Elaborate Schemes
I was talking to a friend, a couple of days ago, about our upcoming trip to Europe. His ancestry is Italian, and he's spent a good deal of time in Venice, particularly. Since that's one of the stops on our itinerary, he was giving me some tips. After joining the many other travelers who have told us to go to the islands of Murano to see the glass-blowers, and giving us new info about buying gold, he gave me a word of caution about pick-pockets. Not just that they exist, but he explained the very elaborate schemes they construct to get the job done. He warned me to keep an eye on children, and old women with or without a child in tow. They are used as a type distraction, to bump into...
Room with a View
Every morning I sit here and look out the windows at the view I've come to love so much. What is it about a beautiful view? People clamor for the best view, no matter where they are. They’re willing to pay more (sometimes a LOT more) for a good view, whether it be for a hotel room, tickets for a concert or a game, or, as in my case, the lot where they will build their home. They want to view, unobstructed, the sight that lays before them. We, as humans, like things to be perfectly clear. We don’t want to miss anything. We see an open vista before us and we’re filled with the notion that anything is possible; it’s like a glimpse into a future of untarnished dreams. To me, this is why...
On Guard!
I live in the country. I live WAY OUT in the country. I live WAY OUT in the WILD, WILD, west country. I do not live alone, and I ain't talkin' people. In the last week, there has been a scorpion in the toilet; fire ants in an inch-wide trail, spanning the width of my front yard; a hornet invasion around my daughter's (our equine therapist/program director) apartment; yellow jackets floating on the surface of the pool like someone was throwing a party; and another copperhead sighting. Aside from the scorpion (which really ARE pretty much under control in the house), they've all been outside, but a little too close for comfort. However, we live in their natural habitat. We have...
Tears
"Jesus wept." It was in my mind when I awoke this morning, that simple, two-word sentence from scripture. I hadn't recently read it, or even thought about it, but it was there. I'm also not sad, not mourning, not bereft of anything. But I have been, so I've come know their power. I know how it helps to be able to relate to the very Son of God, knowing that He gets it. Jesus wept because He lost a dear friend. The interesting thing is, He knew He was going to raise that friend from the dead - He knew Lazarus would live again - and yet, He still wept with grief. When we lose someone we love, and they are believers, we know we'll see them again. We know they are alive in heaven, well...
The Critical Few
I've been helping Kevin put together a presentation he has to give this week. I've been going through different movie clips and quotes trying to best illustrate the message he's trying to convey. Yesterday, I ran across something that really resonated with me. Do you see that? Focus on the critical few, not the insignificant many. We've become a minutiae society, haven't we? Instead of the old adage of focusing on the task at hand, or first things first, we've moved to finding our worth in how many balls we can keep in the air at the same time. We jam our calendars to the point there is no white space left, because, well, full calendar = full life. Right? All the while, the...