Scatter the flowers

  "The world needs strong women.  Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved.  Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will." ~unknown "I'm tired and I don't care anymore".  Whaaaat? Those words have never come out of my mouth or floated in my head.  Not as an exhausted mom of 3 young kids; not as an 8th grade math teacher who just can't take it anymore in October, February and May; not as a small business owner attempting to get bookkeeping records to my accountant, every year at this time.  Never.   These words may have been offered up by me (and I'm guessing some of you) as a gesture of just plain giving up, surrendering all care, and admitting defeat in whatever the battle is.  Because I was just too darn exhausted.  Not exactly "indomitable will". Not the best battle tactic.  But how do we fight fatigue and our weak lackadaisical responses? Here we are in Women's History Month ...

  "We must warn the nations of the world that they must repent and turn to God while there is yet time." ~Billy Graham As a mom of three kids, I remember the challenge of chores, mealtime, then later homework.  My son gave me little resistance because he just wanted to get everything done so he could go out and play.  He used to say he didn't want to get older because he would have to work and couldn't play.  He knew how good kids have it.  Adulting - sometimes it's hard. Then, in a fleeting moment, all my kids were adults.   And "adult" things happened-major ones like the Columbine tragedy, Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, the Covid pandemic.    And more recently, wars, rumors of wars, more natural disasters, more killings.  This week we said 'no more' to a heinous, cruel, anti-Christ, anti-American and anti-Israel regime.  There is the possibility they may strike back.  How do we process it all? When things happening on the other...

  "Anything or nothing is sufficient to attract his attention." ~ Screwtape, the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis I watched about 15 minutes of Olympic curling this morning and left more  confused than ever as to how that "sport" is actually played. I don't get it.   Did you know the average Olympian has trained 2-4 hours a day in their sport, many from an average age of about 11?  The dedication and focus they show is to be applauded, sometimes only to end in disappointment and defeat.   Once in 6th grade I ran a mile and thought my chest was literally going to explode.  I took that as a sign to never repeat that task, ever.   The only thing since then I've done for 2 hours a day is eat.  But I guess I can't forget the hours I daily spent disciplining 8th graders.  Where's my gold medal? Here's some fun facts about the Olympics: 1- They took place originally over 6 months 2- Women couldn't always compete (shocking) 3- They we...

  "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."  ~English Proverb The other day I listened to Anne Hathaway's version of " I Dreamed a Dream " from Les Miserables that is just gut-wrenching.  She sings it while she's sobbing - true talent.  You should click it on while you're reading this blog - I'm not crying, you're crying.  She was so mistreated and misunderstood and it devastated her - soul, spirit and life.   People. Are. So. Mean. I am appalled at the meanness on social media and in conversations- every few days it is another event that divides.  It's like people are just waiting to attack the next thing.  And the avenue of social media just lays out the red carpet for people to point fingers, lash back, and hide behind a thin veil of "no consequences".  While we build our hierarchy of sin, upon which "they" are at the top of the heap, what if we imagined being in a room with them - one to one.  And t...

  "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love." ~St. Francis of Assisi Today is Friday.  It's going to be a doozie.  In America it's National Escape Day, National Shut Down Day, and a day globally set aside to promote peace and non-violence in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948.   Escape from what?  Shut down why?  Neither of those seems to promote peace and non-violence.  How are we to think and act?  I think it should be Opposite Day - a day Christians set aside to do opposite the world- "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." Rom 12:2   The world slings at us movements and ideologies that suggest we need to presume a position and jump on a side.  Because of the online onslaught of people's opinions we are giv...

  I'm not sure who will have their life changed today by this news, but they have taken the harmful red dyes and artificial flavors out of Flaming Hot Cheetos.  They are called NKD Cheetos.  I'm sure it was a mistake that they were not placed on the new food pyramid now, because it must mean what is left in them is good for us.  What a time to be alive! Don't we wish the harmful and fake could be taken out of everything?  Could we just deal with the beneficial and authentic in this world?  No "likes" that supposedly measure our influence or worth, or AI that generates fake news stories or homework assignments.   Things are not always as they appear.  Clouds can keep us from seeing the sun shining, and things look dismal and we doubt God knows what's going on down here.   Though all this can, if we let it, ambush our confidence and security in our daily life, it actually is a great time to be alive.  While our world is changin...