Cause I Believe in You
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Socrates on Transparency
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Sweet June 2024
Each sunny early morning, the sun's warm fingers tickle the sweet aromas from flowers, blossoms, and grasses. The breezes then entice and carry the loosened dainties far and wide.
Mornings, I lie in bed reading . . . in bliss.
Filmy sheer white curtains lift and gently billow on the air dancing between my room's two huge garden-facing windows, fresh scents swirling with them.
I cannot help closing my eyes in peace, inhaling deeply of the mingled fragrances, smiling in closed-lipped contentment.
Bright blue sky, no clouds.
I shall meander out to the hose in my herb garden to lightly sprinkle newly sprouting basil, parsley, and cilantro, then, give drinks to the other darlings.
I've already picked a heaping bowlful of red sweet strawberries, stunned at the many ripe orbs peeking out from under sturdy green leaves!I snap a handful of warm-from-the-sun asparagus. Prolific, as is everything else in my gardens this year.
Artisan French toast with berries for breakfast along with roasted just-picked-asparagus, and a mug of the tea my daughter gave me for Mother's Day.
Sweet June!
Friday, June 07, 2024
Biden the Literary Pirate
Saturday, May 25, 2024
Seeing One Another
"We were created to look at one another, weren't we?" - Degas
Place de la Concorde, 1875, Edgar Degas |
Screens are abnormal.
And we are paying a price for our abnormality.
Unplug with me.
Unplug from screens and walk away from fakery in comparison, forgery, manipulation, fake scripted and curated lives with unrealistic standards of plastic beauty. Succumb to the phony no more.
Walk into real life, real living, flaws and all.
Live amongst people. Genuine people.
We were indeed created for each other.
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Giving, Taking Away, Giving Back Again
It's been repeated to death, but there it remains in the Bible (Job 1:21b), the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. And here we are to understand that the Lord is blessed for doing so. He does what He does and there ain't nothing we can do about it . . .
. . . except strive all our lives long to understand that a good God is doing what He's doing for a good reason. Always.
And He is. He really is. He is teaching and showing and growing all of us who are His children.
I remember giving my children toys to play with only to find they didn't appreciate them, might break them, weren't ready for them just yet. So I quietly took them out of play until the right time.
I also remember many times in my life when I had something wonderful but didn't appreciate it, until it was taken away, or I lost it due to my own carelessness. I wanted it a hundred times more after living without it. How I cherished the wonderful somethings when they returned to me!
These little God lessons come to me at the weirdest times.
Like during this unusual and busy week in the middle of a huge home improvement project.
Two years ago I had something that was wonderful, that I had worked and prayed for, but it scared me. I wasn't sure how to live with it. It made me feel vulnerable, uncomfortable. I didn't appreciate its wonder and goodness. I stupidly dwelt in fear.
So, God took it away, slowly over the course of two years. I pine for it now. I kick myself for not realizing what I had, when I had it. I am frustrated for not guarding and protecting it.
I prayed to God today, letting Him know that I understand why it was taken: I wasn't ready.
He is slowly giving it back to me, but He's making me work harder for it than I did the first time. I am humbled. And I am grateful. I am willing to work to regain the gift.
I have every hope that the gift He gave and took away and is giving back will be appreciated and enjoyed all the more the second time around, because its value is known to me. Truly known and understood.
I love the last verse in Job 1. "Through all of this Job did not sin nor did He blame God." That's the ticket.
I know a life-long, church-going Christian woman who regularly raises her fist to Heaven and blames God in fury when He does what I've described in this post, that is He doesn't do what she wants Him to do; He either doesn't give or He takes something away. She goes directly to anger, fury, blaming, fist in the air, "Curse you, God." I shudder when she describes these moments of hers to me. She doesn't understand her lack of perspective. "Um, He's God and you're not, and He is good and you're not, so maybe be still and know this? Watch and learn? Trust? Hmm?"
I've always found her tempestuous reaction mystifying because, for some reason, God has kept such thinking out of my nature. I've always known that He is the boss, the One who knows all, the Author of the story, the only one who knows everything that has, is, and will happen, and He knows exactly how He wants it all to go down. Also, I know to the depths of my heart, mind, and soul that He loves me. He is the Source of love.
So I trust Him. I've had my moments - seriously hard, crushing life events - where my legs turn to rubber and the air is sucked from my spiritual lungs, but always - so far always - I have immediately turned to Him in prayer expressing my shock and weakness and hurt and pain, but I tell Him, "Lord, I don't know why you are having this happen, but I trust you. I can barely stand, but I trust you and know you are doing something good for your story. Whatever has to happen, please help me glorify you in my response. I want to understand You. I want to be good like You." (This, you see, is my long-winded version of Job's words at the end of chapter one. "Through all of this Job did not sin nor did He blame God.")
We all have our own walks and lessons. To respond in trust is the most important aspect of walking and learning. And then, to be grateful receivers of the gifts He sometimes returns to us, when we are ready
.
Monday, May 20, 2024
Spiritual Mea Culpa
Sometimes I am acutely aware that I live in a working class town with people who are, well, different from me, in manner, in presentation, in usage of the English language.
I fight the pride, man. I really do.
But today it got the better of me, and I actually said out loud as I drove home from the post office where I'd signed for and gathered my antique Italian mirror (ahem), "I really hate living here. These people!"
Feeling the necessity to meet my pride with humility, my thoughts turned to Biblical passages about believers being salt and light. Many of our Lord's teachings flowed through my pious mind.
Following resignation's deep sigh, I decided to focus on blessing the world with my presence, in order to brighten it, you know, help it out, because, well, me among them. I must stay the course and be a good little Christian woman amidst the Cretins. (Sorry, Crete. I'm sure you are populated with absolutely lovely people.) I decided that it's best if I deign to bide my time being a godly example to these people until Jesus returns or takes me Home, whichever comes first.
"Yes, you ignorant, unwashed, peasants, I will walk among you until God calls me out of this increasingly uncivilized world. He wants me here to help you. So I will do my best."
More lung expulsions.
The light turned green. I headed home. Unsettled, my mind puzzled over my hasty conclusions. I was missing something. Something crucial . . .
. . . . then, I realized with a gulp and a blush . . . . um, Jesus had to walk among the ignorant, unwashed peasants and also the snooty religious leaders in order to actually save their souls. And He did so willingly and with grace, love, compassion, purpose, and all His energy, creativity and talent.
He washed His disciples feet and then told the disciples, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:14-17)
Face palm.
Right there in the car at the red light under a bright blue May sky, I got a clue.
Mea culpa.
Looks like the biggest proudest unwashed idiot is me.
Postscript: memorize scripture all your life long. Especially teach Bible memorization to children. God uses it to teach you as an adult. Good stuff, even if it may leave a mark on your face.