The Mystery Of God

 

When we leave the mystery out

of the spiritual...

we are left with religion.

 

God is not a religion.

He is our mysterious, beautiful Creator.

 

 

Thirsty...

"As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for You, God."

Psalm 42:1

This is my desire. 

To seek Your face each morning. To find You, waiting for me. 

To know You are there, not hiding in the shadows, but waiting patiently... for your daughter. 

To look up to You, hold out my hands and be picked up by my God, my Father... who adores me and has a plan for my life.

And so it is with you, my friend. 

If you are thirsting for water today, make sure you find the Living Water. 

He is waiting and He is more than enough to satisfy your thirst.

He is worthy to be praised. 

A Good Son.... Mother's Day Thoughts.

  Most days Molly the Weim and I take our morning walk.  

 There is a meadow where I let her run free. 

She romps and rolls in the white spring flowers chasing imaginary friends, reminding me of the puppy she once was, ten years ago this week. She digs her nose deep into the dirt and smells of her new home. 

Her eyes follow the paths of birds and squirrels she is yet to meet. I follow her down the hill as she finds her way to the stream that runs in the springtime.

Always relieved when I come around a bend to see we are alone, no other dogs. 

We skip rush hour of early morning and late afternoon.

 It's easier this way, even though our community is full of friendly dogs and owners. Molly the Weim is a strong German female, who feels the need to protect her mama no matter the need. Sigh.

Yesterday we followed the tree line and hill to our left and made our way down to the lake where the park opens up in full spectacular view. 

It's a lovely picture where on a summer Saturday people are fishing, music playing and children laughing. 

Yesterday it was quiet, except for the mower I heard on the high meadow.

There is a large covered pavilion, offering a respite of shade from the Tennessee summer sun.

I spotted a man sitting at one of the picnic tables under the pavilion. As we came closer I could see his back was to me. Molly the weim spotted him too. She was off, ignoring my calls and concerns for both their well beings. 

No doubt she was imagining the treats he would throw her way.

 It was nearing lunch though she doesn't do lunch and shouldn't be aware. 

She is a Weim with the belly of a Lab.

I continued to call her, she continued to ignore me.

When I got closer I saw the man was working on a weed whacker. His coworker was on the sunny side of the hill trimming grass to steep for a mower to cut.

He was a big man, red hair and beard, hard to tell how old as he looked like he had worked hard every day of his life. Perhaps in his sixties. 

I noticed blood had dried dark the length of his arm, running in two directions. It had been a fair amount. 

He payed no mind to it as he offered a friendly hello and complimented Molly on her beauty.

I asked if his arm was okay. He nodded yes, just a typical days work.

He easily chatted with me as he worked the screwdriver into the greasy weed whacker.  His talk was southern through and through, perhaps from Tennessee, maybe right here in East Nashville.

I've found this often in the people and businesses in my part of town.

 Many were born here, attended school here and never left. They share stories of homes on my street, owned by an aunt or cousin, sold for a pittance a few years ago.

Things may change but people here hold deep to their ways and memories of their community. 

I respect East Nashville and what it has been to the generations before me. I hope it can be held close and preserved as things will no doubt continue to change. 

Not an easy task.

I mentioned how lovely the day. He reminded me the real heat would be here soon so enjoy this day.

I said it must be hard work on hot days. He said he was hoping to retire one of these days, and hoped he could still walk. 

I looked at his arm, and wondered about his legs. 

No doubt this job was difficult for him. Outside work takes its toll on a body over the years.

Perhaps his own health reminded him of his mama.

He told me his mama had suffered a serious stroke in the last 11 years of her life. He said it was a bad one and left her in a bad way.

 He cared for her in her home.

He said he got the idea to build her a bunny pen in the yard one day.

He bought white bunnies that she could watch from the window...

I turned away for a minute. 

There was something in my eyes.

 He said he hoped it gave her some pleasure. 

His mama is gone now.

I told him he was a good son.

He said, "Thank you dearie" in the kindest of ways.

Whatever was in my eyes was back. 

When people share moments of their life with me, my mind creates pictures. I see this man building rabbit huts, holding the soft white bunny in his massive arms. Could his mama reach out, touching or just watch from a far off place?

 

 I wished him a pleasant day and he said, "You have a good day too dear."

I walked away thinking of how beautiful, painful this life is. 

This short mingling of life left me puddle eyed, sad and joyful all mushed together.

I am reminded how we are changed when we meet another God created person. 

This southern man, so far removed from anything I know left me humbled by his words and actions. 

His gentleness to me, my dog, and his mama....

You were a good son, sir.

Happy Mother's Day mamas.

Hug your babies, no matter how big or small.

 

Still Thinking About My Disney Inspired Life...

I'm Still thinking about this post....
The meaning of our lives.
Where do you find it?

A blog went viral recently... a man writing of not (really) loving his wife the day he married her.

 He goes by PopChassid, calls himself a Jew, trying to make the world a better place. 

Yes, we need more of you.

My favorite line was penned at the end.

He came to realize that love is not an emotion or a noun, but a verb.

He shared what he fears most of us do, in this short life we have been given.

He said we are,

  "Living Disney movies in our minds, and tragedies in our lives."

Straight up one of the best lines I have ever read.

 I thought of Donald Miller's talk recently at a University. 

 He talked of the life we choose to live.

If we are to have a life worthy of something more than our sheer entertainment and fun, there will be suffering, conflict, stress.

Through suffering our character changes. 

The tough stuff in life changes us, builds us, grows our roots deeper.

We are not born with mature character. 

Look at a child, their desire for their own way. A temper tantrum, a cry fest, self absorbed little ones, not giving a care to a mamas need for rest.

As the child grows, a parent's role is to guide them, directing them in ways that build character.

The same with our Heavenly Father.

 He did not create us for the fun factor.

We are not here to be entertained.

 He guides us in wisdom... His.

If we accept it...

The problem is we would rather be in a Disney movie, believing every scene where boy gets girl. Life will be sweet... end of story.

We are entitled... so when life goes off kilter, someone gets sick, or heaven forbid... fat, the promotion passes us by, we don't get the big house... we call foul.

 Sometimes we quit on our co-star in the movie.

Some of us remain the small child wanting his own way, many years removed from diapers and bottles.

We haven't matured.

We haven't learned the hard lessons.

Perhaps our parents are at fault.

They never let us fail.

They saved us, every time.

Ugly.

Character does not grow there.

What gives our life meaning?

Is it a job that makes a difference?

Helping another human being achieve their goals?

Looking back at our journey, seeing the hand of God weave through our days?

Is it gratitude for all that we have, a healthy mind, body, friends, family?

We 

must 

have 

meaning...

or

 Donald quoted Viktor Frankl...

 "When man cannot find meaning he distracts himself with pleasure."

Pleasure is lovely and has a healthy place in our lives.

It's when we give ourselves over to it...

the pursuit of pleasure... instead of God

that we go off track.

We buy into the Disney movie, and our lives become a tragedy.

 The days may be long... but the years are short.

Don't live a tragedy or an animated movie.

Live the life you were created for.

One full of meaning and gratitude.

What gives your life meaning?

23... A Psalm Of You and Me.

Happy Birthday Dad.

 I'm reading through the Psalms...

 If there was ever a Psalm of me... and you, it would have to be Psalm 23.

 I, me, my...

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need." vs1

One my and two I's in the first sentence.

It gets better with each line.

Just what I needed this morning when I woke, thinking of my dad's birthday, though he celebrates in heaven.

Yay for him, sad for us on days like today.

Thinking of a gal on Instagram. Her name is Joy. Though we have not met, I pray for her. She is young, married and her husband is sick, really sick.

This brings deep emotion for me. Memories of hard days, fear, sadness. 

She is there, waking in the morning, tired from a night where the darkness tries to overtake her heart.

She must trust moment by moment.

It is a breathing in, breathing out, lifting those breathes up to the Giver of life.

He knows.

"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. 

Your rod and staff protect and comfort me." vs 4

Psalm 23 promises a Shepherd of details.... who knows our needs, provides rest, safety, comfort. Blessing, anointing, unfailing love and strength are part of the deal. In the end we live in the house of the Lord... forever. 

Did you get that last part?

"Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

It's real, not a fairy tale.

There will be an end to our earthly lives, the joy, the pain... and we will spend eternity with GOD.  

If we have accepted His gift of life. 

That is where dad celebrates his birthday today.

The God of details. 

Life is proof...

The melodies of the birds each morning. The flowers, foods, colors of the sky and fields we witness.

A witness of Himself, His power.

Gifts from Him... and reminders that 

God cares... about our details.

He is with us in our pain, our joy, every moment.

Maybe you are celebrating today or praying for answers.

If you are where my friend Joy is today...

hold on to the truths of Psalm 23.

It's your Psalm.

It's all about you.

"My cup overflows with blessing." vs 5

Life can be hard, crushing some days... don't quit, but don't do it all alone.

Allow Him to overflow in your life today. He is able and because of that.. so are YOU.