It is too pretty outside today to sit inside writing a blog. The past week has been seriously full of seriousness. Way too full? Way, dude. I resign, at least for the day, from the true trauma, dense drama and March mayhem to bring you two little bright spots, quickly, before the sun fades or temperature drops.
My favorite kid's joke:
Q: Why did the elephant paint his toenails different colors?
A: To hide in a package of M&M's.
Q: Did you ever see an elephant hide in a package of M&M's?
A: No.
Q: They hide pretty good, don't they?
My favorite Chrisitan joke:
A rich Christian man was told by his doctor he would soon die. The man had worked very hard all his life for his material possessions and wanted to take something of them with him. He prayed and asked God if he could bring one duffel bag full of gold bars to heaven with him. God spoke to the man's heart saying that wasn't necesary or even a good idea, but the man continued to beg and plead. He would leave everything else to any charity or whichever church God chose; he would never ask for anything again; he had earned every shiny piece through honest labor and difficult tasks. He went on and on, day after day, making his request of the Father. God decided maybe it would be best to give the man his way and, like all parents do occasionally, He gave in. God told the man he could bring his bag full of gold to heaven with him when he died.
The man packed up his gold and soon after died peacefully in his sleep. He carried his treasure to the pearly gates of heaven and St. Peter met him there. "You can't bring that in with you." said St. Peter. The man explained he had special permission from the Father Himself and finally convinced St. Peter to let him in with the bag. Upon entering, St. Peter said, "If you don't mind, could I please see what's in your bag that was so precious you had to bring it to heaven with you from earth?" The man, with a smile and a nod, said, "Sure!"
St.Peter then unzipped the bag, frowned, looked the man in the eye and asked, "You brought pavement?"
That's it, folks. I'm heading outside for a walk with my little dog. I hope you're blessed today and know it. Have an extra special ordinary day...I plan to!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
They Are Gone
There are families without homes in my area, from horrific storms that wound through our area Friday. Worse, there is one pile of rubble without a family to claim it. They are gone. No clean up can bring them back. Mom, Dad, three precious children. No insurance to bury them. Of course we are working on that through Bank of America...taking donations because caskets and cemetery plots cost money. I wonder if the undertaker will work for free. The "overtaker" does. He doesn't charge a dime to take over our emotions and make us feel defeated and hopeless. Especially in this situation. We cry as we feel the extended family's pain. He laughs as he sends daggers through our human heart and mind. Satan, by whatever name you call him, is like that, you know.
Hope. Now, there's a Word. Tragedies have been happening since we left Eden. We read about them in the Bible and gloss them over because they were so long ago. Did these awful things hurt less then, thousands of years ago, than they do now? How much did Eve and Adam hurt when one of their sons killed the other? An earthquake took all of Job's children at once...did having the most beautiful daughters in all the land later on take away that pain? Did he give them an inheritance along with their brothers because he missed his dead daughters so much, for the rest of his life? I don't know. We will have to ask him when we get there.
Get where? Heaven. That's where it all finally makes sense, all the pain, all the sorrow, all the loss this life passes out to us. Right? Do you really believe it? I do. I've been at the bedside of too many dying people to believe anything less. I've stood next to the veil that seperates us from spiritual eternity, both when women give birth and when people give their final human breath. Eternity is where our questions get answered, our tears are dried, our pain becomes a memory and our life never ends.
Hope...it is a word, spoken in faith. Faith is a decision to believe what we cannot see, smell, or taste or touch. Eternity is a promise made to us by God. And when God gives something, it doesn't have to fit the boundaries of our little, limited minds. God gives us no end, but also no beginning. Isn't that what eternal means? It never wasn't. We always existed in some form. Some of us experience long lives here in human form. Others, not so much. Is it possible that those who stay on, and on, and on really aren't getting a blessing? Is it possible we might make Our Father promise to bring us back to Heaven as soon as we complete our work here, that very minute please, so we can be Home again, with Him and the angels? I think that is possible. I put my faith in that belief. Specifically at times such as this.
That little family did what they needed to do, learned all they were sent here to learn, then got to go Home, together, and never mourn the loss of one another as a reward. They were obviously poor by the world's standards. They were obviously rich by God's standards. We fulfill destinies...whether we can understand or see those destinies this side of Heaven or not. God knows when. God knows why. I don't.
So, still I hurt for those left behind with a funeral debt and a pile of rubble and a hole in their heart where that family used to live. But, I also refuse to be overtaken by doubt or fear or rage in the face of this unthinkable human tragedy. Because there IS more. So much more. I more than Hope...I have Faith. I believe.
Hope. Now, there's a Word. Tragedies have been happening since we left Eden. We read about them in the Bible and gloss them over because they were so long ago. Did these awful things hurt less then, thousands of years ago, than they do now? How much did Eve and Adam hurt when one of their sons killed the other? An earthquake took all of Job's children at once...did having the most beautiful daughters in all the land later on take away that pain? Did he give them an inheritance along with their brothers because he missed his dead daughters so much, for the rest of his life? I don't know. We will have to ask him when we get there.
Get where? Heaven. That's where it all finally makes sense, all the pain, all the sorrow, all the loss this life passes out to us. Right? Do you really believe it? I do. I've been at the bedside of too many dying people to believe anything less. I've stood next to the veil that seperates us from spiritual eternity, both when women give birth and when people give their final human breath. Eternity is where our questions get answered, our tears are dried, our pain becomes a memory and our life never ends.
Hope...it is a word, spoken in faith. Faith is a decision to believe what we cannot see, smell, or taste or touch. Eternity is a promise made to us by God. And when God gives something, it doesn't have to fit the boundaries of our little, limited minds. God gives us no end, but also no beginning. Isn't that what eternal means? It never wasn't. We always existed in some form. Some of us experience long lives here in human form. Others, not so much. Is it possible that those who stay on, and on, and on really aren't getting a blessing? Is it possible we might make Our Father promise to bring us back to Heaven as soon as we complete our work here, that very minute please, so we can be Home again, with Him and the angels? I think that is possible. I put my faith in that belief. Specifically at times such as this.
That little family did what they needed to do, learned all they were sent here to learn, then got to go Home, together, and never mourn the loss of one another as a reward. They were obviously poor by the world's standards. They were obviously rich by God's standards. We fulfill destinies...whether we can understand or see those destinies this side of Heaven or not. God knows when. God knows why. I don't.
So, still I hurt for those left behind with a funeral debt and a pile of rubble and a hole in their heart where that family used to live. But, I also refuse to be overtaken by doubt or fear or rage in the face of this unthinkable human tragedy. Because there IS more. So much more. I more than Hope...I have Faith. I believe.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Choosing Battles
March 2012 is coming in like the sweetest lamb ever born, at least in my part of the country. It's windy, as March is supposed to be, but warm and bright. Spent some time this morning with three of the grandkids and their mom. We went walking through the woods, then sat by a waterfall eating our McLunch in the car with the windows rolled down. My six year old grandson sang a song about how much he loves Jesus, off-key, as we drove home. It was a very special ordinary day. I just love those!
I've been wondering what to write on my brand new blog this second day, knowing I need to bring it down-to-earth since I spent yesterday knee-deep in metaphors. Wandering around in my mind is OK, even important (to me personally) on occasion. But life is really about muddy boots and sticker bushes, feeling four little fingers wrap around one of your adult fingers as you hike a trail, answering endless questions, and having impromptu Happy Meal Celebrations. Real life is often messy and loud and surprising. It's unpredictible and precious, everyday.
Searching for inspiration, I read a CNN blog today stating the stories in the bible are very gritty and real, especially when translated from the original languages with no regard for polite terminology. I agree, from my own limited studies. The cruelty apparent in our generation is not new, and the people back then were grossed out by many of the same things that get us gagging But, the subject matter isn't what got my attention. What interested and inspired me was the incredible number of insulting responses the blogger got for having faith that the bible is the Word of God.
I have no problem with differing opinions...iron sharpens iron. You do NOT have to believe as I do to earn my respect. But several biting remarks were made stating that people who believe in God or the bible as His Word are judgemental, weak, and stupid. Blind to their own harsh judgements, they labeled an entire group of people, situating us neatly under one broad, bigotted banner. But then, in all fairness, these comment-makers weren't well educated themselves. Few of them could put together one entire sentence without a spelling or grammatical error, let alone pull off a full paragraph. The errors were more than just fingertip slips on the iPhone, too. You had to read and re-read to get the meaning. It appeared the comments were intended to show the intense intellect and sophistication of the people sharing them; they were spun slick and sarcastic. But, these comment-makers weren't fresh from the college debate team. They tried hard to convince the reader otherwise, it just didn't work.
I guess in these situations God would rather we consider the source and show mercy. Bless those who persecute you and all that. Why should we expect people to say nice things about us when they called Our Lord a drunkard, party-lover, glutton, and blasphemer? Folks haven't changed that much in 2000 years! Guess we better grow up and see these situations for what they are. They are not opportunites to give reason for our faith, but temptations to throw our pearls before pigs. I played that game once. Once was enough.
Well, I think I'll quit typing my thoughts and go sweep the mud off my front porch. Time to get real again! "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"...if I make the choice not to let them. I do.
Please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors I made in this blog. Whenever I point my finger at someone else's weaknesses, three point back at mine...it never fails! God laughs, and I smile back at Him with my head bowed. It is what it is!
I've been wondering what to write on my brand new blog this second day, knowing I need to bring it down-to-earth since I spent yesterday knee-deep in metaphors. Wandering around in my mind is OK, even important (to me personally) on occasion. But life is really about muddy boots and sticker bushes, feeling four little fingers wrap around one of your adult fingers as you hike a trail, answering endless questions, and having impromptu Happy Meal Celebrations. Real life is often messy and loud and surprising. It's unpredictible and precious, everyday.
Searching for inspiration, I read a CNN blog today stating the stories in the bible are very gritty and real, especially when translated from the original languages with no regard for polite terminology. I agree, from my own limited studies. The cruelty apparent in our generation is not new, and the people back then were grossed out by many of the same things that get us gagging But, the subject matter isn't what got my attention. What interested and inspired me was the incredible number of insulting responses the blogger got for having faith that the bible is the Word of God.
I have no problem with differing opinions...iron sharpens iron. You do NOT have to believe as I do to earn my respect. But several biting remarks were made stating that people who believe in God or the bible as His Word are judgemental, weak, and stupid. Blind to their own harsh judgements, they labeled an entire group of people, situating us neatly under one broad, bigotted banner. But then, in all fairness, these comment-makers weren't well educated themselves. Few of them could put together one entire sentence without a spelling or grammatical error, let alone pull off a full paragraph. The errors were more than just fingertip slips on the iPhone, too. You had to read and re-read to get the meaning. It appeared the comments were intended to show the intense intellect and sophistication of the people sharing them; they were spun slick and sarcastic. But, these comment-makers weren't fresh from the college debate team. They tried hard to convince the reader otherwise, it just didn't work.
I guess in these situations God would rather we consider the source and show mercy. Bless those who persecute you and all that. Why should we expect people to say nice things about us when they called Our Lord a drunkard, party-lover, glutton, and blasphemer? Folks haven't changed that much in 2000 years! Guess we better grow up and see these situations for what they are. They are not opportunites to give reason for our faith, but temptations to throw our pearls before pigs. I played that game once. Once was enough.
Well, I think I'll quit typing my thoughts and go sweep the mud off my front porch. Time to get real again! "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"...if I make the choice not to let them. I do.
Please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors I made in this blog. Whenever I point my finger at someone else's weaknesses, three point back at mine...it never fails! God laughs, and I smile back at Him with my head bowed. It is what it is!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Leap Day
Isn't February 29th the best day to create my first blog? I think so. I'm not sure where to begin, but here goes....
This morning, I'm watching the sun trying to break through a thick band of black clouds to the east. The clouds are remnants of a storm that earlier dumped rain and temporarily darkened my house and silenced my phone. I've seen blue peaks of sky to the west. Hopefully, the gray east will meet the blue west soon with a burst of yellow sunshine.
The bible says God removes our sins, when we ask Him, as far as the east is from the west. I think it's ironic that I now sit under a sky that shows the difference so dramatically. I remember from times past the feeling of forgiveness washing over me, as weightless as light and profound as birth. I also remember the heavy darkness of feeling wrong and unworthy; sinful. Often a rain of tears separates the two experiences as I try to convince God (and my hard-hearted self) that I deserve forgiveness. Hasn't every Christian been there and lived that?
So, here I am this leap day, a person praying to be forgiven, waiting for the east to meet the west, from one end to the farthest other. Here I sit, hoping to see the sun, like The Son, standing the gap for me! Nature often provides perfect metaphors, if we have eyes to see.
You may wonder what I've done so wrong to need such big forgiveness. I think my sin has been omission rather than commission, this time. You see, like my dad, I could easily procrastinate my life away. I have excuses for my excuses! Doing today what could wait until tomorrow seems foolish to my flesh. Yet, at the age of 52, that way of thinking isn't working as well for me as it once did. Time feels short. I have things to accomplish. I have talents God gave me that I've buried instead of investing.
I've lost peers, who have recently made the trip to "the other side". It's as though they are staring me down, telling me "Don't waste it!" They're right. I hear you, Wayne and Candy and Greg and Dean and Pearl. I am trying hard to put my life into action, peace-filled action. I'm asking forgiveness so I can move on from where I've been stuck to where I want to go.
Today, I begin by starting this blog. I know I won't be consistent with it, I'm not made that way. But I hope to be progressive, getting better at being consistent eventually. Every journey begins with one step, right? This is my first step on a new journey. I have no clue where the path will take me.
If you feel inclined, begin a journey of your own. Talk to Our Father about it. Get forgiven if that will clear the way. Do whatever it takes to do what you were put here to do. There are people still here in this world and "over there" who want you to recognize your gifts and invest them while you can. Do you feel their stare, too? Do you feel their hope for you? If you do, take one step. Make them smile, both here and there!
When it shines, I hope the sun warms your heart and your face. When you need it, I hope the Son stands your gap and brings your east to God's west. May all of us who take a leap into some kind of action today know the peace that surpasses understanding. Happy Leap Day!
This morning, I'm watching the sun trying to break through a thick band of black clouds to the east. The clouds are remnants of a storm that earlier dumped rain and temporarily darkened my house and silenced my phone. I've seen blue peaks of sky to the west. Hopefully, the gray east will meet the blue west soon with a burst of yellow sunshine.
The bible says God removes our sins, when we ask Him, as far as the east is from the west. I think it's ironic that I now sit under a sky that shows the difference so dramatically. I remember from times past the feeling of forgiveness washing over me, as weightless as light and profound as birth. I also remember the heavy darkness of feeling wrong and unworthy; sinful. Often a rain of tears separates the two experiences as I try to convince God (and my hard-hearted self) that I deserve forgiveness. Hasn't every Christian been there and lived that?
So, here I am this leap day, a person praying to be forgiven, waiting for the east to meet the west, from one end to the farthest other. Here I sit, hoping to see the sun, like The Son, standing the gap for me! Nature often provides perfect metaphors, if we have eyes to see.
You may wonder what I've done so wrong to need such big forgiveness. I think my sin has been omission rather than commission, this time. You see, like my dad, I could easily procrastinate my life away. I have excuses for my excuses! Doing today what could wait until tomorrow seems foolish to my flesh. Yet, at the age of 52, that way of thinking isn't working as well for me as it once did. Time feels short. I have things to accomplish. I have talents God gave me that I've buried instead of investing.
I've lost peers, who have recently made the trip to "the other side". It's as though they are staring me down, telling me "Don't waste it!" They're right. I hear you, Wayne and Candy and Greg and Dean and Pearl. I am trying hard to put my life into action, peace-filled action. I'm asking forgiveness so I can move on from where I've been stuck to where I want to go.
Today, I begin by starting this blog. I know I won't be consistent with it, I'm not made that way. But I hope to be progressive, getting better at being consistent eventually. Every journey begins with one step, right? This is my first step on a new journey. I have no clue where the path will take me.
If you feel inclined, begin a journey of your own. Talk to Our Father about it. Get forgiven if that will clear the way. Do whatever it takes to do what you were put here to do. There are people still here in this world and "over there" who want you to recognize your gifts and invest them while you can. Do you feel their stare, too? Do you feel their hope for you? If you do, take one step. Make them smile, both here and there!
When it shines, I hope the sun warms your heart and your face. When you need it, I hope the Son stands your gap and brings your east to God's west. May all of us who take a leap into some kind of action today know the peace that surpasses understanding. Happy Leap Day!
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