I will Persist....

‘She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted’

-Senator Mitch McConnell

I will persist. I may be exhausted and discouraged and frequently defeated, but I will persist. I may be reprimanded and warned, but I will persist. I may be overpowered and outnumbered, but I will persist.

I will say 'Truth' when I see it, I will say 'Lies!' when I hear them. I will point out hatred and injustice and encourage Love. I will stand up for what I strongly believe in, even if I am beaten to the floor. I have always persisted, against more opposition than I ever expected, and I will not stop now. My voice will be heard: in my music, in my art, in words, and always with conviction.

I admit that I have many role models, men and women, who have persisted against much more opposition than I have had. My true role model, as has been many of theirs, is Jesus Christ. He persisted.

Clearing the Temple.....

Giotto    'Cleansing the Temple'

This morning I went to a  new site set up to promote the work of women artists. To apply to be included, there were many 'defining' options, so that buyers could select and support (I guess) an artist whose viewpoint aligned with theirs. One of the options listed under 'philosophy' was 'Christian.' I looked at it, and my first impulse was to leave it blank and move on. I AM a Christian: I DO believe in Christ as the son of God, and as my personal Savior. But I realized that I did not want to align myself with what is passing itself as 'christianity' in my country today. So, as I frequently do, I asked myself, 'what would Jesus do?' 

I am a very visual person. The answers to the questions I ask myself almost always come to me visually, like Sherlock Holmes 'mind palace.' The vision that came to me as I asked myself that question this morning was of Christ clearing the temple, as told in the book of John.

I cannot align myself as an 'American Christian,' when they have openly supported a leader for our country who publicly spews forth hatred and bigotry towards - well, everyone. My Christ came to show the world that hatred and bigotry are not God's way. When asked what the commandments are, he said there are only two commandments: To love the Lord God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and to love others as we love ourselves.

How can people who call themselves Christ-followers forget that? But it appears that they have done so. I do believe very strongly that Christ would NOT have aligned Himself with the men who are being chosen to lead our country.  No matter what race, what gender, what life experiences, even what sins, Christ loves everyone, and He has a special place in His heart for the poor, for the misused and abused. The only ones He treated with anger that over-rode His love were those whose greed was taking advantage of others, in His Father's name.

Are you in that temple? I think we all are, if we call ourselves christians. But where are we? Are we being reprimanded by Christ for letting our greed overcome our compassion, or are we on Christ's side, knowing a bit of temple cleansing is just what is called for right now? And maybe we need to clear our personal temples as well.... We are the Temple of the Living God.

Martha, Martha......

I have been thinking a lot lately about the story of Mary and Martha: sisters with very different temperaments in the gospels. They have come to mind frequently of late because I feel that I have been being very much a 'Martha.' I don't believe what Martha did in the story - or her life choices - were at all 'wrong' or 'sinful.' I see her as a woman who lived much like I have been living; doing the next thing she saw that needed to be done. If people needed to be fed, she got busy and prepared food and fed them, then cleaned up the mess. I see Martha as a woman who was perhaps worn out, because there would always be something needing to be done. After guests were fed, and the mess cleaned up, probably beds would need to be prepared for Jesus and others spending the night. A long day was ahead for busy Martha, and to see her sister 'relaxing' (in Martha's eyes) at Jesus' feet might just have tipped her over the end of her exhaustion. I know that feeling. I totally empathize with Martha.

I am not sure the teaching I've always heard about this story, about these two women, totally hits the mark. The point I've heard made is that, on that day, at that time, Mary made the 'better choice' to learn from Jesus rather than busy herself with anything else. Of course, that is true, but I believe Jesus knew these women better than that; I believe he was teaching with more depth than that single moment in time. He knew Martha was resenting being the one who always look care of the needs of those around her. He knew she was jealous of her sister, and He knew she was wearing herself out. Mary, on the other hand, was probably no sloth. I don't believe Jesus could have praised that lifestyle at all. I'm sure she did not always sit, letting her sister do all the work. But I believe Mary knew her own limits and her own needs, while perhaps Martha did not. Mary could choose what she needed, and even put her own spiritual needs before the needs of others at times. I believe Jesus praised Mary for that because He also sometimes left the crowds and the very real needs and demands of others to refill Himself spiritually. Sometimes, it is important to take care of our own needs. Jesus knew that, far before pop psychologists did. If we burn out, even in doing good (or just 'necessary') things for others, we empty ourselves, and become resentful, exhausted, sick and whiney, much like Martha.

Martha - I'm betting she was the first one called when stomachs were empty, or when a child was sick, or when a class needed a teacher at synagogue. But I think Mary would have been the one others would turn to for comfort, laughter, friendship, and love. She was not 'used up.' She remembered the important thing: that she needed to refill her own cup, so she would have overflow to give to others.

May You Be Blessed

As the world celebrates the coming of the Messiah to this world, may His presence in your life give you His Peace, and let His Love be shown in the goodwill you exhibit towards all men in the coming year.

WWJD?

First, a disclaimer: These are NOT my images. They are images I 'borrowed' from Facebook posts by others.  Secondly, maybe I need to apologize to those whom I will offend with this post. I do not want to be offensive, but I have been so sorely offended, and saddened, by some I feel I should expect better of... and I know I can also be in the wrong on some things. But this time, I have prayed hard, and I have asked many times 'What Would Jesus Do?' and the answer always comes back the same.

Jesus told us the Greatest Command, the ONLY command, other than to love Him, is to love others. Even to love our enemies. To have compassion for the needs of those who come into our sphere. He taught this lesson by example and by parable and by direct command. He couldn't have been clearer on this point.

I mentioned Facebook. Social media brings a lot of people into our sphere who wouldn't have been there in times past. It also makes the motives and convictions of those whom we thought we knew more apparent. Since the recent attacks on Paris, an event which saddened us all, I have been amazed by posts on Facebook. What has amazed me most are the posts, such as those above, from some who do not claim to be Christians, reminding those who DO claim that relationship of how they should be behaving towards refugees. Similar posts have popped up recently regarding other 'political' topics. So-called Christians are taking stances that shame the teachings of Christ, because they have lost their compassion, they have forgotten to love. Is not compassion a Christian virtue anymore? Was not Christ, above all, compassionate? Is His compassion not what led Him to the cross? Surely He weeps at the hardened hearts of those who claim to follow Him, but who have lost their compassion and love for others. Safety was never Christ's first concern; compassion was, even for those who killed Him:  'Father, forgive them...'

I see  the claim of 'Christian' in America becoming more of a political stance than a conviction of the heart, than of a claim of a relationship with our loving God, and our compassionate Savior. As a Christian (though not 'politically') I am shamed by this. Our hypocrisy is showing, my dear brothers and sisters. Maybe it is time again, like the bracelet slogan of several decades ago, to ask ourselves, 'What would Jesus do?'

Willing Compliance

At this time of year, there is much talk of the circumstances and persons surrounding the birth of Jesus. I will admit that I do not identify strongly with all characters in the story; I have never herded sheep, and I am not a Wise astrologer or historian who would follow the path of a star hoping to find a new king (though I confess that, in times past, I may have done a great deal to find a new president for our country!)

The one whom I do identify with is Mary, the mother of the baby Jesus. As a mother myself, I can know how she felt when the child moved in her womb; I can know her joy at seeing His first steps and hearing His first words. And I know well the swell of pride in seeing a son (or, in my case, sons, as I have two) grow to be a fine man. These things I can easily identify with. There are things in Mary's life, however, that I have not identified with. I have not, fortunately, had to share her sorrow at the loss of her beloved son.  And I can also not say that I am, as Mary seemed to be, an always willing and compliant person to God's every will in my life.

I frequently ask 'Why?' and demand 'How?' and even utter an occasional 'You've got to be kidding!' in  my conversation with God about His will for my own life. In contrast, when Mary realized the task God had set before her, she is recorded as saying:

             "My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
               for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant."  (Luke 1:47-48)

Willing compliance. I believe God looks for that in His servants, no matter how great or small His will is regarding their life tasks and situations. I would love to rejoice in every situation and task the Lord sets before me. I would love for my life to magnify my Lord. Mary did not have an exalted role put before her. Hers was the task of having a child the community probably saw as the result of her unholiness; hers was the task of going through painful labor in a barn; her task was to change diapers and clean up messes; hers was to raise the Son of God in a world of men; hers was the task of watching him die a horrible death. Mary had it much harder than I have it, without a doubt. But she was willing and compliant.

Can I not be more willing and compliant in the tasks and situations God sets before me and places me in? I need to remember God's servant, Mary. I need to be the kind of servant in my life that she was in the life God gave her. I need to be willingly compliaint.

Milestones...

I don't know if it is Life itself, or if it is a cultural thing, but it seems that, as we reach and pass through significant times in our lives, the true Milestones of our time here, we are kept too busy and too tired to stop and even assess their significance. Think of it: births, graduations, marriages, deaths. All are surrounded by a flurry of activity, either planned or necessary, that keep us from stopping and marking the significance of the event.

We are going through several milestones in our life right now. The first is my husband's retirement from his career of over 40 years. He is, of course, busy working up until his last day (which will be tomorrow.) At the same time, we are working towards moving my parents here to be nearer to us, and to have some help in an assisted living apartment. So we are busy filling out papers, attending retirement receptions. doing our usual church and home jobs, planning the move and travel for my folks, and collapsing each evening in total exhaustion. Over the years, we have discussed my husband's retirement, but now that the time has come, we are just busy moving through each day, checking things off our ridiculously long ToDo lists, and looking forward to bedtime. We have not yet stopped to say, 'Wow, this is Huge. This is a Milestone; something we have worked toward for years. With the Lord's everpresent help, we have done it!"

In 1 Samuel 7:12 (ESV) it says, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” In other places, Abraham and others built altars to commemorate milestones, and as thanksgiving to the Lord for bringing them to that time and place. The words “Ebenezer—Jehovah Jireh” together say in Hebrew, “The Lord has helped us to this point, and He will see to it from now on.” A suitable inscription for a milestone!

Rose Kennedy is quoted as saying, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." And that is so true. But there are times when many, many moments added together create a Something, a Sum of Moments, a Milestone. I am so proud of the work my husband has done for these many years; for the many children and families he has helped and effected in a positive way. I am proud of his humble, generous spirit. I am proud of my part in helping us together achieve this milestone. And I am grateful that the Lord has blessed us so richly in our journey to this destination.

Ebenezer - Jehovah Jireh!

A Strange Convergence

I have been reading Anne Lamott's little book, Stitches. I love the things she says, and the way she says them. But what I perhaps love most when I read her work is what she doesn't come right out and say, but leads me to think of on my own.

Anne (and, since I read pretty much all she writes, I feel I am on a first name basis with her) is talking in this little book about how we 'patch together' the hurts and wounds in our lives and the lives of those around us; like a quilter using re-purposed fabrics and stitches, sometimes loose and sometimes tight. A lovely analogy, especially for a fiber lover like myself.

But the question arises, "Why do we so often need to patch our lives back together?" Why doesn't God keep the things from happening that tear and burn and stain the fabric of our lives? It's not that He can't do it. If I believe in God at all (and I do,) I believe in His power to do the impossible. So why does He leave so much in our incompetent hands?

Anne leads me to believe that the answer to that hard question is this: He leaves it in our hands and allows these painful events to occur for our own sake. He has created us to be, or to become, loving and compassionate. As He is. And how could we do that or become that if the need never arose for us to exercise our Love and Compassion muscles? Look at how people respond to disasters: they give and love and react with the best of themselves, and they draw closer together in the giving. Maybe the more pain and distress we go through and that we are called to respond to, the more God is telling us that we need to have more 'practice' at becoming the people He wants us to be. Especially in these times, when many of our 'closest' friends are online, and are, in reality, people we would not recognize if they were sharing an armrest with us in the theater. God wants to bring us together. He wants us to be truly responsive to those He puts in our lives.

So.... what is the 'strange convergence' I refer to in the post title?

I have been obsessing for over a week on the Bruce Springsteen song, "Dancing in the Dark." It plays in my dreams; I am trying to learn an acoustic version of it on my guitar; I have listened to I-don't-know-how-many artists sing and play their versions of it. I have been loving the song, though I have not really thought about why it cropped up on my musical horizon at this time, or what the song actually means. That is, I had not considered those things until I was mopping the kitchen floor this morning, thinking of Anne Lamott's words and where they led my own thoughts.

Right in the middle of the floor, right in the middle of a 'deep thought,' Bruce burst loudly in my brain: "You can't start a fire worryin' about your little world falling apart... This gun's for hire, even if we're just dancing in the dark."

Oh, my dear Lord! You are telling me what this song is about! All through the song, the singer frets about 'being bored with myself,' about wanting to 'change my hair, my clothes, my face,' about everything being predictable and tiring. But then,  "This gun's for hire..." (or maybe, 'I'm here if you need me"),  "even if we're just dancing in the dark..." ('Even if you just need me to hold you through the dark times of your life.')  Even if you just need me to exercise my love and compassion on your life, to stitch you back together, to help mend a tear or patch a hole in your heart.

Is that a stretch? Maybe. But it gives new meaning to the song as I play and sing it - possibly a meaning Sprinsteen never intended, but who knows? It fits so well for me right now.

I am pretty good at stitching and patching and weaving things together, but I may not always make myself as available as I should to those who might just need to be held tightly together through the hard times - to dance a bit in the dark. And I am not very good about asking others to dance with me when I might need it either. 

Do you need to dance? Don't be afraid to seek out a partner - a friend who might just need a bit of love and compassion practice. That is what God has put us here to do... to dance together in both the light times of joy, and in the dark times, when the dancing might just hold someone up.

And by the way ("Hey, Baby!") I do occasionally need a dance partner, as well.

"Life...a cuckoo clock with rusty gears" (Anne Lamott)

I have a hard time with imperfection. Imperfection in others, and most especially in myself, offends me. We are made in God's image, so why, I frequently ask Him, did He leave out the 'perfect' part?

I don't like to know that my paintings are less than masterpieces, that I will never play the guitar like Yo-Yo Ma plays the cello, that my tapestries are not ones that that the Louvre will ever choose to hang, that my hair is grey and even laughter is giving me more wrinkles every day, that my house is dusty and my garden is filled with weeds, and that I always sing a bit flat.

Anne Lamott (Stitches) has said that "life is more like a cuckoo clock with rusty gears" than it is perfect. 'Life is hard, and then we die': both a goofy old bumper sticker, and a Truth. Life can be cruel and heartless, though we can find kindness and compassion within it. Life can be everything that is imperfect... in fact, life is everything that is imperfect. How can it be otherwise, when it is populated by such imperfect beings as I?

I look for pockets of perfection, but I rarely find them. The few I have discovered have found me when I was not looking or expecting them. Perfection seems to come in very tiny doses: a child's love, an unexpected hug from a friend, a moment of beauty in nature or art or music that brings tears of wonder to my eyes, shared laughter, and tiny glimpses of compassion and understanding for or from others.

Imperfection, on the other hand, seems to bombard us constantly. We are slammed in the face with ugly violence, with deceit, with greed and hatred. All of those are so far from the perfection that is God, that is Love.

I would have liked, as I grow older, to have come to a greater understanding of this life; to know why, to understand the meaning of all the imperfection in our lives and our world. But that has not happened for me. Age has not brought about an understanding, or even an acceptance. I continue to rage at inequality, at cruelty, at violence for the sake of greed or power. I still do not understand or accept when children become victims of these things, when families and nations are torn apart by them.

The bad news? 'Life is hard, and then you die.'

The good news? 'Life is hard, and then you die.'

That is the only hope I have to give for dealing with all these imperfections. Someday, I will be perfect. And then I will understand. I will know the 'whys' of the Sandy Hook massacre, of wars and of weeds. I have that hope, because I know it is not in my hands, nor in the hands of those who are as imperfect as I, but in the hands of my God. And, because of His Son and His sacrifice and resurrection, I will someday face him as a perfected me.

Her Children Arise and Call her 'Blessed!'

From my sketchbook

^{Proverbs 31} A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.

My Mother will be 92 years old this week. She has been married to the same good man for over 66 years. Surely my father has had confidence in her, and she in him, the greatest majority of that time. Together, they have been an example of a Godly marriage, not only to their children, but to all who know them.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.

My mother was a school teacher. I remember many nights, going to bed while she was still at the kitchen table, grading papers or making lesson plans. She took pride in her work, and it was evident in the love shown by her students and the creative atmosphere in her classrooms. My mom taught school before she was married, with a 'normal school teaching certificate.' When the Kansas teaching requirements changed, Mom went to work part time at Sears to put herself through college, so she could teach again, all the while, keeping up with a rowdy household of eight (and often more.)
     
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Although my mom was not a spinner, she made many of our clothes when I was a child. And she has embroidered sets of tea towels for wedding gifts for many of her grandchildren. Watching her embroider these on my porch or in their motor home was a delight to me, knowing that my love for handwork came from her and from her mother.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.

I do not know of all the stories of good deeds my mother (and father, as they are always 'in it together') have done for others. But I have heard and seen enough of them to know they have often been willing to do without themselves, to help others through hard times.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Mom's home has always been tidy and lovely, decorated with many chickens, and often smelling of homemade cinnamon rolls. The doors have always been open, as we shared many meals with college students, random family members, church members, and stray friends that hung around us most of my growing up years and beyond. Mom has also always been very careful in her own appearance, and in the appearance of we 'kids,' making sure she and we always looked attractive and modest.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Anyone who knows my Father knows this to be true. He is still highly respected, wherever he goes, and my Mother shares that respect for, and with, him.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I am one of six children who have always been able to arise and call my Mother "Blessed." She has been, and still is, the kind of Christian wife, mother, friend, and woman that I strive to be. She is an example to the many who know and love her: her husband, her children, her 16 grandchildren, and even her many great-grandchildren.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you very much!  

Gifts....

 

There is much talk of 'gifts' in these days that lead up to the Christmas holiday. I will confess that most of that talk causes me a great deal of stress. I go to the local shops or mall (S.T.R.E.S.S. in that, alone) and I look for the 'perfect' thing to give to my loved ones; something they will value and maybe keep for awhile; something that says I love them. That is a lot to expect of a 'thing' that can be wrapped in paper and shipped. I rarely shop. I do not like to shop. In fact, when I went shopping both of the past two days, I ended up sitting in my car, frustrated and stressed, with tears running down my face, both times.

You see, the people I shop for really do not need 'things' and they all already know that I love them to the ends of the earth and back. So rushing about in sub-freezing weather, discovering that the 'thing' my grandchild has said he/she wants is either just sold out or is more than I am willing to pay, or is something that I know will be at the bottom of the toy chest, forgotten in just days... all that makes this 'gifting' tradition seem quite questionable to me.

My greatest joy on these shopping excursions is seeing the Salvation Army bellringers, always smiling, even though it is only 12 degrees outside. And they are always delighted with the few dollars I put in each of their buckets, and I know those small gifts are appreciated, and will be useful.

As for myself, I am not a person who is in need of anything, so it often stresses me to think someone is spending money on some 'thing' for me, as well. (Though I have received some lovely, thoughtful gifts from loved ones, which I still use and enjoy.)

But lately all this has, though stressful, not been what I have been thinking of in the 'gift' arena. As a Christian, I have heard much about 'gifts' and 'spiritual gifts', and we are usually considering the talents we have been given to use for God and for His work here when we speak of or study about these things. But, again, this is not where my focus on gifts has gone.

I have been spending a lot of time, and have been using talents far beyond my own meager ones, in the music and praise portions of our church worship. I help lead the singing in our early worship service and I have begun 'directing' a small choir of people who, like myself, love to sing praises. This has been a gift to me, a surprise gift, at that, as I certainly never would have expected to be doing these things. Yes, I put that correctly; it has not been a gift FROM me, it has been a gift, a beautifully wrapped up present, TO me. When I am stressed, from shopping or thinking about shopping, or cleaning (or thinking about cleaning) or decorating (or... well, you get it), I go grab my guitar and belt out a carol or two, or just practice chords or even scales. The gift that God has given me in my love of music and my attempts to create it is immeasurable. There is no way that what I give back can be considered a gift in return to Him.

My favorite song this week (which I'm sure my husband and pets are sick of) is Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer's "Go Tell the Fox." I have loved that song for years, and have hoped to find chords for it someday. (You can hear a bit of it here.) I have finally reached a level of competence that I could sit down (in a high stress avoidance time) and figure out the chords myself! I love this carol so much, that I am sure it is one of the reasons I included a fox in the Nativity tapestries. That song, and that fox;  both lovely gifts to me.

So.... in this time of stress, when I wonder why we do the things we are doing, supposedly to celebrate Christ's coming into our world, I have been thinking of those Gifts and Presents (also spelled 'presence') that I have been given. Right now, music is the gift - almost a toy, really- I'm playing with and enjoying most of all. But I look forward to a quieter time, when I can again go into the studio, where many lovely gifts await for me to use.

I am a lucky person. I have a Father who loves me to the ends of the universe and back. He gives me such wondrous presents! And some of them are truly unexpected surprises. I can hardly wait for what He will give me next!

Hey Ladies, watch this and say 'AMEN!'

Solitude....

Today I am alone for the first time in a week-and-a-half. Oh, I have had moments alone; even an hour or two, here or there. And, when not alone, I have been delighting in the company of my favorite people in all the world. But I am a person who needs solitude. True solitude, where I know I will not be interrupted by anyone elses whims or attentions. Perhaps that is why I have chosen to weave time-intensive tapestries on a loom that takes up so much space that nobody else really fits in the room with it and me. My hours of solitude refill me when I feel used up and exhausted.

I feel guilty to need such a selfish thing as time to myself. Or at the very least, I feel guilty for admitting it. But even Jesus needed time away from all the people who surrounded him, and even time away from his closest followers, family, and friends. So, taking Christ as my example, I admit that I am delighting in my alone-ness this morning, as we are home from a wonderful family time, and my husband has gone back to his work. The pets respect my need for solitude (most of the time.) They allow me the wilderness of my studio. I have work awaiting me there, and a cup of tea to take along for my solitary sojourn.

My breath is beginning to expand. The work and the quiet are beginning to refill me. Thank you so much, Lord, for showing us how important it is to find quiet solitude in the busyness of our times and lives.

You Are What You Eat....

Click to enlarge. Be sure to look at these flavors!

We are all pretty aware of what eating the wrong things can do over time to our bodies. I don't know of anyone who would feed their children just sugar. And we know how important it is to exercise our bodies, as well, even when we may not do as much of it as we would like to or as we should. But many people act as if the body is the only thing they need to mind; to care for and feed in a healthy way and to exercise. Not so. There is much more to us than our bodies. In fact, I believe it is more important to feed and exercise our SELVES; our spirits and souls, for lack of a better term. Perhaps the word character works, just as well, with better understanding for more people.

I have been trying to meditate more lately. It is a discipline I have almost as much trouble with as I do aerobics, I admit. But, in truth, we meditate all the time. We 'think on' things. And what we feed ourselves with, what we see, and hear, and read, and discuss, and look at; all these things influence what we are meditating on. What we 'think on' becomes so easily who we are. We have all seen the studies about the kids who play nothing but violent video games and who watch violent television and movies and then become kids who act out in violent ways.

There is so much to look at and to fill our minds and hearts with that is the moral equivalent of junk food, at best. Those things do our character little good, and often much damage.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Prov. 4:23) We are responsible for the things that we 'think on,' just as we are responsible for what effect it has on our behavior. "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

If our body is 'a temple,' surely our minds and what we put in them is the most precious part of that temple. We don't have to sit in an awkward position and chant unknown phrases to meditate. We are meditating when we drive around town, running errands. We are meditating, feeding our character, when we sit at the computer or the television and decide what to look at and to allow to feed us.

My favorite scripture speaks of the 'healthy diet' for our souls and character:

..."Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 4:8)

Photos taken at the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA by KSpoering

All will be well.......

 

I imagine you have seen this image of our friend and neighbor in the past day. It has 'gone viral' on the internet, following the bombings in Boston. I have decided to post it here anyway. The Boston tragedy was too close to home. I have a wonderful son, a beautiful daughter-in-law and two precious grandchildren in Boston. They have friends and colleagues who were at the Marathon. I know the street where it happened; I have walked that street. But even if that was not the case for me personally, a tragedy like that is always too close to home.

Yesterday was the kind of day when I needed a kind friend like Mr. Rogers, a longtime and familiar friend in our house. My father had been taken to the hospital the night before. And then Boston...

But my friend Fred Rogers is right. There is always hope to be seen within tragedy. There is more good than there is bad, and I am convinced with all that I know to be true that Good will overcome the evil in the end. If it has not happened yet, then it is not the end, as has been said by others. All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing shall be made well. My heart goes out to the beautiful city of Boston, and to those who suffered loss there. My heart is full of gratitude for the helpers who helped there, and to the helpers who are caring for my Dad right now.

My heart is encouraged by those whom I know to be praying, and by those who work with their hands to help, offering up their work as their prayers.

I will be gone for awhile, spending some time with my parents in California. So my loom will not be where I am sending up  my own prayers for a bit, though my heart will stay active in prayer.  I will be looking for helpers wherever I am. And I hope that those who are also looking for helpers might just look around and see me doing what I can do to help, too.

Risen, Indeed!

I don't think I have ever seen the power of resurrection as clearly in the past as I have this year! Last Sunday afternoon, we traveled half-way across the mountains to meet our son and get our grandchildren, who spent the week with us. We drove through snow and below-zero temperatures. On their side of the mountains, our son's family had almost a foot of snow. It was grey and winter still had a firm hold on Colorado. On Thursday, before they were to go home on Friday, the kids hunted Easter eggs in our yard, where it was warmer, but all was still grey and brown.

But this morning, on our early way to the sunrise service at church, I told my husband we were seeing an "Easter miracle!" Our neighbors have a row of daffodils along the hedge between their house and the one next to it. The flowers usually bloom a few at a time, over several weeks. None were open yesterday. But this morning I truly believe every single one of them was open, showing a riot of new life!

When we got home a few hours later, I pointed out to my husband that our forsythia bush and the apricot tree are both blooming, the forsythia stretching up into the old apricot branches. I know they were not in bloom when I worked in the garden yesterday!

 

All around the yard, around the neighborhood, and through the town, trees and flowers are bursting  back into life after their winter death. What do the seasons tell us, especially this season? They tell us that life will come again after death, and it can be even more beautiful than what we now know.

He is Risen. He is Risen, indeed. And all will be well, and will be very well, because of that resurrection.

Ain't Gonna Study War NO More!

Just to make your day, as it has made mine!

(Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and handsome company. Man, I want a back-up group like that!)

Barriers....

We are experts at putting up barriers, at shutting down, of protecting our closed (and often tightly locked) doors. We have put up barriers between ourselves and God, and between ourselves and other people. Our 'busyness' helps us justify our barriers. And we try to fool ourselves that we do, too, have people close to us; just look at all our Facebook and Twitter Friends! Look at all those we 'know' all around the world...

 

But, in reality, I can count on one hand the friends who truly know me, who take part in my  daily life, who share my worries and my small delights. I think of my Grandmothers, who lived in such a tiny world in comparison to the one I live in now. Especially, I think of my maternal grandmother. She lived in a tiny Kansas town that didn't even justify a dot on most maps. There were maybe 150 people in the town in the good years.  But all of those people knew my grandmother. They knew her habits, and if she hadn't walked 'to town' to get her mail, there would be several to call and check to see that she was OK. They had eaten homemade bread in her small kitchen. They knew who and where her children were, what was growing in her garden, who was coming to visit. If she had rough spots, they knew it and helped her get through them. They were neighbors and friends in the very true sense of the word. She did not lock her doors. She did not build barriers. Her life was open to those around her, and I believe it made it easier for her to live a life open to God, as well. She had very little material wealth, but she was a very rich person.

 

We build barriers because we are afraid. We are afraid that, if we open our doors to God, there might be nothing behind the door. If we open ourselves to other people, they might hurt us or take advantage of us. I love to watch people, but it is a rare thing anymore that anyone looks back at me. And occasionally, when someone looks up and catches my glance and my smile, they look almost shocked or embarrassed to see someone interact with them in that small way. Most people walk looking down, or into their cellphones. Many keep headphones on, or chatter away on their phones to someone at a safe distance. They have huge DO NOT DISTURB signs written in their body language, that speaks to everyone around them, and to God. If we cannot love man, whom we have seen, how can we love God, Whom we have not seen, and Who is best seen in our interactions with other people? (1John 4:20)

You know best the barriers you have built. If you are like me, there are some pretty big and strong ones surrounding you. I am not a person who lets down the barriers very well. I am socially shy, but as I type that, I know that it is also an excuse, a barrier I have put up. If I can just let the cracks in my stone walls open up little bits at a time, I do believe that God will help me in tearing down some of my barriers. He will let His Son shine in, and beautiful and risky relationships will come in to make my life the rich one He wants me to have.

(A note: The photos in this post were all taken by me in Paris last spring. )

Nativity Tapestries

This is the Nativity Tapestry that will hang on the right side of the church's lectern. It has a nativity image of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. I especially wanted Mary to be in an intimate, motherly pose, as I have seen so many images of her not even looking at her child. I love the words in Kathy Mattea's song, "Mary Did You Know?" that ask if she knew that  'when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?"  I have felt that I kissed the face of God when I have kissed my own children or my grandchildren, and even our foster babies. But that would have been even more literal for Mary. I wanted to show a mother's wonder and unconditional love in this image of Mary. 

Included in this tapestry are lilies, which I was told are a flower that is symbolic of Mary. The color blue was also chosen by the church as a color identified with her. Most of the symbolism in this tapestry is in the border. It includes a dove of peace, which is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which 'came over her' at her conception and 'filled her' during her time of pregnancy (Luke 1).

The border also has a grape vine, for He is 'the vine' and we are 'the branches.' (Luke 15:5) I wanted this to give us inclusion in the story. We are not alone on the vine. We are to live in community, with other branches and grapes, and with the vine itself.

The banner proclaims Peace, as He came to proclaim peace. This was very important to me to have included, as I am a pacifist, as are the couple who commissioned these tapestries for the church. And, of course, this is also something we share with Jesus, who was a pacifist and peacemaker. (Matthew 5: 9, 39)

This tapestry will hang to the left of the church's lectern. Each of the tapestries are 20 inches wide and 40 inches long. This tapestry is of a man whom I have always referred to as "The Shepherd," though the commissioners see him as Joseph. The images I have always seen of Joseph are of an old man, alongside his very young bride. I did not want that image, though it may have been somewhat accurate for the time. So I have left the identity of the man ambiguous, to be whomever the viewer wants him to be; Joseph, or a shepherd, or the Great Shepherd, or a grown Jesus.

There is more symbolism in this tapestry. The man is a symbol himself, of a gentle shepherd whom creatures trust and love. Alongside Him, the fox and the sheep can live in harmony. The fox is a symbol of the son of God's humble humanity. Jesus reminded us of that when he said " "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20) The fox reminds me to have compassion on those who do not have a 'place to lay their heads,' for they have much in common with my Savior. Jesus also told his followers to 'go tell the fox' of all He could do. (Luke 13:32)  I also chose to include the fox because I want the images in this tapestry to be familiar to the viewers. Red foxes are one of the animals we delight in here in the mountains. The foxes keep the moles and the mice down, and there is nothing more delightful to watch than romping fox pups!

The sheep is a common image in religious art. We are the sheep, He is our Shepherd. We hear His voice and He knows and cares for us, so we willingly follow Him. (John 10:27)

The Mule-eared deer is also a familiar sight in this part of the world, and one of my favorite animals for their beauty and gracefulness. There are a number of scriptures that reference the deer, but the one that made me include a deer in this tapestry is Psalm 42. It has been turned into several of my favorite hymns. One can be heard here,   and another one here. These two songs truly make me thirst for what the world does not have to offer, as the deer thirsts for the water. We go down to the lake almost every evening when we are at our mountain cabin, to watch the deer going down to quench their thirst. The deer is to remind us to go to the One who can quench our thirst, as well.

There is another dove in this tapestry. It is a mourning dove. In fact, it is a specific dove whom I have been privileged to know for a number of years. She sits outside my studio window. The image I used in the tapestry was from a photo I took of her through my studio window. God wants us to be 'wise as serpents,' while out in the dangers of the world, but also 'as innocent as doves.' (Matthew10:16) The dove outside my window does no harm. She even manages to live in harmony with those she should fear. Here is more about my dove, in an earlier post.

The blooms on the tree branches above the figures are dogwood blooms. There is a religious story (not Biblical) about the symbolism of the dogwood tree. I included the blooms partly because of that story, but mostly because I love the blossoms, having first seen them when visiting my son in Boston. (Also, we lived on a street called Dogwood Ct. for 17 years, so I included them as a piece of personal history. Hey, I can do that: I'm the artist!)

In the border, I included a branch of Rose of Sharon blooms, as they are a flower which symbolizes beauty and purity in the Bible. And the border also includes the anchor, which is something to cling to, to hold us 'steadfast and sure' in our faith. (Hebrews 6:19) I posted more about the tradition of the anchor here.

 I have previously posted about the Grace banner here, but I think this bears repeating from that post: I hope those who view these tapestries as they worship will be ever mindful of God's Amazing Grace.

Imagine....

Imagine what it would be like if those who sing "They'll know we are Christians by our love..." on Sunday morning acted with love towards their fellow-men  the rest of the week, even those they disagree with or who live or look differently than they do.  Love does not dishonor others...

Imagine that those who say they have total faith in God left the political process alone, and trusted Him to choose our leaders, rather than ranting and raving about politics, supposedly in the name of Christ.   Love is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered.  Or imagine if they would stop yelling that we are a 'Christian nation' and would vote in a way that made us look like one; protecting those who are in need, caring for those who have less than we have, whether it be in material goods or in other ways that they need our care.

Imagine if we put our Love where our mouths are, and our tweets and messages and posts and words always reflected Christ's love in us.  If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Imagine political ads that did not lie, did not brag, did not blast the opponent, but  doled out hope for the future.  Love keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Imagine if we were committed to living the love of 1Corinthians 13 in the same manner that the great Olympic athletes are committed to their sport. Love always perseveres.

Imagine if we all lived in true non-violence, not allowing weapons of violence in our lives and home, whether in virtual or real form.  Love is always kind... love does not retaliate.

Imagine that our churches are as attentive and supportive of the people who walk through the doors, and who do not, as they are of their traditions.  For where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. But Love never fails.

What I see around me, and I am mostly surrounded by those who claim the Christian life, does not always reflect love. Sometimes, I just have to Imagine....