Do You Remember Your First Sin?

I was in Woolworth's with my mom--and a brother or two. The wooden floorboards were warped  and made squeaky noises with every step. Dust bunnies hid in the corners and cracks and shifted slightly as the over-head fans did their best to keep us cool. I had just stolen a stick of Juicy Fruit gum from the large barrel by the check-out corner and slipped it into my pocket. I followed my mother out the door; I followed her down the hot, cemented sidewalk and to our station wagon. I fingered it all the way home not daring to unwrap and taste the sweetness of if.

At home, I was extra quiet and a tad-bit fidgety.  I soon escaped from the house and ventured to our treehouse, the gum still in my pocket. Alone, I took out the gum, folded and folded it until it was crushed. Next, I hid it under the sticks of our little tree house make-believe fireplace and prayed no one would find it.

I never told anyone for years because I was ashamed. It was a child-hood thing and a forever lesson. I had no desire to feel that uncomfortable again about doing something I should not have done.

...the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing... Romans 2:15

Enough said...

We Need More Leo's in Our Life.

We need more Leo’s in our life! I know three. Two of them live in my hometown. One is older and has accomplished much due to generosity and an industrious nature. The other is very young, adventurous, and has his entire life ahead of him.

I just finished a re-read of the book BUS 9 TO PARADISE by another Leo. Buscaglia is his last name and although the book was published in l986 and Leo died in 1998, the book speaks to me today. If I tell you that he was known as “Dr. Love,” this will all start to make more sense.

Buscaglia, while teaching at USC, was moved by a student’s suicide to contemplate human disconnectedness and the meaning of life. He began a non-credit class called Love 1A. Can you imagine his full classrooms? At one point, his televised lectures were the top earners of all PBS programs.

For what it’s worth, I am sharing a few thoughts/quotes from his book.

 With everything going on in the world today….some of this may help.

*In reality we never lose the people we love. They become immortal through us. They continue to live in our hearts and minds and therefore participate in much of what we do…

*..in the act of forgiving we release ourselves from bondage…. To not forgive hurts us more than anyone else.

*…when we are loved, the people who love us want us to be what we are, not what they are.

*It’s a fact that all of us are just a little crazy, and… we should rejoice in our foolishness from time to time.

*Sometimes, to do nothing is to do something.

*You have a right to be yourself. So many of us live our lives to please others and conform to their image of us.
 

*We have been taught to follow the Golden Rule—not that we become shining examples of behavior, but that we realize one more way of better understanding one another.

Love God.

Love your fellow man.

 

Swimsuit Shopping and an UGH

I need a new swimsuit, and already know: shopping will not be fun. Previously, I could be picked out at our wellness center wearing my son's football leggings, and a swimshirt--with short sleeves and a slight collar. I know what you're thinking: weird.

leggings and swim shirt?...
probably more appropriate
on a lake than
IN A POOL?

 I prefer to wear something that doesn't show my cleavage-- because I don't have much of one. I prefer to wear something that doesn't reveal my entire leg--toe to crotch. Why is it that men (unless he prefers the "speedo") wear baggy shorts down to, or covering their knees, and we only have choices that reveal the entire leg?

Chlorine took its toll on the leggings and swimshirt, so I purchased a running shirt and shorts and wore it to swim--not a bad alternative; however, I'm headed to AZ and want to use a pool whenever I get the chance, so I google swim wear on the internet.

My options are numerous: swimsuits that... make you look slimmer, are warmer under the water, hide your thighs, cover your stomach, cover your back. I see: swimsuits for Christian Women. I click the option but still see cleavage and lots of leg. If you keep digging, you can find swim wear that covers you head to toe--something that would surely drag you to the bottom of the pool and drown you.

Whether one is at McDonalds', enjoying a cruise-line buffet, or the grocery store cereal aisle, we realize we have way too many choices of  EVERYTHING. Knowing this, doesn't make my dilemma easier. However, using the internet in the privacy of my home does help. I think....

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
        Matthew 6:25

Something to think about...

No Heaven or Hell?

If you knew for sure there were no heaven or hell,

would you act any differently?

I recently saw this question in a magazine, and to be honest with you, I can not answer it.
I can not answer it, because I can not believe that there is no heaven or hell. It has been ingrained in me since childhood Sunday School classes, confirmation, and a somewhat spontaneous, sporadic, and yet diligent study of God's word.




I guess my best answer would be: I would not act differently, because there is a heaven and there is a hell.

And, besides that, I love God...I want to please him, I want to reflect his love. So, even though I'm not perfect by a long shot, I'm on my way to heaven and it's not because of my behavior. It's because of God's grace. Hallelujah!

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

While preparing for last week's  blog, a friend's blog (AssertiveServants.org) used John 3:6--

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.

 They were yours;

you gave them to me

and they have obeyed your word.

 

In this verse and those following Jesus was praying for his disciples.

 

In John 20-26, Jesus prays for all believers.

This is you and me.

It is a beautiful passage.

 

..I pray also for those who will believe in me

 through their (the disciples') message,

that all of them may be one, Father,

just as you are in me and I am in you.

 

What a glorious thought: oneness with one another.

Oneness in God.

 

 

....I have made you known to them,

and will continue to make you known in order that

the love you have for me may be in them

 and that I myself may be in them. vs. 26



 

If I just remember this... my days will be different in a wonderful way.



Pray Without Ceasing. Impossible?

How/when do you pray?

I grew up in a home where we recited memorized prayers as a family before a meal, after a meal, and before going to bed. This tradition continued with our own family—except for the after-the-meal prayer. Now, living in a home without children present, I pray spontaneous prayers when I get up in the morning flat on my face. This needs explanation: I started out my mornings flat on my face on the floor several years ago. It was a good position to stretch my neck muscles. Later, I figured this was also a good time to pray--humbly. I continue to pray our family, “Come Lord, Jesus, be our guest...” before meals. I pray during devotions and before going to bed at night. If I get up during the night, which happens more than I would like it, I pray for whoever comes to mind before falling back asleep.

You may be thinking, “She prays a lot.” Okay, each prayer takes maybe 30-60 seconds or less. Of course, when there is drama or virtual trouble or pain with family or friends, it is easy to pray constantly. As a matter of fact, sometimes, I cannot stop pleading with God to heal, fix it, or do whatever will take the pain away.

There is a Bible verse that reads, “Pray without ceasing.” When I first read this, I thought IMPOSSIBLE. However, I think it is telling us that we need to feel so connected to God that he hears our sighs, knows our longings, feels our joy.

Confession: Even though prayer comes naturally for me when alone, I still feel uncomfortable with spontaneous prayer with others—concerned that my words won’t sound right.

What about you? Do you fold your hands, get down on your knees, pray while you’re walking, only use memorized prayers, or cry out with any words you can think of?

Hard Questions to Answer

Happy New Year!... and, I'm not talking resolutions.

 

I am going outside the box and asking questions.

Questions, that might change how we view the New Year...
I'll ask you 1-2 questions a week.... sending the first one out in a day or so. The list is below

....ready for the ride?

.... your comments may lead to more comments...go ahead and suggest questions of your own :)


1. How/when do you pray?
2. If you knew for sure that there was no Heaven or Hell, would you act differently?
4. Do you remember your first sin?
5. Are you guilty of acting righteousness?
6. What is unsolved in your heart?
7. What questions have you locked away?
   (... be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and... try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue..{Rainer Maria Rilke}
8. Your parents' faith? How much did it impact you?
9. Many religions have a tradition of sacred dance.. so is there such a thing as sacred gardening, sacred walking, sacred child-rearing?