LORD, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for You or yours, but quiet homes of prayer and praise, where You may find fit company where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, and wide, sweet spaces kept for you; where holy thoughts pass up and down and fervent longings watch and wait your coming. - Julian of Norwich
Can you tell I am confused? My editor for the book about prayer has instructed me that it is not proper to capitalize the pronouns that refer to God. Oh golly. I have capitalized those pronouns for years as a sign of respect. So if you look back on the re-written prayer you can see my now inconsistent writing. Below is the Old English copy of the prayer. Which do you prefer?
Lord, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for thee or thine, But quiet homes of prayer and praise, where thou mayest find fit company, Where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, And wide, sweet spaces kept for thee; where holy thoughts pass up and down And fervent longings watch and wait thy coming.
Julian was born in 1343 so obviously we have no photos of her!
My mind was racing and I was sleepless. I asked the Lord to help me through it and these verses came to me. I looked them up using key words or phrases on the iPad mini, saved them to the i Cloud Notes and was able to get back to sleep after reading a few pages on the novel I had been reading earlier. I thought the verses might be a good reminder to some of you, so here goes. The trouble starts when I think I need to have the answers to the questions that trouble me.
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Rev 7:11-12
Ponder that for a moment. Angels around the throne, around the elders, and the four living creatures – I wonder how many angels it takes to surround that great company of beings? And the words they sing! BLESSING and GLORY and WISDOM and THANKSGIVING and HONOR and POWER and MIGHT be to our GOD. I do not think we can declare this too many times! I need not fret. Wisdom belongs to God first.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. Psalm 32:8-9
Do these sound familiar? Yes, I have posted these before, but I need to be reminded of them often. I am learning to trust that the Lord will instruct me, teach me, and counsel me. That also means the Lord thinks of me as instruct-able, teachable, and able to receive counsel. He has great faith in me. Do we have great faith in the Almighty One?
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
Have I waited? Have I listened? Am I willing to follow the instruction I am given?
Years ago, when I was first beginning to tell relatives that I was writing Peggy, the wife of my Cousin Art, told me these verses. I was reminded in the night.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. 3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faithfulness. Habakkuk 2:2-4
So when it comes time to give away the printed copies of the poetry, I am trusting that those who do not get a printed copy will be able to use the electronic copy I can send to any email address. As long as they open it in Microsoft Word, it should appear just like the printed copy. The tablets of Habakkuk have taken on a new form!
And this picture also popped up that night seemingly out of no where.
Veteran in a New Field by Winslow Homer
The image shows a man cutting the harvest. One of the first art images the Lord used to speak to me was by Vincent van Gogh, entitled the Sower. There was more than one of these paintings. Here is the first I knew about.
From the sower to the harvest. Wow. Such blessings for us all.
Yes, well. Storms blow through Cincinnati all the time. About 75 degrees and lovely.
Shortly the heavens opened! We were seated next to folks who were rooting for the White Sox. From our seats the State of Kentucky disappeared! The winds came, the rain blew. We moved under an area with a better roof. There we talked with a pipeline construction worker from Oklahoma who was excited to catch the game. He was worrying that they might cancel it.
The screen kept saying rain delay. We eventually chimed in with “No joke!”
The best reward for waiting through a rainstorm is a rainbow. And this one lasted and lasted!!
They were not very accurate at updating the weather radar. Eventually the game began, almost 1-1/2 hours late. I was wearing shorts and had brought a very thin hoodie made of t-shirt like material.
After the rain came the wind became steady and the temperature dropped. The lady next to me was able to go to her car and get her winter coat. She offered me her tiny scarf which I declined.
We left after 3-1/2 innings as it was just too chilly to be enjoyable. We got home before the game ended. And then the Reds lost 5-1.
We did get to go to the ballgame and eat peanuts and throw the shells on the ground! It was also 1-2-3 Tuesday. $1.00 UDF ice cream cups (chocolate sundae cup was delicious.) $2.00 hot dogs. Yep, they were good, too. and $3.00 beer. Bob enjoyed his Kona wave. My husband always love a thrifty deal! A good time was had by the Dutinas!
The opening photo is by r m dutina. Early in the spring, right before a frosty night, I feared I might lose the poppy plant. I covered it a couple times an then decided to let it survive on its own.
They did fine through several very cold nights. I have watched the buds on the poppy plant certain they would open today. Then nothing. Certain they would open. Not yet. And then … drum roll …..
Notice all of the spiny buds!
Yes, they are blooming. I cut the first one to take to a friend. It went into shock but then perked up on her mantel.
Now they are bursting with color.
They were so top heavy with blooms I needed to support them with a piece of fencing or else they would have fallen into the driveway and been crushed by the Volkswagen! I bought these at the grocery store a few years ago. The tag said something about pastel colors. I thought too bad. I really enjoyed the bright red ones at the other house. They did bloom with a few pastel blossoms. Well, here they come all growing in this year with bright red color! They do not bloom for long, but so spectacular! Grateful for these lovelies.
There is another poppy plant growing at the other end of the front flower bed. The Sweet Viburnum shrub has overgrown it. Guess it is time to shovel it out and place in the back flower bed!
As with a house, the work in a flower bed is never finished!
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” ~ Isaiah 40:8
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Matthew 6:28-29 NIV
Modern society has created a myriad of ways to help us stay mobile while we age. At the Convent there are many Sisters who need those devices to get around. Father David Pfaff has visited the Convent often as a fill-in priest to do a service when Father Tom must be away. This weekend as retreat leader he said he spent more time with the sisters than in the past.
He decided to scrap his Sunday morning homily to speak on what he observed while among the sisters, oblates and associates. Sadly, the sermon was not recorded and he did not make notes for it. It was so anointed and such a blessing to those in attendance! One sister who had seemed serious all weekend broke out into a beautiful smile as he spoke.
Later, I asked him via email for his notes. This is what he sent.
“In a nutshell, walking assistive devices are visible reminders that we all need God’s grace to support in our lives, and watching the sisters manage their walkers in a way that I believe shows something of what God invites us to in the ‘great divine dance’ which is God’s grace and love for us.”
As best I remember, he pointed out that the devices are like a sacrament, “an outward and visible sign of an inward invisible grace.” God supports and aids us in our journey. For some the walker has a seat and a storage box. Some have large wheels, others small ones. Some have places to lean the forearms. A few have fabric laced with ribbon over the front of the frame. Rather than resenting and disliking the walker, we can embrace it just as we embrace God’s care for us.
That is a minimal sketch of his delightful talk. As I recall he also mentioned that he was impressed by how Sr. Hope assisted Sr. Marion when she moved from her walker to her chair. He noticed how each of us yielded to the ones with assistive devices when it came to a narrow path.
I once heard someone refer to her walker as a cage. That is sad. I hope this entry might help even one person re-frame the walker assistance idea. Yes, the walker surrounds with bars and handles, but for a good reason – support. I pray that when it comes time for me to use an assistive device such as a walker I can remember it as David Pfaff painted this lovely portrait last weekend.
I will be sending fewer posts this week as I continue to work on printing the poetry book and preparing the book on prayer.
I hope you each have a great week! Nasturtium seeds have sprouted here. Just put out Bachelor’s Buttons seeds. The poppy plant is bursting with buds, but so far none have opened. The purple iris are abundant and fragrant. As they get too heavy for the stem I cut them and bring them inside. I think they smell like grape jelly!
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work: who lives and reign with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever. Amen. BCP
There used to be a painting/print that hung on the wall in the Guest dining room at the Convent of the Transfiguration. It was a depiction of the meal Jesus shared with disciples after the walk to Emmaus. It was a simple depiction that I cannot find online. The portrait was like an icon to me. It has been replaced and put in storage somewhere. No one at the Convent knows exactly where it is.
I have scoured hundreds of online images trying to find a copy of that painting. I would buy it in a heartbeat if I could find it!
This past weekend the Associates retreat was lead by Father David Pfaff, Rector at Christ Church, Glendale. His topic was the icons written after the crucifixion through the Ascension. Yes, the Walk to Emmaus was also featured. He pointed out in the icons he had chosen that one of the people on the walk was a woman. Cleopas is named in verse 18 but the other disciple is not named. In the image he chose that disciple is depicted as a woman, unlike the pictures below. (See opening picture)
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:13-35 NIV
At first glance it would seem this retreat topic was stuffy and not contemporary. That is a mistaken idea! The icons are ‘drawn’ as an aide in prayer. They lead us to the Holy God. The images attempt to help us envision what the truth is about how God comes to humankind. How we can interact with the Almighty.
Each of the four talks brought me to a place of stillness and enlightenment. There is so much more to discover about our God. Lord, help our hearts burn within us as You speak with us.
Never stop looking for those treasures in plain sight, even if it requires you go to a religious bookstore or, as one man mentioned, shopping on Etsy for an icon! Yep! I tried there for that painting. No such luck!
I try to write every Monday and Tuesday mornings to post on this blog throughout the week. Many times during the week I will rough draft an idea to work on. Not this week!
I spent Thursday working with my dear friend Dana to begin printing, punching and assembling the poetry books. That took much longer than anticipated. We had completed none of them. Many were in various stages of production. She met me Friday morning with some completed books. I went to the Convent for the weekend retreat delighted to have a few copies in hand. One gal lives in Chattanooga and I knew I would see her at the retreat. I wanted to get a copy to her so we would not have to ship it!
The editor for the book about prayer gave me information about next steps towards getting that ready for publication. I just never quite realized all the work that occurred after the actual writing! I spent part of the weekend trying to plan the order the 31 selections should appear in the finished book. She also wants an “About the author” page and a Preface. I had a rough draft for the Preface, but hesitated on “About the author.” Bob agreed to do the first draft for me and then we can work on it together. I need to decided if the photos I chose can be printed in black and white. The color photos will make the book cost more. Aye yai yai!
And I just needed to get still and quiet. I had asked the Lord on Thursday to help me direct my heart and mind to Him over the weekend. (The editor taught me that capitalizing pronouns that refer to God is not correct, but I have always done it as a way to show respect! I have to decide if I want her to change that or not.) I realized with all these decision and things looming I needed help. The Lord referred me back to Psalm 131 again. I was instructed to write part of it out in longhand, I do not do that much anymore because arthritis has ruined my handwriting.
My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131: 1-2 NIV
I am not to think about things I cannot control. I am not to think about things too wonderful for me. (Thus I hired an Editor!) It is up to me to calm and quiet myself. So I set about doing just that. You might want to copy those two verses and ponder how they apply to your life right now!
Before I left on Friday morning another Psalm came to mind. Years ago I wrote in my bible “Vulnerability, Untd.” next to Psalm 34.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
It is hard with this Psalm to know when and where to stop when choosing a selection! I made it my business to spend the weekend trying to bless the Lord at all times and continually have His praise in my mouth. It can be powerful to turn to this practice and turn off worries and distractions.
Walking I saw places of such quiet!
Quiet flowers, I just love the sun through the purple petalsQuiet Dogwood
I have promised only a few people a printed copy of the poetry. I realized while in retreat that I can offer anyone who wants it an electronic copy! If they want, they may print it out for themselves, or simply print the selections they desire. What a relief! Bob continues to wonder if I should have planned to have the poetry printed through Amazon Direct Publishing. The way we are doing it right now the material remains free to others though costly to produce.
I was told by reputable sources instead of giving the poetry away for free I should ask for a charitable donation. I am doing that through the West Clermont local school district. The donations will go towards the Paid Student Lunch Charges. Many families today have to decide whether to pay for their power bill or pay the school for the lunch program. There are thousands of dollars of lunch debt in almost every school district. I think the children should receive food. With all of the government cutbacks there is likely to be even more debt. I am asking that donations be sent to the local elementary school down the street.
You can likely tell by now that my brain is spinning in many directions! I was able to get still on retreat. I did get some solid rest, though it is almost a memory today! The 31 book selections are arranged in an order to be reviewed with Bob. These two projects have demanded that I am participating constantly in vulnerability, unlimited with the Lord.
Monday was busy, busy with a funeral in the morning, followed by lunch celebrating mother’s day with our son and grandson and then back to Dana’s house to work on the poetry books. I write this on a gloomy Tuesday morning with fondness that you continue to read and follow my writing.
May the Lord bless you with a renewed sense of His Presence and love for you! Trust Him with your everything.
Twice the past couple of weeks the term Rorschach Test has come up. You know, that weird thing where you are shown an ink blotch and asked what you see in it?
Pelvic bones with spine? Shadow of bird wings from hands held a certain way?
Why all of the sudden did this psychological term come up? Perhaps you are unfamiliar with this term? Here is information from https://www.rorschach.org/
Contrary to popular belief, the Rorschach Inkblot Test is NOT strictly a projective psychological or personality measure. In the strictest sense, the Rorschach Inkblot Test is a test or assessment of perception.
It is designed to evaluate how someone approaches their environment, In other words, it asks the question, “How does someone view and organize the world around them?”
Through analyzing what someone sees, where they see it, and what about the blot makes what they saw look like whatever they saw, the psychologist is able to make various hypotheses about how that person views and organizes the world.
Furthermore, the psychologist can compare the person’s perceptions to a clinical or normative sample. From this analysis, the psychologist then makes inferences about the person’s approach to the world (which is largely stable and described often as character or personality), insofar as, one’s feelings, thoughts, stress tolerance, relationships, and self-perception shapes and influences how that person views and organizes their world. Thus, the major areas evaluated are:
the person’s emotional world,
the person’s cognitive world,
the person’s ability to deal with situational stress,
the person’s perception of others and relationships, and
the person’s self-perception.
I am certain that those with strong political identification see things quite differently from those with strong christian identification. Think of the late Pope Francis and his conversation with Vice President Vance. Pope Francis referred Vance to an in-depth discussion with his assistant, likely as Pope Francis no longer had the strength or stamina to engage the younger firebrand.
Aljazeera reported: US Vice President JD Vance has met with the Vatican’s top diplomats, discussing the politically fraught issue of migration months after Pope Francis rebuked the new US administration’s hardline immigration stance.
How do you view the world and the things you catch glimpses of? As I age things that used to bother me greatly have moved into the back room of my concerns or off my radar completely. Are there things you cling to as greatly important. Are there things that you have simply let go of? I wonder what VP Vance makes of the Pope’s insistence regarding migration issues now that the Pope has passed to his eternal rest? Does Vance see his audience with the Pope as a great privilege during the man’s last few hours upon earth or his right as an American diplomat? How are his political views reconciled with his new found Catholic faith?
Only God reads hearts. And I am glad. I do not want to know what lies in the hearts of others. Perhaps the Risen Christ offers us regular opportunities to interpret inkblot images in our daily life? At best, I can only hope to reign in my own heart and mind to obedience to Christ. That alone will take all of my energy for the remainder of my life.
As a child visiting the Natural History Museum I purchased a tiny chip of blue goldstone. I was enchanted, taken by fascination. What was this thing?
The experts say, “Blue Goldstone is not a precious stone, it is artificial glass. It is made of glass and copper and its inner glow is very beautiful and popular for accessories. It receives a lot of support from people even though it is an artificial gemstone. It is usually used in jewelry pieces. Goldstone is a stone that can come in several colors, but Blue Goldstone is the favorite.
“This stone comes from medieval times. At that time, a monk was making a glass. And he poured copper chips into the glass by accident. He thought it was a great failure but he made a very beautiful glass. Therefore, this technique continued to be practiced for years until now.
Here is the piece that now sits on my desk, no longer just a tiny chip. We bought it some place in our travels.
The photo does not do it justice. The blue is actually deeper, almost black. The gold flecks remind me me of constellations and far flung stars. Guess you might need to shop for a piece of your own to get the true impact.
Then I came across the following quote from Michelle Obama. Can you imagine the wealth of wisdom she has instilled in her daughters?
The unknown is where possibility glitters. – Michelle Obama
And seeing the glitter is risky, but necessary. Can you discern the glittering possibilities within yourself? Have you dared to even think about that? Would you risk a glance? Another quote.
Risk itself is a process of constant unfolding. And taking risks is the process of peeling back the layers of what you are and who you want to be.
PHOEBE ENG
You are full of glittering possibility. Are you willing to peel back the layers of yourself and expose that glorious creation within and around yourself? This is nothing you accomplished on your own. I believe this is what God placed in you when life was breathed into your being. Your work is “the process of peeling back the layers,” discovering the call of the Holy upon your life. Then walking towards that calling with courage and grace.
Oh Lord, help us to quicken our steps to Your calling and work in obedience to Your Spirit. May Your be glorified in all we do and say, write and print. Amen.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 