Tremble: a Lenten reflection (part 2 of 2)

February 7, 2017 Sally4 Comments

I saw a question the other day — I don’t remember exactly where — “What is your favorite blog post?”

What an impossible question, I thought, but my mind immediately went to a post by a friend.

Of all the gazillion blog posts in the world, this one is my favorite.

Cords of Light

I love aspen trees. When I was a child, my dad often traveled on business and came home with gifts for us. I have abalone jewelry from New Zealand, traditional clothing from India, and coins and pottery from Guatemala. But one of my favorite keepsakes came from a place much less exotic.

When I was eight or nine, my dad came home from Colorado with an aspen leaf pendant for me and each of my sisters. Nothing flashy, just little rust-colored leaves preserved inside a clear coating and dangling from golden chains.

The necklace my dad gave me

I had never seen an aspen tree, so the gift didn’t initially hold any particular significance for me. It was pretty, and it was from my father. I liked it.

But it came to mean something altogether different to me when I was 11, and my father took us to the aspens.

I…

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Civil War

January 23, 2017 Sally2 Comments

“Is there going to be a civil war?” one of my children asked yesterday.

“Gosh, I hope not,” I replied.

The tension in our country is alarming. I’ve never lived in a place where is an active war is being fought, and I don’t think I want to. As Rodney King once said, “Can’t we all just get along?”

To me, the question raised an interesting perspective. From a young person’s point of view, does it look like we’re headed for war?

And what would we hope to gain?

Aren’t there always peaceful solutions?

The Women’s March drew huge numbers. Friends and relatives of mine participated. I did not. Some of the signs I saw posted on social media were positive action signs, but others were angry and negative.

Last week we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day. He said,

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Yet, there they were — hating the haters, as if two wrongs make a right.

Hate is a double-edged sword that we wield by the blade. Everyone is hurt by it.

There has to be a better way.

Here are some positive steps we all can take (loosely based on Emanuella Grinberg’s CNN article: You Participated in the Women’s March. Now What?

Volunteer for a group you care about — Absolutely get involved in constructive ways. Women’s shelters. Homeless shelters. Counseling centers. Food banks. Look around you. Be hands on. Do good.
Be involved in the political process — Learn what candidates really believe. Use your head. Their actions and their words matter. If you’re a person of faith, pray about it. Be open-minded. Think. Don’t be a blind follower. Make your own decision. Do your research. Forget labels. Look at character.
Be your own Congressional Oversight Committee — The real Congressional Oversight Committee monitors the executive branch. Hurrah! May they do their job well! But you can oversee your elected representatives. Pay attention to what is going on in government and don’t be afraid to let your elected officials know what you think. Know the names of the people who represent you and let them know, in positive ways, what your thoughts are. Visit “How to Contact Your Elected Officials” to learn how to get in touch with them.

I love the fact that we can have peaceful protests in this country.

Let’s just keep it constructive, encouraging, and productive.

X

April 28, 2015March 20, 2017 Sally2 Comments

X is for ⅹ, the Roman numeral ten.

Ten sentences from my scribbly notes from Dr. Wood at Laity Lodge.

ⅰ— The highest work of art will form an echo of the gospel.

ⅱ— God alone creates. We sub-create — taking what God has created and using it to re-create.

ⅲ— We are all artists putting together a great work of art called OUR LIVES.

ⅳ— What is the lie that Satan is telling me that keeps me from fulfilling God’s plan for me as a sub-creator?

ⅴ— Friendship unites and sustains.

ⅵ— Alone-ness is both a necessity and a great danger.

ⅶ— If you adopt the strategies of the enemy, you become the enemy.

ⅷ — The deepest injuries come out of broken friendships.

ⅸ— Even the most corrupted heart still longs for God.

ⅹ— In defeat lies hope.