Have you ever felt despair that created a need to exclaim, "What is the point of this?"
Nativity scenes are everywhere, and we sometimes take them for granted. We know the story and even have rules for arranging a manger scene. When I grew up, placing the Baby in this scene was sacrilegious if done before Christmas Day. The three Wise Men though? Yeah. They were there.
Recently, I heard the story of Hagar again - for the first time. (Genesis 16)
I had entirely missed the idea that this slave-girl-made mother had named the God of Creation. She talked with the Angel of the Lord and then called Him, El Roi.
The translation given means, “The God who sees me.”
Yeah, I’m clear that God made me, Jesus loves me, and well, all of the things we may have grown up learning. I know that God sees everything. I also know that it’s not the naughty-and-nice-list kind of seeing as well. But Hagar’s story begged me to realize the depth of this seeing.
And now, I am experiencing the nativity scene a bit differently.
A change of plans demanded that I wait for almost 2 hours. I found no coffee shop for miles around. The choice was to sit in the car with nothing to do or to sit in the car with nothing to do. I made my choice.
Top that off with a device that was steadily losing its charge and one could say that I was completely unprepared.
However, what could have been one of those ‘this-is-taking-forever’ experiences turned into something surprisingly worthwhile. It turned into something spiritual.
“There was a scene where they wanted me to run down these steps. It was outside on these cement steps. After I did this, the director said, “Can you come down faster with more of a sense of urgency?” I was like, “No. I can’t. Listen. I know I still look like Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop) but don’t ask me to do nothing you won’t ask Morgan Freeman to do!” Eddie Murphy: interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel.
Oh, the rabbit hole you have avoided today! This one might have turned into a word salad of unimaginable proportions. There's just so much to talk about! But you'll be relieved to know that I have done my job and narrowed the focus appropriately.
The entire 3-season television series would be complete in about 5 minutes and bedtime would immediately commence. The protagonist has been justly rewarded for the defeat of evil and is heading back to their West Virginia childhood home for the first time in a decade. The winding drive through hills, valleys, and mountainous forests is on the screen while the background music begins to play, "Take Me Home Country Roads".
I’m celebrating the one-year anniversary of my arrival in Manchester this week. Coming from a major metropolitan area to a small town of 5,000 takes a little getting used to. I am adjusting. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different.
Being 'right'.
For most of us, this can be an uncomfortable and sticky conversation. But let's do it anyway.
An article was posted and hit my newsfeed today. My earliest reaction wished it had not.
The title reads, "I Texted My Friend For Years After She Died. Then I Received A 5-Word Reply That Left Me Shaken." (That's one wordy title if you ask me. But you won't because you already know how much I ramble.)
This posting is a true confession of sorts. I followed this writer into raw and painful emotions right alongside beautiful I-will-never-forget recollections.
Several years ago, I was being considered for a position on the Board of Directors for a nonprofit organization serving children in a depressed area of the city. I was told to write a ‘short bio.” (Well, good luck with THAT!)
Anyway, the results were tabulated, and I was elected. They took me in even though this sentence was part of the submitted ‘who I am’ document.
“Beyond the basics, you’ll find that I am a self-proclaimed coffee snob. I prefer “discriminating consumer”, but accuracy demands the “s” word. It’s not that I won’t drink “sawdust-in-a-cup” at times, but I may make every effort to convert those who regularly partake in this disturbing practice. You’ve been warned.”
Well, that was then, this is now.
I Have a Dream Speech.
Of course, you know about this one, right?
Reverend Martin Luther King spoke to thousands at the 1963 March on Washington. We are typically reminded of his words on the MLK holiday in January of each year. A full transcript can be found here.
But about a month ago, the email subscription I have to the Center for Action and Contemplation introduced me to another speech that begins with the words, “I have a dream.”
“I have a dream,” God says. “Please help Me to realize it. It is a dream of a world whose ugliness and squalor and poverty, its war and hostility, its greed and harsh competitiveness, its alienation and disharmony are changed into their glorious counterparts, when there will be more laughter, joy, and peace, where there will be justice and goodness and compassion and love and caring and sharing. I have a dream that swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, that My children will know that they are members of one family, the human family, God’s family, My family.” Desmond Tutu
It’s been a while since you’ve seen a warning: Flashbacks and music references are from the mid-1960s. Also, there is a distinct possibility that this could become a road of switchbacks and twisting paths full of ramblings and recollections. Follow if you dare.
Onward.
The trigger was probably a background track heard during some television show or movie. Although an exact moment cannot be determined, suffice it to say that it was noticed this past week.
Upon the realization that I had heard The Impossible Dream (by Gomer Pyle - Really? Gollie, Shazam!), I followed up with a YouTube search to be certain. Listening to this clip inserted another musical memory of long ago as it began competing for my thoughts: You’ll Never Walk Alone.
These two oldies swiftly sent me back to the days of Catholic Grade School. The songs were standouts from my nun-infused education. It was probably just one or two of those dedicated educators (penguins, they were called by the masses), but it seems there must have been a great deal of emphasis placed on these musical scores.
Sometimes I don’t know what to watch on the streaming services. When that happens, I just accept the offered recommendations. I mean, most of the time, it’s just background noise anyway. The suggested movie the other day was called, The Longshots.
It’s about a small-town girl (Jasmine Plummer) who spends her days reading. She loves books as she’s lonely and shunned by popular cliques. Due to a couple of events, she finds her stride in an unlikely place as she becomes the local high school star quarterback. She embraces her talent and moves toward the unexpected. She becomes the first female quarterback to ever play in the Pop Warner Super Bowl.
She did not do this all on her own.
Her “Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube)”, having been forced to babysit, discovers her talent. Curtis continually encourages and coaches Jasmine (Keke Palmer). He stands by her - always.
So. It happened.
“Enough already! You need to respond”, my mind speaks loudly between my ears.
I am a good listener, and I am tuned in and listening now!
"Then why ask the question in the first place?" my inner voice screeched. I did not reply to the email in question. If I am going to escalate, I’m going to do it with actual words. And so, it happened.
In the same way (no uncertain terms) I voiced my irritation not only with the current crises but also with the inclusion of all that came before. Yes, I had stacked up a good number of offenses in the ‘Let it go’ category but as it turns out, that location has a sub-category called ‘But do not forget’.
It was a difficult conversation but amicably resolved with promises on both sides to do better.
It’s a gift of our design, this thing called balance. It’s one of the gifts I discovered when I was in the habit of being grateful every night before falling asleep. This was a discipline that should be resurrected, I think. The rule was clear: Before going to sleep, give thanks for three new things experienced during the day. The first week or two, it was easy. Then, I had to think more about it. Suddenly, I was coming up with things like hot showers, clean sheets, cold milk, the taste of peanut butter and bananas, full-range arm motion, and yes, balance.
A common thread in the work of Sandals and a Stick is the gathering of opinions from various sources. It is true, that although some secular trails severely divert from the spiritual paths, many times they follow a similar route with a difference that is mainly focus driven.
The titles of these two short articles that graced my inbox this week seem to lack any similarity, yet they were not divergent.
Yes, this is the 'short version.'
I usually start writing these weekly articles on Saturdays. This gives me time to let them simmer so that I can fine-tune them before hitting publish. Today, I decided to listen to my second thoughts
I don't like being preachy. I also don't like it when I complain. The full version is based on frustrations and complaints. But since it was already completed, I put it in cyberspace just for therapy. You can read it on the blog site if you wish. It's called "Delighting or Disturbing - Full Version." Yes, I agree. Very creative!
One of the things I have always considered as vitally important is something called “Customer Service.” At least, that is what it is called when it comes to corporate entities.
I am finding that despite the flowering, feel-good words espoused on corporate websites, the statements of mission, vision, values, and ethics are less promising and more promoting. This is not in those flowery words, of course, but in the agenda behind those words. The well-written phrases and sweet-sounding language are there to convince us that our loyalty to the brand and our continued participation in the revenue stream will benefit not just us, but our community and the world we live in. "We are family," they'll say.
We want to believe this.
A story from Genesis centers around Abraham and his wife, Sarah. They are advanced in age and God yet promises them a future lineage of an uncountable nature. (Genesis 15 – 18).
Eventually, Sarah hears about this and laughs at the absurdity
of bearing a child when she is decades beyond the physical limitations of this
possibility. (In sermons, Sarah bears the brunt of this faux pas, but Abraham also
laughs about this when he receives the promise at 99 years old.)
Well, anyway, most of us would laugh, too.
Today's Game might not be today, but it will happen soon. I have no doubt.
I know this kid. He’s active. He’s happiest when running and jumping in a never-ever-gonna’-stop, catch-me-if-you-can (dare) attitude.
The Program.
It's one of those long weekends that we look forward to. Well, it's one of those long weekends that we look forward to if we are not retired.
I feel blessed that if I pay attention, I can learn from smarter people than me. In that light, I found an article by Kevin Kelly. He called it 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known. He began with these words.
Today is my birthday. I turn 70. I’ve learned a few things so far that might be helpful to others. For the past few years, I’ve jotted down bits of unsolicited advice each year and much to my surprise I have more to add this year. So here is my birthday gift to you all: 103 bits of wisdom I wish I had known when I was young.
The decision is made. Today’s article will be about hearing God. The concept starts with questions. Common questions.
Over time, I’ve collected materials that offer help for these common concerns. Some articles get deep. Other writers provide lists of 3, 5, or 10 things we can do to better hear from God.
Every so often, I think about the plans made over the years. Some were usefully completed, but many of them - not so much. In fact, some were outrageous disasters. But there are also the unfulfilled, the ones let go but not forgotten.
Going back a decade or two, a little reminiscing resurrects one of those ‘unfulfilled but not forgotten’ plans. After spending a few weeks in Costa Rica, I began to plan the move. Yes, I would be one of those ex-pats living in a foreign country.
So, what brought this to mind now?
If you have read Atomic Habits, you might already like James Clear. You might already be a subscriber to his weekly newsletter. I sometimes make notes and today I came across this article.
3-2-1: The most important habit, the difference between ambition and entitlement, and friendship.
I looked.
It was easy. I just typed the words "SIMPLE THINGS" in the search box found on this website. I knew that I'd written about this topic a few times. As it turns out, the number exceeds a typical definition of "a few times". The search returned forty-one articles!
That means that IF the search was correct, and since this would be the 364th article posted, I spent over 10% of my time discussing simple things.
You'll be happy to see that I have not chosen to include a list of links for your review. If you want to spend a little time doing some research, it's easy. I will just stand back and leave you to it.
Hector and the Search for Happiness is a 2014 movie. I made a couple of notes thinking that someday, I would spend some time again with the happiness premise and the search for and definition of the same.
Guess that’s today.
The movie is pretty good in a quirky way, but this is my opinion as apparently not everyone thinks so. But what’s new? So, if you are wandering aimlessly through the world of streaming one of these days, seek this destination and give it a go.
Since my notes on this movie lacked any resemblance to a list of what made people happy, I looked towards the great and powerful Google for answers and amazingly enough, found one.
According to Alexandra Funk, these are the lessons that Hector wrote in his notebook:
If I wanted to start a fight, all I would have to do is walk into a room of people and ask one question. You might think the question would matter greatly. Sadly, it does not.
Choose a topic, give an opinion, and the room (or your Facebook feed if that’s your venue) will light up with commentary, some of which will be quite unpleasant.
There was once a time when "debate" was a thing. It seemed to be a civilized way to manage differing viewpoints while taking time to listen to the other side. If it was a formal debate, the Affirmative and the Negative propositions were researched prior to the event. Each side presented their case without interruption, counterarguments were delivered, and a summation statement from each closed the debate.
I knew it. I assumed this side table would come in a thin box with who knows how many pieces.
And - I know me.
I'm the one who scored in the lower 15 percentile within a category called "Mechanical Reasoning." Don't ask me to help you fix your car. I'd have to report you for acting in a self-harming manner!
I knew all this and ordered the furniture anyway because; It was priced right, and I'd been looking for a new home for my Canon printer. My current office desk is a banquet table which shakes to the tune of a 5.5 on the Richter scale when this computer peripheral is activated.
Yeah, right. At first glance, you probably do not see it. Those two titles seem to be completely contradictory, to say the least. I admit that I would have wholeheartedly agreed with your assessment not so very long ago. I could not see what was right in front of my nose.
Then someone pointed me to a video by Gretchen Rubin called, The Years Are Short.
This will be a weekend consisting of red-white-and-blue adornments, local parades, backyard grills, and sparklers in the hands of children all to be topped off with the oohs and ahhs spilling from neck-craning crowds gazing skyward as colors explode over lakes and fields.
Indeed, we celebrate living in this great country. And always, we acknowledge the sacrifice made by so many that allow for this privilege.
A pause here would be proper.
This is NOT a Coconut Palm. This is NOT one of my indoor plants either.
But this image, my indoor plants, and the cocos nucifera produced this day's musings.
Curious?
It all begins with the natural occurrence of phototropism.
There are, I am guessing, a significant number of us who have hard-wired, always-used, knee-jerk answers to specific questions.
For instance, when I see someone and ask how they're doing, the reply is almost always, "Fine. And you?"
Today is Father's Day. I hope every type of father has the opportunity to celebrate well.
That's what brings me to one of my 'pat' answers. I always feel like I should place the celebration on the one who gifted me the title of dad. I have one daughter and without her, I would not be a dad.
Current wisdom suggests that we should have a list of all of our assets and corresponding values. Apparently, this preparation could become handy if we are faced with future insurance claims.
On March 31, an F2 tornado paid a quick and devastating visit to Manchester, Iowa putting down a few memories only blocks from my current residence. No one was hurt, but some enormous tree roots were evidence of the toppling of very old trees. Sheets of bright blue tarps are still seen around the areas where violent winds removed sections of roofing and siding. I think that most of the commercial buildings have since been repaired.
And even with this near miss, I still need to gather pen and paper to create my asset list. My procrastination will not be rewarded.
Although remaining negligent, the thought has crossed my mind at various times during the past couple of months. I suspect that I would include things like:
May is finally over.
For me, May is an abnormally busy month. Birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, and of course Mother’s Day. Dads get a month's reprieve from the extraordinary business of May.
Towards the end of these numerous month-of-May events, my own seeks some kind of acknowledgment - another birthday.
I might prefer to ignore this annual milestone. However, although a celebration in the way of children doesn’t seem important, recognizing that I remain vertical might suggest an appropriate observance.
Since I tend towards introspection, especially around an occasion such as this, I was thinking about how entrenched I might be inside of myself. Right. Too much. Let me explain.
I started writing late this week. And before I finished, I knew I would not finish. That means that because of my procrastination, you get a short one this week.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. " Colossians 3:23
"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10
"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Proverbs 11:3
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34
And the reason for the above started with:
"Sometimes we have to pay a price for our ethics. But we either pay for them or we pay with them" Blue Bloods Frank Reagan Season 3, Episode 10.
This quote is from the television show, Blue Bloods Season 2, Episode 22 (Mother's Day) spoken by New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) to Pop (Lou Cariou as Henry Reagan).
"I'm tired, Pop. The kind of tired you can't sleep off. It's not the big stuff. Hell. . . It's easy to make decisions to protect 8 million people on this island. What's hard. . . is knowing how that affects one single person, one single family. And if you lose sight of that you lose your humanity."
The good news and the bad.
We need to remember that "Mother" is a pretty big title.
It’s been several years since I visited Boson. It was truly one of my favorite trips and I packed a lot into a long weekend.
I remember flying into Logan International. Nobody told me what it would be like. I was a little nervous when I looked out the window at 1,000 feet and saw only waves below the aircraft.
Since this trip was a last-minute booking, I was able to get a very reasonably priced room at the downtown Omni Parker House. I soon learned that this is a rather famous hotel.
Once upon a time, two of my friends and I were called out of the Catholic grade school to the Monsignor’s office. In the eighth grade, this event was a bit ominous.
As it turns out, this interruption to our school day had nothing to do with being called out on the carpet. Well, not that carpet. It was more a call to the carpet of green. It seemed that the Padre’ wished to spend time with kids who knew how to play golf.
So, I was deep in petitions the other day. The pain was real, and the cost would be significant should things not turn out positively.
While lying helplessly, I thoughtfully examined everything that was going on around me. For a second, it sounded good, but a moment later, maybe not.
Again, positive vibes, and quite literally, I forcefully prohibited my eyes from leaking.
When it was over, I was given a review along with the next steps. The work done was temporary but successful – so it was thought. The truth will become clear in the coming days.
But I remembered.
"He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day, He rose again, in fulfillment of the scriptures."
I hope your celebration of the Risen Lord continues to bring peace to you and those around you.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about confidence in God. There were a number of verses mentioned throughout the past couple of weeks about trusting, sacrificing, and living differently in this world as a consequence of Jesus conquering death.
We are told that we will experience troubles in this life.
We are also told that we should wait for God.
I have been thinking a great deal about this 'waiting' thing.
Life is filled with waiting. We wait for stop lights and for the weekends. We wait for payday and for deliveries. We wait for sunshine, and we wait for rain.
I think it's been a while since I experienced a striking jolt of awareness.
That's OK, really. Nobody walks around all day long every day of the week experiencing the proverbial Eureka moment.
This week, I had one though.
I get up early, usually around 4:30 AM. On this particular day, it was more than an hour earlier than that. Yeah, I was tossing and turning and the thoughts going through my mind were already about work. Especially BEFORE coffee, who needs THAT first thing in the morning!
Confusion rules today.
I don’t know how to start this one. I don’t know how to flesh it out. And indeed, I’m not sure how to close. Well then, I’m just going to dive in and see what happens.
This one is preachy. You are forgiven if you stop here. If you continue, I hope that there is some worthwhile takeaway. There is for me. I wish not to be judgmental - not even towards myself, but this topic has been on my heart for a long time. I encourage any comments you wish to make because that will only serve to help both of us understand.
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Over the past few years, we’ve once again learned that washing our hands is a good thing, speaking hygienically, of course.
But what caught my attention was another common phrase created by adding the words, "Of it."
"Washing our hands of it," got me thinking. I wondered how often I might not say those words but might act on the statement itself. I began to consider that underneath daily thoughts and actions, perhaps I make decisions based on that cliché’ without realizing it.
Food for thought revealed that these five words probably correlate directly to, “There is nothing more I can do.” This sentence we hear often.
Umm, what?
Get ready for the "Wearing of the Green" is soon upon us.
Sorry, this article is partly a result of my upbringing. Mom considered herself Irish and the only question left unanswered asks, "Was she really ONLY 50% Irish?"
So this time of year, I can't help but notice the approaching St. Patrick's Day celebrations for all Irish and those wishing they were. Personally, I had best make sure that I am viridian adorned when in public - at the very least.
Of course, when I came across this obviously Irish word recently, I needed to check it out. Here's what I found.
Fewer words today as this past week I bothered you twice.
Short and sweet, then.
Let the construction begin.
Good morning on Ash Wednesday!
Lent begins today and I have a story to tell. It amounts to an unexpected "Part 2" to Sunday's "A Quarter Will Do" article.
Winter weather is about to deliver a punch to many of us today. Some, not so very far away, are anticipating up to 24 inches of snow. Blizzard warnings are in effect for many and here, in NE Iowa, we have an Ice Storm Warming with up to 0.6 of an inch of ice and winds up to 45 mph.
All of this is dangerous, so if you are out and about, be very careful, please.
Growing up, I was told that in preparation for Easter, I should give up something for Lent that I really love. This was meant to prove my sacrificial love for God. The information supplied stipulated that it could not be something like well, Asparagus. Chocolate would do, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups would be OK, but the Brussels Sprouts are off the table - well, literally, at least in my house.
In later years, I was hearing things like making a pledge for some kind of self-improvement. This would, of course, start with a spiritual aspect, but it would also be good if there was some personal benefit as well. I guess some were thinking that a new Gym-membership would be financially sacrificial and would take up valuable time, but hey, the abs would be awesome!
And come to think of it, perhaps the Brussels Sprouts might work if the idea was to EAT them - sacrificial for certain, maybe even beneficial.
When I grew up (just this side of the dark ages), I remember how things were a bit different regarding the news.
I remember that the St. Paul Dispatch was delivered every evening except Sunday. I remember that the St. Paul Pioneer Press was delivered each morning including the huge Sunday edition. There was a lot of information provided by newspapers. One of the articles I most remember was the one in 1978 that informed everybody in the city that my mother and her friends found the Winter Carnival Medallion and collected $2,500! They went to Florida to celebrate.
I remember we had three major television channels: The National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Mostly, we gathered around one of these stations in the early evening to watch about 30 minutes of coverage. Mostly we watched a black and white tube television.
Then, my grandmother bought a color television! You can only imagine the excitement to watch cartoons (hey, I was only 5) in “living color”. It was important that we watch every moment, and I hated missing the NBC Peacock. I think that became my channel of choice. It was that peacock, don’t ya’ know.
Well, maybe cartoons needed the peacock association, but the news was something different. We watched Walter Cronkite. After all, he was “The Most Trusted Man in America.”
Sometimes, I wish we could go back to those days.
A heavy sigh.
But things are different now. I came by this quote earlier this week.
It’s hard to imagine anyone even casting a vote for the most trusted man in America anymore, let alone having a reporter on the ballot.
Now, look. I’m not ignorant. I know that even when I grew up, politicians and the media lied. In fact, a semi-factual historical movie called, The Post makes special note of that. But one line in the movie continues to haunt me; “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
I wonder who serves who in this world. I was going to itemize a few of the headlines to make a point here but this requires no additional exposure.
Enough of the lead-in, already.
Today, I was listening to a sermon about prayer. The speaker acknowledges that there are a great many variations available to us when we pray. One of her favorites is to use what she called “Scriptural Prayer.”
This is done by choosing a passage, reading it slowly, and stopping frequently after a sentence or a phrase to just open your mind and heart and listen to what God might have to say. Her communal exercise used Colossians 1:9-14.
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
During this 'exercise', I found that I was thinking almost exclusively about those on the other side. This is to say that I was not distracted by the details of life today but focused only on the people, especially those who have viewpoints and agendas that I find hard to understand. I noticed a desire to pray for those who thrive on anger, division, and lies. I found the desire to pray for all of us who are misled and righteous and angry and loud.
And yet, none of these prayers included judgments of any kind. None of these prayers were to ‘smite’ anyone – even when sometimes I wish, never mind.
The prayers were centered on the people God created out of love. They were for His peace in a lacking world. I think it is time that I keep this scripture from Colossians in front of me for a while so that when I am exposed to the agenda of others, I might hinder the anger in myself and find this peace not just for myself, but for the manipulated and the manipulators – yes, all of us.
If that passage gets too long, maybe I’ll keep this one handy as well.
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:17-18
This one started with a blog somewhere in the past that recently started to blossom.
The original phrase from 1995 is said to be, “We’re gonna dance with who brung us.” When asked about the game's starting lineup, this was the answer given by an unknown football coach. Its meaning was, of course, the starting lineup would be staffed by the players that contributed to their success in the past.
If you start a search today, you’ll see millions of possible links as these words have been bantered about in various venues for almost 3 decades.
I just have one point, really. Sure, it’s a loyalty thing which essentially means sticking with the people that got you where you are.
But I am thinking that gratitude will surpass loyalty if you'd allow my opinion to be voiced. Even if you’ve lost touch, knowing little about them after many years, and even if they’re no longer walking this earth, this person was there for you. At the right moment, they supplied the exact right words and actions thereby teaching you something that matters. Something which probably continues to matter.
There could be hundreds of these people who ‘brung you’ to the dance. Bless them, every single one, Lord!
I started thinking about all those people who have made a difference in my life. I started thanking them in my head. I truly appreciate each of them. But it goes deeper.
They have become instrumental in teaching me one more thing. The “One Who Brung ME to the dance" happens to be the Creator of this universe. He brought me to this dance and then surrounded me with the gifts of incredible people.
I underlined some of the lyrics above. You just can't go wrong with God.
If you feel so moved, make a list and spend a moment with gratefulness to God and to them for answering His call.
And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, make someone aware of how grateful you are that they've stuck with you at this lifelong dance.
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(The address on the email has been changed - thank you!)
You might already be aware that I have recently moved from Cincinnati to Iowa where I'm just a mile from family. It’s all spectacular and I feel blessed!
But moving is difficult and there are just so many things to do. There are, of course, the physical requirements of moving boxes and more. There are also notifications of address changes. And then, changing banks, changing habits, changing expectations, and oh so very much more.
I think I’m still working on some of these things. New debit cards mean changing addresses and payment methods for all those online vendors with regular withdrawals. And, wouldn’t you know it, I missed one.
There is good news, however.
Once upon a time, someone mentioned how irritating it is when movies or television shows add sound effects to on-screen computer simulations. As actors type, or as something new appears on their monitors, these sounds begin to chime, bong, whoosh, ding, beep, and well, all sorts of creative audio signals that apparently are needed to communicate to the audience that the computer was DOING something.
My friend does not find himself alone when mentioning this apparently widespread annoyance. A quote from Mashable prophetically states,
“There is a reason why our computers don’t make those sounds. Because no one would buy a computer that acts like that.”
Attributing the statement in the video below to Microsoft's Linda Stone, I found her insight to be true and very disturbing.
". . . and that the heart, in those days, was small, and hard, and full of meanness." Mary Oliver
We are ending this short series with something of a different breed. We all have moments of inherent joy and others that speak to us as if we will never be good enough. .
"Of the Empire" (CLICK HERE) holds up a mirror thereby letting us see when we sometimes fail. The good news remains, however. The dragon has been defeated. We have the chance to review, adapt, repent, and move forward. We can change our hearts as we grow in the grace of God.
Maybe, "let's do that!"
Happy New Year to all!
m
"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver
Yesterday, the reading was "Black Oaks" and today, we're considering "The Summer Day".
(I understand that since we find ourselves in January, we can only dream!)
Job 38:4-7
"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?"
"I don’t even want to come in out of the rain." Mary Oliver
Not so very long ago, I was given an exercise. I didn't want to do this one. I don't like poetry. But the commitment was already made without knowing the challenge, so obligation was in play.
This 'painful' task meant that I was to read three poems by Mary Oliver. I was not familiar with her work. Not only that, but I was to read them more than once and try to understand what she was saying - at least, to me. So then, the task wasn't to read at all. The task was to 'listen' to the poet. Good luck, Mike!
So today, I thought I'd lay this proposition on you as well. For the next three days, you will receive a link to each of these poems. There's no test and term papers will not be required. It is the same request I received: Read, consider, internalize, and understand.
I find it interesting that the last line of each of these publications seemed to hit me hard. If you so desire, let me know what you think.
Click here to read, Black Oaks by Mary Oliver
Job 12:7-10
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[a]
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind."
There just might be a couple of unintended consequences of this first-of-the-year article.
I’ll start with the weirdness as I am quite finished with the Chinese references.
Listening to sermons this past week brought dragons front and center. I have decided that I would adopt the concept in an effort to keep myself on track for the upcoming 12 months. Not once, but twice, I heard Revelation 12 inserted into Christmas messages.
I did find it interesting and somewhat comforting to be aware of the presented interpretation, however. As Jesus was born, evil was there to devour the Son of Man, according to Revelation 12. But Jesus was snatched away to heaven, safe from this demon. Apparently, the manifestation of evil was aware that this birth would change everything as God would destroy the serpent for all time through the incarnated Son of God.
Well, the sermons made it a bit simplistic, so I took to browsing the whole chapter. It's a difficult read - at least for me. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to understand John's visions in the Book of Revelation.
I am told how spectacular this book is and how central it can be to faith. That just goes to prove that I am light-years away from graduation. Literally, I can barely spend more than a few minutes at a time before concentration is replaced with a neurological imbalance exhibiting itself with a coma-like, catatonic stare.
Nevertheless, I am committed to a year of remembering that “The Red Dragon IS Afraid," as this is to be my Word/Phrase for 2023. I suspect I could also combine the phrase with a promise to spend more time in Revelation, but really, I would only be kidding myself.
I need to keep it simple.
For many of us, recent years have been difficult. We're always hoping that the first of January will usher in the promise of relief, prosperity, health, and well, better.
But looking around, I am feeling less hopeful than normal. I wonder how we solve the issues of polarization, separation, divisiveness, cancel culture, climate change, war, pandemics, mass shootings, and hatred.
This year, when these thoughts of despair intrude (and I know they will), I will remember the red dragon sitting on the roof of the stable just waiting for the opportunity to devour the Savior.
That monster wishes for me to live in fear. It wishes for me to be lost and hopeless. It rejoices when I become overwhelmed with worry. It celebrates my lack of freedom and my withdrawal from the works of love.
But as I remember the image of this uncomfortable nativity scene, I will rejoice in the birth of Jesus and the gifts of love and freedom presented to humanity in that humble scene. I will recognize that what's done is done and that now the future is bright. I will bring that image into my soul and look to Jesus because there, on top of that stable, the only fear to be found was in the heart of the dragon as the recognition of his demise was born to a virgin.
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.” Job 19:25
