Glowing Trees

19 Jun
They’re not very pretty. That is, some limbs are missing, their
shape is not attractive, rather scrawny. But.
When I saw them I thought of a burning bush story and I
looked at all the surrounding bushes and they weren’t
glowing and I thought to myself: See what light can do!
Light, the light of the morning, is life-giving, an
energy source that, like an electrical current,
powers up the average and turns average into astonishing.
“I am the light,” he said once. I am the source.
Walk in that Light and you’ll glow today.

Do You Happen To Have A Brown Paper Sack?

16 Jun

Dear Reader: This poem has very little spiritual value and it probably won’t expand your theological horizons. But it was fun.

Tie my hands behind my back!
Do you happen to have an old paper sack
I could use to stuff in my mouth?

I stepped on the scales at 4 o’clock,
by 6 I wasn’t beyond the shock
from those nasty numbers that laugh at me.

I remember the days of S, M, and L
but now I live in the virtual hell
of life at the corner of Chubby and Fat.

If I continue to stuff my face,
I calculate that at this pace
I’ll be the Eclipse of ’23.

Will no one have pity on this poor man?
How much more do you think I can
extend this belt and stretch these pants?

Do they sell Quad-Xs at the local store?
I simply can’t take very much more.
One more muffin, or two, and I’m through.

Well, it’s been two months and look at me!
Can you believe what you think you see?
CNN should cover this stunning news.

From two twenty-one to one eighty-six.
No deceptions, no schemes, no infamous tricks.
Do you remember that brown paper sack?
It works!

I’m Not Worthy!

3 Jun

Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness.

C.H. Spurgeon

I’ve got to look better, act better, do better, sound better…I’ve got to be better before I can become friends with God. And if I try harder, pray more, study twice as much as I do now, then I will be qualified to follow Christ. I need to be holy in order to associate with the Holy.

I feel for the person who thinks this way. The fact of the matter is, he’s exactly wrong. Holiness is not a requirement for friendship with God or for participation in God’s church, the Body of Christ. Holiness is the outcome of surrender and commitment. Remember the line in that old hymn: Just as I am without one plea…O Lamb of God, I come.

I wonder how many people miss the richness of life in Christ because they are convinced they can’t make the cut? Not good enough. Not worthy. All the while, it’s not a question of worthiness. It’s the realization that I can’t do it all myself and the courage to take the chance. Holiness is the gift, and Christ is the giver.

So, What Is This?

2 Jun
So, what is this?
It’s the medal platform at the Floral Olympics.
It’s the representation of The Trinity in Theology.
It’s an aid in learning to count: 1, 2, 3…
It’s the invasion of alien flower brains that will take over.
It’s a mirage. It’s not really there.
It’s a lovely plant beside a path. That’s all.
That’s plenty.
Don’t make life any more complicated than it is.
Live simple. Open your eyes.
Be amazed in this moment.
Say: Thank you.

Remembering Friends

1 Jun
Always nice when a friend stops by for breakfast. Or to chat a little, or just to say hello and “I was thinking about you recently and wanted you to know how much I appreciate your friendship.” Think today about your friends, the close ones and the casual ones. And hold them in your mind and heart in the presence of Christ.

Memorial Day

30 May
We remember. Thank you. Rest in peace.

One More Thought

26 May

I just now looked back through the Archives of ShiningSpirit to the very first post, May 26, 2013. This nine-year experience began with a post called ‘Lean Toward The Light” and now, today, May 26, 2022, without any idea what I wrote years ago, I’m still captured by the idea of Light as Surrounding Presence. It’s a magnificent metaphor, but it is also our practical reality. Every new day is a Welcome The Light experience. No charge for the extra thought….

Welcome The Light

26 May
Welcome the Light. No matter what yesterday was like. Maybe yesterday was a wonderful day, or an average day, or a lousy day. It was yesterday and it’s gone. Let it go along with all the things you can’t fix, the anxieties, the “what ifs”. Think of Light as a new coat you put on today, or a flow of cleansing love that washes out all the corners and crevices. Look into the gentle morning Light and take confidence in its surrounding presence. Welcome the Light that shines out of the darkness. And darkness cannot overcome it. Or you.

Just Around The Corner

24 May
The way is narrow, obstacles are strewn here and there, the uphill pathway is so uneven. But do you know what’s around the corner and over the hill? When you make that last corner and step into the sun, do you know what you’ll see? Do you want to know? Shall I tell you, or would you like to discover it yourself? This is a path, so you know others have walked it. It can be done. It has been done. You’re next. Work your way around the obstacles, take small steps and go slowly. You can do it. In fact, you must. Listen to the birds sing along the way and feel the wind dancing with the tall trees. You are an essential part of this life canvas. This is your pathway.
Get up. Pick up your mat. Let’s go. That’s right: Let’s go together, and while we walk I’ll tell you about the surprise around the corner. Now, listen carefully….

Lovely Bird

22 May

An eternal question: Is that true? Are you telling me the truth? Are you genuine? Truth. Truth is the foundation of relationships and societies. We are led to believe by very ancient sources that truth is the foundation for life. And yet in our politics, in the market place we don’t mind bending the truth, or even telling the lie in order to make personal gain.

Isn’t that a lovely bird in the photo above? I just happened to be in the right place when he flew in. Yes, what a pose. And the colors are striking. It’s a very fine photo, if you ask me. In my yard? Well, no. I didn’t take it there. While walking in the neighborhood? Ahh, no. Okay…truth be told. I took a picture of my television screen. He’s a bird on TV. He’s a bogus bird and I have to tell you the truth. I could make up a story about how I captured this photo and I could give you all the details, but that wouldn’t be true, would it.

You and I are offered the opportunity almost every day tell that “little white lie”, the one that really doesn’t matter. But truth does matter. It matters a lot. I believe that Jesus became such a threat to the Jewish religious leaders and to the Roman government that they had to get rid of him. Jesus told the truth in the face of lies and when he named the lie for what it was, he became an intolerable threat. Speaking truth can be costly, but to deny truth is to create chaos.

I still say the little bird is brilliant, even if the photo is a phony. And that’s no lie.

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