Month: January 2021

Posted on in Faith, Memories, Prayer, Spiritual growth

Prayer?

Well, truly not prayer for a burglar’s success from this movie of 1964! In 1991 I attended at retreat at the Convent of the Transfiguration. What follows is my journal entry.

 
Sister Margaret taught, “There aren’t any conditions of prayer. There are some things we can do to become more receptive to God. We can wait and desire God in hopeful expectation.” She taught about God’s Presence as a jewel, prayer as a treasured jewel.
 Then we had a time of meditation and prayer – meditative prayer. Winfield Blevins says, “In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through His word and His Spirit.” {I would add that God speaks to us, too, through images we can relate to.}
 So during that retreat of November 1991 I envisioned and wrote: 
 “I see the treasure, as jewels in a case, the multi-faceted beauty of God’s love and wisdom.
 As in Topkapi, the lid is lifted 
 and I enter the treasures of His Glory 
 as a frog enters a pond.
 I go to what others believe is the bottom 
 and as I still my soul, 
 the treasure box opens 
 and I drop 
 as a stone 
 through the beauteous treasure of His wisdom and glory, 
 into the depth of His love.
 I may stop for a while
 but it is as if I am merely perched 
 on a ledge 
 for I have yet to comprehend 
 the depth or length or height 
 of His love. 
 I wait on that ledge,
 rooted and grounded in love 
 absorbing massive quantities of nourishment 
 silently.”
  

I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure.

Psalm 119:162 HCSB

-you are being rooted and grounded in love.  I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17b-19 NRSV

Almost thirty years have gone past since I wrote that. I have learned so much about my God and prayer, yet I still have so very much to learn!

“The sword used by Roman soldiers was a short sword known as a gladius; and in the hands of a skilled man, it was a fearsome weapon. In fact, it became known as the sword that conquered the world. It was sharpened on both sides, making it lethal against an unarmored foe. The point was also sharpened, enabling it to pierce armor.

“Usually around 20 to 30 inches long, the gladius was not the medieval-style long sword usually associated with the armor of God.

“This Roman sword was light (around 2 pounds), short and designed to be wielded easily with one hand while the other hand grasped the shield. Its size meant it could be drawn in close quarters, and its sharpened edges made it a threat to any enemy who got too close.” -from lifehopeandtruth.com

Perhaps that vision of the dagger in Topkapi was not too far off! I saw the movie and twenty-seven years later one scene came in my meditative prayer time. I have never forgotten that experience. Now almost thirty years later I am typing this for you. And we marvel at the eternity of God!

Posted on in Beagle, Family, Humor, Memories

Language Humor

Learning to speak well is sometimes nurture and sometimes nature. When I was growing up one of Mom’s favorite TV shows was “Kids say the Darndest Things,” hosted by Art Linkletter. I can remember my sister coming home from Nancy’s house once. Nancy had a brother quite a bit younger than the girls. Paula quoted him as rushing in his parents dinner party shouting, “Mom! I’m blooding! I’m blooding! I can see the bleed!!” He eventually grew up to play professional baseball.

When our kids were young I used to write the funny things they said on pieces of paper and slip it in a drawer. It was so much fun to find those papers later and reminisce.

Emily was introduced to bagels when Great Grandma Pat and Aunt Ra came to visit from Queens. She was also learning that dogs differ in kind and have various names. For a while she referred to beagles as bagels.

Adults can speak silliness, too, me included! When the kids were young we often crossed the Little Miami River over a bridge with steel grating on the deck. It made a racket when we drove over it. At ages 4 and 1 year I did not want the kids to be startled, so I would always warn them, “We are going over the Woo-Ba, Woo-Ba bridge!” That was the sound of the car traversing the grating. As they got a little bit older I added the fact we were crossing the Little Miami River. Once right after crossing the bridge, Jeff asked, “Where’s my bridge?” Many times in his life this child has given me pause. It took me a bit to realize he often called his sister, “My Emmie.” Yep, he wanted the location of the “My Jeffie” bridge! No competition there!

We went to the beach with Grandgirl Lizzie when she was very young. As usual the typical beach town had flamingo signs here and there (although there were never any flamingos in that part of the USA). Lizzie decided they were better named “Falingos.” Sort of make you want to dance, doesn’t it?

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Collection of Quotes, Covid 19, Faith, Humor, Spiritual growth

Molly the Jumping Bean

When you were a kid did your parents let you order the Sea Monkeys advertised in almost every comic book of that era? Not mine. I might have had an ant farm once, unless that was my children? Can’t rightly remember. I did however have jumping beans. No idea where I got them, but they did jump. The ones that did not jump the kids in the neighborhood called duds. Now when I look up jumping beans on the internet they seem rather nasty and are not beans at all! Wikipedia, the know-it-all of earth, says Mexican Jumping beans are seed pods inhabited by the larva of a small moth. (Had she known, that would have made my mom say a resounding, “No!”)

Here is an entertaining two minute twenty-two second video coupling a Rube Goldberg set-up with time lapse photography and basic bean information.

This morning I woke up with agitation. I told Bob that packing and moving was a nice distraction from the pandemic, but now what? I was agitated and bored with all of this isolation and waiting to see who gets ill next. (My daughter has Covid for the second time and her entire family is infected.) The recent horror of politics is over for a few years, now what?

I had difficulty concentrating during my morning prayer time. I told the Lord “I am tired of doing this.” Almost immediately I realized this IS my life right now. So I need to make the most of this freezing rain, isolation, between was and is to be – this present moment is when my life is. Here. Now.

I have been using a new-to-me app called Calm. They provide meditations, music, ten minutes of relaxation (new daily) and BEDTIME STORIES. The stories are great and I rarely hear the end of a story! Recently I copied this quote from Calm: “The beginning is always this present moment.”

When I first read that I had to tell myself to soak that in. Live that out. The beginning is always this present moment. Quiet that jumping bean-like behavior. Be still in the shade of God’s Glory. Rest. “Oh Molly, be still. Rest, absorb, receive.”

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1 NIV

In a little while I began writing this blog again. Thank you to all of you who follow these ramblings! I am always amazed when Word Press shows me how many folks are following and where they are all over the world. I realize I am not the only one bored with the whole Pandemic and isolation situation. Praying perhaps what I write helps you to smile and occasionally to calm down.

The beginning is always this present moment.

Author unknown

Posted on in Faith, Memories, Nature, Prayer, Spiritual growth

January 1991

It must have been a warm day when I ventured into the Cincinnati Nature Center in January of 1991. I noticed these things at the Avey’s Run stream.

“The creek has cut a new route. The deep, dark, quiet pool has changed. With the force of last year’s rain the bank gave way and several trees lie intertwined in the water that was a pool. The force of the water has moved debris into a tidy four foot pile. The stream has carried sand and stone, changing the creek’s prior route into a narrow, almost dry channel. The water gurgles in joy over a few fallen branches as the flow takes a new direction.

“River of life flow forth in me. Gurgle in joy, splash with abundant life as I flow on in God’s river of love towards the next challenge.

“A green rock says, “Pick me up.” Green – color of life and that more abundantly!”

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “

John 10:10 NRSV

Posted on in Book quotes, Covid 19, Faith, Prayer

Re-posted from Dan

Here is re-post from our friends the Cookseys in New Mexico. He used the words from “Every Day Holy” as noted at the end. “Every Day Holy” is a book of liturgies for various situations. They have made some of the liturgies available on line for free. For those unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia defines liturgy as: “Liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembrance, supplication or repentance. It forms a basis for establishing a relationship with a divine agency, {God}as well as with other participants in the liturgy.” With all the Covid illness this is so timely. And the world certainly needs more healthy relationships and unity! Dan has recovered from Covid. His wife, Betty, is still struggling to get her energy back. Click on the link to be blessed by this liturgy.

A Liturgy for A Sick Day — Dan and Betty’s Place
Posted on in Book quotes, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Family, Prayer, Spiritual growth

Organizing

While paring down I have also been organizing words I have saved over the years. I found a card to “Dear Mom” that I thought my son had made for me. Surprise! I had made it for my mother, likely 1958 or so. Besides my personal words, I have once again come across my collection of quotes and retreat notes that have had meaning to me. I am thinking they might touch your heart and soul, too? So periodically, I will post these for your perusal. So many of these are quotes whose author I do not have a name for – in which case I will note that fact.

In the book God Calling on May 13 it reads “What joy follows self-conquest! You cannot conquer and control others … but through God’s power you can conquer yourself.” One class I took emphasized that through obedience, at the end of the day you feel noble. Obedience to God builds self-esteem.

As the adult child of an alcoholic, after studying codependency I learned this stark lesson: We have no control over others. Children of alcoholics believe events are their fault. “If only I am good enough this will not happen.” If my grades are good enough, if I am quiet enough, and on and on with every faulty thinking pattern you can imagine. It is a hard thing for those of us who grew up this way to realize we had nothing to do with the situation. And it is also a hard belief system to UN-learn. It can lead to entrenched codependency that transfers to every person around, not just the parent where the behavior was learned.

Francis of Assisi referred to his body (i.e., himself) as brother ass. He was always trying to train that animal. He is quoted as saying, “Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of CONQUERING oneself and willingly enduring suffering, insults, humiliations and hardship for the love of Christ.”

In the Revised Standard version of 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul wrote that he pummeled his body and subdued it.

Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (HCSB)

Thoughts, words, habits, deeds – all of me needs discipline and I can only hope to train myself through the help of the Holy Spirit. I am the only person I can hope to control, and only with God’s help.

Come, Holy Spirit. Have Your way in and through me. Amen.

Posted on in Beagle, Family, Humor, Nature

Dark Walks & Dog Laugh

As I was walking Lucky about 8 PM and shining the flash light noticed there was dew on the grass. No rain today, just evening dew.

Next night about 8 PM, walking Lucky again, it was even colder.

 21-1-10 © Molly Lin Dutina 
 Crunch of lawn, chill of air
 Even the dog hurries
 Back into the house
 Refreshed by venture out of doors
 Glad the door is closed now against the cold.

The daylight is lasting longer each day now. I noticed I no longer need a flashlight or iPhone light for the dinner walk. Our dog is so goofy. She will not do her business in our yard, day or night. We must walk her each time. It is not all bad. I have been outside more than ever during this wintry weather. Sure hoping in new house she will just go in the yard. Maybe she will not recognize it as home at first and we can break this habit?

She is still a shrinking violet. Maybe I did name her wrong. She is timid even around us and we have lived with her since June! When we started wrapping the china in newspaper and bubble wrap she hid for the entire experience. My sister gave us some herbal aids. Guess I should have dosed her for that episode. It did not occur to me until the next day 😦

So one day Jeff and Rowan were coming over for Rowan’s birthday. She sometimes wants to nip company. I decided to give her some hemp drops for dogs from my sister. Not certain they helped as she started to get anxious at pizza time so I put her on a leash. Here was a laugh though. When I went to feed her dinner she actually drooled on my hand. That NEVER happens. As I walked to the sink to wash my hands I had to wonder, “Did she have the ‘munchies’ “?

Says 1/4 dropper full for her weight, but no markings on dropper!

Keep laughing out there!

Posted on in Beagle, Family

Nervous Nellie

If our dog could smoke cigarettes she would likely be a chain smoker!

One time Bob held a newspaper over her head and she about had a heart attack. We assumed she had been beaten with a newspaper previous to us housing her?

We did not remember that incident when we began wrapping china and breakables in newspaper then bubble wrap.

My sister gave us some calming drugs for dogs. One is a heart shaped treat. I cut one in half yesterday. Not certain it worked. The first time we gave her one her bowels were extremely loose the next day. Paula also gave us some hemp drops for dogs. I think we will try those next.

This poor animal. She runs behind furniture most of the time when we enter the room. What’s up with that? She has lived here since June? She will eat treats out of our hand. Loves to be petted or massaged. And then timid and frightened the next moment. Don’t think I will ever get her trained to ring the bell when she needs to go out. Right now we just try to remember on a regular schedule to take her out. She still insists on being WALKED before she will go. How i would love to pick up her mess in OUR yard!

Sometimes when the family is here she nips at the back of their calves. When the animal shelter received her they had to pull 13 teeth where she had tried to chew her way out of her cage. So when she nips, there is not much impact. We do not want her nipping at anyone though. Yesterday the ladies who help me clean were here. We did not do the usual routine. One was running the sweeper, as usual. The other was helping me get items off a partial wall and tops of kitchen cabinets. Lucky nipped at the one running the sweeper. I put her in the kennel. I forgot to move her until after the lady had begun sweeping in that room. At which point I put her on a leash and locked her in the office with Bob. She likes these gals!! All I could think was she got nervous and acted out.

We do not understand and have slowly realized we might never get it. Please, if you adopt a dog that has been abused know you will have your patience tried again and again. Can only imagine what she has been through.

Poor Lucky!

Lucky and Bob watching TV

And then, like the image above she is ready to cuddle.

Posted on in Family

Good News/Bad News

The really good news is that my Covid test was negative. The bad news is I am still sickly. The doc decided via video medicine that I have a virus that is going around. Called in a Prescription for the nausea. Hoping this passes quickly.