Gratitude Journal
1. The vitality and energy of a new puppy
2. The rapid heart beat of a small animal - even at rest
3. The joy and smiles brought by a four legged addition to the family
4. The patience necessary to survive multi-'potty' breaks after midnight, for OSCAR
5. The excitement displayed by OSCAR's waging tail, upon my arrival home following a long day at the office!
"And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female." Genesis 7:19
I have a friend who was quizzed once on 'animals going to heaven' and he said no... He got into a lot of trouble over that response. Now I do not know for certain about whether my pets will be with me is some type of relationship eternally, but they sure are a blessing and a gift in the present!
We have a new pet puppy named OSCAR. He is part dachshund and part terrier. He is now ten weeks old and such a joy! He is active and filled with energy. He is a poster child for ADHD in dogs. He is demanding and smart. He is small and fragile. He is messy and can produces messes. He is everything you would expect a little puppy to be.
But he is also gift. While I purchased him and lots of support materials/items to make him happy... he is gift. He has reminded me of the gift of life. He is present at all times. He is small in the grand universe and in the grander scheme of things. He is dependent and helpless. In so many ways he is just like me.
Thank You Father for the gift of OSCAR! Thank You for the reminder that I too may be small and dependent and messy - but in Your grand plan, somehow my life and presence brings You joy. And that is sufficient grace and mercy for me to celebrate!
SHALOM
JBA
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Epiphany - a time of gifts - even illness!
Gratitude Journal
1. Wise men
2. A Holy Story
3. Memory of previous Holy Days
4. Growth
5. Growth through weakness...
They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Spending time with a friend in recent days, discussing weakness. He has struggled with health issues - nothing grave, just a persistent cold - over the Christmas break. His faith journey attributes even illness as a possible 'gift' and tool for God to gain his attention.
My liberal, protestant faith refrains from saying God sends sickness, in any form, to anyone. God can and does work in dis-eased times in our lives for our good. But God does not 'cause' it...
In reflective times following our chats I have struggled. If God is in all things, and is all powerful and the ultimate creator, why is illness and even death part of our path? And from whence does it originate, if not from God? This is not a new question. I have tackled it many times and it remains a mystery for me today!
Epiphany is a time to remember the Wise Men of old. Not only their journey, but their gifts as well. The gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh - represented perfection and purity. There is not hint in the 'three kings' narratives of anything less than the highest and best bowing down to the young Jesus.
If my friend is right and illness is used by the Holy Father to bring about redemption and restoration, maybe - just maybe - the next time I face less than good health (or even someone I love must deal with pain and physical suffering) I will be more open to that time as 'gift time' too. Maybe it can be not only a time for God to 'work in all things', but a time for me to work on my side and see within my journey what I need to offer back to God.
SHALOM
1. Wise men
2. A Holy Story
3. Memory of previous Holy Days
4. Growth
5. Growth through weakness...
They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Spending time with a friend in recent days, discussing weakness. He has struggled with health issues - nothing grave, just a persistent cold - over the Christmas break. His faith journey attributes even illness as a possible 'gift' and tool for God to gain his attention.
My liberal, protestant faith refrains from saying God sends sickness, in any form, to anyone. God can and does work in dis-eased times in our lives for our good. But God does not 'cause' it...
In reflective times following our chats I have struggled. If God is in all things, and is all powerful and the ultimate creator, why is illness and even death part of our path? And from whence does it originate, if not from God? This is not a new question. I have tackled it many times and it remains a mystery for me today!
Epiphany is a time to remember the Wise Men of old. Not only their journey, but their gifts as well. The gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh - represented perfection and purity. There is not hint in the 'three kings' narratives of anything less than the highest and best bowing down to the young Jesus.
If my friend is right and illness is used by the Holy Father to bring about redemption and restoration, maybe - just maybe - the next time I face less than good health (or even someone I love must deal with pain and physical suffering) I will be more open to that time as 'gift time' too. Maybe it can be not only a time for God to 'work in all things', but a time for me to work on my side and see within my journey what I need to offer back to God.
SHALOM
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Christmas Cheer...
Gratitude Journal
1. Decorations of the season
2. Sacred music of the season
3. The use of candles through the season
4. The joy of a child's heart in this season
5. God's continued overcoming of what we have done to the season!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
I have often heard this verse (particularly the latter portion), used this time of year to provide some safety net for those who both give and receive abundantly. Yet, it might be good for us to read the total verse and reflect.
A thief may be defined in many ways. One who steals what does not belong. One who takes without thought of the pain and heartache of the one who looses some item. This verse goes on to say that the thief not only steals, but also kills and destroys. This really takes things to the next level of severity.
Fortunately I have never been labeled a thief. Nor have I killed or sought to destroy another person. However, in recent times of reflection on the Christian life and my commitment to God's kingdom, I have begun to take more seriously what I have done that is less than pure when it comes to 'a full life'!
When have I really share the abundance I have with another... to the point of sacrifice? When have I killed the spirit of a child? When have I denied the wealth of resources available to me to stop another's pain and suffering? When have I been an advocate for those who are the 'least of these'...? When have I taken a stand that goes against popular cultural norms? When have I risk being misunderstood for the sake of an individual or family that have been marginalized?
As I partake in "Christmas Cheer..." this year, God convict me over and over to have eyes to see and hears to hear and feet to walk and hands to service. In the true love of the Christ child I pray! AMEN
1. Decorations of the season
2. Sacred music of the season
3. The use of candles through the season
4. The joy of a child's heart in this season
5. God's continued overcoming of what we have done to the season!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
I have often heard this verse (particularly the latter portion), used this time of year to provide some safety net for those who both give and receive abundantly. Yet, it might be good for us to read the total verse and reflect.
A thief may be defined in many ways. One who steals what does not belong. One who takes without thought of the pain and heartache of the one who looses some item. This verse goes on to say that the thief not only steals, but also kills and destroys. This really takes things to the next level of severity.
Fortunately I have never been labeled a thief. Nor have I killed or sought to destroy another person. However, in recent times of reflection on the Christian life and my commitment to God's kingdom, I have begun to take more seriously what I have done that is less than pure when it comes to 'a full life'!
When have I really share the abundance I have with another... to the point of sacrifice? When have I killed the spirit of a child? When have I denied the wealth of resources available to me to stop another's pain and suffering? When have I been an advocate for those who are the 'least of these'...? When have I taken a stand that goes against popular cultural norms? When have I risk being misunderstood for the sake of an individual or family that have been marginalized?
As I partake in "Christmas Cheer..." this year, God convict me over and over to have eyes to see and hears to hear and feet to walk and hands to service. In the true love of the Christ child I pray! AMEN
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Harvest...
Gratitude Journal
1. Last harvest of autumn
2. Beautiful foliage of fall!
3. Pumpkins
4. First frost on windshield
5. Flannel shirts
These is something bittersweet about the Autumn season! Watching leaves turn from green to red to brown in a matter of a few days. Watching as they descend slowly to the ground. Hearing their crunch under foot. Feeling a soft breeze turn cool. Although welcomed after a long, hot summer, the change can also bring a reminder of the cycle which all life experiences: birth - growth - strength - decline - death...
Something about the fall as precursor of winter and cold days with roaring fires, brings promise of quiet opportunities for reading and reflection. An abundance of sunlight has always meant a faster pace, activity and movement; that seems to slow down with shorter daytime hours. I look forward to some quiet.
The older I get the more I desire to reflect on the journey. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the journey, but I haven't always spent enough time in 'thanksgiving' for the path. Nor have I spent much time considering the seeds I have planted along the way!
As I take some time to plant daffodil bulbs for springtime, I pray that God will find delight in previous 'plantings' I have made (both conscious and unconscious) and forgive the blunders I've made and redeem and bring forth the appropriate fruit in due season.
SHALOM
J
1. Last harvest of autumn
2. Beautiful foliage of fall!
3. Pumpkins
4. First frost on windshield
5. Flannel shirts
But the seed in the good earth - these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest. Luke 8:15 (The Message)
These is something bittersweet about the Autumn season! Watching leaves turn from green to red to brown in a matter of a few days. Watching as they descend slowly to the ground. Hearing their crunch under foot. Feeling a soft breeze turn cool. Although welcomed after a long, hot summer, the change can also bring a reminder of the cycle which all life experiences: birth - growth - strength - decline - death...
Something about the fall as precursor of winter and cold days with roaring fires, brings promise of quiet opportunities for reading and reflection. An abundance of sunlight has always meant a faster pace, activity and movement; that seems to slow down with shorter daytime hours. I look forward to some quiet.
The older I get the more I desire to reflect on the journey. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the journey, but I haven't always spent enough time in 'thanksgiving' for the path. Nor have I spent much time considering the seeds I have planted along the way!
As I take some time to plant daffodil bulbs for springtime, I pray that God will find delight in previous 'plantings' I have made (both conscious and unconscious) and forgive the blunders I've made and redeem and bring forth the appropriate fruit in due season.
SHALOM
J
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Old Photos - Gift of Memory
Gratitude Journal 10-11
1. Movies that touch my soul
2. The return of a precious memory
3. Cousins and other relatives
4. Friends that are close as family
5. The gift of forgetting...
A recent rush to complete a family photo-album project required quick decisions to be made regarding holding onto old family pictures. Some were over 100 years old. Others were more current... BUT, for me to say current, the photos were still old!
I am reminded of Robin Williams character in the movie: Dead Poets Society. He took a group of young men to a display case filled with trophies and old photos of school athletes. He whispered over their shoulders into their ears. He told them to look hard into the eyes of the young faces in those old photos. He challenged them to see the bodies full of vigor and ready for combat on the football field of long ago. Then he said, 'the young men in the photos are now dead and time is fleeting.' He whispered to his young students that they too needed to seize the day - Carpa Diem!
As I looked over my own past - school photos of long ago, pictures of family members and ancient reunions, images of church groups and homes we lived in during formative years - I was there all over again. In those moments I was able to go back. I could remember not just the persons, but the emotions that filled my days and nights. I could visit rooms and smell my mamma's cooking. I could see the wrinkles in my grandma's face. I revisited joyful times with my favorite pets.
My childhood from the outside, was blessed. AND I do indeed have much to be thankful for. Good parents, a sister and a large extended family with good friends, enough of the basics of life to never be physically uncomfortable. But, there were scars and wounds that few knew about in those early years. I was emotionally abused as a child. Not intentionally, but with all the love and care that wounded parents could provide me!
One staple for me was God and the gift of a Christian community of faith. While there have been some very lonely periods filled with deep regret and pain, I have never gone for long without the loving heavenly Father touching my path or guiding my way. I have experienced 'the dark night of the soul' on several occasions. But there have always been pastors, or friends, or even strangers that appeared at just the right time to offer hope and healing.
So, as I continue to look at this project and hold old photos of days long ago... as I feel the experiences flooding over me with waves of emotions I thought were packed far away... I give thanks all over again. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega. Not just for all of creation, but for the gift of my life and my life's journey.
SHALOM
JOHN
1. Movies that touch my soul
2. The return of a precious memory
3. Cousins and other relatives
4. Friends that are close as family
5. The gift of forgetting...
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end...Rev. 22:13
A recent rush to complete a family photo-album project required quick decisions to be made regarding holding onto old family pictures. Some were over 100 years old. Others were more current... BUT, for me to say current, the photos were still old!
I am reminded of Robin Williams character in the movie: Dead Poets Society. He took a group of young men to a display case filled with trophies and old photos of school athletes. He whispered over their shoulders into their ears. He told them to look hard into the eyes of the young faces in those old photos. He challenged them to see the bodies full of vigor and ready for combat on the football field of long ago. Then he said, 'the young men in the photos are now dead and time is fleeting.' He whispered to his young students that they too needed to seize the day - Carpa Diem!
As I looked over my own past - school photos of long ago, pictures of family members and ancient reunions, images of church groups and homes we lived in during formative years - I was there all over again. In those moments I was able to go back. I could remember not just the persons, but the emotions that filled my days and nights. I could visit rooms and smell my mamma's cooking. I could see the wrinkles in my grandma's face. I revisited joyful times with my favorite pets.
My childhood from the outside, was blessed. AND I do indeed have much to be thankful for. Good parents, a sister and a large extended family with good friends, enough of the basics of life to never be physically uncomfortable. But, there were scars and wounds that few knew about in those early years. I was emotionally abused as a child. Not intentionally, but with all the love and care that wounded parents could provide me!
One staple for me was God and the gift of a Christian community of faith. While there have been some very lonely periods filled with deep regret and pain, I have never gone for long without the loving heavenly Father touching my path or guiding my way. I have experienced 'the dark night of the soul' on several occasions. But there have always been pastors, or friends, or even strangers that appeared at just the right time to offer hope and healing.
So, as I continue to look at this project and hold old photos of days long ago... as I feel the experiences flooding over me with waves of emotions I thought were packed far away... I give thanks all over again. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega. Not just for all of creation, but for the gift of my life and my life's journey.
SHALOM
JOHN
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Merton Continues to Speak...
Gratitude Journal
1. Nurses and CNA's who work in Nursing Homes!
2. The Power of Stories... and the gift of remembrance.
3. First Days of School Each Year!
4. Cool Fall Weather - Signs of Things To Come
5. The Shoulder of Spiritual Giants on Whom We Build of Faith Journey!
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is Your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Thomas Merton is one of those GIANTS of the faith mentioned above! His words have touched and brought healing and hope during some pretty dark stretches of my own journey.
Recently, listening to the news - famine, financial insecurities, 9-11, health concerns and more - I have been renewed by Merton's words... So today, I share a few of his words in hope and with trust that they might speak to you!
If we forget that the laws and organization of the Church are there only to preserve the inner life of character, we will tend to make the observance of law an end in itself... and this makes genuine holiness impossible, since holiness is the fullness of life, the abundance of charity and the radiation of Holy Spirit hidden within us.
The Holy Spirit does not abolish the Old Law, the exterior command: he makes the same law interior to ourselves, so that doing God's will becomes now no longer a work of fear, but a word of spontaneous love.
But now that Christ has laid down his life and risen from the dead, to take possession of us by his Spirit, the Spirit himself, dwelling in us, should be to us a law.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I follow Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does, in fact, please You. And I hope that I have the desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
AMEN
1. Nurses and CNA's who work in Nursing Homes!
2. The Power of Stories... and the gift of remembrance.
3. First Days of School Each Year!
4. Cool Fall Weather - Signs of Things To Come
5. The Shoulder of Spiritual Giants on Whom We Build of Faith Journey!
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is Your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Thomas Merton is one of those GIANTS of the faith mentioned above! His words have touched and brought healing and hope during some pretty dark stretches of my own journey.
Recently, listening to the news - famine, financial insecurities, 9-11, health concerns and more - I have been renewed by Merton's words... So today, I share a few of his words in hope and with trust that they might speak to you!
If we forget that the laws and organization of the Church are there only to preserve the inner life of character, we will tend to make the observance of law an end in itself... and this makes genuine holiness impossible, since holiness is the fullness of life, the abundance of charity and the radiation of Holy Spirit hidden within us.
The Holy Spirit does not abolish the Old Law, the exterior command: he makes the same law interior to ourselves, so that doing God's will becomes now no longer a work of fear, but a word of spontaneous love.
But now that Christ has laid down his life and risen from the dead, to take possession of us by his Spirit, the Spirit himself, dwelling in us, should be to us a law.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I follow Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does, in fact, please You. And I hope that I have the desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
AMEN
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Friendship... across the miles - across the years!
Gratitude Journal
1. Memory of friends in special places
2. Memory of friends in special groups
3. Memory of friends from special chapters of my life
4. Memory of friends
5. Memory!
I thank God for every remembrance of thee. Phil 1:3
I recently experienced one of those roller coasters of stress and anxiety that life can throw our way some times. I flew to Denver for a week long conference one day and later that same evening I received word that a family member back home was very ill. She had been hospitalized.
Immediately I was surrounded by close friends who sustained me - supported me - loved me - and cared for my emotions through the next 24 hours as I planned my return home.
This experience reminded me of the many times I have been 'held' by friends during difficult times. Friends are such a gift. To all those folks - past and present - who have touched my life in special ways I give God thanks!
We were not destined to live in isolation. Even the most introverted person needs community. We need persons who care and reach out... not just in times of stress and anxiety, but also friends who rejoice and celebrate with us in the good times.
I also was reminded of the gift of memory. I was blessed to be able to see - in my minds eye - that great cloud of folks who have sustained me through difficult situations or hugged me or whispered words of encouragement or held my hand or touched my shoulder offering physical and emotional strength. Those visual reminders brought joy.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places or events that pinch real hard. In those moments I suggest we stop - breath deep and seek to listen to those special people God has given us. People who are not just people. True friends are not just pieces of furniture we push around the stage of our lives. Friends are gifts from God.
For each of you - I pray in this moment you know how much you mean to me and how much I both love and appreciate your love in return!
SHALOM
J
1. Memory of friends in special places
2. Memory of friends in special groups
3. Memory of friends from special chapters of my life
4. Memory of friends
5. Memory!
I thank God for every remembrance of thee. Phil 1:3
I recently experienced one of those roller coasters of stress and anxiety that life can throw our way some times. I flew to Denver for a week long conference one day and later that same evening I received word that a family member back home was very ill. She had been hospitalized.
Immediately I was surrounded by close friends who sustained me - supported me - loved me - and cared for my emotions through the next 24 hours as I planned my return home.
This experience reminded me of the many times I have been 'held' by friends during difficult times. Friends are such a gift. To all those folks - past and present - who have touched my life in special ways I give God thanks!
We were not destined to live in isolation. Even the most introverted person needs community. We need persons who care and reach out... not just in times of stress and anxiety, but also friends who rejoice and celebrate with us in the good times.
I also was reminded of the gift of memory. I was blessed to be able to see - in my minds eye - that great cloud of folks who have sustained me through difficult situations or hugged me or whispered words of encouragement or held my hand or touched my shoulder offering physical and emotional strength. Those visual reminders brought joy.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places or events that pinch real hard. In those moments I suggest we stop - breath deep and seek to listen to those special people God has given us. People who are not just people. True friends are not just pieces of furniture we push around the stage of our lives. Friends are gifts from God.
For each of you - I pray in this moment you know how much you mean to me and how much I both love and appreciate your love in return!
SHALOM
J
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