Faith Building Friday

Saw this video recently. Made more special (is that proper grammar???) because a close friend is currently stationed in Afghanistan. He and his men are camping in caves as they serve our country. We have just celebrated a National day of Thanksgiving, this is dedicated to all of our current and former members of the military... Thank you...

Happy Thanksgiving

Preparing for thanksgiving I was looking for the Jewish prayer that is translated "Blessed are you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us, and enabled us to reach and enjoy this day" and I came upon this Thanksgiving prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. The English translation reads:

"In the days of the pilgrims, the Puritans, when they arrived at these safe shores, suffered hunger and cold. They sang and prayed to the rock of their salvation. And you, standing by them, roused the caring of the natives for them, who fed them turkey and corn and other delights. Thus you saved them from starvation, and they learned the ways of peace with the inhabitants of the land. Therefore, feeling grateful, they dedicated a day of Thanksgiving each year as a remembrance for future generations. ... Thus do we thank you for all the good in our lives ..."

Earlier this week a friend observed that this day of thanksgiving is a day where the entire nation is united in thanksgiving. However we acknowledge this day, to whatever degree we keep it, we are united in thanksgiving.

May you be blessed on this day. May you experience unity and thanksgiving for this past year as well as an anticipation for what this coming year holds. May next year find you stunned to new levels as you remember all that has happened from this day to our next National day of thanksgiving.

Wordless Wednesday

Faith Building Friday

A Knights Tale - This is one of our favorite movies. I love the creative use of current culture in a previous culture. The evolution in this dance scene gets me every time...

Wordless Wednesday

Inspired by a bay...

On our way to the condo we passed an inlet where the water was smooth and calm. Looking out towards the ocean, I saw that beyond the opening to the bay, the waves were turbulent. The contrast was marked.

Seeing such a contrast reminded me of Steve's sermon that morning. We'd stopped to visit friends on our way down, they Pastor a church in Vancouver. Steve was teaching on the disciplines of silence and solitude. Thinking about that bay this morning gave me a visual picture of what he had been describing. The effects of time spent alone with God in solitude or in silence is like that bay – peaceful. Quiet. Smooth. Restful. Even though life may be happening just beyond, where you are, there is only His presence and His peace.


Enjoy some time in the bay...

Faith Building Friday

Brian and Jenn Johnson singing Where you go I go....
The first time I heard this song I was reduced to tears...

Teamwork

Sitting watching the waves I began thinking of how we rely on each other and the talents and abilities that we each carry, and that when we do, unity and teamwork prevail.

I won't even try to expalin how I got here by watching waves But I will share where I went with that thought.

I love Sifi. Love action movies, but not blood and guts movies, and more often than not I have to stay away from stories based on real life events because I “tilt” But I love movies like the latest Star Trek, Ironman, both Fantastic Fours and both Transformers, just to name a few. What got me thinking about teamwork as I watched the waves was a scene from GI Joe. The Joe's have gotten over their attitude about Duke and Ripcord joining the team and they are beginning to work together. Each member has a specialty, a field they excel in. And as they work together they begin to trust and rely on each other.

That made me think about the people I've joined forces with, so to speak, to accomplish a common purpose. As we spend more time together, not only do we begin to rely on the others gifts, talents and abilities, but the glue that bonds us together seeps out and creates in us, trust.

Without that trust, we can't accomplish all that is on our hearts to do, we aren't nearly as strong, and we don't allow each person to function fully in their field of expertise.

In those relationships where you are working together for a common purpose, is there trust? If not, how can you change the atmosphere from distrust to one of trust?

Wordless Wednesday

To our past and present Military... Thank you.....

Milestones

We had the honor and the privilege of attending our friends Vic and Jo's 60th wedding anniversary celebration this past weekend. They are amazing people. They inspire us - not just because they have made it 60 years, but because of who they are.

They are both generious people. With their time, talents, knowledge and abilities. But mostly with their love. For each other and for those lucky enough to be their children and their friends.

Congratulations Vic and Jo.

Life's storms

We're at the ocean this week. The first thing I did when we walked into our condo was open the sliding glass door facing the ocean. I love the sound of the ocean. The roar, the crash, the rhythm. It's relaxing and exhilarating all at the same time.

This morning I sat mesmerized watching the waves form and race for shore, and I noticed that the most interesting and beautiful waves that formed off shore, the ones that captured my attention, came to shore with only a fraction of the power they had displayed and the destruction they had promised. By the time they hit the shore line, their power had spread out and covered a wider part of the shore.

That made me start thinking about the storms we weather in life. Sometimes the waves we see descending on us with their loud roar and high forming waves immobilize us. We get caught up in the destruction we see headed our way, and forget that waves that form that far from shore hit with less power.

There are other times when we don't see the other waves that are forming beside the one that's got our entire attention, until it crashes into the first wave and neutralizes its power.

Sometimes, a wave will form very close to shore and hit with unexpected force. But we have to realize that with the unending rhythm and motion of the ocean of our life, the pain and the destruction is only temporary. The following waves will wash away the debris, and time will cause a softening to the hard edges left behind.

The constant motion of the water is soothing, and it's cleansing. Enjoy the sound of the ocean in your life.

The sound of running water...

Driving home from lunch with a friend, I passed a garden shop that specializes in fountains. The light was just perfect so I stopped to take some pictures. They have a whole green house where they keep all their fish. It was peaceful in the fish house and I enjoyed walking the grounds hearing the water fall from many different fountains. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Faith Building Friday

I can hear the rhythm, by Misty Edwards. Time to crank it up!

Recycling your old cell phone.

We've been holding on to old cell phones looking for a worthy cause to donate them to. My sister told me about Cell Phones for Soldiers. You can send in or drop off your old cell phone and it is recycled with the funds used to purchase a phone card with one hour of talk time for a soldier. You can also list a soldier to receive a card, donate cash or sign up to become a drop off point. Pretty amazing program. For more details click here.

Wordless Wednesday

One word...

So I read a post my nephew wrote the other day, you can read it here, about how God chooses the least to turn the world upside down. My free translation. Just after that, I responded to a Facebook question:
Leave a ONE WORD comment that you think describes me. It can only be one word. No more. Then copy and paste this on your wall so that I may leave a word about you....

The comments that I received surprised me. They humbled me. In my wildest expectations they are how I would want people to see me or think of me.

So that lead me back to Andy's post. Realizing how God sees us, and what we can do for Him when we're in tune with Him, and how we can affect people, because we reflect Him and are in tune with Him. Regardless of how we feel about ourselves.

So - in your wildest imagination, what would you like people to say when they describe you?

I'll bet that they do.