Creating & Stepping Into a Gap

I do not often step away from the Revised Common Lectionary and speak out of the weekly cycle I have created. But I am feeling that now, today, I need to speak up. I have been reading Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” and have been intrigued and impressed by what I have read. It has been a revelation, hearing what happened before his presidency and what was going on behind the scenes. The book was written, I am guessing, in 2017, and was published in 2018. The year and time of its publishing will become significant as I continue.

I have just finished the part of her story when Trump was elected president. Her and her husband’s shock and dismay at his election match my own – at the time. But now, reading this book in these current days, I look back at the time and mourn the innocence we had then – thinking that it was just an overall poor choice by the voting public. We had no idea, beloved reader, what would happen in the years after Trump’s inauguration. I don’t have to remind you, I am sure, of the increasing “debris” of poor choices, statements, and tweets he has made – to delicately state the issue. Comparing then, as Michelle narrates that time in the country’s life, to now – the tragedy of our current situation is made so clear.

I am not usually politically minded; I do not talk about politics nor let it sway my pondering or meditations. That may tell you, my longtime readers, how much Trump’s presidency has effected me. And reading about the days following Trump’s election, seeing it through Michelle Obama’s eyes, has settled a lead weight in my thoughts. Reminiscences of the past four years streak across my thinking, and I am shocked to a standstill and am moved to mourn.

I live in Oregon, about 3 hours away from Portland. The events in Portland sear across the headlines, here in Oregon and I have to assume across the nation. And, if the news pundit are correct, other cities are set to experience the same thing. This has to end, beloved reader. It has to change. We have endured coming close to four full years. And it is threatening to tear our nation apart. Not to mention how the rest of the global community sees us. If you did know it before, reading her book, you will realize how our national imagine rose under former President Obama; and now, how it has fallen.

Back in 2017 I thought, as long as Trump does not do anything that cannot be undone after four years – we will be okay. Then I thought, what has happened thus far – we can mend. Later still I thought, I just hope there is enough of the United States left that we can salvage. Now, it just feels like so much is lost. So many people, through so much violence and illness. So much natural resources, gone and more being threatened. And our image – well, it was bad enough when we were hated as a nation. I think now that we are pitied, the hurt is worse.

I am actually not an American citizen. I was born and still am a Canadian citizen living in the United States legally since 1982. My opinion may not matter much. I have the “privilege” of paying taxes, but not the “privilege” of voting. That is one of the reasons I try not to wear or portray any political motif. And you know, really, my written statements in the past year or two have not been politically motivated; I speak out from humanitarian and Christian conscience. Because to stay silent would be, well, unimaginable.

This has to end, beloved reader. It just has to end. I do not have a vote to cast. And even if I did, my one vote would matter little. But I do have a voice. And I will speak up. I will speak against aggression, hatred, and violence. I have spoke against it before. But now I will give it a name. There is this impression that one’s words do not matter. That when one speaks hateful demeaning words, it does not matter, because words are just sounds from our mouth. But as Jesus rightly said, the words of our mouth give evidence of our inner thoughts. And our inner thoughts motivate our actions. And our actions can create an environment where aggression, hatred, and violence are tolerated and even encouraged. Words then, in a direct trajectory, create actions. Where hatred in isolation, confined to one or two people may not amount to much; but when hatred leaps into a larger group, the results can be devastating. It does not matter, or should not matter, who is speaking the hatred to who. The results can warp and destroy anyone it comes in contact with. Protesting hatred, speaking up that hatred cannot, should not, and will not be tolerated, is a noble thing to do. But when protesting crosses the line to aggression, hatred and violence – we have all lost out and we will all suffer.

This has to end, beloved reader. It just has to end. Let me be very clear. A second presidency by Donald Trump will destroy us in ways we cannot imagine. In fact, I do not want to imagine it. But at the end of 2016, I did not want to imagine what the next four years would be like. I am not endorsing any candidate. What I am doing is raising my voice to clearly say is that the last four years should be a wake call for us to be very careful who is the next US president. Words matter, beloved reader. The thoughts and opinions behind the words matter. Words can reveal the nature of a person, especially someone who had not learned or refuses to assess their words and their communications.

I comment on scripture because they are illuminative, pointing us to Christian thoughts and deeds. We can hear the voice of the Divine through scripture, and with the guidance of the Holy Presence we can discern what is best to do. Those whose words, thoughts, and actions going against the Divine’s Word should be held in wariness until their true personality is revealed. And it will be, beloved reader. If I have learned anything in the past four years, it will be.

May you beloved reader, where ever you are, discern wisely those who are around you, and those who seek your support. And may the Lord God be with us as we entire into the election season. Shalom & Selah!

P.S. This post is making a special appearance on the blog site, “A Simple Desire” as well as here. Now that I have raised my voice, I want it to be heard!

Everything Under One Roof

I do not mean this to be a long post or an involved post. It is simply to let you know that I have successfully exported, then imported, all of the posts from 2015 onward. It means that all the posts I wrote as comments and reflections on the Revised Common Lectionary are now on “Pondering From the Pacific.” It is the next logical step in moving operations from one site to the next. And it was step I was not sure was going to work out! It took a couple of tries to get the mechanics involved to work correctly. Once I figured out the correct steps, it did not take much time. I thought I would be laboring for hours to get it done correctly.

I do not say this to tout my own horn, but to compliment and acknowledge that WordPress is a good place to set a blog. I have been grateful over the years that they have made maintaining a blog and easy one. And to you too, beloved and gentle readers for following the blogs as you have.

This next step in the transition means that it becomes more official that posting that was done on “A Simple Desire” [https://asimpledesire.wordpress.com/] will be moving over and posted only on this website, “Pondering From the Pacific” [https://ponderingfromthepacific.wordpress.com/]

The next step, beloved and gentle reader, is for you to switch where you read the posts. And that is actually the part and portion I am most worried about. If you are reading this on “Pondering From the Pacific” I am hopeful you have signed up to follow posts placed here. If you are reading this on “A Simple Desire”, I am hoping that you will switch over. My original plan called for only posting  on “PFtP” (to give it an acronym) at the beginning of 2018. With the ease of each step, that might happen at the beginning of Advent. To reassure all, the posts currently on “ASD” (another acronym) will still be there as long as WordPress allows the site to exist with no new content. It was my “simple desire” to have the overlap of posts only be those related to the Revised Common Lectionary, from 2015 onward.

I am reminded I promised this to be a short post. I have talked previously about my decision. I hope, beloved and gentle reader, you will join me at “Pondering From the Pacific” as we continue to make our way through the lectionary year. Shalom!

Pragmatism, Theology, & Relatively Minor Miracles!

When I got my “little” idea to focus on  just one blog for posting scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary & reflections on those scriptures, and any other comments and reflections I wanted to make .  .  .  .  I started to think through what arrangements that might include. And before I realized it, the complications got even more complicated. Because .  .  .  .  I got another “little” idea that it would be nice to have years 2015 to 2017 on the blog that I was moving to exclusively. I did not realize what the pragmatic side would look like for that little idea that became a major concern. I quickly found myself knee and neck deep in working with WordPress and the set up of their website. Slowly by slowly I started to figure out what needed to be done. And then started thinking about how to “elegantly” announce it and accommodate it. The best I think I can do is feign to wave a magic wand and suddenly have the postings from one blog appear on another, although in actuality it will be WordPress that makes them appear. I shudder and shake at the thought that I am at the whims and mercy of computer and technological timing. Not exactly the theologically based timing I had hoped for.

It reminds me, in an off-beat sort of way, the timing of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Just bear with me and listen. God called Abraham out of Ur and set him on the road to be the father of a nation. Then the task was given to Isaac who had two sons; one who would continue the building of a nation, and one whose family would sort of fill in with background; much the same as Isaac’s half brother did. From Isaac came Jacob who had a large family of boys, one of who, Joseph moved the whole scene to Egypt. From there Moses picked up the threads of God’s people and moved them to Canaan, where they were supposed to have been. Once there Saul and David were the next big names. And from David came a long line of kings, good and bad, until the Israelites and Judahites found themselves conquered and re-conquered until they were a footnote in Rome’s list of conquests. Then came Jesus. And he was not what was expected by anyone!

So if my simple idea took twists and turns that I could not foresee, predict, or prepare for  .  .  .  I should not feel so bad.

I had thought at first to make the move from posting on “A Simple Desire” to this blog, “Pondering From the Pacific”, at the time of Advent or the beginning of 2018 as the very last fresh entry to “ASD” as the acronym is know. Then I thought, maybe at the beginning of Advent. Then I was not really sure when what is going to happen. In fact, even the timing of when this post will appear was very dependent on when the Revised Common Lectionary posts I moved from a “A Simple Desire” will start to appear. While it may have had the appearance of being very random and unpredictable .  .  .  . the reality was that I had placed it in God’s hands. And in doing that, I was at peace. But you can imagine my astonishment when I realized that the first two months of postings (January & February 2015) were already transferred over! You can find them in the archival listing of months and years. To me, it is a miracle because I struggled in trying to get the transferring of them correct!

It is my most fervent hope that all of the readers from “A Simple Desire” will find their way to over to my other blog. I will try to give additional signs, messages, and guideposts as best I can, in accordance to the movement of the Spirit. Selah!

Should the two become one? [What does it mean to pray about something? Part Two]

It started with an idea, a vague unformed idea. And from that idea came a desire. Not a simple desire but a rather complex one, actually. When I first started this blog (my second one, in addition to the blog “A Simple Desire” that I inherited since after a time I was the only one writing it) my reasoning was that I was not just a ponderer and writer based on scripture passages, but an observer of all facets and aspects of life. And I wanted an outlet for my other thoughts and observations. I had hoped there would be time for me to write for both blogs. But time is an elusive thing. More fleeting than I thought it would be.

Back in 2012 when I started this second blog that you are now reading, “Pondering From the Pacific”, my other blog “A Simple Desire” commented on scripture that was also posted on Third Way Cafe,  a website that MennoMedia created and ran as a part of the media outreach of Mennonite Church USA – to give the context. Third Way Cafe posted on a daily basis “A Sip of Scripture” and that was the source of the scripture passages I and others had been wrote about. (In 2010 I went solo.) However, at the close of 2014 I switched from using their scripture passages to writing on the Revised Common Lectionary. And starting January 2015 I posted exclusively on the Revised Common Lectionary changing from a daily posting to posting 4 times a week. However, that did not result in posting more often to my other blog – this one. As I said above, time was more fleeting than I hoped it would be.

So for 5 years I have been straddling writing two blogs; giving most of my attention to one and sadly neglecting the other. My idea was to try somehow to combine my writing efforts. And the desire was to have a blog that was from start to finish my very own. Not something I inherited from someone else, but for good or for bad was all me. Much as I appreciated the gentle soul who handed over the blog “A Simple Desire” to me without any backward glances (and the other writers who made worthy contributions), I always felt I was standing on the shoulders of another. I had made the choice when I became the solo writer to continue host the postings that were not mine but the efforts and thoughts of  others. Good thoughts, inspiring thoughts .  .  .  . but not mine. I felt more and more strongly that I wanted something that was just mine.

But I will admit it was scary thinking about truly foraging out on my own. “A Simple Desire” as a blog has amassed a formidable following. I remind myself in the past seven years since it has been just me, it has grown in readership; that has truly humbled me. And since writing on the Revised Common Lectionary, the growth has been even greater which I am also humbled by. How can I just walk away from that?

The issue is complex because I do not want to eliminate the work of others, pretending that their work has just disappeared; I want to honor their contributions. But I also want to move forward under my own power and see what I can do. In the past weeks and months I have been torn over what to do. And more importantly when to do  .  .  .  .  whatever I decide to do.

My fledgling plan is to move my posting on scripture passages over to “Pondering From the Pacific”, clearly announcing my intentions, and hope that the readers (my readers) will follow me over the the new site. “A Simple Desire” would continue, but I would not add anything new to that site. In this way I hope to honor what has been written in the past, but move forward into my own future, on a site that is truly my own. Just me. It is scary to think about – well maybe not scary in the chills up and down one’s spine; but daunting to make such a change. And why? For my own self-image? That’s not why I started writing either blog in the first place.

On the other hand, I don’t feel the need to be part of a “bunch.” I am ready to stand out on my own, come what may. I am pretty sure I can handle it; and what I can’t handle .  .  .  . well, let’s just say that my faith is strong enough to whatever may come, in spite of what my pride and self-image might quake at. Actually, that might be exactly where my crux point is – my faith on the one side and my pride/self-image on the other. And I am pretty sure I know which side is going to come out on top. Shalom & Selah!

Pondering the Psalm Passage – Rescued from the shakes

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.” (Psalm 13:1-4)

The previous three or four days before I sat down to write this were as good of health days as I have had for a long time. But the morning of the day I sat down to write, I felt the familiar aches and pains that meant another “flare” was coming. While I try to live my live so that I am an enemy to no one, and no one would consider me any enemy, I do have an “enemy” of sorts – my own body. I have several autoimmune diseases.

An autoimmune disease means that for some reason your own body attacks itself; there are many types and kinds of autoimmune diseases. Sometime arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease; it may come with old age or it may start its “corrosive” action at an earlier age. Type 1 diabetes can be considered autoimmune; my type is type 2, but it seems in a causal relationship with my autoimmune diseases. I am part of several support groups that are composed of people who have autoimmune illnesses or who know/support people in their lives who have one or more. In any case when I have flares, which are gradual or sudden increases in symptoms, I am shaken. And it does seem like my “enemy” has prevailed. But the psalmist and I are not alone, as the support groups attest to.

“But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Verses 5 – 6)

This trust in the Lord and having been dealt with “bountifully” does not mean symptoms go away or that I feel better. “Better” is only a relatively term, and as I have learned again lately, does not last long. I am still able to keep to some sort of a regular schedule and list of accomplishments only because the sum total of my strength, stamina, and endurance does not lay only within my one body but also in the Lord. Over the years where my ability fades off and the Lord’s ability steps in to carry me through has blurred over the years such that I am not sure where one ends and the other begins. And that is why I trust the Lord and trust in the Divine’s steadfast love.

In a sense, we all have an autoimmune disease – we call it “sin” and “human willfulness.” We do things that are hurtful to our soul and spirit, and the soul and spirit of others. We “attack” harmony and the shalom that the Divine wishes for the world. And when the Lord God rescues us and all of humanity, that is the salvation that the psalmist rejoices in. I do too, for that matter.

So I am at peace; the Lord is with me, both for my health and my salvation. The enemy will not, in matters that are most important, prevail. Selah!

 

Addendum: This blog post also appeared on A Simple Desire. But this one posted 15 minutes latter by design. I have been posting in dual character, so to speak for several years. But both blogs are by one and the same person, me. And as time goes on, I would like to merge the two more often. Shalom.

Spit Up by a Whale and [Still] Sitting on the Sand

“Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land” Jonah 2:10

I am not sure when I wrote the first version of my reflections on Jonah suddenly finding himself on dry land. Seems to be it is a pondering that has been with me a long time. My computer tells me it was sometime late in 2010. It feels like it was earlier in the year than that. Or maybe I was just feeling that way earlier than November 2010.

The story of Jonah has fascinated me ever since I first heard it as a child. Even as the years went by and I came to understand that it was not just a very big fish, but actually a whale that had swallowed Jonah (I had imagined Jonah all folded up like pretzel for three days) I was entranced by the story. And still later in life when I read that some scholars thought it was just an object lesson and not a real event in Jewish history, my enthusiasm has never waned. In fact, the realization that it is an object lesson and a cautionary tale has made it more interesting, not less. Because if it is a cautionary tale, that means one can take a part of it as I have done and expand on it to explore one place in life and not just the long journey.

There have been at points in my life when I have made choices that did not lead to the results I thought they would. And I have had circumstances that have changed drastically in short periods of time. So this story about faulty choices and a radical change in one’s life expectations resonates with me. In the midst of a storm of vexed times, I have had the normal concerns and fears, and hoped and prayed for favorable outcomes. Most of the year in my life, fortunately, I have landed in a good and safe situations. While at the time they might not be ideal, as time has gone by I have realized that it has indeed been the best outcome.

However, there have been many times when I felt like I have been tossed about by a situation, “thrown overboard”, consumed, then spit out, and then found myself washed up on the beach, wondering what happened and what I should do next. The past few months have been such a time. I have had times like that before, evident from the fact that I first wrote this back in 2010. And I have to remind myself I have been on this beach before, several times before, and have survived.

Let talk briefly about how Jonah’s experience compares to mine. Jonah, upon finding himself once more on dry land, heard the voice of the Lord, was told where he needed to go; and he went there and did as he was told, up to a point. But that has not always been my experience – hearing the voice of the Lord and being told where to go and what to do. Several points in my life I found myself spit out on to the beach, but have just sat there. You see in these instances the voice of the Lord had not spoken to me yet – but I was hopeful the Lord would speak soon, and am hopeful. In the meantime, I was and am again, sitting on the beach. And during the times I sit, I think of the Jonah story.

It is with great interest that I note verse 10 said it was on “dry land” that Jonah was hurled upon. Many of the times I have been tossed up on the beach of life, I too had found that it was a very dry and arid place. After being in a “damp and dim” place and situation, I found the light of day showed things all too clearly and the dryness left me thirsting for refreshment. It was not a place conducive for figuring out what should come next, yet neither was it a place well suited for waiting. I wanted to move on but I do not know where to. That has been my experience before, and is again.

I noted also that in the story of Jonah, he learned his lesson and went to Nineveh, as God had originally wanted. That is, God called him again to do the same thing and this time Jonah went willingly. However, as the events of the rest of his story unfolded, Jonah had to learn another lesson to learn. And it amazed me that Jonah could be so stubborn as to question the Lord’s will. Jonah had heeded God’s call the second time. Why could he not accept all that was in the Lord’s plan? I would be very glad for the Lord God to reveal to me the total plan so I would know what I should do.

But as I said, God does not always speak to me immediately. At least not in ways I can hear and understand. This is one of the “in-between” the verses, when I am waiting to know in what direction to go. No longer in the fish, but not on my way anywhere. Just waiting. And while I wait I try to get rid of the “fish smell” and stretched muscles that had been cramped for a time. And I looked around me to see what there was and what the possibilities might be. I also thirst for the refreshment of God’s presence in my life again. I eagerly await the Lord’s voice, the guidance of the Divine. And I promise myself that, unlike Jonah, I will not question the Lord, but will accept how God will work through me and what the results of that work will be. But also have to wonder if this “in-between the verses time” might also be a time of learning and growing. So I sit, with hope and confidence that the Lord God should be speaking to me soon. Yup, anytime now. I just needed to be patient and wait.

Shalom,

Carole

The Hues of Me

I was thinking this morning, as I read some comments in response to things that I have said on Facebook, that it is hard to “pin” me down and discern what type of person I am. Or maybe it is just my own perception of myself that makes me think/feel I show many hues of personality. At times I am an irreverent wag who has a quip or humorous come back to many things. (Or at least attempts at humor!) Other times I am serious and somber about issues, taking a no nonsense approach to issues of life. And others times I show my faith/spiritual side, which is found on my alter-personality blog A Simple Desire .

I know that often times people are a mix of one thing or another. Most people are not just “one dimensional” in their personalities. And if they are, more times than not there is a reason they have only one hue for their personal and social interactions. There is definitely more that could be said about that, but I do not want to digress.

I guess one of the reasons I feel like I have so many hues is because at different places on social media, I present a different face – I think. Wow, now that I am thinking about this, maybe the vast variations in shades are not so much. When something funny is said or shown on Facebook, I am most likely ready and wanting to have a quip, humorous addition, or funny retort. I have a quirky sense of humor and it comes out in the most unexpected of ways. Yet, I have a very serious and deeply spiritual outlook on life – when I am not making wry comments on things I see or happen.

And then there is this – I can not go to long talking about myself before I get uncomfortable about making the focus about me, and broaden my comments to take in the whole human and creation condition. Like, for example, the hues of people. Not personality – no, I mean skin color. Within a certain set parameter, people come in all hues and shades. And I think that is fantastic! Setting gently aside the assertion that “black lives matter”, every skin color is equal to another. All have been programmed into our bodily DNA, and each result has merit and beauty. Each hue and shade should be given praise and honor. And wrapped within that DNA are the underpinnings of how we respond to life – quick wry humor, silly flighty thinking, deep somber thoughts, pragmatics, optimist, pessimist, young at hearts, old souls, movers & shakers, slow plodders, Type A personalities, laid-back idlers – all of us do as our psychological wiring tells us to do. And that can be good or that can be bad. However, that is another path I am not going to digress down.

You, gentle reader, have hues too. Maybe not my hues, but like I said above that is fantastic. The thing is, we should not be afraid to show our hues. Discerning, yes. Afraid, no! Not everyone’s hue is going to be agreeable to another. But let us not think . . . no, never think that is enough reason and rationale to hate! Or discriminate! OR take violence against! Just like picking out colors any where, if a shade or pigment of color is not to your taste just gently and quietly move on. Some people like a riot of color in their life. Others like monotones. So be it. I am a person who loves color, loves to wear color, loves to see color, and loves to express myself in color. I embrace all the hues I am. And I embrace, gentle reader, all the hues you are! Shalom!

P.S. I was starting to feel this blog was sitting idle far to long! I keep hoping to be more active here. But truth to tell, I have been so busy spreading and expressing colors so many places I have run short of time.

May your Christmas, gentle reader, be filled with color, laughter, joy, and love!

The election is over; now the days to come begin

[This is something I wrote for my other blog, “A Simple Desire” but I have changed the title slightly. I really wanted to say/post something today instead of waiting until the next day that I would post. And, since I write that blog at least a week in advance, the “moment” would be gone by the time people read it. And not knowing how the events of each day will change the “landscape” I wanted to write in the “now” moment. If you have read this on my other site, thank you for reading it. If it is new to you and it resonates with  your thinking/feeling , I invite you to check out my other blog at https://asimpledesire.wordpress.com/ ]

 

Throughout the day I have been logging into my Facebook page and generally checking in with everyone I connect with on social media for their reactions and responses to the surprising results of the election. I do not chose/use the word “surprise” as my own description but as it was described by others. For some it was a pleasant surprise and for some it was not. Amongst the circle of people I connect with through social media and face to face, the majority feel it was not a pleasant surprise but something they feared and continue to fear. And is so often the case, when one fears, one lashes out. And I have heard/read a lot of lashing out. But I have also read/heard voices of hope and determination to make the best of it and work towards compassion, acceptance and unity.  And that is good.

But . . . but . . . these voices of hope and determination also tell me there is great pain and fear underneath. That they have not turned to anger but love and caring is a good and positive thing. It still, however, speaks and indicates the presence of pain and fear.

I have written a time or two about fear and that God does not call us to a life of fear. Not that the Divine does not acknowledge that we fear, but that the Divine does not wish us to live in fear, but in hope and courage. And not because we fear, are afraid and act out of fear but that we banish fear and replace it with trust in God/the Divine.

This is not the first time the nation, individually or as a group, has feared for itself and others. And without being a pessimist or doomsayer, it will not be the last. We, as a nation have lived in fear and through fear. Fear may be out hope, determination and courage – but it does not always bring out the “best” of us. That is what I hope in the days, weeks and months to come we can do – bring out the best of ourselves and bring out the best in others. We can do that by not letting our fear spread and multiply; no, our fear must be set aside in favor of traits that lead to care, compassion, acceptance, understanding, and unity.

This is not “new” exhortations or encouragements. In fact, this sort of encouragement is pretty biblical. I do not have any bible verses to back this up, and these are not reflections that come from the Revised Common Lectionary. Indeed they are kind of extemporaneous in nature. But written from the heart. And these are comments not just from a national perspective, but global. While this election took place and directly impacts the United States, the U.S. is part of the global community and what happens has impact in other parts of the world. The days, weeks, and months to come will be played out against the backdrop of the global community, and the global community will also impact us.

Living in the United States but being a Canadian citizen means I did not have a part in the election process but I still live in the outcome of the election. It has been a interesting position to be in. I feel both a part of the global community and a resident of the United States – not having a voice but still being a presence. In other words, my opinion did not and does not much matter. So I have not shared much as to what I have felt inside.

What I hope has come across is hope in the Divine, and a desire to see love, compassion, caring and peace spread to all people. In the grand scheme of things, a very simple desire. It is my hope and pray that those traits are what fill our nation and the global community. And I hope and pray, beloved reader, that is your desire too. Selah!

The Christ who was born from a God of Peace, Love, and Compassion

I have been thinking about this for a long time, and trying to decide how to explain and express where, how and why my thoughts have been going. I have been thinking about this since the violence in San Bernardino California occurred. I was thinking about all the different groups under that large category of humanity, and how some groups seem to hold a view of a god that does not align itself with how other groups see and image their god. I am hoping you understand the context of my thoughts. If so, read on and I will explain further my thoughts. If you do not, most likely you will not understand what follows.

I thought to myself, and prayed to God –

Do not be an imminent god. Do not be a god near us. Do not be a god who people that commit violence  worship. Do not be a god of intolerance, prejudice, or nonacceptance. Do not be a god that favors one group or one country over another. Be a god at a distance. Be a god who is above and beyond any concerns that humanity might have. Be a god transcendent over all things.

But I knew and realized, especially at this season of Advent, God comes to us. God is in and of the world, involved with all humanity. I started to despair.

And then I remembered; God came as a baby – an innocent child – unaware of any intolerance, hate, rage, wrath or violence! The God who comes this season comes with no power what so ever. The God who comes is helpless and is dependent on the kindness and compassion of others. That God, a God who is filled with nothing but love is a God who can and desires to heal and not hurt. That is a God I can trust. That is a God I can worship. That is a God I want near to me!

May you, gentle reader, seek the God of peace this Christmas and bring praise to this God. And may this God be the God that the whole world will follow. Shalom and Selah!

 

P.S. This post is crossed linked with my other blog, A Simple Desire. The post is Fourth Week of Advent – Christ now; but who then? And what of peace to all humanity? (The Old Testament Passage)

Keepsakes in your home, and in your heart

There are certain items that come to have great sentimental attachment – not because of what they are but because of who they belonged too. After my mother-in-law passed away, my husband and daughter brought back some things of hers. And for whatever reason, they chose a large white – very white – blanket to wrap around these items. Understand, the blanket was to protect their cargo. But the blanket they chose, because they did not know any better, was one of my mother-in-law’s best warm blankets. If she had known they had done this, they would have been in for the tongue-lashing of their lives from her; in her stead I gave them the tongue lashing. And closely inspected the blanket to make sure it had not gotten dirty or torn. Fortunately it was in pristine condition, just as my mother-in-law would have wanted it to be before she put it on her bed.

When I saw it wrapped around what ever was in the back of the van they drove back, I knew I “knew” that blanket. It had been  on my in-laws bed, sandwiched between the sheets and the coverlet, protected from dirt and abuse. Then to see it used/missed used at “padding” – it nearly broke my heart. But as I said, it survived the trip. It seemed like a gift passed on to have this blanket and to have it be a lasting memory of my mother-in-law, and the care she took in selecting household items that were both luxurious and practical.

My husband was aghast, after he realized what it was, that it had been used so impulsively and recklessly. He has come to prize it as much as I do. And maybe in the unconscious back of his mind, this was his way of carrying home something of his mothers. It know graces our bed when it gets cold. And just as my mother-in-law did, it is sandwiched between sheet and coverlet to make sure it stay clean and white.

I hope you, gentle reader, have items around you and in your home that hold pleasant memories of family and friends. Not just things stuck up on the wall, or in a cabinet or drawer. But things you used as your family member/friend used them, reminding you of who they were and are; and surrounding you with the love that forms the bond between you. Selah!