Back to the past

Solitude is not isolating but an opportunity to talk with Jesus.

Quote for Today:  Were I to wander with no purpose to the thoughts of my mind, the eternal force of God's hand would ever guide me on my way. (From my book that6 never was) Copyrighted

Today is a new beginning. It contains lessons of yesterday and the promises of tomorrow. The journey is only guaranteed for the moment we are in, not for what is yet to be. We often find ourselves facing obstacles to our faith. Everyone faces them. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place of personal let down, a vacuum. Any number of things can cause this. How do you treat this and where do you go with it? Who do you blame? Should you blame God? His purpose is far above ours and not within our understanding. This is a form of solitude and an opportunity to talk with Jesus. Some will close themselves off because the result was not what they wanted. My answer will be a question. Where do you want me to go from here Lord? The answer might not be fourth coming but you will be answered. I have waited years for an answer and am still waiting for some answers. Luke 11:9 “ So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Remember, it took multiple tries for the door to be opened. Answers are provided at the proper time, his time not ours. Don’t turn your back on Him because the answer was not immediate. It WILL come in HIS time.

I thought maybe it is time for some spring thoughts. It is obvious that just about all of us northern latitude dwellers need some warm sunshine. With yet another snow storm looming we need some HOPE that SPRING is on the way. First let me say that where I live the promise of spring is when the male Northern Cardinals begin to sing their territorial song. I have such a cardinal doing just that. That brings a coast to coast smile every time I hear it. This does not mean spring is just going to happen tomorrow but it gives a spot of hope that it will be beginning soon. Sunshine amidst a foot of snow and ice is reason to celebrate. I love photography of our feathered friends. I recently shared some of them privately and they were well received. So! Guess what? Right! Today is yippee, the birds are coming.

Since my favorite winter bird is the cardinal and he is singing the song of spring, he will be first. 

I was filling the feeder when I stopped to take this picture. Decked out in his finest he was singing his territorial song. Beautiful bird any time of the year.

Here he is on the feeder. This is what he was waiting for.

  

His mate is always there when he shows up. Difficult shot. She is first to take off with any sudden moves or noises.

The next series is of a bluebird that was kind enough to pose for me. She was not afraid of me so I was able to get fairly close to take her pictures. That was my explanation to the inn keeper where we were staying at the time. She had tried and couldn’t get this kind of picture. Enjoy.

Next is a fun picture and a VERY hard one to get. This is by, the way, our smallest falcon at 9” long (the American Kestrel). As a teen I was privileged to hold one of these little beauties on my hand. It had flown into a window of a friend and been dazed. It was released when it recovered.

This was a shot taken from 50 or so feet. He was at the top of a pine tree on the neighbor’s property. This is a favored spot for birds of prey. I have a bunch of pictures using this spot.. Note the very distinct facial markings.

Next and finally a woodpecker. This is not just any woodpecker. This is the largest woodpecker in North America. The Pileated Woodpecker is 16” long with a wing span of 29” this is one large bird. The photograph and the one of the Bluebird was taken at the Feathered Nest Inn in Woodstock, Virginia.

  

I hope you liked the spring/summer detour. I very much enjoyed bringing it to you. I may share some more thoughts of spring in the near future. As always, remember to "Always Love The Details."

Starvation

 Death by starvation is slow.

Mary Hunter Austin

There are many forms of starvation none of which are pleasant. For anyone who has witnessed starvation of anything in this world, animal, vegetable or human, the memory of it is near impossible to erase. The Lord said to feed his sheep. ((Jn 21:15–17) He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.") The first two times (bosko) referred to physical feeding of the flock.  The third time (“shepherd,” poimaino) referred to the spiritual feeding of the flock. The physical feeding of the flock is important for the physical health of the individual. It is the lack of food that causes the depravity we experience in a starved entity. Plants wither, animals and people grow weak and the skeleton become visually pronounced. These are easy to recognize and remedy compared to spiritual depravity. Consider what it is like to be deprived of food for the body. The pain of starvation can be severe enough to influence behaviors not normal for anyone. The need to feed the hunger can be overwhelming. Theft and even harming others to get what the body needs to survive.

Now consider what starvation of spirituality is like. There are few if any outward signs of spiritual depravity. The signs are there but few of us are able to see the underlying pain and emptiness or hunger. It is hard to imagine someone who is deprived of the word of God in the world but the reality is that there are many souls living in a vacuum devoid of the knowledge Christ or the graces of God's spirit. When someone is in such a state it is hard for them to acknowledge the possibility of what God and Christ are offering. It is like living in total darkness and suddenly light illuminates everything. Things never known to exist are visible, touchable, accessible. It is much the same as physical hunger yet different. It was not visible to the outside world but very much felt in the heart and soul of the person experiencing it. We are the light of this world, called and commissioned to be the example to others that the promise of Christ's forgiveness of sins through God's grace is real. We are to be the image of God on this earth. If you become the visible light for others, If you spark the spirit to see the light of grace outside the vacuum, a soul will be given hope where there was none. It may not be known to you but the life given to the hopeless is of no small consequence. Christ said "feed my children." It is as relevant today as it was back then.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The details."

reaching out and being personal

 

For quite some time and in many posts I have relied on the quotes and sayings of others to save time in preparing my posts. The problem with that is it is not truly personal. It gets the message across but falls flat when it comes to life in this day and age. Today's Brainy Quote says it all. Just because life speeds up does not mean our hearts and brains stop working in favor of non-communication of the heart. In recent years there has been a huge increase of views with few increases in comments. It is a blessing to be visited by so many readers. In no way am I complaining. The blessing is in reaching so many wonderful souls. It is beyond my understanding how that is possible. Our Lord works His wonders in many ways. When it is you whom he works through, we are often humbled and amazed at His work and the results. In so many ways it shows us what it must have been like for the disciples when He called them and they left everything to follow Jesus. How wonderful it must have been to see all of the works and miracles in their presence. Today the calling to follow is one of faith and belief in the grace of the Lord. The physical presence may not be there but in time you can feel His touch and hear His voice and you know He is really there with you, guiding you and teaching you the way you should go. I often find the words used are not my words but those chosen for me to say or write. On reading them myself it is a teaching experience for me as well as a humbling experience. All of the things mentioned in the quote above are of the Lord. The Lord is kind. The Lord is profound love experienced through His grace whenever we humble ourselves in His presence. 

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Saints

It is not a man’s condition, but virtue, that can make him truly great or truly happy. How mean soever a person’s station or circumstances may be, the road to both is open to him; and there is not a servant or slave who ought not to be enkindled with a laudable ambition of arriving at this greatness, which will set him on the same level with the rich and the most powerful

John Gilmary Shea, Pictorial Lives of the Saints (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1887), 502.

Consider this: Had it not been for the eternal love of God, Christ would not have been born as pure gift for the forgiveness of a sinful humanity. Humanity has not stopped sinning in the 2000 years since that sacrifice. The forgiveness has covered it forevermore. Be joyful and repent of our sinful short comings. His love has conquered our sinful ways for all time.

May the good Lord bless and keep you save.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

A higher law

 

Few are called to serve God by great actions, but all are bound to strive after perfection in the ordinary actions of their daily life.

John Gilmary Shea, Pictorial Lives of the Saints (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1887), 495.

It is in the heart of a dreamer to be famous in the eyes of those around us. Fame is not without its cost or consequences. For the Christian it is not what we do but what Christ deems is needed to produce the results He desires. If fame is gained in following His word, then it is to the glory of God that fame is obtained. It is far sweeter to know Christ has blessed us with His grace than to bask in the fame the world would place on our shoulders. It would be far better to bask in the love of our father in heaven than to be held on a high pedestal in this world.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Eternal Love

 

4 See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (Washington, DC: National Council of Churches of Christ, 1993), Mal 4:1–3.

The birth of the Lord has passed and we live in the day of the Lord's presence. Rejoice in the loving presence of His grace. Lowly though we may be, He keeps us safe no matter what the day brings. Do you not know you are precious to Him? Do you not know it is as though no one else exists, that you are the only one in His presence? Do you not know there is nothing He does not know about you? We are blessed to be able to be in His presence in the Holy of Holies. His death on the cross tore the curtain that separates us from the Holy of Holies and moved it into our bodies. When we believe we become Holy ground. We are now the home of his presence through the Holy spirit of God. That is how special we are to Him. That is how much He loves each and every one of us. We do not deserve his love. We cannot earn His love nor is it for sale. It is free gift. It is the beginning of eternity in His grace. 

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Happy New Year

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I think if you want to change something, change it today and don't wait until the New Year.

Georgina Bloomberg

Happy New Year

Happiness and Blessings.

Chosen

 

You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.

Jn 15:16

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985)

REFLECTION from John Gilmary Shea, Pictorial Lives of the Saints (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1887).—When you see any one standing in need of your assistance, either for body or soul, do not ask yourself why some one else did not help him, but think to yourself that you have found a treasure.

It was out of the common thing that the precious thing was brought; and it is out of the common things of daily life, presented obediently to Jesus and laid at His feet, that He brings His own glorious gifts, so that our whole lives become one great sacrament.

W. Hay Aitken

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

Ther are paths in our walk through life that we often question "How did I get here?" Looking back at my life, I have often asked that question. I am not good at standing in front of a gathering of people and talking. It is not a place of comfort but a place of uneasiness. Even writing these posts can be a trial. For many years my question has been "What is my purpose in life?" It has been a struggle to understand how this could possibly be helpful to our Lord. It is understanding that we are chosen and Not that we have chosen Him. He chose to bring us to where we are in Christ that matters. He knows our short comings and weaknesses. He turns them into strengths. If we allow Him to guide our walk through this life we become living examples of Him. He chose us, we did not choose Him. We need only to say yes and follow Him to find what we are meant to be. All of our questions are answered when we say yes.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to everyone visiting this blog. May you be blessed and safe this most blessed day.

Infinity and Christ

(another post from 2015)

True religion is real living: living with one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness.

An Einstein Quote From www.simpletoremember.com

I love astronomy as many of you already know. The inconceivable vastness our environment is a sobering realization. There are things that will never be known to us. Science may try to unravel the mysteries of "why" and "how" but for every answer there are many more questions that come to the fore. The farthest regions of space can never be seen and every time the smallest of the small is realized something smaller is found. The complete answers will never be known. THAT is the beauty of our Lord. Religion is not something exclusive to any sect or teaching but life itself. The whole of the word of God is a teaching on how to live and the rewards of that journey when we acknowledge the truth found in them. It brings pure humility to know some one so great can create on scales we will never comprehend. The season coming up, Christmas, has many things that defy explanation. Angels, and the Holy Spirit are some things that vex science to this day. Immaculate conception? How is that possible? Hearing voices and no one physically there? Mary must have eaten something that did not agree with her or she was inebriated when those voices came to her to tell her of the Christ child to come! It must have been a coincidence when Joseph was told about Mary, right? Angels and the Holy spirit are VERY real for me and many like me. My doubts were wiped away many years ago. What about you? Do you celebrate Christmas as a holy time or is your Christmas just for the presents? If you are going to celebrate the season then celebrate the only gifts that matter, the birth of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They bring the gift of forgiveness for all who believe. With them come the healing of mind body and spirit. I assure you these gifts are real.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."