March 30, 2008

John 20:19-31~ The Mercy in His Wounds

Shining Saints The Stained Glass Windows of the church of St Boniface Anaheim CA

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”


Jesus and Thomas

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, [fn3] was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”


Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Labels: California, Catholic, scripture

March 29, 2008

Divine Mercy In My Soul

Ave Maria Lady Chapel at St Boniface church anaheim CA. Our Lady of Czestochowa is the patroness of Poland St Faustina's homeland


Everyday at 0300 and at 1500 EST EWTN broadcasts a 20 minute prayer called the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. This carries across north America and is part of a worldwide devotion called the "3 o'clock Devotion" In some nations like Poland and the Philippines the prayer is called on nearly all national media outlets and is a part of a daily routine. Nurses all over the world say the prayer for the sick and dying as it is thought to provide special comfort to the afflicted and a means for the dying to "release themselves" into the Hand of the Father. I was praying that prayer at the hour of my Mother's death after a prolonged struggle with Parkinson's diesese.

Over the past three years I have become more and more interested in this devotion and in the life and message of St Faustina. Her diary, and what she wrote therein has startled me. The prophetic passages that predict WWII the Holocaust, (she was an enclosed nun who died in 1938. These passages were written before the rise of Hitler) Her diary predicts the occupation and liberation of Poland and the rise of "a spiritual leader" from that land that will lead the world into a new understanding of Divine Truth. Certainly John Paul II fits that description. The proof of the prophet is fullfillment of the prophecy.

So,who was St Faustina and why is she so important? What is this "feast" about read more here

The Divine Mercy devotion is one of the many many things that has lead me towards the The Roman Church. I see in the devotion a purpose for the suffering all around me. Where in so many churches that I have sat in, suffering is a sign of God's displeasure, in the Catholic church, and within the Divine Mercy devotion suffering is lookd upon as "redemptive" "an offering that you can give up to God". It has helped me to make sense of much of my life and my current struggles...

The Divine Mercy devotion has also refined my veiw of the sufferings of Jesus. Why would God require such a sacrifice from His own child? It is the Ransom of the World, and its power is released in the prayers of the faithful...

This isnt a cure all I am not espousing an end to private prayer, free prayer from the heart, but there is something powerful in people praying the same prayer in the same fashion with the same intent at the same hour every hour of the day around the clock.


Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.repeat 10x

repeat this cycle 5x

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.repeat 3x

then from the Novena

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Labels: California, Catholic, Prayers

March 28, 2008

The End of the Drought

Quiet Sugar Creek, Bentonville AR. It hasnt been like this in weeks and much of my favorite walking trail is innudated and bridges are out. Hopefully they will be fixed when I return in the fall...


I woke this morning early to the sound of hail hitting our roof. I can tell the difference from rain now, the soft ping-ping of rain on the hood of the heat pump is like music, the sound of hail like buckshot blasting down from heaven causes alarm. It hailed so hard and long last evening that it looked like it had snowed in Haiwasse amd Gravette, the next towns over from us. It had been so warm during the day that our hail, the size of water softener salt, melted very quickly. Annabelle and I had just come in from walking and we sat and watched the lightning and the wind whipped clouds until the storm passed. She didnt seem afraid. I make a point to not be afraid with her. I dont want her to become one of those poor pets that cries at every bolt of lightning. She would be a mental case if that were to happen. I would say "Its ok, and she would lick me as if to say "Dont worry Mom, I'm an Okie from Muskogee, land of twisters and hail the size of golfballs... This is nuttin..." and so she is very brave...

The Ozarks were in a state of long standing drought when we arrived in 2005. Lakes streams and reservoirs were way down and fell futher untill this winter. Its been cold and wet, now torrentially wet. We are not in the flood zone like those east of us on the White river. Sadly we are a part of the souce of their misery and as I see the spillways of our lakes flood into Big Sugar creek, a feeder stream for the White River that should crest today. 34 counties here in Arkansas are slated as disaster areas including Benton county where I live. Bella Vista, for the most part, is built on the hills and the water drains into lakes and sreams away from the buildings, Parks, golf courses and fishing lakes fill the valley floors and absorb what runoff the streams dont take to Big Sugar Creek. I count myself very fortunate.

I am nearly ready to leave for New Albany/Louisville and my apprenticeship/training with Charles Conner. My apartment is ready, furniture is in and utilites on. The Ohio River crested this week with no damage to the school which is only a few blocks away, and all seems well for the cross country trip this week. I have nearly everything packed up that I am taking. I likely have ten time more than I need but frankly, I dont want to buy anything that I can hual down there. I have plenty of room in the van. We pulled out the passenger seats, and realized a huge amount of extra space. I will need this on the return trip as I will be hualing back supplies and equipment for the shop

After exhaustive vetting, bids, ect. I finally have a General Contractor selected, and SHE, yes a local gal that came highly reccomended, will start by painting and getting that yucky mustard color (why, people, is this color so in vogue, as well as the swamp mud brown that seems to be on the walls of every spec home in the area? It looks like poop!)Karina will be getting that done now so the smell can have a chance to disapate a bit. Im glad of that.

Since leaving my former employer, I have had a chance to relax and let go of some of the things that were troubling me about staying on there. Now that I am no longer on the payroll I can talk about some of the things that were going on. The company allowed a lot of things to go on that in no way should go on in this day and age and frankly I needed to leave as I was not in a position (nor did it affect me directly as my bosses were fantastic gentlemen and were nothing but respectful and kind to me) But eventually that was going to change, as I was going to have to return to day shift and start dealing with the rampant sexual harassment and well "fishing in one's own pond" a climate of infedelity that was treated as ok. I saw myself as possibly becoming entangled in at least one person's life and perhaps in one other's and I needed to bail. I would be working for new managers and who knows how that would go. That is one reason I would have nothing to say on my blog about work, I was prohibited from writing anything that might get back to the company or pop up on the internet, and even now I wont say who I was working for...it doesnt matter.

On the home front Woody and I have been cordial and getting along. He took great exception to the post I wrote back in February regarding manners Saying that I took HUGE liberties with the truth and that it wasnt a big deal. Well it was to me and I felt that I wrote that and didnt exagerate the truth. He says he reads my blog to get a feel for how I feel because "I dont tell him" No, he doesnt listen to me doesnt hear me and I feel right now as if I will explode I have so much to say... But to express it will only cause trouble here at home. Maybe he should just talk to me directly

I predict that there will be a lot of changes in the comming months... the time alone will be good for me. It is my hope that be releasing myself from the surroundings of pain, disappointment and frustration I will find that my personal drought will have ended and that in the quiet of my near solitude after a day of learning a new thing that maybe I will have something to say and I can feel good about saying it. I wont have to listen to critical voices telling me how wrong I am. Im sick of it. I hope to one day find a place in this world where I fit in. I am willing to work for it, create it for myself.A friend shared with me that he felt that "there was life here." I think he thinks for Woody and me, but I dont think so. I think I must try to reframe my relationship with him, but the "life" will come from elsewhere. I am gestating life within me, a new life for myself. It is only a matter of time

Labels: Annabelle, Artisans Fine Jewelry Repair, Bella Vista, Blogging, Business start up, Conner School, Dreams, Louisville, Marriage, New Albany, Scenic Arkansas, Traveling, weather, Woody, working

March 23, 2008

Easter Praise

The Table of Communion Calvary Chapel Long Beach CA


At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

Mighty and mysterious in the highest height,
God from everlasting, very light of light:
In the Father’s bosom with the spirit blest,
Love, in love eternal, rest, in perfect rest.

At His voice creation sprang at once to sight,
All the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
Thrones and dominations, stars upon their way,
All the heavenly orders, in their great array.

Humbled for a season, to receive a name
From the lips of sinners unto whom He came,
Faithfully He bore it, spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious when from death He passed.

Bore it up triumphant with its human light,
Through all ranks of creatures, to the central height,
To the throne of Godhead, to the Father’s breast;
Filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.

Name Him, brothers, name Him, with love strong as death
But with awe and wonder, and with bated breath!
He is God the Savior, He is Christ the Lord,
Ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.

In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true;
Crown Him as your Captain in temptation’s hour;
Let His will enfold you in its light and power.

Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
With His Father’s glory, with His angel train;
For all wreaths of empire meet upon His brow,
And our hearts confess Him King of glory now.

Car­o­line No­el 1870

March 21, 2008

The Death of Jesus, as told by His Friend John

A depiction of the vision given to St. Francis... Lifting Christ from his Cross. In the refectory of Little Portion Retreat Center Eureka Springs Arkansas
.
The Holy Gospel of John, Chapter 19 ESV


Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus,and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’”Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things,but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

The Death of Jesus

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Jesus Is Buried

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Labels: Catholic, Little Portion, scripture

March 19, 2008

Pange Lingua Gloriosi~ an Easter Hymn

Stained Glass St Boniface Church Anaheim CA

When at length the appointed fullness
Of the sacred time was come
He was sent the world's Creator
From The Father's heavenly home
And was found in human fashion
Offspring of The Virgin's womb

Now the thirty years have ended
Which on earth he willed to see
Willingly he meets His Passion
Born to set His people free
On the cross The Lamb is lifted
There the Sacrifice to be

There the nails and spear He suffered
Vinegar and gall and reed
From His sacred body pierced
Blodd and water forth proceed
Precious flood, which all creation
From the stain of sin hath freed

Venantius Fortunatius
530-609 AD

Labels: California, Catholic, Poem, Prayers

March 18, 2008

The View From Here

The Family Room where we spend most of our time.

There is a bunch of noise and commotion emanating from the Lanai, Annabelle has discovered that Makoa is fun to play with, but the play must be carefully supervised. It reminds me of a monkey pulling the tail of a tiger. The tiger swats and stalks the nuisance and sometimes connects with the swipe of a paw, POW!... Annabelle barks at the cats and trying to get them to play with her, but usually it gets a bit crazy and the puppy runs to me or Woody wanting to get picked up. Often I ignore her until the very last moment, because she is usually the cause of the ruckus...

Except on the very coldest of days we spend most of our time in this space we created out of the screened in porch known as a "Bella Vista Room" as this was a design feature in nearly all of the older homes built here. Many like us, enclosed the semi insulated space and turned them into family rooms. On rainy days like this it is the place where Annabelle comes to do her business on a pad and get some much needed exercise. Shes filling out and weighed in at the vet (she had a tick and I needed to learn how to get them out, it was very interesting but that bug was disgusting. I now know what the word "parasite" truly means.)

We have had days and days of rain here and some of the first major flooding I have ever seen here in Arkansas. You know the commercial about flood insurance, where the people say that they dont live in a flood zone and are calmly sitting in their living rooms as the water is taking all of their stuff our the door? Woody and I kept looking at each other and we swore that we would check on flood insurance.

The sun came out today but the water is still draining off of the hillsides and is pouring out of spillways and normally dry creekbeds at a torrential rate. Golf courses, and parks are under water and a numbur of structures have been undermined by the flooding. It will be days before we get back to normal. For us we can see a lot of erosion and top soil loss in our back area and Woody says he will have someone out to look at things once he gets back from driving me to Louisville. Our neighbors covered their entire yard with gravel to stop it from sliding down hill. We might need to do the same

Spillway out of Lake Bella Vista. This was taken before the storms this week, the water flow has doubled and was above the bridge. This becomes Big Sugar Creek which flows into the White river, then on to the mighty Mississippi

We are fine, and wanted friends and family to know that since the news reports were looking pretty bad in some areas of Northwest AR

Preparing for my departure April 1. I nearly have all of my things packed up. Clothing is the bulk of it. Still chilly there and will get back to that before I come back home. I am taking as much as I think I will need so I dont have to buy anything I might already own. Money is going to be a lot tighter than I thought as the surging price of gold is jacking every cost up and up.

I am also hualing all of my Nutrisystem food that I have here with me. I have gained most of the weight back that I lost last summer due to lack of exercise and eating out most of the time. Frankly I gave up caring about it. My health has suffered as a result, so I am going back on while I am there we shall see how things go with that. The sleep disorder issue has reared its ugly head and it got a lot better with getting the extra weigh off again its life and death so I need to just do it and stick with it. My concern is what do I do to keep it off... We shall see once I get there

Labels: Annabelle, Bella Vista, Louisville, weather

March 16, 2008

John 12:12-19 The Triumphal Entry

Tropical Palms Polynesian Cultural Center Laie Oahu Hawaii


The Triumphal Entry

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Labels: Hawaii, scripture

March 15, 2008

Aint She Sweet, Annabelle at 9 months

Labels: Annabelle

March 09, 2008

John 11:1-54~ The Raising of Lazarus

Rising Sun Near Lowell Arkansas



The Death of Lazarus
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus Wept

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”Jesus wept.So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all.Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

Labels: Scenic Arkansas, scripture

March 06, 2008

Another Year Blessed

Pacific Palms at the Seal Beach Peir Orange California
,
My Birthday was today. I am home now full time and on this new path. Like every year this day causes me to wax introspective. I can only come away feeling that I am blessed beyond all deserving.

Woody took me out to a wonderful early dinner to the best resturant (ratings wise) in Bentonville The River Grille. We had a full three course meal over the course of three hours. Our timing was great as it was early enough to have lunch items and dinner items ready. We opted for dinner.It was fabulous. I had steak and lobster (the best Ive had in years) and we ordered sides that were very good. Desert was so good that I will have to fast extra to make up for it. Our waiter, Todd was our server. He is a world traveler, full of stories and wisdom and between Woody, Todd and myself we had a lovely afternoon.

I didnt want a huge deal made of my birthday, and asked Woody to not buy me a gift, This was a nice event and I enjoyed it a lot.

I have all that I could ever want, materially and financialy. I want to remember that when things get tight and they will but I know that God has provided all that I need i just need to look around me and use my own resources to figure things out. God will make a way, where there seems to be no way.

Labels: Bella Vista, Marriage

March 02, 2008

Jeremiah 17:5-18 The Watered Tree

Beauty on the Edge,Red Ginger growing on the side of a cliff, above Rainbow Falls and the Wailoa River. Kaumana, above Hilo Hawaii

Jeremiah 17:5-18

Thus says the Lord:
Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
"I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds."

Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by justice;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.

A glorious throne set on high from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.
Behold, they say to me,
"Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come!"
I have not run away from being your shepherd,
nor have I desired the day of sickness.
You know what came out of my lips;
it was before your face.
Be not a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
Let those be put to shame who persecute me,
but let me not be put to shame;
let them be dismayed,
but let me not be dismayed;
bring upon them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction!

Labels: flowers, Hawaii, scripture