April 29, 2007

Ephesians 4~Walking in Unity

Wandering feet leaving tiny prints in the sand, Panama City Beach Florida


Walk in Unity

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Spiritual Gifts
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says:


"When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men."


(Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [ the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Labels: scripture, Traveling

April 26, 2007

Going to Carolina

Peaceful Bench near Hawasee, AR

We leave today for Charleston, South Carolina. We are staying at the Fairfield Ocean Ridge resort on Edisto Island. We will probably spend several days in Charleston proper as well.

I have decided to lighten our load and not take the computer this time. I understand that there are computers available at the resort for us to use and while in Charleston, I may find a Cyber Cafe, but I need to rest from the computer for a bit and just enjoy this trip.

I have started on nights at work and Im loving it. I am getting more sleep and feel pretty good, but finding that rearranging my schedule is the toughest challenge. I need to work on managing this new found time a lot better. I know that it will come in time.

I have made a point to tell Woody that my being home in no way should get in the way of his housework. I think this has motivated him to look for work more aggressively and it looks like he might have a real job upon his return. What do you know about that I am thrilled.

I will be thinking about you all while I am gone, Take care and I will be back in a week or so!

Labels: Blogging, Traveling

April 23, 2007

Into The Night

Sunrise over the spring fields, taken near Lowell Arkansas

Hokulea:

Congratulations on your new assignment with Newest Crazy Huge Account. I received an email from your new Big Bossman and he’s got great expectations and really is happy to be getting someone with your experience. This position on the 2nd shift is a very good fit for you, and I know that you will do super well. The past 12 months have been crazy and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your efforts. If I can ever help you in the future, please feel free to seek me out.

Again, congrats and thanks a million!

Signed,Former Big Bossman

To Former Big Bossman:

Thank you for your email and for the kind words. You had the faith in me to take me off of Spoiled Screaming Big Baby Account and put me on Sullen But Civil Account, and allowed me to work independently as a sort of Lone Ranger for the last six months. It impressed my new bosses, and sealed the deal for me. Working alone is my idea of heaven so being alone on the second shift suits me to a tea. I even negotiated a bit of a raise too... Whoohoo! I am thrilled. I also get on well with my new bosses as I have worked for them before and we share the same values so I wont be expected to put every waking hour into my job.

Yes, it was a long and crazy ride, but definitely worth the trip.

Aloha,

Signed, Hokulea Kealoha

Yes this is a parody of an exchange that I had with my big boss regarding my transfer to thisplace's newest high profile account. Because I have signed an agreement to not discuss my employer and especially our accounts I cannot write too much about my job. However, its been pretty quiet the past few months, and I have been content pretty much overall. So there hasnt been too much excitement to write about.

there has been trouble, though in our home. Woody has been getting more and more depressed and I find it sad and irritating. Sad because he is compleatly incapable of seeing it and pulling himself up and getting moving, the best cure for such illness, and irritated because he wont get help , insists that I am the problem and the whack job that needs help, and I think the thing that bugs me the most, when I am sad and down, I get little if no empathy from him. He just expects life to go on and for me to keep functioning as always. My hopes and dreams be damned, and while he is spending my retirement savings, telling me he doesnt really care that I am heading into impoverished old age, he'll be dead and wont care.

So, I am taking this new job. I will work from 4 pm till 1 am. I will see Woody only briefly comming and going, so we wont have a chance to fight, or be irritated with each other. I am gaining time alone in my home that I crave, Daylight to do what I want and no one to answer for that and a great job that doesnt involved too much interfacing with the office people. I am thrilled.

I am giving up the involvement with the church I was hoping for but the programs and things that I was told would be happening dont seem to be on track and frankly I cant live my life for anyone but me anymore. I will be sad about missing out on creating the new worship experience at church, as this was very important to me. I wont be able to join in as the meetings and rehersals were supposed to be at night. However, I dont see progress and perhaps there will be or wont be....

Sometimes things dont work out the way you hope. If anyone knows about this truism, it is I...

I will get used to the new ruetine and rejoice in the peace and quiet of it all.

I am looking forward to the independence and relish the responsibility of keeping the fires burning on the account in the evenings. The hours are not awful. Frankly I am sick of spending my evenings watching mindless tv and will be glad to have that temptation removed. I will miss the glorious Ozark sunrises, but be glad to be snug a bed in those coldest hours of the morning just before dawn. I can have the time along to pursue my books and jewelry work, perhaps plant a garden or explore the area. I am hoping if nothing else to finish unpacking and perhaps having the time to organize my home. Being home during the day will allow me to hire a housekeeper to do the heavy cleaning and have needed home repairs done.

I see it as a mighty blessing from the Lord and go willingly into the night as a great adventurer...the page is about to turn... and a new chapter begins

Dusk on Loch Lohmond Bella Vista AR

Labels: Bella Vista, Breaking News, working

April 22, 2007

Ephesians 3~The Mystery Of The Christ

Spring Fields near Beaver Arkansas


Ephesians 3

The Mystery Revealed

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-- if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Purpose of the Mystery

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Labels: scripture

April 17, 2007

Nau Kou Aloha, Ka Hawaii (All My Love, My Hawaii)

Morning Reflections Wailoa State Park Hilo Hawaii... Notice Snow Capped Mauna Kea in the background. I dream of Hilo often and sometimes wake up thinking that I am still there

Started April 16,2007

My leg hurts so badly I feel like I am going to pass out...I had slipped in the mud and cinder strewn yard at the Quarentine Station where we picked up Makoa and KaNani. They had stayed in the wonderful boarding facility while we traveled to Maui and Oahu...They had been so good on the flight to Honolulu and the 6 hour layover that allowed us to get them ready for the flight to Houston...The thought of my beloved kitties in the cargo space under the pilots frightens me, but I am so glad I was able to bring them with us. Woody is sleeping accross the aisle oblivious to my pain the physical, probably, and the emotional certainly. My knee was stickly with blood that was seeping from the wounds and swelling. My whole left foot and ankle badly sprained, was turning black from the deep brusing compounded by the ordeal of walking nearly a mile to the proper terminal because the cats would not be allowed on the airport tram, and then the nine hour flight to Houston. But the cuts and the brusing to my heart over the loss of my Hawaiian dream were even more painful. Even now, as that left knee twinges as I sit in my office, Ipod in my ear with the sounds of Keali'i Reichel,I remember that I inwardly shrank in on myself and cried silently the whole way to Houston...

My fears over the journey were unfounded...I was met at the gate by healthy kitties and sunny skies as we gathered our things and ventured forth into the great unknown. While I was sad, an even now am still sad, I know that this was God's will for my life. I dont regret a moment of the journey

A week later on a cool spring evening we few to NW Arkansas and were greeted by a cool ocean like breeze and the sweet smell of flowering trees and newly plowed fields. I took my walk this morning, around my office building and watched the neighboring farmer plow his field and smiled at this normal part of life here that is still delightfully exotic to me. I can see the cows across the bypass grazing on think grass that is now knee high...The frost burned plants and trees from the spring snow two weeks ago are recovering amazingly, and yesterday as I drove to work I found my stopped van surrounded by deer as they passed in front and behind me on their way down to a lakeside drink...

I never grow tired of the change of seasons, the beauty of this still rural bit of Middle America and the daily sunrises and sunsets that rival anything that Hawaii ever delivered. I have found a place here to call my own and am building my own life. There is room for me to develope more of my potential, to grow spiritually and socially, and prepare for my future. It is a good place to be.

I still love you , my Hawaii. You hold my heart, and nothing will change that...The time is passing... the scars on my leg and on my heart are healing, and the bad memories are fading while the good memories are still as sweet as they were when I made them. Like a Ginger lei the fragrance fills the hallway of my mind and Im sure will linger for many years to come...

Labels: Hawaii

April 16, 2007

The Morning After Virginia Tech

Early Dogwood Blooming Honey Creek Grove OK

I have been following this horror all day. So many questions that we do not have answers for, and the news people are reduced to speculation. I know one thing is true, 33 families sent their young people off to college and will be getting them back in a condition fit only for a funeral...Something is horribly wrong when you can have a shooting then two hours later have another one in the same place. How about the bomb scares, what is up with security?

I have a friend who is a E/R nurse at the hospital in Roanoke, I have prayed for her all day long. I dont have a phone number for her and I am sure she is still in her scrubs working to care for the victims still living.

Our hearts go out to the victims, and wait to hear what the authorities think the reason is for this catastrophe

Labels: Breaking News

April 15, 2007

Some Thoughts For Divine Mercy Sunday

The Cross of Mercy Little Portion Retreat Center Eureka Springs AR

I wrote a long post on the meaning of Divine Mercy Sunday last year and will repost it HERE. I think we non Catholic Christians can learn a lot about our Lord and how he wants to show us his mercy over and over but looking at the spiritual journey and writings of St Faustina

Some Scriptures pertaining to God's Mercy

Micah 7:18-20

Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression
of the remnant of His heritage?


He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.


You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob
And mercy to Abraham,
Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.

Ephesians 2:1- 10


And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

April 13, 2007

The Reading List

Here is an interesting Meme that I got off the great blog Texas Trifles Bold is read... I wonder why some of these are on the list and some other Epic Wonders are not... I will add a list of titles that I think should be added for value both story telling and cultural. because some of those listed are...well...I guess this is a popularity contest...Harry Potter is entertaining I suppose but its not literature, at least not yet... but are lets take number one, the bogus plagiarized...

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)Why?

2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) (about 10 times)

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (J. R. R. Tolkien)

6. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (J. R. R. Tolkien)

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (J. R. R. Tolkien)

8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)

9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)

10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)

11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J. K. Rowling)

12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)

13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J. K. Rowling)

14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)

15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J. K. Rowling)

17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)

18. The Stand (Stephen King) (parts of it)

19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J. K. Rowling)

20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)

21. The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)

22. Ulysses (James Joyce)

23. The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)

24. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) (again about 10 times)

25. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)

26. The Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

27. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

28. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) (at least three times)

29. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)

30. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)

31. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)

32. Dune (Frank Herbert)

33. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)

34. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

35. 1984 (George Orwell)

36. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

37. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

38. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)

39. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)

40. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)

41. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

42. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)

43. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

44. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)

45. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)

46. The Bible

47. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)

48. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

49. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)

50. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

51. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)

52. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)

53. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

54. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)

55. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

56. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

57. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)

58. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J. K. Rowling)

59. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)

60. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

61. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)

62. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

63. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)

64. War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)

65. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)

66. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)

67. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

68. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)

69. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)

70. Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)

71. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

72. Bridget Jones’s Diary (Helen Fielding)

73. Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Márquez)

74. Shogun (James Clavell)

75. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)

76. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

77. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)

78. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)

79. The World According To Garp (John Irving)

80. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)

81. Charlotte’s Web (E. B. White)

82. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)

83. Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck)

84. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)

85. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)

86. Emma (Jane Austen)

87. Watership Down (Richard Adams)

88. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

89. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)

90. Blindness (Jose Saramago)

91. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)

92. In The Skin Of A Lion (Michael Ondaatje)

93. Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

94. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)

95. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

96. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)

97. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)

98 White Oleander (Janet Fitch)

99. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)

100. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)


Here are my bonus books

The Winds Of War (Herman Wouk)

War and Rememberance (Herman Wouk)

All Quiet On The Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque )

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. (Alexandr Solzhenitsyn)

Night (Elie Weisel)

Hawaii (James Mitchner)

Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi)

Out Of Africa ( Isak Dinesen )

The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran)

Imitation of Christ (Thomas a Kempis )

Confessions (Augustine of Hippo)


Well readers everywhere take heart. Great literature is still being produced and I see the library as a place of great adventures!

Labels: Books, Memes, Reading

April 08, 2007

Luke 24:1-12~He Is Not Here, He Is Risen

Gleaming Sunrise... Dawn over the Greens at Tanyard Creek , Bella Vista Arkansas

Luke 24:1-12


The Resurrection

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Labels: Bella Vista, Faith, Scenic Arkansas, scripture

April 07, 2007

The Easter Proclamation

The Stations of the Cross Little Portion Hermatage Retreat Center Eureka Springs AR

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God,
the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin
to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you free the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin
and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night when Jesus Christ
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave
you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God
to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day;
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night
dispels all evil, washes guilt away,
restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on us all,
your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Easter Proclamation (Exultet),
the Easter Vigil Liturgy

Labels: Faith, Little Portion, Prayers

April 06, 2007

The Seven Last Words of Jesus~ A Good Friday Meditation

St Francis'vision of Christ on the Cross. original art at the Little Portion Retreat Center near Eureka Springs AR

By the wounds of Your sacred passion;
Lord Jesus heal me.
By the wood of Your holy cross;
Lord Jesus strengthen me.
By the sorrow of You Blessed Mother;
Lord Jesus comfort me.
By Your dying and by Your rising,
give me new life.....

"I thirst" John 19:28

From the wood of a cross sanctified by His blood, God's own Son expresses the purpose of His becomming man. Jesus, one like us in all things except sin,thirsts for the souls of those he came to save. That is, every person on earth, beginning with Adam. Jesus wants to love us, and wants us to love Him in return. So he thirsts. That thirst that Jesus experiences at his death endures throughout the ages. This last word of Jesus provides a first word for every Christian. No one should begin the day without remembering before all else that Jesus thirsts for his or her soul." We love Him because he first loved us." 1jn 4:19. The priority of the Divine Initiative takes on human expression in the words of a thirsty dying man.

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori

"Father,forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34

Only God can forgive sins. We hear the primordial prayer of Christian forgivness from the lips of the crucified Saviour of the world. This word creates an expectation. Now, every human being is called to fufill the command of Jesus:"But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good the those that hate you..."Luke 6:27 The only alternative to forgiveness is destruction: the end of oneself and of the other. Everyday occurances throughout the world bear startling testimony to what happens when brother remains set unforgivingly against brother. To forgive every offense characterizes the saint. We can take the first step toward this holiness by loving the heavenly Father, who makes His sun rise on the bad and the good and who causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust...

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori

"Amen,I say to you, Today you shall be with me in Paradise" Luke 23:43

The "today" that Jesus addresses to the repentant criminal, whom we know as the Good Thief, belongs to every age. Whenever a person turns to Jesus, and says with love "Jesus, remember me..."(Lk23:42) he or she begins a new "today" Jesus so much wants to be with him in Paradise that he confides to His followers a ministry of forgiveness. "When we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1john 1:9)We are reconciled to the company of those who await with hopefull confidence the reward of Paradise. No one knows what were the sins that the Good Thief committed. No one should care. All that matters in life is that we discover our own "today" of divine forgiveness..

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori


"Woman,behold your son,...behold your mother..." John 19:26-27


"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (john 14:18) From the cross, Jesus fufills the promise that he made at the Last Supper to his disciples. He confides his mother, Mary to the care of the Beloved Disciple, John. John in turn takes her into his home. This word that Jesus speaks form the cross announces Mary's unique role. As she receives John so she embraces each of us. We become in the order of grace her own beloved sons and daughters. For if God is our spiritual Father and Jesus is our spiritual brother, then it follows to reason that Mary is our spiritual mother. And as she sits among the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hb 12:1)near to the throne of God that we have both and earthly and spiritual mother that embraces us both now and in the world to come...

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori


"My God My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" Mark 15:34

"We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity" (CCC526) Intense suffereings accompany Jesus' acceptance of the redemptive will of His Heavenly Father. These sufferings include the human cry of abandonment that cystallizes Jesus' accptance of his death as redemptive. "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, Your will be done!"(Mt 26:42) the cry of abandonment from the cross expresses a human sentiment that jesus felt but not a reasoned conviction that he held. Like everything that the Son of God did or said, he uttered those words for our sakes. Jesus wants us to believe that whatever dark sentiments may envelope our hearts and minds, "nothing can separate us from the love of God"( Rom 8:39)

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori


"Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit Luke 23:46

Loving communionwith the Blessed Trinity is the destiny to which each creature made in the Divine Image is called. Those on earth who receive, with faith and baptism, the Gospel of Christ accept this word as a prayer to make their own. Each circumstance of life requires on the part of the human person an act of submission to God's will. This personal surrender is santifying only when joined to the cry of God's Son. the Savior of the world points humanity toward our true end. Those who commend themselves to God in union with Jesus share in his own acts of love and obedience. Then they begin to understand the mystery:"Amen I say to you unless you repent and becomes like children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3)

"We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world!" St Alphonse Liguori

"It is finished..." John 19:30

What is finished? Jesus announces that the once and for all scrifice for our sins has been completed. This sacrifice of forgiveness ans reconcilliation is a gift.It comes from both The Father, Who so loved the world that He sent His only begotton Son, and from The Son of God, Who so loved us that He offered His life in reparation for our disobedience. This final word that Jesus spoke from the cross captures the love and obedience whic He enacted throughout His whole life. Death marks the final moment of Jesus' obedience. Death however does not bring His love to an end. The risen and exalted Savior continues to love us. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Crhist in God. When Christ you life apperes, then you too will appear with Him in glory" Col 3:3-4

By the wounds of Your sacred passion;
Lord Jesus heal me.
By the wood of Your holy cross;
Lord Jesus strengthen me.
By the sorrow of You Blessed Mother;
Lord Jesus comfort me.
By Your dying and by Your rising,
give me new life..... unknown author


Meditations based on the Writings of Fr Francis Cessario OP

Labels: Faith, Little Portion, Prayers, scripture

April 05, 2007

"The Keepsake" a story for Holy Thursday

Charity Chapel, Little Portion Hermatage, Eureka Springs Arkansas

We are off to Church this evening, to celebrate this the anniversary of the first Eucharistic Celebration.

In answer to a request I am posting the link to my post from last year for this day "The Keepsake" Have a blessed day!

Labels: Faith, Little Portion, Requested Past Posts

April 03, 2007

Aloha From the Furry World

The Furry Commentators Makoa and KaNani

We have been so busy living large in NW Arkansas, but we realized with the plague upon the kitties and doggies food, we thought that we should prevail upon Mom Hoku to blog and let everybody know that we are OK. Some of the kitties that eat food bought from our vet are not ok and some..."gulp"... have crossed the rainbow bridge into kitty heaven. The Vet told Mom that as many as 40 kitties in the last 6-8 months have died from unexplained kidney problems just in her practice alone. Because there was no connecting issue and Ms. Vet sees kitties from all over she didnt make dah connection. But Ms. Vet feels that the news is not honest about the problems with the pet foods and that if you are concerned STOP feeding the suspect foods and check the internet for recall notices. Many more kitties have died than what we know so far!!!

Mrs. Vet says dat our food is not on recall and is as tasty as ever. Its a special diet as we were getting a bit chubby...Mom is on special food too and is less chubby... but we are worried that Moms and our food might be contaminated with this stuff.. Whats a cat to do?... I know! Let me out so I can get some of those blasted chipmonks that tempt me so. All natural no presevatives added...

Mom just made a face... Why'd she do that?

Labels: Cats

April 01, 2007

Luke 19:28-48~ The Triumphal Entry

Country Road near Holiday Island Arkansas

Luke 19:28-48 The Triumphal Entry

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.' "So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" And they said, "The Lord has need of it." And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near...already on the way down the Mount of Olives...the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples. "He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.".

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers."

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

Labels: Faith, Scenic Arkansas, scripture