That Which is Unknown is Most Everything

... knowledge must continually be renewed by ceaseless effort, if it is not to be lost. It resembles a statue of marble which stands in the desert and is continually threatened with burial by the shifting sand. The hands of service must ever be at work, in order that the marble continue to lastingly shine in the sun. To these serving hands mine shall also belong. (Albert Einstein, On Education, 1950)


We live in a society in which the inhabitants are constantly grappling for position to prove their intellectual and moral prowess over one another. Through subtle intimidation or overt condescension, the race is constant to show superiority in knowledge and theory.  It has been mistakenly assumed that the loudest most frequent voice is the one that will be absorbed by the largest audience.  Perhaps this is the case.  I, however, contend that it is not.

Passion is beauty.  Sharing ideas breathes life into that which matters. It is the responsibility of us all, for the sake of our souls, our fellow man and the world as a whole, to nurture that which is innate within our minds and hearts.  Truth exists there.

Even greater still than regurgitating what we hold to be absolute, is the eagerness to search for and receive opposing discourse. It is through these often uncomfortable lessons that the evolutions of our minds take place. It is only when we are challenged that we can begin to grow. When we cease to grow, we cease to be.

Be hesitant in your judgements.  Always look for another way.  Explore the vastness of the possibilities that exist.  At the end of the great long day, you may find yourself in total agreement with your previous self, or you may discover a rebirth and evolution of the spirit.  Allow yourself the opportunity for transformation.

Don't Politicize Jesus

I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I believe that He was the greatest man that ever will live.  I know that through His grace and love hearts can be changed forever.
I do believe, however that I make a lousy "political Christian."

Since the beginning of time, nations have crippled each other in the name of  God; villages destroyed, women raped, babies murdered.  Somehow, in the eyes of radicals, all is justified, perhaps even required if done in the name of "Fill in Entity of your Choosing Here."  I would like to believe that the religious  radicals are the minorities in our non secular society, yet with the birth of the Religious Liberties bill, I have my doubts.

 I can acknowledge that I myself, have a deep, burning love for Christ, and at times my desire to want to share His Word with someone of conflicting mindset is overwhelming and frustrating. It is not because I am trying to prove my rightness over their wrongness, rather I truly believe that through my relationship with Jesus I have been given a peace and love that can transcend no other and as a lover of all humans, I desire that beautiful gift to be realized by as many people as possible.

This I know with no doubt: The love of God can not be imposed.  Do not try.  Share it, offer it, live it, explain it.  Never force it.  Jesus did not do it, and He is the teacher if you call yourself a Christian.  Be a light filled person. Let the light of Jesus shine from your being and saturate the earth.  Be the goodness.  It is my sincerest belief that hearts will be changed by kindness, compassion and grace.  A genuine relationship with Christ can not be born from brow beating and manipulation.  Jesus did not operate that way.

Matthew 5:9  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Simple enough, folks.  If you love Christ, emulate His words and actions.  

If you find yourself in a quandary over the moral righteousness of your fellow man, know first and foremost, we as Christians are called to love one another.  If you feel your own uber Christian super status somehow entitles you to discriminate against those you see as morally corrupt, remember who it is Jesus, Himself would be hanging out with if he were to happen our way.  He does not call us to act as the judge in His absence.   

Love one another.  That means everyone.  Even if you do not like the way they live their lives, love.  Even if they do not want to know your God, love.  Love those that are hardest to love first.  Love them the most fiercely.  

The Religious Liberties Act is taking the teachings of Christ (or whatever deity deemed worthy enough to discriminate for) and telling believers that it is okay not to do exactly what we as Christians are being called to do. If an individual, or a business is more concerned about taking a stand against their fellow man than showing love and compassion, then the teachings of Jesus have been lost.  If one is so racked with tormenting anguish over the possibility that their forced dealings with a person with opposing views will only lead to the further decay of one's soul, then I would remind you, that trusting in God is paramount to a Christian life, as is prayer.  Discrimination, hatred, belittlement and marginalization are in direct contrast to all that Jesus spoke of.

 

Isabelle

Today is the one year anniversary of Isabelle's death.

I cannot quantify how much I love and miss her.  Ours was an odd relationship, but beautiful, and her passing has left me with a deficit.  I am so thankful that the time we shared was never wasted; every conversation mattered.  She was a philosopher at all times and I learned from her constantly.  Even when I disagreed with her, and I did often, I always felt further along in my own journey of truth than I was when we began.

Some people just have beautiful souls. Hers is one of the most beautiful. 
In her dying days; in her misery, she insisted on ministering to my children and I.  To her, healing came through love and discipleship. Until her final breath, she stayed on the path she felt God had called her to and although not always conducive to interpersonal relationships, she never made apologies for it.  Fiercely independent and strong willed, she was authentically Isabelle until the very end.

The course of my life has been altered in unfathomable ways by her presence in it.  I am so very thankful for her.

Shine On

The longer I live, the less I know, but that which I DO know, I know with certainty.

We are transcendent people.  Our relationships and experiences may be transient, but the effects of our presence can not be erased.  Every interaction we have with one another will write on the soul of all involved; often subtly, sometimes so profound that what once was, will never be again.  In knowing this truth, it is impossible to ignore the responsibility that comes in knowing the power we all possess; both in beauty and light and wretched agony.

Love yourself enough to recognize the tremendous impact you have on the world.  Love the world enough to be the light. 

I Saw the SIGN and it Opened up My Eyes

The other day at work it dawned on me that I am fast approaching the one year anniversary of my hysterectomy and double mastectomy.   This time last year I dreamed of the day that those events would be in my rear view mirror; and they are- so far in the past that it seemed they took place a lifetime ago, to an entirely different person.  In many ways that is true, I guess.

When I made the decision to undergo BRCA testing and have the preventive surgeries, I thought for sure that it would go down in my history as the bravest thing I would ever do in my life.  I truly thank God for that experience, and the timing of it.  Not only was it a testament to strength and courage I was unaware that I had, but  it also happened at precisely the right time. Had I not started the process when I did, I honestly do not know if I would have been able to complete it in the foreseeable future, possibly leaving me vulnerable to getting very sick.

I have heard all my life that God's timing is perfect.  Truthfully, the statement always kind of bothered me.  In my mind, it was just an explanation as to why "our needs and wants" were not being met.  As with most things, I could not see the forest for the trees. Now, however, I am utterly grateful for His divine time line.

We have often talk in my Sunday school class how we wish God would show us the huge signs that He often showed the people in biblical times. "God, just toss a burning bush my way so I know what I'm doing here."  Steve, our teacher, has told us not to be afraid to ask God for clear specific signs.  While I have yet to get my burning bush, He has provided me with huge signs of His faithfulness and love.  When it became necessary for me to immediately get a full time job to support myself and children, God placed me in a position where I would have daily contact with breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients.  I did not look for a job that would directly coincide with my life's journey, but God apparently thought it would be a good thing.  He is clever that way.

So as I attempt to navigate through this completely unfamiliar and often frightening path that I now find myself on, I implore myself to remember that God is sitting beside me, smiling a knowing grin and lovingly urging me to just hang on to see what He has in store.

One Moment in Time

I'm sappy.  I freely admit it.  My sappiness and hopeless romanticism has left me vulnerable at times, but I refuse to make apologies for it.  I believe in love.  I believe in miracles.  I believe in second chances.  I don't want to become so jaded by life's events that I lose my sense of hope. 
Just give me one moment in time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b68AkJtjdPs

Plan B

  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
                           Jeremiah 29:11

 The plan I had for my life was not the final plan.  I am learning a new normal and reluctantly saying goodbye to the dreams I once had.  I have trained myself in the past few months to not look at all that will not be realized and all that never was, because sometimes the reality is too overwhelming.  Instead, I focus on the moment to moment tasks of what must be done in order to survive on this new strange planet.  This is a place I never wanted to be; would have never chosen, but here I am.  And here I will survive.

My perspective has changed so much in the last few months.  What was "bad" before is merely laughable through these new eyes.  What was "impossible" before has now become just an obstacle.  At the end of the day, most of life's trials can be shelved until the next day.  Everything looks different in the light of morning.

I am surviving, and right now that is all I'm really attempting.  I am hopeful that one day, my life will be about more than survival.  I have all of the same dreams I always have had, but they are framed differently now.  Perhaps one day some of those dreams will be realized. Perhaps not.  I believe that the Lord has not brought me to this point to leave me.  He is here.  His plans for me are real and they are wonderful.