WHERE ARE THE LEGS

                                                             

I was listening to an interview where Bill O’Reilly was asked about his new book, and how he came up with the title “Killing Jesus”. He said “All of the ideas come to me in the middle of the night. And one night I just woke up and I went “Killing Jesus.” With that title in mind and his history writer Martin Dugard who had also been co-author of the best sellers “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy” set out to research and write a book about the historical Jesus. Their work published within a short span of 8 months.

The idea about “Pregnancy Redefined” woke me up in the middle of the night as well. I was startled that his title had been a two word title as well, and after listening to O’Reilly, I felt shameful I hadn't pushed through the pain and continued to write. After all, “Pregnancy Redefined” indicated “full of meaning,” “significant,” “fertile,” and “rich. Wasn't my goal to put out ideas for growth to those who would find some type of inspiration from reading them? Even if one person was inspired by my writing would it not be important?

The idea of pushing through the pain is not new to me. I have achieved goals by doing just that, and yet this writing inspiration was not taking hold. I had just finished reading “The Tools” by Phil Stutz & Barry Michels, described as “5 tools to help you find courage creativity, and willpower-and inspire you to live life in forward motion.”Writing must have been in the back of my mind when I chose it.

I've been on a hiatus for awhile as I felt I had no leg to stand on writing about “Pregnancy Redefined”.  I felt I had nothing new to say to the reader to hold their interest… not relevant, old fashioned, high idealed, melodramatic, sentimental, and not trying my hardest… to put it in my own judgmental words.

But here I am again inspired to write. Our ideas come with that interior voice beckoning us to go beyond our comfort zone, push through the pain and fear, and develop a strategy no matter what our age.

The sonogram could not detect legs on the baby. As a result the doctor wanted the pregnant mother back for amniocentesis. She decided against the procedure displaying her willingness to accept this baby sight unseen. Her heart was heavy as fear, sadness and acceptance intertwined for the balance of the pregnancy. 

   

I had forgotten about this incident when my daughter reminded me of the nightmare she had faced and my response had been “We’ll just get a wheelchair for her.” She reminisced about this as we drove back from a 5K race… That baby, now 11 years old had just won first place in that 3.2 mile cross country  race, a 6^th grader beating out 167 junior high and high school girls. No wheelchair needed! Legs in motion! One leg standing… the other flying!

That 11 year old was interviewed regarding her big win. When the interviewer asked her how she won this, she replied, “I tried my hardest.”  He then asked her what her strategy was. She replied, “I started at the pace I thought was good for me and then eventually picked it up.”

I saw many girls cross the finish line that day with a winning strategy to pick up their pace. So here I am trying to pick up the pace to be able to say “I tried my hardest”. Whatever hurdles we have to overcome no matter what age, there is inspiration all around. We only have to believe we have a leg to stand on!

CIRCLE OF WARMTH

Pope declares …“no animals at the birth of Jesus!” This comment reported by a multitude of news agencies. Could this be possible?

During the Christmas season I display a number of manger scenes collected over the years. Children invariably move the animals right next to the Baby Jesus.

 In the past I had been present at a Christmas day Mass when the new Bishop of Orlando, Bishop John Noonan, was the celebrant and homilist. There is a formality and ritual that arrives with a Bishop, but grace and humility arrived with him as well. His words left me with a vivid picture of Mary, Joseph, and the animals… their breath and bodies providing warmth for this new babe.

 Small children probably “get” the importance of the animals. Mary and Joseph would more than likely think of stepping back  if the animals  provided more heat to their new infant… something that as parents,…as imperfect as we are… might also do under those circumstances. Often we see Baby Jesus surrounded by Mary and the animals,…with Joseph as protector of this tiny circle. Is this not true for many dads who shepherd our families, sacrificing their own needs, for their wife and children, and protecting us from the “cold”?

So, here was this little family, all present to one another.  Mary, Joseph, God made manifest…and the animals… all supporting one another…the first circle of warmth.

When that circle was complete, the shepherds appeared with their sheep, giving honor and additional warmth to the little family. They had been guided by the light above, and came to pay homage. Their hearts were open. They had little material gifts to give, but came to the table of our Lord anyway.

Additional warmth arrived when the Magi appeared with their camels. These astronomers had much to give in the way of material gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh – but their hearts were also open to the New Savior  as they too had been guided by the star.

The “no animals at the birth of Jesus”, controversy came from the third book of “Jesus of Nazareth …the infancy narratives”, written by Pope Benedict XVI. The book was a scholarly look at what we know about the Jesus birth. He was pointing out that the Gospels did not specifically mention the animals, (which is true, since I checked it out myself)…but he clarified that the animals were mentioned in other parts of the bible. Their presence could however be inferred since there was a manger which by definition is “a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock”.

Hmm! How many times have I failed to see the truth and walked away with an incomplete view?

As this New Year begins may truth and warmth surround you!

See you next time...God willing! God bless!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

“Surprise! Surprise! God is a surprise! Open up your eyes and see!”…the chorus of a song, my sister loved to play and sing along with.

This week… Christmas week…there were no pennies… turning up and surprising me in unlikely locations. ..Perhaps, I did not see! …

 I was preoccupied with a pain in my left arm (no it was not a heart attack. I ruled that out quickly. No time for a massage therapist either). I complained to my husband at least twice a day, took an anti inflammatory, meditated about it, and even offered up my suffering for someone I loved.

The pain…  to me!… was extreme, and it’s torture, as it lessened and gained strength  throughout the day and night,  reminded  me of my vulnerability, and the little control I had over this pain. I tried to figure out what happened. Did I hit the door frame when I entered or exited the room…this often happens, when I think I am so rushed for time, and  try to cut corners...literally! Did I pick up too many heavy objects?  The blame game even entered the picture…my husband, in trying to alleviate the pain, must have worsened it.  I tried to pray every time I would look for an explanation, rather than ruminate over the cause…not too successful!

Another of my sisters had given me a daily reading book titled, “God Calling”. Although I sometimes miss a day, (the cutting corners problem again), I always find the reading so appropriate to what is going on in my life. Allow me to quote one of the 3 paragraphs of the Dec 21^st reading titled “Smile indulgently.”

“Children, take every moment as of My planning and ordering. Remember your Master is the Lord of the day’s little happenings. In all the small things yield to My gentle pressure on your arm. Stay or go, as that pressure, Love’s pressure indicates.”

“Gentle pressure on your arm.”  I did smile indulgently… and laugh at the irony of gentle pressure versus excruciating pain. It reminded me of Tevya in the show “Fiddler on the Roof”…After bearing many burdens he says, “Lord, if this is how you treat your faithful servants, no wonder you have so few.”

The severe pain left that day!  It changed to “gentle pressure.”

My heart was changed that day also, as I developed a deep compassion for those who suffer pain, short or long term.

“Gentle pressure!”…A sign of God’s benevolence! Surprise!  Surprise!

See you next time...God willing! God bless!

TEST TRACK

                                                               

Have you noticed that many things we know and do are changing? There is re-imagined, redesigned, revamped, reopened, not to mention... redefined, if you follow my drift.

Orlando is a wonderful haven for theme parks, and this week Epcot inaugurated their new “Test Track” ride. I expect I’ll be visiting it soon to see how it has been re-imagined. I hear it’s an even more exhilarating ride, and has already received fantastic reviews as you are able to incorporate your own design into the vehicle.

My memory takes me back a while ago when I rode “Test Track” with my oldest granddaughter.  It was a ride that Disney imagineers created after visiting the GM auto testing laboratory. It allowed us to experience, in short form, the tests that an automobile must go through to perform on the highway. The ride went something like this: ascending steep terrain, downhill control, bumpy roads, 50 degree banked curves, hair-pin turns that test suspension and brakes at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. We were also subjected to extreme cold and heat tests, a misting of water to test corrosion and finally a fitfully high speed that ultimately stopped you in the nick of time before hitting a crash barrier. It was exhilarating and fun, my only fear being in the final high speed chase to the finale…and I wasn't certain what that was…until it came to a stop!

This morning I woke up with the image that life is much like the test track we experienced. Life takes us in many directions and situations, and it is our job to figure out our lives based on what we are in the midst of going through…sometimes  we like the results, and other times not. Life can be fun, fearful, and challenging, but it is our job to find a way to survive the bumps, bruises and tests of life, all along the way seeing the grand purpose of why we were created. Perhaps if we saw our lives more as a ride than a struggle, we would be able to laugh through the tough periods, and ease the burdens of not only ourselves, but also of others.

As the vehicle reached excessively high speeds, my granddaughter laughed with excitement, as I screamed with fear. The end result was the same…the end of the ride!

Next time I ride “Test Track”, I will remember her laughter and sit back and enjoy the ride. Some things take time. I thank her for this gift!

See you next time...God willing! God bless!

RE-IMAGINED SPACESHIP EARTH

One of the most recognizable icons at Epcot Theme Park in Orlando is the 18 story geodesic sphere located at the entrance titled, “RE-IMAGINED! Spaceship Earth”. I had visited it many times as “Spaceship Earth”, but in 2007 it became more interactive and “RE-IMAGINED” was added. I rode this awhile ago with my youngest granddaughter.

As we climbed the ball, I felt her loop her arm through mine, and grab my other hand with her free hand. Her nervousness was evident as we rode through the various stages of our planet’s development…a discovery of how each generation built upon previous generations…a celebration of human achievement!
It was not until we reached the interactive portion, where we had to choose what was important to us, that she let go, and became excited about  the choices we both were going to make for “our future”.  She wanted to choose the home as important to us, made of natural materials, and on the beach. Her favorite picture was of herself serving me a drink as we enjoyed the ocean view.
Her need for closeness in the beginning of the ride reminded me that children need us to hold them and gently guide them…Then all of a sudden they no longer need us as they become fully engaged in life. We step aside, and only surface again if their need for us reappears and we are called by love to be by their side once again.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor was a 37 yr. old Harvard trained brain scientist. That did not make her exempt from experiencing severe brain hemorrhaging from a massive stroke that left her unable to walk, talk, read, write or recall any of her life.

 An amazing mother “RE-IMAGINED” her daughter’s life after the stroke. She nursed her back to “communication” with love and insight. She actually began cuddling her grown daughter as if she were still a baby and would disallow people with negative energy from entering her daughter’s presence.
 8 years later with her mother’s dedication in helping her walk, read, write, and remember… along with Dr. Jill’s understanding of how the brain functions…came the result,  not only as a neurologist… but a neurologist with a book titled, “My Stroke of insight”, and a “RE-IMAGINED” view of the medical field.
Dr. Jill described it this way, “I believe the more time we spend running our deep inner peace circuitry, then the more peace we will project into the world, and ultimately the more peace we will have on the planet.
My granddaughter grew in her unique personality as we rode “Spaceship Earth”. She saw herself not as the fearful traveler that she was in the beginning, but one who was called out of herself to serve me that drink by the ocean. This is one of many times I have observed her joyfully serving others. With children like her, we are assured of living on a joyful “RE-IMAGINED! Spaceship Earth”.

See you next time...God willing! God bless!

DO...UBT

Don’t suck”…This phrase… advice for bloggers…staring me in the face…

Too late! I had already created a blog spot and posted 2 blogs before I read this. The quote, from the e-book “One Body, Many blogs” by T.J. Burdick was submitted by Marc Barnes of “Bad Catholic Blog”. It was from an article titled “Ten commandments for faith bloggers”, posted in the News Sentinel by Terry Mattingly. (Please don’t run away because I used the word Catholic). I hadn’t really categorized myself as a faith blogger either…but if it walks like…and talks like… O.K. you get the idea. No apologies!

“Don’t suck”? …allowing me to ask the question why was I doing this? …To show the world I can’t write?  To show the world I have no new ideas to infuse? I had rarely searched out blogs but decided to check out “Bad Catholic”. The title suggested a little rebellion and that totally interested me.

The Nov. 14 2012 blog was titled, “Better Than Nothing”.  The author opened with, “All things come from and tend towards Nothing”. Was this statement meant for me in this circumstance? Doubt was rarely part of my vocabulary, but this “Pregnancy Redefined” might be bigger than my capability. It was obvious the writer had developed his craft. His writing was that of a well honed artisan…mine of a newborn! I was captured by the complexity of his writing; each statement building upon the last. His ultimate conclusion “sin requires nothing, it’s always the easiest action to perform, but virtue requires effort and resistance. Sin is surrender. Virtue is resistance. Perhaps it is absurd – believing we can win – but it seems to me a far better thing than nothing”.

The message was very clear… doing something is “Better Than Nothing”… but it better not suck! It needs to be awesome!

But…It takes a long time to develop a craft! Often it starts with a suggestion from others. Often it starts from a desire within.

In Junior High School, my friend would knock on my bedroom window to have a fun game of badminton. I enjoyed the lightness of the racquet and the shuttlecock (although, at the time, had no idea what that little projectile was called). It would fly through the air with extreme ease, and I could fly with it for a few moments in time. I felt lighter… freer…  more connected to life. We could rally back and forth, striking a rhythm… no one attempting to outsmart the other…just two friends trying to stay in the game for the sheer pleasure of it.

In order to get outside and play, my friend would eloquently tell me what to write. She was happy to share… and I was happy to accept…freedom at a cost!  

It’s still ironic that I should be writing now, but that penny story set me on this path late in life. For me, it has been, and still is a way to express my inner thoughts…no craft involved….unless…?

In Junior High School, my daughter developed a love of singing. At age 15 she settled on Opera, and it became evident that the musical talent and training melded into the craft she now exhibits.

She knew about my penny stories and so called  me to describe her encounter. She had entered a practice room, and there lined up on the piano were 15 pennies, sporting the “In God We Trust” logo. She was hoping this Opera Company would be the one to hire her… a great sign of God’s divine providence.

I have been in the audience when she is performing her art, and it is like the badminton game. I felt lighter…freer…and more connected to life. The rhythm of performer and audience joining together for the sheer pleasure of it!

She had not received a callback, she was back on the road again, another audition on the horizon…searching for the place that would recognize her gift to give. Gift perfected with practice!

All that trouble about doubt!

What idea is floating in the back of your mind waiting to take flight? Call it, name it and do it with as much passion and determination you can muster, all with an “In God We Trust” mindset!

Can you DO this?...YOU BET! ... Do!...ubt!

See you next time...God willing! God bless!

EGO

Bear with me as I reminisce about Thanksgiving Day 2010!...I’m in the age category where it’s expected of me, so I don’t want to disappoint my reader…(if you join my blog I can add an s to reader)! It’s not that I don’t have anything new to say, it’s just that penny stories have become very obsolete in my realm these days, and the past penny discovery is still prominent in my mind.

It was a day like any other day when the penny surfaced again.  Some still say this is coincidental, but God speaks to each of us in a language we individually speak with him. Whenever I encounter this penny… at times when I am least aware of God’s presence… He brings me into His fold… gladdens my heart…puts a smile on my face… and builds my trust in Him.  I become like a small child being led…not that any willful small child…including myself… can be led. My only delay is my inability to comprehend His utmost love for me. I know He is building me, asking me for patience.  I am slow to commit! My own ego often gets in His way, and He has to take twists and turns wherever I go… to meet me on my terms. I know, however that He will eventually bring me to the fullness of life…here… and before I take my final breath.

Maybe you are wondering under what circumstance the penny surfaced this time. My husband had asked me to move the furniture in the living room…no joke… I’m the one who moves furniture around here! He was bringing in the Christmas tree…no it is not real; it would never survive this long sojourn if it were. (Yes, I know it’s early, but my husband loves the beauty of Christmas, as he diligently works, reminiscing about past events earmarked by a history that tells a broader story than what you see). The music he chooses shows the depth of his soul, as I ponder his most beautiful and gracious spirit. My years with him have enriched my life, and long before the penny surfaced in my life, he was the blessing that put a smile on my face, and made me aware of God’s presence.

I moved a living room chair and under it was the penny!!!

What other pennies have been hiding from me?

42 years of marriage…42 displays of ego…Coincidental?

See you next time...God willing! God bless