Give WHO A Sword???

The coming of fall always makes me want to start something new. I think it probably has to do with activities beginning in September, i.e., school, choral groups, clubs. Life has conditioned me to anticipate the upswing, both through my and my children's activities. Even though the children are long gone out of the nest, the feeling persists. So, I cut three inches off my hair and started qi gong and tai chi.

I have considered doing qi gong and tai chi for several years. It is recommended as a safe, yet effective way of exercising the whole body, building coordination and strength, yet gentle for arthritic and vulnerable joints. I don't know about the arthritis part, but vulnerable, my joints are. A few too many accidents - car and motor bike - crazy falls, jumping from high places (roofs and trees) and just being 'a certain age' have left them worn a bit and susceptible to injury. But I always stopped short of actually signing up because 'martial arts are dangerous for Christians'. Bah! I'm sure there are martial arts that focus on the esoteric as the practioner advances, and that I would avoid, but this place doesn't seem to be one of them ... at least at my beginning level. The really cool thing is if one chooses to advance in tai chi, she can practice with weapons! I could get a sword! Oh, the possibilities!!

Pinky: Gee, Brain. What are we going to do tonight?
The Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world. .. (Pinky & the Brain)

Happy Birthday to My Blog!

Glanced over at the archive list and realized this blog just had it's first birthday! One year old! Fantastic!

"But is it art?" Patsy Stone-AbFab

New Republic Article

The New Republic has an interesting article about evangelicals turning to the Orthodox Church. Give it a read.

Just For Fun!

Evensong on the Mountain

Yesterday was a glorious day - perfect weather! We decided to get ourselves up to the mountain for a nice hike after dinner. It is such a blessing to live between two mountains, to have beautiful trails through thick forests and to be able to just go with the spontaneous urge to walk them when we feel like it. For this, I am truly thankful to God.

We were alone and the quiet and stillness were captivating; this place is a tonic to my soul. As the day drew to an end, crickets and katydids assembled for their evensong. The sun became a vivid ball of scarlett and dropped quickly over the mountain top.

We came home tired, but satisfied and ready for the end of the day.

Blessed be the Lord our God.

Today

Today would have been my 35th wedding anniversary. "Would have" if it weren't for alcoholism, separation, divorce and finally, death. He only made it 36 years on this earth. The death certificate stated, "arteriosclerosis" - hardening of the arteries - brought on most likely by excessive alcohol intake. I had remarried the year before he died, so I was never technically widowed. But what do you call the ex-wife, mother of the children of the deceased? There is no word, no place.

May God have mercy upon his soul!

Dancing With the Lord

So Mother Teresa's writings speak of her deep crisis of faith.

When the story broke, my first thought was that it was a great opportunity for the Romaphobists to pounce, shred her dignity and discredit her life's work. And I'm sure that's going on, even as I write.

But not me. Her crisis really has little to do with gender, vocation, denomination or anything else that identified her, other than being a believer in Jesus Christ. It's the way of the Cross, which generally includes a trip through the valley of the shadow of death and often, more than a few dark nights of the soul.

I would seriously question anyone who has been a Christian for a long period of time and claims to never have had serious doubts about God. For whatever reasons, known only to Himself, God dances with us - sometimes closely, like a lover; other times, whirling us in a frenzy while we just try to hang on to His hand. Then the music breaks and all is silent; and in this silence, we wait for the notes to fill the air once again and the touch of our Lover's hand.

May the dance resume.

Idle Words

I was doing a little channel surfing the other day and came across a well-known evangelist. I don't normally pay attention to this person mainly because I find her to come across as angry and rather belligerant. She did not disappoint.

She was commenting on broken-hearted people, stating that they were the victims of wrong thinking; not thinking like God directs in His Word. Click ... she's gone.

The Words of Christ, sung each week in the Divine Liturgy:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Whom shall we believe?

Pork and Porkers

The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis was truly a horrific and stunning tragedy. My prayers are with the survivors and their families. May God have mercy upon them.

Round up the usual suspects; the blame game is on! Less than 24 hours after the collapse, the speculations began. Nothing new.

I'll add to the mix with this. Check out some of the other years' ridiculous waste projects and the graph showing the dramatic increases of pork spending. For example, in 2005, did Alaska really need $1,790,000 for berry research; $1,108,000 for alternative salmon products; $167,000 for salmon quality standards; and $160,000 for seafood waste research in Fairbanks? This is a drop in the bucket of what was actually spent in just that year alone for projects that benefited no one, other than giving a few researchers a reason to get up every day.

Should not a heftier portion of our tax money be used to maintain our transportation infrastructure instead? In Pennsylvania alone, over 800 bridges have been closed due to structural insufficiency. These are old bridges, primarily on secondary and rural roads, but their closure certainly impacts the PA residents. We have many, many bridges in this state and their vulnerability has been discussed and warned about for years. Our illustrious Govenor, Fast Eddie, doesn't seem too concerned about this. He's rather busy these days making sure the casinos and stadiums get built; priorities, you know. But that's another story ...

ETA: 8.6.07 A local radio talk show host claimed today that there are 6,000 bridges in PA classified as structurally deficient - more than any other state in the country.