Where is June?

Wondering why I haven't posted lately?

By the grace of God, since April 10th I've been at Father Martin's Ashley, a rehab center for pain management and alcohol or drug addiction (I'm here for pain and alcohol). I'll be here until around May 8th.

This is an incredibly wonderful place that addresses your problems physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And the right place for me.

I will tell some stories after I get out.

If You Ever Need Me, Let me Know

I have slightly altered a poem by Laurie Wyrner (my apologies to her), that speaks to me about Jesus’ eternal and unending desire to be there for us in times of trouble.

 

No one, not even me, said life would be easy.

It seems so unfair sometimes.

Yet life’s ups and downs

Make us better and stronger,

Even though we may not realize it at the moment.

 

Remember –

When you hurt, let the pain out.

When you’re sad, let the tears flow.

When you’re angry, release it. (You know I did.)

When frustration sets in, work it out.

 

Help yourself as much as you can.

You can be your own best friend.

 

But when you need to share,

In your confusion, let me know.

I want to know when to be there,

But I can’t always reach out to you

Unless you reach out to me.

 

Love is the greatest gift

We can give to one another.

And giving is one of the

Greatest joys life bestows upon us.

 

I’m here to give you what you need,

Whenever and for always.

Difficult Times in Life Can Help Us Grow

I found this poem on a website. I think it describes the times that we all face -- sometimes often, sometomes occasionally. But it spoke to me.

TRY TO REMEMBER THE GOOD THINGS

by Sherrie L. Householder

When times become difficult

(and you know they sometimes will),

remember a moment in your life

that was filled with joy and happiness.

Remember how it made you feel,

and you will have the strength you need

to get through and trial.

When life throws you one more obstacle
than you think you can handle,
remember something you achieved
through perseverance and by struggling to the end.
In doing so, you'll find you have the ability to overcome
each obstacle brought your way.

When you find yourself drained and depleted of energy,
remember to find a place of sanctuary and rest.
Take the necessary time in your own life
to dream your dreams and renew your energy,
so you'll be ready to face each new day.

When you feel tension building,
find something fun to do.
You'll find that the stress you feel will dissipate
and your thoughts will become clearer

When you're faced with so many negative
and draining situations, realize how minuscle problems will seem
when you view your life as a whole -- and remember the positive things.

With God's unlimited grace,
we can get past the bad times and find Him again.

There Are Always New Things to Do

“Dreadful will be the day when the world becomes contented, when one great universal satisfaction spreads itself over the world. Sad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life that he is living, with the thoughts that he is thinking, with the deeds that he is doing, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger which he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is a child of God.”

This was written by Phillips Brooks (1835 – 1893), an American clergyman and author who briefly served as Bishop of Massachusetts in the Episcopal Church during the early 1890s. In the Episcopal liturgical calendar he is remembered on January 23. He is known for being the lyricist of "O Little Town of Bethlehem".

During the recent meeting of the Diocese of Virginia representatives and clergy, this spoke to me as a retired person who could, all too easily, contentedly sink into a relaxing life of leisure, going to the gym, watching TV and having lunch with my friends. But that's not enough. There are still things that I want (and need) to do, whether they are a call from God or just for my own mental health. Is it the former or the latter? Or maybe are they the same? Regardless, there's still this inner need to continue to do things that take time and effort -- and sometimes are a stretch for my soul -- to help others in body or spirit.

Do you feel the same thing? Are you looking for fullfillment? Or have you already found it?

Let Your God Love You

Let Your God Love You

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.
Let your God love you.

          -- Edwina Gateley

Edwina Gateley is a bestselling author and poet, a pioneering missioner and lay minister, well known to large numbers of Christians in the USA, Canada, Britain and Ireland. She has been featured on CBS's "60 Minutes" and on "48 Hours," and is in high demand as a speaker and retreat giver. Her bestselling books include Soul Sisters, Christ in the Margins, I Hear a Seed Growing, and In God's Womb. She lives in Erie, PA.

The Star of Bethlehem

 One day this summer I was watching an episode of "Royal Pains" (one of my favorite shows) where a florist was one of the main characters. Apropos of I-don't-remember-what, he said that the Star of Bethlehem means reconciliation. That sent me into research mode..... no surprise there.

The official name of the "Language of Flowers" is "floriology." Using flowers to send a message probably dates to prehistoric times as symbolic use of flowers is mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions, in Chinese writings and in both Greek and Roman mythology.

In the 1600’s there was an actual "language" of flowers used in Turkey allowing specific messages sent of great importance through a seemingly harmless bouquet. Flowers could declare intentions, indicate acceptance, announce dismissal or even arrange a rendezvous. Flowers gained meanings which enabled lovers to convey messages to each other without having to write or talk. Shakespeare alludes to the meaning of plants and flowers in some of his writing -- in Act 4, Scene 5 of Hamlet, Ophelia says "There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts." The passing of messages via the floral code was then adopted by the French, and returned to England during the reign of Queen Victoria. Mme. Charlotte de la Tour wrote the first flower dictionary in 1818 in Paris. Entitled Le Language des Fleurs, it was very popular.. A Victorian lady, Miss Corruthers of Inverness, wrote a book on the subject in 1879. Her book became the standard for flower symbolism both in England and the United States.

The Society of American Florists website on this subject claims that the Star of Bethlehem stands for hope rather than reconciliation. I'm quite willing to accept both, and believe that the flower, like the actual star of Bethlehem, stands for "hope of reconciliation" -- in the floral sense between two persons, and in the spiritual sense between God and mankind.

If I could send each of my readers a bouquet this Christmas, it would contain gardenia for joy, violet for faithfulness, geranium for comfort, and azalea for abundance. Lacking that ability this evening, I can only send you my wish that God's grace be with you at this special time of the year.

The Advent Wreath

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and our focus is the celebration of the birth of Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. But Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. This is a process in which we all participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate.

The circle of the advent wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.

Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son. The four outer candles -- which might be white, pink, purple or red -- represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The first candle is called “prophecy” or “hope” because it symbolizes the prophets’ promises that foretold Christ’s birth and the hope we have in Christ. The second candle is called “the Bethlehem candle” in honor of Christ’s birthplace or “love” because Christ is the Light sent into the world to show us the way out of darkness. The third candle is called “the shepherds’ candle” or “peace” because the only lasting peace to be found is through Christ. The fourth candle is called “the angels’ candle” or “joy” because it represents the angelic proclamation of joy at Christ's birth. On Christmas Eve, the white center candle – called the “Christ candle” -- is lit, representing our sinless, spotless, pure Savior.

A ring of evergreens decorated with candles was seen in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity. It symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons, while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter. One theory credits a Protestant pastor in Germany as the inventor of the modern Advent wreath. The custom first gained ground among Protestant churches in Germany, Roman Catholics in Germany began to adopt the custom in the 1920s, and in the 1930s it spread to North America.