A Sacred Gift

The Gift of Butterflies

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:02:04 +0000

“Just like the butterfly,

I too will awaken

in my own time.”

(Deborah Chaskin)

I was sent an e-card created by Jacquie Lawson. It opened with a paintbrush painting a butterfly. You didn’t see the hand holding the brush, but it was there.

It made me think of God painting the beauty we see all around us, including the beauty in people. This beauty was put there by the hand of God.

In the card the brilliantly-colored butterflies flew off, just like we go into the world to do the work God wants us to do. He creates us with His hands and we become His hands in the world, helping and nurturing and creating

A butterfly is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Hands

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:01:40 +0000

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

(Jeremiah 29:11)

As Mother’s Day draws to a close I think of my mother and my mother-in-law. They were very different women, but they each gave me the gifts of love. I say “gifts” because love comes in different forms, creates different experiences and changes us in different ways.

They are both with the Lord now so I can no longer thank them in person. Instead I thank them in my prayers for being God’s hands and helping to create my future and give me hope.

The working of the Lord through our mothers’ love is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Moments

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:07:44 +0000

We have only this moment,

sparkling like a star in our hand …

and melting like a snowflake.

Let us use it before it is too late.

(Marie Beynon Ray)

I read a column in our local town newspaper. The writer talked about seeing a just-born fawn and its mother. She called it a “God moment.”

What a beautiful phrase! It made me think of the moments in my life that were God moments. I remembered:

a rainbow arcing across the sky after a heavy rain

holding my newborn daughters in my arms for the first time

seeing an unbelievably turquoise lake at the base of a hill that was too steep to climb

watching a newborn Morgan horse foal stand on its spindly legs for the first time

finding a tiny, perfect, purple flower in a wet field on a drizzly afternoon

breathing in the essence of my grandbabies as I gently kissed their soft, sweet cheeks

Each God moment was incredibly beautiful.

What have your God moments been?

God moments are sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Imperfection

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:33:32 +0000

A diamond with a flaw

is worth more than

a pebble without imperfections.

(Chinese Proverb)

Do you ever feel like you ran into a brick wall? I do. I ran into one today. It was my fault. I lost my patience, really lost it, and was unkind. Afterwards I remembered what I used to tell my daughters when they were little: “You can think whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want.”

I had been planning on writing this column about the joy of imperfection. I just didn’t plan on being this imperfect. That said, there is a happiness that comes when you realize that perfection isn’t possible and stop criticizing yourself for all the ways that you aren’t perfect. When you don’t have to try to be perfect, you can…

Eat dessert instead of dinner.

Fold the laundry tomorrow.

Hate broccoli and brussel sprouts and liver.

Enjoy singing silly songs like “Dorothy the Dinosaur.”

Eat popcorn with lots of butter.

Stop beating yourself up over all the “Should have’s.”

The best part of being imperfect is knowing that God doesn’t expect perfection. He expects simply love, for Him and for other people.

Being able to be imperfect is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Little

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:39:44 +0000

Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let earth her song begin:

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ the Lord is risen

Our joy that hath no end.

(Saint John of Damascus)

The sermon on Easter Sunday was about little easters. I had never heard the term before. l loved the idea that we have easters throughout the year. Little easters are small surprises that give us a moment of joy.

I think of the little easters in all our lives:

Seeing a rainbow arc across the sky

Being hugged by a child

Watching an elderly couple walk hand-in-hand

Seeing the first butterfly of spring

Receiving a compliment about something you always considered a negative

Having a friend who has had a hard life tell you how blessed she has been

“The story of Easter is the story of

God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.”

(Carl Knudsen)

Little easters are sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Easter

admin — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:05:47 +0000

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

(Charles Wesley, 1707-1788 )

What a joyous day! Our entire faith rests on the resurrection of Jesus. Because he rose from the dead we have the promise of eternity. He said,

In my Father’s house are many mansions:

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

(John 14.2)

This promise provides a foundation for our lives. Christ the Lord has risen, but we remain forever in His care.

Each day I am grateful to God for all His gifts and for His help. This day I am especially grateful for the miracle of Easter. I hope that miracle brings each of us joy and a deep peace, even in the midst of lives that are rarely easy.

Easter is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Courage

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:35:41 +0000

“Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

(Joshua 1:9)

It is so easy to be frightened. We are afraid of people we don’t know, bad people who may hurt people they don’t even know. We read and hear about things like that all the time.

We are, also, afraid of people we do know who may be difficult, impossible, even downright mean. Being kind doesn’t guarantee that everyone will return kindness with kindness. Some won’t.

Long ago our ancestors had to fight saber-toothed tigers. We don’t have to fight tigers, but there are many challenges we do have to face, challenges like an abusive husband, a lost job, a child in the clutches of his or her own demons. We fear that someone we love will become ill. We fear that our performance review won’t be great, even though we have worked as hard as we can. We worry that the costs of living are outstripping our income.

No matter what your personal situation one thing is guaranteed. You will always have worries and fears. Everyone does. Thankfully “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Having the Lord walk with us is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Movies

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:51:41 +0000

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

(Psalm 27.1)

I am watching a 1939 movie, Drums Along the Mohawk. It is the story of colonists in the Mohawk Valley of New York in 1777. As I watch it I think about how they fought and died to purchase our freedom. I think about their pain and suffering, their hopes and fears. Like us, they experienced happiness and sorrow, disappointment, anger, frustration, disbelief. They worried about the people they loved. They feared for their safety and celebrated their joys. Unlike us, they had to do it all against the backdrop of war that, quite literally, came to their door, burning their homes and the crops in their fields, maiming and killing the people they loved.

I also think about the fact that our lives are like a movie. We know what has happened in our lives to this moment, but we don’t know what lies ahead. The Lord knows what joys we will have and what sorrows we will endure. Even more important, the Lord has been our support throughout each moment of our lives and will always be there for us. We don’t know how our movie will end, but the Lord does. With His help our joys will be many and our sorrows will be made bearable,

Having the Lord with us every moment of our lives is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Flowers

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:35:57 +0000

“For behold, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

The fig tree has ripened its figs,

And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come along!’ “

(Song 2:11-130

What a beautiful day it is! I can smell spring in the air and feel it in the gentle breeze caressing my face. The sun’s warmth makes my soul happy. While it is still officially winter, I can see the earth ripening into spring.

I am eagerly awaiting the first flowers. Every flower is incredibly beautiful, from the tiny mini-crocus to the large, heavenly-smelling peony. Photographing flowers is one of my great joys. It is amazing what joy a flower gives to each person who sees it.

I hope that you are enjoying this day, in spite of whatever cares are on your heart.

Flowers are a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Mirrors

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:27:37 +0000

Every wise woman buildeth her house:

but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

(Proverbs 14:1)

Last week I went to a Bible study on the Book of James. One of the women said something that I can’t stop thinking about. She said that she had been listening to a radio program and the speaker asked, “Are you the wife you would like to be married to? Are you the friend you would like to have?”

On the second question I did fine. I love my friends and I have never felt that I failed them in any way. On the first question I failed. Although I love my husband and have always tried to be a good wife, in many ways I have failed. I have been too “helpful” and too quick to criticize.

When the woman asked that question, “Are you the wife you would like to be?” it was like she held up a mirror for me to see myself. We can be so busy doing, doing, doing that we don’t take the time to ask, “How am I doing?” Is all my “help” building a strong house or tearing it down?

I am reminded of St. Paul’s quote,

“I do what I do not want to do and do not do what I want to do.”

(Romans 7)

When someone holds up a mirror in front of us, we are given a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Healing

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:06:37 +0000

This story came in my e-mail two days ago. It is so beautiful that I want to share it with you.

Freedom and Jeff

Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer.

She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings.
Her left wing doesn’t open all the way even after surgery,
it was broken in 4 places.
She’s my baby.
When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice.
We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet’s office.
From then on, I was always around her.
We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to
lay in.
I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight, and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes.
We also had to tube feed her for weeks.
This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand.
It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand in a week.
You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning.
She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon.
I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized;
I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear.
I went immediately back to her cage, and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.
We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her.
I got her used to the glove, then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show
about us.
In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair – the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.
Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.
So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill.
I hadn’t said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don’t know how long .
That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.
On a side note:
I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them.
I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled, and he
swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that..
I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.

The story concluded with this quote:

But they that wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:31)

The Lord’s strength is a sacred gift, given to help us heal when we are broken. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Wings

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:53:42 +0000

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

(Isaiah 40:31)

Last year was a very difficult year for our family. In November it became much worse. That’s why I haven’t written this blog.

In the weeks that I have not felt that I could write these words kept going through my mind:

“Let go and let God.”

It is hard for me to do that. I am a person of action who needs to be steering the ship. This morning, as I was working, the verse from Isaiah came into my mind. It is one of my favorite verses from the Bible.

I ask the Lord to lift up my family on eagles’ wings and to lift up your family, too.

The Lord’s help when we are burdened is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Action

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:10:35 +0000

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

(Psalm 19)

The sacred words in this psalm by David refer to “the heavens” that “declare the glory of God.” The words can also refer to people, people who make an impact on others by their acts of love and compassion. They don’t need to preach. They don’t need to teach. Their actions speak for themselves.

I remember the old saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” If you are a father or mother, you have probably been given the advice that your children learn more from what they see you do than by what you tell them they should do. As if parents don’t already have enough pressure on them!

Kidding aside, that advice is both true and reassuring. By simply acting in the kindest way we can to everyone who crosses our path we teach a valuable lesson without saying a word.

Being able to speak through your actions is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Blessings

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:33:49 +0000

Count Your Blessings

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.

When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds.

If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

This song, written by Cole Porter, was made famous by Bing Crosby. I think it appealed to so many people because what person hasn’t turned tossed and turned, unable to sleep, because worry kept them awake.

Today we can certainly identify with bankrolls that are getting smaller. Fortunately, we can also identify with the curly heads tucked safely in their beds. My family and my friends who are like family to me are my greatest blessing. I hope that you, too, fall asleep counting your blessings.

Each of our blessings is sacred, a gift from God. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Beauty

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:10:42 +0000

We have been enjoying several days of glorious weather. I played hooky for an hour and drove to the park. As I sat outside gazing at a pond I was in awe of the beauty of the day. The sun was shining and the air still. The sky was an incredible blue with pure white, fluffy clouds. It was literally perfect.

I walked to the edge of the pond and was surprised to see water lilies. They were like a present. In fact the whole unplanned trip was a present to myself, just as the beauty of His creation is God’s gift to each of us.

He gave us the reds, oranges, golds and purples of sunrises and sunsets that take our breaths away. The tiny buds that burst into delicate flowers making our souls smile. The delicacy of butterflies and the gentle lapping of ocean waves. The irresistible smile of a baby and the echo of children’s laughter.

Each beautiful thing in our lives is a gift from God. God’s gift of beauty is sacred. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Stairways

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:17:53 +0000

This was sent to me today by e-mail. It so powerful that I want to share it with you.

MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL

You say you will never forget where you were when
you heard the news On September 11, 2001.
Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room
with a man who called his wife to say ‘Good-Bye.’ I
held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the
peace to say, ‘Honey, I am not going to make it, but it
is OK..I am ready to go.’

I was with his wife when he called as she fed
breakfast to their children. I held her up as she
tried to understand his words and as she realized
he wasn’t coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a
woman cried out to Me for help. ‘I have been
knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!’ I said.
‘Of course I will show you the way home – only
believe in Me now.’

I was at the base of the building with the Priest
ministering to the injured and devastated souls.
I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He
heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat,
with every prayer. I was with the crew as they
were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the
believers there, comforting and assuring them that their
faith has saved them.

I was in Texas , Virginia , California , Michigan , Afghanistan
I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news.
Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew
every name – though not all knew Me. Some met Me
for the first time on the 86th floor.

Some sought Me with their last breath.
Some couldn’t hear Me calling to them through the
smoke and flames; ‘Come to Me… this way… take
my hand.’ Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day. You
may not know why, but I do. However, if you were
there in that explosive moment in time, would you have
reached for Me?

Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey
for you. But someday your journey will end. And I
will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may
be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are
‘ready to go.’

I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God

God’s love for us is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Remembrance

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:54:58 +0000

There are some moments you will never forget. The moment you found out that a plane hit one of the Twin Towers is that moment for every American and for many people around the world.

On September 11, 2001 our lives changed forever. Cruelty and treachery on a scale we could never have imagined was visited upon our land. Our hearts broke into more than 3,000 pieces, one piece for each person who died that day. I pray for each of them and for their families.

My heart is seared by thoughts of the eight children, ages 2 to 11, who were on the planes that struck the Twin Towers. In remembrance of them I’d like to share this poem. It was written in 2002 by another 11-year-old, Brittany Clark.

She wrote the poem for her father, Benjamin Keefe Clark, a food service worker.

She said, “This poem makes me feel like my daddy is speaking to me.”

I give you this one thought to keep/

I am with you still, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on the snow.
I am as sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush.

Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone,
I am with you still in each new dawn.

This poem was Brittany’s gift to her father. It is a sacred gift for each of us to remember and to pray for those who died and for those who have been sickened by the toxic gases.

Remembering is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Light

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:37:48 +0000

“The Lord bless and keep you;

the Lord make his face

shine upon you,

and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His

countenance upon you,

and give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

I have always loved these words. Just reading them makes me feel peaceful. I love the idea of God shining His face upon me. It tells me that His eyes are always upon us and we are always in His hands.

Jesus said,

“I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12)

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The more years pass the more acutely aware I become that we all have pain in our lives. Sometimes it is a temporary pain. Sometimes it is a sorrow that is always with us.

As I pray for help for people who are suffering I pray that each person will feel the Lord’s blessings and have a lightening of the physical and emotional burdens they carry.

The Lord’s light is a sacred gift. I wish you countless gifts.

The Gift of Tiny

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:00:40 +0000

Delight yourselves in the Lord, and He will tend to your heart’s desires.

Psalm 37:4

Delighting ourselves in the Lord means delighting ourselves in his creation, right down to the tiniest things. There are so many tiny things in life that delight. I think of:

a baby’s toes
a flower petal
a kitten
a breath
a word

We are delighted by the smallest things in God’s creation. We stand in awe of what these tiny things may become. I think of:

a 1 lb. 2 oz. baby who grew into a tall, healthy college student

a word that led to more words and became the first word of a great novel

an idea that becomes a masterpiece

a stone that became the cornerstone of a cathedral

Finally, I think of the parable of the mustard seed.

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31–32

Our faith is a tiny seed in our heart that grows with each passing day.

Faith is a sacred gift. I wish you countless gifts.

The Gift of You

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:16:51 +0000

You may be the only Bible that some people will ever read. The words you speak and the things you do may be the only things they will know about being a Christian.

“Actions speak louder than words.” What you do tells the world who you are. Do you help people even when it is inconvenient or difficult or do you turn around and keep walking?

Do you often speak ill of people or do you try to speak good about them, even when the good may be hard to find? Do you turn the other cheek when hurt, even when you wish you could “get even?” Do you try to love the unlovable and forgive the unforgivable?

I often remember these words of St. Paul:

“…for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

Romans 7:15

I so often feel that I don’t do the good things I truly want to do and may do the bad or hurtful things I don’t want to do. I guess the most important thing for each of us to do is to live a good life by trying to love others as God loves us.

“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now –

love each other just as much as I love you.

Your strong love for each other will prove to the world

that you are My disciples.”

John 13:34, 35

Trying to be the best person that you can be is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Wonder

admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:54:32 +0000

Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains,
at the huge waves of the sea,

at the long courses of the rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,

at the circular motion of the stars;

and they pass by themselves with out wondering.

Saint Augustine

As I read this quote I think of the wonder of man. We love deeply. We would gladly give our lives to save the people we love. Our love is so deep that our greatest joy is helping those people and doing what we can to make them happy.

Man truly is a wonder. We are able to think and create. We write. We compose. We invent. We sing, dance, run, jump. We care for people in need. We care for animals. God created us to love all of His creation.

Being able to appreciate the wonder of man is a sacred gift.

I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of God

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:02:58 +0000

“In all these things we are more than conquerors

through Him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

With permission I’d like to share this beautiful column with you.

There is…
by Roy Lessin

For every hectic work day there is a quiet rest…

For every painful experience there is a healing touch…

For every negative feeling there is an abiding joy…

For every disappointment there is a certain hope…

For every turbulent storm there is a sure foundation…

For every doubting thought there is a calm assurance…

For every hurtful action there is a forgiving love.

These beautiful words make me think of that old saying, “For every cloud there is a silver lining.” It is so easy to dwell on the negative, the hurtful, the disappointing, and not remember that love and joy are there for us, too. God’s love is always there for us.

God’s love is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Comfort

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:53:12 +0000

“In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.”
Psalm 94:19

With these words God is saying, “I am your Father. I know you. I love you. I care about you.”

If you or someone you love has lost their job and fears for their family, these words were spoken for you. If you fear you could lose your house, these words were spoken for you. If you fear for the life of a gravely-ill loved one or mourn the loss of someone whom you loved dearly, these words were spoken for you.

Whatever our fears or worries or pain it is comforting to know that God keeps us in the palm of His hand. It is sometimes very difficult to corral that “multitude of anxieties” that race around and around and around our minds and pain our hearts. When they do, I hope that knowing God is there to help us truly will comfort us.

God’s comfort is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Paradox

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:23:18 +0000

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

The Paradoxical Commandments were written by Kent Keith in 1968, when he was 19 and a sophomore at Harvard College. They have been quoted many times in the past 43 years. Mother Teresa thought they were important enough to put up on the wall of her children’s home in Calcutta.

I love the idea that we should do what we know is right no matter what. We may know that the good we do could be unappreciated or undone, but we should do it anyway.

Doing good “anyway” is a sacred gift. I wish you countless gifts.

The Gift of Prayer

admin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:54:59 +0000

I pray constantly for the Lord to help my family and friends and people that I know need His help. Even as I pray I realize that they have needs that I don’t know so I pray that He will help them in all the ways that they need Him to help.

I admit that I rarely pray a formal prayer. My prayers are usually either prayers for help or prayers of gratitude. That’s why I’d like to say this prayer and share it with you. It is everything that, in my heart, I’d like to pray.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

(St.Francis of Assisi)

Being able to pray is a sacred gift. I wish you countless gifts.

The Gift of Freedom

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:34:03 +0000

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
(2 corinthians 3 17)

This evening I watched a spectacular fireworks display on television. The fireworks were in New York City. Seeing the hand of the Statue of Liberty holding the torch aloft with the fireworks display in the background took my breath away. It was such a beautiful symbol of the freedom we enjoy in America.

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How blessed we are in this country to be able to be safe on this holiday and watch fireworks with our family and listen to “Amazing Grace” and “America the Beautiful” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Fittingly, service members were standing on the platform under the torch enjoying the fireworks. It is because of men and women like them that we are free to enjoy life.

Seeing them made me think of these words from “America the Beautiful:”

O beautiful for heroes prov’d
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country lov’d,
And mercy more than life.

Major Kelly Strong USAF said it perfectly in his poem, “Freedom Isn’t Free.” He wrote:

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers’ tears?

I pray that none of us ever forgets that the freedom we enjoy every day was bought with the sacrifices of men and women we will never know.

Freedom is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Inside

admin — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 01:27:47 +0000

“Man looks at the outward appearance.

But the Lord looks at the heart.”

(1 Samuel 16:7)

The Heart

How many times it has crossed my mind,

I’ve wished I could be just like her,

Soft and sweet, and dressed so neat,

A prettier person is hard to find.

She never seems to get upset,

Or rush from here to there,

Her manners are so perfect,

Why can’t I be so fair?

But then the Holy Spirit whispers,

And when I pay attention I hear,

“You are looking at the outside,

Inside she’s filled with fear”.

I couldn’t help the broad smile,

That brightened up my face,

Because inside of me,

All fear has been erased.

When I asked Jesus to be my King,

I gave my life into His hands,

I trusted Him completely,

All my problems to withstand.

It doesn’t matter what I wear,

Or how I cut or comb my hair,

It only matters who I trust,

And how much I really care.

~ Eva May Young ~

This poem is so lovely that I wanted to share it with you. It reminds me that what we see on the outside when we look at a person isn’t the whole person.

It is like looking at the outside of a house. We may be able to glimpse inside the house through a window or an open door. But that’s all it is. A glimpse.

The wisdom to know that what we see when we look at a person is nothing more than the outside is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.

The Gift of Photography

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:41:01 +0000

A dear friend named Ray has died. He was a lovely gentleman and he gave me one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. He gave me the gift of photography.

The first time I saw Ray take a picture we were in a small room lit only by candlelight. I was in awe that he was able to take pictues without using a flash. They were beautiful.

So was Ray. He was a kind, patient teacher. The first time I took a picture that I thought was good I showed it to him and told him I was thinking of having it framed. He very gently said, “You’ll do better.” I did.

For twenty-eight years I have had the joy of seeing the world through a camera lens. Even better I have had the joy of making people happy by capturing special moments in their lives.

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Because of Ray’s kindness my life has been richer than it would have been. Every time I take a picture it is a gift from him.

Giving of yourself unselfishly is a sacred gift. I wish you countless gifts.

The Gift of Moments

admin — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:42:36 +0000

Yesterday I read a column in our local town newspaper. The writer talked about seeing a just-born fawn and its mother. She called it a “God moment.” What a beautiful phrase!

It made me think of the moments in my life that were God moments. I remembered….

a rainbow arcing across the sky after a heavy rain.

holding my newborn daughters in my arms for the first time.

seeing an unbelievably turquoise lake at the base of a hill that was too steep to climb.

watching a newborn Morgan horse foal stand on its spindly legs for the first time.

finding a tiny, perfect, purple flower in a wet field on a drizzly afternoon.

breathing in the essence of my grandbabies as I gently kissed their soft, sweet cheeks.

Each God moment was incredibly beautiful.

What have your God moments been?

God God moments are sacred gifts.

The Gift of Doors

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:04:17 +0000

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
(Flora Whittemore)

When I read this quote, I thought “how true.” I don’t know who Flora Whittemore is/was. I can’t find anyone who does. I do know that I find these words to be very true.

When someone talks about opening doors and life changes, they are usually thinking of those big doors. Graduation, marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, a new job, retirement, sickness, the death of a loved one. When those doors open for us, our lives are forever changed. Going through those doors mark milestones in our lives.

In the end, though, I think it is the choices we make each day that decide the way we live. Do we open a door and speak up when we are wronged? Do we open a door and take a chance on doing something we are afraid to do? Do we choose to befriend the friendless? Do we take time we don’t have and money we don’t have to help someone else? Do we close the door on what is comfortable and open the door to what is possible?

The ability to open and close doors is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.