Musings that have been long in posting take 5

We read from John 17:4 this morning....
I've never thought about how Luke chapter two's account of Jesus missing in the city of Jerusalem was a foreshadowing of His death and resurrection.

Musings that have been long in posting take 4

John 15
For some reason this a.m. it took me back to a kids camp I attended circa 1990 when we sang a tune that went to the melody of "Glory, glory, Hallelujah.":
          "He's a peach of a savior, He's the apple of my eye,
    He prunes back the branches when the branches get too high,
         He bears fruit in season and His love will never die,
                  And that's why I'm bananas for the Lord
                    Glory, glory, we're the branches (3x),
                 And that's why I'm bananas for the Lord.

What in my life needs to be pruned and am I willing to allow God to remove it so I may bear more fruit for the Lord?

Musings that have been long in posting take 3

I sat the other evening and was taking in the night enjoying the sounds of summer. I heard June bugs and katydids along with some cicadas and night birds. While all of these were of some comfort to me, it was the sound of the wind in the trees that was most calming. Listening to the leaves in the trees rustle and hearing the fallen leaves as they scratched through the grass and along the sidewalk. Feeling the breeze on my face and around me, I felt as though God had just strode up beside me. It was a true moment of being still and allowing my mind, body, and spirit to take in everything. I found myself even more in tune to the sounds of the summer nights than I have been in quite awhile. It was a reminder of time spent as a child playing outdoors and visiting with family at gatherings.

Musings that have been long in posting take 2

Why does the passage in scripture that talks about "...when I was a child I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child, but when I became a man I put childish things behind me..." keep coming to the forefront of my mind? Why can't I shake this feeling of dread that the end result is one I feel will destroy us all? I seek solace from wisdom that can only come from God, but all the while I question how this will ever bring glory to the Father. I am tormented in my spirit and I long to escape- yet, I know this is not an option. I must continue on the path I have begun to tread and pray and trust that God will go before me and make this clay usable. I believe.

Musings that have been long in posting take 1

These have been mulling around awhile in my head or have made it to paper, just not here yet and need to escape. Initially I thought about posting them all as one, but I think I'll separate them. All posts on today's date fall into this selection.
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Friend-- I need you to help me; to meet me halfway; I need you to hold me accountable; to make me mad when you say what I need to hear instead of what I want to hear.
Friend-- I need you to care enough to look past your beliefs and your wants and desires the same as I try to do for you.
Friend-- I need you to help make me better as a person and allow me to reciprocate that; I need this to be a two way street where we have the freedom to express our different ideas with no fear of judgement or failure.
Friend-- I need us to have understanding and compassion for one another at all times.
Friend-- I need.

Ekathe-astes Three....

*Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Comic Ali a.k.a. Alex*

"For everything there is a time and purpose under heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to wish you were not;
A time to plant, and a time for chainsaw yard massacre;
A time to kill moles, and a time for lawns to heal;
A time to gut the house, and a time to build it back;
A time for a nuclear meltdown, and a time to radiate giggles;
A time to lament over rainboots, and a time to dance in a new pair;
A time for shattering dishes, and a time for gathering dishes together;
A time for huggsies, and a time for talking to the hand;
A time for turning upside down, and a time to forget finding;
A time to archive, and a time to delete;
A time for snow in the drive, and a time for driving in the snow;
A time to tear the cow-print pajamas, and a time to mend them;
A very rare, exceedingly short time to be silent, and a time to speak all;
A time for happy face, and a time for frowny face;
A time for Facebook, and a time for face in a book;
A time for blazing hazel eyes, and a time for hypnotic blue eyes.

And the eaglebyrd is happy with her lot in life,
'Cause it's all good, and will be made good.
In time."

Things I hope to someday accomplish:

No, this isn't a bucket list, though it will appear so to some. It's no real shocker that I'm what many call a 'lifelong learner' and I'm not ashamed to admit to such. I love to learn, just not necessarily about Biology or Chemistry or Math. I enjoy learning things that to some observers would be considered useless knowledge, but frankly, I don't care if I never have the opportunity to use the knowledge, just knowing that I have it is enough. With that, here's some of the things I'd like to accomplish:
1. To play the Irish Whistle
2. American Sign Language (I knew some once, I'd love to again)
3. My college degree
4. Rowing (for pleasure)
5. Read a book a week, of my choosing
6. Spend an unending amount of time with my remaining closest friends, this side of Heaven
7. Learn to trust people with more ease
8. Be more gracious to people when I know they don't deserve it
9. Have season tickets to Alabama Football and the ability to go to all the games
10. Learn about Essential Oils and all their benefits
11. Come to peace with my compassionate/empathetic self and have a better understanding of what that means
12. More time on the open road with James and the Mistress
13. Photography for fun
14. A group of 50 ladies from church headed to retreat annually and with that that core group influencing the rest significantly
15. Something of a combined Lydia Prayer Group and Wake Up Deborah prayer group of women who love kids and teens and will commit to praying for their children daily whether they are biological kids or spiritual kids
16. The tact to tell drama llamas what they are and help them try and move past that
17. More time spent influencing my family for good
18. Singing without reservation of who might be within earshot
19. A trip to DragonCon to meet Voyager cast members in person (Just because)
20. Mediterranean cruise
21. See my spiritual kids grow in faith and love for Christ and in turn share that love and have spiritual kids of their own