ellenspictures

Category: faith

2017. meh. fear and loathing in the new year.

2016 really became the most bizarre year in recent memory, especially during the second half. Was it something that got sprayed into the air that said, “Go act crazy now, ya’ hear?” – and they did? “They” meaning all of those who have drunk the koolaid and are expecting miracles. Ever hear of Jim Jones and Guyana? Hmmm. Now this is again, “The Madness of Crowds – Extraordinary Popular Delusions”. So, in 19 days, or thereabouts, the shit-show begins. Yes, I can still say that. I can curse if I want to, I have earned it.

Hunter S. Thompson! We miss you! No telling what you would be saying about all of this. Something fearsome hilarious, no doubt. I cannot imagine. I would think that the book would be a NYT Best Seller in a heartbeat. We are buckling our seat belts for a wild ride, no doubt.

Right now, though, just worried about the hacking and sputtering wink-wink. So much ado and so much to worry about, it is one of those times that just keeps going on and on and on and on and on… and on.

So, break out the Champagne or your favorite bubbly. What the heck? Why not? Go read Revelations for some cheery late night reading – or any other apocalyptic ancient script – pick one, they all basically point to the same thing – end times with someone coming to help us out of the situation. I’m subscribing to one, others subscribing to others… that’s the way the world has ALWAYS worked, right?

In the meantime, I’m headed to the treadmill for some escape binge watching… Luckily, we did not see any clowns the weekend, but plenty of wannabees. God loves them just the same.

Welcome to 2017. Really. This pie’s for you!

January 1, 2017
it’s coming on Christmas…

Admittedly, this is a different holiday season in many ways, this year, but most acutely, within my family we will be adjusting to spending our holiday with fewer people this year than last, and praying for the healing of the broken links that are causing this. Links are connections that when one is broken, many are affected.

The hardest adjustment is “re-framing” our situation when this happens – the instability caused, takes a while to re-stabilize to the new normal, whatever that is to be, and our very human emotions are affected forevermore, so more work must be done to contain the reactions and resulting instability that those create, as well.

We hear the term “chain reaction” — our chain may not be linear, but may be more like a net of chain links.

I remember hearing my parents talk about this or that relative who they had difficulty being around because of some unfortunate situation that occurred in the past, that caused hurt feelings where the scars were too great to completely heal. The more major the hurt, the bigger the scars and the damage done. Time factor comes in and sometimes it helps dissipate the hurt, and dilute the ill feelings, but sometimes it does not help in that way.

Troubleshooting circumstances like this that happen ahead of or during the holidays can be especially difficult, can cause much confusion, and if there is perceived loss or potential loss, the losses of the past are dragged up out of the coffins in our memory bank, like Dracula in the darkness, coming out to demand that “deep inner work” be done, once again – to resettle the grief, and attempt to heal and recover back to a more normal state.

The human condition involves loss and grieving.

We are wired to feel loss and grief, but we are not given a handbook on how to do the healing in the best way possible – someone forgot to pack that in our backpack when we were born – oh – right – we are not given a backpack, just the capabilities to develop as we mature — and some of us are not given the best sets of tools, or there are things that happen that cause the tools to be broken or rusty when we pull them out to use them.

I always ask God to advise me on these occasions. Sometimes I listen and do not hear back. Sometimes the message comes in an unexpected form. In fact, usually, that is the case. I am waiting right now. Just saying.

Joni Mitchell is great at articulating how wistful the holidays can be in her song “River” when she discusses how broken relationships affect the time.

In our case, I am praying hard for guidance in troubled times. I am praying for healing, and for recovery — and I am praying for Peace… It’s a different holiday season this year. I am observing it. I am trying to re-frame for this year in order to survive through the time with some holiday spirit.

December 8, 2016
here we are in the years. the eve of another thanksgiving day.

here lately, in our years on the sea of life, we have entered into one of those stormy territories, where the swells are large and the waves are high making it a challenge to navigate, and the winds change and increase, then decrease, but we know we have not yet reached the eye, and we know that when we do, there will be more of the same, or worse, before the storm dissipates. this is an illustration of how little control we actually have in our lives, and that we only can hope to control what each of us does, and how we respond to whatever is laid in our paths.

we say that it’s life, but nonetheless, how to navigate it right now requires much in the order of calling up troubleshooting skills, interpretation skills like that of a fortune teller, and shields to protect against arrows that fly, and spears that are thrown, from those who are angry and just “getting it out of their systems” – the anger is so old and deep, that it might not be obvious the origin. you can get hurt. you will sustain lifelong scars. will it kill you? you do not know that. only God knows the answers. we pray that this is not part of the fallout.

so, you appeal to God in prayers. you might say, “hey God, i’m sorry that i haven’t been that attentive to my thankfulness and my gratitude lately. i’m sorry that i have hurt people, not intending to do that, but somehow through my thoughts, words, and deeds where those landed and people felt that i was doing something against them. you cannot predict or control how this goes. grace, here lately, has not been something that people are considering much. forgiveness is a concept that has not yet been included because it maybe is not time to do this for people who have felt hurt and down driven for a goodly period of time. this would come much later. usually. if it does.

we are here, the day before the big thanksgiving celebration and it is a somber one this year. since this time a year ago, many things have transpired. yet, we do need to think about those gifts in life for which we are grateful. if we look outward, we see that we have many gifts.

we have family, albeit some are in a period of instability. we are grateful to be in their lives, and will pray for resolution and healing for their troubled times.

we have our friends. friendship is a rich gift of being a human in this life. thanks are due for these friends.

we have a sunny day, after an overnight storm.

we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and are not wearing rags and without shoes.

we know people who are fighting illnesses who have lived another day, and are grateful and full of grace. for those who lost their battles and have moved on, we are grateful for having them in our lives, as this was a gift to us.

we know people who are fighting instability in their lives, and we will pray for them. they have lost jobs, they are having relationship issues, or other problems in their lives. we will pray for them to overcome these challenges. having challenges as a human is part of living. we pray that the challenges do not overcome us, but that we overcome them.

most of all, we have love in our lives in many forms. we have love in our hearts. we do know that this comes from God’s universe and is within us, despite what we hear on the news, each of us has love within us. we only need to call upon the power of love and what wonders it can do to heal mankind, if we let it in.

on this eve of thanksgiving here in the USA, may the grace of God be upon you, within you, all over you and those with whom you are connected. we watch and pray for goodness and strength for good to come and in the next cycle, to anticipate thankfulness for the gifts of love in our lives.

November 23, 2016

November 23, 2016