Thursday, February 28, 2013

What a pompous ass!

Dr. Ben Carson was interviewed by Tom Ashbrook on On Point and it was not a pleasant occurrence.  I was totally unfamiliar with him as I have read none of his books or have I ever heard him speak. Let us hope that he is a better neurosurgeon than he comes across as a human being.
Maybe he was just having a bad day but if he is what he sounded like, what an egotist!

Monday, February 25, 2013

Magical Journey by Katrina Kenison

Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment by Katrina Kenison

Once you reach a certain age, you realize the impermanence of things and life and people. You wonder if the path you've trod has had any meaning or purpose. You wonder about the connectedness of it all. At least, I have and so has Katrina Kenison. Her book was written about the time in her life when her children were stepping out into the world on their own and the time when a dear friend had succumbed to cancer. I've been there and probably most of us have. How she explores this time of change is the subject of this book. I don't think she would mind if I cut to the core and tell you what she found as a friend had told her when she started on this journey: It's all about love. Good book, a bit wordy, but still good. 

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Meditation

Bring the whole of your life under the ordering of the spirit of Christ. Are you open to the healing power of God’s love? Cherish that of God within you, so that this love may grow in you and guide you. Let your worship and your daily life enrich each other. Treasure your experience of God, however it comes to you. Remember that Christianity is not a notion but a way. 

Quaker Advices and Queries

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Goals for Next Week

Goals for the week ending Saturday, March 2, 2013

1.  Continue daily Bible reading--done. 
2. Continue cutting out next quilt top using leftover fabric--done. 
3. Continue Weight Watchers 26 points per day--done. 
4. Border #7/8 on quilt--done. 
 5. Keep seedlings watered & put them out in sunshine--done. But it was too cold and windy to put them outside. 
6. Reading--done. 
     The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauff
     Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment by Katrina Kenison--Finished. 
     For Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner
     Watchers of Time by Charles Todd
7. Cook 4 dinners--done. 
8. Laundry room
     Schedule tile installation--done. Tile will be installed Monday.
     Paint wall--to be done Saturday & Sunday when JMM will move the washer & drier. 
     Measure and order blinds--not done yet. 
     What to hang on wall--looking; not decided yet. 
9. Make appointment to get estimate on clock repair--not done. 
10. Check Hobby Lobby for quilt fabric--not done. 

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Serenity Prayer as Foreign Policy

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Most of us are familiar with the Serenity Prayer but I'd never thought of it as a kind of guide to foreign policy until I read blog post by Rod Dreher.  Here's the link to the entire post:

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/the-serenity-prayer-as-a-guide-to-national-security-policy/

With turmoil everywhere from Mali to Syria to Iraq and Nigeria, the United States can't solve everyone's problems.  Some how we must determine what we can do and what we cannot do. With the instant 24/7 communications that we have today, it is hard to turn away from the vast amount of suffering in the world today. I think the first step is simply not to make a bad situation worse. Then to realistically determine if we can make the situation better and if so, we need to count the cost before we go plunging in.  (We could certainly have avoided a world of hurt if we had applied this to Iraq but we all know my soapbox on Iraq,...)

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Meditation

Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us our darkness and brings us to new life.

Advices and Queries

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Goals for Next Week

Goals for the week ending Saturday, February 23, 2013

1.  Continue daily Bible reading--done. 
2. Continue cutting out next quilt top using leftover fabric--done. 
3. Continue Weight Watchers 26 points per day--done. 
4. Border #6/8 on quilt--done. 
 5. Keep seedlings watered & Plant Mexican Sunflowers & Black-eyed Susans--done. 
6. Reading--done. 
     The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauff
     My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor--Finished. Excellent!
     Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment by Katrina Kenison
     For Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner
     Watchers of Time by Charles Todd
7. Cook 4 dinners--done. 
8. Laundry room
     Price tile and installation--done. 
     Buy tile and paint--done. 
     What to hang on wall--not done. Next week. 
9. Make appointment to get estimate on clock repair--not done. Next week. 
10. Check Hobby Lobby for quilt fabric--not done. Next week.