Uphill idealist

The painting continues at Infinity music , finally I'm starting to see this smallish mural beginning to come to life. Stay tuned for more progress.

"The oxen wear a yoke, like the calf yoke, but much bigger and heavier. A chain goes from the yoke to the sled. When the oxen walk forward, the yoke goes with them, and whatever is chained to the yoke has to come along too! Jonas says, “get up!” to the oxen and starts for the woods." Text and image from hooftales.com We all are one a spiritual pilgrimage. Sometimes we can feel closer or farther away from God, but as I get a bit older and hopefully wiser, I've begun to grasp how important it is to be yoked side by side with God as I travel down the road of life. It's quite likely that you've heard this well-know scripture in Matthew - Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version) 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Many times when I read this ver...

Spiritual journey: I can't do it myself. This essay is a response to an ongoing conversation and discussion of the book 'Holy Conversations' on Thursdays at First Lutheran Church in Jamestown NY and online at Facebook . I've carried out the prompts and my responses here as well if you'd like to join in on the conversation here as well. Thanks for listening and taking part in this holy conversation. From a young age, I've had a very independent streak. When my parents would ask if I needed help with something, my most common response was, "I'd like to do it by myself." I don't know if I was trying to prove to my two older siblings that I was not so much a baby as they thought, but I was determined to make it on my own if I had to. The funny thing about drawing close to God, is that it requires that all of us come to a point where we surrender. As I explained, I tend to not surrender very well. I like to be independent - but when I reach the en...

Today I went to look to see the host post at Sleeping with bread and found my blogging friend Mary Lue had posted some of my favorite scriptures as part of the focus for the week. Looking back, there were many times in the last week that fear was an issue for me. Either I was thinking about it, working my way around it and sometimes facing it and looking it straight in the eye. Thank you Mary Lue for reminding me that I'm not left alone to deal with the things that are fear for me. Thank you God for staying with me - always. Isaiah 41:10 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 43:1-5 1 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, ...

The mural project that Billy Torres, Kristen Briggs and I led and worked on with the help of many volunteers and community support was revealed on Friday February 12th, 2010. Thanks to Linda Gross for documenting this event on her Facebook and her blog . Its my hope that projects like this and ones in the future can help to bring a stronger sense of community, creativity and unity to Jamestown NY!

( Image found at blog World of Snark craft ) Blanket of love Flake by flake its falling, seeking a place to land, it seems so small and delicate and melts instantly in my hand. By the thousands they are falling, making their way to earth. They shimmer as I shiver and watch them silently cover the dirt. Thinking for a moment in my quiet reverie, if each flake represented G-d's love - but looked at the drifts saying, "Surely that's not all for me." G-d's love for us is like infinity, just like these piles of snow. This morning I became more aware of it and now feel I've got G-d's story to tell. I know that snowflakes are snowflakes, and G-d's love is G-d's love. But I spied a big fat snowflake, open my mouth and ate it. Thank you God for this snowflake, thank you God for you love.

There is a song called, " I want to be in the light." written by Charlie Peacock that has been one of my favorites for a long time. I was first introduced to the song after winning a 3 cassette set of Charlie Peacock's from a local christian radio station years ago. Every chance I could get I'd play those cassettes in the tape deck of my little Ford Escort hatchback. I wore out the cassette before I wore out the car. There is such a contrast between darkness and light. Sometimes the space between seems impossible to pass through. Biblically speaking, when Moses went up to the mountian to receive the ten commandments, the physical nature of his face was changed. His face seemed to "glow"! When Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the top of the mountain to pray, his face's appearance changed and his clothes became dazzling white! When we draw near to G-d, we soak up the light like a thirsty sponge. When we walk away from G-d, we dry up like a sponge...