Tag Archives: wisdom

A Time to Refrain

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Many of us have lived for well over a year without hugs. Sure, there have been a few precious hugs on occasion…very cautious hugs at that, but definitely not what we were used to.

Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter three, summed it up succinctly:

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Happy Sunday.

Words to Live By

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There was a lot to take away from the January 20th inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. What stood out for me was one sentence of the seventy-eight-year-old president’s address: “And we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.” Profound.

Even more profound were these lines from twenty-two-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman’s poem, The Hill We Climb:

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another

“We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another”…

Words to live by. Happy Saturday.

A Touch of Profundity

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Covid-19 has offered up an immense window of opportunity for abundant reading for me. Yesterday, I picked up four books at the library and delved into the smallest one first, the title of which is Inner and Outer Peace by Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual teacher who dedicated his life in service to aspiring humanity.

“World peace can be achieved, revealed, offered and manifested on earth when in each person the power of love replaces the love of power.”

Profound?

And again…”One who knows others is wise; one who knows himself is wisest. One who conquers others is strong; one who conquers himself is strongest.” Tao Teh Ching

This book looks like a good, short read with more than a touch of profundity.

The Farmer’s Grace

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The story belonging to today’s title is laid out below. It came to me from a friend via email, and like most things that inspire me, I’d like to share…

THE FARMER’S GRACE

An out-of-town pastor had been invited to a men’s breakfast in the middle of a rural farming area, and found himself charmed by the company and atmosphere. Before they all dug into the hearty meal, the group’s leader asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace.

“Lord, I hate buttermilk,” the fellow began. The pastor opened an eye to glance at him, wondering where this might be going.

“Lord, I hate lard!” the farmer proclaimed. Now the pastor was growing concerned.

“And Lord, you know I don’t much care for raw flour,” he went on, without missing a beat.

The pastor once again opened an eye to peer around the room, and noticed many of the other men shifting in their seats uncomfortably.

“But Lord,” the farmer added, “when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love them warm fresh biscuits.

It works out not makes sense 3.jpg

“So Lord, when things come up that we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we don’t understand what you’re saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing and baking. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen.”

How about that for great, down-to-earth wisdom worth considering when it comes to complicated situations?

While we find ourselves in a mix-up of so many things we don’t understand, like the farmer, ‘really care for’, as we pray, trust and believe surely—as surely as God is God—something good will result.

Courtesy of The Anglican Parish of Haliburton.

Is an Owl Really Wise?

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One of my great-granddaughters loves owls so whenever I come across one of these wise old birds I take notice. But is an owl really that wise? It appears that he lags behind other birds, particularly ravens, in having the smarts, but the message today sounds wise to me. Happy Saturday.

Prayers for the People

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Dear God

Help us to overcome the obstacles that prevent us from enjoying a closer relationship with you.

Grant us the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon and the faith of Mary.

Help us to remember that the cross is the crux of our Christianity.

When we are unsure, help us to take the action we feel is right for the good of all and rely on Spirit to make any necessary adjustments along the way.

Grant us the courage and boldness to speak the truth of your word to our families and friends and may your Holy Spirit open their hearts and draw them to you. Thank You, Lord.'Praying Hands' by Albrecht Durer Painting Print on Wrapped Canvas

Happy Sunday.

 

 

 

Some Thoughts for a Tuesday

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Thinking is a valuable and fun pastime. Here are a few thoughts for today:

Every moment that we are aware of the gift of simply being, with or without activity, is well lived. Catherine Ingram

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Einstein

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. Plato

Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search of it when he has grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul. Epicurus

Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Epictetus

Other things to think about: things we cannot see…air, wind, nothing.

Empty space is not really empty, it is filled with air.

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

Food for Thought

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How many of us today are wondering what in the world is wrong with our world? Here is something that was shared on Facebook yesterday and could possibly be a clue to the answer to that very question.

Conformity is doing what everybody else is doing, regardless of what is right.

Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what everybody else is doing. 

These are not mere words to read and dismiss but real words to give us food for thought.

What will make the difference in the world is the wisdom to differentiate.

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Let the Porter Take Your Baggage

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While talking to a friend yesterday, we touched on the subject of the excess baggage many of us carry through life and how God is our heavenly porter. It prompted today’s post:

How many of us have journeyed through life carrying more baggage than we should?

Everything we need for life can be carried in a carry-on case…wisdom, love, caring, common sense, trust, forgiveness, compassion, helpfulness, and more.

But we are loaded down with bad memories, guilt, revenge, unforgiveness, self-centredness, and other things that weigh a ton and cause life to be a heavy burden rather than the learning experience it is meant to be.

Weights can be good for fitness and toning when used in moderation but when dragged through life in the form of overweight baggage, they can wear us down rather than build us up.

When life becomes overloaded with the weights that drag you down, do yourself a favor…let The Porter take your baggage.