Stiff.

an all day fundraiser today with another cold.  

But it was great.

it was all day on my feet - seriously.

But it was still great. 

I got home and I was stiff. 

I took a shower and I was still stiff. 

So I heeded God’s suggestion for the day that he offered this morning: Be Still.

It’s easy to be still when you are stiff.

But now I’m laughing cause apparently I’m not the only one who’s stiff.  

I had to move off the couch to take Bugs out and no joke: he’s stiff!  

Poor little guy had a hard tim geting up off his bed.

So maybe I have reason to be stiff if my dog is stiff!

shadows and poetry.

I have a new hero this evening. 

a hero that inspired, encouraged and somehow seemed to give answers to questions I’m not sure I had put into complete sentences.   he talked about death.   not as we (church) included have made it to be but death as it really is.  death in the context of resurrection and the context of the hope that is to come.  

I of course frantically took notes. 

But what I remember most (without looking at my notes) of what this Anglican Bishop from Durham had to say… 

You are but a shadow of the future you.   

I am only a shadow of who I will be.  

Now that brings tears to my eyes.

But if that wasn’t enough.  

Bishop Wright taught me that I am God’s poiema.   (Eph 2:10) 

God’s workmanship, God’s piece of art, God’s handiwork, God’s creative expression. 

I am God’s poem. 

I am His song.  

and that means that I, Sally Chambers, express God’s heart.  

 

the haunting.

I used to always associate haunting with ghosts and therefore didn’t like the word much. 

But today I am haunted and it is good.  

The birds chirping, the three little rabbits that played outside my window, the breeze moving through the trees, Norah Jones playing, breakfast at the table instead of in the car, time to sit, time to think, time to pray more, a growing smile in my depths and a calmed contentment.   at this moment, all is well.   And more clearly I see how all shall be well.   

the haunting that this life is not what it was supposed to be.

the haunting that I am worth more than the message I all too often receive.

the haunting that this world at its heart is good because of its creator and redeemer and restorer.

that haunting that one day this world, me included, will be all that we were ordained to be.   

no ghosts today.   

Just the assurance that there is more to this world than meets the eye.   just the assurance that we are not alone in this mess we’ve made.

church

so clearly it’s been a rough week. 

one of my spiritual directors, my anamchara just sent me this quote from one of her daily readings:

“church life may be hazardous to your health”

Amen.

laughter really does help all manner of things.

Chips.

No, i’m not exactly referring to those unbelievably delicious but incredibly bad for you things that come with fish in England.  

I’m actually referring to this vague recollection of this old American tv show that was on when we first moved to this country.   the one where the two highway patrol officers rode around on motor cycles with sunglasses.   I don’t even remember the names.

Apparently though - HAH! they really exist.  they are still around.   I saw one this morning on the side of the road writing a ticket:  a real highway patrol officer, a real motorcycle and real sunglasses. 

HAH.  TV comes alive.   Chips is back!   and at the least a highly amusing commute!!

wings

I’ve been thinking a lot about healing this week.

It’s been a hard week.  a heavy week.  but somehow I pray a healing week.

I just offered healing prayers during the noon service.  

And so i found myself thinking once again about healing.

Hawley reminded me this past weekend of the difference between healing and curing.

All to often I think when we pray for healing, we are actually only praying for curing.

I remember the doctor saying to mum, my brother and I that cure wasn’t possible now for the cancer had recurred and metastasized.    What we shoot for, he said, is as much life as possible.   Today I wonder if the sickness of her body was as such that the only way this side of heaven that God could heal her was through death.  

As much life as possible.   That’s healing, I think.   Life lived as fully and as wholly as is earthly and humanly possible.   Body, heart, soul, mind and spirit knitted back together into one being and into relationship with the One who made us, who redeems us, who restores us, who loves us and who heals us.

And the son of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings
- Malachai the prophet.

O Lord that we would have the grace and the strength and the faith to touch those wings for ourselves and for those whom we love.   Give us the faith to want to heal with or without the cure.

why me?

Yesterday I found myself asking a question I haven’t asked in a long time.   In fact I confess, I normally associate it with adolescence.   But yesterday made me wonder if we’re honest - really honest - do we ever stop asking this question of God.   We may get wiser.   We may have more answers.  We have more acceptance and more surrender.   But I’m just not sure this side of Heaven, that this question can every really be answered.

Why God?  Why me?  It’s not fair.  

I am a princess on the way to her throne…

        my neices         

it was an honor to be an aunty tonight.  

Unveiling beauty does such wonders for women of any age, but especially as a teenager. 

And apparently a piece of Aunty Sally’s banana cake with chocolate on top does wonders as well for 2 year old temper tantrums.  

 

 

spring.

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom 

-Anais Anin

HAH! from one of my little ones.

She has been practicing “grace and peace” with us. 

But this makes it classic!

Subject: Grace & Peace

“My mother was getting overly annoyed at my brother leaving things around the
house, so I told her grace and peace. She looked at me briefly before saying,
“Ian, gracefully pick up your things so I can have peace!”"