Riley begins to read

THIS IS A REPEAT POST...and is the one that made me decide Riley needed his own "forum"

Having mislaid items in my everyday life more than once....I am familiar with the knee jerk reaction of blaming someone else for the mislaid item. Perhaps a trusty housekeeper of many, many "never put anything away yet" years has decided she will tidy up. Or maybe a spouse has put the item in a place unbeknownst (what an unusual word unbeknownst.....)to yourself. Or perhaps you've put it in the garage(?)or in the car, or on the porch - why would you put something away in those crazy places? Well, maybe the phone rang or maybe you needed another cup of coffee, or....who knows! The silly thing is missing!

Arriving home from a weekend away, I found my spouse in just that predicament. He had been reading a perfectly enjoyable new theological book...entitled, perhaps appropriately, "Man's Search for something or other..." anyway, he had mislaid it and was in various stages of hunting for the lost treasure when I arrived home. My somewhat impatient partner, was so obsessed with his search that he even blamed the loss on our 15 month old Westie pup, Riley!

As an aside, Riley has been known to enjoy a "good read." Riley's reading often includes junk mail thrown beside a chair, the evening newspaper, a magazine now and then and his favorite, up until now, Dallas Willard's, "The Great Omission" - a study book for one of the Renovare groups in which I participate.....but nothing as heavy as my spouse's latest tome. Said spouse was so frustrated he called the book store and ordered another copy, with me teasing that now he definitely would find it where he had carefully put it himself - blaming the dog - really!

I thought little else of the search until I absent mindedly was snatching a few weeds out of the side yard flowerbed and suddenly noticed a freshly excavated spot that quite obviously held a large wrinkled, damp, and dirty book....now why would my husband lay the book there?! I tapped on the study window and inquired if this was possibly the lost treasure - "I knew it!" was the reply from inside....no, no Riley!

photo by Sunrise Sister

A Good Book is hard to hide

Having mislaid items in my everyday life more than once....I am familiar with the knee jerk reaction of blaming someone else for the mislaid item. Perhaps a trusty housekeeper of many, many "never put anything away yet" years has decided she will tidy up. Or maybe a spouse has put the item in a place unbeknownst (what an unusual word unbeknownst.....)to yourself. Or perhaps you've put it in the garage(?)or in the car, or on the porch - why would you put something away in those crazy places? Well, maybe the phone rang or maybe you needed another cup of coffee, or....who knows! The silly thing is missing!

Arriving home from a weekend away, I found my spouse in just that predicament. He had been reading a perfectly enjoyable new theological book...entitled, perhaps appropriately, "Man's Search for something or other..." anyway, he had mislaid it and was in various stages of hunting for the lost treasure when I arrived home. My somewhat impatient partner, was so obsessed with his search that he even blamed the loss on our 15 month old Westie pup, Riley!

As an aside, Riley has been known to enjoy a "good read." Riley's reading often includes junk mail thrown beside a chair, the evening newspaper, a magazine now and then and his favorite, up until now, Dallas Willard's, "The Great Omission" - a study book for one of the Renovare groups in which I participate.....but nothing as heavy as my spouse's latest tome. Said spouse was so frustrated he called the book store and ordered another copy, with me teasing that now he definitely would find it where he had carefully put it himself - blaming the dog - really!

I thought little else of the search until I absent mindedly was snatching a few weeds out of the side yard flowerbed and suddenly noticed a freshly excavated spot that quite obviously held a large wrinkled, damp, and dirty book....now why would my husband lay the book there?! I tapped on the study window and inquired if this was possibly the lost treasure - "I knew it!" was the reply from inside....no, no Riley!

EAT PRAY LOVE
I've just finished reading, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - at least I think it's Eat, Pray, Love in that order......Riley, he's the cute little Westie featured at the top of my blog site.....Riley loves to "read" also and in his voracious reading he did manage to eat the cover and the first few pages of the book - however, I had already begun the book and he ate pages I had already read. (Yep, you see Riley does get away with murder around here - but that's another story!)

Yes, of course, it's Eat, Pray, Love. I laughed and cried along with Elizabeth as she recounted her life tales. I was having a nervous breakdown (well maybe not quite) but was extremely nervous as she ate her way across Italy; my inner voice kept yelling - "get on a scale - what are you thinking?!" Well, 25 pounds later she took off for her "diet - find God" - trip to India - but for those of you who have read the book, you don't need a recap and for those of you who haven't, I recommend it as some serious, some religious, some way too personal in my opinion, and in general, just a good read.

I marked many pages I wanted to post about but the obvious word and thought for me was the one to which she referred often - at least twice anyway - was attraversiamo which in Italian means 'Let's cross over.'

I'm personally crossing over these days from several states of existence -

from paid employment (my business career)
to unpaid retirement.....well, I was preparing along the way so it's not totally "unpaid"
from 20 hours needing to be in my work space on my computer
to as many hours as I want to be in my work - we call it now - my play space
from a valued employee
to a valued volunteer
from wife of the Episcopal rector employed
to wife of the Episcopal rector retired

So the facts are those from's and to's, the question, the journey, the joy is beginning to unfold already.

What am I crossing over to do, to be, to participate, to enjoy, to learn, to explore?
-To explore and to cherish family, friendship - (a recent blog post on January 17)
-To enjoy my volunteer participation and not treat it as a serious, life-threatening event when things don't always get done
-To enjoy my new leisure time in whatever activity I choose, without guilt
-To practice my writing skills
-To revive and rejoice in my creative talent; to trust and believe in the efforts I make in that regard
-To increase my listening relationship with God
-To increase my service in God's work and in the work of being a disciple

Yes, I'm crossing over - Elizabeth Gilbert's word echoed within me. Are there places that you find yourself crossing over? Maybe there should be some places in which you should cross or maybe even jump or skip over - in the meantime I join Elizabeth in repeating "Attraversiamo!" Let's cross over.....

Squirrel Watching - Riley Style

It's grey, very grey
No blue sky to be seen anywhere
Damp misty fog filling the yard while
Chickadees scurry in the garden
First on the ground, then to the bush



Squirrels come down, foraging for leftovers under the feeders
Riley waiting impatiently inside the sliding door
Whining, insisting he must catch those squirrels; he MUST!



Birds hearing the dog's plaintive yelp flit away
Squirrels glancing his way, flaunting their freedom as if to say, "silly dog!"
Riley waiting, knowing, biding his time, trembling
"Shhhhh, please open the door, just a crack........"
Mad dashing and shrill barking; "Dang! Almost had 'em this time!"

Even one sparrow?

Image by jwinfred via Flickr

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
31:So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We had a small death in our backyard on Wednesday evening. I heard my spouse yell sharply - "RILEY!" .....and indeed our precious Westie, Riley, did drop the small baby sparrow that he had in his mouth but probably not prior to giving it an extra "squeeze" before the release. He is a dog after all bred as a hunter.......

The frightened, struggling sparrow was gently laid on a ledge and when I went out to inspect it, certain that I could verify the small creature was not to die but just frightened, it was making sound motions with its little beak but there were no sounds coming out. I suggested that we should place it in a nearby shaded flower urn because no matter what I wished for, the bird was dying and I couldn't bear that it was on a hard surface with no comfort around. Mercifully, as Steven picked up the little bird, it breathed its last. I choke on the lump in my throat as I tell you of this small innocent loss of a bird's life.

I know the lump of sorrow and mourning in my throat is real but I believe the lump is made up of more than this small bird's dying. I believe it may be due to the gruesome news coming from Tehran prefaced by the CNN News reporter warning "what we're about to see contains graphic images." Graphic indeed, an innocent girl's bloody and senseless dying caught on a video phone clip. The helpless bystanders, me via the news being one of them, screaming internally and externally, why, why, why - life is so precious, life is so short, why, why, why must this world hate, hate, hate? How do young persons have the nerve to take their lives in their hands for democracy's promise of freedom? Do they not know how precious and short their lives are? Do they believe they will be protected because they are on the "right" side of an issue?

Or maybe it's the news that another "troop" or two of ours - would that be a child or friend, a human living being, that "troop" that was just killed today or the innocent bystanders blown up by a fanatic seeking his right to die in the world, or maybe it's the newspaper's report of a 24 year old walking brazenly armed into a high school gymnasium and killing a former coach of his in cold blood. I cry out again to the only entity that will possibly hear and know my anguish - I ask God, why, why, why?

Why do I cry? It's all so logical to me, the answer does not have to be in clearly spoken English words, the logic being, that mankind has been given the freedom to run this world of ours and even though God could intervene at any time and in any place, the sparrow, the precious girl, the "troop," the coach in his class space, die because one of us is in charge. The lump in my throat is for all the needless death and suffering in this world and the part of me stuck inside my throat asking why, why, why? How do we escape the sorrow, the hurt, the anguish of innocents betrayed and slaughtered? I don't think we do - we may yet be personally alive and breathing, but for Jesus' sake we do not escape the responsibility of needless death and dying. It sticks in my throat, does it stick in yours?

Blog Tag Interview

Last week I found a great Blog Tag Inteview over at Abbey of the Arts, decided to participate and thanks for Christine at The Abbey I was sent these great interview questions - so here goes!
1. What do Riley and Andy teach you about the spiritual life?
Riley and Andy (my beloved puppy dogs) give me great lessons for my spiritual life - non-conditional love and trust, the giving and the receiving of it. They believe in me and that I will feed and care for them, protect them against harm. They’re always thrilled to see me and assume I feel the same way about them. Heeding their examples in one’s spiritual practice could only serve to strengthen one’s relationship with God, Creator, and Advocate.

2. You seem deliriously joyful in your marriage, share some secrets for navigating life in common with a beloved one.
1. Choosing each other carefully was a hard job – truly a life long commitment which is on its first 25 years.
2. We spend time together.
3. We spend time apart.
4. We share and reflect together on #2 and #3. We believe that we don’t have to love the same things and be together all of the time but bringing our separate experiences, views, and insights back to each other is a lot of fun and keeps our interest in each other alive and well.
5. We try to give each other and our actions/habits/quirks the same respect that we would give those of a stranger. Being rude to each other is as unacceptable (or even more unacceptable) as is being rude to a stranger. This is a hard concept to abide by all of the time – daily life together can be too easily taken for granted; impatience or unrealistic expectations can creep in pretty and make a mess if one or both of us is tired, stressed or ill.
6. We try to use the same habits with each other as we did when dating – pleases, thank yous, helping with tasks, is just important 25 years into the relationship as it was when we were first dating.
7. We have dates – sometimes for lunch or dinner or a weekend or daytime excursion.
8. We remind each other constantly of how much we love each other and work at ways to show that love.
9. We share household tasks – religiously – laundry, cooking, dishwashing, yard work.
10.We share our faith – religiously – with each other.
Ten is enough☺
11. Whoops, one more, VERY IMPORTANT POINT – no mindreading i.e., if you loved me you’d know I didn’t want to do that or go there or for you to buy that or not point that out, oh, you know – NO MINDREADING!!!!

Hope you'll come back tomorrow to read my answers to the balance of Christine's questions.....and please feel free to share your own tip here about good habits you find for working successfully in shared relationships.

photo - SS - Beautiful Maui skies

Riley lives here now.....

So, you prob'ly saw it on my site - I mean it was MY site - that "she's" moved me over here on to the MindSieve site. Well, she seems to be the bossy, I mean the boss most of the time so please don't forget to send me personal messages here. She has PROMISED me that I can read any mail of mine that comes to her attention.

Yours truly,

Riley
RFF

Holiness - what and where is it?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

After a morning walk with Riley yesterday, I checked in over at Abbey of the Arts and found Christine's beautiful post; in it she asked the question - "what has revealed the holiness of this day to you?"

Usually a question from Christine, and she asks some good ones, deserves a bit of contemplative and reflective thought prior to my answering. These thoughts however popped right into my head.....

My walk with Riley this a.m. was cold, very cold, wind was biting and I needed a heavier jacket than the one I had worn. I knew the benefits of the exercise for him and for me but I wanted to turn around so many times, thought of short-cutting the track part of the walk and didn't, just kept putting one foot in front of the other and 40 minutes later we were back in our nice warm home with the walk only a memory.....until Christine's question.

Then I ask myself, "How has Lent been like this morning's cold walk?" Entering Lent, as an Episcopalian, is meaningful, a somewhat painless reminder of mortality with the imposition of ashes, and the somber invitation to enter into the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, etc.

But, the walk, ah the journey through Lent. For me rest and recreation was on the menu at the time Lent began this year so there was time for reflection about how my journey should proceed. Some moderation in my health habits surrounding eating seems always in order, no real hope of increasing the exercise because I'm already a little nutty about that, a definite plan of worship, reading and study, along with the beginning stages of a little reflective 'zine to be published prior to next year's Lent - to be marketed to bloggers, friends, family, acquaintances, whomever would enjoy some hand-holding inspirational reading during their own Lenten journey. The plan solid - proceed!

Whoops, I forgot to wear the right coat, it was too cold, the planned walk was too long, what was I thinking - maybe a shortcut is in order, stay the path, yes, it's good for me but couldn't the sun cooperate with me a little - I mean it looked like snow again! Which walk - the dog or the God path?

I could go on but I think you get my point. The walk today for me with the dog AND with God are good things - they are sacred reminders of my place on God's path. It seems too long, too cold, can I go the extra steps, should I, would I, will I, am I? The "planned for" warm place at the end of the walk is in sight..............oh, I hope it doesn't snow on Palm Sunday!!!

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Lost in Haiku Land?

My pal Riley has exposed my efforts to learn and possibly produce some Haiku poetry by, wouldn't you know, producing his own haiku before I even had a chance!

Anyway, I'm short of naming a day of the week for this event but I would love to see some good Haiku work from you. Because I'm a beginner in this medium, how will I ever know the truth or the depth of this medium until I see it from the outpouring of your minds and comments?

Consider this -

if Riley can do
surely you too, a haiku
maybe you need a collar

I know, I know, keep reading....

Just look at it this way - you can do better than that can't you?

lost in haiku land
mind expanding to grasp it
caffeine alert, help!

photo Sunrise Sister, Maui

Whatever Lola wants......

I have to share this fab letter I received from my new best friend - LOLA! Wow, you can see how cute she is from the picture and she's asked me for a date to the dogpark already - I'm a lucky dog!! RFF

Dear Riley,

Your hair looks so cute with that little curl to it! Don't worry about it.
You should see mine! lol

Oh, I guess I should tell you who I am. You know how it is with you
celebrities: we read about you and see your pictures, and we think of you
as friends already.

My name is Lola, and I am a dancer...just kidding, but it is a good song,
don't you think?

I'm new in the neighborhood and hoped I'd meet you at the St. Francis
blessing. It was a kick! I was so excited!

My people used to have a big dog named Seamus, and, of course, he was
perfect. He didn't bark or jump around or chew on things. (Sounds pretty
boring to me.) So, my people say I need to learn some manners. I try. I
do. At least when I think of it, unless there are some other dogs around
or new people to meet. Then it's really hard to remember.

Say, have you been to the dog park yet? It is so fun!!! I've met forty
dogs there, of all shapes and sizes, mostly bigger than I am, but I can
outrun them for sure. Want to have a play date some day? (Better make it
before a grooming day, my person says, at least if it's been raining.)

I'm sending you a little picture of me. It's not very sharp, but it'll
show you how I can move, and can I ever!

Bye for now.
Lola

Remembrance and rejoicing - yep, I'm pretty sure!

This is the first year in several years that we've put up a tree and/or really done much Christmas decorating at all.  Since retiring we've often been traveling or celebrated Christmas outside of our home.  I kind of resisted the whole decoration idea again this year but decided that since we will be entertaining family and friends over the holidays, it would be a nice thing to do:) - for them and for us.

A medium sized tree now sits decorated in our living room a-swirl with memories built into each ornament.....-handcrafted (my hands) Chrismons of white and gold pearl, along with cross stitching, church bazaar wooden handmade/hand painted animals; little bells, animals and photos gathered over the years as gifts and remembrances of our children's childhoods, a Christmas ball that plays young voices saying Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa, needlepoint decorations made by a beloved Grandmother now gone - all the Grandmothers and Grandfathers now gone, the aunts and uncles that always gave us gifts, they're gone too.

Ornaments for the animals - a Sheltie and a Westie - our beloved Sheltie Andy is gone this year, Riley still keeps us laughing but typically when remembering it's easy to slip into imagining how it will feel when he's gone too.........memories of Kat Mandu and gorilla man Sam slip into my mind as well.

But enough lumps in the throat - how about a little Christmas music - WHY did I think buying an album of Michael Buble crooning holiday songs would be fun?  I felt like weeping for one reason or another as each one came up - "I'll be Home for Christmas" - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" - "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" - oh my goodness White Christmas reminds me of high school assemblies with us dreamily singing and all swaying together in our best Bing Crosby style!!

This a.m. stating/questioning loudly(?) or perhaps too "enthusiastically" to my husband (poor man) is how can I feel low this time of year?  I who have so much to give thanks for, I that have help in preparations, I that still have a mate strong and loving, I that still have children and grandchildren that I adore, I that have a beautiful home and on and on and on...........NOT TO MENTION or forget, I that still believe there was a Christ born on some unknown date 2000+ years ago - I that take comfort in knowing there is a loving God - how can I feel low????

This is to say that with all good intentions and desires to be in the present and to only think of the birth of Christ, human life gets in the way and there's a LOT of sadness surrounding my desire to "celebrate Christmas."  It might have been perfect when I was 10, or under, maybe or under was the best - but now I know that there are too many people pretending to be happy, too many families living in poverty and sorrow, too many old people alone and afraid - and if I possess a little decency, those issues and people cannot be just swept under the proverbial rug.  Remembering often and helping others where I can - maybe, probably, I'm pretty sure - that's the rejoicing that Jesus would have me do! Yep, I think so, yep, I'm pretty sure!

She went to Camp!

I've just found out through the doggie grapevine that beautiful Zega, pictured here, was allowed to attend Camp Cross this year 'n I was told "no dogs allowed!"

Now don' get me wrong.... I certainly don't deny my newfound acquaintance the joy of bein' loved by every woman who attended Women's Weekend last August. I just find it surprisin' that my person didn't even mention this beautiful dog to me!

Anyway, apparently she was quite a hit with the ladies, attended all of the sessions, the launch ride around the lake and she even sneaked in for mealtimes. Wow, now that's what I call a LUCKY DOG!

(I think I'll start plannin' my trip to CC right now:)

Yours truly,

Riley
RFF

Iphoto - Sunrise Sister

Practice, practice

Well, I don't know if the other artists taking the January Art Journal challenge over at Misty Mawn's site are having as much fun as I am, but you'll only have to look at these "selfs" for another day or two. They are definitely a challenge and I can't believe I have the nerve to post them - but they're sketches - so just write in and say "practice makes perfect" or just smile and go over to Riley's site:) he always has something worthwhile to say!

I think if you compare yesterday's sketch to this one, you'll see I've lost a LOT of weight, my eyes are clearer, I have a new DO and my teeth definitely look much better......see what you can do for yourself in self-portraiture?

Mutants?

Oh the luxury of retirement is such that while workmen are busily tearing up carpet in one room, re-laying it in another, putting down hardwoods, etc. I am closeted in the bedroom with doggies, books and computer to read texts and surf some of my favorite blogsites. (Riley and Andy think that being next to me is the perfect place to sleep even while the rest of the house reverberates with machinery and radio blaring:)

Surfing photos, posts, and comments at Soliloquy I was prompted to leave my own comments about Nancy's photography of exquisite Parrot Tulips. (You'll have to go there to see the blossoms.) When Nancy originally set the photos up on her site, she was referring to them as "mutants"- not quite sure if or what their real names were, but her regular readers were quick to let her know the flowers' name.

My comment was - "Beautiful parrots - but they probably were or even are "mutants" some time in their journey - unexpectedly becoming beautiful in their current disposition."

Having left the comment, my mind continued to ponder the word "mutants." Aren't we all, maybe in a loose sense, mutants in our own personal habits, traits, political views, religious habits, spiritual development, etc.? I think I would be hard pressed to say that in the last five years of my life, maybe even in the last five days, I haven't changed a little or even a lot.

If we think we haven't changed in the last five years, maybe we should give some serious thought to about why that is.....are we so set in our ways as to avoid change, have we stopped yearning for new interests, new acquaintances, new knowledge of the world and our communities? Are we perfectly satisfied with our relationship with all persons and with our God? Are we tired of studying, of learning, of seeking new experiences? If we are, well, wow......I, for one, don't want to ever tire of change - not for change sake but for mental, physical, and spiritual growth that change may bring.

One of my former bosses used to say - "Live, change, grow!" We used to laugh some when she said it, because the LCG phrase sometimes pertained to something we didn't particularly want to live or to change - but it often definitely meant growth!

Hey, happy "live, change, grow".......whether you want to or not!

Heart to Heart

After posting yesterday about "heart issues" in our household, I then proceeded to catch up with some of my favorite bloggers - friends that I'd missed in the turbulent sequence of life events in the last 10 days. In visiting Tess, I found the lovely little award that I now boldly post on my site and on Riley's - the "I Love Your Blog" award. In receiving the award from Tess, my pleasure is to follow these rules:

1. I can post it on my blogsite - done!
2. I can link it to the person who sent it to me - done!
3. I can nominate 7 others - my six favorites will have to do today!
Tess, Lucy, County Parson, Wren, CVP, CK
4. I can put my favorite bloggers' links on my site - done!
5. I can leave messages on the bloggers I've nominated for the award - done!

So, even though I have a habit of keeping up with my very favorites, I do have many "honorable mentions" who shall remain nameless right now, and I vow to become a little more diligent in seeking a few new found blogger sites.

Warmest regards to my all time favorites!! I hope they'll expand my reading list by posting their favorite sites.....

Grief and thanksgiving

Image via Wikipedia

Since my last post was about funeral planning, you might get the impression that I'm obsessed with death lately. To assure you and myself, I believe it's not death over which I obsess, but LIFE! I did attend two funerals last week - one for a 91 year old, beloved member of community and of his family, dying at home from natural causes - the other funeral for a vibrant 55 year old single mother succumbing suddenly to congestive heart failure leaving 16 year old twin girls bereaved and orphaned. So, funerals and dying are not subjects over which I obsess, rather events that strike close to home.

During the funeral week in my quiet time, I reflected upon the randomness of living and dying that may or may not have been written into my birth genes ....... purposefully during the week or maybe the word would be mindfully, I counted small blessings that could well just have gone by and been taken for granted. An evening get-together with friends with no purpose except to share our stories, good and bad, to laugh some and to ache some for lost opportunities and new challenges, an appreciation for walks with my crazy little dog, Riley, whose main purpose, I'm sure, is to make me smile every day, my own penchant for heavy duty exercising at the YMCA, acceptance of a volunteer opportunity to share my ability with a child not yet able to read so well, home-prepared meals with my spouse, plus a romantic dinner out - just the two of us, with acquaintances stopping by and asking us about the occasion that brought us out to toast, to whisper and to laugh together at the chef's counter of our favorite restaurant.

The goodness and the randomness of life was further stirred in my mind while listening to a priest's sermon on Sunday, (my apologies to the priest as my broad paraphrasing is probably only remotely close to his direct remarks.) The a.m.'s lesson (Mark 6:14-29) was that of Herod's order for the beheading of John the Baptist. The priest explained, "that time should perhaps be taken to reflect upon the verses preceding and following the story of Herod, i.e., Jesus sending out his disciples with no food, no bag nor extra sandals, etc. and then their return home to discover the beheading of their friend John. Why was the Herod story thrown into the context of Jesus' sending out the disciples?" With no offered answer from the congregation, the priest speculated that perhaps it was God's reminder of the randomness of life (or death) that in the midst of the promising mission of the disciples is dropped this tragic story of John's demise.

The story of Herod became an unexpected life event for Jesus and his troop and is somewhat like our walking through life, unafraid, unsuspecting, and surprised when something so heartbreaking as a death drops into our midst - totally out of context, totally unprepared, we are devastated with our losses. Is it possible to view these events of grief as interruptions, certainly not of immediate joy, but not as burdens fraught with anxiety toward what will come next, rather as we pray for God's presence in the midst of our mourning, we give thanks for the gift of life and love. It seems to me to be the only appropriate response to reflect our lost love and to give thanks for the days ahead for us! Does that make sense to you? I hope so.

Image via Wikipedia

Influence

While reading the scripture lessons for today, the word influence popped into my head; not an actual word that I read rather one that just came - the word itself and lots of tangential thoughts. How do I influence others - others in regard to faith that is? Where, when, why, and how can I know if I do or don't?

I suspect the word had something to do with having just joined the bloggers at High Calling Blogs. In joining, I found that the premise of the site involves blogging about one's life wherever that might be or encompass - workplace, home, sporting event, reading, etc. In blogging about a favorite subject or pastime, I am encouraged to be aware of how and where God touches my life - with the site proclaiming that we are with God and representing God every moment of our lives - at home, in the workplace, online, wherever we are. In that vein, I wonder where am I influencing others or convincing others of God's presence in my life and in influencing them toward God's presence in their own lives?

Surely on a daily basis the first creatures I greet each day, or maybe I should say who greet me are my dogs - Sheltie Andy and Westie Riley. They greet me expecting attention, food and water. That attention I would characterize as a circle of love from me to them to me. They expect a warm greeting - they give and receive a warm greeting, neither fearful nor intimidated by my presence. They expect consistent behavior from me and that I'll receive and give back the joy they give to me.

Do I cultivate this same circle of caring and warmth with the next creature I meet - my sleepy-headed, non-verbal spouse? I hope so. I honor his need for silence in the first hour of waking and generally greet him with love, expecting that same love in return. He respects my a.m. needs as well and has willingly (well sort of) ceded the larger bathroom in our home to me as his gift of caring - honoring my desire for separate - not necessarily equal space.

Out the door and into the YMCA for a workout, am I pleasant when greeting the staff behind the desk, my fellow exercisers, the slooooow parkers in the parking lot? Clerks in the supermarket, fellow shoppers that take a long time in completing their transactions, or hurried customers behind me with one or two items, tellers at the bank? How do they know me - my manners, my facial expressions, my smile, my voice? My fellow citizens, neighbors, church goers? I influence all of these encounters in some way - whether I recognize that influence or not. Do they recognize my faith, my God, my being - do I influence them positively or negatively? Do I want them to know God through me? Would I be pleased if they thought I was God's representative or would they be surprised? Influence - rich, poor, male, female, boss, employee, pew partners, treadmill trompers - we all impact one another in some way. It's a huge arena for influence, for evangelism of one's faith and daily life with God.

Do you think of your influence on others in a similar fashion? Have you encountered a holy rep this morning, this day, this week - have you been one? I'd love to hear where you think your influence might have been felt, even if only a little bit.

Blogiversary

MINDSIEVE,
Sometimes serious, sometimes not.

200 posts as of January 3, 2009.
Happy New Year to all.
Thanks for your support!


P.S. I think Riley has an anniversary also:)

It's been rainin' a lot......

I don' know, not gettin' my regular exercise - chasin' the squirrels, policin' the backyard for intruders, and rompin' with my neighborhood friend, Tweed - has taken away some of my focus - does it show?

RILEY
RFF

Too much fun

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Eagerness and planning for a new and adventurous holiday is building in our home these days. The doggies are already noticing small stacks of clean and pressed clothing, as though offerings to the suitcase gods, laid out in the two front bedrooms. There's a lot of talk of "how long" and time zones and confirmations of "no smoking reservations." I'm beginning to think that the two of us enjoy the pre-trip excitement almost as much as the voyage itself! I don't know that my mind will wrap around too many serious thoughts this week for posting.......we'll see:) Who knows, Riley may have to speak up this week for me.......I'll see if he's up to it. ....I don't think he knows much about Greece's Santorini or Rome but that dog does surprise me occasionally with his input!