Grace Period

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.

Reality is Suspended - Temporarily

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.”

One Way to Love

 Attributing the statement in the video below to Microsoft's Linda Stone, I found her insight to be true and very disturbing.

Mary Oliver Poems. Day 3 of 3

 ". . . 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

Mary Oliver Poems. Day 2 of 3

 "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?"

Mary Oliver Poems. Day 1 of 3

"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."

 Canticle of the Sun, Marty Haugen

The Red Dragon is Afraid

There just might be a couple of unintended consequences of this first-of-the-year article. 

• You might, due to the weirdness presented, think that I had been up all night in celebration of 2023.  I can assure you that this is not the case. I was unaware of the CNN missed countdown in the Central Time Zone until reading about it this morning. 
• It also might be on your mind that perhaps I am one year early based on the title. According to the Chinese calendar, the year of the dragon is scheduled for 2024.  

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.

It started with a picture of a red dragon draped over a nativity scene. I had never heard of such a thing and if the truth be told, it was a bit repulsive. Maybe I'm just behind the times, but I could not (would not?) make the connection between this monster and the birth of Jesus.

 

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