Front porch

It's a little bit different perspective this morning.
I'm on the front porch
Of my mom's cottage in Metamora.

It's early (6:30ish), but I'm up and a sweatshirt and a cup of coffee makes it comfortable.
I'll be here in Metamora for a few days while mom recuperates from a rough week of health issues. That getting old stuff ain't for sissies.

I don't expect that we will be doing too much other than recovering some strength over the next few days. Maybe dinner out this evening and a few errands either today or tomorrow. My sister will be here to take over early in the week and then we will (hopefully) be back to our guarded care from a distance. My brother has been here for the past two weeks and endured the heavy lifting of unexpected care. Other siblings were here to pitch in and help.
It's what we do.
I brought a couple of hostas from home to transplant here for Mom -- a few plants of a couple of different varieties. Hopefully they will root well and provide some pretty for her front yard.

With all of the trees around the cottages, the morning cacophony of birds is quite stunning. They are mostly house sparrows, but there are also vocal robins, occasional cardinals, and a few other varieties of feathered friends. It is so much more volume than at our rural, tree sparse, country home.

Have a grand weekend.
I am hopeful that June will bring summer when it arrives tomorrow.

John

Technology

It was time for a new phone.
My old one was just getting too slow and was becoming a bit of a pain in the butt.
I'm a cheap android guy. Although I appreciate the technology of a smarter than me phone, I'm not the person that has to have the latest and greatest phone. I need to make calls and texts, I like the navigation to connect while driving, and there are a number of apps that I use regularly but could live without.

Calendar is great for keeping me on schedule for appointments and events. but I honestly don't have that many things going on in life that it is very necessary. 
The clock and alarm feature is necessary if I want to know what time it is since I gave up wearing a watch about the same time I started carrying a phone. Of course, it isn't all that necessary that I need to know the time on most days.
Some kind of photo organizer is a good thing to have. I don't take many pictures and a good camera isn't one of the selling points that guides my selection when choosing a phone.
I do have social media apps on my phone, but have been using them less often since I turned off the notifications and they quit calling for my attention on a regular basis. I could (should) probably delete them from my phone and check them in the morning and evening on my Chromebook instead.
Google or your search engine of choice is cool for just knowing and learning stuff.
Games are okay for when you need to waste or occupy time.
Streaming apps also fill long periods of otherwise wasted time, but there are plenty of other things that can occupy my time rather than playing games or watching someone else's stories on my phone.

In reconnecting with my new phone, I am a little concerned with how much I actually use it -- and I am pretty certain that I use my phone much less than others use their phones. I may be making an effort to use it even less in the coming days. I suppose that cyclical rise and fall of usage is a part of my love/hate relationship with technology. It is a great tool, but it can also take over much of our time and undermine many of our relationships (for those of you that actually have relationships).
I'm not condemning technology. Last night I had the St Louis Cardinals on the deck TV, and the Springfield Cardinals streaming on my phone. The outdoors, the drink, and the hand rolled cigar were my connection to the low tech world.

How much technology do you use every day?
What would your life be like without it?
Even if you discount the community technology of electricity and automotive tech stuff, how reliant have we become to the growing world of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
I cautiously embrace the advance we are making. My ignorance of what is possible has me curious. My knowledge of man's depravity and greed has me frightened.

John

Stories

What kind of stories are you drawn to?
For some reason, I am drawn to medieval or early world fantasies. Dragons, sorcerers, magical beings, battles between forces of good and evil, conflicts with primitive weapons or martial arts -- yeah, these things are the stories I like to read or watch.

I really don't know why. It seems a little weird when I think about it, but fairies and fae and people that can channel power from the earth's energies -- earth, wind, fire, and water -- intrigue me.
Are all of these stories from the superstitions of our ancestors?
Or were the imaginations of the past just that creative and often dark?

It seems that most of the magical stories come out of ancient worlds of Europe or Southeast Asia. There are also stories of djinn from the ancient Arab world.

Does anyone else find these stories to be fascinating? Or at least entertaining?
Are there powers or energies that we can tap into that seem magical?
Are there secrets that we have forgotten or that have been forbidden by the powerful? ...or the fearful?
What if Jesus was an avatar for good that we killed because he displayed the same powers that previous evil avatars had used?
What if magic is real?
What if there are truths woven into the mythologies of the ancient world?
What if the veil that separates our reality from the realm of angels and demons is a thin one that can be crossed from time to time?
What if dragons and gargoyles were real creatures with other worldly origins?
What if ... ?

It seems that there are still good stories to be told; good stories to be written.

What stories do you like?

John

 

Fun Fact Friday

 Did you know ... ?

John

Serving God and mammon (money)

I don't know why I'm thinking about money and its importance (or lack of it) today, but I am.
I am glad that money isn't something that concerns me much. I realize that comfort comes from a place of having enough that I don't really need to worry. 
We are not rich by any means, but we have enough. Maybe that is considered rich by many that do need to worry about having enough.

I think that reading about the cuts in the proposed budget package in Congress may have something to do with my thoughts this morning. So many of the cuts are really going to hurt a lot of people and it appears that the help the budget provides will be for a few that don't really need help.

How much money is enough?

I know that differs greatly from person to person, but is there a base of comfortably surviving that can serve as enough and everything else is excess of different levels?
Do different people deserve different levels of comfort?

I think it is fair that some live better than others when the difference is what they have put into improving their situation. I don't think that improving one person's situation should be the cause of another person's pain or in any way make it more difficult for somebody else.
I am afraid that so much of our society is structured by the people with wealth and power to accumulate more wealth and power by restricting what others can get.
I think that we have far too many divisions within humanity that we are competing with one another rather than cooperating with each other.
Maybe it isn't a matter of serving God or money as much as it is a matter of serving self or community.

I don't think our members of Congress give much thought to the community of the country. They seem to be focused on a much smaller community of people that can afford to buy their influence and votes. There seems to be a bit of buyer's remorse within the US electorate.

Admittedly, I am not very active in my community. I have become a very non-productive member of society with my sole contribution being that of a consumer and tax payer. On any given day, I give practically nothing to the world around me. 
I read things that others have written and write things that only a few might read.
I tend to my yard and flowers and only my neighbors get to see them unless I post a picture.
I provide more food and shelter to birds and butterflies than I do for my fellow humans.

Maybe there are too many people like me that exist without doing anything to make our section of the world a better place; too many people content to live without actively contributing to society.
Maybe it isn't a matter of serving God or money, or serving self or community.
Maybe it's a matter of too many of us not serving at all. 

Hmmm...
I am going to have to do some self evaluation.
Whom do I serve?
What if I am not serving anyone?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It's late. but it's still Wednesday...

John
 

Weekend Weather

There has been quite a bit of severe weather throughout the Ozarks of Missouri and parts to our east.
Fortunately, our little area around Highlandville MO has been spared from anything more than some strong wind. It looks like we are going to be missed by the worst of the severe storms again today. 
We may get some rain and thunderstorms. I am hopeful that it won't be too bad.

It looks like the overall system will bring some cooler temps and I hope to get some more work done outside. It doesn't sound like much, but on this property digging even a small hole is work that requires a pick or heavy breaker bar (IYKYK). Getting four maple saplings into the ground is going to be work for an old, fat guy like me.

Maples (like most hardwoods) are typically slow growing trees. It would be nice to be here to see them as mature trees, especially in the fall. In any case, they will be here long after we are gone and will provide shade and beauty for future owners of this land.
I also have a couple of mulberry saplings that have started growing in unwanted places. I'm certain they were seeds dropped by birds. I think I'll try to transplant them to better locations to feed future generations of birds. Yesterday I found a cherry and stem dropped in one of my flowerbeds. I fear some poor bird dropped its dinner! There are no cherry trees (that I know of) anywhere near us.
And I have an Eastern red bud sapling to plant as well. 

All-in-all, it is just another week in paradise. 
This will be our fifth summer in this home and the landscaping is starting to come together. There are things that I'd like to add, and some things that I might take out. I am currently content to spend a couple of hours per day doing something in the yard. 

For friends and neighbors that have been hit by the storms, be sure to reach out if you need something. Oftentimes, it's not that your friends are uncaring; it's simply that they don't know.

John

Birds

I downloaded a new app to my phone. It's called Merlin and it recognizes the birds' calls and songs and names them. I am surprised at how it picks up songs that are so far away and faint that I don't hear them until after the app recognizes them.

There is a nearby meadowlark that I hear often, but haven't yet seen. 
One interesting call is a Great-tailed Grackle. This one is rare for our area as it is on the fringes of its normal habitat. I have yet to see it, but have heard it a few times in a couple of days.

I guess I'm officially old.
I now spend my time listening and recognizing bird songs.
I have to say that I'm not complaining. Having the time and connection to nature has been a real plus for me. Being more aware of the world around me has made me more aware of myself, as well. It's too bad that it has taken a lifetime to reach this point.

Here was this morning's lineup of birds I heard:

Have a wonderful weekend!

John

Fun Fact Friday

According to Google AI it takes around 205 trees to offset the carbon footprint of the average human over a lifetime.

We need to plant more trees!
Especially when you consider that the US average is more than three times the global average.
Globally, the average is 4.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide produced per year, per person. In the US, the average is 16 metric tons per year, per person.

Additionally, conifers (pines and firs) can have a greater offset due to their rapid growth. However, naturally diverse forests tend to have a greater offset than mono-cultural farms.

John

Thursday Theology and Mother Earth

I wasn't going to write this morning. 
Well, I was going to write. I did write several paragraphs and then deleted it because it was too unorganized and not well thought out. Maybe on another day.
Then I thought that I need to get to work in the yard since I took the day off yesterday and went to a ballgame.

But, ...
Planting a couple of trees and tending to my flowers has really become a kind of religion to me. Noticing creation and trying to live in harmony with the earth  and its environment brings me closer to its Creator. 
I will say that the Southwest Missouri soil (or lack of it) often makes it physically challenging. Digging even a shallow hole in the ground is a task for this old, fat guy.

It will be warmer later so I'm going to finish my coffee and quiet time (with a very vocal nearby house sparrow) and get to work meeting with my Creator and trying to offset my carbon footprint for today. 

Be well, my friends.
Plant flowers.
Be good to Mother Earth.

John

Perspective

I'm beginning my day with a slightly different perspective. 
To be fair, not much has changed. I'm still having my morning coffee and quiet time on the deck. The birds are still flitting about and singing their songs (one meadowlark is particularly vocal this morning), the highway noise is there with the morning traffic, and Groucho the cat is sleeping in a sunny spot on a comfy chair.

But I moved. 
I am sitting in a chair facing east instead of south. 
I am looking out over the neighbor's backyard instead of looking at our field.
Our neighbors have been busy. They planted a lot of trees and have moved a lot of dirt and done a lot of work in their yard. Many of the morning bird sounds come from that direction and I am sure that the fruit trees they've planted will be producing a good harvest for them in the coming years.

I am kind of glad that they are to our east because I don't want the fall winds blowing all of those leaves into my yard. It might not be a big deal, but the trees at our last house dumped so many leaves. Here, we don't have the fence to hold them in so they would probably just continue to blow out of the yard.
No matter. It's not an issue.
I do have a couple of trees to plant, but I have lots of room to plant them so that their leaves won't be a problem. 

Anyway --
I was just thinking that the world looks a little different from this vantage point. Changing our view from time to time is a good thing. Seeing things from a different perspective can give us a better understanding of the world around us. It might help with just being aware of differences that you didn't see before, or it could bring a different understanding of social injustices or political or religious views.

I have used the front porch from time to time. That particular perspective is more active in the morning than back here -- especially during the school year. Kids going to school, people going to work -- there are neighbors that actually do more than smoke cigars and sit quietly on their back decks or porches!
Some neighbors have golf carts or four wheelers that they use to get their mail which is delivered to our boxes at the entrance to our 3/4 mile (1.2km) road. One of our neighbors runs every day. Kids bike and ride some motorized vehicles. There is actually quite a bit of activity at different times of day. It all happens unnoticed by the loner on his well shaded back deck, smoking cigars and enjoying a cold drink in the quiet and peaceful company of birds and nature.

Perspective
Sometimes we should change it.
Even if it is just to see what others see from where they are.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

64 years, 11 months -- How did I get to be this old?

It's cool and foggy on this Tuesday morning and I am enjoying my morning coffee and quiet time indoors today. It's a nice warm feeling after sleeping on the deck and waking up to the damp air and water dripping down the deck screens.

It will warm up nicely today and I am looking forward to going to the Springfield Cardinals baseball game tonight. I generally go to the games by myself, but tonight I will be with some of the other chaplains from Mercy Hospital. 

I have to get my 2-3 hours of yard work today. I should probably do more, but I find that around three hours per day is enough to give me something to do every day but keeps me from getting tired of always doing work in the flowerbeds, garden, and yard. I generally do a bit more on mowing days, but sitting on the mower isn't really work; it just takes time.

I am one month away from my 65th birthday.
I am really not very active and have become comfortable with my inactivity. The gardening stuff in the spring and summer helps a lot, but doesn't really make up for the fall and winter inactivity. I should get back to the habit of long daily walks. Today, I might use the push mower for the yard area around the house. Once I logged three miles doing the walking/mowing together. It will take longer to use the push mower this time since the spring rains have really caused the grass to grow and I'm a little late at getting to it.
No worries. Time is something I have plenty of.

The fog is burning off and the day is going to be sunny and warm. I might put in a little extra time today and then take tomorrow off and go to the SGF Cards day game.

I'll say it again -- Retirement does not suck!

John

Simple Things and Happiness

What makes you happy?

This morning I am sitting on the deck with my Ethiopian coffee and enjoying the sounds of the many birds that make their homes around the house. I hear some hammering in the distance and think that somebody in a nearby neighborhood is getting a new roof. I can also hear traffic from the nearby highway, but I am often surprised at how muted the traffic noise has become. Maybe I've just trained my brain to tune it out and listen to the birds. (I am currently downloading an app to identify the birds sounds.)

This really is a wonderful place to spend time. I will be out here for many hours during the spring, summer, and fall. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. 

It's funny, but verbalizing that -- It really doesn't take much to make me happy -- makes me pause and realize just how much I truly have.

We have a home, a very nice home.
We live in a rural neighborhood that is far enough away from towns and cities to be relatively quiet, yet close enough to have access to urban amenities.
We have clean water to drink and plenty of food and the means to prepare it at home, but also the means to eat out pretty much as often as we like. We generally eat better when we prepare our own meals and it definitely costs less, but...
We have multiple vehicles for transportation.
We have smart phones, internet access, and several smart TVs to access information (and misinformation) from around the world.
We have a lot.
I'm sure I would be happy with less, but I am also happy that I don't have to find out for sure right now.

It probably isn't fair to say that it doesn't take much to make me happy when I really do have so very much. Neither is it fair to say I enjoy a simple life when that simple life is a product of much work, some planning, and a lot of luck.

Nevertheless, I am happy that I don't have to be busy or always doing things to feel like my life is worthwhile or valuable, nor do I need the affirmation or approval of someone else.
Maybe life isn't so simple. Maybe I just cope well with the complexities of life and that makes it feel simple.
I don't know.
What do you think?

John


We have 

Facebook Memories: a gratitude journal

I enjoy looking through my Facebook Memories. It's fun and often interesting to see what I've posted through the years. Recently I was reading about keeping a gratitude journal and how looking back over such a journal can be an inspiration for continuing gratitude in our daily lives.

Over the past 60+ years, I have started and stopped several different types of journals. Rarely have I ever looked back over what was written. I figure if I keep a gratitude journal it will probably be the same -- unless I used something like Facebook and then am reminded daily of something I posted from previous years!

I am not thinking of the big things that people always mention when talking about gratitude. I'm thinking of the simple moments. Moments like this morning. 

It's a cool morning for coffee on the deck, about 50 (10c) degrees. I have my house sweater on and a blanket over my legs. I thought about having coffee inside this morning, but I really do like being outside as much as possible. I can endure the chill this morning as easily as I will handle the heat later in the summer during the afternoons that I sit out here.
I type a line or two and then pause to watch the hummingbirds at the feeder, I just look around and breathe in the cool, damp, pollen filled air and think how grateful I am for benadryl. 

I am so privileged and thankful to be able to have this home and this retirement life. It isn't fancy nor luxurious. We are not wealthy and can't afford to be travelling or dining out at nice restaurants regularly. But we are comfortable. We have the things we need and then some. I'll spend a few hours working in the yard today and then I'll be back here on the deck with a cool drink and a good cigar (and probably another dose of Benadryl). And I'll likely end the day out here watching the fights on my Chromebook. I may even decide to sleep out here tonight.
It is definitely a good life.

I don't know what algorithms are used to pull posts for daily memories so I don't really know if this plan will work. And I won't know if it works until a year from now. But I am certain that pausing daily to recognize moments with gratitude will not be a waste of time.

Does anyone care to join me?

John

Hope for the SBC?

The Conclave of Cardinals has elected a new Pope!
For the second time in a row they have elected a person that has lived a life that appears to be truly dedicated to helping the underprivileged, marginalized segments of humanity -- you know, like Jesus modeled for us. 

I was expecting them to swing the pendulum back towards a much more conservative person after having dealt with the push back caused by Pope Francis. While the Roman Catholic Church is a worldwide religion, it is also the largest Christian denomination in the US. Overall, Protestantism has more adherents than Catholicism, but there are many different denominations among Protestants; even different groupings such as evangelicals, mainline (Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, etc.), and historically Black Protestant. 

It seems to me that the rest of the world must have been more open to the shift to actually being more like Jesus under Pope Francis than the conservative Catholics of the US. 
And if the Catholics are going "woke," maybe there is hope for the Southern Baptists.
After all, I think God is still in the miracle business.

I shouldn't be too harsh on the US evangelicals. When it comes to actual religious beliefs, we are not that far apart. However, in far too many ways many evangelical denominations have become as much political machines as they are religious organizations, and our politics are as different as night and day (or in this case, heaven and hell). When mercy and grace are what your religion teaches and capitalism and nationalism are what your politics are -- well, those things are irreconcilable differences in my mind.

I will never have the worldwide stage to influence people to live like Jesus as Pope Francis did. My circle of influence is small and pretty insignificant. I don't even feel like it is my responsibility to be an influencer of any kind. 
I do feel like it is my responsibility to follow the teachings of Jesus, to love my neighbor, to take care of those in need. and to offer comfort and compassion where I can.

It is just so weird that although Christianity is worldwide, we Christians have made following Christ so exclusive that there are an estimated 45,000 - 47,000 different Christian denominations! 
And some of them believe that they are the only ones that will actually go to heaven!

Today I am grateful to Pope Francis for his influence to be more like Jesus.
And I am grateful to the Roman Catholic Church for continuing on the path he set them on.
I am hopeful that the trend of showing mercy and grace to our neighbors will influence other Christian denominations and individual followers to do the same.

John

Thursday Theology

I've been thinking about religion more often lately. I don't really know why. Generally the thoughts are not very positive nor very encouraging. If there is a dualism of God and Devil or good and evil, then I would have to conclude that religion is of the devil.

I ran across this meme in my Facebook feed this week:

Back when I was doing kids' church camp every summer, many of the church kids brought friends that were not from church going families so we often had lots of kids without any kind of religious background. I think I am of a generation that began a kind of religious rebellion with many of my peers leaving behind the religion of our parents and grandparents.
Once again, I was the slow learner, waiting until my 50s to get the flick and begin the process of deconstructing the religious part of my faith.

I know there are churches that are non-denominational and are in sync with many of my thoughts. I just don't really know if I'm ready to become an active part in organized religion again. I really don't think that I ever will. Something about that makes me a little sad.
As for the meme -- well neither of my kids go to church anymore, and something about that makes me kind of proud. I'm glad they are independent thinkers and see through the bullshit that people put out.

I am not completely anti-church. I know good people in church ministry and have great respect for the work they do -- especially with kids, youth groups, and young families. Somewhere along the way, there must have been somebody that helped me to grow and question and think deeply about my personal relationship with God that moved me to my present place. I don't know when that happened or who that might have been, but here I am.

I also don't think that's the kind of person that churches really want in their midst, which is why we were indirectly invited to leave the church where we had served for a couple of decades. Imagine a church that has a teaching pastor -- the how to move beyond religion and church life pastor!
If you know of a church looking to fill such a position, I have the resume and credentials!

For now, I no longer feel the responsibility to meddle in the spiritual lives of others. I am happy to pursue and grow in my own spirituality. I am happy to share thoughts about religion and spiritual growth. I just don't feel like I'll be the guy asking if you know Jesus or if you want to be saved or any of that religious stuff.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

"Silence speaks wisdom. Listen to it." --The Buddha 

It is amazing how much we can learn when no one is speaking and nothing distracts us.

John

Nature

This bright Monday morning I am sitting on the deck, drinking coffee, and watching the hummingbirds at their feeder. There are sparrows tending to their nest and feeding their babies, and across the yard bluebirds are doing the same. Swallows dart past me to their nest to feed the babies under the deck, while more bluebirds and house wrens tend to their young ones in the front of the house.
It's like we've got a freakin' avian nursery!

Feeding a nest full of babies is a full-time gig for the mama and papa birds. They alternately enter the birdhouses with small bugs or to regurgitate food into the wide open, waiting mouths. Watching them is interesting and entertaining. 
I am surprised at the number of birds that seem to find nesting areas near the house since we don't have any trees near us and the only feeders we tend to are for hummingbirds. I have a couple of other feeders out, but haven't kept them full for more than a year. Maybe I just fill them again, even if there seems to be plenty of food for our feathered friends.
Maybe our home is just a safe place from predators to build a nest and feed babies.

There is also a small family of crows that frequents the area. Two years ago there were three birds. Last year there were five. This year there are generally six. It's been a week or so since I've seen them in the morning, but I do hear them cawing in the distance and sometimes see them when I'm out driving to or from the house. 

Hmmm...
I don't know anything about the nesting habits of crows, nor hummingbirds. That's something I need to check into.

Because of the large open fields and no trees, we don't see many critters. Squirrels, rabbits, and rodents are just hawk food. They are smart enough to keep to the trees or areas of cover from the high flying predatory birds.

Obviously, my meditative time this morning is being spent appreciating the natural world that surrounds our little home in this rural neighborhood. There is something calming and comforting about observing nature. 

I hope you are able to find a moment in your day to appreciate the beauty of nature. 

John

People from this past week

I mentioned that I participated in the Aurora Mercy Hospital National Day of Prayer event last Thursday. The other volunteer chaplains that serve there are a pretty cool group of people. Also present were several of the staff and co-workers. The event began with a story that was unfolding, even as we gathered to give thanks and pray for the hospital and staff.

On Tuesday of this past week, severe storms came through the area. There were strong, damaging winds, and a couple of tornadoes throughout the Ozarks. Parts of Aurora ad been hit hard and many people were still without power while we met on Thursday afternoon. Early Thursday morning an older man showed up at the hospital for breathing treatments that he couldn't do at home because he was out of power. 

Here is what was discovered that morning:
Although this was not his first time coming in for treatments, it was the first time he had mentioned that he was walking nearly two miles to come to the hospital for his treatments. On Wednesday evening, he walked home in the rain.
He lived alone and hadn't had anything to eat in two days.
When the Director of Nursing was made aware of his situation, she got busy!

First, he was given food to eat.
Then the kitchen staff got busy with what they had on hand and funds were used to go to the store and buy more supplies. More than a hundred sack lunches were prepared and then hospital staff and volunteers went out into the community to check on people and deliver food and hot coffee to some of the areas that were still without power. They found many older people that had been literally trapped in their apartments due to mobility restrictions and no elevators (power outage, remember) to and from their apartments.
Local law enforcement was notified so that they could make continued well checks on the area, and the Red Cross was called and were out serving in that area within a matter of hours.

That little rural hospital with just a couple dozen rooms really stepped up to serve their (our) community as soon as they found out that there was a need. It was a proud and moving moment to be associated with such compassionate people, and it was an honor to pray for them and to thank God for placing them in a position to show his love to our neighbors.

It was a pretty cool Thursday and well worth the exposure to other people!

Then last night (Friday) I decided to take in a Springfield Cardinals' baseball game. It was a double header. During the hour and a half rain delay (geez, more rain) I visited with a couple that volunteers at the crisis cold weather shelter. It was really good to run into them and talk during the rain delay. 
As the game was getting ready to begin, I received a text from another friend that had seen my FB post. They were also at the game. It was good to sit and chat with friends.

Today will be a nice day to get caught up on some yard work. It is sunny, but will only make it to around 65 (18c) degrees. The ground is still saturated from the week's rainfall, but there is much to be done. I'll take care of some of it today.
One of my hummingbird feeders got blown off its hanger during a storm, so I'll have to see if it is damaged. The feeders just went up on Wednesday and only took a few minutes to attract some birds. Most of our little friends are black chinned or ruby red throats, but I'm pretty sure that we've also had some Mexican violetears in the past. I hope we get them again this year.

It is time to get busy.
May all of your people encounters this weekend be pleasant ones.

John

National Day of Prayer

The first Thursday of May is established (since 1952) as a National Day of Prayer.
The president is required by law to sign a proclamation that encourages all US Americans to pray on this day.

I have to admit that my own prayer life has changed dramatically over the recent past. While I still commune regularly with our Creator, I rarely use that time to petition for blessings for myself or for others. The time is generally spent in gratitude and reflection of purpose. I do petition God for wisdom for myself, and often ask for strength and comfort for others. 

This afternoon I will participate in a National Day of Prayer event at Mercy Hospital in Aurora MO, where I serve as a volunteer chaplain. I have declined to participate in past years because public corporate prayer now has a kind of weird feeling to me. I am honestly not sure why I decided to be a part of this year's event. My prayer will be for the co-workers and patients that come to our hospital. Because I am indeed grateful for those that serve and those that need our help, this will be an easy and genuine prayer of gratitude and encouragement. 

I don't know if you pray, to whom you pray, nor how you might structure your prayers. I don't know if you believe in a higher power or commune with a being according to your faith, whatever that faith may be.
But, if you are a person of prayer in the US -- I encourage you to remember our nation in prayer today. I am grateful for where I live and will gladly and earnestly ask for wisdom and guidance for those that have been elected to govern us.

John