All of the following are quotes from previous blog posts:
Photo by Karen
I don’t want to downplay those moments of illumination. Those are the major events in our lives—the plot points. But life is not a synopsis or an obituary. Its vitality is in the present—the here and now. Trapping God in the major moments is as bad as trapping Him in a book, or as bad as visiting Him once a week when you go to church. If you really want to hear Him whisper, you have to let Him decide when. –from That was the Lord (July 7, 2019)
Discord is like the morning frost on the golf course. (They won’t let you play when there’s frost—it kills the grass.) You can’t will it away—you just have to let it melt. But like the sun and the breeze, you can help it along its way. A soft word, a kindness, a touch, an unsolicited gesture…the iciness of discord is nothing to the warmth of reconciliation. –from Discord (marital and otherwise) (July 14, 2019)
…I’ve always felt that when Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” he was implying that if we could just raise our awareness, we would recognize beauty and joy and glory right here, right now. Music draws us nearer to that recognition. –from In praise of Jubal (Music makes the world go ‘round) (July 31, 2019)
…I watch these six beings develop and I am in awe. Every quirk, every inclination, every idiosyncrasy—every I am-who-I-am. Karen and I can talk about them for hours. We watch their interactions with their parents—with each other—with us, and we marvel at the newness. If every good gift comes from God, this is one of His specialties. –from Being Pop Pop (the joy of grandfathering) (August 18, 2019)
For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. That’s the dividing line. Jesus looks at the heart—and you can never fool Him. It is no longer 10%–it is all His. Does that mean He’s going to send you out on the road, penniless and handing out Bible tracts? (Haha, only if you are a fundamentalist). He meets us where we are—just as He did the rich young man, who asked a rather bold question. He doesn’t want your money—He wants you. –from Money (the spiritual side) (September 8, 2019)
So here’s my question, and the point of this whole meditation…can we change ourselves? Sadly (or not), I don’t think we can. I find that my will is as weak as my faith (but my faith has a better reserve). I cannot will myself to a better character. I can’t find it in me. I have to receive it. It’s called the fruit of the Spirit. –from Ch-ch-changes (September 22, 2019)
I was talking with my wife awhile back. “Do you think we’ll poop in heaven?” Her: “Nope. No poop, no pee, no marriage.” An unreadable smile. Should I be worried? –from The Detritus of Life (September 29, 2019)
…Listening is even more important than speaking. Speaking (frequently) comes from the ego, and listening (almost always) comes from love. Loving your neighbor involves way more listening than speaking. Don’t get me wrong, it involves both, but listening will open doors more quickly than speaking. Becoming a good listener is a gift. –from Teach me to listen… (October 20, 2019)
“He must increase and I must decrease” is not a death sentence, or even a stern command for some sort of ascetic living. It is a promise, an invitation, a formula for abundant living. It is the road to learning how accessible He is. The way to deal with my ego is not to obliterate it…I just need to take it off the throne. The throne doesn’t belong to me. –from Dealing with the ego (November 6, 2019)
This I believe: God enjoys observing my life and is always interested in the choices I make—but He absolutely 100% respects my right to make them. We have to acknowledge that responsibility before we can commit our lives to anything. That is what makes the journey joyful—we are always in the process of learning to submit our choices to Him—not because He is a tyrannical autocrat, but because He knows what is best for us. I want to choose what He wants—but it can get tricky. –from The Joyful Journey (November 24, 2019)
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