A Thought for a New Year

Why in the world did Jesus begin life as a baby? What can a baby teach us? Oh, I know, you think of all the things associated with baby care and you say eeew! But there are wonderful things also. A baby has not hurt your feelings by telling you something you do not like about yourself. When a baby smiles at you or takes your finger in hand your body and soul seem to melt into another world. And if a baby smiles in a dream, don’t you wish you knew what was going on in the baby’s dream?
Jean Vainer wrote that Jesus came to reveal the TRUE face of God. A God in love with each one of us no matter how unimportant we think we are. Like snowflakes and fingerprints we are unique, different. Even twins are not totally alike. I could be completely different with red hair or green eyes or big feet or long fingers or a gravelly voice. But I am who I am because that is the way that it is. And my uniqueness is what makes me interesting and loveable. No matter my littleness or importance, beauty or brokenness, strength or weakness–and I believe everyone has all these characteristics–I am loved by a God who thought it important enough to begin life as I did. How can I see human life as anything but precious? How can I make others realize how important they are to my world and the world around us? Can I make a resolution to greet every person in my life as though they were very important to me and I need them to make my world a better place. How good these thoughts make me feel! Just a simple thought for the year 2012.

Is Jesus Really the Reason for the Season?

Has the SEASON become the reason? For presents,sleigh bells holly, mistletoe,special songs, church bells, snow, Saint Nicholas,(Santa Claus), that is my wondering. This week I received a beautiful and moving video on youtube and facebook. Entitled “Where is the Line to See Jesus?” it is a question posed by a four year old who stands waiting for a turn to see Santa. This song, inspired by the family of the young child bounced around after being written. No music company picked it up or even responded to the idea. Finally two young people decided to make the song into a video and post it on facebook. As they say, the first day it became history. Three thousand people watched it and made copies and asked for the music after listening and responding to the song. When will YOU/I be standing in line to see Jesus? Check out the video.
www.youtube.com/watch-popup
Have a blessed Christmas and remember: Luke 9:48. Jesus speaks,”Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
From three centuries ago to modern times a little child still leads us.

A Church on the Calendar of Saints?

Many churches celebrate the daily passing of time with a calendar to acknowledge and remember those who have been heroic or saintly. I know my church does. So imagine my surprise when I found November 9 listed as the Feast Day of St. John Lateran, Official Church of the Pope in Rome. I wondered why so I looked for answers wherever I could. I found some interesting facts. This is the oldest church built in Rome and it is the Pope’s church even though it is not in the Vatican and is the number one church for Catholics even though St. Peter’s Basilica is in Vatican City and visited more often. It was consecrated in 324 AD to St. John the Baptist and later dedicated to St. John the Evangelist in the twelfth century. So now it is in honor of them both. But they have their own days of honor. You see, the person who is honored on the calendar date is to become for one an example of goodness and righteousness–someone who would set a good example for the person who looks into their life or reason for being part of the calendar celebration.

So, why a church? Well, a church is supposed to be clean and well kept. It is a place where a person can sit and quietly reflect on the important things of life. It can be decorated and polished and its contents can be moved or changed. It can hold a small group or a large congregation. And it can make one feel peaceful or happy or fulfilled. It is usually a safe place to sit and rest. It is a friend.

Aha! If I truly believe that my body and soul, my mind and heart can do all the things a church does then I can think of myself as a holy place and take care of myself in various ways so that I can become a place where others can come and enjoy life with me and together we can make the world a better place. What a great thought! What a wonderful reason to celebrate the holy day of a Church. Makes me realize even more,”In the word church,UR in the middle of it.” And you and I together are a powerful team for good.

The True Face of God

Have you ever wondered what God really looks like? There are so many pictures of God or even of Gods. For Christians so many likenesses picture the man called son of god as blue eyed and blond. Were the Jews of 2000 years ago fair? Today there are some Jewish persons who are blond or red heads but even in present time those in the majority in Israel are swarthy and dark haired. Someone once said, “God made man in God’s own image and man has been returning the favor ever since.” I want God to look like me or my family. I have brown eyes, had brown hair, was not perfect and I know if you are God you must be perfect. So then what does the face of God really look like?
So many people picture God as an angry person, a judge, a punisher, just waiting and watching to “get you”and place you forever in terrible torment.
Some other persons believe God is far away, “up there” not caring what goes on or letting evil cause human suffering.
My God is different. I believe in Jesus who came to show me who the real God was. He had a human mother because I would not have been able to see what he looked like if he was not part of humanity.I see a person who loves people, different people, those I might not even think I like. I think he listens to all who speak to him just as he did many years ago when he walked the earth. I think he believed in the small and the weak and those others might say are problems. He was attentive to each one, no matter their beauty or poverty or brokenness. To him every life was precious and I believe it is now also. Where is this reflection coming from? I have been watching so many of God’s humanity protesting in Central Park day after day. How brave they are! How much they believe in their cause! How they are standing up against the people in control. And what I have seen seems to be peaceful, growing in wisdom, age,and amazing grace. God still listens. May they realize that God loves them and is attentive to each precious human life and will reward each of them with a peace beyond all understanding for standing up for their beliefs.

My Life is Ruined! Is It?

How many times have I said those words. Are my days over? Is my life finished? What is the worst thing I can imagine happening? Are my feelings caused by betrayals by my friends, or by people I work with or even worse, by my employer? Anyone can find a reason to feel everything they loved and worked for or believed in has been compromised. Consider how Jesus must have felt when one of the most important persons in his group of hand picked followers turned traitor and sold him to his enemies.
Did he know it was going to happen? Did he know the one he was going to choose to lead the pack when he left would deny him. I don’t know that; but I know he refused to back down, to give up, to condemn those who betrayed him and refused to admit knowing him.
Jesus did not give up; he did not give in; he was plenty hurt not only physically but also broken hearted. Like Jesus I know that no one can keep me down unless I let them. Jesus went down but he refused to give in; to stay down; to fail to rise up. Jesus knew that no human being would ruin his life; he would not let them.
Those horrible things that happen to us–to me– can only ruin me if I let them. Sure they hurt, certainly they are sinister forces of evil but I will not let them take over my thoughts and actions. They are a part of living life along with the good and happy things.
I will not quit. I will not give in to evil persons. I will look around at the good things in my life. I will not quit; I will press on for victory in standing up for what I believe in. If I quit who will be the REAL reason for my defeat? If I press on and win who is the only one who can claim the credit for my victory?

My Emotional Heartbeat

God has given us a unique set of feelings that react and act according to what is happening in our lives. Usually those are the things that intensely interest us. Sometimes though things do not work out the way we had hoped and planned for them to happen and then we have another kind of feeling. For me feelings and heartbeats are not the same. This is because I was told somewhere along the way that feelings are just feelings. I do not have holy feelings or sinful feelings. Hm…can this be correct?
I thought if I felt like praying or doing a good deed it was a good feeling. Also if I felt like telling a lie or even a bad truth about someone it was a bad feeling. What I was told was that feelings are not good or bad they are just feelings. They become good or bad by my actions. In other words if I say the prayer or do the good deed my action will be rewarded, a good heartbeat. “A cup of cold water in my name will not go unrewarded” is in the Bible. If I do not follow my feeling I have done nothing wrong or good.
Likwise if I tell some piece of gossip about someone, whether it be a truth or a lie I have committed an evil action. If I do but ignore the feeling and keep my mouth shut tight, I have done nothing wrong or good. My heartbeat is not affected.
So how do these feelings impact my life, my emotional heartbeat? That is what is important. Those things that intensely interest me give me feelings. Don’t ignore those feelings. How do I choose to use them? Do I enrich myself? Do I enrich others by my actions? The big word is ACTIONS!
Remember that actions done with and for someone else brings its own rewards both now and later when my heart reacts to my good deeds. It is a funny thing(funny unusual, not funny haha)but the person who recives my good action usually responds in kind so now there are two people whose heartbeats are happier for knowing each other.

Conversations with my Friends

Somebody stopped me the other day and said, ” I find it hard to pray. Someone once told me that prayer is talking t God and I know I cannot talk to God. God knows everything I am going to say before I say it, so why bother.”
That is quite a thought. I pondered that for a few moments and then realized that when I pray I am talking to a good friend. Think about your conversations with your best friends or your loved ones. Did you tell your mother you disliked green beans every time you had them for supper? I did. She knew what I was going to say before I said it but I said it anyway. How many times my best friends know the answers to what I am going to say before my words are out of my mouth. Well, whether you realize it or not the person you owe the most to for who you are, who your family is, the circumstances of your life–is God. Whether you are happy, sad, or mad, God wants to hear from you. I recommend you find a quiet spot, maybe a special place, it does not have to be a church or a prayer room. I have a chair I love but I can also carry on a mental conversation with God anyplace even on a bus. I usually tell God how I’m feeling and why; then I say what is going on in my life. I try to tell the good things first so that God knows I am grateful for the happiness I have. Then I talk about all those disturbing events in my life, I explain how I could handle them or what God could do for me if I want to handle them differently. Sometimes I get an inspiration of a completely different way of coping with a happening or even a suggestion on how to make it better. Maybe I think of a person I could go to to share my idea. If you don’t believe in God well that is OK but I know God believes in you. And somehow, somewhere, you will receive an answer to your converstion.
You know that old saying,”Try it you’ll like it!” Well some very interesting things will befall you if you include God in your conversations as a friend.

CHANGE:Good for the Soul or ???

I was so lucky to be able to spend quality time at the shore. I always find my time there refreshing and life giving–no different this year. I came back to work with all kinds of energy and enthusiasm. So change by way of vacation was very good for me. I hope that everyone who reads this will do something for themselves to relax and look at their lives to see what needs to be changed or improved or built up.
When I was catching up on my mail, I found a letter that I was expecting was not among my missives. I did not think about it at first but just this week I received the phone call that explained why I had not heard from this dear person. Another kind of change!
My friend had an accident. It was very serious and the result was life began in a hospital with only extraordinary means to prolong this life here on earth. This was an even bigger form of change! I do not wish to talk about this at this time; I am not ready for the loss of this person.
What I am thinking about is how the New Testament reminds us that we should always be prepared for anything. The bridesmaids are tired waiting for the bride and groom and so they fall asleep and are locked out of the celebration. Do I believe that death is a trip to my final destination(a permanent place by an ocean)? Or to a place of unhappiness to be alone and in pain forever? What constitutes the different attitude toward death. No human escapes it. It happens to all that live on this earth. I am going to give myself time and space to ponder this idea. I want to be happy at my end; surely I will be frightened always, fear of the unknown is scary. But I plan to share on my blog my future thoughts on preparing for my final destination. And I do not believe life ends in the ground with burial or cremation.
So, off I go now to do some research on “The Art of Dying Bravely.”

GOODBYE-I go on retreat and vacation!

I want to tell you that as summer approaches I am taking time for a retreat and some quality time with friends and family. I know many of you will also take vacation days so I will talk mainly about retreat. The word “goodbye” probably came from people spending time in a holy place and doing some soul-searching in past centuries. The word is a compilation of God be with ye. Neat, eh! every time I say good bye I am saying a prayer. Today, going on a retreat can happen anytime a group wishes to come together to focus on some things that affect the group. Businesses hold retreat days, families get together to discuss happy things or sad things or things they want to do with each other.
I am going to the shore and hope that I will be soaring with the seagulls and the crashing waves and looking at what I did last year and what I can do better and what I do not want to do again.
I watched Oprah’s last show and she did her retreat in front of her audience out loud. Obviously she has been thinking about the moment for a long time. Her sharing was not what I expected from such a public person. But I admire her for her thoughts and certainly agree with them wholeheartedly. There is something so freeing in opening up yourself as she did.
I hope to make a connection with the great Man in my life! My God!
and my best friend.
I ask your prayers and your thoughts as I get away from my everyday world and head for a special place.
God be with ye until we come together again!

Dead or Alive?

Easter arrived in all its glory. The weathermen said “Rain” but God chose weather that was lovely, sunny and quite warm after a cold and bitter winter. The flowers made an appearance in all their finery and so did I. I believe that each Easter after the sad days of Lent with their great introspection and decision-making for becoming a better person that I need to ask myself the question: What is God asking of me at this time? What can I do differently now because I am a better person for causing a little mortification in my mortal body to signify that I want to continue my work for good in the world?
And then within the week with a very heavy heart I said a final farewell to a dear friend and someone who has been with me for over 20 years. And I thought of all the things I believe about Resurrection. Can it really happen? Did it happen for her? Will it happen for me? How do I know?
First I read about Ezekiel, the prophet in chapter 37 and the Negro Spiritual that was written by a faith-filled people, “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones…” They are going to get up and dance and walk around and how they are all connected. “The toe bone is connected to the foot bone” and so on.
The bones connect and disconnect in a rhythmic melody ending with “I hear the word of the Lord.” St. Paul updates this idea of God who seems in the bible to open graves at random and bring people back to life. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in the New Testament, Paul writes, “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8) Oh, God, this is such a great consolation for me. Strengthen my faith; help me to believe in Ezekiel’s words, “I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:14)