Finding Your Sanctuary
What is your sanctuary? Sanctuary is said to be a refuge or haven…somewhere we might seek out in a time of trouble. It can be somewhere physical, like a church “sanctuary” or perhaps, somewhere natural. For me, it’s both types of places…certainly the holiness of a church sanctuary and the worship of God Himself. He IS my refuge. When God created each of us He gave us our body…the outward self, and our soul which enables us to think, feel emotions like joy and sorrow. He also created in each of us our spirit. This is the deepest part of our being and it is through our spirit that we communicate with God and worhip Him. Today’s world and society is chaotic and troublesome to most of us from time to time. For some, it seems choaotic and even frightful most of the time. Having a sanctuary and knowing what, where it is is critical today in our overall healthfulness, reducing blood pressure and blood sugar and stress we all experience. Some places of refuge for some folks are found in soft, classiscal music, doing yoga and meditation, walking in a wooded area in the midst of God’s handiwork during Creation. For others it may be reading, writing, cooking, walking or jogging for exercise, visiting your worship center and spending time in quiet prayer. When I first moved to Florida and found Wakodahatchee Wetlands, I quickly realized this was a true source of relaxation for me that always brought forth a sense of joy and thankfulness in me as I observed the lovely south Florida wading birds I love so much. In the winter we begin to see these large birds with huge wingspans selecting their mates, performing their beautiful and inspiring mating displays and building their nests in which to raise their new young. Every time I am there, I am in awe of the beauty of the wildlife and the natural wetlands that God created. I am at peace eventhough the world’s chaos is just nearby. This is my sanctuary. What’s...
Read MoreIf We Have No Peace…
I have really been thinking a lot about achieving peace lately. Peace is always on my mind and in my heart, but lately, its had higher ranking than usual. Certainly the last few days, with the threats of nuclear warfare from the crazed leader of North Korea as well as the “over-the-top style” of Trump’s rhetoric, I see and hear tensions and fears from many. I’ve written before of my admiration of Mother Teresa as a servant, having lived a life of sacrifice to help lift others in our suffering world. Thinking about how far away peace seems now brings to mind her quote “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.” That really resonates with me not leaving my thoughts quickly or often. It gets me to pondering what it is when we sense “belonging?” Well, we belong to our families, our circle of friends, and communities of folks drawn together by common interests or beliefs. We say we “belong” to a church or synagogue or a club or an association. There’s comfort there. Membership. Being allied to. Hmmm…ally? Kinship? So, how big does our “circle” extend? One can take “community” from one’s town, to county, to state, to region, to country, to continent, to world, etc. OK, when we’re considering to whom we “belong” or for whom we feel a “kinship,” how big does our circle get? I’m thinking, yeah, I feel a kinship to my family and friends, to my co-worshipers at my church, to colleagues, to fellow Rotarians, to the NC Tar Heel Basketball Nation, to my Alpha Phi sorority sisters, to the breast cancer sisterhood, to others who believe in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ…oh, and I also feel like I belong to a huge group of people called Senior Citizens. You get where I am on this, right? But…God created mankind and I’m pretty sure He intends for us to be both human and kind…so are we really linked to all human beings no matter where they live or what they look like or what language they speak? Mother Teresa surely felt and acted upon her feelings of kinship. If there is nothing else that links us to others, isn’t it enough that every one of us belongs to the human race and lives because of the same Creator?...
Read MoreHow Things Change
When I was younger with little ones running around barefoot with a high level of noise and excitement near the arrival of the Baby Jesus AND Santa Claus, I used to answer the question, “What do you want for Christmas?” with the half-giggled response “Peace and Joy!” Oh, brother, did I want Peace and Joy!!!! As years passed, I realized soon enough, Peace, was far off in the distance and, besides, I had always been a glass half-full kind of gal and one who, thankfully, realized Joy often presented itself right in the MIDST of chaos. I had some chaos!! Now, the bare feet are those of grand children adored whether 25, 21,11 or 8 years of age…its just the sound their bare feet create has changed…some pitter patter while others boom-boom actually like the reindeer on the roof. And when I am asked that same question, “What do you want for Christmas?” my response is the same but without the giggle, though; “Peace and Joy!” Now, that desire for Peace and Joy is more like a very sincere prayer. I really do hope for Peace and Joy…not just for my life or my home or my family and friends but for our WORLD. I’m still that glass half-full gal, and I still affirm that there has to be darkness for the Light to shine, I just don’t like to feel that I am seeing more darkness…and its not cataracts because I’ve been there and done that with removal and new lenses. When I watch the evening news, I am totally silent, mostly in dismay over the criminal acts, the expressed strife that so many riots and rebelling represent, the horrific beheading of innocent people by evil doers who claim to be acting in the name of Allah, the never-ending anti-semitic warfare Israel must experience, the countless school, workplace, large public places shootings, bombings, etc. etc. I feel our world is in a state of morph…and not in a good way. So, as NBC has started when closing out the nightly news, they offer a final report that makes the soul smile a bit…I find myself doing my own version of perspective adjustment by adding to my prayer list those identified throughout the newscast in need of prayer. My problem now being a septuagenarian (even though I cannot pronounce it)is, I seem to drift off into another train of thought or fall asleep before I cover the entire prayer list. I do firmly feel that God knows what is in our hearts so I do believe He has received all my prayers whether I was awake or not going down my list. Isn’t God just so amazing!!! Yes, things…even we change. I’m 70 years old. My doctor says I’m shorter. My doctor also says I don’t NEED ice cream. I like her anyway. I don’t stand quite as straight now. I don’t have as much energy. I live alone but don’t feel alone. I love more people. For some reason, I think more people love me. I see God EVERY day and talk to Him off and on all day long. God puts up with me. God orders my steps. I am so thankful. So what about Peace and Joy? If I have Peace in my heart there will always be Joy in my life. The way we deal with the darkness in our world is to shine our Light. Light overcomes darkness…there is NO PUTTING IT OUT! Can you imagine how bright our world would be if EVERYONE would shine his/her light!! Let’s go light our world!!!...
Read MoreA New Year…FULL!
I’ve thought a lot about how to celebrate the New Year’s arrival. We’re so surrounded with sickness, sorrow and loss it seems, so it seems a little inappropriate to say to those folks experiencing those things, “Happy New Year!” Though, I do want them to be happy and have a good year. So, my thought process has led me to identifying what really makes me happy. It starts with PEACE…for all… and let it begin with me! JOY…from whence comes your JOY??? HOPE…HOPE is like washing the windows of our minds and souls, wiping out our pain & sorrow, restoring us to the place where we can see beyond and a better day. LOVE. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” New Living Translation (©2007) So, if everyone…in Statesville, in NC, in the USA, in the world…would live to create peace for all in what we say and do, can you imagine how much more peaceful our world would be? If we could see our words and actions as “fairy dust of some sort” and from all our interactions with others would fall a covering of JOY to the WORLD! Interesting to contemplate. And when we learn of pain and sorrow in someone’s life, a word of caring, acknowledgement, and the gift of our enduring presence with them will spring up a river of hope in their heart…and ours. So, I wish for all a 2013 Full of Peace, Joy, Hope and LOVE…which makes this all...
Read MoreWhat's Your Passion?
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