Happy Valentine's Day!

Give a kid a lollipop,

give a clerk a smile,

give a guy a handshake,

go the extra mile.

Help carry the groceries,

wash somebody’s trucks,

run somebody’s errands,

go and feed the ducks.

Quit your pity party,

stop your grumbling angst.

Love was made for giving

So give love and then give thanks.

~ae

Snail Mail

Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned,

but I like to send mail,

...real mail,

the kind that is hand written

in my own handwriting

with my favorite black pen

on stationery or cards which sport designs

that share in the expression

of the message, the occasion,

or the personality of the recipient.

In recent years, this mode of correspondence

has been christened “Snail Mail”,

likely because it moves from sender to receiver

much more slowly than any other form of communication

our rapid information exchanging world has to offer.

Consider the Snail…

Remember when you were a kid

and you happened to notice as you walked along the sidewalk

a little snail inching its way across to the green grass on the other side.

Did you stop to watch it,

to examine how its body contracted and relaxed in a pattern

similar to the way the muscles of your own throat moved when you swallowed?

Were you amazed at the amount of slime that one snail could produce

making its own little skating rink in order to protect its tender body

from the rough, scorching concrete?

Did you wonder how the shape of its shell

had such a beautifully intricate spiral pattern?

Did you feel sad when you put salt on the little guy

because your friend told you it would be fun… but it wasn’t?

Do you remember when you found an empty snail shell in the dirt,

and you picked it up and put it in your pocket.

Do you remember when, later on, you reached into your pocket 

to show off your treasure to your friend,

only to find shattered remnants?

Did you and your friend put two snails on a line for a race? 

Do you remember cheering your snail on to a victorious win,

then placing him into the grass as his reward?

Do you remember picking your snail up by the shell and holding him upside down

to watch his body recoil into the little house on his back? 

Did you sit down cross-legged on the grass and hold him for a really long time,

being ever so still,

waiting, for what seemed an eternity, for him to peek out?

Did you ever put a snail on your forearm?

Did you laugh as you watched him try to navigate the hairs that blocked his path?

God’s creation is worth the wait.

Steal some time to leisurely explore,

to examine,

to enjoy…

then write to tell someone all about it in a letter

………a real one.

~ae

“Be still and know that I am God… 

I will be exalted in the earth.”  

~Psalm 46:10

Here’s a fun link for all potential snail enthusiasts…

http://velvetdragon.com/cyberslugs/pets.html

Acceleration

\encourage/

\admonish/

\stimulate/

\motivate/

\instigate/
\provoke/

\prompt/

\inspire/

\fire up/

\excite/

\move/

\goad/

\push/

\spur/

\stir/

\/

…like a wedge

inserted into knowledge and understanding

compelling a decision,

an action,

a directional movement.

Change cramps lifestyle;

causes discomfort,

at times is awkward or difficult,

even painful.

When thinking becomes cyclical,

when analysis begins to atrophy,

when decisiveness develops bed sores,

…when God’s Holy Spirit whispers, “Come”,

the first step is the hardest.

As my children study physical science,

their vocabulary list includes….

Acceleration:  The time rate of change of an object’s velocity.

Acceleration is a vector quantity,

meaning it contains directional information.

If an object’s velocity changes,

whether it speeds up (accelerates in the same direction),

slows down (accelerates in the opposite direction),

or changes direction which affects its velocity,

acceleration has occurred.

If I could choose one word

to portray the Gospel’s impact,

it would be acceleration.

Even within in God’s commands

to enter into His rest,

to be still,

to wait,

there are vector quantities

of spiritual growth,

of gaining understanding,

of acquiring a new song.

~ae

“I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself,

nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”

~Jeremiah 10:23

“Surely there is a future,

and your hope will not be cut off. 

Listen, my son, and be wise,

and direct your heart in the way.”

~Proverbs 23:18,19

Worship

Music,

intensely beautiful music.

Voices gently blending,

powerfully resonant,

steadily comforting

amid instrumental harmony.

Songs of praise,

of worship,

moving hearts to feel passion

for the Cross,

for the Savior,

for His gift of Hope.

The worship team,

synchronizing expressions of sincere hearts,

obedient to the call to worship,

faithful to stand together for the Truth,

mindful of the message of the Gospel.

Who are they?

One is recovering from seasonal illness,

one carries a child within her,

one is new to the team and feels nervous,

one works unpredictable shifts as a highway patrol officer,

one cares for her mother who has entered the latter stage of cancer,

one mourns for the loss of her dear friend’s child.

               

How could six unique individuals,

most with significant life concerns

occupying their time,

accosting their energy,

limiting their function,

come together with such unity?

Jesus prayed to His Father…

“The glory which You have given Me

I have given to them,

that they may be one, just as We are one;

I in them and You in Me,

that they may be perfected in unity…”

~John 17:23

Whispers

A scent,

   a sound,

      a flavor…

Whispers of the past

stir reminiscence;

a wafting sweet memory,

a tingling sensation of déjà vu,

almost there for me to grasp with delight,

but not quite.

Each fleeting reunion rushes by,

flickers for an instant,

and is gone.

One leaves a joyous aroma,

another bequeaths its melancholy hues,

yet another is likened to praises

silently savored through hands of a hula halao.

But none slip away without leaving

a gentle kiss of contentment

on my heart’s face.

Even sorrows of old

carry tender memories

of compassion,

of trusting,

of waiting.

There is no room

for regret.

“Remember my affliction…

surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. 

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. 

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

for His compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness. 

“‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,

therefore I have hope in Him.” 

~Lamentations 3:19-24

Thoughtlessness

Bookmark,

speed dial,

kitchen timer,

cruise control,

iron’s automatic shut off feature,

programmable morning coffee preset,

… each is so efficiently designed that, once initiated,

there is no further need to think about it.

Yet each of these valued features

has a problem… a glitch.

What if…

…my bookmark falls out; what page was I on?

…I need to borrow someone else’s phone; what number do I dial?

…the kitchen timer dings when I’m downstairs; will the casserole burn?

…my truck approaches a portion of icy road; will my brakes

        stop the cruise setting or spin the truck?

…I get interrupted by a phone call; will I be late for my appointment

        waiting for the iron to warm up again?

…the electricity flickers; will I ever wake up?  (Actually, I don’t drink coffee.

        I use the alarm setting on my phone……… oh…)

Handy? 

        Yes.

Brainless? 

        Well, not exactly.

Brain trained to set and forget in order to manifest its powers elsewhere? 

        !

Sometimes, forgetfulness is a result of the inability to remain focused.

Usually, to forget is to choose to not remember.

Whether premeditated or unintentional,

to forget is to be distracted by something else

deemed more worthy of time and energy.

Thoughtlessness

if you think about it,

is not really lacking in thought,

rather it is redirected thought;

choosing to exchange the necessary or the valuable

for convenience,

comfort,

desire.


Thoughtfulness, then,
expresses purpose;
being intentional,
giving up other potential brain occupation,
stepping out of a comfort zone,
selfless effort,
love.
~ae

"Can a woman forget her nursing child
and have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My Hands."
~Isaiah 49:15,16


“…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;

do this in remembrance of Me.’ 

In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,

‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. 

This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 

For as often as you eat this bread

and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 

~I Corinthians 11:24-26

Walls

Brick by brick,

a little hearsay,

a bit of juicy scandal,

some casual chitchat

constructing a wall.

Reinforced by steel bars of twisted truth,

with concrete of gossip

being poured carefully

into the midst of the wall;

there it hardens,

solidifying the wall,

dividing, setting apart,

isolating.

Brick by brick,

a little argument,

a bit of misunderstanding,

some unresolved conflict

constructing a wall.

Reinforced 
by steel bars of resentment,

with concrete of bitterness

being poured carefully

into the midst of the wall;

there it hardens,

solidifying the wall,

dividing, setting apart,

isolating.

Brick by brick,

a little insult received,

a bit of withdrawing,

some avoidance of relational opportunities

constructing a wall.

Reinforced by steel bars of feelings of incompetence,

with concrete of self-absorption

being poured carefully

into the midst of the wall;

there it hardens,

solidifying the wall,

dividing, setting apart,

isolating.

“Now Jericho was tightly shut 

because of the sons of Israel;

no one went out and no one came in. 

The Lord said to Joshua,

‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand,

with its king and the valiant warriors.” 

~Joshua 6:1,2

The walls of Jericho came down.

Deliberate preparation,

in accordance with specific instruction

from the Lord;

redirected Focus,

established Purpose,

recognized Authority.

They followed in cadence

behind the Ark of God’s Presence,

as ridiculous as it may have seemed

to the society at large,

remaining devoted

to His command.

Each step of obedience,

each blast of the ram’s horn,

each shout of victory

rendered utter destruction.

The walls came down

…and the battle began.

~ae