Found in the “Mutts” comic strip this morning. It runs something like this;
Today God gave you the gift of 86,400 seconds. Have you used one of them to say thank you?
William A. Ward
On a personal note. Unless you’re doing a universal all inclusive thank you, this may take longer than one second. Especially if hugs and cuddles are included. Hugs for mom, cuddles for two of the cats and ear skritches for the one that prefers not to be cuddled. On chilly Fall evenings I’m especially thankful for furry, purry lap warmers.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
MONDAY
I was right about Oregon football. This year is the 113th so called Civil War game. And it's the first time that Ducks and the Beavers have been one and two in the league standings. It's probably a good thing that the game is a night game during the week or the whole state would be tilted towards Autzen stadium if it was a weekend game.
On another note. I'm thankful for our garden; leafless as it is right now. Joseph Campbell claimed in an interview during the eighties that "if you can't find holy ground where you are, you won't find it somewhere else." Or words to that effect. So our little patch of leaf littered, somewhat soggy holy ground is right outside the door.
Word picture. There is dining room chair that needs some TLC so we can use it Thursday. Mom put it on the table, top of the seat side down. The "seat" of the upside down chair is currently occupied by Bandit, the twenty pound wonder with her patented "I'm not the table, I'm on the........." totally innocent look.
On another note. I'm thankful for our garden; leafless as it is right now. Joseph Campbell claimed in an interview during the eighties that "if you can't find holy ground where you are, you won't find it somewhere else." Or words to that effect. So our little patch of leaf littered, somewhat soggy holy ground is right outside the door.
Word picture. There is dining room chair that needs some TLC so we can use it Thursday. Mom put it on the table, top of the seat side down. The "seat" of the upside down chair is currently occupied by Bandit, the twenty pound wonder with her patented "I'm not the table, I'm on the........." totally innocent look.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
SUNDAY
Today I’m thankful for football overtimes. Two of them to be exact. I think the collective hearts of Oregon fans have started to beat again. Talk about taking it to the last second. Looked at the PAC 10 stats this morning. I never thought I would see both Oregon teams set to play for the Roses. The Ducks and the Beavers meet December 3, in Eugene to play for all the marbles. Duck that I am, I may just root for the Beavers. OSU hasn’t played in a Rose Bowl since 1965. Go for it and may the best species win.
The sun is playing hide and seek this morning; the better to see the results of Mother Nature’s housecleaning. Trouble is she only drops the leaves and little branches. Somehow she sort of forgets the broom. We do though. LOL
The sun is playing hide and seek this morning; the better to see the results of Mother Nature’s housecleaning. Trouble is she only drops the leaves and little branches. Somehow she sort of forgets the broom. We do though. LOL
Saturday, November 21, 2009
MORNING
November morning. Even the sky looks chilly. It's that clean, light blue that comes after the rain, before the chimney smoke can blur it. Water droplet diamonds on the bare dogwood branches. First to leaf out, first to bare it all to the storm winds. Down the street the whatever it is tree that was the last to leaf out is still mostly green. It's a bright, chilly washed clean morning. One of those it's just good to be alive mornings.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
WHAT MAKES A MOTHER......AND A FATHER
Advent it coming on in a couple of weeks; I discovered this lying around. I printed off a shorter version a few years ago.
While John Paul II was enduring his last illness, there were a great many posts about his beliefs (or perceived beliefs). John Paul did have a special devotion to Mary; something he shared with his fellow Poles. There were a great many posts in J land or the message boards arguing back and forth whether Mary was actually Jesus's mother-in the physical sense.
The sense of a lot of the posts made Mary at best a surrogate mother and at worst, an incubator. This has been percolating since then, so here goes.
Many of my fellow J landers are parents. I don't have kids, but I have five nephews, I've changed a lot of diapers over the years. Actually getting the child into the world is just the beginning.
I suspect that many of the posters didn't really think through what they were saying. Think of all the foster parents, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, step-parents, and adoptive parents. They become parents for reasons that transcend physical birth. Other family members die leaving small children behind. They adopt a child someone else can’t raise. The man I called grandpa promised his best friend that he’d look after his family. And he did it very well, thank you very much.
When a child comes into the world it’s just the beginning. Imagine God as a totally helpless baby. It has to be fed, changed, and bathed. Parents walk miles when that little one has the colic or starts cutting teeth. I suspect that little ones came down with colds and needed their noses wiped as often two thousand years ago as they do now.
When a toddler discovers what those little hands and feet are for, it has to be watched over to make sure that curiosity doesn’t lead those little hands and feet into danger. It had to be almost impossible to baby proof a house with an open hearth, bake oven, looms and carpentry tools. Someone's hands have to be there for those little hands to hang onto when the baby learns to walk. Someone’s voice helps the baby to learn to talk. The parents have to be there to teach the baby to love and be loved. That little boy, all little boys need loving parents to teach them how to love and how to be a man.
God couldn't be there to do these things for that baby. So he sent Mary and Joseph. They were His mother and father in every way that counts.
Imagine things from the Creators' point of view. Think about God watching someone else cuddle that baby. Watch someone else hold out their hands for those first faltering steps. Watch someone else encourage those first lisping sounds. Someone else offer comfort in the dark hours of the night when the child was sick. Watch someone else offer comfort when knees get skinned. Listen while that child calls someone else mother or father.
It's hard to imagine God as sacrificing, but I can't imagine a greater sacrifice than allowing someone else to raise your child.
Cross posted in Green Woman.
While John Paul II was enduring his last illness, there were a great many posts about his beliefs (or perceived beliefs). John Paul did have a special devotion to Mary; something he shared with his fellow Poles. There were a great many posts in J land or the message boards arguing back and forth whether Mary was actually Jesus's mother-in the physical sense.
The sense of a lot of the posts made Mary at best a surrogate mother and at worst, an incubator. This has been percolating since then, so here goes.
Many of my fellow J landers are parents. I don't have kids, but I have five nephews, I've changed a lot of diapers over the years. Actually getting the child into the world is just the beginning.
I suspect that many of the posters didn't really think through what they were saying. Think of all the foster parents, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, step-parents, and adoptive parents. They become parents for reasons that transcend physical birth. Other family members die leaving small children behind. They adopt a child someone else can’t raise. The man I called grandpa promised his best friend that he’d look after his family. And he did it very well, thank you very much.
When a child comes into the world it’s just the beginning. Imagine God as a totally helpless baby. It has to be fed, changed, and bathed. Parents walk miles when that little one has the colic or starts cutting teeth. I suspect that little ones came down with colds and needed their noses wiped as often two thousand years ago as they do now.
When a toddler discovers what those little hands and feet are for, it has to be watched over to make sure that curiosity doesn’t lead those little hands and feet into danger. It had to be almost impossible to baby proof a house with an open hearth, bake oven, looms and carpentry tools. Someone's hands have to be there for those little hands to hang onto when the baby learns to walk. Someone’s voice helps the baby to learn to talk. The parents have to be there to teach the baby to love and be loved. That little boy, all little boys need loving parents to teach them how to love and how to be a man.
God couldn't be there to do these things for that baby. So he sent Mary and Joseph. They were His mother and father in every way that counts.
Imagine things from the Creators' point of view. Think about God watching someone else cuddle that baby. Watch someone else hold out their hands for those first faltering steps. Watch someone else encourage those first lisping sounds. Someone else offer comfort in the dark hours of the night when the child was sick. Watch someone else offer comfort when knees get skinned. Listen while that child calls someone else mother or father.
It's hard to imagine God as sacrificing, but I can't imagine a greater sacrifice than allowing someone else to raise your child.
Cross posted in Green Woman.
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