Thoughts on the Banquet

Slowly working my way through Luke, read today of Jesus' parable of the man who gave a banquet and the invited guests didn't come (chapter 14).  One was too busy with possessions, another with business and the other with relationship.  So He invited those that were hurting (poor, blind, lame, in other words the hungry), and they would partake of the feast.   I love that the Word can have so many rich meanings.  What I "heard" today was that those excuses are not "bad", possessions, businesses, relationships, but when we miss spending quiet time with God, seeking Him and His Word, letting those things crowd in, we miss the feast, the nourishment, that makes those so much richer.   I am thankful for the wealth of peace that comes with knowing Him and seeking Him.

Movie of the week

That is movie of last week to be exact.  I do love movies, as I have probably said before, the happy uplifting ones.  Definitely have decided my son and I have VERY different taste.  I have watched a couple of the ones he just loves and I didn't like them at all.  So I do not recommend any to him, because I'm sure he would feel the same about mine.  My favorite of this week was Iron Jawed Angels, about the women who fought for our right to vote.  Wow, what resolve.   Two other good ones, Arranged, about two young teachers in New York, one Jewish and one Muslim, both about to submit to an arranged marriage.   Rory O'Shea Was Here, and Irish film about two young disabled men and their desire to be independant. 

Take every thought captive

My daughter and I were discussing relationships, she shared something she heard today.  To improve your relationship with husband (or anyone else in your life), THINK about, dwell on,  the good things about that person.  My prayer group has discussed 'taking thoughts captive' usually revolving around fear or depression or negative self image, but what a powerful tool in positive personal relationships.  Our thoughts effect our heart attitude, and our words.

 

Philippians 4:8 (The Message)

 ^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Tea Drinking Tradition

I love having traditions with my grandchildren, things I hope they will remember into their adult life.  One of the traditions started back a few years with Bella and Kirstin.  They would spend the night at Gramma's and in the morning we would sit on the front porch and they would have tea and cinnamon toast.  As time went on, the boys didn't want to be left out so they took up tea drinking, now they all ask if they can have tea.  Of course one of the reasons may be that I don't get too controlling over the sugar bowl.  I do suggest a 3 teas. limit to a small cup, but let them make it "taste good".  Jane had her first tea this weekend.  I think she will be a happy participant in this tradition.

Ranch Wife?

So today we went to the ranch because it was a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day.  While wandering around we came upon one of our calves laying near a tank all by its self.  We were concerned so called some cow people and by the symptoms we described, were told it had scowers? (something like that).  The remedy, give it two raw eggs.  The challenge, how do we get it to eat raw eggs?   So my hubby and I jumped back into the Bronco and found the calf, looking all puny, until he tried to catch it, then that 100 lb calf had lots of fight and flight, so he had to wrestle him down.  I cracked the eggs, poured them down the calf's throat, then took the picture.  Does that make me a ranch wife?

Celebrated my "baby's" birthday this week...I feel so blessed that I have been a part of his adventure.  He has been a joy, even when he was "bad", he had a way of defusing.  Like when he got a tattoo without our permission, he showed it to me while we were in church and he was signing a chastity pledge (no comment), what could I say.  He is an incredible young man.

I watched three movies this week, I do love movies (stream due to netflix), 2 were good, one was really crummy.  Crummy first,The American, unless you just love looking at George Clooney stare into the camera with an ocational shot of his toned bare chest.   He is a hunk, but a very boring hunk.  The other ones are foreign, so if you are opposed to reading the subs you probably won't like Japanese one, Departures.  A very good, unusual story, about a man who prepares the body for burial, so different in Japan than here, but a story of forgivness, and redemption.   The Flying Scottsman, in English but a little hard to understand at time because of the broage, a story of determination. 

Hoarding, new thought

So the passage I was reading yesterday was in Luke about the guy who built larger store houses for his stuff and then he died that night!!  That was scary.  So RIGHT after I wrote on my blog yesterday some of my "prize glass" was broken accidentally.  Of course I thought of what I just wrote...maybe hoarding is holding on too tight to material things, that may hold meaning, but are they really that important?
I think I have to fix that last painting, needs some dark, darks, too much of the same value. 

Generosity

Italian Generosity, the title of my recent painting.  I witnessed that several time while in Venice, the Italians seem to love to give gifts, just small ones, the glass blower a glass heart, the wood artist, a wood replica of a famous building, and this man, who offered us pomegranates because I pointed at his tree.  As I was reading The Word today the focus was on hoarding, I wonder if the healing of a hoarder would be seriously practicing generosity.   I don't mean that as a judgement because I have met some hoarders that hoard to meet needs....

the gates of hell shall not prevail

I was meditating on this statement this week....Sometimes it feels like we are not prevailing, but looking back at my life through the hardest of times, the death of my oldest, my youngest with cancer, a situation I had been praying against for a very long time...I see how God has kept us, guided us and healed us from those assaults of hell...We have prevailed.  In those places we have not seen victory, I wait, hope for and expect His goodness.

Beginning

I love the blogs I read, (only 2 consistently), so I thought I'd like to start one, seems more fun, more private and more thoughtful than Facebook. I plan to focus on some art, some musings and some travel, my favorite things, aside from my incredible family.