In the Sand

Write the bad things that are done to you in the sand , but write the good things that happen you on a piece of marble~ Arabian wisdom

Has anyone ever said anything to hurt you?  I mean, not the kind of hurt where, say tomorrow, you can laugh about it, but the kind of hurt, that 10 years since that moment, you can remember where you were, what you were wearing, and in vivid detail the words , and the tone with which they were said?  That kind of hurt has been written in marble.  Now , think about something awesome that happened to you, the kind of thing where 70 years after that moment, you can still feel the joy,  excitement,  and surprise.  You know exactly what that memory holds!  That memory is carved in marble , too.  But, why do we have a monument for our greatest hurt, that also holds our greatest joy?  Why does the joy have to share the spotlight?  Sand is very fleeting, and very unstable.  Blown about by the wind, it goes from where it is , to somewhere else very quickly.  Marble on the other hand is very stable, very solid.  There is marble here on earth from many thousands of years ago.  Now , think about the two memories.  Where will you put the terrible memory ?  Will you leave it on the marble, to stay forever?  Thousands of years from now, it will still be there?  Or will you write it in the sand , to be blown forever away, shifted into a million pieces that have no hold on you anymore?  I wrote a deep hurt of my own, in the New Mexico desert sand.  Where it is now, I can longer say.  Scattered somewhere, for only God to know.  I choose.  I choose to leave my sorrow in the sands , and carve my greatest joys on a marble pylon, for everyone to see.

Here's to letting go~ Ruby Jeanette

The Sparrow

Broken upon the ground,
neck bent to look upwards
at the sky ,
wondering,
Do birds wonder why?

HE knows the sparrows,
where and when
they fall
Faltering,
HE can see them all.

Broken inside this body,
eyes lowered to look down,
at the earth,
Praying,
HE can hear my words.

HE knows my pain,
days and nights,
the despair,
covering and taking away,
my wings.

Broken upon HIS altar,
spent and given,
am I not worth more
than any sparrow?
Sweet release,
resting in HIS arms-
I Soar.

Ruby Jeanette

A Mystery

I do not understand the mystery of grace--only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us. -Anne LaMott


For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of the light.  Ephesians 5:8

Oh! To be changed!  To know that where we were, and who we were is left solidly in the past, where it can not be touched!  And to know that where we are, and who we are , is a new peson, a new creation, walking forward in a new direction, this is truly a mystery.  But , how is this great mystery accomplished?  Only by grace.  And , not just anyone's grace.  The grace of God, which is so far beyond our understanding it can only be called a mystery.  And to know that this miracle is available, every time we need it, certainly not to be abused, but when we fall , is a bigger mystery still. How can God hold so much compassion, love, mercy, and grace?  I do not know, but it is enough for me that He can, He does, and He is God.

Here's to the power of God- Ruby Jeanette

Learning to Live

If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live-
Lin Yutang

When was the last time you spent the afternoon in a completely useless manner? Not all activity in life has to have some super important purpose. Children are the ultimate example of this. Most of their activity seems completely useless from an adult's perspective. I mean , really, what is the use of puddle-hopping, frog -catching, and snow -ball fighting? We as grown-ups have mostly forgotten that the whole point is, there isn't any point! It's just fun, and sometimes, we all need an afternoon like that!


Here's to finding a new use for a "useless" activity- Ruby Jeanette

Success

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty ; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child, a  garden patch  or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, This is to have succeeded.-  Emerson

How do you measure success in your life?  Is it the amount of money you have, the status of your job, or even the status of your children? If you have a lot of money , status , and popularity are you truly successful?
How does God describe success?  By two rules.  The greatest commandment is this , Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind , and with all thy strength.  And the second is like unto it,  Love thy neighbor as thyself.   The extent to which we have followed these commandments will be how our true success is measured. 

Here's to measuring up-  Ruby Jeanette

Time Saved?

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save-
Will Rogers

Hurry!Hurry!Hurry!  That must be our slogan here in America.  Every where I go , people are rushing.  They pass you on the highway, they pass you in the Wal-Mart aisle, they pass you on the street.  Wherever these people are headed, surely it will still be there in ten minutes, twenty minutes, or even tomorrow for that matter.  I'm all for everyone living life to the fullest, but does that mean cramming every moment of every day with some type of activity, for us, or our children?  I can tell you , the moments I most remember in my life, had nothing to do with being in a hurry.  Sitting quietly in the woods with my Daddy, sitting quietly in the garden with my Grandpa on a plastic bucket next to me.  We were planting tomatoes, we didn't have to rush, we didn't even have to talk to each other to be enjoying ourselves.  Just being there was enough.  Can you think of the last moment you had like that?  The time slipped away, and it didn't matter that town was in a hurry, or that there were appointments to keep, only that place you were then counted. I hope I can make time for more empty spaces in my life.  Empty, so that I can fill them up, with slow-flowing times with the people I love.   

Here's to living slowly- Ruby Jeanette

Perfected

Practice makes perfect.  Just be careful what you re practicing.

We practice every day, without even realizing it.  We practice actions, thoughts, and sometimes the most harmful, we practice our words.  We practice in our minds the hurtful things that we will do , or say, in retaliation to other people.  There is research that shows , it takes repetition of a task , thirteen times in order for it to become a habit.  So , just imagine how much easier our brain picks up a train of thought and makes it repetitive.  It is very easy to focus on the negative, in the world, and in the happenings around us.  Sometimes , positivity takes more effort.  I'm trying to work every day , to make loving words, gentle thoughts, and compassionate actions , the habit of my life. 

Here's to Practice,Practice, Practice- Ruby Jeanette

A Burden?

The sparrow is sorry for the  peacock at the burden of his tail.-Tagore

Are you happy the way you are?  Most of us are not. We'd rather be skinnier, wealthier, taller, have a bigger house, or have more expensive clothes.  The problem is not necessarily with these things.  Or even in the wanting of these things.  The problem lies in the fact that when we receive these things, they become a burden. What? You say that more money, and the things it buys can be a burden?  Yes! The sparrow is just a small,seemingly insignificant animal, and yet God knows when a single one falls.  But sparrows live simply, and are not flashy birds.  They do not have feathers that scream "Look at me!" When a person looks at us, we should not be so burdened with the pursuit of these things, that the only thing they see are peacock feathers. Being a plain sparrow puts the focus on Jesus, where He can shine through us!

Here's to the pursuit of Christ-Ruby Jeanette

Accumulation of Wisdom

We do ourselves and others a disservice when we make old age somethig to be feared.  Life is not a resource to be used up, so that the older we get, the less life we have left.  Life is the accumulation of wisdom, love and experience, of people encountered, an obstacls overcome.  The longer we live, the more life we possess. -Rabbi Harold Kushner

Old age is definitely not an appreciated quality in this country.  In Japan, Africa, and many other countries, the elderly are revered for their experiences and the knowledge and wisdom they have of life. We despise the fact that the old  and infirm remind us of our mortality, so we hide them away.  We are terrified to look at the ending of our young existence, and so we put the aged out of our minds, and go on dealing with life as if this will never happen to us. 60 year old women inject deadly poisons into their face to paralyze their wrinkles, 50 year old women have their necks sliced so that they can flatten out their skin, 40 year old women want breast augmentation, and 30 year olds need surgery to deal with their supposed imperfections.  And yet , not a single one of these procedures increases our knowledge, our wisdom, or our compassion.  Gone is the Grandma with the white hair, and the character has gone down the drain with the hair dye. Gone is the Grandma with the calloused garden hands,  and the wisdom of the earth went into the manicurist's nail polish bottle.  Gone is the Grandma with the counsel of one married 50,60, or even 70 years, and now arriving is the grandma ,divorcing and going to find herself.  What really matters is this,  the young are to blame for the current state of the elderly.  We wanted a more superficially beautiful world, so that we did not have to look at the ugliness of old age.  Well, we should have been careful what we wished for, for now they have taken us at our word, and grandmothers are no longer our guides, our mentors, our shoulders to cry on.  Now they have become us, and we have found ourselves adrift in a new, strange, and dangerous sea.

Here's to valuing the elderly-Ruby Jeanette

To Be Rich

To know you have enough, is to be rich....count your blessings.

Having enough is a wonderful thing.  Today's world is all about excess.  We all want to be wealthy beyond imagining, beautiful beyond expectation, and popular beyond celebrity.  But, in reality, "enough" is a saving grace.  Enough food to live, enough money to survive , and the beauty and popularity categories are really not even important. I count myself so very blessed to belong in the "enough" category.  We have even been given "enough" to bless others sometimes! So, every time we start to think, I sure would like to have more, let's be sure we are thanking God for the enough that we already have.

Here's to counting your blessings-Ruby Jeanette

The Age We Are

We are always the same age on the inside.- Gertrude Stein

If you could pick any age to be right now, what age would you choose?  Some people would probably like to go back to being younger, and the younger would probably like to be all grown up.  But, if I could pick any age to be, I would still choose to be the one I am now.  I wouldn't go back to being a teen ager for all the money in the  world, and I don't want to be any older.  I like being right here, right now. I feel like every age I have been has prepared me to be the person, and the age I am right now.  I was a pretty decent kid, I think I'm a fairly good 30-ish person, and by the time I'm old , I hope I'm great!  Let's all try to make the most of the place, person, and age we are in this moment, and maybe every day we'll get a little bit better!

Here's to today being our greatest yet- Ruby Jeanette

Two Evils

Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.- Jerrry Garcia

Have  you ever heard someone say , of a certain situation, "I had to do that, I had no other choice." ? I've never really understood that statement.  I've been in some terrible situations, as I'm sure a lot of you have.  But, I think what people mean is, the other choice to them is unchoosable.  There are always other things we can choose, they may not be easy, they may require hard work,or changing our lives in ways that seem impossible, but with God's help we can choose to do well, to do right, to do what seems undoable.  Let us pray , that in every situation, God gives us the strength to do the impossible, the right, the worthy, not the lesser of two evils, but no evil at all!

Here's to making right choices- Ruby Jeanette

What are you full of?

When we get full of ourselves, we get empty of God.

The world is set up for instant gratification of self.  We are constantly surrounded with the notion that we are the most important person on the planet.  What do we want, what are we feeling, what is important to us, what is our dream, what is our goal, what can we get for ourselves today?  What about me? Who will care about , and for me?  This is a major cause of unhappiness , this inward focus on self.  We become so full of self, and our inner souls become like greedy two year olds, who have those lovely hissie fits when the world doesn't go their way! It is very easy to get this way. I have to remember to fill my life up with God, and place my focus on others' needs. Because, being full of only ourselves, actually makes us pretty empty people.

Here's to having God -Full lives- Ruby Jeanette

The most interesting information

The most interesting information comes from children , for they tell all they know and then stop. ~ Mark Twain

Children have the most fun in life I think , because they don't have a set view of the world yet.  Every day brings them a new opportunity to change the way they see things, and to learn something new.  As adults we pretty much get set in our opinions , and don't take time to learn about other people, or places, because we have it all figured out already! Children don't mind sharing what they know with anyone, and are always anxious to find out what someone else might think about it.  I have a lot of fun listening to my kids ideas about people, places, things , and just the way the world goes around.  If you ever get a chance , ask a kid under the age of 12 what they think of a particular subject, and get ready to be surprised , amazed , and entertained! 
Here's to a more child-like view of the world- Ruby Jeanette