TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES CONTINUE---Don't lose me. Keep checking back.

10/2/12 Don't give up on me---will try tomorrow to "find" blogger help.
Today at the Apple Store, the tech guy was unable to help because both my iPad and AirMac opened all blog entries and info, as did 2 of the store computers----all pictures and all Seeing God's Hand entries. He did mention that blogger had made changes and so problems could have resulted from the recent update---sound familiar. It's the upgrade nightmare we all experience at one time or other.

Might work at computer store----- but, people in different states and even other countries have said that for over a week it doesn't work for them. Only titles of entries appear----& they're unable to get all info. No way to connect for older posts either.

Hope to ask a computer teaching friend to help me tomorrow and then, armed with that info, I'll try to email for blogger help.
 Aggie in France said, "I don't want to lose you." Well, I certainly appreciate her encouraging words because I don't want to lose my readers either.

Please let me know if you are having difficulties as well----since more and more folks seem to be able to pick up Oct. entries, though Sept. ones have disappeared except for those titles, and I can use that info to try to "show" accurately the pockets of problems.
Some people seem to be having no problems but those with problems are increasing exponentially.

INTEGRITY: A MEDITATION OF QUESTIONS

10/1/12 Yesterday’s blog picture of a child’s word sculpture, ”Have integrity”, had me musing that phrase. What does having integrity look life in one’s life?

Then, this morning’s Commercial Appeal quote on the business page caught my eye. The way to live with honor is to be in reality what you appear to be. (Socrates, 5^th century B.C.)

Noted Christian author Chuck Colson, had much the same thought. “We must be the same person in private and in public. Only the Christian worldview gives us the basis for this kind of integrity.”  

Indeed, God’s word has much to say about integrity but one verse that gives credence to these aforementioned thoughts is from Psalms. 

I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. (Psalm 101:2)

That’s the meaning embedded in both the Socrates and Coulson quotes---where no one else sees, a person of integrity will still choose complete honesty. Ask yourself these questions to see how you fare along those lines of integrity. In the privacy of my own home……. What am I watching? Am I setting worthless things before my eyes? What am I reading? How am I using the computer? What tone of voice do I use with those who are closest to me? Is it different from the voice I use with my church friends?

Those answers will reflect your “true” walk of integrity.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: ARTS IN MEMPHIS

9/30/12 An Artsy Ending To The Month.
From theater in Germantown to Hattieloo in the  Park, statues along a gallery walkway, Symphony in the Gardens (sort of), and school childrens’ word sculptures beneath a flagpole, it’s been a great week for exploring the “arts” in Memphis.

Garden walkway at Dixon Gallery and Gardens

Steel Magnolias at GCT with my T-Cups friends

Hattieloo in the Park---I do so-o-o LOVE Hattieloo, as everyone knows.

My blonde haired grandson loves Hattieloo as well, "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"

"Have Integrity"---by a young Idlewild Elementary sculptor

Rain didn't dampen the spirits of Memphis Symphony Orchestra's Big Band---we just had to move inside to hear Scott Moore lead the musicians in "Begin the Beguine" and a new rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue"---my parents would have been dancing in the aisles, especially since Scott played the trumpet at our daughter's wedding.

GROWing??

9/29/12 Today’s question is about growth.

How’s your spiritual growth? How does one measure his/her spiritual growth?

Monday’s (9/24) meditation verses (Colossians 1:9-14) give much fodder for querying.

I began in verse 10 asking hard questions? I know what the answers should be, but God….knows the truth.

Ask yourself these spiritual growth indicators, as I did. 

• “Is my walk worthy of the Lord?” 
• Am I pleasing Him? 
• Am I increasing in the knowledge of God?

If the answer to the last one is not a yes, then, according to the pithy punches of Pastor Cole, you might end up too trendy or too rigid and thus end up walking in spiritual circles.

If one doesn’t increase in the knowledge of God he becomes like a ½ baked spiritual casserole. (Huffman, 9/2/12) Not too appetizing is it?

May that thought and the thought of walking in spiritual circles drive each of us to spend more time with Him and in His word so that “growth” might occur.

Street Corner Reflections

9/26/12

What I saw with my eyes…..

Corner of Grove Park and Poplar---a youngish woman dressed in colorful attire with a turban-type wrapped head piece---- scratching her entire body almost spasmodically and certainly inappropriately, even pulling up her shirt and scratching under her arms……as she opened her car door in the CUMC parking lot, I saw that it was her “house”---homeless

Corner of Mendenhall and Poplar---a bearded man in blue shirt & clean jeans, cinched at waist to keep them up---directing an orchestra, only he could see----often switching to guitar strumming or keyboarding, though no instruments were visible, just his movements----mental instability

Corner of Shady Grove and Yates---2 well dressed gentlemen in dark suits wearing yamakas, the Jewish skullcaps, accompanying a lady who was wearing a white doily type head covering similar to ones I saw Catholic women wearing bobby pinned to their coifed hair when going to mass at St. Peter & Paul’s in Hoptown---orthodox Jews on the way to Shul for Yom Kippur services

Seeing the first 2, I felt fearful. Seeing the Jewish trio I felt no fear. I, who thought I had no “real” prejudice, was clearly shown that sin in my life.

Have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? (James 2:4)

 What God saw with His heart………mankind, His creation---in need of a Savior.

I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation, the one who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. (Acts 10:34-35)

Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those who love Him? (James 2:5)

What I now see………………All people are in need of God…………..as well as people who reflect His love to them. May that be my reflection.

“Dancing” in my head…………

 

9/25/12 Preparing to speak to “He Cares” (homebound group) at my church on Thursday has kept thoughts “dancing” in my head all week. 

I assume there is a new “dance” coming---or maybe new steps for an old dance, or maybe just light, easy tripping movements.

Or.....just maybe I'm to encourage others to open their hearts to the love of the Lord so that each one can hear His unique song. A song for his/her soul. A song for his/her own life. A song leading to worship of His holy name in a new way---maybe tapping their toes or fingers in a new dance for themselves. 

 “Raz, dva, tri.” Let the dance begin! 

Meditation Practice w/o dangling participles

9/24/12 Monday blogs are normally somewhat easy to write because I usually start the week with selected scripture. Scripture for meditation. Then, I just share it. Today---not so easy. I felt like Miss Rosa Nourse, 7^th grade teacher at Virginia Street School in Hopkinsville, KY, was looking over my shoulder. She was a stickler for correct grammar. The improper usage of the predicate nominative pronoun I and dangling participles were two usage problems that she attempted to pound into our heads. The nominative gaffe caused me to shudder recently when during a prayer, the participant requested prayer for “my wife and I”----Miss Rosa would NOT have been pleased. I, on the other hand, felt bad that I even noticed it because the request was so heartfelt.

As for the participles (all those words ending in  “ing”)….. this week’s meditation includes several participial phrases. I’m fearful that I won’t set them off with commas or that any paraphrasing and explaining I do, might not relate back to the subject. Hm-m-m, even “relate back” sounds like a redundancy. But oh-h-h the fear of a dangling modifier that would dishonor Miss Rosa’s teaching.

But God….is the One who inspired all scripture so unless the chosen translation messes up, then it will be correct in the way it speaks to one’s heart. In meditation, that’s what counts. Chew on all 5 of the participial phrases listed in this prayer and see if you don’t agree. Pray it for yourself and others.

Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. (Colossians 1:9-12)

Praying it for my family, I experienced great joy----with or without the dangling participles. I was too caught up in my prayer time to even notice.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: MAGIC OF MEMPHIS

Memphis Botanic Gardens Farmer's Mkt on Wed 2-6 pm

9/23/12 This week, with my eyes intentionally open to find the positive aspects of Memphis, I saw lots of good stuff---in just 3 days. Is it all merely one’s viewpoint?

Certainly negative words tend to run across our newspaper and top the “breaking news” intro on TV----But God…..reminded me that…..

With the blessing of decent people a city is raised up, but by the words of wicked people, it is torn down. (Proverbs:11:11)

So………….here's what I saw in places and people of Memphis in those 3 days.

Pop-up opera all over town for 30 days---Go Opera Memphis!

Art Classes for kids at the Dixon Gallery

Give 365 described in CA as philanthropy for young donors but they welcomed this Medicare gal as well----so many (11) worthy finalists for the "Eye on the Prize" grant money---

Catching up with Pi Phi Chum, Mimi, at GIVE365 meeting

A GREAT place to visit in the fall or spring....or anytime----a real Memphis treasure

View from Visible Music College toward Redbird's Stadium

Ekundayo Bandele, founder of Hattieloo presents his grant request for a technical theatre internship program at Give365. I LOVE Hattieloo---as all who know me can attest! Click to see renderings of new Overton Square proposed theatre district.

After school creative writing program at the Hooks library vying for one of the grants.

Wish I had a picture of the adorable Brady family who travel from Illinois to Memphis for St. Jude. They LOVE St. Jude and all of Memphis should as well!

Shakespeare as hubby likes it----FUNNY! Performance is such fun that we both recommend it for everyone!! TN Shakespeare Company----what an asset right here in our community!

Oral Test Question

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9/22/12 3 Xs----that’s the way God gets my attention. Luke 6:45 reminder in my Tuesday notes---"It is “out of the overflow of the mouth that the heart speaks” was first attention grabber.

#2 was Crickett’s Wednesday night lecture from James 1:26 of deception of heart of one who does not “bridle his tongue.”

Yesterday brought #3 as I listened to son’s Allen Bible Church message in “Words with Friends” series  emphasizing the “Might of the Mouth.”

NOTES, condensed Dotsy style 

WORDS: 

• Powerful
• Palpable
• Personal

Death & life in words---choose vital words, not venomous; choose words that will delight the Lord; choose words that minister to others not words that just seek to manipulate. 

For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'. (John Greenleaf Whittier)

Wielding and Yielding words---choose words that will yield fruitfulness in a life. (Fruitfulness = fear of the Lord in both the giver and the receiver of words. Proverbs 1:7 & 9:10)

Buddy ended the message with today’s exam question from Psalm 19:14.

Consider your words. Are the words of you mouth and the meditation of your heart pleasing and acceptable in the sight of the Lord?

If not, you, as I did recently,  just failed the “oral” aspect of a spirit-filled life.

The good news is a make-up exam is given daily.

Great News from St. Jude for Michael B.

9/20/12  CaringBridge Posting from the Brady's made my day. Having spent a little time with this Chicago area family as they were waiting to go in for the results, I understood how, even in the midst of hope, there is always that element of apprehension that comes from having cancer in your rear view.

"ALL CLEAR!!!!!!" Praise God! Prayer works! Thank you St Jude!!!!!!! We are meeting with Dr Furman then heading to the airport. Details to come! We love you all so much and are so blessed and thankful!!!!!!
Love, Anne

More info to follow with pic when I receive one since my camera battery gave out on me.