Front porch morning

It's a cool morning in the Ozarks of SWMO, a brisk 57 (14C) at wake-up. The front porch faces to the NNW and is a little cooler than the back deck. I just felt like a little change would be good. 
I thought about a coffee at a coffee shop this morning -- because I haven't done that for a couple of weeks and I do have some errands to run, but decided that home coffee and quiet time was the way to go today. The movie to the front of the house is enough change for me. 

I've been doing some fall work in the flower beds to prep them for winter and the coming spring. I have let them get away from me in the last couple of months and they need quite a bit of work. I may need to put in more than my 2-3 hours on days when I'm working and I may need to actually do something every day for a little while. There are some things that need to be done sooner rather than later -- like planting bulbs and tubers and separating or thinning some plants. Other things can wait -- like mulching and general clean up, maintenance, and seed harvesting.
Unfortunately, they often overlap and the later stuff needs to be done so that I can get to the stuff that needs to be done now. I am privileged to have the time and fortunate that nothing is truly imperative. I will still have plenty of time to sit and write, read, enjoy an afternoon cigar, and just live out the life of a retired guy. 

I am often amused at how excited I get over some of the simple things about gardening. Thinning the irises and replanting the abundance of tubers in a different location is pretty cool. I can't wait to see them growing in their new location next spring.
Also, digging up the gladiolus bulbs to separate and replant gives me more than twice as many for next year as I had this year.
It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

In some ways, I look at flower gardening as my kindness to the world -- well, at least in my small corner of the world. My flowers provide food for the birds and pollinators, and beauty for the neighbors that drive past our yard. The work keeps me busy and away from people that might be offended by my sarcasm and insensitive wit. It's pretty much a win for everybody.

It may not be a good thing when you consider it a kindness to stay away from people.

John

Monday (It is Monday, right?)

It's a little weird how often I have to check to see what day it actually is before I hit publish for a Monday Meditation, Wednesday Wisdom, or Thursday Theology post. I still haven't decided if not knowing what day it is is a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe not needing to know is the good thing; actually not knowing is neither good nor bad most of the time.

Mostly, mornings are just mornings. 
The sun is shining on my face as I squint to make out the words I am typing on my Chromebook. My coffee is good and the noise from the highway seems unusually loud today. And I think the hummingbirds are gone. I only saw one yesterday, none yet this morning. 
I will see you soon, my little avian friends -- PV in a month!

I'll keep better track of days when winter gets here and I have the regular responsibility of working at the shelter again. There are shelters for women only and men only. A few allow couples or singles of either gender. I believe that the shelter where I work is the only all inclusive shelter and it is the only one that takes pets. All of the shelters have a great need for volunteers. Without volunteers, we cannot open. 

In Springfield MO the crisis cold weather shelter season is from November 1st until the end of March. During that time, dinners are centralized to a single location where shelter sign up takes place. Transportation to the shelters is provided by City Utilities via the Springfield bus system. Since buses do not transport pets, our shelter needs volunteers to transport pets (crates can be provided). Morning buses pick up guests to transport them to a central breakfast place. 

In addition, our shelter needs people to set up cots, prepare the kitchen area and serve drinks and snacks, stay overnight, open the kitchen for coffee, hot cocoa, and oatmeal in the morning, morning pet transportation, store cots (when necessary), clean up, and laundry drop off and delivery.

All-in-all, our facility alone uses 15 volunteers every night that we are open!
Some tasks take less than an hour and have no actual contact with our unsheltered friends. Other tasks are for two or three hours and a couple are for a 12 hour overnight shift. The overnight shifts can accommodate a four or five hour sleep time if needed.
If you are interested in volunteering this winter or are a part of a church or organization that can provide shelter or a steady stream of volunteers -- please let me know. We would gladly have somebody come talk to your group about serving our community with us.

When we reach the point of collecting donations for our shelter pantry and closet I will share that info and links in a future post.

Be well, my friends.
And find a way to serve your neighbors.

John

Friday Fun Facts

Some of the unexpected spoils from WWI

Did you know ...
(click it to big it)

and...

One final one today

Have a great weekend!

John

Following Jesus

In the bible, Paul tells the church in Corinth that they can just follow him since he is following the Christ (Jesus). I can see where that makes some sense back in the day. The Corinthian church didn't have the bible to teach them what Jesus taught, only the few people that taught what Jesus had proclaimed.
That's not the case today.
If you want to follow Jesus, you don't have to (and probably shouldn't) follow a person that claims to be following Jesus. In bible-speak we would call that idolatry. 

I mention this today because I see a lot of that type of idolatry within the church in the US these days. Honestly, it's always been there. 
Pastors know that oftentimes they are idolized by their congregations and do little to discourage it. Perhaps they secretly enjoy that kind of admiration.

Back when I was doing pulpit supply (filling in for pastors) I would often find myself preaching at churches where only a few people knew that the pastor would be gone. Pastors figured that if they weren't going to be there, the people would also take the week off from church. Perhaps the great tragedy from that is that if the people don't show up, neither does their money.

I get it. 
We get used to how a particular person teaches and preaches and that is what we want to hear. But we need to ask ourselves -- Are we going to church to worship God or for some other reason like worshiping the pastor or being with certain people? 
In my own mind, those alternative reasons are okay as long as we are honest about it. I don't think The Venues calls their Sunday morning gathering a worship service, maybe just a service -- probably some kind of church-y language to let non-Venues people know this is when they meet. When I do actually attend on Sundays (which isn't very often), I can honestly say it doesn't feel like I've been to church -- at least not in the way that going to church once felt like. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I am sure that it works for a lot of people -- especially for people that have been hurt by churches and church people.

My following Jesus today looks much different than it did when I was trying to convince others to follow Jesus. Today I follow Jesus because I believe it is a better way to live rather than a better way to die. I see being a Christian as embracing the Christ-spirit within me, within others, and within the world around me on a moment by moment basis rather than waiting to die to be in His presence.
I don't go to church to sense the presence of God.
I sit here on my deck, surrounded by plants, looking out at the field and the trees beyond it.
I breathe deeply.
I hear the nearby bluebirds and sparrows, and the distant crows.
And I sense the presence of the Creator.
This is my church.
This is where I connect with God.
From here, I follow Jesus and his teachings.

I know it is not a theologically sound way of Christianity, but I'm only sharing it as my own. There isn't enough room on my deck for very many others so you will need to find your own way to connect to God. And if you are interested in learning what Jesus taught, I'd recommend starting with the beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount. You can find them here.

John

You, be you.

I think we are too often stressing ourselves out by trying to be the person others expect us to be.
On the other hand, we often expect other people to be a certain way to live up to our expectations.

If you are kind to people because they are kind to you -- that's not kindness. That's business.
Maybe we should feel free to be the person we are without letting other people make the determination for us.
You can be kind to people that are not nice people. 
You can be generous to people that can't pay you back.
You can be respectful to people that might not be respectful themselves.
You only get to determine who you are.
You do not get to determine who they are.

You might want to read those last two lines again.
Here's a suitable meme for that...

And because recent events in the US have been focused around free speech, I thought I'd include a bonus gem. You get to have your opinions and free speech, but others get to freely disagree, laugh at you, and mock you if they are ridiculous.

Be you
but be careful.

John

A Final Summer Meditation

Shortly after 1PM CDT the earth will reach that spot in its annual orbit around the sun that marks the astronomical beginning of fall -- the autumnal equinox.
I guess it is time to break out the flannel shirts, hoodies, and long pants. Fall is here.
The fog is thick this morning and I am a little disappointed that the summer sun didn't make an appearance to say goodbye, but everything goes spinning along as planned. 

This morning I am wondering if the dense fog and not being able to see the field and the trees will help or hinder my meditation. I often begin with eyes open and both seeing and feeling the energy of nature. It is easy to say that the fog makes it so there is nothing to see. 
But what about the fog?

Being in the present this morning means embracing the fog -- seeing it as something other than a damp, oppressive grey thing that overwhelms the morning. This morning's fog is an appropriate beginning to the new season. It is a remnant of last night's rains and it cools the day as it guards against the quick evaporation of the needed moisture of summer's final rain shower. 
I don't know if the fog amplifies the backgrounds sounds or if I am just more aware of them because hearing is the best sense to interpret the world this morning. Background sounds from the nearby highway and even the jet that flew far overhead seem louder today. 
I am aware of the coolness the fog brings to the air as I feel it on my skin and as I breathe it in. 

I typically think of fog being oppressive, but it doesn't feel that way this morning. This morning's fog brings no sense of good nor bad. It isn't depressing nor is it encouraging. It simply exists. Maybe seeing the fog this way is a good lesson in viewing other things that tend to obscure the priorities of life -- identify them for what they are, understand that we are the ones that determine if they are good or bad, helpful or harmful, and allow them to just exist.

Hey, that's not bad for an unplanned meditative learning.

I hope you find peace in your day.

John

"Who loves ya, baby?" -- Kojak

I know.
I'm old.
Many readers have never heard of Kojak or the actor Telly Savalas that played the NYPD detective that sucked on lollipops and and always used the line -- "Who loves ya, baby?"

I started by thinking about -- Whom do you love? and How do you show it?
I could ask -- Whom do you hate? -- but people would just lie about that. 
So how about this -- Who loves you, baby? 
And how do you know it? What do they do to demonstrate their love for you?

I ask these questions because it seems that so much of what people say these days doesn't match up with what they do. Christians often use the line -- Love the sinner, hate the sin -- but they don't really love the sinner. They exclude people with certain sins from their fellowship. They vote for politicians that actively oppress those sinners. Their actions tell their truths while their words are just lies that they justify with some bullshit made-up religious garbage.

There is no hate like Christian love.

Is it really fair to say you are not a racist when you support, follow or defend someone that is?
Can you really say that you love a queer person when you support legislators and legislation that actively oppresses them and may even make life less safe for them?
If someone is working against your best interests, would you think that person loves you?

Honestly, today's John doesn't even care if you claim to be a Christian or not. I would stand with, work with and defend a hundred persons of different faiths or of no faith or atheists that actually care about and love their fellow humans rather than stand with the hypocrites that claim to love in the name of Jesus but do nothing to prove their words true.

If people knew you, if they watched you and you couldn't tell them anything -- would they feel like you love them?

It is a struggle for me to spend a lot of time with people. I am learning to see good in people and that isn't really the issue. I think that oftentimes it is more about whether or not they will see the good in me or will Ugly John make an unscheduled appearance and destroy what I have built on the ashes of that old, judgmental creed that I have set aside.

The funny thing about growing past your past is that it is always back there lurking and waiting to drag you back -- even if only for a moment. I suppose it is a good reminder that I was there and that I need to have grace for those that still are, and hope that they will evolve or grow, as well.
I believe that as I have become more contemplative I have also become more caring and more loving. I am grateful for the privilege to have the time and means to be contemplative and meditative. God knows (and so do most people that know me) that I have a long way to go. 

Figuring out who loves me is way easier than demonstrating love towards others.
I'm going to go ahead and post this now, on Saturday night. Tomorrow is National Back to Church Day and while many churches have been busy inviting people and will be hoping to welcome large numbers of people back to church -- The Venues isn't doing church tomorrow. We will be being the church. 

No church service tomorrow, just community service. We will gather together early at The Venues and then disperse throughout the city and take care of different needs in our community. Then we will meet back at The Venues around lunchtime and we will have a party. 
Serving the community and having fun.
James, the brother of Jesus said something about showing our faith by what we do. I think it also works if you take out faith and put in love.

John

Spiritual Warfare

I need some help in understanding this concept of spiritual warfare.

First of all -- Is this a battle between spirits, for spirits, or by spirits?
And secondly -- How has this spiritual battle often turned into actual physical violence between human beings?

It seems a bit sci-fi-ish to talk about a battle between the spirit realm and the physical realm, but that is the image that I always come up with when confronted with the topic of spiritual warfare. 
Do we physical beings sit this one out while waiting for our souls to be divided or won by powerful, eternal beings (angels and demons) of the spiritual realm?

Or are human beings active participants in this battle, winning and losing souls for our side?
How do we do that? 
Doesn't killing the infidels put them permanently on the other side?

From a simple human perspective I am having a really difficult time reconciling that we must do battle for the powerful spirit forces that are engaged in some epic battle for control of the earth and all of its resources (both people and riches).
It sounds an awful lot like our own wars -- rich and powerful people using the lower classes to do battle so that they have more stuff and control more people.

Could it be that spiritual warfare is as much bullshit as actual warfare?
Could it be that the idea of this great spiritual battle is just another lie told by religious leaders to bring followers under control?
Why would a god of any realm need to use mere humans to do battle?
Or are we just collateral damage; a resource to be won or lost in their epic battle?

Or maybe we are just a vile and violent people that will use anyone and any means to take from others.
What if there is no spiritual war?
What if there is no battle for the souls of humanity?
What if the battle for religious control is just a fight for control?
What if we are mere pawns in a chess game of powerful people?

Can we decide not to participate?
Can we decide not to hate?
Can we decide that violence isn't the way?
Can we decide that we don't need to be in control of other people, or nations, or religions?

I hope you didn't come here today seeking answers.
All I have are questions.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

If you know me at all, you already know that I don't talk to too many people. I don't even interact much on social media forums. I've gotten much better at reading and not commenting about what somebody else has posted. I still often type out a response or comment and then delete it before posting it, but I have mostly just scrolled on. 
Also, I rarely feel compelled to read all of the comments left on others' posts.

Having said that -- people seem to have a great need to comment, condemn, or criticize other people's feelings about Charlie Kirk and all that surrounds his past and his murder. There have been a lot of hateful and hurtful things said about people that loved him as well as by people that loved him.

As is usually the case with internet arguments -- nobody is going to change anybody's mind and we just end up angry and frustrated with one another. My thoughts on this are going to be -- If you feel the need to share your feelings on this -- do so, but allow others to do the same. And just as you don't want to hear their criticism of your stance, you should allow them to have their opinions without your negative comments.
Just scroll on.

People are going to have widely varying thoughts on what they find to be important. There will be those that find someone to be important and influential while others find the same person to be insignificant and irrelevant. So what?
There are some people that are deeply moved and motivated by their religious beliefs and others that feel that any religious beliefs are just foolish scams. And still others would go to war to make others know that their god is God. 

If you want the freedom to share your thoughts, beliefs, or even just your uninformed opinions without fear or favor then you have to be willing to allow others to do the same. 
Just scroll on.

For what it's worth -- I think Kirk was a master at his manipulative craft and not a nice person at all. I think he clothed his hate speech in religion and civility and was a modern day Pied Piper that lured unsuspecting people to very dark places. Kirk capitalized (made money off of) on the fear and hate and even on the religious beliefs of others. Even today, his organization continues to make money by showing his funeral and declaring that the fight must go on. 
As I've said in the past -- Hate sells.

I've disengaged a bit from social media recently. Honestly, I've even grown weary of people that share many of my beliefs but feel like they need to fight or argue or post mean things about people that see things from other perspectives.
Just scroll on.

That's my offering for this week's Wednesday Wisdom post -- 
Just scroll on.

And if you don't like it, well ...
Just scroll on.

John

Milestones and What Really Matters

Yesterday I reached a milestone here on Out of My Hat -- 1 million views!
I'm not too overly excited about it because I know that a large percentage are bot hits that have keyed on keywords or topics -- like Charlie Kirk or politics.
I've already had twice as many hits this month as I had for all of last month.

I suppose I could post more political or controversial content and keep a steady stream of high hit days. Then I could monetize my blog and allow ads to supplement my retirement. I could start adding video and make Out of My Hat more of a vlog or blog/vlog combo. 
To be honest, I have considered doing the advertising thing once or twice over the past almost 20 years, but didn't want the added pressure to write or to choose more controversial topics. I prefer to keep it a place for me to just write and share thoughts. I've had a few angry responses over the years, even got called in to the church office over a post that somebody didn't like -- and I wasn't even on staff or holding any kind of church position!

I don't mind writing controversial stuff and I don't really care if everybody agrees with me or not. Having said that, I would rather have people feel good about reading Out of My Hat and come back often for that feeling or maybe to learn something than to be angry or come back to reinforce their own prejudice and bias.

If we have learned anything from either the mainstream media or from social media (or politics) it is that causing division and spreading hatred sells way more than sharing good news and spreading kindness and love. It also appears to be way easier to get people to hate the people you hate than to love the people you love.  
Why is that?
Is it so important for us to feel more important, more powerful, or just better than somebody else?
Are we that insecure with ourselves and who we are that we need to tear other people down?
Why are we so willing to use technology to effectively spread hatred to build our tribes than to use love to enhance our communities?

I understand that it is a part of our natural instinct to be distrustful of things and people that we don't understand. But we can overcome those ancient survival skills and be better. Humanity should be better. We don't need to remain in our small competing tribes and factions. We can learn from one another and be better together. 
Violence is the least educated or least intellectual way to address our differences. It is the way of tyrants and bullies. We are better than that.

I have a few people-ing events this week -- dinner with a small group of friends tomorrow, barchurch on Thursday, and an afternoon of cigars, conversation and a sip or two of bourbon with a friend on Friday. I'll use Saturday as a recharging day and then Sunday is our church community service day followed by a celebratory party. 

Community is hard for me.
I think I'd be better as a hermit.

John

Monday Meditation: Finding Peace

It's been a crazy week.
Perhaps the craziest part of it is that much of life goes on as if nothing unusual nor violent happened last week. 

I know that for those that experienced the violence of last week, life will never be the same. They didn't watch baseball games, or football, or championship fights this past weekend. There was no tailgating and there were no big watch parties.
They were grieving and recovering from the personal trauma of experienced violence. They are dealing with the firsthand knowledge that our world is not a safe place. 

The internet has made it so that one cannot even express one's own thoughts without being scrutinized and criticized for what is said. Simple truths like -- "If you want people to say kind things when you pass, you should say kind things when you're alive," have been mocked for being insensitive. 
People are either heartless for not really caring or militant against those that don't care. 
It's a weird space when people can't say what they feel about a guy that supposedly championed free speech.

It is also difficult to find peace if you remain in the same media that brings about your distress. I don't think you will find peace on the internet or specifically on social media platforms. You may have a small group of friends that are a calming presence, but I generally find that time alone is the best way to find peace. 
Quiet time with nature is my favorite place to find restorative peace. 
Honestly, the peace is already within me. Sometimes I just need the quietness or the sounds of nature to help me find it. 

I woke up early this morning -- around 5:00. I didn't fall back asleep, but just listened to the night sounds. The birds weren't even up yet, and most of the night bug sounds as long since quieted down. Mostly I listened to the hooting of a Great Horned Owl that reigns over this territory throughout the nighttime hours.
I spent more than an hour just listening and enjoying the peacefulness of the early morning before getting up and making my coffee.

I hope that you have a place of peace where you can rest and be restored.

John

Happy Monday morning!

The Struggle is Real

The violence in the USA is out of control and I am struggling with my own response to the events of the violent attacks that took place yesterday -- the school shooting in Colorado where two students were injured and the shooter took his own life, and the murder of political activist, Charlie Kirk.

One of the things that I am struggling with is that I don't think Mr. Kirk would expect us to do anything in response to the events but to carry on with our lives. He, himself, would have no empathy for the victims of violence, nor for their families, and would consider the victims, including himself, collateral damage and the price we pay to have our guns.
While these things seem ridiculous, I fear that he was not alone in his assessment of gun violence and many people feel the same way. Perhaps that is why we continue to have violent events -- Every. F***ing. Day.

Perhaps my greatest struggle is that I fear I am becoming someone that I don't want to be, someone that I despise. It is easy to say Mr. Kirk was a victim of his own making -- that he stoked the political fires and put on the target. It is easy to say that karma is a bitch and he reaped what was sown in his own statements.
But that is not who I want to be. 

I want to feel compassion for the students that were shot and for the students that go to school in fear. 
I want to express condolences to the kids that lost a father, to the woman that lost her husband, and also to the ones that loved the shooter that died.
I want to believe that there is never an acceptable time for political violence in a country where violence is becoming the only language that gets heard. 

Have I become numb to the daily violence because it happens so often?
...or is it because it just hasn't affected me?
Have I become a person that just doesn't care?
...that lacks empathy?
...that sees violence as a way of life in the US?
...that sees hatred as a part of who we (I) have become?

Our culture tends to believe that violence is the only effective response to anger (even righteous anger). We tend to react quickly and violently to things that anger us. We yell. We strike back. We aim to hurt or destroy.
Other cultures and traditions teach us to acknowledge our anger, to embrace it and understand why we are angry, and then to use it to direct us towards an acceptable solution. 

How are you dealing with your feelings today?
Are you struggling?
You are not alone.

John

Sleep, health, and random stuff

I seem to be getting back to my 6 hour per night sleep pattern. I'm sure if I went back to bed at my natural wake up time I could easily get another full 90 minute cycle, but I've been getting up and making coffee to get the day started. I will admit to taking a brief nap at some point in the late afternoon or evening. 
It works.

I feel fortunate to be a good sleeper when I know that many people have a difficult time sleeping well. I think that a good night's sleep is a vital part of good health. Admittedly, I haven't always thought that way. Typically, I go to bed between midnight and 1 am, and get up between 6 and 7 or whenever I've finished sleeping for the night. I tend to fall asleep quickly and also wake up easily. 
People have asked if I am more of a morning person or night person. I am usually just awake and have no real preference. 
I started getting a little bit of exercise recently(walking or exercise cycle), and have noticed that I sleep more soundly on days that I have exercised, even if the exercise is earlier in the day.

I had my annual physical yesterday and it turns out that I am pretty healthy for a fat guy. The Doc reminded me that there are no real health benefits from smoking cigars and drinking alcohol (even in moderation), and there can definitely be negative consequences.
I have cut back on both, but will probably continue to indulge in the occasional sip and smoke afternoons on the deck that seem to soothe my soul.  
He did not suggest cutting out my daily coffee, but did suggest being aware of my caffeine intake and how it can affect blood pressure, anxiety, sleep, and other aspects of health.

In a strange juxtaposition, retirement has found me being more attentive to my mental and spiritual well being and less concerned with my physical care. I think our Western culture is more the opposite way. I need to find a better balance.
It is interesting that we have doctors to care for our physical well being, but tend to shun the practices and practitioners of mental care that many other cultures embrace.

So, I'm curious...
Do you sleep well or struggle to get a good night's rest?
Do you have a nighttime ritual to help you sleep better?
How does diet impact your sleep quality?
Do you reduce your sleep time to make time for awake activities?
Do you consider good sleep to be a vital part of good health?
Are you willing to make changes to your awake time to allow for better sleep?

I am truly interested to hear what different perceptions people have about sleep.
My -- I'll sleep when I'm dead -- perspective has definitely changed even though I am still pretty much a short sleeper.

John

Books (and what can we learn from fictional reading?)

A few weekends ago I stumbled into one of the Friends of the Library book sales. I picked up a few old paperbacks and have been reading them. They were mostly from a genre that I enjoyed reading years ago -- Westerns!
Louis L'Amour, William Johnstone, and Ralph Compton are all writers that I've read in the past and all write in easy to read, descriptive narratives that I enjoy. So I have been reading westerns and am on my fifth book in just a couple of weeks. It is simple, yet entertaining reading -- kind of like eating popcorn at the movie theater. I picked up a few more paperbacks at a Farmer's Market stand this past weekend. I don't know if I'll just continue to burn through them or mix them in with some more serious reading. 

I have noticed something that is different about reading them today than there was in reading them in the past.
In the past I never really considered how violent we were. It should come as no real surprise that we are still a violence prone people. One would think we would have outgrown that way of life, but we seem to have gone from using violence to conquer other people to turning it inwards towards one another. We even have an a$$hole in the White House that wants to declare war on Chicago and use our own military to control our own citizens. 

Are we returning to a time when the most violent and brutal people rule?
Or is it just the rich and powerful people convincing the poorer people to fight against each other and then the powerful ones take all of the spoils?
F 'em! Let them fight their own battles. 

Typically in western fiction -- the good guys win and the bad guys die. Violence doesn't always work that way in real life. Maybe we just need to write better real life stories.

Just some simple Monday morning thoughts.
What are you reading?

John 

It's Another Beautiful Day in the Ozarks

It is another beautiful day in the Ozarks of SWMO.
I was up early (6:45ish) after spending another night sleeping on the deck futon. The neighbor's roosters and chickens were doing their morning thing and the sun was making it's daily appearance in the eastern sky. Wake up temperature was just below 60f (15c) and I slept quite well.

When I went inside to make my morning coffee it almost felt like the heat was on. In spite of the expected warm up this week, I think the nights will remain cool. Sleeping inside with the bedside window open is nice, but it is amazing how much of the night sounds are muted through an open window. I am surprised at how differently it feels to be out on the deck vs next to an open window.
There is such a calming effect from being outside vs inside. I don't know if the walls just block or dampen the energy or if there is some kind of different electrical field or what it is, but daytime or nighttime, I'd rather be sitting outside vs sitting inside.

I think the week ahead will be a typical week for a retired guy in the Ozarks. I have my annual physical this week and expect to hear that I need to lose weight (I do). 
The Springfield Cardinals will be wrapping up their season at home and I will probably be at two or three of their final six regular season games. 
I have more iris tubers to plant. My irises were getting so densely packed that I haven't had very many blossoms this year. I dug them up, thinned them out, and am replanting a bunch along the front of the fence. I am hoping they do well next spring. 
I should probably check my gladiolus for new corms to be spread out, as well. There is quite a bit of work to be done in late summer/early fall in flower gardening. I will also be spreading out my peonies and trying to find a way to contain the Rugosa rose bush that is taking over its space. I'm thinking I may have to cut it back, dig it up, and replant it in a confined area -- something like an in-ground potted plant with an open bottom but deep sides. The runners this beast sends out are pretty amazing.
I've also been re-potting some succulents and indoor plants. I really need a small green house. That may be a winter project. 

If you know me at all, you know I am a summer guy and I am not looking forward to the fall and winter seasons. Having said that, I am determined to enjoy each day for what it is. The dying of annual plants, the dormancy of perennials, and the regeneration on the other side of winter all have their places in the cycle of things. 

Honestly, my days are full of simple pleasures -- butterflies and humming birds feeding on the nectar of my flowers, bluebirds, wrens and finches enjoying the seeds, the sounds of a nearby great horned owl at night, the yipping of coyotes or the occasional deer that find their way through our field -- it's really a pretty good life.

Be present.
Enjoy the moment.
Have a wonderful week.

John



 

Thursday Thoughts

It's a little coffee shop kind of morning -- El Cafecito in Springfield.
(For non-Spanish speakers -- el cafecito translates to the little coffee shop!)
I only had enough coffee at home for a single cup, so a morning coffee shop run seemed to be in order.

With so much Christian nationalism and so many conflicting Christian messages and behaviors, it is of no wonder that there is so much distrust of Christianity and especially conservative, evangelical Christianity.
Even without the secular parts of Christian nationalism, the basics of evangelical Christianity offer enough conflicts to make a discerning person wonder -- WTF?

For example:
God loves you, but will condemn you to eternal torment if you don't do exactly as He says. (gender specific patriarchy intended) 
God's grace is a free gift but you have to do certain things to obtain it.
God's love is unconditional (certain conditions apply).
Jesus died for everyone, but only if you say he died for you.
God created you perfectly, but won't accept you if the church decides you don't fit into their expectations of holiness and acceptability.
Jesus turned water into wine, but drinking alcohol is a sin.
And on...
and on...
and on.

I'm sure that a comprehensive list would be much longer than anyone would care to read. It would definitely be much longer than I would care to research and write!

It has been a number of years since I set aside the whole religion scene.
I am still a believer in God and a follower of Jesus -- just without the structure of any kind of organized religion.
In fact -- the further I got from religion, the closer I got to God.
I accept (even embrace) the heretic label that may come my way from those that find my inclusiveness to be offensive. 

One of the most telling lines I've ever heard is -- There is no hate like Christian love.

Just thoughts rolling around in my head this morning.

John

No Wisdom on this Wednesday

It's a pretty slow start to this Wednesday morning and the day is warming up nicely. We may decide to turn the A/C back on.  Or maybe not. Mid 80s (29c) isn't too bad for a couple of hours. We have ceiling fans and an attic fan and generally get a nice breeze with the windows open in both the front and back of the house.

I should have jumped on the outdoor work earlier, but I'm not a big get it done early kind of guy. My mornings are slow and easy. I may find myself working at cleaning out the basement since it is generally cooler down there throughout the day. 

I was thinking that I need to offer a nugget of wisdom for my typical Wednesday Wisdom posting, but I don't really have any wise words or thoughts to share. My daily contemplation (inspired by my shamanistic readings) has me thinking about who I am and when it is appropriate to wear masks. 
Wearing masks isn't always hiding who we are or being deceptive to others. Sometimes it's just being the appropriate you for the moment.

It is perfectly natural to be a different person at work than you are when you are out with friends. It is okay to be different as a student than as a son, daughter, or even parent. While our character and morals may not change from one situation to another, altering our behavior depending on the situation doesn't mean we are fake or manipulative. A work Christmas party and a family holiday meal are very different types of celebrations and it is reasonable to expect different personas. 

An accurate answer to the question -- "Who am I?" might just be -- "It depends on the situation."

I have far fewer roles than I once had.
I am no longer an air traffic controller or employee.
I have left the world of evangelicalism and preaching. 
I no longer entertain groups with magic.
I still have familial roles as husband, dad, brother, son -- but husband is the only one that I really do on a day to day basis.
I guess I am mostly just a reclusive retired guy that likes flowers, and occasionally smokes cigars and sips a little bourbon or tequila.

Maybe the big deal with masks is if we use them to hide who we are. 
Am I a different person than I want people to think I am?

Are you the person people think you are?
Or have you deliberately fooled them with a mask that disguises the person you really are?

John

It is still summer -- just saying

How can it be September already?
While Labor Day Weekend is an unofficial end of summer and the beginning of football season kind of marks the start of fall -- neither of those things is actually true.
IT'S STILL SUMMER!

In fact, if we're going to use artificial markers for the end of summer/beginning of fall then I say when I've put my lawn mower away for the year marks the end of summer. That won't be until mid October. I'll keep the flannel shirts in the closet and the pumpkin spice on the pantry shelf for a little bit longer. You fall loving people can do whatever you want, but it is always summer in my heart.
For anyone that actually cares -- the astronomical end of summer is on September 22 at 1:19 PM CDT. 

And although it is still growing season in SWMO, I do need to prepare some of my flowers for the coming cold season. I'll be dividing my iris and peony plants and am looking for another place for some hydrangeas. I also need to get some more mulch down in the big flower bed. I'm still figuring out how to best cut back and contain the large Rugosa rose bush.
There is always an unending amount of work to do in the flower gardens. 
If anyone is looking for some hostas to get planted and rooted before winter, let me know. I need to thin mine out -- either now or in the early spring.

This first week of September will be a little cooler than normal, so I should be able to get lots of outdoor work accomplished.

Have a grand week!

John