"One of the hardest lessons we have to learn in this life and one that many persons never learn, is to see the divine, the celestial, the pure, in the common, the near at hand--to see that heaven lies about us here in this world."--John Burroughs
The author has captured my failure with unflinching accuracy, for I frequently do not see the "divine, the celestial, the pure" in my present world. And I realize that that lack is in me. It is not that the world fails to offer these God-like qualities, but that I, in my spiritually infantile state, do not recognize or cognize them.
Do I look at a rose and see the perfection and symetry in the pattern of its petals? Do I pick up a fallen leaf and examine the intricate veining of it? Do I hear the purity of a child's voice when lifted in song?
Somedays, less often than I would like, I take the time to appreciate these small but profound beauties. More often, I ignore them, occupied with the busy-ness of life.
This I know for sure: we see that to which are hearts are attuned.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Day 288, October 19
Yesterday I wrote about kindness, a recurring theme of this blog. I decided I needed to put my money where my mouth is and followed through on a project I've been thinking about: sending holiday cards to those in our armed services. For those who are regular readers of this blog, it will not come as a surprise to find that my Aunt Mae told me about this. (BTW, Aunt Mae, 88, sent out 100 cards.)
It's ridiculously simple: write a brief note of thanks or cheer, address it to "Dear serviceperson," and mail to the address below:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
If you write a batch of cards, put them in a large envelope The Red Cross will take care of distributing them. There is no need to stamp the cards. The Red Cross vets the cards, checking for harmful substances that may have been included. Thank you for considering this.
This I know for sure: those who defend and protect out nation deserve our recognition and appreciation.
It's ridiculously simple: write a brief note of thanks or cheer, address it to "Dear serviceperson," and mail to the address below:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
If you write a batch of cards, put them in a large envelope The Red Cross will take care of distributing them. There is no need to stamp the cards. The Red Cross vets the cards, checking for harmful substances that may have been included. Thank you for considering this.
This I know for sure: those who defend and protect out nation deserve our recognition and appreciation.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Day 287, October 18
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain
I associate Mark Twain with the down-home writing he brought to Tom Sawyer and his other iconic characters. I had not thought to find such a beautiful quote among his writings.
At one time, I had erroneously believed kindness to be largely a thing of the past; then, I looked more closely and found evidences of it everywhere. A few days ago, I received a cute card from a friend with a clipping about books enclosed. My sweet friend knows that I love books and thoughtfully sent this to me. Another friend held a baby shower for a new sister in our ward. She wanted this new mother to meet other ladies in the church and set about putting together a fun evening for everyone. Small things, you might say. But their rippling effects know no bounds.
This I know for sure: kindness is the universal langauge.
I associate Mark Twain with the down-home writing he brought to Tom Sawyer and his other iconic characters. I had not thought to find such a beautiful quote among his writings.
At one time, I had erroneously believed kindness to be largely a thing of the past; then, I looked more closely and found evidences of it everywhere. A few days ago, I received a cute card from a friend with a clipping about books enclosed. My sweet friend knows that I love books and thoughtfully sent this to me. Another friend held a baby shower for a new sister in our ward. She wanted this new mother to meet other ladies in the church and set about putting together a fun evening for everyone. Small things, you might say. But their rippling effects know no bounds.
This I know for sure: kindness is the universal langauge.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Day 286, October 17
"It is cold tonight, but the thought of you so warm, that I sit by it as a fireside, and am never cold any more. I love to write to you --it gives my heart a holiday and sets the bells to ringing." Emily Dickinson
As I read this, Emily Dickinson's beautiful words touched my heart. Is it any wonder that her poetry lives more than a century beyond her death?
I love what computers allow us to do. For instance, this blog is made possible because of computers and software. Email allows me to keep in constant touch with faraway friends and family. But, and this is important, but ... I love the beauty of a handwritten letter as well. If our society abandons the art of letter writing, then we are truly on the path to destruction.
A few months ago, I learned (with dismay) that some schools are no longer teaching handwriting. How sad. How will our children ever write a letter to a grandparent, a birthday card, a thank you note, without learning to hand write? The answer is simple. They won't.
This I know for sure: handwritten letters are a thing of beauty and a mark of a cultured civilization.
As I read this, Emily Dickinson's beautiful words touched my heart. Is it any wonder that her poetry lives more than a century beyond her death?
I love what computers allow us to do. For instance, this blog is made possible because of computers and software. Email allows me to keep in constant touch with faraway friends and family. But, and this is important, but ... I love the beauty of a handwritten letter as well. If our society abandons the art of letter writing, then we are truly on the path to destruction.
A few months ago, I learned (with dismay) that some schools are no longer teaching handwriting. How sad. How will our children ever write a letter to a grandparent, a birthday card, a thank you note, without learning to hand write? The answer is simple. They won't.
This I know for sure: handwritten letters are a thing of beauty and a mark of a cultured civilization.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Day 284, October 25
C.S. Lewis -- God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself,
because it is not there. There is no such thing.
Some scholars believe C.S. Lewis to be one of the most spiritual writers, outside of the prophets, who ever lived. Certainl the above quote is evidence of that.
When we look for happiness and peace outside of God, we're looking in the wrong place. It's like that old song, "Looking for love in all the wrong places ..." I've looked for happiness and peace in material possessions. I've looked for them in worldl achivements. I've looked for them in food.
None of those brought happiness. None of those brought peace. And, certainly, none of them brought joy.
This I know for sure: happiness and peace are inextricably tied with God and letting Him into our lives.
Some scholars believe C.S. Lewis to be one of the most spiritual writers, outside of the prophets, who ever lived. Certainl the above quote is evidence of that.
When we look for happiness and peace outside of God, we're looking in the wrong place. It's like that old song, "Looking for love in all the wrong places ..." I've looked for happiness and peace in material possessions. I've looked for them in worldl achivements. I've looked for them in food.
None of those brought happiness. None of those brought peace. And, certainly, none of them brought joy.
This I know for sure: happiness and peace are inextricably tied with God and letting Him into our lives.
Day 285, October 16
Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good
put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu
In previous posts, I've written about the big effects that little acts can have. If you're at all like me, you may grow discouraged when you observe so much need in the world. Children go hungry. Helpless animals are abused and neglected. Pollution of our water and air is rampant. And a myriad of other ills plague our world.
What can I do, I ask myself? What can I do to help? The truth is, I cannot cure any of these. Does that, however, excuse me from doing nothing? Absolutely not.
So, what can I do? I can pray for those who are suffering. I can serve in my church. I can listen to a friend who is troubled. I can contribute, with my means and my time, to worthwhile causes, in the community.
This I know for sure: that I cannot do everything is no excuse for doing nothing.
Desmond Tutu
In previous posts, I've written about the big effects that little acts can have. If you're at all like me, you may grow discouraged when you observe so much need in the world. Children go hungry. Helpless animals are abused and neglected. Pollution of our water and air is rampant. And a myriad of other ills plague our world.
What can I do, I ask myself? What can I do to help? The truth is, I cannot cure any of these. Does that, however, excuse me from doing nothing? Absolutely not.
So, what can I do? I can pray for those who are suffering. I can serve in my church. I can listen to a friend who is troubled. I can contribute, with my means and my time, to worthwhile causes, in the community.
This I know for sure: that I cannot do everything is no excuse for doing nothing.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Day 284, October 15
I have a plaque in my home that reads "The purpose of life is a life of purpose."
The simple words intrigue me for several reasons. First, the writer in me approves the play on on words. Second, and more importantly, the sentiment resonates within me.
On those days when I have contributed nothing, created nothing, and served no one, I feel that I have no purpose. Conversely, on those days, when I am busy--contributing, creating, and serving, I feel energized and filled with purpose. This is certainly not unique with me.
All of us, whatever our age and circumstances, need to feel that we are making a difference--to our families, to our friends, to our communities, to our country, to our God. Where we spend our time and efforts is not as important as the fact that we ARE spending time and effort for a worthwhile cause.
Finding that purpose requires prayer and a willingness to look around us, to look outside of ourselves for a need that needs to be filled. Recently, I started doing indexing for our church's genealogy efforts. I stumbled in to this, and with the help of a son, am slowly finding my way through the computer program. It's a relatively small thing but fills me with a sense of accomplishment.
This I know for sure: finding purpose in life is not a luxury; it is as essential as breathing.
The simple words intrigue me for several reasons. First, the writer in me approves the play on on words. Second, and more importantly, the sentiment resonates within me.
On those days when I have contributed nothing, created nothing, and served no one, I feel that I have no purpose. Conversely, on those days, when I am busy--contributing, creating, and serving, I feel energized and filled with purpose. This is certainly not unique with me.
All of us, whatever our age and circumstances, need to feel that we are making a difference--to our families, to our friends, to our communities, to our country, to our God. Where we spend our time and efforts is not as important as the fact that we ARE spending time and effort for a worthwhile cause.
Finding that purpose requires prayer and a willingness to look around us, to look outside of ourselves for a need that needs to be filled. Recently, I started doing indexing for our church's genealogy efforts. I stumbled in to this, and with the help of a son, am slowly finding my way through the computer program. It's a relatively small thing but fills me with a sense of accomplishment.
This I know for sure: finding purpose in life is not a luxury; it is as essential as breathing.
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