I look at this current “theme”  - blueberry Fruitshake – and wonder why the dark blue?  It came to me this evening blue is restful – a calm, gentle sharing of navy hues sparked by the energetic stars of Van Gogh.  Be still and know I am God.  Be still.  Let it be.  I AM.   The purpose of this blog is withdrawal from the demands of the world to reflection and inner work of the soul.  Sometimes I have been successful in this; more often, I am not.  I will be still for a bit, rest in these calm colors and begin to know again Who God is.

God does work mysteriously.  I thought I needed my birth certificate to renew my driver’s license.  Could not find it.  I am from Minnesota – the government is shut down – no Internet, no one answering phone calls to the Dept of Health.  Woe is me!  I called our local license bureau, told them my tale, and since I had shown it once, I don’t need it this time.  Thank you, God.  A small thing?  I don’t think so!

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Prophet Elisha, Russian icon

2 Kings:9-14

9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha‘s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.”

How many times I put off that which is simple yet only needs a bit of attention in favor of the complicated, yet not as important?  Why do I view the complicated and/or outside influences as more crucial than the day-to-day life work activities?  This morning’s reading resonated with me as I , like Naaman, want to scoff not only at not being personally met by the prophet but then asked to do such a very simple task for a very serious illness; expecting, instead, a more elaborate demonstration of the Lord’s power.  And yet, every time I wake up, I live in the power of God.  Every breath, every word, every thought – God knows them all.  He does not need to make spectacular exhibitions of His power – we do, especially in this age of 3D movies, instant communication and URGENT emails.

God meets us where we need meeting; She guides us to those we need to help; He whispers quietly, reminding us of His power, His love, His compassion.   So, let us wash and be clean in our hearts as well as bodies, knowing the Lord of the Universe holds us in Her Hands.

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I like show jumping! Don't know how this relates to the text

Sometimes, I wonder whether or not to continue writing – or to even use my computer as much as I do now.  I visited with a friend yesterday.  She is in her mid-30s, has no computer at home and only uses hand-me down cellphones from her sister.  I admire this simplicity in her life.  I remember when I contemplated just using the MS computers at the library – they were available, free and using web-based email and blogs, I could keep up without needing bookmarks, per se.  Of course, I didn’t do this and I think my life and work have suffered as a result.  I am over-burdened with tech stuff: laptop, iPad, iPhone (w/o data plan), Tracphones, a portable DVD player,  and Nooks (note two: an original one and the second generation w/o color).  What to do?

I plan to sell the first Nook or perhaps both – I have the Nook app on the iPhone and iPad after all.  Why not sell the iPad?  I don’t use it so much for emailing, etc. but do use it as a radio (with the TuneIn app, it will play even with the cover closed), for streaming video and movies mostly so far; I do see uses for the iPad unless I give up my home WiFi – then, it would be bound for sale.  The iPhone will stay as I use it as my camera with a Tracfone for my cellphone.  The iPhone is paid for and generally is free except for apps (I avoid paid apps but have some for nursing and did pay small amts for a couple of photography apps).   I may look into an iPhone 4 or an iPod after the new iPhone 5s come out – wait for the prices to drop .

Why this monologue about tech stuff and life?  Minimalism, simplification, paring life down to needs more than wants.  In direct contrast to this school of thought, I bought two books last evening – not e-books (though they would have been cheaper) nor did I take them out of the library (which would have made more sense and which I am using more and more) but real books to hold in my hand and read.  One was by Dr. Nick Trout on dogs and people; the other is The Virgin Suicides – a well reviewed, well written first novel not in my normal line of reading.   When I lived in Sioux Falls, SD, I liked to walk into the library where they had a shelf of recommended books.  Found my fav book of all time, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, by serendipitously picking it up off that shelf.  I now try to do the same in Cape; expand the mind to other authors, thoughts.  My interest in architecture and home-making led me to Home by Witold Rybczynski – and other books by him.

To be more available and attended to God and the needs of others, I find I want to lessen the load and expectations of keeping up with the Joneses (or the Jobs in my case) as well as share the largesse accumulated over the years with those who can use it more than I currently do – I pray for ablility to move quickly if and when needed without regrets.  Stuff is stuff – people and God are real.  and the dogs .

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september 11, 2001

Twin Towers, Pentagon, PA, Afghanistan, Iraq

december 7, 1941

Pearl Harbor, WWII

I am a selfish person.  I cannot fathom the dedication of firefighters and police officers the world over who give so much of their time, energy and lives.  I cannot fathom walking into war.  Since 2001, so many have died – and for what?  I hope it is for honor, for the love of humanity.  Over 3000 people died in the Twin Towers, Pentagon and Pennsylvania crashes – they represented 90 countries.  First responders ran into the Towers not knowing the horrific extent of the damage and anger unleashed; what they knew was people needed help – and they dedicated their lives to giving it.  Oh, I know no one is perfect, I know there is corruption, I know of scandal and of abuse of power – but not that day nor in the days to follow.  Our country is arrogant – we believe we have the best system for living in the world – we try to share it with others who have differing priorities, differing values.   We often dis-respect their choices.  I hope we do not bomb them; I hope we never take innocent lives purposefully.   Our world of instant communication leaves little time for reflection, for contemplation of outcomes, of saying “no” to a soundbite which may come back to bite.

This is the first and most important commandment – love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your heart and with all you strength; and the second is like unto it: love your neighbor as yourself.  We are to love those who hate us.  We are to forgive those who harm us.  We are to live in love as Christ loved us.  Those men, women and dogs who sought to save 10 years ago acted in love, compassion and commitment as well as those who serve in the subsequent wars.  We can do no less.

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This past Wednesday, I drove myself and a friend to St. Louis.  We both had appts. in the Barnes-Jewish Hospital complex.  There are friends and there are FRIENDS.  Some one maintains one’s guard but enjoys the company; others, like this friend and a friend in SD, give and take without any one-upmanship nor competitiveness.  We supported one another.  Our conversation flowed from her interests to mine to ours, finding common ground in our love of the movie “West Side Story” and our admiration for Leonard Bernstein.  You learn something new everyday.

As we spent our time, neither of us hurried the other; she was not put out that my appt. took way longer than expected and I was fine with her needing a city driver.  As we spent time together that day and the next, I recalled how Jesus called the disciples his friends.  Were they perfect?  Did they always respond correctly?  Hardly – but they loved one another, they cared for Jesus and He cared for them and consequently, us.  What a privilege to be a friend of Jesus, whom I see in these two friends of mine.

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