Dodged a bullet

No more snow here! I'm so sorry for those north of us who are in the throes of a blizzard this morning, but so thankful it bypassed the DC metro area. The wind howls; haven't seen a bird all morning. I wonder: What do they do, where do they go when the weather threatens?

Yesterday I finished Geraldine Brooks' "March". A good story set in the early years of the Civil War, and also a vocabulary-expanding read! It's been a long while since I've had to resort to the dictionary so often. Humbling, but educational. Here's my list:

rufous - reddish
couchant - couch (makes sense, huh?)
chiffonier - dresser, with drawers. (Maybe that's why my grandmother called it the chifferobe?)
helve - handle (as of an ax or other tool)
deliquescing - to melt
rutilant - ruddy
coruscating - shiny, reflective
jalap - a purgative made from the roots of a particular plant
harrow - to break up the soil with a rotating, tined disc
simulacrum - image or likeness; or a sham
sutler - a person following an army to sell food, etc.

Fifty centy words, I can remember my Freshman comp professor calling them! But fun, nonetheless.

Some good news

Yesterday I was fitted for a custom brace. It will fit inside a shoe and I'll be rid of the clunky boot. The shoes have to tie snugly at my ankle to hold the brace. I'm glad Matt's wedding is still 3 months away!

I'm reading Henri Nouwen's "The Return of the Prodigal Son" which is a meditation on Rembrandt's painting vis a vis Rembrandt's life, Nouwen's life, the life of Christ, our our own lives. Fascinating and inspiring, at times intriguing like:

I am touching here the mystery that Jesus himself became the prodigal for our sake.

***

Receiving forgiveness requires a total willingness to let God be God and do all the healing, restoring, and renewing. As long as I want to do even a part of that myself, I end up with partial solutions, such as becoming a hired servant.

It's still broken

Yeah, right! I discovered Friday that my leg is still not healing. The plan? Wait three more weeks and take another xray. In the meantime, physical therapy, a brace, and NO driving. Why did I have to break my right leg????

More thoughts on Lenten penance

Here's another statement of Lenten intention that I find challenging:

I must truly renew my life, and it is God whom I ask in all simplicity to transform me. I want to live interiorly more spiritually, exteriorly more gently and lovingly so as to make God better loved, who is the beginning and end of my spiritual life. More than ever I want to hide in the heart of Jesus my good works, my prayers, my self denial, to preach only through example, to speak not at all of myself and little of God, since in this sad world one only gives scandal or annoys others by showing one's love for God. But whenever someone approaches me or whenever it seems to be God's will that I should approach another, I will do so simply, very prudently, and disappear as soon as the task is done, mixing not thought of self with God's action. And should I be misunderstood, criticized, and judged unfavorably, I will try to rejoice in remembering our divine exemplar, and I will seek to be of no consequence in the esteem of others...

Elisabeth Leseur (d. 1914)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Leseur

Lent: Day 1

I saw a Facebook posting yesterday from a friend of a friend! For Lent she's decided to speak an encouraging word to at least 3 people every day, one of them herself! I really like that idea.

Last night at Mass Father suggested that every time we make an act of penance, we prayerfully offer it to God. I'd never heard that before! It's a way to be intentional and prayerful along with the penance.

I learn so much from those who share their penance plans for Lent. I give thanks for their transparency and encouragement to me to do likewise.

Ash Wednesday

Lent begins today. To me, it's the season of going into the darkness of suffering. I don't look forward to it.

We're in the depths of winter (so evident with all the piles of snow guarding narrow streets and walkways). The days are often cloudy and gray.

Yet, the promise of Spring calls to me every morning as I listen to the birds sing and watch buds begin to from on the trees.

Lent draws us into the Passion of Christ; spiritual winter. In whatever penance we choose, the idea is to identify with the suffering Jesus 'by whose stripes we are healed.' With each day the night approaches: When He died night descended in the middle of the day.

The night must come before the dawn.

Jesus, make me ready for the dawn of your mercy and love.

Running the race

I'm going out today! Between my bone issues and the snow-pocalypse I've experienced the world from the window and television images.

I realized the other day that I hadn't even been to the grocery in over 6 weeks! So, I'm excited to go to church and out the dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Yesterday I FINISHED the stitchery project that I began more than 5 years ago. Persistence and patience are not my strong suit. Recurrent illnesses added fuel to the fire; I didn't need to even feel guilty about it!

This 'down time' became purposeful. Putting in the last stitch was amazing and seeing the finished piece pressed and ready to frame so very satisfying.

I mused that should I ever enter the pearly gates having successfully 'run the race' as St. Paul says, I'll feel similarly but multiplied many, many times over.

Loving God, give me grace to finish the race.

Sign of the times

Yesterday I became convinced I'm livng a sheltered life.

On one of the morning news talk shows, a contributor touted the financial and emotional advantages of walking away from your mortgage. In addition, she proclaimed, banks do it all the time on office buildings worth millions of dollars! Her reasoning: Why shouldn't we?

Then, in the free regional newspaper, I tripped over an article and several advertisements. Apparently, some realtors are specializing in handling 'short sales'. The article advised that, in certain circumstances and only through 2012, a new law makes it possible to get the remaining debt forgiven! A certified realtor can guide you through the process and lead you into a debt- free 'promised land.'

I was amazed, appalled, and stricken.

Today, I am haunted by what this must mean for families, not only today but for the foreseeable future. How does one make it day to day carrying such incredible anxiety and uncertainty?

drip, drip,drip

I watched the steady drip, drip, drip of the 2' long icicles hanging from the gutter while I ate lunch. With the sun directly overhead illuminating them, they appeared electrically lit: They had a vertical column of bright yellow descending the outside edge.

Suddenly one fell. When would the next icicle (shoe?) drop? Not while I watched, but I knew another and then another eventually would.

I remember childhood visits to Mammoth Cave and the talks about the formation of stalagmites and stalactites by the same process but in very different conditions.

I thought about the accretions of the unique personality and set of experiences that have made me who I am today. Adding and subtracting, shaping and forming the person God created 9 months before my birth and the person born for the second time by faith in Christ, and molded day by day by the Holy Spirit.

Drip, drip, drip.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Day 5: A blizzard.

God rules over the Metro DC area. Schools, Metro,Federal Government, from the lowly to those who govern all bow to the power of God displayed through nature. The wind blows, the snow falls and every plan for the day slips away.

Whether we acknowledge our Creator or not, God reigns.

Teach me your ways

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.



I never saw this before.

What does Jesus want to teach the weary and burdened?

What does he know we need to know?

The secrets of God? The workings of the universe? Great wisdom? Knowledge?

No.

Gentleness and humility.

The most difficult lessons of all.

Teach me your ways, O God.

The sun'll come out to-morr-ow

I took these shots shortly after sun rise. After two days of snow, the sun's glow reflects brilliantly in the sky and upon the white landscape.

Our 'neck of the woods' isn't moving yet, so I watched Mass on TV. In the gospel reading Jesus told Simon and his cohorts to "cast out into the deep", a metaphor for following Christ and for living our faith.

Today it's a fitting metaphor for digging out from under all this snow.

The silence following the storm

We have 2' of snow. It is soooo quiet. The area is immobilized and nothing's moving. No cars or trucks on the street, no planes overhead. Snow muffles all sound. Trees bow to the ground, some so deeply as to touch the earth. Others bend gracefully or painfully, I can't say, but the arching lines are quite beautiful.

I don't have anywhere to go; I'm quite content to marvel at God's handiwork. How foolish we are when we fail to recognize His rule over the earth.

In the eye of the storm

I can not remember ever seeing winter snow maps with large portions shaded and labeled "disruptive" or "crippling" snowfall. The reaction has been predictable: mobbed grocery and hardware stores stripped of essential items and nearly constant warnings about preparedness for the oncoming crisis.

It's led me to think about what we might do if we had advance warning of the disabling storms of life that are just over our horizon. How would we prepare, especially if we knew we had no power to avoid or stop them; we must go through them?

As a parent, that's my goal: to prepare my children to face life's storms.

They are now grown. The days for active teaching are past. Now I pray, I encourage, I try to be a faithful example.

Everything else, like the effects of today's "crippling" storm must be trusted to God.

It snowed overnight. Here's what I saw first thing this morning just as the sky was lightening: a magical white world. I'd sat down at the kitchen table with my back to the door while the dogs ate their breakfast. When they were done, I turned to let them out and there was this incredible sight that made me laugh with joy. So impressed, I'll have you know, I went up and down the stairs on my bum to retrieve my camera. The moment just HAD to be preserved for itself and also for the reminder of God's love of beauty and of us.

Heidi and April enjoyed it, too: