Proverb: Outsmarting Yourself

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

See the man who thinks he's so smart?

You can expect far more from a fool than from him.

Proverbs 26:12

 

A woman in Ohio is telling the story today of a cleaning woman who came in to her home, did a random smattering of cleaning, then left a bill for $75 on the table for services rendered.  While the homeowner was gone and her daughter asleep upstairs, the cleaning lady washed 2 mugs sitting in the sink, took out the trash, vacuumed the living room carpet, and straightened up the toys in the playroom.  She then left a handwritten bill on the dining room table, giving her name, telephone number and the request for a payment of $75.  The homeowner looked up the name online and discovered that the woman had a local cleaning business.  Figuring the woman had simply made a mistake and tidied the wrong house, she called her.  "No," the cleaning lady said, "I do this all the time - just stop at a random house, clean, and leave a bill.  Gets me new business!"

Well, this intrepid businesswoman didn't get any new business there; instead, the homeowner called the police, and she was arrested for trespassing and breaking/entering.  Obviously this so-called advertising ploy must have worked for her at some point, or else she wouldn't keep doing it.  However, entering someone's home without their permission is against the law in every state in the Union, and one would think she would know that.  Once the story of her escapade hits the local news, I can't imagine any of her customers wanting her back in their home.

All of us have had the experience of dreaming up a "really great idea" that on further reflection is revealed to be wrong, expensive, or just plain stupid.  Hopefully, for most of us, that reflection happens before we put the idea into action rather than afterwards.

Proverb: Understanding God

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life

forming in a pregnant woman,

So you'll never understand the mystery at work

in all that God does.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 

I found a wonderful, almost brand new sofa on Craigslist on Monday, bought it and brought it home, then introduced myself to my new backyard neighbor, and he and my daughter's friend muscled it into the house and set it up.  They then hauled out the old sofa and strapped it into the back of the truck so that I could take it to a relatively close-by thrift shop the next morning.  I really meant to take it on Tuesday, but things slipped past me and I didn't get it done.  This morning I opened the front door to go out and mow the front lawn and discovered... it was raining.  So - the now soaked sofa will go to the dump tomorrow rather than to a thift shop.  Why didn't I do what I was supposed to do yesterday?  I don't have a good answer for that.  Excuses, perhaps, but not a good answer.  That always causes me to ponder - why do I do the things I do??  I'm not surprised if other people don't quite understand what makes me tick - I hardly understand me either.

Solomon calls our attention to the fact that, just as we do not understand every minute detail of what is being accomplished in the womb of a woman as her pregnancy advances, so we will never completely understand the hows-whats-whys of the will and ways of God.  Saying that "He sees the bigger picture" may seem like a cliche, but it is the truth.  We are but one thread in a huge tapestry (thanks, Steven Spielberg, for that illustration), and we have no idea of the other forces at work in the formation of the finished product.  There are many times when I do not understand the whys and wherefores of God's providence, but He asks me to trust Him - to have faith.

There is a great deal more in life that we have to take by faith than just belief in God.  A wife has faith that when her husband says "I love you," he really means it.  I buy a certain product from a particular manufacturer because I have faith in their warranty claims.  I have faith in my surgeon, his education, and his skills when he says that I will be fine during my operation.  When I have to step onto an airplane (I absolutely HATE flying), I have to have faith that the pilot and his huge machine will carry me safely to my destination.  And yes, when God promises something through His Word, I exercise faith that although I don't understand how, I will have faith in Who.

Proverb: Think Before You Speak

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.

Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 

My father, Clancy, seemed to have a pithy saying for just about every circumstance in life, and he had his own take on the proverb above:  Turn on your mind before putting your mouth in gear.  Dad's big mantra was always THINK FIRST.  Never say or do anything until you have taken the time to think it through.

The other trait that was so unusual about my father was his circumspect conversation about other people.  Dad never gossiped.  He never talked about other people behind their backs, never laughed at their peculiarities or their problems, never repeated stories that he heard from another source.  He was raised to respect his fellow men, then spent 38 years in the military reinforcing that respect.  He believed in the chain of command, he supported his fellow airmen, and he was respected by everyone that met him. Well, almost everyone. 

The only person that I know of who did not like my dad was his own brother, whom we'll call John.  Although raised in the exact same household by the same two parents, my father and my uncle could not have been more opposite.  John coveted power and control, was willing to step on anyone in order to get it, and found other human beings and their misery great fodder for conversation.  He would not lift a finger to help another human being unless there was something in it for him, and he had a lot to say about everyone, including Dad.  

Perhaps that is why Dad always taught his children to think before they speak, to talk about issues - not people, and to spread kindness wherever there was a need.   

Proverb: Lock the Gate First

Ginter Botanical Garden.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

If the snake bites before it's been charmed,

What's the point in then sending for the charmer?

Ecclesiastes 10:10

I've made a new life resolution in May instead of a New Year's resolution in January.  I am what the trade calls an impulse shopper.  Get me into a Target (my favorite store), and I can find a hundred things that I desperately need.  It is amazing how quickly I talk myself into stuff, then realize that I have spent far more than I intended.  I'm even worse on the Internet, particularly if there is a new Groupon for my area.  Not acquainted with Groupon?  It is a discount coupon program that has expanded into almost every major metropolitan area, offering coupons for 50-75% off almost anything.  I regard such offerings as "free money," and love to look at the daily special that comes right into my inbox!  $12 of cheesecake for only $6?  Right on!!  Let's buy three of them!  

I am sure that you can see my need for a new resolution!  And here it is: for anything over $5 that I happen upon in a store, in one of my magazines, or on the Internet, I have to wait 24 hours before purchasing to be sure that it is something I really need.  Forcing myself to walk away from the store or the computer is wonderful exercise, and it also has saved me an amazing amount of money in the last three weeks.  

My father had a different take on this parable from Ecclesiastes:  What good is shutting the barn door when the horse is already gone?  The time to engage the brain is before the action is taken - excellent advice for much more than impulsive spending.  

Blackberries!

One day I went strolling through the orchard,

looking for signs of spring,

looking for buds about to burst into flower...

Song of Solomon

Down the little side street by my house is an area between two homes that is sort of like a no-man's-land--just a massive amount of vegetation.  I didn't pay too much attention to it the first summer I lived here, but last summer the area caught my eye in early June as I realized that a portion of the greenery were blackberry brambles!  For several weeks last summer, I would awaken early, grab a little container, and pick a handfull of fresh blackberries for my cereal.

This past week, I noticed that there were several volunteer trees that had grown up among the brambles and honeysuckle vine, shading the berries and threatening to take over the landscape.  Yesterday I brought my loppers and made quick work of all that overgrown foliage - exposing the brambles to the sunlight that would quickly ripen the berries.  In the evening, I noticed another neighbor and his little girl searching the branches for ripe fruit.  When I walked past this morning, I noticed several red berries shining brightly in the sun, a promise of the fully ripe blackberries to come.  

Sometimes our lives are like this overgrown patch of vegetation - with stress and problems and irritations and worries darkening our skies and hiding the light of God's love.  When that happens, its time to do a little pruning - of obligations, of activities, of anything that weighs us down and stresses us out.  Just like plants, in the darkness we wither; in the sunlight, we blossom and flourish.

A Good Name

Orchids Galore! Ginter Botanical Gardens. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

A good name is more desirable than great riches...

Proverbs 22:1

It is amazing how one's opinion of a person can change in the blink of an eye.  It is always a gut-wrenching disappointment for me when someone confirms, either by their own words or their actions, that they do not live a life of integrity.

The gentleman who has lived next door to me for two years (we have been calling him "Joe") in the pit bull family circus apparently moved out of the house (along with all the other family members) and left his dog inside - along with the pit bull - planning to come back each day to care for the dogs.  I did not realize this until Wednesday, when someone in the family chained Joe's dog in the backyard and drove away.  That afternoon when I came home from work, I realized that the dog had neither food nor water.  I grabbed a bucket, used the hose to fill it to the brim, and took it around to the back cement slab, within reach of the animal.    Then I texted Joe:  what in the world are the dogs doing here?  No answer.  No one showed up until yesterday around noon.  I haven't seen any of the dogs since, but it appears that they are still in the house.  The temperatures this week are in the high 80's, and the house has no electricity to even run a fan.  It has to be getting hot in there.

Today, the whole gang showed up to start emptying out the garage.  They started around 8:00am, and were still going at it when I left at 2pm.  The water to the property is also shut off, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that people are going to get thirsty and need to use the restroom.  Joe had told me that he wasn't all that concerned about the house not having any water, and this afternoon I learned why.  As I exited my home, I caught a glimpse of someone kneeling in the yard next door, working with tools on the water main.  It was Joe.  Apparently he knows how to manipulate the shutoff valve to get water flowing again to the house.  Whether he was turning the water on, or turning it back off, I don't know.  All I know is that his two-year posturing of being a better person than those he rented from instantly evaporated into thin air. 

A Little Laughter

Bronx Zoo NY. Copyright 2012:  singeronthesand

...then our mouth was filled with laughter...

Psalm 126:2

We have a wonderful community newspaper, The Village News, that comes out once a week on Wednesday.  The newest edition contains a great story - truth or anecdote - in the column by Walter "JR" Wilson.  Because "Laughter is good medicine," I thought I would share it with you this morning.  I hope your Thursday is bright with laughter and joy.

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs.  Recently, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man.  He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.  As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.  I finally arrived an hour late and saw that the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.  There were only the diggers and crew left, and they were eating lunch.

I felt really bad and apologized to the men for being late.  I went to the side of the grave and look down.  The vault lid was already in place.  I didn't know what else to do, so I started playing.  The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.  I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.  When I began "Amazing Grace," the workers began to cry.  They wept, I wept, we all wept together. 

When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and headed for the car.  As I was opening the trunk, I heard one of the workers say, "I've never seen nothin' like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years!"

 

Oh, Baby

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2011:  singeronthesand

...I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

The giraffe is the tallest living earth animal - with adult ranging in height from 16-20 feet tall, and weighs on average 3500 lbs. for males, and 1800 lbs. for females.  The elongated neck can be well over six feet long. Giraffes do not live in families, but are very social and do tend to habitat in groups.

The adorable young lady pictured above resides at the Bronx Zoo.  Born in March, she was approximately 6 feet tall at birth (which absolutely boggles my mind), weighing over 100 lbs., with legs that look like extra-large toothpicks. The day I visited in April, she was super hyper-active, racing around the African Plains exhibit on those unbelievably spindly legs.  Somehow graceful yet incredibly awkward, she delighted everyone who was watching, including her mother!

When the Lord was creating the inhabitants of this planet, He could have just spit out a few mammals that all looked the same and called it a day.  Instead, He has filled the earth with animals of every size, shape, description, color and temperament.  God is a lover of variety and beauty, and obviously has a great sense of humor!  

Goodbye, My Friend

Orchids Galore, Ginter Botanical Garden  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

When you grab all you can get, that's what happens:

the more you get, the less you are.

Proverbs 1:19

Yesterday I said goodbye to a man who has lived next door to me for the last two years (let's call him "Joe").  He is a very nice older fellow who is looking for affection and companionship.  He met the woman who owns the house next door, moved in, and immediately she talked him into putting the utilities in his name.  $1800 later (and not a single bill paid), the electric company was yelling for their money, so she transferred Joe to a crude apartment in the garage and conned another man into putting his name on her utility bill.

In the midst of this hot mess is a daughter in her 20's who is a drug addict, a live-in boyfriend of the daughter (also a drug addict and the third man with his name on the utility bills), an aggressive pit bull that belongs to the daughter, and her 5-year-old adorable little girl. Joe would probably have moved on a long time ago if it weren't for this beautiful child.  She soon had Joe wrapped around her little finger, and in the midst of the grabbing at the brass ring going on in the rest of the family, Joe quietly went about parenting her to the best of his abilities.   

Last week the house of cards came tumbling down.  The utility company finally caught on to the multiple "owners" on the electricity account and shut off the power, removing the meter box.  I heard the generator start up last Monday and knew immediately what had happened.  On Friday, the water was shut off and it was the end of the line. Saturday afternoon,  Joe walked across the lawn to say goodbye.  He has been a good neighbor and a good friend, and I am really sorry for the emotional entanglements that have tied him to that house of horrors.  He deserves better.  But we all live by the choices that we make, and for the foreseeable future, he has thrown his lot in with the child and her grandmother.  My prayers go with them.    

Crime & Punishment II

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

For He will command His angels concerning you, to

guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up

in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot 

against a stone.

Psalm 91:11-12 

The providence and protection of God is not an easy topic.  Many people feel that when you become a Christian, all you have to do is pray for God's protection and you are shielded from any and all evil and mishap. That's a lovely thought, but it is neither truth nor reality.  I can think of an entire list of cases where people who are dedicated to God have lost their lives, or had horrible mishaps - and I don't think any of them happened because they didn't have enough faith, or forgot to pray that morning.   

When dealing with the protection of God, one can explore the topic from several different angles:

• God deliberately sends trouble
• God allows trouble to happen
• God withdraws His protective hand and lets evil take its course
• There are natural events that happen that God does not interfere with. 

I categorically reject the idea that God deliberately sends trouble.  The Bible clearly states that God tempts no man with evil.  Jesus said to Thomas and the other disciples, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father."  So let's look at Jesus as the mirror of God:  He never brought evil on anyone.  When a Samaritan village was rude to Christ, James and John asked Him if they should call down fire from heaven and destroy them.  Did Jesus agree and say, "Have at it"?  No.  The Bible says that He rebuked the two men and they moved on to another village.  No, I do not believe that God deliberately sends havoc or destruction on anyone.

 

So, if He doesn't send it, does He tacitly allow it?  Hmmm... that's an interesting question.  God is, after all, omni- everything: Omnipotent [unlimited power], Omnipresent [being present everywhere at once], Omniscent [having total, unlimited understanding, knowledge, and awareness; perceiving all things], and Omnibenevolent [unlimited goodness].  If He is all these things, how could He possibly turn His back and pretend He does not know what is happening?  The answer is simple: He can't.  

Crime & Punishment

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012:  singeronthesand

From there, Elisha went up to Bethel.  As he was walking

along the road, some youths came out of the town and

jeered at him.  "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said.  

"Go on up, you baldhead!"  He turned around, looked

at them and called down a curse on them in the name

of the Lord.  Then two bears came out of the woods and

mauled forty-two of the youths.

2 Kings 2:23-24

My mother was very much a crime & punishment Christian.  The God she worshiped was sitting on His throne with a lightning bolt in His hand, ready and waiting to zap anyone who did something wrong.  Thus, this little two verse story in the Bible was one of her favorites.  Elijah, the main prophet of Israel at the time, had invited Elisha to go for a walk with him.  While strolling along, the older man indicated to the younger that he was to take over the prophetic office.  Suddenly, a firey chariot appeared in the sky, Elijah hopped on board, and he was whisked away - his mantle dropping to the ground in the process, indicating that Elisha was now God's spokesperson to the people of Israel.  Obviously the news of a spectacular event like that travels fast and furious.  Enter a group of youth who have heard the story, think it is hilarious (they probably didn't believe a word of it), and decide to jeer at the new prophet by telling him he could go to the same place as the last one.  

Nothing about the story so far is surprising:  gossip will be spread and kids will be kids.   Elisha's reaction, however, blows my mind.  I would expect a man of God to either ignore the taunters, or address them as adult and mentor, explaining his eye-witness account of Elijah's departure and admonishing them to watch their language.  Instead, he calls down a curse upon them - behavior that I would expect from Israel's enemies, not a prophet of God.  The story goes from bad to worse when the historian recording the exploits of ancient Israel records that two bears come out of the woods and maul 42 of the youth (just how many kids were there, for Pete's sake?), clearly implying that God sent the bears in response to Elisha's curse.

Mom's take on the morale of the story was clear:  talk back to your mother and God is gonna get you!  I did not believe that interpretation as a child, and I do not believe it now.  Crime and punishment gods were rampant among the heathen: they sacrificed women, children and babies in order to keep the deities happy.  The God of heaven stated for the record numerous times that He abhorred human sacrifice. What in the world would make anyone believe that He would purposely send bears to shred kids, just because one of His fallible human prophets lost his temper?   

Peaceable Kingdom

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion

will eat straw like the ox...they will neither harm nor

destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Isaiah 65:25 

When I took this picture at the Bronx Zoo, I must admit that my total concentration was on the lion and lioness, hoping against hope that one of them would turn their head toward me (not going to happen!).  My attention was so narrowed in on the cats that I never even saw the deer grazing in the background - not when I swept the landscape with my eyes, nor when I peered through the viewfinder of my camera.  When I brought this picture up on my computer for processing, I was quite startled to see him there.

When this photo is magnified, you can clearly see a wire fence between the deer and the lions.  A wire fence?  That wouldn't hold back your average dog, much less a lionness (the hunters of the species).  Yet the female cat is lying on the large rock seemingly oblivious to the prey near by, and the deer is not the least bit worried about the predators sunning on the rock.  Obviously there is a further barrier between the animals, or else the cats would be lying there with huges smiles on their faces, and there wouldn't be any deer to graze the meadow.

Clearly this picture is not what it seems at first glance.  The lions are so nonchalant, and the deer so bold, because they both know that there is no way at all for either of them to get to the other - a knowledge that has been reinforced over the months (years?) that they have been at the zoo.  The photo does, however, bring a smile to my face - for it is a portent of how the animal kingdom will react to each other in heaven.  There will be neither prey nor predator.  The survival of one will no longer depend upon the death of another.  All of the animals will live in peace and safety, thoroughly comfortable with each others' presence, and with the close companionship of the human race.  I can hardly wait.   

King of Beasts

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?
Judges 14:18

One of my favorite Bible stories has always been Daniel in the lion's den.  It has all the elements of a great story: good guys, bad guys, a feisty hero, danger, fear, possible death, fantastic deliverance.  I've always wondered whether the animals simply kept their distance, or if they regarded Daniel as one of their own, coming over to snuggle and keep him warm throughout his long night in the pit.  My imagination sees it clearly:  using the back of a male lion as a pillow, and hugging on to a neighbor cat for warmth.  However the animals reacted, Daniel came out of the pit unscathed, which is far more than you can say for the bad guys who were thrown in next - instant breakfast!

Lions are one of four big cats of the genus Panthera - cousin to tigers, leopards and jaguars.  A large adult male can weigh upward of 550 pounds - which is a lot of warmth to spread around!!  Lions are considered a vulnerable species, having lost 30-50 percent of their population over the past two decades in Africa.  The male only survives about 10 years in the wild - double that time in captivity.  The male lion is the only cat to have a mane, which makes him look larger and is an excellent intimidation factor in maintaining his status in his family, or pride.

The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah in ancient Israel.  In Genesis 49,  an elderly, ailing Jacob calls together his sons at his bedside, speaking to each one in turn about their future and their inheritance.  Of Judah, he says, "Judah is a lion's whelp:...the sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Messiah]I come, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."  In the book of Revelation, we meet this lion again, as the messenger of God assures John that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the One promised by Jacob, was able to open the sealed book of the future. And behold, there stood a Lamb that had been slain - Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer.     

Play Ball!

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health

and that all may go well with you, even as your

soul is getting along well.

3 John 2 

I read a fascinating Internet article this morning about a medical study on the affects of depression in older adults - specifically, the link between depression and dementia.  And yes, there apparently is a link between the two, with subjects who have struggled with depression in middle age and older having a 20% higher rate of dementia than those without depression.  At this point in the study, one of the big questions remains: Is it the depression that brings on dementia, or the medication given to treat depression that causes the linkage.

Two years ago I participated in a non-medication program for those with depression.  Developed by Dr. Neil Nedley, the program is an eight part series that concentrates on therapy, lifestyle treatment, nutrition, and exercise.  For me, the program has been very successful, allowing me to thrive without taking medication.  The diet part is not exactly easy but achievable.  Where I tend to get behind is in the exercise regimen.

We humans have an amazing ability to talk ourselves out of almost anything, including really important areas of personal growth.  When I wake up in the morning, I know that I need to hop out of bed and lace on my walking shoes, but the bed is so warm and my excuses for not going flow so easily.  However, even the polar bear at the Bronx Zoo knows that if he doesn't get out there and play, he doesn't feel so hot.  I watched him play with his ball for quite awhile.  He amused himself, he got some good exercise, and he extended his lifeline just a little bit longer.  He is now my inspiration when I start to dawdle in the morning.  If a polar bear knows enough to take care of his mind and body, it ought to be a piece of cake for me.    

Bathing a Cat

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7

Have you ever tried to bathe a cat?  Furry felines have been a part of my household for as long as I can remember.  When I was a kid, it was a smoky gray female cat named Susie who was an absolute kitten machine.  When I graduated from college and established my own home, I raised a series of Persian cats, and then Siamese.  I have had garden variety cats and top-dollar ones.  None of them are interested in taking a bath.  I have learned through painful experience to run the water in the bathtub ahead of time [playacting that I don't even own a cat], placing several thick towels within easy reach, putting on long rubber gloves covered by long sleeves, then casually picking up the animal and quickly dunking them in the water.  Believe me, he who hesitates is lost!  Some cat baths have been easier than others, but none of them have been what I would call an enjoyable experience. 

Imagine my surprise when I spotted my large cat friend above, luxuriating in a pond of water at the Bronx Zoo.  I had absolutely no idea that tigers not only tolerate water, they love it!  This fellow swam, cannonballed, and generally had a marvelous time splashing his fellow cats who were lounging pond-side on the rocks.  It made me (in my imagination) want to jump right in with him  - a feat that will never happen this side of heaven.  

There are times when I need washing and I am not too keen for the process.  When I have wandered outside the love and grace of the Father, determined to do my own thing, I inevitably end up making bad moves and worse decisions.  When I am thoroughly stained with the guilt of sin, there is the cool refreshing water of the spirit, mixed with the oil of forgiveness, waiting for me to admit my need and submit to the cleansing process.  Like my tiger friend, I need to cannonball straight into the cleansing fountain of God's love, for He has promised that ...sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. 

 

  

Mother's Day 2012

Orchids Galore, Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Honor your father and your mother...

Exodus 20:12a

Today is Mother's Day in the United States - a day set aside to honor the women who have given their endless energy and enthusiasm to raising their children.  I actually celebrated yesterday, when my two youngest girls drove down from DC to take me to lunch at O'Charley's, then the Fedex truck arrived with two dozen roses, chocolates, and bath goodies from my oldest daughter.  Great day!

Being a mother is the most important thing I have ever done in my life.  My three daughters have brought me so much joy, love, irritation, anger, compassion, hope and despair.  They have loved me unceasingly, and then ripped my heart to pieces.  I have been convinced, at one point or another, that they would never amount to a hill of beans, and now they are accomplished adult women:  teacher, auditor, lawyer.  I could not be prouder of my girls - they are the center of my world. 

Zebra?

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the

beasts of the field, and all the birds of the air.  He brought them

to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever

the man called each living creature, that was its name.  So the

man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air, and

all the beasts of the field.

Genesis 2:19-20

I've always loved this story in Genesis 2 of Adam naming the animals.  Of course, if you believe in evolution, then this would simply be a fairy tale; but if you believe in God as the Creator of all things, then it is uniquely plausible that God might have delighted in giving Adam this task in His new creation.  If the animals were first separated into groupings, I can see three similar beasts being brought forward for their name.  The first and best of the lot was named "horse."  The second animal was named "ass" or "donkey" [what the Internet calls a etymologically obscure word.]  The third?  Well - what in the world are you going to call this horse-like animal with the amazing black stripes?

I would love to have been a fly on the landscape to hear what Adam called this fellow.  The word "zebra" has no known meaning.  The English name of "zebra" dates back to 1600, coming from the Italian "zebra."  Before that, it was a Portuguese word with roots in Congolese.  Prior to that there is a possible Latin connection, but no one knows for sure.  Did Adam himself come up with the term Zebra?  Let's just say it is not categorically impossible.

My mother borrowed my pediatrician's family name for my given name.  I specifically chose a very short, four letter name for my firstborn, in order to cut down on the horrible nicknames that her future school classmates would come up with.  Adam had no such familial ancestry or social construct; he was the first of his kind, naming the original members of every species on earth.  In my imagination, I see the two of them - God and Adam - sitting and laughing together as this naming adventure moved forward.  I'm sure that it was a memory that Adam cherished for the rest of his life.

I Promise

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

His divine power has given us everything we need for

life and godliness through out knowledge of Him who

called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these

He has given us His very great and precious promises...

2 Peter 1:3-4a

If I follow the street at the side of my house down two blocks, over one long block, up two blocks and back home, I have a half mile track that I walk every day - morning and evening, if possible. On the way down the short side by my house, I pass a little section of "no man's land" greatly overgrown with all kinds of vegetation. There are foot-tall trees that were once seedlings that no one yanked up, weeds of every description, and a huge abundance of honeysuckle vine woven in and out.  Arching out thither and yon from this green conglomerate are blackberry brambles loaded with flowerful promises of delicious eating to come. As I stopped to take pictures today, I paused to ponder which part of the blackberry cane contains the promise.  I think that people strong in faith would say the flower.  For me (who is far less trusting), it is the emergence of the tiny green fruit.

Trust can be a very fragile thing - battered and scarred by the tumult of every day existence.  My familial ties have fashioned me into a woman long on caution and short on basic faith.  I'm a "a bird in the hand is better than two in a bush" person and, like Thomas of old, I often need to "see" to believe.  This morning, my daily search of those flowering canes yielded the first sight of the developing fruit and I grinned in anticipation.

Peter reminds us that God has already given us everything we need for this life through His glory and goodness.  He has promised that He will never leave us, never forsake us, never give us more than we can bear through His strength; He promises us wisdom, love, courage, hope and faith.  The fulfillment of those promises rests in His power and grace.  All we need to do is open our hearts to receive them.

Beholder of Beauty

Bronx Zoo. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

...once in three years came the navy of Tharshish,

bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 

1 Kings 10:22b

I was raised in a conservative Christian culture that forbade the wearing of jewelry by men or women.  The gist of the religious concerns expressed was that jewelry is an unnecessary glorification of the body, and calls attention to ourselves instead of to Jesus.  In the minds of the church elders, women wore jewelry to attract the attention of other men - something that no real Christian would do. We must put aside anything that glorifies our human body, and  with meekness and humility, let our characters shine rather than our diamonds.  The subtle, underlying message was that God does not care for beauty, but appreciates plainness, if not austerity.  If someone wanted to be baptized and/or join our church, they had to first give up all jewelry, including engagement rings and wedding bands.

I never gave a second thought to the party line until I reached twelve years old, when I began to work for other denominations as a church musician.  In the various congregations that employed me, I found literally hundreds of women who wore earrings, bracelets, and necklaces on a weekly basis, and never gave a second thought as to what jewelry they had one.  They were not preening or displaying their bling, and (funny thing!), many of them were among the finest Christians I had ever met.  Their characters shone much brighter than the diamonds - their smiles far brighter than their gold or silver. 

If God really doesn't like spectacular beauty, He certainly hides it well.  My peacock friend is such a brilliant blue, he is breathtaking to look at.  When he deems it time to spread his tail feathers, the effect is like flinging a hundred sparkling jewels in all directions.  God could have made him in black and white, but He chose stunning shades of blue, green and purple.  There may be those who cannot get past a diamond ring on the finger or emeralds in the ears, but I don't think God is one of them.   

A Whole Lot More Than I Bargained For!

Ginter Botanical Gardens. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

James 3:5 (KJV)

The previous owner my house turned his carport into a family room.  He then hauled in a couple of dump trucks of top soil and laid it over what used to be the driveway, then planted grass on about a 20x26' plot.  Part of this dirt was laid on top of concrete, so the grass on top of that area died every summer.  I had a friend come in and dig out an 8'x20' strip, and discovered concrete underneath, making a nice walkway in front of that section of the house.  I decided that I really didn't want grass in the 20x20' plot that remained; last fall, I covered the whole area with black plastic and left it until this spring, killing all the grass underneath.

 

Several weeks ago, I got my wheel barrow and shovel and began to remove dirt and dead grass.  You know, that area doesn't look like much until you begin to attack it with a shovel.  The more dirt that I removed, the more dirt that was left.  I graduated to a shovel and my pick-up truck, but it was the same story.  No matter how much dirt I shoveled, there was a HUGE amount remaining to be removed.  The sight of this relatively small plot of ground is very deceptive.  I finally placed an ad on Craigslist and hired a very nice fireman with a little bobcat to remove the rest of it.

My father had a saying about a mole hill suddenly becoming a mountain.  How many times do we start a project that is "no big deal," only to discover that it is far more extensive than we ever dreamed.  How often do we promise to do something for someone else that appears to be insignificant and then unfolds into a big headache.  Dad would have laughed himself silly at my "little bit" of dirt in the front yard.  And then he would have said, "Kiddo, sometimes you really need to stop, think, consider all sides, and then... think again!" Good advice for my front yard conundrum, and many other areas of my life!

  

Tuesday in Paris

Orchids Galore, Ginter Botanical Garden. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

...if there be any virtue, if there be any praise,

think on those things.

Philippians 4:8

France has a new President-elect.  Francois Hollande has defeated Nicholas Sarkozy to gain the top spot in the land.  Normally I wouldn't pay any attention to a political contest in Europe, but a sidebar caught my eye because it dealt with a subject I am interested in: music.

In the closing days of the campaign, Mr. Hollande's team produced a campaign video that featured background music by two American rappers - Jay-Z and Kanye West, specifically their hit song, Niggas in Paris.  [Now, I could have just typed a capital "N" and put little stars for the rest of the letters in order not to type that offensive word, but hey, that's the official title of the song.]  At first (and only) glance, this little ditty appears to be about themselves living it up in Paris, thoroughly enjoying their celebrity status and the perks it brings.  I would share the lyrics below, except I can't:  the song is so profane and, yes, filthy, I wouldn't want to see the words scratched on a bathroom stall much less write them in a public blog, which certainly begs the question: why in the world would Mr. Hollande lay claim to this music in a nationwide political ad that has now gone far beyond the borders of France?

Did he use it in order to attract young voters?  Is it an indication of his social mores - particularly regarding his view of women?  Did the candidate even know that the video was being voiced by this music?  I certainly hope so, for his public character is now colored by the video that bears his image and name.

Oxymoronic Monday

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

...whatsoever things are pure...

think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

I am a big fan of  Forest Hill Avenue, where there is a veritable feast of my favorite things within a block of each other - Walmart, Lowe's, Target, Martin's Supermarket, Starbucks, Chik-fil-a, Jason's Deli, Mexico Restaurant, and Wawa.  I visited there yesterday afternoon and purchased three trees from Walmart, a red t-shirt from Target, and a treat from Starbucks.  Quite pleased with myself, I hopped on the parkway that is my usual route home,  

As I traveled eastward, I noticed, not for the first time, a striking billboard on the right side of the highway.  Featuring a picture of a beautiful woman - doe-eyed, gorgeous smile with unbelievably white teeth, long dark hair, and bare shoulders - the epitome of young, sexy loveliness.  Underneath the photo were the words:

Gentleman's Club

The billboard always makes me laugh, not because of the picture, but because of the oxymoronic name of "Gentleman's Club."   Mind you, I have never visited this particular establishment, but I certainly am aware of what a gentleman's club is, and if I had any doubt, the picture of the young woman is a vivid clue.  I'm sure that if I investigated, I would find a nightclub that featured young women in various stages of undress as waitresses, hostesses, dancers, etc. Out West where I come from, such establishments are called strip clubs - a far more appropriate term.

I will not get into the whole discussion of  "southern gentlemen," but the "gentlemen" that I know [a courteous, gracious man with a strong sense of honor, according to Webster], young or not-so-young, would not be caught dead in a strip joint. The Apostle Paul advises the people of the church of Philippi to think about pure, virtuous, praise-worthy things, rather than the strutting smut that this world has to offer - an excellent thought to ponder on this spring Monday morning.  

 

Adjusting My Expectations

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

My soul, wait only upon God,

for my expectation is from Him.

Psalm 62:5 

I absolutely adore the comic strip Stone Soup by Jan Eliot.  The main characters are two sisters, Val and Joan, who live next door to each other.  Val is a single mother to 13-year-old diva Holly and 10-year-old tomboy Alix; included in her household is Evie [their mom], and Biscuit, the dog.  Next door, younger sister Joan is married to Wally, and raises preschool terror Max and baby Lucy.  Also included in this household is Wally's nephew, Andy, a teenager who has chosen to live with his uncle after the implosion of his own family.

The story lines in this comic strip are so realistic, one feels like peeking out the window to see if Jan Eliot is, by chance, spying on one's family.  Time and again, I have burst out laughing at the comic's sage wisdom, having gone through a similar situation myself.  Sometimes it is difficult to remember that these are comic characters, not real people.

I loved today's strip because it deals with the changing of expectations as we grow, and as life changes in the swirling cauldron of family life.  Joan talks about the fantasies she had as a young girl as to how her life would be written.  Val asks her sister if she is disappointed in the way life has turned out.  Joan's answer?  "No - I just adjusted my expectations as I went."

Expectations of how someone is going to behave, or how a situation is going to evolve, or how things "should be" often get us in enormous problems, because anticipation rarely matches reality.   Wise is the person who can go rise above expectations, and adjust their dreams to the life that is before them.  The Psalmist set his expectations upon God - the One who never changes - today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Adios

Orchid Galore, Louis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Listen with respect to the father who raised you...

Proverbs 23:22

Right about now my daughters are preparing for their grandfather's memorial service out in Arizona.  Dad's son - my ex - will give the eulogy, and my middle daughter will sing to the memory of her paternal granddad.  I have spoken at length over the last 24 hours with my kids and my ex - remembering experiences and sharing grief as we all work through the process of loss.  I am very pleased that my children are there; they have not seen their three aunts and four cousins for almost ten years.  They have worked through the initial awkwardness, and are gently exploring memories and forging new paths of friendship.

I have spent a gentle afternoon with my many memories of my father-in-law.  Dad was always a very accepting, very loving man toward the wife of his son.  Mom was anything but that, so Dad always acted as a buffer to try and shield me from her harsh, controlling ways.  He loved to sit and chat - about the kids, about life, about the latest books we were reading.  He did not judge me - the real me, and was always forgiving of my foibles.  

One of the things that I loved about Dad was the fact that early on he realized that he needed to have an excellent command of the English language in order to function in the culture and work-a-day world of Arizona.  When he was younger, he was a waiter at a prestigious hotel in Phoenix, and once served President Kennedy, who gave him silver dollars as a tip - coins that he cherished his entire life.  Unlike his wife, he did not expect the world to cater to the Spanish language of his birth. When three of his four children married non-Hispanic partners, Dad was immediately capable of conversing not only with the spouses, but with the grandchildren that followed.  

I write this entry today in honor of my father-in-law - a sweet, gentle man with a heart of gold.  We will miss you, my friend.

Adios papá.  que tienen nuestros

corazones y el amor.

~Sherrie & the girls

Courage

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated...

because God, your God, is striding ahead of you.

He's right there with you.  He won't let you down;

He won't leave you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

I have come to learn that courage means different things to different people.  This week, the Lord helped me understand that sometimes courage is having the guts to NOT do what "etiquette" indicates you should do.  For me, courage was not buckling under the pressure to do what others required, but being able to firmly say, "No.  That is not what is best for me.  My answer is and will remain no."

I have lived my entire life trying to meet the expectations of those who, rightly or wrongly, felt the need to tell me what to do.  I am, it appears, an easily intimidated individual who can be coated with guilt at the drop of a hat.  I have struggled with these insecurity issues for more years than I can count; sometimes I am courageous and stand my ground - often, I do not.  However, I take comfort from this thought by Mary Anne Radmacher:  "Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" 

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

 

And a Little Child...

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Don't let anyone put you down because you're young.

1 Timothy 4:12a

Last night I was rehearsing with my Music & Missions kids (Preschool-5th Grade) for their big spring musical, O Me! O My! O Nehemiah!  that we are performing on Mother's Day.  It is the story of Nehemiah's leadership and the people's perseverance in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in the face of their enemies.  The kids were getting a little antsy toward the end, so I asked them to sit down for a minute and listen to a story.

Last Sunday, a woman came to church with a great burden on her mind.  Her firstborn son had recently been shipped to Afghanistan with his unit, and their first months in combat had been rough, with six of their unit already dead, and more than twenty critically wounded.  Her heart was heavy and her tears flowed freely.  Then a young girl stood up to sing, and shared these awesome words:  I've learned in laughter or in pain, how to survive: I get on my knees. I get on my knees.  There I am before the One who changes me.  Oh, I don't know how, but there's power when I'm on my knees."  Suddenly there was strength, suddenly there was hope for this heartsick mom as she was reminded to place her son in the Master's hands.

I reminded my little choristers that they also had a story to tell - a story that just might change the life of someone in the congregation. Paul reminded Timothy, "...just because you are young doesn't mean you can't make a difference in this world."   We all, young and old, need to let our little light shine wherever we are, in what ever way we can, so that others can see their way out of darkness.  

Hey, Now!

Copyright 2012:  singeronthesand

A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a

leaky faucet.  You can't turn it off,

and your can't get away from it!

Proverbs 27:15

Last week I went to a local mulch company to get a load of "mix" - half topsoil and half compost - for the new super-raised flowerbeds on my back patio.  There were several trucks already clustered around the little office building, and two more turned in just as I was parking.  The tiny counter was already crowded with men, and there were a couple of good ole boys sitting by the window.  I slipped in the door and took a position in the corner behind the doorway.

One of the men sitting on the side was on the phone, talking very loudly, and obviously speaking with his wife.  Apparently the refrigerator had quit working, and she had called to ask her husband what to do.  The entire office was involved in the conversation, with men offering various tips for him to relay to his wife, with a couple of guys poking their heads out of the back room to add their two cents.  Finally the wife had heard enough and the call was terminated.  Plunking down the phone for added emphasis, the fellow loudly pronounced to his male audience, "I tell you what!  You can't tell a woman a *#@! thing!" Raising my voice to be heard above the growing laughter, I called out "Hey, Now!"

The sound of a woman's voice shot the gentleman straight up off his chair, just as the men parted like the Red Sea so that he could see me standing there in the corner.  Blushing a bright red, he said, "Well, good afternoon, m'am!  Now what can we get for you today?"  All of the men backed away from the counter, and suddenly I was the most important person in the office as my order was noted, my money taken, and my little female self hustled out the door to go get my dirt.  I laughed all the way to the truck.

You don't have to be a husband or wife to be a nag: children, co-workers, relatives of every stripe, and even queens can be constant complainers.  Curiously, King Solomon, often tagged as the wisest man who ever lived, fails to provide any solutions to this problem.  He just states the simple fact:  a nagging spouse will drive you nuts!