Where do you go when searching for answers? Who do you go to when searching for knowledge? I just finished watching the movie “God’s Not Dead 2” an inspiring story of strength, character, conviction and truth. Sometimes in life the answers we seek can only be discovered through self-determination and self-discovery but even with these we need a starting point, right? I don’t think I’m a lot different than most, if there’s an easy way to get an answer why not obtain it quickly and easily? I have discovered life is often easier sitting in the passenger’s seat instead of the driver’s seat. To just sit back and enjoy the ride with no decisions to be made. This is all well and good until you are going somewhere that you don’t particularly want to go, or wonder why you are going there, what then? Over time, my belief is that we can begin to loose pieces of who we are and as we conform and adapt to be like everyone else forgetting we have choices and we can put ourselves in the driver’s seat. I believe we are all born with a specific gene characteristic called “manipulation” of course, that is not the scientific terminology for it! (This is most embarrassing because I did study the general sciences while in college). Manipulation is something that does not necessary grow within us without some form of fertilization. It doesn’t mean you are weak or bad if manipulation spouts or takes root; only that someone highly skilled in it has watered it a lot! My point I want to make is this, manipulation can and will be defeated once we take hold of our own truth, our own confidence and seek truth wherever it leads us. The truth is, not everyone you meet is going to like you, and that’s ok. I used to wrestle with that statement but if we all liked the same exact things, what’s the point with life? Our existence would have little to no purpose. I believe it is because of our uniqueness and our individuality that helps to explain life. We all don’t like the same colors, seasons, foods, schools, stores, shoes, or clothing…do you see what I’m saying? I love this quote, ” In a world where you can be anybody, be yourself!” God created each of us with purpose, we were created by God for His purposes. Are you scratching you head right now, wanting the answer as to what your specific purpose is? You are not alone, I find myself asking this very question. I wish someone would just tell me the answers to my questions and I would go do that one thing!#! But it doesn’t work quite that way. It’s finding our way along the journey that leads to our purpose in fact I would be willing to say the journey is the purpose of it all. In finding our way in this world, we must see the world through the perspective of the heart and not with our eyes, as they can be deceiving. Proverbs 21:2 “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” When you find yourself seeking knowledge the hardest part can be starting the process. It may seem as if God is hindering our progress because the individuals we know that have knowledge do not quickly answer our direct questions. Frustrating! But, the learning is more than the answer. It involves the process of getting to the answer. Take mathematics for instance…2 + 2 = 4 was not always an easy answer, learning the alphabet or even reading, they all started with one thing and gradually added more. The Bible has some answers that seem very straight forward while others take a bit longer to find clarity. God puts special people in our lives to help us learn and grow, there are libraries and books from unimaginable points of view, and we have a vast number of bible translations and commentaries to help us navigate through to find meanings and pursue knowledge and eventually answers. The most powerful methods I have found and used are prayers, community relationships and truthful conversations about God and my personal relationship with Him. None of what I have just shared will come easily, most worthwhile things never do! Where do you go for answers? Who do you seek for answers? God, friends, family, colleagues, pastors, professors, teachers, library, internet, bookstores, YouTube, prayers…never settle and never give up, God is good, God is always good!

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Proverbs 18:15 (NIV)
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Proverbs 2:6 (NIV)
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
~Lao Tzu

“Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little-by-little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.”
~Rick Warren
http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/nothing-worthwhile-ever-comes-easy

Today is my mom’s 70th birthday! She is so many things to me and touched the lives of countless others. We all have our favorite memories of laughing, crying or just having fun together. My gift this year is to celebrate life and acknowledge the greatness of my mom! She’s been living well these past few years free from pain, free from worry and stresses of everyday life. She’s experiencing the best retirement ever, you see she’s been with Jesus since 2012. I was anger for a long while because I wasn’t ready to live life without her. I didn’t feel prepared. What I’ve learned over the past few years is that she isn’t completely gone, as long as I live and breathe she is a part of me. She will always be my mother, death does not take that privilege from any of us. There’s not a single day that I do not think of her, she’s in a song I hear, I recall moments of wise words she had spoken to me, I feel her character or moral fibers woven within my humanity. She was strong, resilient, caring, determined, honest, trustworthy, gentle and stoic, some might even call her a “spitfire!” I think she would like being called that. I like to celebrate my mother and do so very often. Keeping her memory alive, allows me not to forget how she made me feel. She was my biggest fan and supporter of anything I set out to do, no matter my talent level in the pursuit. I can’t even begin to calculate the sacrifices she made for me, often I am reminded of the ugly things I said to her during the terrible teenage years of resistance and rebellion. She never wavered in her love for me, she always loved me especially when I was not deserving. There’s a part of me that will never fully understand the bond of mother to daughter, as I will never give birth to a child but from the daughter side to the mother perspective I have love in my heart that is for my mother alone, sometimes it is released in a big tear drop slowing cascading down my cheek…I resist the urge to wipe it away because I need to feel it slide down my cheek as if it’s reaching out to my mom. I catch myself smiling at times as if I’m hearing her tell me to do or not do something…wipe your feet, don’t run in the house, and anyone who knows me will recognize this one…”are you going to sleep all day?” Hahaha!

Mom, Happy Happy Birthday! Thank you for loving me and teaching me to love. ~Your Loving Daughter

Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)”For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Hello Friends!

It’s been a while since I have posted anything; I recently started a new project and wanted to share it with all of you. I have enrolled in a “Contemplative Photography Practice Group” with Spirituality & Practice – Resources for Spiritual Journeys. I will include the website at the bottom of the page. The group is provided a word; quote or statement and challenged to post a photo representing it. As most of you know, I thoroughly enjoy taking photos and combining it with bible verses, quotes or my own thoughts as a means to encourage and comfort myself as well as others. I hope you enjoy the first two posts I have submitted for my practice group.

Week 1: Confusion or Chaos

This photo is both confusion and chaos for me, I work in an office and this is in my view daily. This past year I learned a valuable lesson/insight from a co-worker. Basically, there are two areas in which one can choose to live: area of control or area of concern. This falls into area of concern because it concerns me and it bothers me; however, it is not an area of control because I share an office with 12 other individuals and it neither bothers nor is noticed by most. I could try to make it a control issue but in the end, I would be frustrated daily because the only control I truly have is my own ability to let it go. I can take control of my workspace while on duty but I must let it go until I return and start fresh every new day. My stress level is low and I no longer feel like it is my responsibility to keep all things neat and orderly, Just Breathe!

Week 2: Quote “In that tiny space between all the givens is freedom.” By Sue Bender.

I love this picture, I’ve had people laugh at it, show surprise at it and some failed to see from my perspective. I came across this item while doing laundry recently, my immediate thought was “God” and my second thought was my mother, who has passed away. This something was nothing more than a “dust/lint” ball from the dryer. It is hanging on the underneath of my shelf. I saw an “Angel” God speaking to me and I also laughed while thinking of my mom…this would not be something found in her laundry room. And perhaps that is the message; with all the “givens” I have the freedom to be “Me!” “In that tiny space between all the givens is freedom.” ~Sue Bender

~Blessings and Peace~

Reference:
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com

 

At dinner tonight I had a thought enter my mind, it was the word “freedom” and it was immediately followed by a sensation of “responsibility.” First and foremost, I know that God opened my thoughts to these two words and I believe I’m supposed to share them with you. Initially, I merely thought of my own experiences and the funny thing is I was just sharing my thoughts with a friend just a few days ago about knowing individuals who believe they are “owed” free stuff and yet take no active role in their own lives to figure out how to help themselves move past “free” so that others in need can do the same. These individuals refuse to see their role of responsibility. Curious as to whether this was just my own mind acting out as judge and jury I did what I often try to do, research…so I went straight to “Google!” I found an article that seemed to make a lot of sense. I am not going to provide the website, and if what I am sharing causes you to question “you” must start you own journey, it would be irresponsible of me to limit you to my limited experiences.

Seek and you will find, says the great teacher in Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Freedom means you will have to be responsible for every act, for every breath; whatever you do or don’t do, you will be responsible.

People are really in deep fear of freedom, although they talk about freedom. But my own experience is: very few people really want freedom ; because they are subconsciously aware that freedom will bring many problems that they are not ready to face. It is better to remain in cozy imprisonment. It is warmer, and what will you do with freedom? Unless you are ready to be a seeker, a searcher, a visionary… Very few people want to go on a journey into the deep silences of their heart, or to take responsibility. The implications are great. I say, your reward will be great when you give yourself permission to seek.

Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

 

Jeremiah 29:12-14 ESV
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

Matthew 7:7-8 ESV
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

Lamentations 3:25 ESV
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

Isaiah 55:6-7 ESV
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Psalm 119:10 ESV
“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!”

~Blessings and Peace~

As I am writing this my heart is heavy, today I will be attending a funeral, a life celebration for a second cousin of mine. He is my mom’s first cousin and they had a lot in common. Family was precious to both of them, they loved to laugh and reminisce whenever they were together. They both came from families with lots of love, history and traditions. Today, also marks four years since my mother passed away, I still think of her everyday and I miss her and I’m ok with all of it. Grief has found a place to rest in my soul. I was talking to a friend today, describing how my thoughts of heaven have changed through the years…I believe it’s an evolving idea. As a kid, I heard about streets made of gold, mansions, praising and singing, harps playing and big white fluffy clouds. As I have grown and experienced life and studied the bible I think maybe, all the things I mentioned are true and more…my hope is that God and the spirits/souls of family members met my cousin and my mom as they entered into God’s Kingdom. I’m comforted by knowing that I was raised in a Christian home with the promise of everlasting life with our Creator. I hope these words below and the songs give you peace and comfort.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

~C. S. Lewis

Family, the fragile state of life.
The tests and trials before us
Years come and go, family ties bind
Sickness and sadness reminds us
Busy lives, racing to and fro
Thinking tomorrow time will slow
Tomorrows stay elusive out of reach
We gather at weddings, wishing
We gather at funerals, remembering
Often asking why and where
God may seem elusive but He’s not
God is always with us
We only notice when we need Him
Celebrate the daily things
Thank God daily for His presence
Take time for Family in-the-in-between
Weddings will be happier
Funerals will be less sad
Family ties that bind, strengthened
The grace of God never-ending.

~April 3, 2011
4:44pm

The Day

The day I never wanted to come
That day has come and gone
The imagined loss and emptiness
Those feelings have settled in
A void that cannot be filled
How does one grieve such a loss
Not with time, family or friends
Such a loss with open wounds
Wounds that are felt more than seen
Pain that blocks all healing
Mourning that feels no relief
Just one more hug or embrace
One more I love you
No one can ease the pains of life
Nothing like a mothers love
Mom, I miss you
I miss you everyday.

~July 28, 2012
10:26pm
Mom…
I took for granted that you would always be there for me, how selfish that was but here I am wishing you were here with me. I’m sitting here thinking of all the missed opportunities I had and let slip away because I thought…there’s always next week or tomorrow now there’s no more tomorrow’s or next week. I miss you so much it literally makes me weak and ill. Thinking of all the things we wanted to do and now they will never be realized because you’re gone. You were the strongest person I knew, the most giving person I knew and you were loved by so many, even by the ones who didn’t like you they loved the person you were. I like to think of you in place where you can still see me and watching over me. I also hope you’re at rest and surrounded by loved ones and you have peace. If I close me eyes I can still feel the embrace of our final hug and kiss goodbye ….that day will always be…no, it does feel like its happening right in this very moment. It’s true what they say…When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. Mom, I miss you so very, very much!
I will forever be your loving daughter.

~January 08, 2013
8:08pm

~Blessings and Peace~
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~John 14:27

Once a month I travel back to a place and time, that is recent yet so long ago. In this place, I see remnants of what used to be…the good and the not-so-good, the honest and the not-so-honest, with relations divided by race, gender, and religion. The thing is, back in this place where progress seems to move slower than time, I see goodness, I see God…He’s in the grass, He’s in the trees, and He’s in the people. There’s bond between neighbors and family, people are connected and their lives are intertwined in ways that I have only experienced in that time and that space. These pockets of time and space are most likely not limited to just my personal experiences; however, they do seem to be rare. Each month as the time approaches when I journey back once again, it is met with some hesitation as I force myself to return to places of great sorrow and of complicated growing pains. My journey takes me back to emotions of my youth feeling awkward as a teenager and often never really feeling like I fit in. I don’t think that God orchestrated a series of bad or unpleasant circumstances to happen in my life for pain or strife; its was for my growth and preparation of things to come. God has blessed me with many opportunities for me to experience great joy and enormous pain, pain at a depth I surely thought would at times consume me. There are secret pains that drift in and out like a summer’s early morning dew. These things remain hidden, draped in misguided shame and guilt. There are times traveling back to where these secrets and scars were formed, all I want to do is retreat back to the life, I now live. Even amid the shadows of my life experiences, I feel freer today than I have ever in my entire life. I am not sure of how or when or if I will ever make complete sense of the experiences of my youth and my life thus far. What I do know for sure is that if this is the road that I must journey that God has set before me, then I pray for His constant companionship and for the comfort of His spirit, as I persevere. So many people in this world suffer daily because of secrets, because of bullying, and because of shame. These behaviors remain prevalent today because of fear! People are afraid to trust and let someone in, there is almost always a price for sharing ones stories. For anyone who has ever been sworn to secrecy, I can honestly say, it’s a very lonely place to be and an outrageous and unfair responsibility. These exploiters of trust, they demand secrecy and do so by building false securities with individuals that are trusting and perhaps even naive, who easily believe in the goodness of others and who are quick to easily trust people as they appear. They actively seem to be interested in us as people and potential friends…SNAP! “Hook, Line and Sinker!” So many of us fall for the false pretense of friendship and we find ourselves stuck right in the middle of a “secret.” A falsehood. “Hoodwinked!” To this day, if I were to meet one of my ” so-called “friends (exploiters)” I am not sure how or even if I would confront them. Partly due to the misguided information and self-imposed guilt and shame, this reluctance has more to do with me, the person I have become and recognizing that holding a grudge only keeps me from joy and me from living. God has done so much for me and I know in my heart to put my trust in Him, knowing He only wants goodness for me. I admit, this is at times difficult, always true but difficult nonetheless. There are so many who suffer in silence everyday, these individuals are afraid to open the slightest crack into their lives and let someone in because it would mean that someone else might learn of their secrets, their faults, their insecurities, their fears…you see that’s the thing about secrets, the harder we try to contain it, the stronger the hold it has on our lives. People who place demands upon relationships that require secrecy are rarely done for our protection but for theirs. Those demands are not based upon shared trust, they are created from a place of power and control. These people live by a different standard with different rules they are what black holes are to space, they pretend to love us, they pretend to be our friends and in the end we are merely a means to their end. God has given me a perspective that for many years either I ignored or was too scared to trust God but I can see now the crossroad, this crossroad to continue living in darkness, shame and misguided truths or turning towards God where the path may not always be as smooth as I would like; however, it will always be truthful and filled with light. These roads are often filled with boulders, stones, pebbles and ruts, all designed to mold us into in the spiritual beings God created us to be. Crossroads are decisions, pivotal moments in our lives. We look in one direction and see…wow this is going to be a luxurious trip, I can walk, I can skip, I can run, I can rest and or just relax because it’s beauty filled with sunny, green grass and a babbling brook. Got the visual? Okay, now to view the other option, you know the rocks, pebbles and ruts…hardships. God tells us upfront, it won’t be easy but you will never be alone, NOT ever. We are reminded by scripture that we are not meant to remain on this earth forever, we are destined for a new heaven and a new earth where we will be in constant jubilation with all the saints and believers. To some this may sound very much like a fairytale and maybe that’s why most of us connect with fairy tales, with their happily ever after’s. After all, that’s precisely what God wants for us, He wants to not merely give us happily ever after, He wants to BE our happily ever after, forever!

References:
“Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” ~C.S.Lewis

Luke 8:17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

John 8:12
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

John 16:33                                                 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Vulcan Salute, “Live long and prosper.” followed with “Peace and long life.”

Without having a wider view or a caption telling us why the fish seems to be jumping out of the bowl, we are left with our imaginations. Have you ever been fishing and when the fish is out of the water, they seem to just flip and flop on the ground as if they need something…They do! Fish need water, like we need oxygen. It’s a terrifying feeling when you can’t catch you breath, as a fish is to water, oxygen is to humans. So, this past weekend I had planned a day of laughter and storytelling with an old friend, sharing a meal and taking in a play at the Indiana Repertory Theater in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, she had to cancel and for good reasons. I am not upset about the cancelling, in fact I’m not upset at all. Disappointed but again, things happen and I’m a firm believer in “God’s” plans in “God’s” time. So, after getting the news of cancellation, I was encouraged by someone close to me, to still go and attend the play as planned. I gotta say…being downtown alone, felt very much like a fish out of water. Sometimes I don’t think my friends realize just how much of a challenge it is for me to do certain things. I understand and know it’s all about learning, growing and experiencing new things. I arrived downtown about two hours before the show was to start. I sat in my car in the parking garage for what seemed like an hour but was closer to 15 minutes. So I get out of the car, look around so I could remember where I parked and then I made my way down to street level. The city was buzzing with lots of people.  Being downtown was both exciting and terrifying. There were a lots of things going on downtown…High School Proms, Firefighter convention, Pacers game…It’s alive and captivating, seeing and hearing the laughter and conversations happening around me was electric. I was surrounded by so many different people and I felt invisible, this was until I experience eye-contact with someone and then I realize I’m not invisible but wished I were. Even though I had no particular reason to look my best, dress better than I normally do, I still wore the new “girl” jeans I purchased at the pleading and begging of a friend, this same friend suggested wearing my hair straight versus the usual messy look which I prefer. We all have beauty and purpose, I’m still learning to appreciate the things I am versus the things I am not. I made my way to the lobby of the IRT, sitting in the outer lounge area waiting for an appropriate time to pick up my tickets at the “Will Call” box office. At about 30 minutes before the play would start I made my way to the counter to pick up my tickets. I over-hear the lady in front of me asking/wanting to buy a ticket, I interrupted their conversation and ask, are you buying a ticket just for yourself? She responded, yes. I said, I have an extra ticket if you would like to have it. She replied yes, “are you sure?” I said absolutely, so I gave it to her and she ask if she should pay me for it? I said no, the only down side to a free ticket means you will be stuck sitting next to me. I made my way to the elevator while she looked around the lobby area. I know she probably told me her name, but in the rush of giving her the ticket, the name did not grab hold of my short-term memory. I proceeded to the seating area only after stopping to purchase a beverage…liquid courage, at least that’s the name given to it sometimes in situations such as this, sitting next to a total stranger. My drink was a Corona Light with a squeeze of a chuck of a lime. There were still a few minutes before show time when the lady I had given the ticket to arrived. I had not mentioned to her earlier that the ticket was for the front row. We quickly starting talking, here’s where I paused and ask her name…she said, Catherine. She was from San Francisco. It was such pleasure to meet her. The play was amazing, and I met someone new. In a very short span of time we exchanged the usual pleasantries and a few more personal things such as family and interests. We may never meet again, but I hope she will see this entry, as I mentioned to her that I was a writer and I was going to be writing about my night at the IRT and meeting her. Catherine, with a “C” it was a delight to meet you and to share in conversation with you. I hope Indianapolis treated you well! Wishing you and your family much joy, health and happiness. May God bless you and your family! I would love to someday visit your city, San Francisco. The overall experience of doing things outside my comfort level proved to be a success. I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. To my followers, thank you! This journey of sharing my thoughts with you is incredible. May God continue to bless each and every one of you.
~Peace and Blessings~

“All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.” ~Lord Byron

In honor of San Francisco…and Catherine from San Francisco!

 

 

 

A great fish story…

 

A whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, dreams, plans, wishes, and desires, all have my head spinning like a top. Urging and pleading them to stop and at the same time begging and pleading them to stay. True life, the life I sometimes wish for, the one not so ordinary, the one that opens itself up to the depths, heights and fiery flames of raw passion.  Daily, the media sells passion and fierceness as taboo and dirty. Passion is marketed as perverse, it is dark and dirty and being sold, day after day through film, TV, magazines…the too good to be true, which is all too often the case. Wanting to chase the hunger of lust and ecstasy of desire that was formed within me since long before I came into being. Seeds, that were sown within the fabric and essence of who I am, both good and perhaps the not so good but then again, not all that bad either. There’s a familiar voice that tells me to deny these truths, it often keeps me awake at night! I struggle over the “what if’s” and the “letting go!” Giving myself permission and allow myself to fully and completely submerge myself into experiencing the things I am often too scared and ashamed to give credence and voice to. As, if I alone have these feelings and urges, truths I now know to “not” be so true. These kinds of feelings are not wrong or shameful and should absolutely not make me weird or odd, or freakishy…I have believed the lies I have been fed for most of my life, I was convinced, and lead to believe that normal for me, was and is abnormal. What does that even mean. Normal or abnormal?  This is how I see myself…walking while holding hands, feeling light as air, picnics by the lake, campfires, butterflies in my stomach, laying on the ground at night watching the stars, talking until dawn, laughing, tender and loving, hugging and holding, twisted and tangled, twirling and grinning and yes, blushing, kissing and caressing, skin to skin and soul to soul. There are lots of things I am not, and there are lots of things that I am.

~”The Secret Lies with Charlotte”

 

 

Fun Facts
Charlotte was an English merchant ship of 335 tons built-in the River Thames in 1784 and chartered in 1786 to carry convicts as part of the First Fleet to New South Wales. She was a light sailer, and had to be towed down the English Channel for the first few days of the voyage. Her master was Thomas Gilbert, and her surgeon was John White, principal surgeon to the colony. She returned to Britain from Botany Bay via China, where she picked up a cargo for the British East India Company. Charlotte then spent most of the rest of her career in the London-Jamaica trade. She may have been lost off Newfoundland in 1818; in any case, she disappears from the lists by 1821.

Ok, total random act (which) is usually not me…I’m sitting in my car at the CVS at Saratoga Pkwy/US 40. A vehicle parks next to me and it appears to be a grandmother and grand-daughter in the vehicle, I overhear their conversation and the grandmother is asking the grand-daughter to go in with her, the grand-daughter replies, no…I look like (paraphrased as the exact word escapes me at the moment)…I look bad. The grandmother gets out and a few seconds later, the grand-daughter gets out and goes in with the grandmother. This action gave me pause and a sense of pride in today’s youth. So when, they returned to their vehicle and I paused for a moment again and the urge to get out of my car and approach them was too overwhelming not to get out of my car. I cautiously approached and ask if I could ask a question. A slight pause and the grandmother is yes, I ask “are you related to one another?” They both responded “yes” grandmother/grand-daughter…I said that this probably seems weird but I am overjoyed at your actions of going in with your grandmother, it showed great respect and honor. I went on to say that a lot of kids grow up not knowing grandparents and that I was blessed to have not only known my grandparents but also my great-grandparents. Then I thanked them and walked away. It was as if I floated back to my car…it’s a ” God” thing and I am overjoyed! Planting seeds in God’s garden is everyone’s responsibility in the family of God! Thanks for reading this long story, May God Bless and Keep You!
~Charlotte

When you were a child, I loved you
And I you are my son, my daughter

The more I supported you and encouraged you, the further you wanted to be away from me, you chased after others while eagerly running away from me.

I was the one who taught you to walk and run, to be all that you could be, I held you in my arms, but you do not come to me even knowing I have healed your bumps and bruises, and that I fed you and encouraged you.

My heart aches within me
My love for you is warm and tender.

Now read Hosea 11:1-4, 8

Hosea 11:1-4, 8

When Israel was a child, I loved him,and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them,the further they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and they burned incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up in my arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with bands of human kindness, with cords of love.  I treated them like those who lift infants to their cheeks; I bent down to them and fed them. How can I give you up, Ephraim?  How can I hand you over, Israel?  How can I make you like Admah?  How can I treat you like Zeboiim?  My heart winces within me;my compassion grows warm and tender.