The harsh winter weather in North American introduced a new phrase into our vocabulary - polar vortex. The meteorologists loved to say those words over and over again to describe the dramatic rush of snow, wind and cold blanketing this part of the world. January can be cold here, but not this frigid. A polar vortex is super cold air that whirls around the Arctic. Occasionally this mass changes course and comes south to regions it normally doesn't visit. I found the words to describe this weather system interesting: lopsided, distorted, intense, turbulent, and even dangerous. A vortex is a whirling spiral of motion around a center like the water spinning down the drain of the bathtub. Once formed, vortices don't keep neat circles, but can move, stretch, twist, and interact in complex ways. A vortex seems pretty chaotic, unpredictable and ever changing to me. Mmmm, that sort of sounds like life, doesn't it? The metaphor of a spiral is often used to describe … [Read more...]
2014 Point of View
I have been pondering my point of view today. Northwest Ohio is experiencing a bitterly cold start to the New Year - snow upon snow, winds more than 40 mph and wind chills minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I only can see harsh winter from my office window. Yet a week ago I walked without a jacket in the Miami sun, cheering on my Ohio State Buckeyes at the Orange Bowl. Quite a different perspective. Many of you live in warmer climates. I know some of you live in other countries where it is summer, not winter. Just because I only see miserable winter weather doesn't mean that is the only point of view. Practicing Critical Awareness I am rereading Brene Brown's wonderful book, The Gifts of Imperfection (more on her writing on Thursday's post). She has this quote: "It's in our biology to trust what we see with our eyes. This makes living in a carefully edited, overproduced, and Photoshopped world very dangerous. if we want to cultivate a resilient sprit and stop fall prey to … [Read more...]
What are Antiphons? – An Advent Tradition
"It's time for the O's!" "I love the O's. They really get me ready for Christmas." "Oh, what are you two talking about?" I asked my friends. Not only did I hear the answer, but I learned a new Advent tradition. The O's they were referring to are the Antiphons or sometimes spelled O'Antiphones. These are seven prayers chanted in the evening the seven days before Christmas. Actually the Antiphons ritual begins December 17 until December 23. Their strange name, Antiphons, originates from the Greek language meaning responsive singing. What is special about these sentences is that each one is a title for the coming Messiah. They are, O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel. Each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah. The Seven Antiphons December 17 "O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most … [Read more...]
The Opposite of Optimism – Lessons in Change
The opposite of optimism is not pessimism. The opposite of optimism is helplessness. I read this statement the other day and it lingered in my thoughts and heart. When a word or phrase jumps out like that I have learned to listen to its wisdom. Usually it means God is teaching me something if I pay attention to the lesson. As you all know, this blog transferred last week to a new platform called Wordpress. While I was optimistic the move would be successful, I was nervous, uncomfortable and filled with self-doubt about the decision. Yes I felt helpless. This has been a reflective lesson in how I cope with any change in life. How does the change feel now? I sense I am living in a new house. You know what it is like to buy a new home. We have some of the same structures - bedroom, doors, bathrooms but the details are strange and new. We don't know our way around in the dark or which light switch works where. We can't find what we want since it is still in boxes and who knows … [Read more...]
Advent Change
I don't like change. Snuggling deep into my comfort zone, I like to know the what, when and how the future will unfold. Change makes me nervous. Powerless. Not in control. Even the sense of fear creeps in when something new comes or circumstances adjust my well ordered plans. Sigh. I have faced this issue before as you can read in this post. Yet life is change. So is Advent. I wrestle with the question that lingers this time of year: How will my heart be transformed by Advent? I should be writing words about trust, faith, and God is in control, but I want to be honest. Mixing things up, finding new ways, trying different perspectives is all difficult. This morning I played around with different words describing change that may soften my opposition. I know just a silly mind game, but one I am hoping will help. Adapt Alter Correct (YIKES!) Evolve Transform Turn Veer (off track most likely crashing into the unknown) Revamp Shift Then I found … [Read more...]
Whetting our appetite for Thanksgiving with 10 Inspiring Quotes
Last year I shared 10 Thanksgiving quotes and found a few more this year to share with you. The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer Blessings are oftentimes not valued till they are gone. - Thomas Fuller Gratitude is the memory of the heart. - Massieu Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie “When you drink the water, remember the well.” Chinese proverb "Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Aesop “Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.” A. W. Tozer You say grace before meals. All … [Read more...]
What’s Really Holding Me Back? – When Little Things Block Our Path
"So aggravating when just a little something holds back something big!" Wise words from my friend Karen. I whined in my email to her about my recent irritating refrigerator saga. Little did I know that an appliance would remind me of a spiritual lesson. How Little Things Start to Grow The quest for a new refrigerator began quite innocently with the arrival of a postcard from our local energy company. They would reimburse us $50 to remove an older power-sucking refrigerator and replace it with an energy saving one. I wasn't happy with my present refrigerator - the ice-maker barely worked, the motor ran almost continually, and I never did like the narrow side-by-side storage. I dreamed about one of those French door styles and fancy bottom freezer. As my hubby and I discussed making the switch, I experienced more than one moment of thankfulness - to be living in a era where electricity provided a cold place for food storage, to live in a country where choices abounded in styles … [Read more...]
Spiritual Lesson from a Wind Farm
Our eyes can deceive us. We think we know what is going on. We assume we know the full story. We take for granted what we are seeing is what actually is occurring. The eyes of our heart can trick us too. This is one lesson that wind turbines taught me this week. On our way to Columbus we pass a huge wind farm. More than 100 of these giants take over the landscape on both sides of the road. I am glad I am the passenger and not the driver last week as I couldn't take my eyes from their graceful dance and twirling. "I would think they would turn quicker in this strong of a wind," I said to my hubby. "They spin and rotate at such a leisurely pace." Be mindful of your "wonderings"- often God uses them as lessons. "I wonder how fast they really spin?" I knew immediately I would have to look up this fact. Any ideas on how fast the tips of these giants really turn? I was shocked. Of course it depends on the size, location and speed of the wind, but … [Read more...]