Train of Thought

  On my way home for lunch, I saw a goose on the side of the road. This seemingly inconsequential thing then sent my mind racing. I'm wondering if this happens to everyone or just me. So, here is this goose. It was all alone. I thought that was odd. This made me wonder if the rest had left already but then I realized that even though it is cold today, it is still the middle of July and they are probably just out swimming in the pond.
  Then I thought about how awesome geese are and marveled at their migrating abilities and how they mate for life and don't leave 1 goose behind by itself if it gets injured, etc, etc. This led me to think how wonderfully nature works when left to its own devices. Everything just hums along, circle of life, and all that. Then I thought that people (modern people) don't fit in. We are like parasites on this planet. I pictured the earth just giving a great big shudder and shaking us all off.
   We are the only living things that leave the planet worse than we found it. Seriously, the animals eat stuff and poop it out and leave behind nourishment to go back into the soil to grow more stuff. But, all we do is make things worse. Even if you are not a giant corporation that is polluting a river, you still use and consume non renewable things. Just think about driving somewhere. Air pollution, noise, earth disrupted so we  have smooth roads to ride on. Etc etc etc.
   I think it is all rather sad. For all of our so called progress, we are worse off than ever. Sure, I love technology and modern conveniences, but at what cost do we enjoy these things?

Mary Oliver Poem

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

Mary Oliver

(Thirst)

The ticket

It always amazes me how one little thing can start a series of events/emotions/thoughts in motion and wind up somewhere totally unexpected.

I had a great day. Right up until the time that I got pulled over and got a speeding ticket. The cop didn't give me the tiniest break on it and for good measure also wrote one for no seat belt. So, I was angry. Very angry. Immediately the thoughts racing through my head were: 1. why is there never a cop around when you need one to help, 2. I drive w/ cruise control on literally all the time. This one time that I hadn't gotten it back on, I come across the first cop in 250 miles, 3. I know that if I had been a friend or relative or someone important I would not have gotten the ticket.

So, these angry thoughts are swirling through my head while at the same time, the good thoughts are trying their best to get in. I know things happen for a reason and this must just be God telling me to slow down. I know that I should not be feeling hateful towards the cop cuz she was just doing her job. But the bad, angry thoughts are winning. So, then I'm thinking, "well, guess you're not so spiritual as you think you are if this tiny little thing can set your off like this.  Grrrrr!

In my need to vent, I head for Facebook as soon as I get home. (never a wise decision btw) I wanted to just blurt out, I hate cops!! By the time I got home, a tiny speck of sense had returned (not much tho).
(At this point I must interject that I am the last person that will ever feel sorry for myself. I realize that I got the ticket for a reason and I am ok with that. My reaction to it was a major slap upside the head tho)

So, my FB post alludes to the fact that I have bad karma (not that I'm a leadfoot) and then asks if anyone can tell me any good stories of cops helping them out. I have really been working on improving my attitude of cops and thought some stories showing them being helpful would help me see things differently.

And I did get a couple of stories. Yea!!! And one cops daughter that was offended by my post. Sorry.

Being that I was still slightly annoyed with the whole situation (my reaction to it) I knew that I would not be able to sleep. (Finally getting to the point)

I looked through my stacks of books for something that would get my thinking straightened out. Miracle of miracles, I found a blank journal that I didn't even know I had. It is a guided journal that asks questions and then you have 2 pages to write your answer. The first question was, what's great about your life? Grrr. Well, I'm angry right now. I want to write about that. Ha ha. That is exactly the time that you most need to think about what is great in your life.

I filled up 2 pages and could have filled up 2 more. It is amazing what gratitude can do to a persons mood. Amen. I can go to sleep now.

be Still and Know that I AM God

be still and know that I am God is my newest tattoo. I was asked what it was from and I didn't have an answer. I wasn't sure where I had heard it. All I knew was that when I started thinking about what my next tattoo was going to be, this is what came into my head. Once it was there, it would not go away no matter how much I told myself that I really wanted something pretty. It became part of my daily meditation, helping me to be still. It bothered me slightly that I couldn't tell my friend what it was from though so I looked it up today. It is from Psalm 46. I looked through and read several web pages and the passage below is what really hit me because this thought has been so much a part of my life lately. It said:

Be still and know that I am God – What is its origin?
“Be still and know that I am God!” is the first part of Psalm 46:10. Here, the word still comes from a Hebrew word meaning to “let go” or “release.” The meaning would be best understood to say “cause yourself to become restrained or to let go.” In other words, we need to come to a place where we are willing to submit ourselves to God and acknowledging that He is in sovereign control.

When we realize that we are truly incapable of controlling life, we can surrender our will to God’s will. It may be a matter of finally saying we trust Him. This will open the door so that we may experience the fullness of all God wants and has for us. After all, He is our Creator and has a perfect plan for us when we let Him orchestrate it.
 
Be still and know that I am God – How can we know it’s God?
“…and know that I am God” denotes recognition, acknowledgement, and answering God. First, we must know that God is God, the one and only Supreme Being who created all the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1).

We can know Him by having an intimate relationship with Him. That does not come from knowing about Him, but rather getting to personally know Him by what He says (in His Holy Word, the Bible), recognizing the things He does in our lives, and by way of His Holy Spirit who comes to guide and comfort us. In John 14:26, Jesus says “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (KJV).
 

Desiderata

I didn't write this, just copied off of today's Mountain Wings issue.

DESIDERATA
=========
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what
peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms
with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they
too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to
the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain
or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser
persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it's a
real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world
is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what
virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and
everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither
be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and
disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden
misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark
imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and
loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and
the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the
universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him
to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the
noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still
a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann

Mary Oliver Poem

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

Mary Oliver

(Thirst)

Thought for the day

Today let’s make a decision that we will look for the good this day. We will praise what we see that is good. We will give thanks. We will have a positive attitude.
 

Today we will remember there is no problem that is bigger than the God we come from and live in. We have an attitude of gratitude.

Instead of looking at what’s wrong, we look at what’s right. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.