Happy Easter, Cherokee Prayer, Tennessee Update

A great day is coming. I can feel it. I can see it. Time to get awake. Time to get ready. Better find my better shoes. Better get myself dressed and looking good. It will be a day of celebration. A day like no other.  A great day.  When all of God's people shout for joy. When they are free and feel like dancing for no reason other than dancing. I want to be part of that kind of day. I want to drop my blues like a rock and jump up to see the glory of that morning. The light is already on the horizon. Hope is in the air. Peace is playing like music. Love is coming this way. Bishop Steven Charleston

Mark 15:12-46

 

The Passion

¹² Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶ The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. ¹⁸ Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. ²⁰ When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

²¹ A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene,^[a] was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) ²² And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). ²³ They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.

²⁴ Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice^[b] to decide who would get each piece. ²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ Two revolutionaries^[c] were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.^[d]

²⁹ The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. ³⁰ Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

³¹ The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ³⁴ Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”^[e]

³⁵ Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ³⁶ One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”

³⁷ Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

³⁹ When the Roman officer^[f] who stood facing him^[g] saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰ Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph^[h]), and Salome. ⁴¹ They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation,^[i] the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) ⁴⁴ Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. ⁴⁵ The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. ⁴⁶ Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.

Mark 16

The Resurrection

16 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on Sunday morning,^[a] just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

⁵ When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, ⁶ but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,^[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. ⁷ Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

⁸ The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.^[c]

⁹ After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. ¹¹ But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.

¹² Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. ¹³ They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

¹⁴ Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.<sup>[d]

15</sup> And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. ¹⁶ Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.^{[e] 18} They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

¹⁹ When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ²⁰ And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Alleluia, Christ is risen.

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

For me and other Christians this is a very special week that culminates with Christ rising from the dead. I encourage everyone to be there on Sunday to celebrate His Resurrection. I know that many of my friends and neighbors are not a part of the Christian faith, so be tolerant and take a moment to reflect on your belief system on this wonderful day that Creator has made for all of us. I firmly believe that Christ died for all of us, regardless of color, culture, or religious beliefs. Believe me that the day is not about an Easter Egg, it is about life everlasting. – Fred

 

CHEROKEE PRAYER BLESSING

May the warm winds of heaven Blow softly upon your house.

May the Great Spirit Bless all who enter there.

May your moccasins Make happy tracks In many snows..

And may the rainbow Always touch your shoulder..

 

Tennessee Update

 

Spring didn’t spring this year. It seems that these cold fronts are still making their way down… even as far as Florida. The plants aren’t busting out of the ground as usual, they are hiding until the average temperature is above 50. If the weather changed today we are ready start planting the garden. It looks like maybe two more weeks before that will happen.

 

In the mean time there is still plenty to do on this small farm. Jo has refinished and reupholstered a chair.  We are now working on refinishing our wood kitchen trash can (we have had it for 25 years and have refinished before).

 

I have jumped through all the hoops and have applied for my concealed weapons carry permit for Tennessee. Because of recent events, it is a real ordeal. But I have carried a gun for the past 43 years and will continue until the end.

 

Jo went on a sabbatical from 24/7 care taking to Florida. She has been gone four days and nights… Glory and I are doing OK. She seems to be happy and doing well.  For me she hasn’t been a big problem, it is just a time and effort process.  Jo was supposed to return next Tuesday. Now I hate it when a receptionist from a doctor’s office calls, especially since they have no medical knowledge and don’t know from Adam, to tell you that the doctor wants to see you about your recent stress test and implies that he wants to schedule a heart cath. I got that call yesterday. It was my duty to call Jo and tell her that I would be going to see the doctor. She has decided to cut her stay short and come home.  This means she will not get to be with the grandchildren for Easter as she planned. Taking care of Glory is low stress compared to that call. Fact is I have never felt better than I have in the past three months, I have no symptoms of anything other that seasonal allergic rhinitis, and lost nearly 50 lbs. Oh, and all my blood work is perfect.

 

I love it when I get e-mails and FB messages from you letting me know how you are doing.  Blessings to you all and have a very blessed and Happy Easter.

Living Holy

“I have been blessed to have been in the company of some very holy people in my time, some well known around the world, some deeply honored by local communities. In every case I noticed something they all shared in common: serenity and humor. These were not anxious or angry people, but women and men who made you feel calm just by being near them. And they laughed a lot. So if you and I strive to live a holy life, perhaps there are some clues here for us. Calm down. Cheer up. Smile more. Worry less. Be the peace that makes others happy.” The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Choctaw

Living life and having fun

A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture. I can't tell you how many countless hours that I have spent cleaning. I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over.' Then I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!

Now, when people visit, I find no need to explain the condition of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun. If you haven't quite figured this out as yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short, so enjoy it! Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake a cake or plant a seed, or even ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if you must, but there's not much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must, but the worlds out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go - and go you must, you, yourself will make more dust! It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived ... and remember a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.   Author Unknown

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

 

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’”

 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Matthew 25:37-40

 

All of these things that allow you to live life to its fullest and have fun are best done while living them and enjoying them in the Holy Spirit. Don’t miss out on the not so secret ingredient… God!

 

 

This is a link to a great article found in Guidepost magazine.  It is too long to copy into my blog. I hope that you will take a few minutes to read it. I pray that even if you don’t follow in this man’s footsteps, the article will cause you to think about the plight of too many people, particularly the elderly. If nothing else, please pray for our Native American brothers and sisters:

 

http://www.guideposts.org/inspirational-stories/motivational-stories-man-building-houses-elderly-native-americans

Sometimes there are photos that reach out to my heart. This one is so full of messages from Creator.

The innocence and beauty of a child. A gift from the Creator and the hope for a future.

Aboriginal and Tribal Nation News's photo.

Tennessee Update

There is not a lot to add this week. The irrigation system has been installed, covering the orchard and the flower beds. Most of the orchard has been planted (plum, pear, nectarine, peach, and 4 verities of apple), we are waiting for the nursery to get the cherry trees. Little by little Jo is getting her butterfly and bird friendly plantings in their beds, they should all be very pretty. The cups of seeds planted earlier are beginning to show buds breaking through. We should plant the vegetable garden in about two weeks. We have been alternating absolutely beautiful days with some mighty chilly days… but the sun is shining through!

Glory continues to decline slowly. She had a rather hard time at lunch on Sunday (Michael’s in Etowah). As long as she is willing to give it a try we will keep taking her out. She looks forward to going to the senior citizen facility and says she enjoys it.  They tell us that she just mostly sits and watches.

All of you remain in our thoughts and prayers.  We send you our blessings from Benton, Tennessee.

 

 

 

Truth Embraced

“The truth embraced, can never be bruised or injured, yet a delusion can be shattered by a whisper or a glance.

~David J. Lieberman PhD, author of If God were Your Therapist

 

The Golden Buddha Story

From Chicken Soup for the Soul

In 1957 a group of monks from a monastery had to relocate a clay Buddha from their temple to a new location. The monastery had to be relocated to make room for the development of a new highway through Bangkok.

When the Crane began to lift the clay Buddha, the weight of it was so heavy that it began to crack, to make things worse it also began to rain.

The head monk who was concerned about the damage to the Buddha decided to lower the statue back down to the ground and cover it with a large canvas to protect it from the rain. Later that evening the head monk went back to check on the Buddha.

He shined a flashlight under the canvas to see if the Buddha was staying dry. As the light reached where the statue had cracked he noticed a gleam shinning back. He decided to take a closer look at this gleam of light and wondered whether there was anything underneath the clay.

He got a chisel and hammer and began chipping away at the clay. As he knocked off the clay, the gleam grew brighter and bigger. After chipping away for many hours the monk finally stood before an extraordinary solid gold Buddha.

It turns out that several hundred years before, the golden Buddha had been covered in clay by monks to keep their precious treasure from being looted by the Burmese when they attacked Thailand. Although the Burmese killed the Monks in Thailand, the secret of the golden Buddha remained intact until it was rediscovered in 1957.

Like that Golden Buddha many of us have allowed the gold within us to be covered by the clay of fear and other factors that don't allow us to shine and keep the beauty within us trapped.

Somewhere along the way between the ages of two and nine, we begin to cover up our golden essence and develop low self esteem because of the things we experience and because of the things that are said to us and the negative meanings we associate with our experiences that cause us to undervalue ourselves.

Like the Monk we must grab our chisel and hammer and chip away the clay of low self esteem so that we can discover our true essence again.

“The quickest way to slay error is to proclaim the truth. The surest mode of extinguishing falsehood is to boldly advocate Scripture doctrine upon Scripture principles. Scolding and protesting will not be so effectual in resisting the progress of error as the clear proclamation of the truth in Jesus.”  C.H. Spurgeon

 

“…and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Native Spirits Tribal Community

‎"One of the first things Seneca children
learned was that they might create their
own world, their own environment, by
visualizing actions and desires in prayer.
The Senecas believed that everything that
made life important came from within.
Prayer assisted in developing a guideline
toward discipline and self control."

~Twylah Nitcsh, SENECA

 

Tennessee Update

 

We have had snow three days in the past week. We actually had some of it stick for about 4 hours one day. The weather has been cold and windy. But the mountains we see out our front windows are beautiful and topped in white.

Jo and I attended report writing and communications training at the West Polk Fire Rescue Department. I won’t be long and we will be going on call outs.

 Jo and I went to Knoxville and met with the Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of East Tennessee.  We will meet with the Bishop on the 19^th.  This is the prerequisite to entering the process of being licensed by the Diocese to perform our duties as Priest and Deacon.

 Jo’s mom continues to be as non-compliant as she can be as far as using the cane or walker. I am sure that cabin fever has a little to do with her behavior. This past week she has been pushing all Jo’s (and my) buttons. She doesn’t want to be anywhere else, so I guess we will have to just work through it until spring, when she can enjoy the outdoors, sun, and the vistas. Keep us in your prayers on this issue.

 The coming week is predicted to have a few really nice days in it…nice is a relative term. We are looking forward to making more peanut and birdseed on pine cones for the birds, cutting downfall, and having a nice fire circle.

 I didn’t get this out right away and this happens to be one of not so nice days.  Thunderstorms. We did get the garden completely turned over and is ready for planting, later in the month. The morning was dry but cold, so we decided not to wait and got it done.  This afternoon we watched a DVD and chilled.

 

Blessings to you all; we love you and you are in our thoughts and prayers. Keep the texted pictures coming and the FB posts.