The Saga of the Mouse

 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

-Matthew 19:26

Whom Do You Serve?

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters." 

-Psalm 23:2

Good Hope

"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loves us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope."  

-2 Thessalonians 2:16

Starting Over

Have you ever needed to start over?  Leave something you've been doing in order to do something better. . . .

Building Blocks

Blocks have probably been around since children have been around.  Children, with their wonderful imaginations, build walls and castles and log cabins....

I like what Alan Cohen said in "Wisdom of the Heart" about building blocks:  "A setback is really a setup, and behind every tragedy awaits a gift....When you pray or intend for something to happen don't dictate the form or timing of the results.  Instead, pray for the quality of your experience.... pray for happiness, and the building blocks to that happiness will reveal themselves in the right way and time."

Thoughts are Things

 Alan Cohen included this little verse at the end of his essay, "Thoughts are Things:"

Sow a thought, reap a word;

Sow a word, reap a deed;

Sow a deed, reap a habit;

Sow a habit, reap a character;

Sow a character, reap a Destiny.

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin

Shadow

Barbara Fox's painting illustrates the use of shadows to give a painting depth and a sense of realism.        

Into the Woods: Stumps

Stump:   the small projecting remnant of something that has been cut or broken off or worn away

Gratitude Part 2

In the Language of Flowers the Campanula symbolizes Gratitude....

One of the first posts I did on this Blog was on gratitude, but I feel a need to revisit this subject.  Alan Cohen has written a piece called "Thanksliving".  His focus is on past relationships.  He writes, "It is important that we hold our past in a sense of reverence, along with the people we have known."  

Recently someone from my past who caused me anguish at the time started coming to the Fitness Center I visit every weekday.  She seemed not to know who I was, and I was not inclined to make myself known to her.  She never looked directly at me, so I didn't feel the need to acknowledge her.  But then God began to bring particular writings into my morning quiet time and it became clear I needed not only to forgive this person but to gain understanding to why her actions still caused me hurt when I thought about them after all these years.  

And I did forgive her...as well as discover why it still hurt....and then was able share what I had learned with someone else who was dealing with a difficult situation.  I was eager to see this person again at the Fitness Center so I could smile at her and re-introduce myself (although, I had the feeling she already knew who I was).  Of course, she wasn't there--for days-- and when she did return I never found her looking my way so I could say "hi".  But, amazingly, it didn't matter any more.  The "work" had been done in me and I was able to have this sense of reverence of how God had used her in my life at the time and was still using her to show me things about myself I needed to see.  Cohen goes on to say, "Assume that everyone who shows up in your life is here to bless you in some way."  He suggests we make a list of significant past events and relationships and note by each the gifts we received from that person or experience.  I guarantee you it will change your perspective and help to heal any hurts that still linger.

Father, I am grateful for everything that has happened in my life because now I can see Your Hand in them, working to bring good to me and to others through me.

Link to scripture:  Romans 8:28

Take action:  Gratitude

Reframing Thoughts

♫Stairway to Heaven♫

Last weekend we visited Garrett County in western Maryland to enjoy the changing leaves.  One of the sites we visited was Mountain Lake Park where we found this delightful sculpture of children playing....

The child hanging from the bars actually swings back and forth....

We were enjoying the playfulness of the sculpture until we read the plaque....

When we lose someone who was precious to us we will either grieve that loss until we find peace or we will resist the loss and become bitter.  There is an ebb and flow to life that must be respected even when the length of it is shorter than we expected--whether it be our own or someone dear to us.  By changing our "point of view" about it we can give thanks for the days we DID have.  Just as we saw the sculpture as playful at first, changed our minds about it when we saw that it was a memorial, and then changed it yet again when we read the inscription reminding us to embrace what we have instead of dwelling on what we don't have, we need to constantly reframe the happenings in our lives to see them from a spiritual point of view.  God can bring good out of the worst situations if we will just allow His Will to be made perfect in us.

Father, thank you for all that you are doing in my life.  May I not lose sight of Your goodness that is available to me in all things.

Link to scripture:  Romans 8:28

Take action: Reframing Thoughts

All God's Creatures

I put this bird feeder in the window next to my bed so that my cat, Poetry, could see it and be entertained.

As you can see it has her full attention!  Unfortunately, the squirrels have discovered it and that has captured my dog, Gabriel's, attention as well.

Being a terrier he's tenacious about wanting to get at that squirrel.  But that's not the only problem the squirrels create.  They knock a lot of the bird seed out of the feeder to the point I wonder if the birds get very much for themselves.  But then I discovered that it wasn't going to waste.  This is the view from the basement window just below the bedroom window.  

The neighbor's chickens have discovered this feast.  And Poetry has discovered another entertainment.

This whole sequence of events has made me think about how God uses everything in our lives--nothing goes to waste for those who love Him.  I may think my efforts aren't bearing fruit, but because I can't see what's happening just below the surface in someone's life doesn't mean something isn't happening.  That's not my business anyway.  God just calls me to be faithful in loving and doing good.  I'm to leave the outcome to Him.  Additionally, I must never be exclusive to whom I show love.  Squirrels are God's creatures, too!  


Father, may I never forget that You are working all things for good.


Link to scripture:  Romans 8:28