lenten reflection

phone keeps crashing whenever i touch shift button. no cursor to guide my way. frustrating. a lot like life without faith. no guidance, no idea of where you are in universe. as i sleep with the newbulldog in the room where i last saw the old bulldog,i am thankful for my hopes of ressurection and the afterlife. memories are strong here for me. at cabin all just seems more homey, more complete. i hope everyone has a great easter. prob wont post tomorrow aw this is ridonculous. i love you all and happy easter.

Lenten Reflection: March 30

I am at the cabin. I forgot my Lenten reflections booklet. I am typing this on my phone, and no "cursor"

Lenten Reflection: March 29

Hebrews 4:15-16

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

My Reflection: I like how this scripture points out that the people who become our religious leaders, are exactly that...PEOPLE. They are tempted just as we are. However, they are often chosen to be our leaders because they have been able to somewhat resist the temptations a bit better than the rest of us. This leads us to hold them to a higher standard, so they fall a bit farther when they do succumb to temptation.

Lenten Reflection: March 28

John 13:12-15

King James Version (KJV)

¹² So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
¹³ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

My Reflection:

When you thought I wasn't looking

Author: Mary Rita Schilke Korazan

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed that there was a God to talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked....
and I wanted to say thanks for all the things
I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

Lenten Reflection: March 27

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

King James Version (KJV)

²³ For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

²⁴ And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

My reflection: The Last Supper. Probably the most famous of meals EVER on this earth. When I was looking for a picture of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting, I came across this little tidbit. I have no idea if it is true, but it certainly is compelling. 

Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'
- Story Of A Face

From Robert Hampton

5-30-00

 

The story behind painting of the Last Supper is extremely interesting and instructive. Two incidents connected with this painting afford a most convincing lesson on the effects of sin in our lives.   As you know, the Last Supper was painted by Leonard Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist. The time engaged for its completion was seven years. The figures representing the twelve apostles and Christ himself were painted from living persons. The live model for the painting of the figure of Jesus was chosen first. When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed in an endeavor to find a face and personality of unaffected by sin.   Finally, after weeks of laborious searching a young man, nineteen years of age, was selected as the model for the portrayal of Christ. For six months Da Vinci worked on the production of this leading character of the famous painting. During the next six years Da Vinci continued his labors on his sublime work of art. One by one, fitting persons were chosen to represent each of the eleven apostles, space being left for the painting of the figure representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece.   This was the apostle, you remember, who betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, worth $16.95, in our present day currency. For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with hard calloused face, with a countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, who would betray his best friend. After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type of person required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that a man whose appearance fully met the requirements had been found. He was in a dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.   Da Vinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the sun. There Da Vinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man, his long shaggy and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, a face which portrayed a character of viciousness and complete ruin. At last the painter had found the person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting.   By special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan where the fresco was being painted. For six months the prisoner sat before Da Vinci, at appointed hours each day, as the gifted artist diligently continued his task of transmitting to his painting this base character in the picture representing the betrayer of the Savior.   As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, "I have finished, you may take the prisoner away." The prisoner suddenly broke loose from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so, "Oh, Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?" Da Vinci, with the trained eyes of a great character student, carefully scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed for six months and replied, "No, I have never seen you in my life until you were brought before me out of the dungeon in Rome."   Then lifting his eyes toward heaven, the prisoner said, "O God, have I fallen so low?" Then turning his face to the painter he cried, "Leonardo Da Vinci, look at me again, for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ!   This true story of the painting of the Last Supper teaches so strongly the lesson of the effects of right and wrong actions of an individual. He was a young man whose character was so pure and unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he represented a countenance and innocence and beauty fit to be used for the painting of a presentation of Christ. But over a period of only seven years filled with sin and crime, he was changed into a perfect picture of the most notorious character ever known in the history of the world.   What kind of picture are you painting today?

Lenten Reflection: March 26

Isaiah 58:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

My Reflection: It sounds like, if you do good things for other people, God will notice, which is fine. But I don't know how I feel about my light rising in obscurity...does that mean it gets MORE obscure??? Either way, I'm not sure I want to be "focused on" for doing good things. I don't even like being the center of attention at my own birthday party. I can imagine the yearly awards ceremony at St. Peter's Palace:
"And this year the nominees for the most giving human are...."

Lenten Reflection: March 25

Matthew 5:45

New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁵  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

My Reflection: Tomorrow is our girl scout winter awards ceremony. In order to prepare for this event, I have been going through the attendance records and calculating attendance/participation for each girl, so I can know which girl earned what badge. Sometimes, this is more difficult than it sounds. For example, if a badge is earned over a two week period, and the girl only participated one of the weeks, does she still get the badge? For cookie booths, I have some girls who sold cookies for 9 hours total and some who sold for one hour total. This year I even had a few teenagers who showed up to their cookie booths, but either played with their phones or sat and sulked the entire time, and didn't sell a single box. Do they still get the badge? Sometimes the issue of "fairness" can get muddled. Is it fair for some girls to sell cookies for 9 hours, and some just show up and still earn the same badge? Maybe not. It seems life is anything but "fair." P.s. I gave everyone a badge. :-)