The Blossom No Longer Needs the Seed

…the resurrected spirit no longer needs the physical body.

Someday it will all be as it should be, we will be with God in heaven.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord.

The Blossom No Longer Needs the Seed

Ground Bound No Longer

If we do not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead then what

is the point in believing anything else?

Nothing else matters if you do not believe in the Resurrection.

In dying we do not perish…we become the beauty of pure joy.

Ground Bound No Longer

Outside the Boundaries

By the grace of God I am what I am…

The sinful woman with the alabaster flask saw something in Jesus that the Pharisee could not see.

Outside the Boundaries

Love is the Reason

Love surpasses everything else in life.

We exist because of the love the Father has for us.

We are saved because of love.

When we love we come closer to God.

Love is the Reason

Be Yourself

Stop trying to be someone other than the person God has created you to be…YOU.

No one can take your place. You have no understudy.

Be Yourself

Her Pierced Heart

Our Lady of Sorrows

Every mother knows their life will be punctuated with joys and sorrows; Mary was no different.

Her Pierced Heart

Two Pieces of Wood

Sunday. September 14, 2014

Let us look to the cross for love, compassion, and humility.

The cross…two pieces of wood made sacred and holy by the blood of Jesus.

Two Pieces of Wood

The Cup of Blessing (from Scripture4you blog)

Scripture4you post September 13, 2014

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The Cup of Blessing

Keep Walking…

I begin walking

It is cold, just beginning to sprinkle, the March wind is blowing

I begin walking.

I do not have much time, perhaps it is not meant to be

I begin walking

I am not alone…we are silent

I begin walking

The path is narrow…

I keep walking

The ground is not level…it is on a slope…

I keep walking

I nearly lose my balance…what if I fall

I keep walking

I want to go faster…I am cold

I keep walking

I am so slow…others pass by me…

I keep walking

Is the center near…am I almost there

I keep walking

Finally I reach the center…I made it…sigh

I stand a few minutes and reflect

Is this midlife…what lies ahead…

I leave the stone of burdens I carried in with me…

I pick up another’s stone of burdens

I begin walking again

I am now leaving the rest center

I keep walking

I walked the path in…now I walk the path out

I keep walking

I could not remain in the center

I keep walking

Few people are on the path

I keep walking

Some pass me going the opposite direction

I keep walking

I pause to let another pass by

I keep walking

The path is narrow

I keep walking

I am cold…I want this to end

I keep walking

I must watch my foot steps

I keep walking

There are now three of us left

I keep walking

I want to hurry, but I cannot

I keep walking

Too many turns

I keep walking

I can go faster on the longer curves

I keep walking

I try to focus on the stone of burden I hold

I keep walking

At last the end is near

I keep walking

I feel the sense of peace

I made the walk…I did not take a short cut

I did not leave without finishing

I kept walking to the end.

 

Today I walked the Labyrinth where I had never been before. There is so much about walking the labyrinth that parallels my own life. At times I wanted to stop, because it was dreary, cold, windy, and rainy. I kept on walking because I had made the commitment to walk this labyrinth today. I guess I value honoring my goals.

Sometimes life is hard and it seems as if we are walking on a rocky uneven path. I sometimes feel as if I am going to fall…then what? Will I be embarrassed? Will I hurt myself? Will others rush over to help me up?

Getting to the center of the labyrinth was only the half-way point, even though it may look like the goal. Sometimes this is also true in life. We arrive only to discover that it is not the end. It is merely a place to pause before moving out. Part of life is to pause, carry one another’s burdens, and keep walking. The daily weather must not determine whether or not we keep walking.

We only reach the exit of the labyrinth of life when we take our last breath… then we will know without a doubt that we kept walking for a reason.

May 3, 2014 is the sixth global World Labyrinth Day event.

Labyrinths are walked all over the world for many different reasons; to lower stress and to promote wellbeing are just a couple reasons. Just as in each person’s life a labyrinth has only one path. The walk is about experiencing the journey…the process of walking. You can let your mind go free…you cannot get lost.

The Labyrinth Society encourages us to…”Walk as One at 1″ (o’clock in the afternoon), on World Labyrinth Day, to promote peace the world over.”

 

Snow in the Branches

The dusting of snow this morning lightly covered our area. The tops of the cars concealed in white. The roof tiles accented with white. The evergreen shrubs sprinkled with white. The snow has mostly stopped by the time we got up today, but just as I look at the kitchen window several single flakes came swirling past the window.

It was as if God saved a few final flakes just for me to relish.

I guess because it rarely snows where we actually live; snow is such an event to me. I love the whole concept of snow. Granted if I had to live in it for days I may not feel the same way, but for now I love snow.

The idea of each individual snowflake being unique is mind boggling. Just the right weather conditions have to come together in order for it to snow. Snow is quiet. Snow reminds me of the value of silence. There is beauty in silence. Snow only occurs when it is just the right temperature.

Many years while teaching I would put up a bulletin board in my classroom that said ‘Think Snow’. I wanted my students to experience the magic of watching snow fall from the clouds. I wanted them to stand outside and stick out their tongues to catch a few chilling flakes of snow.

I guess snow brings feelings of joy for me. The snowflakes fall and twirl round gently blowing in the wind. They are so delicate, fragile, and beautiful. Just as God created each of us unique and beautiful.

As I look out of the bedroom window the snow is carefully piled in the elbow bend of each tree branch. This tree has come to represent our passage of time here in this place. It was first covered with small green leaves. Weeks later it shed all of its leaves. It stands bare branched. I can clearly see each of its branches large and small. They cannot hide behind the leaves.

Today these same bare branches have caught hold of the snow as if to say we are here. We have purpose. We have a function. I think this is something I am struggling with purpose and function. Am I useful? My function here is not the same as my function there. I feel departmentalized and fragmented at times. I cannot do all that I want to do…it is like being caught in a spider’s web. But yet I know I am doing here what I need to be doing.

The snow is no longer falling; everywhere I look tree branches are supporting the snow. Each branch supports tiny snowdrifts. This is my purpose here; I am to be a support. I have the supporting role in this place here in this place beside my spouse. I am in the supporting role in other areas of my life as well…I can see this now.

 

 God wants me to be a support to as many people as I can both here and there. The tree outside our window is reminding me about what it means to be a support. Tree branches support the leaves, the flowers, the fruit sometimes, and even the occasional snowdrift. Only in the winter can you truly see the bare branches that support the tree. Support is often hidden and obscure, but still functioning maintaining its purpose.

In the entertainment world the role of supporting actress is also honored and rewarded. The supporting person complements the leading actor. I am supporting my husband, my family, my friends, my neighbors, my community.

The snow in the branches causes me to reflect on the supporting role of my life today.

The question I have for you today is…

What do you support?

A person…a cause…an idea…a concept…a dream?

Surely you do support something worthwhile in your life.

Soon the tree outside our window will be supporting brand new leaves. These branches will be the conduit for nutrients to reach the entire tree structure.