Lenten Reflection: March 19

Ecclesiastes 8:15

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

My reflection:

Today I stuffed over 5 dozen Easter eggs for the church Easter Egg hunt. For my home egg hunt I have stuffed even more. Sometimes, I look at all of it and wonder what I have gotten myself into. I often over plan, and have been known to seriously over do it...but in my defense, I LOVE throwing a great party. I love to hear my guests talking about the event months afterwards. This scripture is giving me some validation. To me it means it
it's ok to party it up every once in a while, because those memories stick with us, and may give us joy when we are toiling at our daily lives. Besides, plastic Easter eggs are just fun. End. Of. Story.

Lenten Reflection: March 18

The early chapters of Genesis...are...a revelation...of God's view of the universe and of His intentions for man...God made the world as a garden in which he Himself took delight. He made man, and gave to man the task of sharing in His own divine care for created things. He mad man in His own image and likeness, as an artist, a worker...the gardener of paradise.

---Thomas Merton in "The General Dance."
New Seeds of Contemplation

My Reflection: Well... We've done a great job of messing that up.
Sometimes it amazes me the amount of evil man can inflict on himself and other creatures. People killing each other, abusing animals, stealing cookie money from Girl Scouts...It often weighs me down. I can't watch the news anymore because it just makes me too sad. I listen to a few radio stations that may bring me the "disaster of the day" but for the most part, I try to hide from the world's evilness. I often pray that Jesus will hurry it up and come back sooner rather than later. I am ready for no more babies getting beat up, and no more animals starving, and no more daddies leaving too soon. I am ready for everyone to just play well together. Man..."the gardener of paradise".... sigh.

Lenten Reflection: March 17

Luke 22:19-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

My Reflection: I hear these words almost every Sunday, during communion, and most of the time, they are background noise to the thoughts in my head. Important thoughts about what to plan for girl scouts next week, or did I remember to ask Bill to feed the dog, or Oh, yeah, I need to talk to  so and so about whatever... but when I actually sit and THINK about these words, it hits home a little bit more for me. I know we hear these words as part of the holy sacrament, and they celebrate Christ as he prepares to die and be resurrected... I get it. But I also have to think of these words from a purely human point of view. Jesus knew he was headed for death, and wanted to have just one more meal with his friends. Just one more glass of wine with his mates, before he heads out to what he knows will be his last earthly adventure. Often, the dinner table is a great place to rehash the events of the day and share stories and memories  Especially when you are with people you haven't seen for awhile, or may not see for a while. I think of our big family reunions. We each get a plate piled high with food, and take a seat and chat about the good times. We share photos, and stories of our memories and share our goals for what we hope to do in our future. But, what would we say if we KNEW that this was our last family reunion? What if we KNEW that this was it? We KNEW we weren't coming back again? I can imagine that I too, would want to be remembered at these family gatherings, and say "Hey, the next time you get together, do me a favor and don't forget about me. When you eat together, next time, tell that story about that one time when I stuck my tongue to the railing. The next time you watch a parade, don't forget to tell the story about when Dad sent Sister S and me on a wild goose chase all over town looking for the parade that never existed. I may have only been with you for a short while, and even though I am no longer with you, please, just don't forget about me."

Lenten Reflection: March 16

1 Corinthians 10:31

English Standard Version (ESV)

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

My reflection:

Lenten Reflection: March 15

Luke 5:29-32

New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”


My reflection: Today, I am caught by the words "great banquet" as today is sister K's 30th birthday. I seriously hope she is the guest of honor at a great banquet that celebrates her awesomeness. I remember the day she was born, and how excited we all were to bring her home. I remember how red her hair used to be, when she was just a wee little ginger. She has always been very artistically minded, and a few days ago I found a bunch of sweet letters and pictures that she had sent to Bill and me. One letter describes how she recently just lost her two front teeth, and another contains a drawing of a princess, made especially for Bill. I was in college before she even started kindergarten, so her growing up years were all without me around much. I think I know her better now as an adult than I ever did when she was growing up, and I still don't know her as well as I would like to. I am proud of the wonderful woman, and fantastic momma she has become. Happy Birthday, Roo. I love you.

Lenten Reflection: March 14

 Today's reading is discombobulated...What my Lenten Reflections book says: 

"You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth.--Psalm 104:31"

But when I looked up this Psalm on the internet so I could cut and paste it to share with you, I saw these:

Psalm 104:31

King James Version (KJV)

³¹ The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

Psalm 104:31

English Standard Version (ESV)

³¹ May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works,

Psalm 104:31

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

³¹ 

May the Lord’s glory continue forever!

    May the Lord enjoy what he made.

My Reflection: The reference is messed up, and now, so too is my column formatting. Do you ever have days where it easier to give up and just call it a day, rather than fight your way through? 

Wordless Wednesday