Thursday, October 3, 2024

SJT: Fall's Call



Leigh Anne Eck is hosting Spiritual Journey Thursday this month. 
She asked us to write about change and transformation.

I love fall! I love the feeling of new beginnings that arrives with September and back-to-school supplies. I love watching the leaves on the trees around me change color. I even love the trees when all the leaves are gone and we see their bare bones etched against gray, wintry days. I echo L.M. Mongomery's words from Anne of Green Gables: "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

Grandson Robby started the tradition of snapping memory pics for me when we'd see a tree dressed in autumnal splendor, but couldn't stop to take a picture. It's a treasured tradition with us. We lived near a ravine in Seattle and we loved the windy days when we could watch leaves twirl and swirl to the bottom of the ravine. My daughter coined the word "leaf fall" for those dramatic days.

Yesterday, I found a huge leaf for grandson Ollie who's doing all things leafy this week at preschool. Today, I stood on the pedestrian bridge watching a lone yellow leaf dip and swirl until it landed, floating, on the blue lake. I second the words of Emily Bronte: "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

As I thought about our theme of change and transformation provided by Leigh Anne, I went in search of a verse I recalled that spoke of transformation and found it in Romans 12:1-2 (KJV):

"1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

I also like this version of these verses offered in The Message, Romans 12:1-2:

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

As I face this season of new beginnings and transformation, I want to fix my attention more earnestly on God. I want to recognize what he wants from me and respond to it. I want to let him bring out the best in me. I've begun with a renewed focus on reading scripture. This is a habit that I'm always working on, but mostly ends up being sporadic at best. I started small (at least one verse a day), I attached it to an already existing habit (when I make my bed, then I'll read scripture), and I'm trying to remember to affirm, celebrate, and check in with my accountability partner when I've done it.

I hope you feel renewed and refreshed by this time of year. The cooler weather helps, but I know some of you don't have it yet. I lived in Houston for 11 years and I well remember sweating through October birthday parties (both my children have October birthdays). Perhaps you'll want to join me in focusing on habit formation. I like this quote from Ruth Ahmed: "There is something so special in the early leaves drifting from the trees–as if we are all to be allowed a chance to peel, to refresh, to start again." 

Two favorite pics of fall color: 

WA
NC

Friday, September 20, 2024

Poetry Friday: Three Haiku (+ some pics) Reveal a Utah Trip

A grand adventure

picnics outside, stories read, bread baked,

 moments to treasure.

 

Friends gather, sharing

faith, food, laughter, challenges.

Cherished connections.


A backyard surprise

to share with family and friends

sweet, juicy peaches.

 
- Ramona Behnke
 
 
 
 Join us at the poetry playground for Poetry Friday, 
hosted today by Linda Baie at Teacher Dance.

Thursday, September 12, 2024

SJT: Wholehearted!


 
Ruth Ayres is hosting our Spiritual Journey Thursday posts this month. She asked us to write about wholehearted, her word of the year for 2024. 

When I served in Hong Kong as a missionary, one of the Chinese cultural traits we learned was that one always gave and received gifts with both hands. Somehow I connected this tradition with having an undivided heart (a heart that is whole). When I looked online, I didn't find anything to support my supposition. One of the reasons I found on the internet for giving with both hands was to show that one did not have a weapon. Personally, I prefer my own idea that giving gifts with two hands represents wholeheartedness.

Being wholehearted in our spiritual lives requires that we love God and love our neighbors. Mark reminds us of the first great commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And follows up with the second great commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31) 

I'm borrowing some ideas from a recent address, "The Crux of the Cross" delivered by Jared Halverson at the Restore conference that I attended recently. It's one of those addresses that I want to reread and ponder. At this point, all I have are my notes trying to catch the gist of what he was saying, but often losing my way as I captured  half of his thoughts while he moved on to the next idea.

Being wholehearted requires that we learn to live in the contraries of our lives, that we are seeking both truth and harmony, a destination (heaven) and an approach (peacemaking). Taking up my cross daily to follow Christ requires me to bear the beams of love by engaging in communities where I practice loving all my fellowmen. 

"Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11, NIV  

I look forward to reading the comments of fellow Spiritual Journey travelers regarding wholehearted, Ruth's word for this year. Our Spiritual Journey Thursday community is an open group. All are welcome!  Join us in sharing your thoughts on the theme for a given month.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Friday, August 30, 2024

Poetry Friday: Ode to Aging Bodies

My intent was to find a back-to-school poem. We have three grands in school now, a little sister in pre-K and two littles eager to start preschool next week. I'm not sure how we arrived here. Times flies! Anyway, when I opened poets.org, a poem found me. And I guess it fits in the back-to-school theme. If my six grands are growing up, then I must be aging.

You can read  "Ode to Aging Bodies" here.

I enjoyed this bit of background provided by the poet, Jan Mandell:

“I drafted this poem in a writers’ workshop four years ago shortly after turning seventy. I had just lost my husband, was diagnosed with osteoporosis, had a hip replacement, and then, defiantly, I climbed down and up the Grand Canyon. This is an ode to honor aging bodies rather than to mourn them.”

Here are the final lines, a call to wake up daily, jubilant in our aging bodies:

"Calling to every aging body
to rise up
And do it all again"

 
 Join us at the poetry playground for Poetry Friday, 
hosted today by Susan at Chicken Spaghetti.

Friday, August 23, 2024

Poetry Friday: Wonders While Walking


 Wonders While Walking

 

Snakeskin abandoned

I wonder, where is the snake?

Far away, I hope.

 

I spy . . .  a houseboat?

Fellow walker corrects me

It's a party shack!

 

Morning walk's treasure

a heart leaf discovery

as love flutters down

 

- Ramona Behnke

Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities is hosting 

this week's round-up of poetic goodness.

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Poetry Friday: Another Mushroom Haiku

 surprising mushroom

interrupts my earnest steps

flower wannabe

 
the older I get
the slower I walk
the more I notice
 
 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse is hosting our Poetry Friday gathering.  
Stop by to savor more poetic goodness!