Our bunny has fangs and drools as it menacingly swipes at our docile dog, who jumps away from her, cowering in terror!
Seriously1.
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Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!
Today’s newsletter consists of two parts:
Part 1 – A story (about ME!!!) – Written by my daughter, Esther!
Part 2 – An explanation (also by ME!) of why I randomly thought of porcupines after reading this!
Additional profound extrapolations of the text (by ME! – Of course!) are in the footnotes!
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Sparse and invisible rain floats gently from the sky, sometimes merging on the skin or the pavement as several droplets.
The speckled street gives way to the cars that cruise amiably down it.
There is no rush in this town; there is a sense of welcome and leisure despite busy schedules and people filled with excitement for the day. Everyone knows everyone else by name, and even if one wanted to stay anonymous, one could not. The small businesses are like people; each one has their personality.
Or perhaps it is due to the lack of stores that each of them stands out all the more brightly.
One couple meanders down the street, hand in hand.
He is tall and strong, but his face radiates gentleness, and his laughter shows not only on his face but also in his eyes. The woman1 mirrors many of the same features, but her eyes gleam with a fire of intensity not commonly found. Despite this, her kindness (See Footnote 1) is evident in the smile lines around her mouth and her loving (See Footnote 1) eyes.
Woe unto the person who stumbles across the man’s path while he is hungry.
And woe unto the person who stumbles across the woman’s path when the woman is tired.2 Yet, they grow together. They challenge each other. They fight the battles of life together, side by side. They complement each other (See Footnote 1) with a bond made one of the strongest in the world.
The couple passes by the library, a place steeped in magic.
It is a chest that holds the secrets of life and beauty, and its key is given generously, though not many take it. Those who deem it ridiculous are those who refuse the key, but to the one who graciously takes it, wonders are in store. The couple’s two children are currently there, for the couple sees their melancholy dog sitting patiently outside, waiting for someone to pet him. He gets up and furiously wags his tail, assured that this means he is finally going home. After reassuring the dog that they would be back soon and trying to ignore the forsaken and betrayed look in his eyes, the couple wanders up the steps and into the library.
There they find a friend and exchange greetings. The man is asked about his work. His hands, though gentle and unassuming, have ministered to and helped thousands, but by his humble3 nature, he never boasts.
His wife, who stands beside him, is just as accomplished (See Footnote 1), with a heart for the betterment of people’s lives (See Footnote 1) and a passion for the preservation of the planet (See Footnote 1).
She sacrificed her career (See Footnote 1) for her children’s careers, homeschooling and helping them find what interests and motivates them. Sometimes, they drive her crazy. Well, maybe it’s a lot of the time. And sometimes she drives them crazy, too (See Footnote 2). Perhaps it is God growing everyone’s patience4.
The couple breaks away from the conversation and finds their children immersed in their books and hesitant to leave.
The family checks out their stacks of literature and heads to the car, picking up the relieved5 dog on the way. The car slowly pulls out and heads leisurely home. There’s no rush. Or, maybe there is because now the man is hungry.
I think of porcupines who quill each other when I think of this story. For example, I am mad at my daughter for writing things that are BLATANT lies about me and that don’t make me look as stupendous as I know I am deep down! Anyway, we (for example – HER) each come with our own set of quills, like porcupines, and we accidentally and purposefully (sometimes) quill each other and even ourselves. I.e., Remember when “the man” in the story above gets hungry? Watch out!
However, being quilled by porcupines (ironically) promotes our healing.
Why?
Because in our inevitable relational pain (that THEY cause), we finally draw near to God, who has been calling out and wooing us our entire lives.
And so, as we bring our faces full of another’s (and our own?) quills, God can use this situation to heal US, as He lovingly tends to each quill, sometimes removing it immediately and sometimes giving us healing oil and the strength to persevere.
And we can rest in the confidence of knowing that we are loved by each other (They HAVE TO love you!) and by God.
And this is where we find joy.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy
Photo Credit – Porcupine by Derek Otway on Unsplash
Footnotes
1 Author of this blog’s note – This is ME! She is talking about ME in this story! That’s how you know I’m famous and important, by the way!!!
2 WAIT – WHA…? I thought she only said NICE stuff about me in public! I’m going to ground her to her room for a month! But wait – she’s flying back to her job and University tomorrow!
3 WHY didn’t she call ME humble? Now I’m even madder! I thought she knew me SO well! (See Footnote 1). Obviously, I see now that she understands NOTHING about me!
4 AMEN!
5 Does she mean “about to pee?”
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I suddenly realized I was not Little Red Riding Hood or whoever that hooded girl who carries her lunch to grandma is, stopping to smell flowers.
I’m the wolf.
I sometimes wear a Little Red Riding Hood cape because I want to go about my life, enjoy my kids, and laugh while we enjoy a day beside the lake. But more and more often now, I feel constrained like old caterpillar skin that needs to be shed. And I’m afraid of what may come out of me. It seems I am a caterpillar about to transition into a fire-breathing dragon.
And I don’t know what to do or where to put the fear and anger that has been stirring quietly under the surface for so many years that sooner or later, it’s bound to come out as an explosion.
I would sort of rather not do that.
I would rather be a butterfly fluttering about and minding my own business.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
And is there hope for these situations in the news and our lives that threaten to overwhelm us with darkness?
This is God’s Word on the subject: . . . I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Yep.
I was so startled by a surprising story of hope at a prayer group meeting that I burst into tears unexpectedly.
There, we learned the remarkable true story of a group of people praying together over issues today that bothered them. One person recounted that in that prayer group, he felt God giving him an idea of how to help clean up plastic from the ocean. I know this way to get new ideas sounds far-fetched, but stay with me1 before you snap your laptop closed.
And then this guy from the prayer meeting went out with his company and built the thing that is another piece in the puzzle of our astonishing plastics problem.
And therein (listening to God and responding ) is our hope.
What global or personal problem threatens to suffocate you, friend?
For me, lately, it’s climate change. But the good news is that God holds a part of the solution for every difficulty we face. He offers different jewels, different parts of the solution to different ones who listen to him and obey his promptings.
Will we humble ourselves and ask him to help us clean up this mess we’re leaving on Earth?
If . . . my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you . . . I’ll restore their land to health.
As the song below plays, can we sing together that we, too, together are “aching for the yield for you to harvest from this hurt?”
Photo Credit: Land Needing Restoration by Md. Hasanuzzaman Himel on Unsplash
Footnotes:
1 Chemist August Kekulé and Physicist Albert Einstein discovered the shape of the benzene ring, and theory of relativity, respectively, after insights gleaned from their dreams at night and many similar examples abound.
In a dream, for instance, a vision at night, when men and women are deep in sleep, fast asleep in their beds—God opens their ears
And to mess with your mind a bit more, the entire scientific process is only possible with a Christian understanding of the world that God values and is the TRUTH. Think about it. If EVOLUTION were to underlie the scientific process, TRUTH wouldn’t matter and couldn’t be trusted – Only things that helped propagate your genes could be relied upon accurately, not TRUTH. More on this another time.
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Now, I have been compared to Ned Flanders. I’m not sure why because, of course, we all know I am very cool! For example, check out my fashion and modern decor advice HERE, HERE and HERE!
As mentioned HERE, I’ve noticed a disturbing rise in pretty young restaurant servers and other seemingly normal people1 enjoying tattooing their bodies with overtly demonic art.
Why?
That’s my question.
I struggled with this question for a while, which means I thought and thought about it without doing any research or talking to anyone else about it, when it suddenly occurred to me that course, if we want to know the answer to ANYTHING, we only need to ask AI!
AI explains that demonic art is increasingly popular in modern culture for the following reasons:
Satanic symbolism [can be used] to explore moral dilemmas and question power and corruption, [and is] . . . a powerful emblem of change and resistance
And hey! These themes are very healthy to pursue and are topics I agree should be thought deeply about! My friend Ned told me not to get a demon tattoo, so I won’t, but the spirit behind what people are looking for when embracing this art is something I agree with, too!
But here’s the thing- Jesus has a way cooler way of talking about these themes!
For example, Jesus talked to a DEAD person, too!
Have you ever thought about that?
Of course, when Jesus talked to the dead person, he returned to life, one of the (more than!) three reasons Jesus is so much cooler than demons! Spiritual, intellectual, emotional and sometimes even physical LIFE happens when we hang around a guy like Jesus!
The second reason Jesus is cooler than demons is that when we align ourselves with Jesus, all kinds of great things come into our lives. When we align ourselves with the demonic, we’re very quickly over our heads, as this Exorcist Files Podcast is documenting is happening more and more in Western culture.
The third reason why Jesus is cooler than demons is because Jesus is all about love, and demons are all about hate. For example, think about all the great heroes of the movies you love best, and all of them gave up something so that someone else could flourish. (Sounds a lot like Jesus!2) Demons devour you for their advantage. For example, think about all the bad guys in movies.
And wouldn’t you rather be a good guy than a bad guy?
So try Jesus instead.
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Photo Credit – Cross by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash
1 It’s not just Hells Angels members who are tattooing themselves with demons anymore. Hells Angels members are definitely not normal, but NO OFFENCE if you are a Hells Angels member, of course! We like you! Or we don’t like you, I mean, because maybe you don’t want to be liked! Whatever! (Who wouldn’t like to be liked? I thought that being liked gives our lives meaning and purpose! So Hells Angels are definitely whacked!) Note to Editor- I DID say that respectfully! And yes, I DID update my Life Insurance Policy. Why do you ask?
2 Another time, we’ll talk about the book all Disney Writers are encouraged to read so their content has a theme of self-sacrifice to help another flourish (Sounds like Jesus!).
Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!
She held her head in her hands, weighted down with discouragement.
How does God‘s kingdom come to earth? How is the love, joy and peace Jesus exemplified deposited on earth? Our political and religious institutions are broken. We are broken. So how does anything good appear when God only finds our wounded hands to use?
Like a peach tree trying with all its might to find a way to create peaches and push them from the roots up the tree and out its leaves, I tried hard to propel joy and God‘s kingdom through my striving.
It wasn’t working
“How does a peach tree produce peaches?” I began to ponder
Peaches are born the moment the peach tree stretches down its roots and thinks, “I’d like a little more water.”
And then, with the drinking and thirst, the roots grow stronger and thicker. Ironically, the thirst of the little tree only increases the more it drinks. The little roots grow deeper and stockier, twisting around obstacles in their way but still moving down, down toward the Source.
And once that little tree drinks all the water that it is designed to drink, peaches come.
How thirsty are you?
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like . . . exuberance about life . . .
This mug says, “Be Happy.”
But the more I tried to be happy, the more discouraged I became.
This unhealthy little peach tree produced eighty-six delicious peaches for our family’s delight last summer.
How much fruit will your tree produce?
As the song below plays, consider asking Holy Spirit to increase your thirst for spiritual things.
And may every good fruit be produced from your life, friend.
Photo Credit: Little Tree Growing by Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash
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I was stretched recently in my travels to California. I have been spiritually stretched before. The gift of being stretched can spiral outward to others if they, too, say, “If God touched that person’s life, He could touch my life, too!”
So below is a previously published article about another of those stretching moments.
Click HERE to continue reading.
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Do you ever look back on your life and think, “I must seem like a complete nutcase to someone else?”
I was driving from Canada to the United States on Stage One of this new identity as a “Successful Travel Blogger” this week when that EXACT same thing happened to me!
The Border Guard asked me why I was travelling to the United States. I was using all my self-control to ensure I wouldn’t get the giggles again like a teenager when the Border Guard asked me questions, and my nervousness took over like the last time I crossed the border. (That’s another story my children still annoyingly talk about incredibly frequently!) However, this time, in my calm, adult way as exemplified HERE, I answered his questions directly and without giving additional information.
“California,” I answered.
His annoying questions persisted, and before long, I found myself babbling about Revivals. “Have you heard of the Jesus Revolution?” I found myself asking the Border Guard excitedly. You see, I have been studying Revival History this year, and my travels are taking me to California to meet with others who have also been digging deep into Revival History.
I am fully aware that this activity seems like a completely nutso way to spend your day to most of the world.
But it also reminds me of the unusual new world I entered when I jumped off the cliff and began following Jesus on a spiritual adventure in my university days.
“This is an entirely different world,” I endlessly repeated in my culture shock, babbling about our weekend get-togethers to whoever would listen. None of us university students would get drunk, and instead, we would spend our weekend evenings in times of prayer and tears, sharing our hearts after dancing at a toga party. It was an unusual mix of fun and depth.
And I’m still following God on an adventure that is a bit of a culture shock to the people I meet.
It’s funny what you get used to!
And it’s great how much fun life becomes when you stop caring whether you fit into the same box as everyone else.
And so, what is the one thing we shouldn’t do as a travel blogger?
Not care quite so much what people think of us so we can soar into the adventure God calls each of us to.
And so, another time, I’ll tell you more about how I’m persisting in being an amazing travel blogger so hopefully, you will put me on a pedestal and think very highly of me!
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Photo Credits – Person Thinking by Paola Aguilar on Unsplash, Bird Soaring Off Cliff by Ruben Valenzuela on Unsplash, Bird Soaring In Sky by Alfonso Betancourt on Unsplash
Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!
Last time, I told you the story of me getting connected with an online group aiming to dig deep spiritually, past the muck and hard earth and to help each other shovel as deep as the soft parts of our hearts, where God feels most welcome.
So, to connect with this online group in person, I’ll be boarding an airplane this week, waving goodbye to you all and STARTING – Wait, I mean CONTINUING of course! – my new identity as a travel blogger!
But there’s a bit more to the story, a part reflecting how God is already there working in all of our lives, and to see this, we need only open our eyes.
This is what happened.
I mentioned last time that I sensed God asking me to join this online group, and I was surprised that God actually knows what He is doing and even knows more than I do! The surprise was that I fit right into a group of people with similar backgrounds, that God was wooing, it appeared, in a similar direction. I had no idea where to begin looking for a group like that, and wouldn’t have thought to try. And over the months, I felt more connected in this group and felt called to continue walking and digging deep with these people.
There’s a story and a surprise kiss from God at this part of the story, too.
Last summer, I thought I sensed God asking us to eliminate clutter in our home. As I sold stuff, I felt Him nudge me, saying He wanted me to buy something for myself with the money I earned. But what? I couldn’t think of anything, which may sound funny, but is true. Do we always need more stuff from Walmart or different clothes when duct tape makes stuff last sooo much longer? (Did I mention I’m Canadian?)
But then, when I realized a few months later that I wanted to take more courses with these people, I counted the cost, and the amount for me to study the courses for the year was within about $10 of what I earned from selling stuff last summer.
As the icing on the cake, I received an email from the group administrator last week saying that I miscalculated the PayPal fees and owe them another $10.
So what?
A coincidence?
Maybe.
Or maybe God is opening my eyes and vicariously opening your eyes, that He DOES offer us little jewels along our path if our eyes are open.
And so what is the forgotten step to removing spiritual blinders?
ask
you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it
As the song below plays, ask God what He has been whispering, but your ears lie on the floor. Where is He standing next to you with a key to solve a problem that disturbs your soul, but you are too busy to stop and notice Him standing next to you?
Help us, God, to remove the blinders from our eyes and the cotton balls from our ears so that we can soar into who we are meant to become, we pray.
Photo Credits: Horse With Blinders by rhoda alex on Unsplash, Large Bird Soaring by Alfonso Betancourt on Unsplash
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I’m shading my eyes with one hand because the sun is so bright!
I’m looking into next week.
Next week, I am heading off on an airplane to California!
We know that I am a “successful” travel blogger as proven definitely HERE (Note to Editor – Can that link be “accidentally” malfunctioning so that readers can’t READ that Newsletter? Thanks!)
Where am I off to this week, you ask with wonder and awe?
Well, since you ask, I can share the details of my travel itinerary with you!
Last fall, I felt the spirit of God nudging me to join an online course with a spiritual focus.
I thought, “I’ll sign up later”, returning to my popcorn and movie. But I probably wouldn’t. That night, the last night you could register as the class started the next day, I felt Jesus holding his hand and leading me into the kitchen and to my iPhone to sign up.
At the first online meeting the next day, I was grumpy for even being there. “What am I doing here?” I wondered. I was later stunned, as you can imagine, when I heard the teacher say, “It seems God is leading some people together who have a Masters degree or a PhD that God is calling into writing.”
I hadn’t told them I had a Master’s degree that I tossed aside because it seemed God was leading me elsewhere. (Yes, the identity crisis did come, but that’s another story). The course had nothing to do with writing.
The point is that God has me on a journey (As he has you on). Would I follow?
Will you?
That group is meeting up this week in California to press in for more of God’s kingdom expressed through the hard earth and thick skulls all humans possess.
Is your heart searching for more of something, and could it be God, too, friend?
If so, join us on an adventure.
As the song below plays, listen with the ears connected to your heart. Do you sense God calling you, after you set aside your fear for a minute or two? What’s your next step?
And I’ll post updates on our travels and escapades here this week as a special focus.1
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!
1 Or I mean because I am a TRUE travel blogger (Note for my editor- Do you think they will believe me that I am “successful” even if my definition of success may not EXACTLY MATCH other’s definitions?)
My kid casually mentioned she may want to move out.
That’s okay!
That’s a NORMAL milestone! Hello!? Of course I don’t care!
Click HERE to continue reading.
Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!
