Tuesday, December 27, 2016

MSE Day 30, and the CHRISTmas Experience

Warmer yestreday - up to 53 degrees on our deck - but back to low thirty's to-day. The wind overnight knocked out our power, but thankfully it came back on within about five hours. The Lions lost to Dallas, and my Whitmore Funk Go Blowers lost the championship to micmat thanks to the Lions.
Oh, well.

Thankful for health and food and family and job and vehicle and Otie and friends and Jesus and God's grace.

Monday, December 19, 2016

MSE Day 22 - and also - Our Weekend Adventure with the Grape

About midweek last week, the vehicle I drive to work and back - and occasionally to metro Detroit for family visits - told me she'd had enough of this cold nonsense and would not start. I tried to get a jump several times but no luck. There was very little gas in her as it was payday and this might have contributed to the problem. Saturday was supposed to be the big warm-up (near 30 de3grees!) and so we let the jumper cables sit on her a good hour with no luck. I added HEET, a quart of synthetic Valvoline, and 1.6 gallons of gas but still she would not start.
I finally waddled over to O'Reilly's with the battery for a test and sure enough, it was dead. A buck oh seven later and I waddled back to the Grape and slapped in the new and improved ONE YEAR WARRANTY battery and wouldncha know she still wouldn't start. I was beginning to feel confident that it just needed to warm up a bit so we waited as the temperature  went up: 25, 26, 27, 28... It finally started (after about two hours total working on this) but when I parked her last week the exhaust pipe was right in the plowed snowbank and so immediately I was engulfed in exhaust fumes inside the Grape. I pulled her forward a little bit, opened the windows, and thanked God for our good fortune.
I made a quick feel-good stop at my second favorite Kroger for sixteen pounds of lunch meat and cheese, and then headed home. I shoveled a path on the lawn to get the vehicle back to the deck and was able to stack our firewood without carrying it all that way from the parking pad.
I shoveled off the rest of the snow, fed the birds, covered the firewood with the tarp, and thought about making some cookies or something.

The Star Wars sextet was running on TBS or TNT (who have both agreed to the exclusive rights), Frozen was on Freeform, and the Bourne triology on BBC America, so I forced myself into some comfortable clothes, made a fire, and settled in with the remote and a bigass sandwich.

Thank You, Father, for allowing us to get the Grape home; thank You for your protection and providence. We praise You and we adore You - Hallelujah to the LORD!


 


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Advent Prayer

So many moments of my life are filled with my own needs.
'Turn to me and be safe', You say to me.

Give me the great grace to let go
from the depths of my soul.

I hear Your invitation to ask for help
and I begin to list all the places in my life that need healing.

'Turn to me and be safe'.



We must... Be... We need to...


“We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.

 - Pope Francis

MSE Day 17

Thank You for getting us up this morning, LORD! Thank You for the safe ride to work, and for the huge white moon that lit our sky these last few nights. I praise you - Light of the world, King of creation, Lover of men, Savior of sinners!
Thank You for the big stack of firewood, the trunk full of groceries, the smiles while shopping, our vehicles, our family and friends, and for Jesus.
Please heal Monica's back, Lord.
We pray also that you would be near all our soldiers, and bring them home safely.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Amen





 

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

MSE Day 10

The mornings of late have been cloudy, overcast; with the sun trying to squeeze through where it can. I enjoy my morning rides in to work as a time of prayer and reflection. I keep the radio off, and try to keep my mind on our Father - with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.
Some days I would rather listen to the radio or think about all that was waiting for me at work. ('Some' days? Probably most days.) But I'm never sorry I prayed. I have never ever thought 'Dagnabbit why the heck did I spend all that time in prayer?!?'

Father God, You are all good, all loving. Thank You for this new day. Guide me, change my heart, make me more like You.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

MSE Day 9

I am still gorging myself although it has been a full week including all my 'special' times that I looked forward to: tuesday after work, wednesday after work with survivor, thursday after work, friday after work, saturday in the kitchen cooking and watching football/basketball, sunday in the kitchen cooking and what not, &c.

My swelling has diminished and I have been nicer, i think. I am getting encouragement from people who care, thank you, Father.

A three minute retreat, from Loyola Press



http://www.loyolapress.com/retreats/worth-the-risk?utm_source=SacredAdvent&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20161206&utm_campaign=Advent2016


Saturday, December 3, 2016

David...

“That is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly…. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.”   
 
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
 

Ode to Zachary Smith

I began writing this in 1989 or so, and it is still a work in progress.

The narrator's voice so familiar to me
Tells of John, Maureen, Don, Will, Penny, Ju-dy
Whose ship, which was bound for Alpha Centaur-i
Was sabotaged by our good friend, Zachary

From suspended animation the Robinsons woke to find
The Jupiter II having a terrible time
Pounded by meteors, being tossed like a toy
And the Robot's only words were 'DESTROY'.

John finally stabilized the Jupiter II
The Robot's power pack was removed
But we all wanted to slap Zachary's face
Because the Jupiter was now Lost in Space

Chorus:

Oh Zachary Smith, Zachary Smith,
The stowaway from hell...
A nightmare for the Robinsons 
We remember you well.

The Robinsons traveled throughout the stars
But they never got home, they never found Mars
Many adventures were theirs to be had
Some were quite scary, and some were quite sad:

 John wrestled Gromak, the Robot got large;
The Jupiter landed upon a fuel barge.

In an early adventure, we heard the Bubble Creatures hiss
So Zachary fired, and said: 'They'll read this!'

They met the Chicken Monster, the man who was gold,
They visited a planet where no one was old;
Will kissed the princess, and doomed the whole world,
But he played his guitar, and ...







MSE Day 6

It is well with my soul, and it is much better with my ankles without much of the swelling that has come on in recent years. That's what I need, Lord, something I can see. Not just 'knowing' I'll be better of for it.
Thank you for that visual reminder; blessed be God forever!

Per my prediction, I gorged myself last night to the point of feeling nauseous. This will pass, I know. I have taken already my psyllium fiber drink and am looking forward to tonight's small portion of shepherd's pie and the salad we have planned. 

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels

'Hello'
'Well how are you?'
'Good, good; I'm Sam, I've seen you around town.'
'Yes for sure. My name is David - like the lying, murderous king.'
'David, like the man God describes as a man after HIS own heart.'
...
'Yes, Sam; thank you.'
'God bless you, David.'
...

Oh, He does; He surely does