PATHS OF LIFE

5 PATHWAYS PITHY GRABBERS---Each 25 words or less 

Pain and joy are pathways to the heart. Pain and joy are not mutually exclusive. (Journal Jotting)

Allow God to hush the storms that sweep the lake of the inner life, and ruffle its calm surface. (Robert Morgan)

Carefully consider the path for your feet...(Proverbs 4:26)

A quiet mind anchored with God-led thoughts is a pathway to health, both physical and spiritual. 

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths, I will guide them; (Isaiah 42:16a)

 I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 42:16b)

Heidi Walter's mixed media sculpture, "Lean" which resides in my home, reminds me of my friend Terry Parlow. Terry was paralyzed and became blind from a work related accident in 2004. He spent the last 11 years of his life in a wheelchair. But....he chose to lean in to the Lord and closely follow Him. Terry often shared with me the many ways the Lord had used his blindness to lead him down a path of more spiritual light than he had ever seen when sighted. 

A path of light without sight. WOW!

25 Words of Rambling.....

I Sought Solitude.....

• In search of my slowly ebbing heart
• To unearth gentleness
• To find my inner spring
• To satisfy my longing soul
• To appreciate the sacred ordinary

.......Only to find it in His word. (Psalm 107:9)

READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY 2021

Will post as soon as I finish reading my historical fiction book set during Christmas---that's how far behind I am!

.........................Book finished. 

This day emphasizes the need for reading....for yourself, for others and especially for children. Reading aloud to children can provide a shared adventure that can continue for a lifetime.

In our home each child knows of Captain Underpants because their dad read this to each of them---amidst much laughter, Now it's a "shared joke."

Not exactly high brow literature, but it has become a shared family experience,. Another book brought out words that rolled off all our tongues, "Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo has fallen into the well." Winning awards in 1968, 1997, 2007 & 2009,  the book now receives a red light from socialjusticebooks.org.  It certainly addresses in-sensitivity in our culture, we never considered.

I realize how easily I am drawn to a book by an award, a title or book jacket or even an author's previous book. I even feel responsible keeping current on books for grandchildren. I was drawn to this book by all of the above criteria. A main focus of the book was character Louie's mission "to save a pitiful motherless donkey" as friend college friend, Doris is doing on her farm with a dancing "house" goat--even potty-training her. (I can hear Joyce Ann laughing at those goat antics now) Plus, the donkey" was named Winslow, my G.O.A.T. child hood friend has that very name. Winslow is also the "she" in my childhood shenanigans. 

Sensitivity as I read has taken on new significance. As Solomon reminds in Ecclesiastes 12:12b, "Of making many books there is no end...."

On Read Across America Day may we all realize the importance of reading aloud to children and our responsibility for selecting the best out of many.

"There's no such thing as a good book written just for children---if it's well-written, it can appeal to any age audience! That's my opinion and I.m sticking to it." (Dotsy Liles)

F.A.T. TESTIMONY

F.A.T. ---I'm not talking about tipping the scales to measure our "pandemic lockdown" weight gain.

I'm talking a FAT-ness one should aspire to in his/her lifetime.

Yesterday, a "top of the page" (for emphasis) 2018 journal entry 2/21 caught my eye.

Billy Graham was 99 when he went home to glory! Many of us recalled when we had attended a BG crusade or been to The Cove. We also watched his funeral. The televised memorial flashbacks of his  life-long journey with the Lord still produced fruit. (Psalm 92:14) 

In my journal entry, I had recorded that one of his sons at the funeral said that his dad was fat---

F.A.T. in the best way. 

F--aithful

A--vailable

T--eachable

Wouldn't we all like to be remembered with such F.A.T.-ness!

HOW TO RAISE A WORDSMITH!

Wordsmiths---by-product of readers!

How does one raise a reader?

Read aloud to them--before they can read, & after they can read. 

Read with them. (25 words)

**Addendum---If you can't be there to read aloud to them or read with them, provide the books.

STAYING PUT!

What does an avid reader do when snowed in?

Rhetorical question, right!

As the bookmark quotes, "Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."

This dual time-line gem took me from Manhattan, NY & California to Vienna, Austria & Auschwitz in search of art---all in a 24 hour period, no less.  A hidden masterpiece novel as it is dubbed. 

A warm read when it is -8˚with wind chill.

A big thanks to friend, Dixie, for the recommendation.

It made staying put a lot easier!

LOVE LESSONS!

"How do I love Thee?"Elizabeth Barrett Browning expressed it in words. Lots of words. Beautiful words.

"Actions speak louder than words. " Idiomatic language credited to Abe Lincoln.

Hubby made and served me my breakfast this V-Day!

Love is an action according to scripture. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

How does one show love during a pandemic?

One action says it all.

Wear. your. mask.----Not for yourself but for others. It shows love & respect.....for humanity.

*Above note card came "snail" mail yesterday from long-time friend, (since 6th grade) Doola. 

Handwritten. Hand drawn. Words of love.....Written in red. Love in action.

"As always, I think of you, often, pray for you daily & love you lots."

HOPE #1

Hope is in the One who is our hope. Eternal hope given at the cross. 

Hope in the LORD and keep His way. (Psalm 37:34, NIV)

Daily hope, of the more earthly reality, has lagged in recent days as Covid possibilities became dead ends, even though we met TN latest age requirements. 

But God.....it happened today.

"Shot in the arm hope" #1 given today.

"Shot in the arm hope" #2 scheduled for us--- right then and there --a real biggie!

PONDER!

Obsession seems to be a part of my framework---at least the themes of my blog. 

Choose. Dance. Please God. Tea. Alliterative phrases and palindromic words. Alphabetical order.

On Wednesdays, I am often all about words. This past week started out with "ponder" as seen in a text from a friend.

What do I ponder? Why? Who knows? Reasons vary.

How do I ponder? Awareness  of the word. Sometimes it pops out in a scripture or on a sign.

"Ponder resources"---Old school Merriam Webster used---you know the hard copy that has resided bedside since college days--- my first was a high school graduation gift from my Aunt Dot Seay. Pretty obvious I am her namesake! 

Parts of speech are usually first in my pursuit. Inflections, ponders, pondering pondered, i.e. verb tenses. are same as inflections-- Verb, intransitive. 

Library book found......I saw it on the title of a book, as if used as an adjective. Then I started the book and Ponder was a noun. The Ponders were a family in Eudora Welty's novella, The Ponder Heart (I'm only beginning to read this because, of course, the title intrigued me.) Already I have seen ponders used as an adjective as it describes the generous heart of Daniel Ponder.

Defintions--appraise, think about, weigh in the mind.

On-line dictionary used when ease of "pasting " is needed.

Word search followed. Synonyms to expand my understanding, i.e. are there degrees of pondering?

Synonyms pasted Synonyms for ponder

chew over, 

cogitate, 

consider, 

contemplate, 

debate, 

deliberate, 

entertain, 

eye, 

kick around, 

meditate, 

mull (over), 

perpend, 

pore (over), 

question, 

revolve, 

ruminate, 

study, 

think (about or over), 

turn, 

weigh, 

wrestle (with)

Scripture search ensued....6 found in NIV  concordance--explorations of different versions later. 

One verse stood out.  Psalm 107:43 (NIV w/ ESV additions)

Whoever is wise, let him heed (attend to ) these things, and (let them consider) ponder the loving deeds n( steadfast love of the LORD. (Yahweh)

More musing and reflecting---which sent me down a rabbit hole of soul stillness--the connection between my soul pondering and God's steadfast love. (Steadfast is My One Word for 2021) But that's pondering for another time!

TRUE WINNERS!

While the world is watching the Super Bowl....I was waiting to see if my sweet friend, Nancy, won a pool!

Aloha Pools streamed tonight 3 Memphis area winners at 7pm. Brady wasn't the only one who scored. The Emanuels scored big time!

in 2019, a very deserving single gal adopted 3 precious kids and began creating a home with them. Now that home will have a swimming pool. (She is shown at 3:15 segment above of the 9 min. Aloha Pools link!)

Several of us might have written letters for our very deserving "giving" friend.....but she is the one who has done the work with a smile on her face!

Check out this family of winners! A really great kick-off to 2021 for them!!

What a privilege for all of us to celebrate "virtually" with this SUPER FAMILY!