SOL 7/31 and SJT: Gathering Goodness

I'm hosting our Spiritual Journey Thursday this week. My OLW for 2024 is gather. I chose gathering goodness as my theme for this month's SJT post

I gather goodness when I allow myself to revel in the beauty of the natural world. Here are just a few photos I've taken recently that remind me that God is good and the world in which we live speaks of that goodness.

Early springtime in North Carolina (pics taken in February)

I especially enjoyed 5 inches of snow while visiting Utah since we haven't had any snow this winter in North Carolina. It's a beautiful way to clothe our world in white!

Spending time with family and friends is another way to gather goodness. My Utah visit included time with these grands.

 

 Here are the grand boys who live near us in North Carolina 

with their mom (our daughter), Sara.

I attended the Roots Tech conference in Salt Lake City where I 

marinated in the goodness of family history and genealogical research 

and enjoyed meeting other attendees.

 

 

 

I managed to connect with three different friends while attending Roots Tech. 

Life is good, especially when shared with a friend.

These two photos were taken from the plane on Wednesday. More snaps of God's glorious world. Mount Rainier and Mercer Island, where I used to live. This is my first visit back since our move last summer. 

I like to listen to inspiring podcasts. Here are a few favorites: 

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Magnify

The Next Right Thing 

I'm currently reading Good Enough:40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. According to my schedule, I should be on Chapter 22 today. Instead, I'm on Chapter 19. That's okay! 

If I don't finish the book by Easter, I count my ongoing effort as good enough.

I'm embracing imperfection and moving forward 

although my pace may be somewhat slower than I had planned.

 

How do you gather goodness? 

 

It's Spiritual Journey Thursday, an open gathering for bloggers who write monthly about our spiritual journeys. I am hosting this month with the theme of Gathering Goodness SJT friends, click here to add your link.

SOL 6/31: Haiku for a Small Delight

Sometimes it's the little things that kick-start your day and lead to delight. 

Ample restroom stall

accommodates bags AND me

with room to spare. Bliss! 

 

Kudos to the Salt Lake airport for this early morning buzz. And when I landed in Seattle, a smaller accommodation, but at least the door opened outward. I like looking for things that make me happy!

This is my thirteenth year to participate in the March Slice of Life. Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.

SOL 5/31: Sunday Humor from a Six-Year-Old

We arrive for Sunday dinner at Grandma Barb's (my daughter-in-law's mom) with plenty of time for the grands to play and for the adults to visit while finishing dinner preparations. 

A certain seven-year-old is frustrated because he doesn't have his gloves and wants to play outside with the neighbor boy in the snow. He's supposed to always put his gloves in his coat pockets so they will be there when needed. He sulks outside the front door, refusing to come in., 

Some time later the six-year-old neighbor boy shows up with gloves for our pouting seven-year-old. All the adults praise the child with some variation of, "Wasn't that kind of him to share his gloves so you could play in the snow?"

Aforementioned six-year-old neighbor child replies, "I had no choice because my mom said I had to." 

Four adults struggle to keep straight faces. I reach for my phone to record his comment delivered with deadpan honesty and no indication whatsoever that what he said might be humorous.

This is my thirteenth year to participate in the March Slice of Life. Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.

 

SOL 4/31: Kitchen Helpers Extraordinaire!

Snapshot in time:

 

 

Grand baking helpers

measure, stir, combine 

dry with liquids,

sprinkle chocolate treasures.

Helping Grandma bake

their favorite bread -

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip!

This is my thirteenth year to participate in the March Slice of Life. Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.

SOL 3/31/2024: Saturday Wisdom from a Seven-Year-Old!

In spite of a long line and extremely breezy conditions, Blake pulled up to a favorite spot for kolaches and began standing in line, a line that wound out the door and halfway across the parking lot. I stayed in the van with three of my grands: Teddy, Ruthie, and Lily. They had just picked me up from my hotel and Roots Tech 2024.

I got out of the van at one point to chat with the grands so I could see their faces, but both the girls have coughs and the wind swirling around us didn't seem to be good for them. So back I crawled into the front seat. We predicted how long it would take for their dad to get into the restaurant. Finally, he disappeared from Teddy's sight. Then we predicted how long it would take him to reach the counter, place the order, and return to the van.

We talked about Ruthie's preschool, Teddy's favorite subjects in first grade, and I was introduced to each grand's favorite stuffie. I decided to tell them about the "Three L's of Kindness" (Listen, Lift and Love) shared by an emcee from one of the general sessions at the conference. 

As we discussed each "L", I asked Teddy what was meant by lift. 

"Are we supposed to actually lift people, as in picking them up?"

Without hesitation, seven year old Teddy replied, "No, Grandma, you lift someone by lifting their spirits." Then we talked about scenarios when we could lift a friend.

Perhaps our world needs more wisdom from the mind and hearts of seven year olds!

(By the way, the kolaches were yummy and worth the wait!)

I am thrilled to be joining my slicing friends even though I missed the first two days.

Slice of Life: Blossoms!

Two weeks ago we ventured to the park on a blustery January morning with grandson Ollie. On our return to the parking lot, a spot of yellow lifted my spirits. 

 

I intended to write an elfchen, an 11 word poem. Then I discovered it's supposed to adhere to a specific structure. I didn't follow that structure, but my structure reminded me of a diamante poem. So I married the two forms. Meet my elfchante!

 

Winter

swirls brown

 leaves. Yellow curtsies

to brown, harbinger of

spring.

- Ramona Behnke

SJT: God's Love

Despite Patricia's reminder that SJT was coming soon, I was startled to see February 1 and Spirutal Journey Thursday arrive so quickly. Generally, I wait until my own post is written to read the posts of others. However, this month, I read Patricia's "Love Is" post before writing mine. I clicked on her link to the inspiring essay by Rabbi Sharon Brous, "Train Yourself to Always Show Up." Rabbi Brous shares an obscure Jewish text, about 2000 years old, that has become a north star in her life.

 Here's a paragraph I love from the essay:

"Showing up for one another doesn’t require heroic gestures. It means training ourselves to approach, even when our instinct tells us to withdraw. It means picking up the phone and calling our friend or colleague who is suffering. It means going to the funeral and to the house of mourning. It also means going to the wedding and to the birthday dinner. Reach out in your strength, step forward in your vulnerability. Err on the side of presence."

As a Christian, I often reflect on the two great commandments of Jesus as shared in Matthew 22:37-39:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

One way that helps me love the Lord with all my heart is to feel His love for me as an individual. I like this quote by Susan H. Porter:

“. . . do you know how completely God, our Heavenly Father, loves you? Have you felt His love deep in your soul?

"When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God’s commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference."

Susan Porter continues: 

"God’s love is not found in the circumstances of our lives but in His presence in our lives. We know of His love when we receive strength beyond our own and when His Spirit brings peace, comfort, and direction. At times it may be difficult to feel His love. We can pray to have our eyes opened to see His hand in our lives and to see His love in the beauty of His creations."

Sensing God's love for us increases our ability to love Him. As we love the Lord we gain the strength to reach out, to step forward, and be present for others. As we focus on seeing His hand in our lives, His tender mercies and loving kindness will be an ever present source of strength and love. Indeed, His love and presence will be the catalyst that nudges us to be present for our neighbors.

Patricia J. Franz at Reading, Writing, Wondering is hosting our February gathering with a Love Is... theme. Pop over to read posts of other travelers sharing thoughts on this theme. All are welcome to join us.