Connections...

I am often intrigued, inspired, and even amused by the persons who appear in my life. The circumstances that surround our meetings sometimes keep us connected for a lifetime. We each have social and professional relationships or connections. We also have those persons in our life who we feel we have a spiritual connection with--a heart to heart thing. Sometimes, this connection develops over a period of time; sometimes, it is almost instantaneous.

 

 

Therefore encourage one another

and build each other up

as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

 

The following are short excerpts from four of my books.

In each situation, a life was impacted because of the connection.

 

 



 

 Introduction

In the spring of 1977, a rusty, lime-green, 1950 Chevy slowly crept up the driveway of the Gary and Cheryl Pearson farmstead. An older fellow stepped unsteadily from the car.

"Is this David?" he asked.

Gary Pearson studied the man. Definitely not from around here. A string bean of a man, weak, and pallid. The stranger wore clothes that were clean, but he appeared uncomfortable inside them.

Gary nodded and said not a word.

******

 



I first saw Star when working at the Red Owl--my first job. ...."Dark meat and lots of gravy. It's what I want and lots of gravy. Keeps my joints lose," he almost shouted like he wanted everyone to know he was there ordering his chicken. A person couldn't miss him if a person wanted to. Star always wore the same thing: black cowboy boots, tight black jeans, a black shirt with pearl buttons and a black cowboy hat. Someone asked him once if he had any other clothes. He studied them a bit and grinned. "Looks good on me, right? If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  ... I would not have paid much attention to Star. I guess you could say he started it. He started asking for me to get his chicken dinners. Like making a request. I couldn't believe my own ears when he first asked for me. "Who's that skinny gal with the long, blonde hair. I'll have her wait on me today."

 

 

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When I first saw him at my graduation reception, I was smitten. I can't think of a better word.
I turned around after hugging my parents and there he was. Staring at me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a dark uniform. He was studying me, and I had to look away.
As I felt my face grow warm, Margo touched my arm and said, "Karen, meet Martin." 
...  his eyes followed me.
And mine were on him.





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The service opened with the organist playing "Ave Verum," announcements, and the Call to Worship. Other than Pastor Offen and Arnie and Hank who sat next to us, I knew no one. However. when it came to the "sharing of the peace," congregation members were warm and friendly. Some even left their pew areas to greet us and welcome us to their congregation. As the members sang "This Is the Day" and "Thy Word," I looked in the bulletin for the sermon title, "Broken Hearts." My hand started to shake ... .

 

 

 

********

 

The above are only stories.

However, some believe that life is stranger (or more interesting?) than fiction.

Whatever the case, the world is made up of trillions of unique individuals--all created in His image and members of His body.

 

1 Corinthians 12:14-27 reads--

 

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.... But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose... . If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need for you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable... . If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are all the body of Christ and individual members of it.

 

 

...consider this when you meet someone today and this week...

and reflect the love He gave you.

A single word or phrase, spoken kindly,

may turn one away from error

or cause one to feel loved and cared for....

 for a precious moment

or for a lifetime... .





Father Time

You wanted to see the world,
but at 8 you couldn't leave the yard.
At 16, you had no car.
At 21, you had no money.
At 34, you had no baby-sitter.
At 50, Father Time tells you it's too late.
And you tell him to eat your dust!
   ... from 1995 issue of Good Housekeeping
    
I ripped the Ginkgold advertisement from the 1995 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. I was a little over 50 years old and knew it wasn't too late. I would tell Father Time to "eat my dust."

Feeling like I had enjoyed every stage of my life, I still wanted more. I wanted to walk, run, travel, have new experiences, meet people, make new friends.

Now, some 15 years later, I have had more time to walk, run, travel, have new experiences....; however, I still am eager for more. I am thankful for my new experiences; I am also thankful that I am eager for more. It indicates a zest for living, and I embrace this.

We have a God-given desire to be purposeful, validated, relevant for His kingdom. Perhaps this is why we are always looking for something else. .... and we will keep looking until Our Creator takes us to a heavenly home where we are no longer searching for purpose and relevance. Until, then, tell Father Time to eat your dust.

Words, Words, Words....

Be careful of the words you say                           
Keep them soft and sweet
Because you never know from day to day
Which ones you'll have to eat.


I wasn't thinking of K. McCarthy's words when I wrote "Poppycock." When perusing the dictionary one afternoon, my pointer finger landed on poppycock, and I was amused.  Such a funny sounding word with connotations worth exploring that I determined to write a poem.  Other fun words came to mind:  nonsense, staccato, babbling, swelling, blazing, blather . . .

                            Poppycock

They sit with potbellies

Cups of tepid coffee

And comrades

(They think)

Fellow soldiers

In the fight against apathy

Stirring emotions

With opinions about everything

Speaking nonsense

                                             In blatant staccato

                                            Babbling, gloating, swelling

                                            With empty talk

                                           Becoming contagious

                                          Everyone expounding

                                            No one listening

                                            Blazing with blather.

Words.  Some, simply because of their sounds, are more entertaining than others:  huggermugger, haberdashery, cantankerous, gobbledygook, snollygoster, widdershins, whippesnapper, bloomers--to name a few.

Looking for children?

These are real words.  Huggermugger connotes a contradiction--threatening and cuddly at the same time; whereas, the real meaning in its verb form is to keep secret. Snollygoster is a mythical creature that  preys on children and poultry-- or an unprincipled but shrewd person.

Reading Dr. Seuss to grandchildren, I realized the blast Seuss had with language--using comical combinations and creating new. . .

                                        

Poppycock?  I don't think so . . .

Crunk-car

Ga-zoom!

Googoo goggles
Ichabod is itchy
Zike-bike

. . . and, decided to try a tale on my own . . .

An Incomplete Fairy-y Tale

While attaching the orange cummberbund around her tiny waist and a bright bauble at her neckline, Splenda felt the collywobbles in her tummy.  Being awkward in social situations, she wondered why she had allowed her sister, Higgle, to finagle her into attending Spillville's annual hootenanny.

A soft moan escaped her lips; Splenda remembered: Higgle had not been asked by anyone.  Not wanting to show up alone-- no one did that!--Higgle had niggled Splenda until she finally said yes.

Doodling with the curls that drooped at her neckline, Splenda slumped on the bed feeling downright despondent as Higgle waltzed into her room.

"Ready?" she demanded.

Higgle's bouffant was blanketed with various ribbons.  Bloomers peeped beneath her razzamatazz skirts.  Her winkle-pinchers produced a gait Splenda had not previously witnessed in her sister.  Nincompoop came to mind.  Splenda wanted to giggle.  Giggle at Higgle?  She could not.

Nor could she say anything.    

****

 

 Speaking, communicating, sounding with lips and vocal chords--amazing what we can do?  Entertain, tease, share, comfort, explain, complain, compromise, love . . .

 God cares about your words.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, 

sweet to the soul 

and

healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

And, sometimes, it is best to use no words at all--as was the case with Splenda.

During these moments of stillness, 
 you will often sense the infinite love

and power of your Creator--and, 

He, in turn will speak directly to your heart.  

(Day 12, 365 Daily Devotions for Women)

***

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Psalm 46:10

Have a fun week with loving words be they entertaining, kind, or compassionate...