The Fog Slowly Rises

Today I snapped several mental photographs. I wish I had my camera, but they were some of those moments that would only appear less grand on paper. As I drove down various streets this morning there was a veil of fog everywhere. As I peaked on the top of a hill I the fog rising up from among the trees. You could see the trees through the thin veil of fog, but you could see the deep fog surrounding and in the trees. I praised God.

Later I was crossing a bridge over water - I am so grateful I looked out for a brief moment. The fog appeared to be flowing with the stream, all in sepia tone as the light was just reaching the little canyon. It was breathtaking. It reminded me of God. As I was awe-struck by these two sights I had seen within the hour. It reminded me of God and his glory filling the temple and going out over the entire earth. I marveled as I praised. God is so good. And it was all just a springboard for remembering God's attributes.

I wanted to sleep in this morning, but glory to God I did not! I would have missed seeing something beautiful. I wonder how many times we miss these marvel moments in the day rushing here and there. Take time going places. Look for sights previously unseen on your daily journey. And give God praise. One day all of this will fade away, burnt up at the end of the world. I want to enjoy it while it lasts. Right now we only see reflections of God, glimpses of his beauty. One day, we will see him face to face, praise be unto Him!, when the fog finally disappears.

original image source

"It Couldn't be Done"

This poem is inspiration to me when I feel a task is impossible.

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "Maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one had ever done it";
But he took off his coat, and he took of his hat,
And first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it,
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That 'cannot be done,' and you'll do it.

I love the way Edger Guest uses poetry as a form of encouragement to try to go to new heights. Its's like the saying goes:

Every great accomplishment was, at first, impossible.

Life is Lonely by the Sea

Life is lonely by the sea -
The village far away;
The seagulls keep you company,
Your mind, it often strays.

Out to sea your lover went
And many years have passed,
Since that fateful, frosty morn
When you saw him last.

The lighthouse beams from dusk to dawn
And not a second more.
It leads the weary travelers home
'Least safely to the shore.

The stars, they dance and sing for you;
Your heart, alone, does ache.
The salty breeze it comforts you
And sorrows from you take.

The widows walk is where you find
Yourself when hope seems gone;
Still looking for that certain ship
To bring your lover home.

Ah, life is lonely by the sea -
Among the sand and rocks.
You know not if your lover lives:
He lives still in your thoughts.

written by Sophie 
picture credit

Story

I have a friend.
Several years ago she had a pet
Fish.
She called him "Peeve".
He was her
Pet Peeve.

True story.

"The Crime of Conviction"

The results of a fickle nation...

The Crime of Conviction
by Chuck Colson

General Pace and Morality

Our nation's top military officer, a veteran decorated with no less than forty-eight military awards and a very distinguished career, made a startling revelation this week: He has moral conviction. The world gasps, hurls insults, and demands an apology. How dare one of the top leaders of our land have a moral belief and share it when questioned!

But that's exactly what happened this week when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-the first Marine general ever to hold that position-General Peter Pace, commented in a wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Tribune, "My upbringing is such that I believe that there are certain things, certain types of conduct that are immoral. I believe that military members who sleep with other military members' wives are immoral in their conduct, and that we should not tolerate that."

But then Pace went on to tell the Tribune, "I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts." Well, stop the presses.

Of course, all that the radio, news, and television outlets have focused on since General Pace's comments are his remarks on homosexuality. Never mind that he puts immorality of all kinds on equal footing. General Pace went on to say in the interview, "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."

While the world should be applauding a man who proposes that one of the most important institutions in our country should have moral integrity, instead we hammer him for having a conviction.

But I believe this goes far beyond the whole question of homosexuals in the military and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This cuts to the core of the question of whether anyone in public office is free to speak his deepest religious or moral convictions. The Constitution says there will be no religious test for office, and yet we are applying one. We are basically saying that if you are the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, you are not allowed to express your moral or religious views-especially on matters of sexual preference and behavior.

This is another sign that we live in an age that no longer believes in objective truth or a moral order. Moral relativism is the rule, and personal preference trumps all. And government is there to ensure that no one place any restraint on the pursuit of our own desires.

I have long said that C. S. Lewis was prophetic when in 1943 he wrote about the irony of our education system, saying, "Such is the tragicomedy of our situation-we continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. . . . In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."

Ironic that today, the head of our Joint Chiefs of Staff argues that the military should have consistent policies of moral integrity, and the world demands an apology. Maybe it is time to lock him up: General Pace is guilty. He has committed the intolerable crime of our day: He has stated his conviction in a value-free society that respects only so-called "tolerance." As for me, well, General Pace makes me proud that I am a former Marine.

from Breakpoint a division of Crosswalk

Life's little pleasures

A Woman's Place

A woman's place is not in the kitchen, it's not in the workplace. A woman's place is beside and behind her man.

picture credit