Once upon a time...

Long ago and far away in the territory of Heaven lived the Angels. All Angels were strong, healthy, beautiful and very happy. Perfect in every way. Regularly their Master would communicate with them and tell them, "I AM the one who created you. I AM who loves you. I AM the one who provides everything you need for a perfectly happy life in Heaven." The Angels cheered and worshipped the Master. They felt exhilarating joy even at the sound of the words, "I AM all for you." The Angels were perfectly content, until...

In the middle of perfection one Angel asked the question, "How do we know the Master isn't keeping something from us? How do we know The Master is creator? Or withholding some pleasure? How do we know we're loved as much as possible? I would offer full disclosure if I was in charge."

Angels had never exercised their minds in questions about the Master before, but found they were free to think as they chose. After analyzing their situation and relationship with the Master, most Angels chose not to examine these questions any further but remain content in the Master's Heaven. But a few listened to the questions. Questions grew into doubt. Doubt grew into mistrust. Mistrust grew into unrest and rebellion.

The Master created a new planet called Earth and a new race - Humans. The peace and happiness of Heaven filled Earth also. Regularly the Master would visit the Humans to teach them about their origin and all the life around them. Lucifer, the leader of the rebellious Angels, jealous of the Master's ability to create, purposed to the Master, "I can offer a life of freedom to these brand new Humans. Let me have this planet to show everyone that there is more to life than what you offer." The Master considered Lucifer's proposal and allowed Lucifer limited access to the new Humans. So the Master communicated with the Humans and told them to stay away from one particular tree in their beautiful garden. Eating the fruit of that tree would cause death. The Humans were happy to comply until one day they found themselves near the tree, listening to a different voice, admiring the deadly fruit, and ultimately choosing to eat it.

In their next communication with the Master the consequence of their choice was presented. "You have chosen to separate yourselves from My Plan for your happiness. I AM life to you and you have chosen to deny that. Your course is set for death as you have chosen to be The Demonstration of dissention and rebellion. I AM now to you Everlasting Love. I AM now to you the Promise of Salvation. I AM now to you the Sacrificial Lamb who alone stands in the position to offer eternal life to those destined for eternal death. The choice is yours.

Ta Dah!!

Announcing a new baby girl!! Just fresh into the world. Praise God!!

The Innocent for the Guilty

Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation describe in symbol the throne room of The Creator. Today we commemorate this portion of the scene.

Then I looked and I heard, around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!"

Peace and Love.

The Shack

Last Christmas my sister sent a 2007 novel by William P. Young entitled, The Shack. Fabulous book. Here are a few statements that God makes in his conversations with the main character Mack.

"Creation has been taken down a very different path than we desired. In your world the value of the individual is constantly weighed against the survival of the system, whether political, economic, social, or religious--any system actually. First one person, and then a few, and finally even many are easily sacrificed for the good and ongoing existence of the system. In one form or another this lies behind every struggle for power, every prejudice, every war, and every abuse of relationship. The 'will to power and independence' has become so ubiquitous that it is now considered normal."

"You humans, so little in your our eyes. You are truly blind to your own place in the Creation. Having chosen the ravaged path of independence, you don't even comprehend that you are dragging the entire Creation along with you." "So very sad, but it won't be this way forever."

"Nobody knows what horrors I have saved the world from 'cuz people can't see what never happened. All evil flows from independence, and independence is your choice. If I were to simply revoke all the choices of independence, the world as you know it would cease to exist and love would have no meaning. This world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don't. If I take away the consequences of people's choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all."

"My purposes are always and only an expression of love. I purpose to work life out of death, to bring freedom out of brokenness and turn darkness into light. What you see is chaos, I see as a fractal. All things must unfold, even though it puts all those I love in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies--even the one closest to me." "Everything's about him, you know. One day you folk will understand what he gave up. There are just no words."

"You see broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them, but that will neither fill them nor free them. They are addicted to power, or the illusion of security that power offers. When a disaster happens, those same people will turn against the false powers they trusted. In their disappointment, they either become softened toward me or they become bolder in their independence. If you could only see how all of this ends and what we will achieve without the violation of one human will--then you would understand. One day you will."

Hope For Today

Let's say you are the president-elect trying to prepare yourself to lead the world's nations into a new era of responsible, thrifty, caring, sustainable global communities. Where would you find hope? Outside yourself is my first guess. Experts? Brilliant people? Remember the definition of insanity...continuing to do the same thing while expecting different results. Hmmmm....

Shiny yellow and brown leaves cover the ground. Downpour yesterday and sunshine today confirm that the trees in my little acre have lost 90% of their leaves. Earlier Dave cut up some smaller logs for our wood stove. Then football beckoned. As I stack the freshly cut wood, motorcycles rumble by, probably from the Harley shop a couple miles up the road. (One summer we counted 86 motorcycles in one group passing our house on the way to the Interstate.) I've had my share of muffler burns. Even now our old 1976 Honda 550 4-cylinder is in the shop getting road worthy. Two gas stations four miles away are having a price war. Today $2.07/gallon. Then I cleaned out several buckets we collected rain water in this past summer. We're still experimenting with that. This week Dave will "mow" the yard again - sucking up the leaves, shredding them with the blade then dropping back down. We'll get the garden bed ready for winter. Our little harvest is over. We're still considering a baby-sized green house. These are some of our efforts in transition for what we think lies ahead.

Yesterday I spent time with Janis and the girls. Many hugs and kisses; much talking - Grace explained how the heart (with her hand over her chest) is where love and happiness come from and I explained how the heart also keeps you alive; one book reading - Dora helped Troll be nice; a little eating - pumpkin pie for the first time (definitely with whipped cream); and some shopping. Violet chose a cardboard book about Baby Jesus and the story of His birth with a little yellow button that when you press it plays Silent Night. We were only half way home when Janis told Violet to "quit pressing the button" and Violet..."It started by itself." (The button was only an ON button, not an ON/OFF.) I'm sure she went to sleep that night with the book under her pillow and her finger on the button.

The girls have no idea how difficult life may become. They find love and happiness now in family and faith.

LESSON: The Creator who is Author of our life is Source of our hope.

NYTimes DOT EARTH blogger, Kevin C. Revkin writes

"The stick, perhaps the most versatile plaything in history, was chosen along with the baby doll and skateboard by the people at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

...so basic, so unmanufactured, can be a springboard for the imagination, a link to the nonhuman world, and a reason to get outdoors.

Reusable. Recyclable. Renewable."

HBD to Janis

In a tiny, rural, Wisconsin dairy town, population 200, in my in-laws rented farmhouse my husband and mom-in-law helped me deliver my second baby girl... a classic natural childbirth delivery. Janis came a couple weeks early so I already had a doctor's checkup scheduled for the next day. We kept the appointment. Shortly after I joined the pregnant moms in the waiting room with my one day old baby, my distraught OB came streaming into the room, spotted me, and with her shaky, clammy hands snatched the baby away! Apparently I was the next patient to be seen. The doctor did all the "right" stuff - birth certificate, silver nitrate, PKU, weigh in, and general check up. Janis was perfect.

Now thirty-five years later Janis has two girls of her own, both quite perfect. Happy Birthday to you.

CORNBREAD BIRTHDAY CAKE

1 1/4 c soymilk

1 tbs + 1 tsp white vinegar

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbs baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Grease an 8" square or round cake pan, or line with parchment paper. Combine soymilk and vinegar. Let stand while you mix the dry ingredients. When the oven reaches temperature, pour the soured soymilk into the dry ingredients. Mix quickly, and don't overmix. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the top will be golden and a toothpick inserted in center will come out clean. Let stand to cool before cutting.

Rest

"...I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lillies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

"So don't worry about these things saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Matthew 6:25-34

With Grace

My five year old granddaughter drew me a picture of the inside of her brain today. Believe it or not this is the second picture I have of the inside of a brain. The first one is an oil painting that my oldest daughter created while in rehab after a car accident which left her brain injured. Today she doesn't remember painting the picture, but I do...

The second one was a four color crayon drawing done in a restaurant on the back of a kid's coloring page. Earlier today while I was pushing her on a swing in her back yard, she asked me, "Nana, why does my body feel funny when I'm afraid?" We had a short discussion on how your brain thinks but because your brain is part of your body, it effects the rest of your body too. After a couple hours through all her activity, she was still mulling. Then she said, "Nana, don't look I'm making you a surprise." Oddly enough the shape and size of the drawing was similiar to a real brain. I asked her, "Which place is the fear?" She pointed to the black area about the size of the hypothalamus. "What are the other areas?" The little thalamus-sized green area was for "what I'm going to do". There were two larger hemispheric-sized areas. The red one was "where ideas come from" and the purple one (her favorite color) was "where I decide what to draw".

Meet Grace....