Sounds of Hope

It was time to take the dog for a walk.  As soon as I stepped outside, I heard the neighborhood owl hooting.  Our yard is alive with critters.  We have many moles.  We often see deer in the yard and they leave their evidence all over the yard.  Then there are the birds.  So, many birds call our backyard and the surrounding area home. I like to walk the dog.  I often find it is a time to think about the day, pray, or just think.  I had a lot churning around in my heart and mind today.  I was thinking about the odd and alarming Facebook conversation I generated today. Today is the first day of Lent.  Today is Ash Wednesday.  Being rather new to liturgical calendars and worship, I still come to these days with a lot of thought, prayer, and seriousness.  Perhaps that is the only way to approach a holy season of fasting, penance, reflection, and service.  I chose not to give up something but to add instead.  I decided ...

“ If all you can do is pray, that’s okay.” “I understand, but could you at least pray?” “I’m sorry , but I don’t have time, but I could pray.” If you spend any time in church circles, you’ve heard this.  We apologize for prayer like it is some substandard last resort.  I heard this statement from a Pastor just a few weeks ago in a church service in Connecticut.  I wrote it down.  I thought I’m going to blog about that.  I had forgotten about it until yesterday.  I love meeting new people.  I had that experience yesterday.  It was planned.  We’d been introduced via Facebook by a mutual friend.  I got in ol’red (my new name for old but faithful red car).  As I walked into Olive Garden I thought, I wonder what adventure God may be starting. I thought back to a similar meeting in Connecticut.  I had been put in touch with a woman who was a leader in the Aglow International ministry.  We were to meet at a restaurant.  ...

That night was very long, extremely long. After midnight, he was not supposed to eat in preparation for surgery the next day. I remember trying to cuddle and soothe him during the night. We had a family bed and he was not used to sleeping in the crib. We were both uncomfortable; I on the cot trying to sleep and he in the crib fussing. Very early in the morning we prepared to take that long walk and elevator ride to the surgical suite. This time it couldn’t be long enough. I wondered what it would be like to have a child with no eye. I worried I wouldn’t know how to take care of it. I knew I would have to. My husband had no stomach for such things. He never changed one diaper for any of the children. He certainly wasn’t going to take care of an empty eye socket. The words of the woman haunted me. I had called my best friend at the church. She had called the people to prayer. I knew people were praying. Yet, I wondered. Would my disbelief sentence my child to life without his right eye...

In the midst of sharing about Rukhsanah Israel, I didn’t share that another granddaughter had a birthday. Actually two of my granddaughters had birthdays within the last week. I wrote some about my granddaughter Iliana yesterday on Storehouses of Snow . I talked to her last night. Long distance grand-parenting is not that fulfilling. The other granddaughter who had a birthday is really on my heart and mind today. We had a little family party for her the end of last month while we were in Tennessee. Hands-on face to face, even though limited, is so much nicer than long distance. Officially, Maria Guadalupe Aren Duran, turned three on February 3 rd .  I call her Maria, others in the family call her Lupe. She is named for her paternal grandmother. She is beautiful, smart and delightful. If she meets you once, she will talk about you for months. She will probably never forget you. Maria is Rukhsanah’s sister.  She will never replace her sister. No one or nothing ever will. H...

I heard a sermon one time by a man named Booze, an odd name for a preacher. He wasn’t very skilled, educated or articulate. I heard him in a storefront church in the tiny town of Auxvasse Missouri. The church had become a hotbed of Charismatic activity in the mid-70’s. Why I remember him and his sermon I don’t know? He preached about a pendulum. He said that the pendulum of Christian expression swings. He cautioned that while we were experiencing renewal and freedom, we would eventually return to a more subdued expression of our faith. He didn’t want us to lose our zeal. I was young. I thought I would never lose my zeal. He was wise. Zeal eventually is tempered by the realities of life. At times, I long for the days of zealous enthusiasm and exuberant expressions of faith. I have been tempered by the harshness and tragedy that life brings all of us. To leave this part of the story out would make the story incomplete. I find myself concerned to tell it. I have never been concerned be...

I’m really not that old. I don’t usually tell my age because I am now old enough to be sensitive about it. I will tell you this, I am not eligible for senior discounts or free coffee. I am old enough to be a member of AARP although I am not. I got started with reproduction very early. In a few days that son will have a birthday. We have all sorts of interesting statistics in our family like this one, my oldest son is closer in age to me than he is to his youngest sibling. He and I are 17 years apart. He and his sister are 21 years apart. Having eight children, and one miscarriage, I have been pregnant for about 6 ¼ years. Add to that another 6 years for breastfeeding, my body was busy. I have fourteen grandchildren plus one who is in heaven. I became a grandmother 19 years ago last month. Amanda has been at basic training for the Army for a few months now.   Hard to imagine. When she was little, I used to take her out with her Aunt who was a mere six months older than here. On on...

If you didn't read the Kingdom Blogger entry of 12/28/2009 , read that first .  In fact, read it every day, it is good stuff! I whole-heartedly agree with David. I don’t care for resolutions.    I also agree that what we need is a Jesus revolution not just more resolutions. I am not sure I can follow yesterday’s Kingdom Blogger entry by David. I was thinking of various Christianized New Year’s activities. I’ve probably seen them all. I well remember Watch Night Services. Interestingly their origin comes from the African American community and goes back to slave days. To read more about it's history click  here . Watch night was associated with Emancipation. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation after a  watch night . I never went to one when I was a small child but I do remember my father going. I remember when I got old enough to go we would gather at the church at about 9:30 p.m.    We’d worship for a while and then eat. Lots of...