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.