Corn on the cob

I brought Little Boo an ear of corn for lunch yesterday--one would have thought I brought her the world! She had one kernel left and complained that she could not get it off the cob. She was really proud when it was completely cleaned off. What a little sweetheart!

Happy Birthday, Lena

Your grandkids were so sweet this evening. Brady was so cute when he brought you the lilacs and his homemade card. All 5 of the children were just precious. It seemed like a perfect way for you to celebrate your birthday! Good food and sweet babies! What more could we want?

“Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man. For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.” Psalm 71:3-5

What sweet little Pumpkin Pies!

"In Him we live and move
and have our very being."

--Acts 17:28

My Favorite Time of Year...

I love it when I look out my bedroom window and see this instead of my neighbors' houses!

Klausberg Family Dairy Farm

Mason's 1st grade class had a field trip to a dairy today, so I got to go with him to the farm. It was muddy and humid, but the cool breeze helped to dissipate the smells that usually accompany cows. We all had a great time! We went on a hayride, watched the farmer milk a cow, fed a baby calf a bottle, and saw all of the other animals, too.

The Wedding at Cana

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror. For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]." I John 4:18

This morning, I was praying for God to fill me with Love. I had been reading Gibran's, "Jesus, Son of Man" earlier. I read the chapter called, "Rafca, the Bride of Cana." When I asked God to fill me with His Love, my mind immediately pictured one of those wine pots at the wedding of Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle. Do you think the water that Jesus turned into wine tasted so much better than the other wine because this wine was made of Pure Love?

I felt God asking me what kind of love I wanted Him to put into the wine carrying vessel. Some words came to me...

Jewels--when the precious gems flowed into the pot, the fake ones had to go

Hope--when hope overflowed the pot, the despair spilled over the edge

Love--when love came and filled the vessel, there was no room for hate

Peace--the peace flowed in and the turmoil dissipated

Mercy--the blood flowed and the judgment stopped

Sweetness--the sweeter the wine, the less the bitter taste

Fragrance--the sweeter the wine, the better the perfume

There were actually 10 words, but I can only remember some of them. I loved being pictured as a vessel to carry wine. A vessel to carry the very Spirit of Jesus...

(This painting was done in 1266 A.D. by Giotto di Bondone)

(The Shadow of His Hand by Joe Castillo)

And Jesus said: “Blessed are the serene in spirit.
“Blessed are they who are not held by possessions, for they shall be free.
“Blessed are they who remember their pain, and in their pain await their joy.
“Blessed are they who hunger after truth and beauty, for their hunger shall bring bread, and their thirst cool water.
“Blessed are the kindly, for they shall be consoled by their own kindliness.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall be one with God.
“Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be in their portion.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for their spirit shall dwell above the battle, and they shall turn the potter’s field into a garden..."

--from Jesus, Son of Man, by Kahlil Gibran (1928)

("Sacred Heart of Jesus" by Salvador Dali, 1962)

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance...
We cannot ask thee for aught, for thou knowest our needs before they are born in us:
Thou art our need; and in giving us more of Thyself thou givest us all." --Gibran (The Prophet, 1923)

The New Office...

It is time for the guys at Cornerstone Financial to get busy and move in! I'll post some more pictures in the coming days--the furniture is all in. Now they just have to get all of their computers and files over there and they will be ready to go. It looks like they could use some grass in the front yard--I guess it will be there soon enough. How fun!

Resurrection Living

(Photo taken in Newport, R.I., Sept. 2007)

"'Resurrection living' does not begin by rejecting darkness

but by entering into our own dark places to look,

with compassion and courage, for what is lost there."

--Dr. Paul Fitzgerald from Breakthrough

(Photo taken in Puerto Rico, March 2006)

"Don't waste a good crisis!
It may be just the time for insight and making a healthy choice."--Dr. Paul Fitzgerald from Breakthrough

Little Boo

Matt kept telling me that it was difficult to get Little Boo to stand still for a picture. Well, I have proof of that! She stood still for the first picture, but the photo session went downhill quickly. (Make sure and enlarge the photo to see her cute little face even better...)

She was so confused at The 3 Pigs yesterday. It turns out the actors were the same ones that we saw in Peter Cottontail last month. When the wolf came out, Little Boo said, "The wolf looks like Mr. McGregor." Confused the heck out of her.

My Dream Last Night

Okay, I need some help. I think there are about 2 people who read this blog, so I'm counting on you to help me. I need a word. In my dream last night, I was surprised to find that I had a room like this in the middle of my house. The room looked exactly like K's room in Houston. In my dream, I could not think of the word for this room--it is like I can hear K say the word, but it is just on the tip of my tongue. When I asked KT what the room was called, he could not think of it either. We both spent time on the computer trying to find the word, but we both gave up. If someone will tell me the word, I will perhaps post my dream and have you help me interpret the dream. There was a red fox living in the room...

K, what in the *$@# do you call that room?

Sounds like she is home safe and sound...

I was so jealous that my sister-in-law was in Hawaii this last week. I went back and found my favorite photos. The first one is in Hawaii, the 2nd in Puerto Rico...

Maybe my toes will be photographed having fun again soon!

KT...

It seems my husband was a little offended that I would post a picture of him "just standing there" (On my Sunday blog). Never mind it was in Hawaii. He sent me so many action photos, I can post him for days.

2 summers ago...how quickly time flies!

Can't wait until it warms up...

It got down to 29 degrees last night!

Webkins Stayed Night

Every Moment Counts

HAPPY MOMENTS ~ PRAISE GOD
DIFFICULT MOMENTS ~ SEEK GOD
QUIET MOMENTS ~ WORSHIP GOD
PAINFUL MOMENTS ~ TRUST GOD
EVERY MOMENT ~ THANK GOD

--Anonymous

Alleluia

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast,

Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,

But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Alleluia.

--From The Daily Office

Sunset in my backyard--

"Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven.

...the simplest form of resurrection is the power to get up,

to stand up in the darkness, however weakly, and to move forward." --Robert Corin Morris

(Breakthrough Calendar for April 8, 2008)

Thank you, God, for Your resurrection power...

What a Pretty Girl...

There is a garden in her face, too, where roses and white lilies grow...

There is a Garden in Her Face

There is a garden in her face,
Where roses and white lilies grow;
A heav'nly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow.

--Thomas Campion

2nd Easter Sunday

"He is Risen" by He Qi

This is just so awesome--before this Lenten season, I never knew there were 50 days of Easter. So, I am still celebrating. Sometimes I watch the Methodist Church at 10 AM because I know that Jeremy is involved in the production of the show. I enjoyed the pastor's message today as he is following the eastern calendar of Easter, also. At the end of the program, he invited people to the communion table. He explained that anyone could come and celebrate the Eucharist and made it clear that it was not HIS table, it was God's table and every one was welcome. I was reminded of A. and J.'s wedding where they were not allowed to receive communion because the pastor of the church where the wedding took place forbid them to celebrate the Eucharist. That must have been HIS communion table. The pastor who officiated the wedding and the rest of us were not welcome at his table. I am so glad that God's table is always open to us. I am glad that we can celebrate His love for us in our hearts even when others try to keep it from us.

"What shall I do?" is a question Rev. Gardner is often asked by people who are in trying circumstances. He suggested that maybe a better question would be, "What is God doing?"
I like the idea of looking at what God is doing through our circumstances rather than us trying to control the situation by thinking there must be something we could do to get ourselves out of this mess and out of this pain!

The Cross...

"The cross...illustrates human resistance to grace. But more than that, it reminds us of the cost of being gracious in an ungracious world."
--Gulley and Mulholland

(This quote was on the Breakthrough calendar for today, April 4, 2008)

"Song of the Angels"

"Song of the Angels" by William Bouguereau

I absolutely must post this picture. On my post from yesterday, I posted a portion of it. Someone even titled it, "Angel Playing the Violin". I can't believe they cut out part of the picture! I have always loved this painting--what a surprise to find out who painted it!

William Bouguereau

"A Soul Brought to Heaven" by William Bouguereau

I have had a little copy of this painting on my journal for several years and find it odd that I never even wondered who painted it. I was surprised to find it this morning while I was studying the artist who did the painting in the previous post. I think it is amazing that I have been so drawn to this artist through a number of his works, and all the while not realizing they were painted by the same person.

Blessing

"Angels Playing Violin" by William Bouguereau

(Melanie--I had no idea who painted this picture. I was surprised that I posted it without giving credit to the artist. I just ran across it online and loved it!)

Let nothing disturb thee,
nothing affright thee;
all things are passing,
God never changeth!
Patient endurance attaineth to all things;
who God possesseth
in nothing is wanting;
alone God sufficeth.
+ In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
--From The Daily Office

Ritual

Whew! I think I'm thinking too much this morning! I was thinking about a friend of ours who started out as a Mennonite Brethren pastor. Then he went Charismatic. Now he is into the Greek Orthodox Church where he is a priest. I can think of several friends who have gone on similar journeys. In fact, all I have to do is look at myself and my mission to find truth. I have gone from one thing to another, thinking that somewhere out there, some group has to have found the best way...

I am so excited about the things I have been learning recently! Reading "The Shack" by William P. Young has added to the excitement. What a marvelous little book. It has helped open the eyes of my heart in a new way.

I found this interesting...

"Catholicism increasingly followed the path of the cults in making a rite the center of its activities, and Protestantism followed the path of the synagogue in placing a book at the center of its services - it would be true to say that in most respects it remains no less revolutionary today. Of course the Bible and communion are fundamental to what takes place in church, but church should not be reduced to "word and sacrament." There is more to the Spirit's presence and work than this." ~ Robert Banks, Paul's Idea of Community

And this writing about religion seems to go with Banks' idea...

"The religious system of Israel (like any religious system today) was repeatedly used as a spiritual hideout for people with the guilty conscience. Rather than change how they live, the people of Israel simply added a little religion to their lives, to keep everything in balance. Like the godfather going to Mass on Sunday morning or going to confession before returning to his life of crime, religious systems make it all too easy for self-centered people to find complete familiar rituals without experiencing a change of heart or committing to a life of love." --from "The End of Religion" by Bruxy Cavey

I found this quote by Cavey on Wayne Jacobsen's website (Lifestream.org) where he was reviewing Cavey's book. Wayne was agreeing with Cavey when he says that "...the attempt to find life through ritual will always end up in weird places."

Wayne Jacobsen is one of the writers of "The Shack". When William P. Young met Wayne, he gave him a copy of the story he had written for his children. Wayne was so amazed by the story that he got together with Paul Young and they together wrote, "The Shack". I think I will read the book again soon as I feel like I am so steeped in religion and ritual. The book helped me shed a lot of the unnecessary burden that I carry. I just know there is a lot more to shed...

Enough thinking for this morning. The rest of the day is for connecting with my heart. If you are with me today in reading this, I ask you to please pray for me as I make these connections. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!