JUNE TRANSITIONS

 We usually begin our transition in May but this year I was needed a little longer in Florida.  What a difference a few weeks makes.  June is a great month to 'transition.'

By the time hubby and I packed up for the northern environs we experienced 95 degrees with 95% humidity daily.  I do not mind the heat but the humidity makes one feel mildly limp as we slog through mud.

Almost immediately, upon exiting our train up north, we felt the first joy of our transition from South to North.  We breathed in fresh air even though it was already quite hot in the early hours of the new day.  Far less humidity has made a huge impact on our well-being.  

The terrain of wide freeways and overpasses was not much different than our southern environs but once we left the suburbs surrounding D.C. we entered vast expanses of green, deciduous foliage.  Breeze swept through the aged trees until we entered the much anticipated openness of endless farmland.  Barns, hay, oats, animals and the vast patchwork of green, gold and brown reminded us of the place we’d left seven months earlier.

Even upon entering our lovely abode we embraced new spaces.  Dark wooden floors, comfortable furniture, some over a century old.  Our eyes rested upon familiar artwork as empty counters greeted us.  I’d stored all our old, blue, ‘Ball’ jars in the fridge so the contents would remain edible.  Small appliances, the pitcher filled with wooden spoons, cutting boards, containers to hold fresh produce, our little condiment tray, a Kleenex box and all those little do-dads that lay around were all neatly stored away.  

We found we were slow to remember where we placed our beloved tools for daily living.  We opened each cupboard, drawer and cabinet in the house as we hunted for the familiar.  We are still hunting.  Did we leave that in Florida?  Did we place this in such a safe place that there is no way to find it? Was it that important?

And then the shopping.  We eat very simply but purchasing the basics was a bit mystifying.  Our local farmer was first on our list.  Fresh everything we could find, so cheap and no preservatives, fully organic.  Next, Costco.  We buy in bulk as much as possible but hubby is the real shopper.  He knows what is a bargain and what is best to purchase elsewhere.  We only shop at three to four places but it was the list-making and the decisions that exhausted us.

And so we are now well ensconced in our home-sweet-home, ready to enjoy a little ‘down’ time.  Our heavy work schedule was actually in Florida.  Our ‘vacation’ is in the middle of Lancaster farmland.  Amish mow the lawns, buggies vie for space on two-lane roads.  Farmers plant corn where they just harvested oats and hay.  Tractors, lawn mowers and the clip-clopping hooves of horse-drawn buggies sometimes drown out the melodious songs of a great variety of birds in the meadow at the bottom of our little hill.  

I sit on my back porch and stare out at the vast expanse of farmland as I listen to happy sounds.  Cool breezes make large tree limbs, filled with a variety of vegetation, seem like they are dancing.  Mama birds flit about grabbing endless food for their greedy babies.  How am I to get any work done?  I’m mesmerized!  

It’s still not warm enough to wear less than three layers before noon.  I cautiously peel one layer at a time.  By late afternoon I am ready to wear one layer as we take our daily walk around the neighborhood.  The days are 15 hours long so there is plenty of time to work in the garden each day. 

And then there are the gardens.  We have back and front yard gardens, tiered gardens filled with perennials and the herb garden overflowing with green beauty, flowers, and an abundance of herbs that will keep us going for the next five years.  Sometimes I think I should begin a small business to dry and sell herbs.  Instead, I choose to cut back large bags full of Oregano, Tarragon, a variety of onions and garlic, Russian Sage, Cat mint, Spearmint and so much more.

The rose bushes are heavy with colorful blooms that smell divine as I poke my nose especially into the yellow ones.  Garlic surrounds them so no aphids.  Japanese beetles have yet to pop out of their nests as rain still floods the gardens with soft swigs of moisture.  Our tiers of blooming perennials are so happy that I must cut back reams of foliage so we can see everything.  Salvia, Laurel, Hastas galore, Salvia, reams of Hydrangeas on three huge bushes and variegated leaves of green invite the eye to swirl in all directions.  Blue ‘climbing’ geraniums grow like weeds as they slither between larger bushes.  Winterberry, such a glorious red in the winter, is fat with green berries.  I have much to do simply to enjoy the beauty and trim a bit here and there.  

The garden provides a place of beauty and purpose.  In order to remain beautiful as the summer heat creeps in, we cut and dig and prune as much as possible.  Watering will be our August chore but for now, we simply enjoy.

So, as we transition we also see our surroundings transition.  From the plump and plentiful foliage and yellow, red and blue colors of spring flowers to the dryer stillness of deep summer, we look forward to the beauty of the massive trees that divide the farms.  All too soon we will embrace fall colors, pumpkins, a golden landscape, much cutting back for winter and another time of transition.

I drink in every single moment because time flies faster than I can catch it.  All too soon we will be in the midst of a transition that will return us to the South.  I will joyfully enter into a very busy schedule down there as we share our lives with others.  We do so all year but more-so when we return as ‘season’ begins in the Florida.  

Church activities draw us into the lives of so many who seek more and who choose to grow more in their Christ-Journey.  As we grow, we choose to help others grow.  We can never grow enough, never know enough, never stop in our journey as we transition into the fullness of knowing God in Christ Jesus.  We will never stop our transition while in this transitory place we call ‘the world.’  

I love every minute, no matter where I am or what I am doing.  

God is leading as I simply follow from one ‘transition’ to the next.

May we each enJOY the beauty around us, no matter where we are, and embrace any and all ‘transitions’ set before us.  

God is Good, 

Life is Good 

We are Good . . . through any and all ‘transitions.’

MONTH OF MAY

 The month of may is always a turning point for me: warmer days, more sunshine and thoughts of a change in scenery.

Today the warm, dry breeze waffles through my hair as I sit on our lanai.  We live in the southern part of the United States considered to be in the tropics.  

This suits me quite well all year but hubby craves cooler air about now.  

So, we prepare to pack up and move north for those hot summer months.

This year I was invited to remain in this tropical area through June to help at church.

“No way,” says hubby.  “Let’s create a plan where you can be helpful yet not fully present.”  

Because of the all the technology we embraced during this Covid pandemic, this is totally do-able.  

The church elders said OK to my plan to Zoom as usual.  

Not much will change except for a few preaching assignments.  

This was alleviated by my taking extra opportunities to preach in May.

Instead of leisurely packing, I now prep ‘modules’ in my spare time.  All we’ll have to do is load up the already packed plastic containers, empty the fridge, turn off the water and we are good to go.  

This past year has been busier for me than the past several.  While others have been sequestered, I have been trekking to church several days a week.  Yet, I find time to linger on our sweet lanai most mornings. It’s the rhythm of the seasons that I so love.  That’s why we love changing our environment.  

Down here we enjoy colorful blooms, tall grasses and deciduous trees standing between the never-changing sway of the palms.  All too soon we will enjoy just as much heat but cool nights, scores of perennials planted in tiered gardens and much digging in the dirt.  My gardens up north are lush with variegated green and pops of lush color.  We look forward to lingering outside until the late hours when the fireflies begin to sparkle in the dusky haze of evening and hope the Cicadas will be short lived.

Today I choose to linger on my lanai, writing until my computer gives up steam.  My mind travels through the upcoming schedule of farewell gatherings, meetings and festive worship.  The Lord is on his throne and in my heart as I am led by the Holy Spirit to write words for others to hear.  I love to teach so that I can learn something new to share with others. I find purpose in each day knowing that God is using me in simple ways, a little here and a little there.

As I linger in my armchair, I think of my brother who just completed the most fascinating journey he has taken in his lifetime.  In just six weeks he drove his little 30” tall Lotus Elan from Colorado Springs across the country to the most southeastern point in the continental United States.  He then visited us for one night and continued north to Maine, taking his final eleven miles to the northeastern point of the U.S. on a dirt logging road with ruts as deep as his tires.  

One of several books

He then proceeded to touch the central point of the U.S. on his way back home.  He rested a couple days, tweaked his little car for another jaunt, hugged his wife, repacked and was off again as he went through the lowest point in the U.S. to the most southwestern tip of the U.S. in California. 

Continuing north, he took routes 1 and 101 to the most northwestern part in the Washington Olympics.  He then crossed through Montana and southward to reached the highest point in the U.S. where several joined in his mini-celebration with cheese and crackers carefully laid out on the back of his Elan.  One day later he met another group not far from home to celebrate his trip of well over 11,000 miles.  

Throughout his trip my brother was joined by one or several Lotus enthusiasts: fellow drivers, mechanics who came to his rescue and those who care.  He raise over $17,000 for his annual "Driving for Kids."  Annually, a dozen Lotus Elans gather in another part of the U.S. or England to raise money for these children.  This year my brother simply asked for donations as he did all the driving.  All money goes to Round-up River Ranch in Colorado for summer camp.  My brother took no money for himself.

And so, it has been a wonder-filled seven months for hubby and me in the tropics as I followed each of my brother’s daily blogs for the past six weeks.  

What a ride!

Since today we celebrate Memorial Day, I remember those who died serving our country so that we may dream, have adventures and travel safely.  

Let us be mindful of those who continue to protect our freedom so that we are free to dream, drive, worship and be arm-chair adventurers.  

Because of the dedication of others we remain safe.  

May we fly our flag boldly and tell wonder-filled stories about each part of this incredible United States of America.  

We are ONE nation, under God, Indivisible, with justice for all.  

May this nation remain so as long as I have breathe.  

God Bless America! 

FORTY DAYS THROUGH APRIL

 Forty days and forty nights.

That’s how long Moses communed with God as he was receiving the words for the tablets.  

That’s when the Ten Commandments were given as the beginning of the ‘Law’ for those who fled from Egypt.  

Moses returned to the presence of God for another forty days after he threw the first set of tablets to the ground.

God’s people were so far removed from worship and understanding of the ‘Presence’ that they sinned against God at the same time Moses was in the midst of God’s glory.

God’s people spent the previous 450 years while in Egypt without worship, without sin offering, with only a small remnant who were taught the stories of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Throughout Hebrew history, forty years and forty days have remained significant in the lives of God’s people.  

Other numbers are also very important but today we focus on Forty.

Centuries later, God fulfilled the many prophecies of the Old Covenant through the New Covenant, Jesus Christ.  

We celebrate Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection and ascension of God’s only begotten Son through designated periods of time each year. 

 At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, before he picked any of his disciples, the Spirit drew Jesus into the desert for forty days to commune with his Father.  

This was a time of testing but it was also a time to fortify Jesus for three years of non-stop ministry.  

In the same way, when we walk through a meditative period called Lent, we also take forty days to separate ourselves from certain indulgences that may hinder our communication with the Lord.  

This is a time to empty ourselves, and gain more wisdom for our own journey with Christ Jesus.

We use the forty days of Lent to walk to the Cross with Jesus, a time we are called to “be crucified with Christ . . .to let go of our own will and gain greater understanding of God’s will for ourselves.  

Forty days of contemplation, meditation, study and worship mingled with our daily schedules and obligations.  

Some habits are set aside while others are enhanced.

Although we walk to the Cross with Jesus in mind and spirit, we comprehend very little if we have not walked through the Triduum, the last three days of Jesus’ life.

Maundy Thursday was the last time Jesus gathered with his chosen twelve.  

Jesus “mandated” that they [and we] love one another as Christ loved them [and us].  

The next day, Friday, Jesus’ disciples would learn what this means.  

Jesus was crucified, taking all our sin upon himself, so that we who believe would never feel the sting of death.  

The next day, Saturday, we empty ourselves out so that we feel the emptiness Jesus’ followers felt when they thought he was gone forever. 

Little did Jesus’ disciples know that Jesus’ death would give them [and us] life forever.  

Little did his followers know they would see Jesus again.

Much to their surprise, on the day we call Easter [which means Spring] Jesus would be raised from the dead.  

Little did anyone know that Jesus would wander among those who were bereft when he died.  

Little did they know that Jesus would spend the next forty days personally connecting with each person or group of people to help them remember all the promises given to them over the past three years.

Jesus lingered with his followers for forty days as he encouraged them to Go, Tell others, and keep the words of good news flourishing throughout the world. 

 

It’s good news to know that Jesus is alive and well.  

It’s good news to know that God’s love and grace are right in front of us for the taking.  

It’s good news to know that I can live eternally if I choose to believe what God has done for me through His Son.

It’s good news to know that all I have to say daily is “yes.”

“Yes” Lord.  

“Yes” I will follow Your precepts.  

“Yes” I will follow Your will for me.

“Yes” I will come to you and ask and seek and keep asking and seeking until I understand that You are my life-line.  

You, Lord, are with me more than forty days  .

You, Lord,  are with me for the rest of my life on this earth.  

You, Lord,  are with me for ever.  

You have a place for me when I am done with my physical body.  

With the Holy Spirit, planted in us at baptism, I we can linger with You forty days, forty years, forty million moments, for ever!  

With the Holy Spirit, You will never leave us nor forsake us because Your Spirit, planted within us who say ‘yes’ to You, is for ever.  

You have  promised to be with us always as we promise to be open to your presence.  

For ever, eternally.

Forty days?

It means for ever!

MARCH LINGERING

 

March winds blow hard and cold up north but drive away unwanted bugs and clear the air down here in the Florida tropics 

Sunny days, not too hot, enable us to march forth each morning and evening as we follow dozens of others on a daily brisk walk.

We have also been ‘marching’ through Lent.

This is a time I am reminded of my vulnerability, of the ease of falling into the abyss of darkness if I focus on my own selfishness for too long.  On one hand I find it beneficial to take good care of myself, to eat well and exercise, to enjoy new adventures that stimulate the mind and linger just a little longer in small indulgences.

It’s all good if I also take time to focus on others’ needs and serve others as God directs.  I have had little time to sequester and bask in the luxury of self-indulgence this winter season.  I have been happily employed during a time when so many need special attention.  A phone call, a special class open to any and all, leading others into God’s presence a few times each week and taking care to pamper my hubby a few minutes each day draws me into the Lord’s arms early each day.

The more time I take to linger with God, the more discernment I am given to maintain a balanced day.  Lent should be a time of emptying out, of finding huge gaps each day to simply ‘be.’  I do find gaps to ‘be’ but I also feel the crush of so many challenges that others carry.  Certain death with a brain tumor, the slow struggle of ALS, a dying mother with two small children, an aging parent whose kids are too far away to visit.

I am blessed with teams of volunteers who are present when needed. 

I am blessed with the ability to pray daily along with dozens of others.

I am blessed with just enough time to accomplish what I am suppose to and then leave the rest for another day.

I am blessed with a JOY I feel when I awake each day and lingers until I my head hits the pillow at night.

I am blessed that these forty days we set aside to linger in the emptiness of desert time, as Jesus did, enable me to maintain a healthy life balance.  March keeps marching along, as do all the months this past year.  I love the pace.  

I love knowing that every minute of each day counts for something, especially when I linger on our evening walk when I see the full moon sitting on the horizon like a glowing beachball.

I linger as I freeze in place, staring at the Giant Egret in our back yard.  

I linger by the lake as swift breezes swirl through my graying hair.  

I linger over words that touch my soul each day and fill me with a glow deep inside.  

I make sure I linger a little longer during Lent as I feed on God’s goodness.  By repeating habits that remind me of God’s forever guiding presence, I look forward to moving beyond Lent with the same need to linger a little longer in these good spaces.

March is just another month but a good month to remind myself of the incredible life I continue to lead.  My hubby encourages me and prays with and for me each day.  We make time to enjoy special moments every day, even on my most busy days.  I’m in the best place I can be which is here . . . and now . . . lingering in the precious presence of wonderful people and walking with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And now we enter a week of quiet meditation.

Few meetings.

Much prayer and reflection.

Haunting reminders of Jesus’ death on the Cross.

He became the ultimate blood sacrifice to cover the sin of those who seek to be one with God, who seek salvation, who seek a renewed life.

And so I write and read and linger over words that fly from my heart.

These words I will share with others who come to hear and know and believe that, “If we share with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we shall be saved.”

May we each linger a little longer this Holy Week and seek more of God’s precious presence in our lives.  

Just linger.

Wait.

Breathe deep.

See what happens deep within your soul as our marching through March turns to lingering during this end of Lent.

LENTEN LINGER LONGER - February

It's Lent.   Wilderness time.

It’s a time to empty out the trash, the little stuff that gathers in corners of the soul and seems to plague the heart.

It’s time to FILL those empty spaces with good things like the fruit of the Spirit that energizes the mind, heart and soul to do what is good and right and brings joy and mercy into a very dark world.

It’s time to wait, watch, listen, breathe deep, LINGER in the arms of my beloved Lord.

It’s time to read words of affirmation that remind me of God’s mercy and grace.

It’s time to begin my walk to the Cross as Jesus did immediately after he was baptized in the Jordan river by John as an example to us all.

It’s time to be swept into the desert with Jesus and linger with Him as He lingers with the Father through the power of the Spirit.

It’s time.

Time is so precious that we must carve out a little bit each day from the rock-hard patterns we have made that preclude quite moments.

Time: a commodity that is not endless.

Time began at creation.

Time ends when we die and leave this earth.

Time equals space. [Einstein’s theory of relativity, 1905]

Time and space evaporate for each individual after our very short existence on this planet.

Then what?

If time evaporates, so does space.

“Confessions of St. Augustine”, book 11 and his other book, “City of God” book 11, chapter 6, states: “Knowledge of time depends on the knowledge of the movement of things, and therefore time cannot be where there are no creatures to measure its passing.”

Although God ‘created,’ past tense, God IS.

Our perception of past, present and future was created by God for us, to enable us to live a finite number of years in the space we inhabit.

God may have created, past tense, but God is always in the present.

God is not defined by time and space.  

In fact, the amount of time it takes for us to say the word, “God,” has already taken up some time and therefore, space.

We can use time and space given to each of us to argue this trivia or we can use this precious commodity to enhance our lives.

I argue for the later.

I choose to live the best life possible, with the least amount of garbage getting in my way.

Easier said than done.

I define garbage as anything that shortens my JOY, my days of life, my positive interaction with other humans, my very finite dreams and so much more.

If I chew on foods that destroy my body, I choose to shorten my life.

If I chew on food that pierces my soul, heart and mind with that which causes my spirit to shrink, I choose to shorten my soul-life.

If I take little or no time to chew on challenges that might cause difficulty at first but might also lead to the ability to make my spirit soar with joy and gladness, I have wasted this precious commodity called ‘time.’

So, into the desert I go for a small amount of time.

I could not endure forty days just yet, or could I?

I choose to take one step at a time and set aside a small amount of ‘desert’ time each day.

I set aside time to read words that fill my soul with hope and affirm in my heart my commitment to God, through His son Jesus Christ.

These words of instruction, affirmation or exhortation are like rubbing a sweet balm of healing into my entire being.  

I set aside just a few minutes each day to digest scripture, listen in my spirit for what the Lord is saying to me and talk back in response.  

I love the freedom of talking back to God, knowing that Father, Son, Holy Spirit, all One, love me enough to listen and receive my argumentative notions.

I love knowing I can ‘dump’ my garbage at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus stained the earth with His blood as he took my mucky, dark, sins upon Himself.

I love knowing that, by Jesus’ act of love on the Cross, His blood covers my meek excuses, my sinful thoughts, words and deeds.

Jesus’ time in the desert, living in his full humanity, prepared him for his very short three years of ministry before he made the choice to be the ultimate sacrifice for us, his creation.  

Jesus, both human and divine, was the last sacrifice, the last sin offering, made once, for all, so that our short minutes of ‘desert time’ with Him would always be fruitful and multiply and bloom into new life.

Time.

Just a little time with God is needed each day to fill the soul.

Easy?

Never.

There is always something that gets in the way.

It’s my choices that make the difference.

And so I say a little prayer to spur me on:

Help me, Lord, to take time, a mere moment with You.

Help me to linger a little longer each day so that ‘my’ time becomes Your time.

Help me linger without awareness of time or space so that I can float above the gravitational pull of anxiety, fear, unforgiveness and other garbage. 

Help me feel Your embrace, Lord, for just a moment, and be energized to do the same with others.

Help me Linger Longer with you.

amen

JANUARY JUMP START

 A January Jumpstart sounds pretty jazzy.  

That’s what we’ve needed as we slog through another month of COVID while it flairs in parts of our country.  

It seems as if our ‘get up and go’  got up and went.  

For most of the country it’s cold and windy and not too much fun outside and the mask is the ‘in’ item of the day.  Which color or pattern matches my outfit today?  As for me, I simply throw on my plain white, soft cotton one or double mask with a blue paper one underneath.  

I am either working at home where I spend hours on Zoom or I am at the church office where I interface with co-workers only for meetings and worship services.  

Needless to say, my soul-battery has been drained many times as I teach and listen and commiserate and pray with others.  

The commiserating is simply sharing empathetic words with another who is having a hard time with this isolation.  My soul-battery needs a daily jumpstart because I’m busier than I’ve ever been . . .  too busy.  

The most aching of souls are the ones who thrive when in community.  They need that kinetic sense that one receives in a crowded room.  It’s the vibes of conversation, of seeing facial expressions up close, of jostling, elbow to elbow, with a pack of people that gives them the jumpstart.

I am blessed that I can hide behind a book or spend hours on my computer and be perfectly satisfied.  Until . . .  until I also find something lacking.  It’s that ol’ soul-battery that surprisingly gets drained.  Why is that?

“No man is an island, no man stands alone,” states the refrain from a well known song from scripture.  We were not made for isolation.  We were made to be in community, to jostle elbow-to-elbow, to share and receive wisdom from one another, to cry or laugh with each other.  We are meant to ‘jumpstart’ one another as we share, encourage, exhort and play together.  Because our community interaction has been so very  limited for nearly a year, we feel an emptiness that seems like a drained battery.

So, what do we do about it?

There are a few ‘fixes’ that most of us have be using.

First, we connect with one another in as many ways as possible.  

Phone calls and text messages go only so far.  

FaceTime is a bit better but that’s mostly for one-on-one conversations.  

Another solution we’ve been indulging in is Zoom meetings.  

Yet, even with Zoom, all I see is a distorted head from the neck upward that may be in such poor light that I barely see expressions. 

I cannot easily read the body language.  Try reading faces in 10 to 30 tiny squares.  The more people on a page, the smaller the face.  Jumpstart!!! please.

The next best alternative is to gather together, with masks,

chairs six feet apart, and simply enJOY seeing entire bodies.  

Do we dare?  

Indeed we do.  

I have heard so many creative options that are actually working.  Friends of mine live in an area where temps are only as low as the 40s in the early evening.  They purchased ski leggings and parks so they can dine outside in ‘safe space.’  The adventure of donning layers of clothing to dine out becomes a jumpstart for the week.  

Another friend attends a weekly bible study in the leaders’ driveway.  Each brings their own chair, water, bible and anything else they need as they sit six feet apart, masks on, in an ellipse.  They get to see one another even if they are bundled up.  Facial expressions may be difficult to read but reading body movements of one another seems to satisfy the soul as they discuss how Jesus feeds them with his word.

During the winters we are blessed to live in an area that is considered the tropics.  Yet, I find myself wearing winter clothing most days.  

We have enjoyed an exceptionally cool winter that enables us to embrace many outside activities including daily walks.  Hubby and I look forward to our prayer-walks when I do not have early morning meetings.  No masks, plenty of cool breeze, energetic limb movement and words that feed our soul seems to jumpstart us at least five days a week.  

January jumpstart may happen due to these desperate COVID days but  I believe we are learning new habits that we can use for the rest of our lives.  We are determined to fill our souls in creative ways so that our soul-batteries are never totally drained.  Perhaps you have created new ways to fill your soul-battery when you feel as if you are alone a bit too much.

Jumpstart may mean creating habits that begin the day.  

Make a ‘must-do’ list.  Must have coffee or tea, must sit in my favorite chair as I read the paper, must have at least 20 minutes for self.  Perhaps we can add a few more minutes each day to read inspiring words from a book of meditations or from holy scripture.  

Perhaps we can tuck into that schedule of habits three minutes to talk to God . . .  or just listen and wait.  Breathe in . . .  breathe out.

Ahhh, feel better?

Use some of those habits throughout the day to keep your battery full.

Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . share moments of gratitude with one other or write these moments in a journal.

At the end of the day, let’s count our blessings.

Give thanks that today we are alive and able to breathe deep.

Give thanks to God for creative ways you have jumpstarted your battery.  Praise the Lord with simple words like: Thanks, nice, love it. Praise God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the creativity given to us to jumpstart our soul throughout each day.