Pity Party For Me Or Trees?

“Pity parties are never attended by many—just one.”

Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life

Sometimes I’d like to be a hermit.  I look around me and think, “people are crazy, give me a plant any day.”  I am now sitting looking at a forest with a dogwood, several oaks and a lilac closest too me, great friends all, each living well and behaving as they should.  I was just reminded of Kudzu, poison ivy, monkey grass and briars.  I wonder what the trees think while they are looking at me, Johnny Appleseed or Paul Bunyan?   

John Chapman also
known as Johnny Appleseed

Tomato Worship

The last several mornings I have studied in front of a tomato plant.  This morning I went to look closely at it.  I was taken by its beauty.  I thought if I had no knowledge of fruits and vegetable would I ever think up a tomato?  It’s form and color supports its wonderful flavor.  It is the perfect vegetable/fruit.  It is so profound that I readily admit I would worship its Creator. 

These are those that attracted my quiet time attention.  

Stop Chewing On Our Tails or Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

We live in utter turmoil but that’s life. Now technology allows us 24-hour turmoil as we rail against the turmoil.  The latest turmoil is the presidential race, which with national media is now never ending.  We are always in a presidential race. 

In the midst of all this God is available to us and through us to everyone around us.  Think of all your neighbors, those directly across the street from you or all those friends you think of in terms of neighbor.  Has any political race, party or official ever had a direct impact on those relationships?  NO!  I am becoming more and more convinced that the primary goal of politicians and media is to pit us against us until we are like dogs chewing off our tails.  If what I suspect is actually true then I need to become very vigilant in silencing politicians and media* and in improving my relationships with my neighbor**. 

*This is basically possible by turning off the news.

**This is basically possible by walking across the street.

A Better Blogger On Our Presidential Race

“As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude.  It is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength at all.  Like all the Christian virtues, it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable.”

C.K. Chesterton