Month: March 2022

It begins with rudeness, criticism, labeling, and disrespect, and it grows into meanness because it is unchecked. It is the kind of behavior where we speak exactly whatever we are thinking without checking our conscience at the door. It is behavior that clearly shows our disrespect and it hurts. What can we do to stop behavior that hurts for it does hurt? We can speak up. We can say, "that hurts." We can ask the speaker to check his or her words. Last evening, a friend made several disparaging remarks and quoted me some "facts" about the compentency of the President of the United States, whom he calls, "your president." What? not our President? I said, "that is not polite!" To me, as I said it, my answer sounds weak… What is polite? It is having the "good manners" to show respect… That seems to be gone from our culture that has turned to distinct labeling, saying, "you are a "XXX" and I am not, therefore, because I think "XXX" is crap, I can be rude." We hurt those who disagree with us, and the most I can come up with is "that is not polite"?

I cringe at the words because I’m not made up to criticize , in public, anyway. Oh I’ve had some awful thoughts, but it’s between me and my conscience, and I apologize a lot to God because the Bible tells me that God loves his creation and I’m sitting here saying, "OH God how can you love "X" person?"

So I pray and tell my friends, we have a vote every 4 years. I remind my friends "We the people" wrote the original words. And that includes me. I take on the responsibility for the sins we have committed and for the glories we have accomplished because I am an American. We the people wrote the words and fought for the freedoms we have that are backed by old fashioned values. Over the years, "We the people" have done some awful things, like slavery and assassinations; neglect of the poor, abortion, and I take that on as mine too because I am an American. Yes we did that, now let’s clean up our act. Pull together, Quote Peace. Quote Love. How many people believe in God and that God loves them? "He lifts infants to his cheeks and bends down to feed them" (Hosea 11.4). He has our name written on his hands (Isaiah 49:16)… He is so close… I hope a lot and I hope that people like me realize what is it like for God to love our hearts and our lips when ugliness pours out of our hearts and lips? Is it acceptable to insult and injure? Does God like to be near my lips and heart when insult and injury reside there? I apologize to my Lord for the words and thoughts that pour out of our minds, lips, and hearts. While the Lord’s lips are on my cheeks am I offering him clean lips and clean heart? God bless us.

Listen my dears! If you want to feel, I mean really FEEL, for 2 hours and then… feel really good… watch a new film called "Rescued by Ruby." It’s on Netflix. Made for 2022. I don’t have Netflix, but I watched it at my niece’s with her sweet husband Fred and her 2 rescue dogs, Finn and Zeke. What a heart-filled film!

I spent about 10 days with my sister Sarah, niece Jennie and her husband Fred, and 2 dogs, Finn and Zeke. What fun we had. I started painting on canvas again, and I felt "on vacation" and free. It’s the "I don’t have to make my bed if I don’t want to" kind of feeling we get when we stay in a hotel! Sarah and I sat outside every afternoon and shared memories of our lives… When the 2020 election was at its height I asked my sister her political leanings. In 2019, I am sure many of us were questioning who we would vote for. Sarah asked me who I would rather listen to and see if a big tragic event took place. Would I want to see bluster and ranting? or would I be comforted by a fatherly figure assuring me there are plans in place to protect us; that we have a fine military force trained and in place to protect us. I felt as I watched President Biden speak to the troops, that an astute fatherly figure is taking care of me.

President Biden spoke to the American troops in Poland on Friday March 25. The troops, "82nd Airborne" are serving the US in the NATO force. President Biden told the gathered men and women that they are (paraphrase): "The finest fighting force in the history of the world. This generation will make a difference between Democracy and our democratic values and Autocracy and their totalitarian ways. We are at a crossroads! We have a sacred obligation to equipping those we send to war and taking care of their families." … The world is looking to the United Staes for Peace. I say "the world" and maybe it is "the Western World" who looks to the US for peace. We didn’t do too well in Afganistan… or VietNam… or Iraq. We can’t change everyone, but we can make a difference for those for whom English is their second language and many of them have relatives in the United States. In the church we are dedicating Russia and the Ukraine to our Blessed Mother, Mary. We ask Mary to pray for the fighting forces and for peace. Ukraine is claiming they have knocked Russians back, but Russia is claiming they have bombed fuel and ammunition caches. Each side is fighting: Ukraine fighting for their lives, and Russia fighting for a border on the water. Russia is landlocked except for the frozen reaches of the North sea… Let us hope Ukraine can hold on to their border on the Black Sea. Lord, Let the Russian soldiers lay down their weapons and "see" "this is an unjust conflict." God bless us.

Happy Sunday morning dear gentle readers!!!  Today we make a lot of prayer about our European friends: My prayer is not for death… but it is for knocking a bad guy off his horse… I think as soon as the world kicks Putin’s butt out of Ukraine,  Ukraine will need all kinds of experts in rebuilding! It is an opportunity for out of work Americans to volunteer to rebuild.  So I’m waiting for the news that Putin’s butt got kicked!!!  I hope God thinks that is a good prayer! St Michael knock him off his high horse and into a pit of mud.  OOOOO Putin, all muddy and stuck.

Today CBS Sunday morning celebrated comedy (Sandra Bullock) and music. Oh what fun both can be. The music made my soul soar. I wish I could sit at the piano and make trills and pounding crescendos!!! If you play a musical instrument, go and play! or make cookies! Enjoy a beautiful musical day and pray for Ukraine and our sick friends who need comfort and courage. Amen.  Have a sunny Sunday!!!!

Hello dear listeners. I can’t find a Biblical or Poetic quote for "Words lie heavy on my heart," but I didn’t make up the phrase either. My mind is full of desire to speak out to Putin… but what can I say? What can we say? "Stop it you big bully. Or…." "Or what?" he snears as he turns on me with dead eyes… Yesterday we pondered "What can we do?" I have wondered that for a few years as I wish I could make a difference and stop the "talk and name calling" that our country has descended into. I am called various names that I find offensive as I don’t call myself anything except, "Child of God." But others want to label. Others say, "You are Woke, Karen," (Whatever that means!)… or "You are liberal." Again, whatever that means. Today I am awake, thank God after a long night of talking to myself and making up stories in my head. I try not to do that, using phrases a sleep therapist once said, "This isn’t happening NOW!… Go to sleep!" But the story telling in my mind all just continues. We are supposed to get up and read or write when this happens, and my sister Sarah said, "Didn’t you pray?" Unfortunately I did not… I did however make up some plans I would like to send to our President for how to stop the war in Ukraine… Again, Sarah tells me, "I don’t make plans for others." Oh dear, what’s a fellow to do?

Yesterday and today in Mass, the readings were very clear: A rich man whom the Lord punished for his selfishness wants a drop of water from a man he ignored. "Just a drop." "No," says Abraham. "God sent the prophets to give you water, and you rejected it. You did not help anyone when you were alive; you rejected the laws of the prophets." We sputter, "But, we miss seeing the poor and the suffering; we are too busy ‘getting and spending.’ We have agendas, things to do, rules of politics." Whatever… (see Jeremiah 17 and Luke 16). "But they are not the rules and things of God." says Jesus. A lot of people don’t believe in the future because we can’t see (beyond our noses.) Today we read the story of Joseph thrown into a dry well and then sold down into slavery into Egypt by his brothers. "That’s a terrible story," my sister says. "Yes it is an awful story," I ruminate. It’s exactly what man has done since Cain and Abel. Wow we are a loathsome bunch. How does a human being dare to enslave and mutilate other human beings? And believe me, we mutilate with knives and our tongues both equally. Every day we listen to the Good News (Gospel) say, "love one another; pray for your enemies."… about Joseph, "You (Joseph’s brothers) meant your actions for evil, but God turned it into Good. You reject the cornerstone, but God turns it into good." Look out and up! The blue sky, maybe no flower buds yet! but the promise of flower buds, and Thank God!

My step father Jack Harlan used to ask this question when we girls, daughters of Jack’s beloved second wife Grace, would ask…. "Jack, what do you think…?" He was so concerned about not hurting our feelings and not stepping on any toes. We are three sisters of great difference, all carrying our differences and our hurts and joys on our shirt sleeves. We would go to Jack for guidance, and he would look to Mom as if to say, "I don’t want to get into any trouble here!" It’s almost laughable, how cute that was….

In a much more serious way, our world is watching an awful, serious destruction of the cities of an independent country who declared their freedom in 1991 from the communist Supreme Soviet. "You go brothers." Ukraine has been invaded (2014) and lands taken by Russia. Now again, bombings create great holes where cities and hospitals used to be. We watch pregnant women holding their bellies with tears running down mud covered faces, and we hear about a mother and child dead after doctors try to save them in a torn up hospital. What are we to do? Rush in there and start a battle we can’t back down from or possibly finish except at great expense between giants with nuclear weapons? There are actually world laws against us fighting in Ukraine. What are we to do? The hornet’s nest has been hit by the little boys and the hornets are circling and their buzzing is like yelling. Other countries seem to have caught the negative energy as India and Pakistan, China and Taiwan bicker and make noises with nuclear weapons… Next we will hear of more ugliness and destruction in Africa. Our own country is divided and infighting about … well you know. Never has a Presidential election been debated for over a year and 1/2 after election day; never has the past president created such animosity against the current leader; never has a country been so split… well yes it has and that ended (or it didn’t end) in a bloody civil war. My dears. What’s a fella to do?

What is all this except frail ephemeral life in a world that is only meant to be ours for a few years before we go to the permanance and beauty of heaven. Do some research on heaven in Scripture. Pull the book off the shelf and do a litte reading in the New Testament. Read the words of Jesus. Pray we change our hearts. God bless us.