SEASONS

I love the bright colours of fall.  I take my camera to try and capture the beauty that I see everyday.  I was sharing with an elderly friend driving around looking for fields of pumpkins and she had just done this very same thing with her family.  I never know when I share something what it will stir up in the mind and heart of others.  We all have so much in common.   We all our trying to make sense out of life that will give our lives meaning. 

A time to celebrate the season of the harvest with happy creations and joyful hearts.  A time to remember to be thankful for all the gifts of life especially the love in our family.

THE LAND BEFORE TIME

I am reading about the beginning of religion and how it grew from the first drawings in caves, to the expression in music and dance, to story telling and then to words written down and  rituals to remind us of  our past history and our future hope.  Scripture for me holds holy secrets that wait to be unlocked and discovered by those willing to wrestle with it, like Jacob wrestled with the angel of God.  He had been the deceiver who needed to face those he had tricked.

When I was walking down the busy Scott Road I came to the place where you press the walk button to cross.  An elderly oriental woman pressed the button and started to cross without waiting for the signal to change.  A truck came hurtling through the intersections blaring it's horn  and I held my breath.  She believed that she was protected and I think we sometimes use our beliefs in scripture to protect us and shield us from life.     Bad things do happen to good people. 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  He created light.  He created the earth and all the plants and animals that could inhabit it.  He created the sun, moon and the stars above it.  He created man out of the dust of the earth and breathed life into him.  Knowing it was not good for man to be alone Eve was created to be his loving partner.  I have heard this story from a very early age and now with more scientific knowledge it is seen as a myth. 

There is truth in myths that have the power to enrich our lives and touch us deeply.

"Like a work of art, a myth will make no sense
unless we open ourselves to it wholeheartedly
and allow it to change us."       -Karen Armstrong.

I think it is good to read things you may not  totally agree with.  Most of the people I know have trouble with the Old Testament that is messy, violent, chaotic full of killings and so hard to understand.  How can King David be called a man after God's own heart when he seduced another man's wife and tried to get him to sleep with his wife so that the baby conceived would be considered the husbands.  When the husband refused he had him killed in a way that looked like an accident.  I have never understood sacrificing animals to free us from our sinfulness.  I have never understood fighting and killing in the name of God.

"Animal sacrifice, for example, the central rite of nearly every religious system in antiquity preserved prehistoric hunting ceremonies and continued to honor a beast that gave its life for the sake of mankind."

We do not have to hunt and kill our own meat to survive but way back in history our ancestors did just that.

I find the thought distasteful and I refrain from eating meat and have my doubts about chicken and pork for sure.  This is the path that I have chosen but I know that most would not agree with me.  We all have our likes and dislikes when it comes to food.  I remember the Sunday dinners with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with great appreciation and I look forward to a turkey thanksgiving with anticipation.

My grandchildren have had a big influence upon my life; as well as my own children.  I am now reading different authors who view Christianity with new interpretations that at times offend me.  I agree with them that the church and the faith it proclaims must be reformed.   We all want authenticity in spirituality and religion.
This means that we live out our faith by caring for others. 

OLDER

Yes, we are all getting older and it is wonderful to have a shawl to put over my shoulders.  We all at times feel tired and exhausted but I am finding there is a new dimension of feeling that is defined as getting old.  I make foolish decisions at time and wonder later what was I thinking?  I fall asleep easily every time I start to read.  I cannot keep up to those who are younger than me.  I have to be careful going down those stairs especially in the morning when it is still dark.  My memory never the greatest is now getting worse. 
I think the most noticeable is the reality that I do not regain my strength and energy as quickly after I have had a busy day or two.  This is another area of where I am having to learn patience.

Thank God for paper and pencil to write things down.

I recognize that I am slower and yes dumber than I have ever been.  I am refusing to let it take away my enjoyment of life.  I love to walk and to laugh and to see beauty in my life.  I am also finding that I am willing to let go of some of the things I once believed because I am finding belief beyond dogma and ritual. 

This world needs compassion and peace that can tear down religous walls of pride and prejudice.  Some of the critical remarks made by atheists are based on the arrogance of fundmenalist beliefs.  I find that I can very angry when I am confronted with the judgmental attitude of some who call themselves Christians.

There is much I do not understand and although I do not condone certain behviors I am not the one who will judge them; because it is only what is in our hearts than matters.  Young people live together now and no one thinks too much about it.  We were very young when we got married and very imature in many ways of what married life demanded.  Saying "I do" was a risky step of committing ourselves to love one another above all others.  Over the years we are learning what this really means.

I have had a simple faith that rests in the promise of Jesus that says "I have come to give you abundant life."
I need the reassurance that I am loved even when I am totally unlovable.  Life can rob us of that confidence and make trusting is  a hard thing to do.  As a child we become an individual as we start saying "no".
We want to make our own decisions and choices in life even though we do not always know what we are getting involved in.  I continue to learn to love with forgiving grace that often has to begin with myself.

Jesus said,
"Believe in me" and in the quiet of my own heart I say yes and as I read his words there comes a presence that fills my soul with wonder and joy.  I experience the lifting of burdens and worries knowing the comfort of scripture and prayer and the acceptance of Jesus.  I know that to others faith can seem strange and risky but for me it has saved my marriage in times of brokenness and given me strength to live each day at a time.

At times I feel remarkable alive and my faith keeps me wanting to be young at heart even as I feel the aches and pains of growing older; and the impatience that I feel with myself when I find it hard to learn something new.  I was sure that I would never be able to write on a computer after years of writing in my journals but now I find it not only possible but enjoyable.

The body slows down but the spirit that sets me free allows me to soar to greater heights.
I am not happy with that sentence because words fail me. If you close your eyes then you can imagine all sorts of wonderful things.  We bless each other with our words and as the good book says "the word became flesh" which means to me Jesus is real,  human like me but with wisdom far beyond mine.  It is through the words of Jesus that I discover the love of God.  It is at the cross that I am reminded that love demands sacrifice and humility.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

You have been visiting a friend on the fourth floor and you ring for the elevator; the door opens and it is completely dark inside.  What would happen if I step in?  How dark will it be when the door closes?  Will it work or will I be stuck in there?  Should I take the stairs?

This is the funiest part I publish my blog and an add appears for "Acorn Stair Lifts Canada" at the bottom.


My day had started at 4 in the morning when I woke up chilled to the bone.  I got up put a warm house coat on with long underwear and my slippers; heated up a blanket and curled up in a chair.  After I felt a bit warmer I headed upstairs to finish my blog.  Deed some reading  of "My Case for God" and took some notes but found it hard to concentrate.

So I took my camera and decided to walk down to Zeller's to take pictures of the trees turning colours.  Walking along several people honked and waved at me so of course I waved back.  Then I saw a little old Chinese lady coming towards me and I smiled and she came right to me and gave me a hug.  We then talked in our own languages and laughed together.

At home I baked some corn meal muffins for myself and had lots of butter and jam.  Dad was ready to take his camera and we where off to the Serpentine Fen to this time find the ducks and swans.  From there we picked  up a few things from choices and actually got two pumpkins, one for Sandra.  Then we drove along River Road to the lumber store to pick up paint for the shade deck.  Big trucks behind us, in front of us and bedside us what a road.

Left dad at home painting while I went visiting and took muffins for tea that I made for Shirley and myself.
As I left I thought I will just have 30 minutes for a nap before home group and then I came to the dark elevator.  I was too tired to walk down so in to the dark I went.  Fearfully I watched as the door closed in on me and was so thankful as I pushed the number it lit up and the elevator started.  Hurrah.

We had a quick supper and then drove off to Deborah and Lane's house for our last meeting their as they are moving to Nelson and we sure are going to miss them both.  Over the years we have made such great, awesome friends every church we have been apart of.  I always joined a small group because otherwise you do not really get to know people.

Home to bed where dad tucked me in with a foot warmer and we kept an extra blanket on.

As the weather changes I am reminded that each season of our life has gifts for us.  It also continues to teach us lessons that remind us of how very human we are.  Our lives revolve around trust and sacrifice.  We do things for others when we want to just stay at home, because we know our presence makes others happy.

Life just happens and we are given the strength we need to carry on.

RECYLE AND REUSE

We drove to the bird sanctuary called the Fen in White Rock and the first place we looked there were no birds.  They had moved to the other side but it does make you stop and think about our environment.  As human beings we are very careless with our use of water, and heat, of our land and of the animals that are becoming extinct. 

Last night we watched a show of what could happen in 2020 if we do not start to conserve what is keeping us alive.  Other civilizations have become extinct but we now have the ability to find clues in the earth of what happened and it is a warning to us of where we are heading.

Did you know that making glass products from recycled glass saves 80% of the raw material and 30% of the energy.  Recycling is a start that we can all do and even though it takes an effort we need to do it if we want to protect this place we call earth.

I am guilty of wasting water and electricity so I am going to try to use less and to use it wisely. 

We have a battery charger and rechargeable batteries.  I am amazed at how many toys call for batteries.

We take so much for granted but what if the tide did not return to fill up this beach.  Water is a precious resources that we need to be more aware when we are wasting it.  Using cold water to wash our clothes also saves energy.

We use to much paper and it is expensive and wasteful.  We have clothes now that can clean without using a cleaner so there are things that are available if we make the effort to look for them and decide to change our lifestyle a little bit.

SUFFI WISDOM

Suffi's are mystics that are a branch of Islam.
They love to meditate but also to damce.  When they dance they wear long full robes that billow all around them.  The right hand is lifted gracefully to heaven will the left hand is open to the soul of the earth.  By doing this they feel the presence of the holy in some mysterious way as for me I would just get dizzy.  I am dizzy even thinking about it! 

Rumi is a 14th centuary poet that was a Suffi.

"Past and present are shutters covering the window through which streams the sunlight of God.".

"How long are you going to worry [that's me] about what has already happened and cannot be changed and what is yet to come and cannot be controlled?"

Control freaks make themselves miserable and also those they live with.  Trust is the attitude we need to develop as we remind ourselves; in my life right now there is absolutely nothing really bad happening.  So I can stop muttering to myself and start enjoying the day.

"So many people SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF AND COMPLETELY LOSE TOUCH WITH THE MAGIC AND BEAUTY OF LIFE."  Richard Car;son. Ph.D

"When we accept each moment as a new opportunity for fulfilling our purpose, we are always present, always succeeding, always changing the world for the better."  Rabbi David A. Cooper

". . . .for the meaning of happiness consists in three elements
freedom, gratitude, and the sense of wonder.
These three elements can be present in the most ordinary of lives,
the free man is not necessarily a magician, a seer or a mystic. . . . "
Alan Watts from "THE MEANING OF HAPPINESS. . . . "

I am amazed that one could quite literally quote from different sources and the same thought is expressed.
Yet even with the wisdom of the sages and our modern day philosophers our language has an inadequacy and even our brains are limited by what it cannot see or understand.  Before the telescope was invented  the sky was a different place and we were limited by what we could see with our eyes. 

Does God exist?  Can I see him [or her]? , can I hear him?  can I feel him?   Neither science or religion can prove there is a God but those who have experienced the presence of his Spirit Have a knowing.

CHANGING

So many things seem to be changing; we went to look for a pumpkin patch today and the usual ones were not there anymore.  So many fields are now covered with glass green houses where things are grown hydroponically.  The rich soil is now no longer being used.  It was a cold and windy day as we drove up and down with no success.  Finally on the road home just past the old community hall we found this small patch.  The pumpkins are not very big and it is a very tiny field.  I got out of the car to walk into the yard to take a picture when the owners came home.  I quickly explained I was taking pictures and got two strange looks.

Our old street has also changed losing its quaint charm and now huge houses are replacing modest homes of all different sizes and character.  Our home looks very run down and unhappy and that is very sad to see.

As I start my study of the Bible I know that the stories will reflect all the same problems we have  in our world today.  Fighting and arguing about what is right, jealousy and bitterness destroying families, sickness, poverty, injustice, selfishness and cruelty to name a few.  Centuries have passed and we realize that some of their values and codes are alien to us.  They were wanders who set out to conquer and wanted a strong powerful God on their side.

The history of Christianity that was bloody, violent and revengeful leaves all of us with a bad taste in our months.  We want to reject religion with it's hatred and prejudice and controversies.

I believe that Christianity based on the words of Jesus has the power to transform my life and the lives of others in a chaotic world.  I live in hope and expectation knowing that there are many good things happening and that they will continue to happen.
 
The church has been in danger before from the society around it and the same is true today although it is in danger from apathy more than anything else.Disasters can make us stop and realize that in life and in death faith makes the difference.  Would I write this if it was my last day on earth or would there be other things I would think are more worth while doing. 

We had planned to visit a friend and take over some spray that has helped dad with his eyes but that did not happen.  So our plans changed and it was good to be home in our own little cozy T.V. room.