That Immense Sea

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
~Antoine de Saint Exupéry

It seems that in the richest land in the world, the malaise of unfulfilled dreams is steadily eroding relationships and scarring people with the pain of a futile existence. They are lulled into a lie that their life has no purpose and they seek to find comfort in entertaining themselves while the hours and days slip by. Potential is wasted and the cost is incalculable.

I am seeing the fall-out from this plague in marriages. Two friends with seemingly happy homes, filled with children and laughter, are dealing with separation and discussions of divorce. I honestly believe that unfulfilled dreams play a large role in the issues of at least one of the couples. Unhappiness, discontent, blame - and then the story takes a tragic turn as fulfillment is sought in the wrong places.

We’re designed with a purpose and thrive with a quest in our heart and passion in our steps.

What can you do this week to reach farther, see wider, feel deeper? What could help you kindle a greater understanding and perspective for this vast world of ours? It’s likely to start with something simple and do-able. What’s that in your hand?



This song from 1980 always puts wind in my sails. Cast off my friend, the sea is calling.

Peace Be Unto You

Even the weak become strong when they are united. ~J. Von Schiller

It was special to unite with friends from the blog world yesterday to lift up a banner of prayer over Andrew. We literally had people from coast to coast. It was powerful; if you missed it, I’m sure we’ll be doing it again.

I’m thinking about the miracle that is the nation of Israel today as they observe Yom Kippur. Peace is not the norm in Jerusalem, but it’s evident at least on this day as the whole nation pauses. The airport is shut down, TV and radio stations are off the air and all businesses are closed.

At our house, there’s a new peace between predator and prey. Yes, the 3 chickens who survived the Night of Terror have made peace with the dogs who were the perpetrators.
"We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers."~Martin Luther King, Jr

On a lighter note, I have to say that one of the few bumper stickers I’ve considered putting on my car is this one:
Shalom aleichem! (Peace be unto you)

Urgent Prayer Call - Sunday, Sept 27th- Join Us

Melanie’s 12 year old son, Andrew is in critical condition with a brain tumor coming against his life. We need to join all of our individual prayers together to take a stand, looking to God.

What WILL God do when we call upon Him? What WILL God do when we put our trust in Him?
He will listen. He is faithful. He wants us to call upon Him! Let’s ask.

Sunday, Sept. 27, 3 PM EST
1-605-475-6350
Access Code 81560

My husband Jim and I will lead and the line will be open. You can talk or not, it’s up to you. Come as you are. Now is the time.

*From the U.S., normal domestic long-distance charges apply. Cell phones work fine.

Cock-a-Doo-Dah

In today's news, I bring you the Fowl Report.

The chickens have set up housekeeping in the cackle house. Oh yes, it’s a house with windows and a door, laying boxes and a large screened porch that is as secure as Fort Knox. Builderman simply doesn’t know how to just slap something together. This chicken house is built to last- just like everything else he makes. I still smile when I recall the year the church asked him to make a crèche for the manger scene. No problem. Except they had something crude in mind. Builderman simply doesn’t do “crude.”

The funniest thing about the chickens is one of the roosters is learning to crow (somehow we ended up with FOUR roosters- so one is Sunday dinner sooner than he knows). I was up before daybreak one morning and heard a weird noise break the quiet of the approaching day. I couldn’t identify the sound. When I heard it again, I went out to the back porch to listen. It was one of the roosters trying to crow. It reminded me of hearing a middle school student practicing a band instrument. Rough. I wish I could have figured out how to record it so you could hear it. It's really quite entertaining.

I refuse to be that interested in these critters. I figure they are a food source. Period. It's supposed to take 5 months until they start laying, so I'm watching all this from a distance until then. Builderman, on the other hand, thinks this whole project is the bombdiggety. Happy Friday!

P.S. I'm sure he would want me to note that the roof hasn't been shingled yet. You mean you didn't notice? LOL

The Difference 6 Weeks Can Make

Wordless Wednesday gives me a wonderful excuse to post pictures of our Rosebud.
Same chair, same baby.... just 6 weeks later. Seems like a speed frame to me.

In the south, we snuggle a baby and tell them, "I'm going to get your sugar." Now you know why- don't you see the sugar crystals on her cheeks?!

A Long and Winding Road

Most bloggers have participated in a meme at one time or another. My fascinating friend, Protégé, who lives in Scandanavia, wrote a fascinating post several months again about the origin of memes. I used to wonder how to pronounce this word but Protégé enlightened me. Meme is pronounced like "meem", which rhymes with "dream". Another version is a short "mem", as a in "memory".

Heidi at 2 Thinks to Share posted a meme the other day that I thought would be fun. She gave me 5 words to write about so you can get to know me a little better. To participate, leave a comment (with your blog address or email) that you want to play and I’ll send you 5 words.

Energy – This is one of my defining characteristics. If I channel it right, I get a lot done. On other days, there’ a lot of singing, dancing and going in circles. If I was a child in the last decade instead of being a child in the 1960’s, I would probably be labeled as ADHD. You know how our culture likes labels! The polite rebel in me resists labels.

Park – Builderman is full of adventure and loves to camp. When the children came along, I set the standard that we had to camp in places with a bathroom, so we’ve seen a number of the beautiful parks in the South Eastern US. I like camping for the primary reason that he does all the work and all the cooking. I take a good book and park in my camp chair.

Fair – I love fair weather. Good thing I live in Florida. I realized toward the end of our recent solid week of rain that I’m really very fond of the sun. It would be a huge adjustment for me to live somewhere where it rained all the time or had very little sunlight.

Clue - The board game with Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White and the rest of the inhabitants of the mansion with a mystery has always been a favorite of mine. We still play this at our house! In fact, I pretty much love games. Catch Phrase, DiceCapades, Monopoly and Scrabble are just some of those in my cabinet.

Long – The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear – wow that Beatles song holds memories. I live down a long and winding road. It was a 3.5 mile very bumpy dirt road until a year ago. Now it’s smooth blacktop and I’m thankful each and everytime I drive on it. Lead me to your door! I’d love to get to know you better. Remember to let me know if you want your 5 words.

Inestimable Wealth

Sunny Florida? Not so much. We are growing a fine crop of toadstools in our yard. Our lowest humidity level this week has been 97%. No kidding.

This kind of weather makes me want to curl up with a book and just read. I certainly have a nice selection of books waiting for my attention, but the one I just finished is noteworthy. Rich Church, Poor Church by John Muratori is thought-provoking and full of wisdom. I had listened to an interview with the author and my curiosity was heightened enough to order the book.

He starts out with a defense about not ascribing to the “name it and claim it” philosophy and spends time distancing himself from any worldly thought patterns. I certainly believe that God wants to bless us, so I wondered about his emphasis on this until a recent conversation with an acquantance. She called to see if we would be interested in purchasing 40 acres of land she has for sale near us. I indicated that we would love to buy, but right now it just isn't possible. She mentioned that Mr. X. was interested but she didn't want to sell it to him because he’s wealthy. She sounded derisive and critical about that fact (I know him and admire him). I responded by saying, “I aspire to be wealthy, what’s wrong with that?” She was horrified and went on a rant about how money ruins people. Ah – that’s the mental attitude that Muratori’s book addresses!

Let me make note that Muratori is a pastor as well as a recognized authority on organizational management and strategic planning for businesses and ministries. I thought his discourse on the Jewish culture was most enlightening. Despite centuries of persecution, almost to the point of extinction, the Jewish people have always grown to be prosperous and influential in every country they’ve settled in. The author goes into great detail about their adherence to the teachings of the Talmud and their unwavering emphasis on education (historically for both males and females ) and God's money management principles.

I've personally observed that having more money doesn't change who you are, but allows the expression of who you are to be magnified. A jerk on a budget can be a really big jerk if given a lot of money. A generous, kind person can give a larger expression to that with more resources. I believe that true wealth is having enough to accomplish God's purpose for your life, so there is indeed a wide latitude in how money is distributed.

I was challenged and intrigued by this book and highly recommend it. Despite the weighty topic, it's extremely well-written and is enjoyable to read.