tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50313892024-03-23T11:21:46.973-07:00Sparrow SongTo Pierce the Cloud of Unknowinghisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-19473432022972124922010-03-13T08:25:00.000-08:002010-03-13T08:50:47.999-08:00PigeonsAbundant gleanersBirds so gentle and nobleNot welcome at my feederhisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-12465781798153671422010-03-11T09:40:00.000-08:002010-03-11T11:40:43.963-08:00An Interrupted PostI had an entire post written on a Mary and Martha theme. It was all about the conflict of work vs. resting. I deleted it because I began to sense the motivation for writing it was askew and most importantly, while I was in the middle of editing it, Jesus said to me, "Why are you worried about all these silly things you are writing about when I love you so much?" And then, I hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-61304718384647933112010-03-08T08:40:00.000-08:002010-03-09T08:36:47.886-08:00Some Thoughts on PaintingFragonard, a French romantic painter, painted during the time of the licentiousness of the French courts. He particularly chose the excess of that regime as his subject. I am drawn to his art because it is more than what is depicted. Fragonard's art often shows the subject in all the pomp and circumstance of his or her wealth involved in some frivolous activity while hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-48764567938467006442010-02-15T10:14:00.000-08:002010-02-15T15:42:30.663-08:00UpdatesLong time no blog. I have a moment to spare and some random thoughts.I am uneasy with the flow of life at present. I feel there is a great deal of activity and little purpose. I keep thinking of the biblical question, "Why do you spend money on what is not bread?" I am really questioning my appetite.We do put a great deal of energy into our perceived goals, but I wonder if in the end they hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-91497130365586222152009-07-27T17:19:00.000-07:002009-07-27T17:22:49.450-07:00Communication is hard.hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-43453867827977406622009-07-15T09:50:00.000-07:002009-07-15T12:11:32.357-07:00CocoonsLife is cyclical. There is no denying it. If you read this, you are in a cycle. Whether at a cellular, psychological, spiritual, financial or circadian level, you are somewhere within a cycle.Cycles for the most part come in stages. Stages of cycles are not equal. Though all are critical, some are just more pleasant than others. Take the cycle of a butterfly for instance. Caterpillering hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-45893763639795432122009-07-14T11:45:00.000-07:002009-07-14T14:09:50.856-07:00A Time to EmbraceI want to get back to blogging, but I am mired in being overly self-conscious about my post topics, inertia, time constraints etc. Facebook is a bit too superficial and its tentacles spread too far and doesn't seem to be the place for real thoughts...I could be wrong.I have sort of been re inspired to blog by an unlikely source....I barely know the person. I really enjoy her hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-21215087166149145442007-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:002007-10-27T10:47:36.564-07:00The BoatThe boat in Renouf's painting appears to be a character in the depiction itself. Ordinary, rough, and fairly confining, it possesses a life of its own and grounds the painting. For me it represents the idea of a believer’s journey. The Christian life, by nature, is a dynamic, purposeful movement. It is never stagnant even when it may, discouragingly, seem so. The journey is a precise hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-42927048114719833052007-10-20T11:47:00.000-07:002008-11-18T12:02:12.127-08:00The Helping Hand Art is a very important vehicle for the human soul. It challenges us and also represents the common story and struggle we all share. It is profoundly true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Yesterday, while going through some art cards from Caitlin’s fifth grade year, I found this portrayal of Emile Renouf’s painting, titled, The Helping Hand. It captures beautifully hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1155316468228941462006-08-11T10:06:00.000-07:002009-07-20T11:16:24.892-07:00Living With BirdsYears ago, inspired by a trip to the demonstration gardens, we decided trees brought not only continuous beauty, but also, refreshing shade to one’s little plot of land, so we planted many.The trees are maturing nicely and with this invitation, many species of birds have chosen to occupy the leafy spaces. Beauty is like that, it multiplies and invites. On a daily basis, I hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1153624437616841152006-07-22T19:13:00.000-07:002006-07-22T20:54:45.233-07:00Sitting HereJust sitting here, surfing the internet( procrastinating some needed studying for an exam), Gregg is on his way to pick up Serenity for a sleepover and Caitlin is into her last 30 minutes of her violin practice. She is playing, La Folia by Correlli and somehow I am inspired by the piece to write a blog spur of the moment.Caitlin went to a very advanced music camp for ten days in hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1146945847413429542006-05-06T12:47:00.000-07:002006-05-06T13:04:55.933-07:00A Good Sentence"For as far as the light of God is concerned, we are owls."Thomas Mertonhisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1145635393709002812006-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:002006-04-21T09:03:13.716-07:00EffortlessThe most powerful thing about trees is that they make it look so easy; looking at them reminds me to avoid being a spiritual” try hard” or a spiritual “indifferent” because both extremes involve self-absorption.hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1145386713189418472006-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:002006-04-19T15:35:36.670-07:00Continuing Left and the Confirmation of TreesTurning left seems at times to be my only connection to God lately.Driving up this path as often as I do, I ask each time what are the trees saying today? They have been in a continuous state of transition since I decided to notice them. The last of the pink blooms have been overcome by crimson leaves. In contrast, their neighbors are easy and peacefulhisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1143521851211245832006-03-27T20:42:00.000-08:002006-03-27T20:57:31.223-08:00Palmer's JournalI will miss his entries. Though I didn't know him, his story and struggle helped my faith. I feel his life was so full of love and dignity. It spilled over into mine many times. I never fathom these hard things, but tonight I am very certain and secure that God is total love and peace because those are the things palmer's Journal taught me...hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1141587166082790172006-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:002006-03-05T11:44:19.776-08:00Turning LeftFrom October of 2005 until now I have taken a left turn on a tree lined street. As far as the eye can see there are two species of mature deciduous trees planted next to one another-- so close really that their branches intermingle.Last fall, when the strong winds undressed the boughs, I noticed the many evacuated nests peviously occupied in leafier months. Seeing them, I felt God washisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1130512774428338352005-10-28T07:21:00.000-07:002005-10-28T15:50:03.340-07:00Happy?About a year ago I attended meetings to support those with bi-polar disease and depression. Though raw and troubled, the people made me think about important things. Lately, I have been thinking of one man in particular. When he came to meetings, the ravages of his disease were visible and palpable. It was all he could do to sit for the duration of the meeting without becoming agitated and hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1128716122187577462005-10-07T12:56:00.000-07:002005-10-07T13:19:02.566-07:00Bird Watching 101Anyone who is close to me knows I have a thing about birds, especially the common unpopular ones. They connect me to God in a special way. When filling their feeder today, the beauty of the weather and sounds of their singing overwhelmed and suspended me for a moment and out of nowhere the first line of Psalm 24 came wafting through my thoughts.The Earth is the Lord's and hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1123449267701133172005-08-07T14:05:00.000-07:002005-08-07T14:14:27.706-07:00Emotional Wisdom: Note to SelfAnyone can become angry---that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way---this is not easy.Aristotlehisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1119476682637501812005-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:002005-06-22T14:44:42.656-07:00Book Tag Okay Cheryl, here it is. I ‘m nervous when it comes to discussing books because I don’t consider myself well read especially where fiction is concerned. I started a journey to read great literature over a year ago, but I have taken few steps. I get contemptuous taunts from Virginia Wolf and Cervantes every time I dust their spines. Yet, in my ridiculous quest to be “edjamucated,”I hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1118892728938889122005-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:002005-06-15T20:42:45.890-07:00Bronwyn at EightShe is eight. I would like to freeze her at this age. Today we had a delightful conversation in the Target snack bar while Caitlin was at her violin lesson. It was not so much the depth or content of the dialogue; rather it was her intensity and innocence about life. It was one of those great parental circumstances when you know the moment is special or perhaps, sacred and will hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1116778131158342712005-05-22T08:55:00.000-07:002005-05-22T09:08:51.163-07:00A Hard WeekThis week Caitlin was formally diagnosed with Scoliosis. She was fitted for what will be an extremely restrictive and uncomfortable brace which will need to be worn for 23 hours a day. The fitting process itself was very hard on her modesty and the realization of eighteen months of observation and restriction with no guarantee of preventing a corrective surgery was about all she could hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1112640032721231722005-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:002005-04-04T11:45:39.873-07:00Black MondayToday I am irrelevant and wobbly. I have fallen through the hole in my net. But my coffee tasted so good because I learned to add a pinch of salt to the grounds.hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1111954738129337112005-03-27T12:16:00.000-08:002005-03-27T12:18:58.133-08:00He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.On the first Easter morning, the apostles and the holy women did not see a ghost of Jesus. They saw him in the flesh, but in a different flesh, as the oak tree is different from the acorn that was its origin. We touch on the mystery of a body, not just Jesus’ body but our own, which will express us at our best, will not blunt our spirit with wearinesshisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031389.post-1111813232156950062005-03-25T20:59:00.000-08:002005-03-25T21:05:11.033-08:00Good FridayWho has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom hisheidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05467190798623922973noreply@blogger.com0