Message to jumpstart meditation......

9/30/13 OK I know I shouldn't be noshing on chocolate before noon----BUT all that retreating and resting at this past weekend's women's retreat wore me out. I thought one little Dove piece would jumpstart my day.....never thinking it would jumpstart me to meditation.

A message to stir meditation is what I received. God indeed can move in mysterious ways. (Disclaimer: please never assume that Dove messages are a source for spiritual meditation---they're more like a positive fortune cookie which are not intended to have real (in the Christian sense) spiritual value.) 

 But God.....often uses things at hand in my life to draw me back to Him and seeing His hand.

The message inside took me back to a reference in yesterday's blog entry as well as to my notes on "The Sacred Present." Time is a gift, not a possession," as Cynthia Heald reminded us. Enjoy the time at hand. 

Meditate on James 4:14 with that thought in mind.

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (New Living Translation)

FOG BOW... a rare picture b/c the fog dissipates so quickly
Little Cranberry Isles, Maine, Summer 2013,
Robin Smith photo, via Soos V.'s FB

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: The Sacred Present

9/29/13 Enjoy the moments. Each day is "a gift from God" as Daddy always said. (Psalm 59:4-5 & Psalm 90:20) A retreat at Pickwick this weekend provided many such times along with Cynthia Heald's "to the heart" messages.

NIGHT FALL..... 

....& Early Morning views from my balcony---perfect setting for "Quiet Times."

Colors of a fall afternoon

Message.....

9/26/13 Message.....from a piece of chocolate. Today I opened a "treat" of Dove chocolate.

There was a message inside. A reminder that I needed this morning.

Tomorrow I travel to Pickwick to attend a Women's Retreat to hear Cynthia Heald teach on "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity." Maybe I'll gather more info on "being rather than doing."

If so, I'll share the "message."

Simply be rather than do. 

"FLOURISH!"

9/23/13 Yesterday's sermon given by a young (40-ish) preacher from Houston, TX, who grew up in our church, inspired me to "flourish" during this season of life----not to languish as I age. 

Notes: 

• Flourishing is all about God. 
• Abundant life receives its vitality from union with Him. 
• We can't do life on our own. 
• Strength and energy from the Lord are there for the "long haul." (My words, not his) 
• Flourishing benefits and blesses others. 

So-o-o-o this Monday's theme for meditation is "flourish." Along with Psalm 1:3 and Psalm 92:12-14, Jeremiah 17:7-8 shows us what flourishing looks like---bearing fruit would benefit and bless others. 

"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

For my Ukrainian girls---

7 Благословенний той муж, що покладається на Господа, що Господь то надія його!

8 І він буде, як дерево те, над водою посаджене, що над потоком пускає коріння своє, і не боїться, як прийде спекота, і його листя зелене, і в році посухи не буде журитись, і не перестане приносити плоду!

Let's flourish together.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A SMATTERING OF THE WEEK

9/22/13 Diversity --- much of the beauty of life can be found in the diversity of nature, in people and in God's Word. Such has been my week.

#4 Numbers 6:24-26. If you read 9/18/13 blog you know why this is #4. It's what I viewed as I sat getting my hair cut on Friday by sweet prayer warrior, Pam S. Plus she gave me some home-grown tomatoes.. Now that's service above and beyond.

No ruby throats seen at our kitchen window. They all seem to have migrated but according to the "lady" at Wild Birds Unlimited, we should keep our feeders out because the Rufous Hummingbird, a Western species, often winters here.

I might not sport a "green-thumb" but many in Memphis do, especially some of my neighbors.

Cool temps and shiny "hot" cars---perfect combo for a grandson's day at a Car Show to see Great Uncle Bobby's antique. Oops, I must be an antique as well---this was a car from my teen years!

SATURDAY QUESTION?

9/21/13  After reading today's Jesus Calling, I had to ask self, "Is my schedule so packed that I am unable to hear the "holy whispers" of the Lord?"
After rationalizing that is was NOT trivial stuff that was filling my calendar, but important "spiritual" matters of "my" ministry, I still  had to ask self, "Is my schedule so packed that I am unable to hear the "holy whispers" of the Lord?"

Friday, September 20, 2013

Sporadic internet access has kept me from posting so here is yesterday's entry. 

9/19/13 Thursday's plan:
Availability for prayer for a friend's surgery 2 pm.
Location Methodist University chapel.  Faith-based partnerships between God's people and the community are such a winning combination.

 Problem #1---chapel stained glass is still in same location. There's a cross----but there's NO chapel. It's as if it's walled up---or that I'm walled out.

Problem #2---the first person I asked hadn't a clue where the chapel was---or if there had ever been one.  There was a chapel. I know that. That chapel was there a little over over 9 mos. I know because I knelt at the altar as I prayed for another friend who was undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

Solution: Chapel found. Reward: A nurse came in to pray as well. What a comforting thought that is.

How do I know.....?

9/18/13 "How do I know?" is a question one often ask's self about a variety of topics. Personally, I'd like it in sky writing just to be sure----especially in the area of God's will, purpose, etc. 

I often use a 3 x "heads up rule" to help me focus on an area----in a "before the fact" situation. 

This week, the DAY AFTER my blog post, the Lord used 3 "after the fact" occurrences to give me affirmation for that entry.

Verses for meditation are posted on this blog each Monday. The day after the most recent (9/15/13) meditation posting, 3 God winks were received. My passage choice…..Numbers 6: 24-26 was the RIGHT one for meditation this week.  How do I know?

1. 1.     Benediction at funeral
2. 2.    Greeting on a card I received
3. 3.    Citation on a card I was sending which I didn’t notice until I was sealing the envelope.

#2

1. How grateful I am to know.

Visual Payer Prompt

9/17/13
"One look is worth a thousand words" (Printer's Ink, 1921)

When I passed this scene today as I was leaving a funeral, it tugged at my heart. I stopped for a look. I felt compelled to snap a picture. 

Maybe the picture will say a thousand words to you or convey a message that prompts prayer.

Speechless, but prayerful. That's what it did for me as I lifted heart felt prayers for mercy and comfort for the victims' families of the Washington Naval Yard.

Meditation: Visual Aid

9/16/13 A visit last fall to the Chatlos Memorial Chapel at The Cove in North Carolina, aka Billy Graham Training Center provided me with the "visual"aid for today's Monday Meditation. This verse is one I often pray or my "daily" folks so.....I thought a little more insight, via meditation, would be helpful. 

God's grace. God's countenance. God's Peace. Word pictures can also be visual aids as we meditate.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Symphony in the Gardens

9/15/13 "Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing...."Robert Louis Stevenson wrote those words 100 years ago about enjoying a swing. I recalled those words as I sat in on the lawn of the Dixon Gallery with bare feet and a lap full of munchies listening to the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. A perfect ending for a "sabbath" day. 
This biannual event, one of my favorites. occurs in May and September. Last September's event was a rain out and we all had to divide up and squeeze into the gallery. Outside is certainly my PREFERRED setting. Tonight's was perfect--low temps, no biting insects and great classical music followed by the MSO Big Band orchestra. A blazing sunset was the finale.

A BIG thanks to the Coes of Dominion Partners and the company's president, Brian Kinney for their sponsorship. Brian's sister, Maureen, was a dear college chum and Pi Phi "sis.". We remained good friends until her sudden death 8 years ago.

Table settings can be thematic......they even had a dish of silver bullets and the "William Tell Overture" playing.......

........Elegant......

...or plain like ours, BUT our pimiento cheese sandwiches were tasty!

Positions for listening to the symphony come in a variety of  ways....this entire family of 4 read. (mom is hidden) Their books were from a library---that warms an old librarian's heart.

A loving pose for listening to a Brahms piece.

A shoulder for sharing love for each other and for Dvorak's symphony #9 in E major, 

Alana Olswing, a high school senior and violinist for the Youth Symphony, wowed us all---thus the standing ovation! 

Gift to Self

9/13/13 Friday the 13th----not always a bad day. Today it's been an especially good day because I have decided to give myself a gift. A nap!! A nap without guilt attached.

Our H2H (Heart to Heart) Women's Bible Study this year is so-o-o timely. For everyone, old and young alike. The topic is "The Gift of Rest" written by our director, Crickett Keith.

Already I am gleaning info about true rest. There is no true rest apart from Him.

So far, we've discussed various kinds of rest. Earlier this week, I had rich times of "soul rest" as I spent time in God's Word and Prayer. (Matthew 11:29) On this Friday the 13th, I'm dealing with a lack of physical rest. There is a "need" for this rest. 

Today I'm greatly feeling that need. So, I'm seeing some available time as a gift from God (Matthew 11:28) and I'm "opening" that gift of time and re-gifting it to myself in the form of a nap.

TEA & TOUR

9/12/13 Great event at "The Brooks"-(Memphis Brooks Museum of Art)----the tour of the  Carroll Cloar exhibit---artworks of the American South, which was made even better because of "relationships" and tea. Of course, a cuppa always makes good things even much better. Attending with friends, Ann & Janice, made it special but when our docent turned out to be the mom of David and Michael whom I taught  at the Children's School 40 years ago, "better" became great. Barbara L. was an EXCELLENT docent, a tremendously gifted guide. Plus, I got to catch up a little on her boys. It was fun to share memories and to remember my "teacher" visit to their house on Rich Rd. Once again my recall is much sharper concerning "by-gone days. Fun memories for a former pre-school/kindergarten teacher.

Of course, culminating with tea and scones and other goodies at the Brushmark---actually in the board room, made the entire time ranked in the "best" category.

NO photography allowed at the exhibit BUT this print hangs in the hallway that leads to the chemo room at Jones clinic so I have seen it often. The original is in the exhibit. I wonder if the girl sitting on the can on a lonely afternoon is  Charlie Mae, an African American acquaintance from Cloar's childhood, who appears in many of his pictures. Exhibit ends in 3 days (9/15/13) so I'll need to return quickly if I hope to find the answer.

PRIVILEGES......of Retirement

9/11/13 Grandparents' Day..........especially a privilege at a school that not only invites you to join your "grand" for lunch but  gives you a gift when you sign in and welcomes you with big signs throughout the campus AND prepares a special turkey & dressing lunch. Not to mention the principal gives her faculty duty free lunch yet she "works" cafeteria duty the entire time, even wiping the tables. My favorite part was her announcement (sly) reminder as she commended the 4th graders for living up to the school's expectations. Grandson, Owen, said his school had a lot of rules and "spectations."

The other plus was sitting across the table from Kate, a youngster I had prayed for in her early years when I was teaching at HHS with her mother. That was a BIG plus. Such a cutie. She told me her grandmother had come the "other" day before this. I think this is a three day event. 

Grandparents' Lunch at a school that cares about kids---a real privilege!

MEMORY MARKS

9/10/13 Sometimes it's the little things that can have a BIG impact on our memory bank. Smells, tunes, a soft breeze---all sensory triggers for my memory, such that it is.  My mind's eye seems to reside in my memory and it too can trigger emotional impressions of previous events. 

Visual recall is what occurred this morning as once again (2 times prior) I went to clean the upstairs bathroom. It quickly progressed to emotional recollection as I saw Andrew's (almost 3) scribbles on the tub tile. I couldn't wash it away. I prayed for him instead. 

Maybe when Lucy (almost 2) visits in October, she will be inspired to add her own markings to those of her cousin Andrew. I hope so.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children (and grandchildren) walk in truth.        (3 John 1:4) 

Family treasures---that's what memory marks are to me,

Meditation Affirmation

9/9/13 Tonight begins the first night of BSF's new year. 

My prayer for Cathy, our Bible Study Fellowship teaching leader, is from the last verse of the last chapter of our focused book, Matthew. It's also my verse for this "Meditation Monday." I value the truth contained in the verse. The truth of my need to not only understand the commands of the Lord through more study of His word BUT also to obey what I already understand from Jesus's words:

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20, NLT)

As Christians, ministry is ongoing for all of us. We are to be His hands and feet as we love Him and obey His teachings. That love for Him will overflow allowing us to love and benefit others. Yet, as this verse reminds us He is always with us in this endeavor. 

His Presence always! His continual Presence---we can be sure of this. That's affirming and worthy of continuing meditation.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Drawn to Worship

9/8/13 Glaciers are massive. Even from a distance, their grandeur is evident. 

One of my favorite days in Alaska was our day cruising in Stephens Passage watching the eagles soar and the humpback whales “blowing” as they propelled themselves in and out of the water. But I was not prepared for the overwhelming sense of the beauty of God’s creation as we turned into the Tracy Arm Fjord (only about a mile wide) and approached Sawyer Glacier. Though I was only viewing from our balcony I felt compelled to be still. It was as if quiet was in order. Stillness was required to fully experience the moment. Though we pointed and oohed and ahhed, my insides were quiet. “Still” in spirit and in awe of my Creator.

The entire experience seemed to nourish my soul----as if I had encountered God. Wonder and awe filled me. The blue colors alone seemed to explode before my eyes. How many shades of blue can there be!

Be still and know that I am God;……I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

I can’t fully explain it. The pictures won’t do it justice but they are definitely snapshots of a “Sabbath-type” moment. A time of worship.

SUNRISE--SUNSET

9/6/13 Travels this summer have afforded me views of sunrises and sunsets from the east coast where the sun's rays first hit the US shores to the west coast off the shores of Alaska. Great reminders of the privilege of having those glorious days to celebrate life.

July 17, 2013--Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Maine-- 4:32 AM

August 31, 2013-- Inside Passage, Alaska-- 8:53 PM

Yesterday as I attended the funeral of a friend's hubby, I realized how fleeting those days are. How precious to learn that the couple had known each other for 49 years, since their junior high days. Yet, how short those days of new sunrises must seem to the widow.

Psalm 39:4 reminds all of  us of the brevity of our earthly lives.

"Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.(NIV)

As I age the realization of how quickly life passes becomes very clear, as the NET version of that psalm states. 

"O LORD, help me understand my mortality and the brevity of life! Let me realize how quickly my life will pass! (NET) 

That truth reminds me to make the most of my days. 

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

As Daddy used to say, "I'm grateful for each day the good Lord gives me. May I, too, be grateful and wisely live out each day I am given......from sunrise to sunset.

OH, BUOY!

9/4/13 Oh, buoy----ship anchored but I'm still floating......partly with swimmy head and unsteady sea legs......mostly with good memories mixed with a need to reclaim my "land legs."

Body still on Alaska time (AKDT).

Arrived Memphis 1:30 am. after driving in from Nashville flight. Rolled out of bed an hour ago. Getting ready to roll back in. 

What?? No turn down! No cute "shaped towel" on my bed. 

No Eggs Benedict with a filet. Where's room service?

Oh, buoy, reality is starting to set in.

God's Creation: A Pictorial Meditation

9-2-13 Psalm 19--a meditation from the Carnival cruise ship's Gideon Bible. Pix from balcony of 6297.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

    The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. 

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Colorful Seattle

9-1-13 WHIRLWIND day in Seattle before embarking on the Carnival Miracle to set sail for Alaska....

Space Needle: Seattle's most emblematic symbol built in 1962 for the World's Fair

4th Ave. and Pike St. 

Seattle Waterfront's Great Wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay

Pike Place Market: Unusual Veggies Abound

Seattle's  Eliott Bay Marina