Category: good for the soul

Posted on

back in bayou la batre

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It seems I’m destined for a lot of travel this year. Who can complain about that? I wish I could say this last trip was to exotic and faraway places, but it wasn’t. Still, it took me away from home and my honey. I’m happy to be back.

Chores and some other things awaited me, so I didn’t feel like I had reached my down time at home. I even felt a little off, like Fall wasn’t quite right with this new scenery. I missed the Stone Mountain daisies that cover all the granite in Rockdale and DeKalb this time of year. Silly me, ruminating on somewhere else and not seeing the prettiful sights in front of me.

My errand to the post office fixed that mindset. The office closed from 12:00 to 1:00 for lunch, and it was 12:05. I had to get the package in the mail, so I hung around the area, exploring.

What a blessing!

Salt marshes have replaced the ubiquitous granite. No more Stone Mountain daisies — time to learn the names of the wildflowers here! No bluebirds, but pelicans are everywhere, and I even saw some ducks and geese. A lot of the winter migration goes through this area, so I better be on the lookout for some other delights.

This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24

Posted on

love love love

I’m sipping some tea late into the night. It was hot at the baseball game, and even though we were having fun, it was hot. So now, after a shower, I don’t feel like going to sleep, but I don’t want to watch any more news, either. Tomorrow I’ll catch up. Tonight, I think I’ll just sit in the half light, drink my tea before it gets cold, and pray. The world needs prayer. And love. So much love.

I like the technique proposed by Pope Francis, to use your hand as a guide for prayer:

1. Thumb: This is closest to you, so pray for your dear ones, your family, your friends.

2. Index finger. We point with this finger – pray for teachers, the people who guide you, law enforcement and emergency responders. They need God’s guidance, too, to do their work.

3. The middle finger. Sometimes we use it in a not-so-nice-manner. It’s the tallest finger, so pray for our leaders. The world is a mess. Policies are a mess. People are a mess. We need good leaders to help us. To make this world a better place for everyone.

4. The ring finger. Associated with marriage and love. It’s also the weakest finger. Pray for the weak. The marginalized. The misunderstood. We are all God’s children. We are all worthy of  love.

5. The pinkie.  This is the smallest finger, and reminds you to pray for yourself. Putting ourselves last in this prayer strategy doesn’t mean we dismiss ourselves — it helps us order our needs after thinking broadly about our relationships.

Pin It on Pinterest