Grant us they peace……upon our homeward way
With thee begun……with thee shall end the day
Guard thou our lips from sin….our hearts from shame
That in this house……have called upon thy name.
Amen
Tag Archives: love/loving/forgiveness
AFTER A WHILE…..BY VERONICA A. SHOFFSTALL
After a while, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans.
And futures have a way of falling down in midflight
After a while, you learn
That even the sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure…
That you really are strong.
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn…
With every goodbye, you learn.
LIV’IN IN THE HOOD….OUR CUL-DE-SAC
Most of us just bump along in this life. I’m not saying life is boring…it’s just that we get caught up in the ordinary….I’m as guilty as the next person in that regard. I am doing my best to snap out of it cause there should be no such word as ordinary in this or any other language. Maybe the best word for me is ‘comfortable’, as in happy to be where we are.
Our neighborhood is a wonderful example of ‘comfortable’. I guess it is an old neighborhood, like 25+ years. I remember the day my hubby and I found we could buy this home. It had been $30,000 more than we could afford and we would look at it longingly when we came to visit our friends one street over. One Sunday afternoon our friends called….it seemed the developer wanted to add another section and couldn’t make it happen with the bank, unless he sold the ones he had…..our neighborhood, our house, was now affordable, dropping $30,000 that sunny afternoon and we drove out to buy it.
We watched it being built, still in disbelief, and on a special week in August, we joined total strangers to create a close knit community, called our cul-de-sac.
Families with kiddies of all ages began to unpack and make a house their home. Some came from 100 miles, some just newly retired from 1000 miles, and everything in between. Ages were just as varied.
You know when neighborhoods are first created, it is all by chance. Ours was surely that way and it was magical. The blend was perfect. We all began to ‘spruce up’…..front yards were planted but not the back. No back steps, no patios, no trees, no bushes, just lots of dirt and trust me, loads of weeds. Whoever found a knowledgeable ‘micro climate’ advisor, a mulch company, and especially a concrete guy, became the ‘go to’ person of the hour. We learned quickly this area did not lend itself to the plants we brought from the cooler areas on the California coast. But what we did learn was that our beloved ‘coast’ plants brought snails…and snails and more snails. Dang….and we did it our selves. I must say, however, after 25 years, the snails have gone elsewhere….the climate just being too dry for them to enjoy themselves. (thank goodness)
So these years have flown by….little kids became high school grads, then out of college and on their own. Parents became grandparents and aunts and uncles, but still the cul-de-sac remained ‘comfortable’….Cookouts were common when second or third families moved in. July 4th brought families of families and Halloween brought hot cider for adults and pets dressed up as Godzilla…. And it continued to be ‘comfortable’.
Now, all of a sudden, it is more than 25 years later, and 1/2 of us are still original owners. The ‘newbies’ have either conformed to our ways, or we have to theirs. It is still warm to come home….to see friends/to wave goodbye as they go off on vacation, or when they come back from church. We smile as we remember teens being teens, running out of refrigerator room during the holidays, or even using another’s oven when it became crunch time.
We have had our sad times when those in our circle have moved on, and today my heart is teary as a great family has decided the same. It is and will be good for them. Change is good, even when it makes us stretch our ‘comfortable’ life. It will be a new chapter for the cul-de-sac family as well. They will take their laughter, their Christ led family, their extended family, and our love with them, and all will be well…..in their new neighborhood, where life will, once again, be ‘comfortable’. Miss’in you already…..
JUST IN CASE YOU THINK YOU HAD A BAD MORNING!
My dearest friend…Pookie, age 20 1/2, an American short hair (feline) we adopted almost 19 years ago, is having ‘old people’ problems. It was especially yucky this morning when he decided to barf on my rug beside our bed (at least he gets down from his (my pillow) first)….I flew out of bed and moved him 2 feet so when it happened, it happened on the wood floor. Hubby and I were up (we know the sound and can detect it in the deepest sleep) getting paper towel, windex, all the time watching were we stepped. Minutes later we were snoring and he was purring…..
This is not an everyday occurrence, however, it does happen at least once or twice a week. God made some cats with queasy stomachs and we’ve got one! Yes he’s on medication and all is pretty well, most of the time.
HOWEVER…….Called my sis as she was on her way to work this AM…She is 3 hours behind in Nevada….’I’m sorry’, she said….’I can best you today’. (And she did)
She has two beagles…Oscar, the easy-going ‘grandfatherly’ type decided to enter the sacred bathroom where her 18-year-old cat lives. He has ‘old people problems’ to, but they are different. Anyhow, Oscar crept in to find the buffet of a lifetime. No dog is allowed in there and so my sis carefully puts poop/litter and uneaten food in a bag in the trash. When she retired last evening things were glorious….This morning, disaster.
She walked into the bathroom at 6AM to find Oscar covered with kitty litter and in all four paws. All the other ingredients of the bag were probably in him. He had litter on his face, in his mouth, even in between his teeth.
This is a time when no words must be spoken and all fire arms must be at least 10 miles away. Luckily she had neither….words or firearms.
After a shower in the shower,and a pick for teeth and gums, Oscar is clean and I assume still alive…on his (her pillow, as above) all is forgiven.
She will never assume the bathroom door is completely closed, again and probably sleep with one eye open. Hubby and I will continue to administer ‘chicken flavored reglan’ daily, and sleep with one ear open.
HOW DO YOU STACK UP?
I wrote a little on this subject a few months ago…..I thought I’d bring you more of the same. To me, in the Fall/Winter part of my life, it seems just a little more pertinent than during the Spring period…..that being what I do with the remaining moments I may or may not have. I have trotted along, just like you, sometimes completely oblivious to the important and loving actions of others. I was either too cool, or too bored, or too stupid, or a little of each to really tally up the comings and goings of my own time here.
What I’ve found is we are pretty much looking for the same thing. How we get there and who with, who we step on, who we love on, who we cut out, who we lean on, and how we learn what we learn is the part that varies.
So today, I’ll give you some sentences of those who left for ‘their Heavenly Father’s house’ as is stated so many times in the paper.
They are not just words, my friends, they represent a description of life….just like yours and mine. How simple they may sound, a housewife, a husband, father, grandfather. Perhaps a volunteer at church, a gardener, a gourmet cook, and a golfer.
“Danny was a very kind, loving, generous man, who was always there to help anyone. He loved golfing and fishing and restoring his 1931 Ford Coupe.”
“Alex passed at age 90. He was born on Dec 6, 1922 on the high seas as he and his family were immigrating from Germany to the US.
He was in WWII, deploying to Europe and flying 33 missions in the B24 Liberator. He has 17 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandson.”
“Rollyn was a Vietnam War Vet. After his discharge he traveled the country living in Wa, Ca., Id.,Montana and Arkansas. He loved working with his hands as a restaurant cook and a carpenter. He was a drummer for Willie Nelson and the late Johnny Cash.”
“Betty passed away after a battle with Parkinson’s. She lived in Omaha, Ne. and got married on Easter Sunday, 1949.She was in Eastern Star. She was an organist. She retired from the Retail Clerk’s Union. She is survived by her husband…of 64 years”
“Robert was born in Uhrichsville, Ohio. He served for 20 years in the Air Force and then worked as a television Tech for about 35 years. He loved skating and that is how he met his wife Donna.
He was a great mechanic and could fix anything and loved to volunteer his time at a thrift store. He leaves 4 children, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.”
“Harold was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He took great pride in his family and cared deeply for them. He was in the Air Force during the Koren War. Harold held steadfast to is Christian faith and was a founding member of Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. He retired from General Telephone Co. after 31 years in engineering management. He and his wife started a ceramics company in San Jacinto, Ca. He loved music, wood working, painting, public service and keeping up with his grandchildren. In memory of Harold, his family asks that you donate your glasses to your nearest Lions Club.”
These are your friends, your parents friends, your neighbors, and for me, some are my idols. It’s time to live, love, laugh, and be happy my friends….for you, and yours. That is what God intended……for us to just be good to one another, to love our friends, our family and our country, to the best of our ability.
MMMMMmmmm what will my obit say….will I be proud to be listed amongst these….. who passed just a day ago, and in the big picture, just a few moments before me…….
MORNING TEA
Every morning, without fail, the ladies show up for tea. They wear frocks that are kind of drab. Tea has been going on for awhile, so they don’t feel the need to dress up. I also think they’ve been together for most of their lives, so impressing each other is just passe. I think that because I have wonderful friends who don’t feel the need to wear fancy colors, big hats, or uncomfortable shoes just to sit for tea.
Anyhow, each day one can almost set their clock by it, the gals congregate. They nod, they talk quietly, and abruptly leave, only to return in a few minutes, something I cannot understand. Of course, I’m on the outside looking in, not having ever been invited. They also like to be relatively alone….and move in unison when something or someone comes into view. I’m thinking they discuss things that are strictly intimate because their actions dictate complete privacy.
And then…as quickly as they’ve assembled, the tea is over. It’s like someone is calling. One thinks maybe the kids have come home from school, but the ladies must have teens by now. Oh, well, it doesn’t matter. They speak their own slang, their own language, and even tho it is beautiful, it something I can’t seem to grasp.
Only later in the day do I see each of them again, returning for a simple bath, a quiet time, maybe before starting supper for their brood. They nod to one another, and get a little flustered if the area gets crowded, however all irritations seem to dissolve in the fluttering bath of my tea ladies, the finches who share my yard til they vacation south of the border.
NO CURFEW IN THE GULF
Well, I’m here to say, there is seems no end to this spring party in the Gulf….One doesn’t hear much, but the beaches are jump’in..yes, even ‘in the air’ jump’in.
Now that the little guys have arrived, their extended family have received their invites. It is time for sprucing up the digs, so many hermit crabs are up sizing. Yes, they do outgrow, their studio type homes, so searches go on constantly. People (nice humans) who visit the Gulf, know they should only take one live shell away from the beach each visit……what a shame they are allowed even that.
(another ‘be that as it may’) So it is proper etiquette to lift gently and peek in to these shell homes first, before plopping them into your bucket. If they have set up housekeeping, it is then necessary to put them back, and apologize for making thier little hearts skip a beat.
As spring progresses, many empty shell bodies are found. The tides give us a new view of what the Gulf has to offer, and the waves gently deposit the new, old, and empty shells of life in it’s beautiful waters. It is a fact of life, life and death, and the Gulf of Mexico shows us how the grand plan was put into place. I still wonder, at almost age 70, why things are the way they are, so don’t feel alone, if you wonder the same, now and then.
Discarded shells from other generations do provide exquisite art that cannot be duplicated. Their color, their shape, and their design are the architecture of God. Each is made to house the life inside…and is done so to perfection. Take note…..and know it is a simple joy to ‘stop’ and look at these treasures….they will move you and replenish your soul.
I spent the evening at low tide, picking and choosing my next gallon of shells….What a wonderful and inexpensive habit I have. The warmth of spring, the waters of the Gulf, a good friend, and a bucket. These are the days to remember. Thank goodness I’ve been allowed to realize these moments. Just take 60 seconds…and stop to look around…then take 70 seconds and then 80. Take in all the gifts God gives us each day..for free!!
THERE’S A PARTY GO’IN!
Wow….or maybe it should be WOW!! It is party time in SW Florida and the city is not one you regularly party in on Fri. night…well, at least not all the time. IT’S THE GULF OF MEXICO, of course. It is springtime in the Gulf and on the Gulf and the place is jump’in.
Everyone who is anyone in the Gulf Kingdom is coming home to reunite with some and partner up with others. It seems they’ve spent the winter in the deeper waters of the Gulf for safety and warmth, but now the beach waters are 80F and the welcome mat is out.
Mother Nature/God sure set it up right. The breezes are mild, the bugs are few and the snow
birds have gone north. The beaches are relatively quiet as big and little couples come to be a part of the large guest list. As in the order of things, there are some who depend on the lunching of others to keep this arrangement in harmony. I plan to ask Mother Nature/God about this when I visit the other side. If I ever come back, I’ll write about what they say.
Be that as it may, these wonderful creatures come home with great folly. There are schools of little fish…just new babies who stay close to each other or Mom/Dad. Some come from long egg pods that look like snake skeltons…and are they a work of art. Others look like the rubber seals that keep canned peaches tasty.
In the sky, parent and child Osprey glide and squawk during daily lessons. As in our species, many children carry on something terrible when mom quits bringing the daily meal. Goes to prove that leaving the nest is not exciting for everyone.
The skates come to visit for the summer in April/May of each year. They definitely add a ‘shuffle’ to our step when we take our daily walks. You see, they love to nestle in the very shallow waters of the Gulf….looking for tasty morsels. After finding a spot, they wiggle/shiver into the sand and do whatever….maybe take a nap.
However!!
When someone or something comes by unannounced, these tiny darlings become a little startled and whip their tail around to barb whoever is nearby. Well, dang, I can vouch for the fact that THAT HURTS!! Keep in mind, however, I’ve been coming here for 35 years and have only been stung once…and it was my fault….not shuffling in a skate zone. No ticket given, but 45 min of pouring super hot water on the spot to ease the toxins, taught me well.
More later…….your correspondant, from the beach says tootle
1 CORINTHIANS……THE GARDEN OF FOREVER!
Remember the old song….In The Garden?…..I come to the garden alone…..while the dew is still on the roses….and the voice I hear, falling on my ear….the Son of God is calling…..
And He walks with me, and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own….and the joys we share, as we tarry there, none other will ever know.
Chapter 15 talks to us about this new Son of God and why the whole idea of Jesus’ death and resurrection is so important if one wants to be a Christian. So simple and yet so difficult to hold on to, because we are human…we want the facts, we want the whole story, we want the news as it happens, we want pictures and background, and family responses….. That’s how life is today for us, instant, real, proof in the pudding of FOX and CNN.
But Paul says stake your life on the faith, words, the promise of those who lived before…..and BELIEVE! Christianity is not a half-way belief…it’s the whole package. Christ came for me, He lived for me, He died for me, and He provides a garden filled pathway to heaven.
Resurrection example…..given in ‘The Message’…is so good…..Part of it reads…”What does the ‘resurrection body’ look like? If you look at this question closely, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing. We do not have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a ‘dead’ seed; and soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant. You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don’t look anything alike. The dead body we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different.” It goes on to say “We are only looking at pre-resurrection ‘seeds’—-who can imagine what the resurrection ‘plants’ will be like.
So here we are…..as Paul signs off in chapter 16, planning to come to the newly formed churches for a visit, we still have the words of this wonderful book to rely on. He taught us in so many ways, with so many descriptions, about the wonderful works of God and His son, Jesus Christ. He scolded us and prodded us, embarrassed us, and then praised us in the next sentance.
As we Christians struggle through these days of loss, death of our beloved on a cross, and yet of promises so amazing we cannot properly comprehend. We must keep the this faith…the belief…the beauty…and the prize of what Christ has so graciously presented us.
Believe…..yes you will fall, yes you will fail miserably, but there will be days that you rise to the occasion in thought, word, and deed. Christ shows us the way..he asks us to walk the path with him, regardless of bumpy it may be, and to remember that beautiful garden and the walks we’ll share together….forever.
Happy Easter! He has risen!!
I CORINTHIANS….THE RESURRECTION
In the chapter discussing the resurrection, I see Paul at his very best. He has been kind, humble even, in some chapters and then very authoritarian in others. He has begged and borrowed to keep the new churches aware of their responsibilities. I can see him writing into the night, maybe as the first glimpse of a sunrise comes through his window. He is working so hard for God..and his church.
And now the resurrection…..the reason, the argument, the motive, for all the previous work….. This is the magnificent ‘closing’ of Paul….the real story…the real reason he has been preaching for days and weeks, about Christianity……IT IS THE RESURRECTION!
And he says it so straightforward, so simple…..If you don’t believe, after all this, that Christ is alive, risen from the dead….then there is nothing more to say. If there is no resurrection, there is, quite frankly, no nothing….It’s a hoax, a good idea, a dream, a lie, a wish even…. Seems it is still kind of simple….this teaching of life ever after…..If there is a Christ…if He did die for our sins and has been resurrected, then everything is cool!
As we move toward Palm Sunday and Easter, this chapter is just what the doctor ordered…good reading, good lessons, good common sense. We are getting prepared…ready to come to terms, once again, the wonderful accounting and belief of the resurrection….how delightful…what a great closing to a new beginning in our lives…
more later….
seriouslyscorpio 