how huge fear is in our culture. I can think of quite a number of important things I could have done--might have done--but never even considered because of my fear and timidity. With God’s help, I can overcome fear in my life. I think it’s my biggest obstacle.

Can you imagine what your life would be like without fear? What if fear and anxiety went away and left you in peace? How would it be if we could trust God so completely that we relinquished control of our lives to him? He’s in control, anyway; we just think we are.

Would you live differently? How might it change things?

Picture borrowed from Voices of Oneness Blog

On Children and Priorities

2009-12-05T10:02:00.001-06:00

Some well-meaning (maybe) woman recently said this to a young mother I know:

Look at yourself. You look like a mom. You are a beautiful woman, but your children suck everything out of you. You need to spruce up your wardrobe and do something for yourself! Let yourself be the priority for once!

The young mother was shocked and hurt, understandably. She thought about her priorities, and here’s what she decided:

My children are my priority and greatest blessing, as they should be. My job right now is to love them, guide them into adulthood, and teach them to love God so their lives will be filled with him. That’s how they can best live in the world, which is full of hard knocks--through love of God and other people. Concern about “Self” is of little importance in the rank of major things.

I agree with her. While our children were growing up, I saw my mother-role as the most important thing I’d ever do and as the most rewarding of all hats I would ever wear. I still feel that way, as a grandmother. And, by the way, the baby in this picture is one of my granddaughters. Isn't she a cutie? Look how trusting she is. She knew, somehow, even at this age, that she was deeply loved.

An Occasional Word

2009-11-30T15:59:00.001-06:00

It is no secret that I am a word person. I have no words to describe how words intrigue me, draw me, inspire, entertain, and confuse me. I love to investigate all kinds of wordage--their meanings, both their denotations and their connotations.

My word! The word word speaks broad meaning. You can give your word as a promise, to assure someone. Or you can speak a word of caution or advice. You should keep your word, in the first case, and you should limit your word in the second. People will depend on your word if you don’t break it, but they will ignore you if your outpouring of words is too numerous, too critical or bossy, or too insignificant. You must be a man or woman of your word, standing on that word, and be as good as your word. You must never break your word.

If you are quoting an expert, be sure to do it word for word rather than in so many words, or you’ll mislead somebody. If you take the words right out of someone’s mouth, your relationship might be very close and understanding. If you hang on somebody’s words, you could be in an unbalanced relationship.

You could be a wordsmith who enjoys subtle wordplay, arranges wording in word processing, or plays word square or does crossword puzzles. You could read the wonderful words of Wordsworth. You could be wordless, which I am not. You could have a brain-lesion problem called alexia that makes you word blind, so you can’t read, and that would be torture. You could look up the 100 most beautiful words in the English language at this linked site.

You could read the word of God. You could see that it is the living word, and in the book of John, you could learn how the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus.

Words have great power, and that’s why the pen is mightier than the sword. But in a word, all this utterance is just so many words.

*For much of this word, I had the help of Webster. And the picture comes from this site: www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2009/10/

A Semi-Serious Meditation on Scavengers

2009-11-23T21:00:00.001-06:00

The ocean floor is home to one of the world’s largest clean-up crews. Imagine all the leavings of carelessness, death, and destruction that sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Scientists in oceanography have discovered that thousands of scavengers and decomposers, as well as exotic and beautiful creatures, live in total darkness below 656 feet in the ocean, according to this linked Associated Press article on Yahoo.

The AP article says “Thousands of marine species eke out an existence in the ocean's pitch-black depths by feeding on the snowlike decaying matter that cascades down — even sunken whale bones. Oil and methane also are an energy source for the bottom-dwellers. . . .”

The deepest ocean floor is the domicile of giant tubeworms. In the upper areas of the ocean, an Extreme Science site says, tubeworms commonly grow to about the size of your hand, but the deep sea variety of tubeworm often reaches eight feet in length around warm-water vents.

According to the site of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware, tubeworms are structurally very simple in that they do not have the internal organs most creatures have--mouth, eyes, and stomach--that aid in finding nourishment and eating. It was discovered recently that they do have mouths and stomachs in their earliest stages to help them take in the bacteria on which they live. But as they grow, these organs disappear.

The Extreme Science site says

Scientists were at a loss to explain how these tube-worms were getting nutrients to survive and grow. It turns out their insides are lined with bacteria that oxidize the H2S (hydrogen sulfide gas released by the hydrothermal vents), turning it into usable nutrients for the worms. The bacteria, in turn, benefit from the relationship because the worms deliver blood-containing hemoglobin, which helps the bacteria to break down the sulfides.

It is all a cycle whose parts mesh perfectly.

The deep-sea tubeworm is something amazing (among many things) that God has created as part of the ocean’s janitorial team. Even nasty oil spill messes can be scoured up and turned into nutrients. The earth is full of highly efficient scavengers and decomposers like buzzards, hyenas, and cockroaches, not to mention fungi, microbes, and bacteria.

Afterthought: A cockroach can live a week without its head! (It only dies then because it can't drink water.) --A Good Grief! Moment from NatureWorks

Speaking of Reading...

2009-11-17T17:59:00.001-06:00

Here are some great Christian books that I've read:

The Bible
Bread for the Journey--Henri Nouwen, or anything by Nouwen
Fearless: Imagine Your Life without Fear, or anything by Max Lucado
Life of the Beloved--Henri Nouwen
Mere Christianity--C.S. Lewis, or anything by Lewis
Rumors of Another World--Philip Yancy, or anything by Yancy
Same Kind of Different as Me--Ron Hall
The Irresistible Revolution--Shane Claiborne
My Utmost for His Highest—Oswald Chambers
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt and Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana--Anne Rice, and NOT just anything by Rice! I have Called Out of Darkness by Rice, the story of how she came to the decision to follow Christ, to read soon.

Thoughts on Reading

2009-11-10T09:16:00.004-06:00

You can't read and drive at the same time. Well, you could, I suppose, but you might run into a bridge or something worse. I like to listen to audio books as I drive--makes the driving more interesting. I confess that I am an intense bookworm, even the audio kind. Reading is the best entertainment of the world, and listening to books is an excellent substitute.

That’s usually true. However, a recent one I heard was Emma, an unabridged (every last word) Victorian novel by Jane Austen. This book was almost interminable, as the characters conversed on and on about every possible subject, not many of much consequence, mostly relationships. One day as I was agonizing with Emma and her friend Harriet, I thought, This would make a good play, but as a book, it is hard to take. But I was determined, so I gritted my teeth and stayed with it to the long-suffering, happily-ever-after end.

Then I rented the movie, and it was delightful. I was right about it making a good play. Gwyneth Paltrow was perfect in the role of Emma. It was considerably abridged. I even cried at the end.

After that one, I checked out the audio book of Pride and Prejudice, another novel by Jane Austen. Why did I do that? I still don’t know. But after one fifty-mile trip with it, I couldn’t take it any more, and I returned it to the library. I will rent the movie.

I generally love huge, long novels. Last year, when I was going on a three-hundred-mile trip, I bought the unabridged audio version of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It had over twenty CDs, and I was completely engrossed in that story. I adored Gone with the Wind and Les Miserables and the Mark of the Lion series of three long novels. James Michener’s 900-page The Source and John Irving’s gigantic A Prayer for Owen Meany held me enchanted.

But Emma. Please….no!

The picture was borrowed from Life magazine: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/

Peace for Rosie

2009-11-03T09:00:00.002-06:00

Rosie* is a ball of raw emotion. She reacts too quickly in anger when her supervisor at work asks her questions that, to most people, would not be seen as threatening. The extreme feelings she has about current situations in her life overwhelm her. She thinks about what someone did or said until it becomes different and hurtful, in her mind. She cries easily and says things she doesn’t mean; she has diarrhea.

Stress is a health-wrecker--frustration, worrying, fretting, being obsessive. And besides that, it makes life chaotic and hellish. Here are some telling statistics, according to this linked article on Web MD:

Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.

Seventy-five to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.

Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, or arthritis in addition to depression and anxiety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.

The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.

I hope Rosie will be able to find peace. Many people search for it today and don’t find it. Where can you find it? The answer is simple, and maybe that’s why some distrust it, but it is true. Deep, lasting, inner-core quietness is found by trusting in God and looking to him for that peace. A sense of calm fulfillment is possible--IS possible--and this is an absolute truth.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah says if we trust in God, his peace will fill us:

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)

In the New Testament, Jesus beckons to the stressed, the tired, the overwhelmed:

²⁸If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. ³⁰This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. (Matthew 11, CEV)

The Message translation says it another way:

^28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

That's my prayer for peace.

*This is not really her name; she’s a composite of several stressed-out people I know.