Thursday

My favorite scene in A Christmas Story is no longer the 1937 Oldsmobile Six, but Ralphie beating the hell out of Scut Farkus, beats the alphabet bully alphabet bloody and Scut runs home crying, destroyed. 

Up until yesterday my favorite was the Oldsmobile, however except for traumatized children still concentrated the fight seems over for now and there's no call to throw rocks at the sniveling bully as he flees, humiliated, ὁ ἀναγινώσκων νοείτω. 

Here's the Oldsmobile headed home with the Christmas tree tied to the top

Joseph

Because the "share arrow" doesn't show on Joy Thompson's posts, I'll copy & paste as she reports anew on Joseph's progress. This is from yesterday:

Joseph went to the gym today impressed the physical therapist, occupational and speech therapy he worked hard. We got to walk to a coffee shop next door with Joseph following written direction ,he did well he stayed on task most of the time but he forgot what he was supposed to get at the coffee shop. John and James left today..prior to them leaving James and I went on a family walk in a nearby park.

 
After they left Joseph and i sat outside to soak up vitamin D.

Looking at moving to shepherd pathways next week more intense outpt therphy since physically he is so much better.

muse

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2018/06/19/if-your-church-is-silent-this-week-you-should-leave-it/

At least, pulling up the covers about 7:30 PM and shortly asleep, to wake at one-something is not aggravating, but what to do with Time so early and awake alone. While the first cup of black brews, a quick visit to the porch rail to admire bright planets in their plane arcing from east to west - - quick because of the hot wall of Florida Gulf Coast humidity that hits upon sliding the door open. Out, look, dart back inside. Sometimes an octogenarian can actually dart.  

To the cozy - - cozy involves a shoulder wrap and a lap blanket because, while it's hot and humid outside, this is the cold spot in 7H - - little room that, wasted as a seldom-used guest bedroom, is now converted to my den. Den, study, and coffee with a slice of moist, heavy dark chocolate cake to end the last night of Spring 2018. Opening laptop to email, Ireland travelogue.

Trying to avoid horrifying news of America's cruelty, for reasons of political gain, to terrified children, making me deeply, deeply ashamed to be American, and bringing to my mind both photographs of My Lai that appeared in Life magazine at the Time, and a 1940s documentary with a scene of a toddler pushed away by a German guard, the baby trying to run back to her mother, who is in a row of Jewish women lined up to be shot and fall into a trench. And realizing that we are equally low - - Amerika 2018: It Can't Happen Here, undesirable children sorted out and concentrated. Someone obscenely said that it's like summer camp. The camp word is concentrated. Nothing in life matters but all the children of the world. The United Methodist Church has spoken out against one of their own who is deeply involved in this evil against Brown Faces, and so should ours as status confessionis: Examine yourself first: who favors or is okay with this government policy dare not come to the Altar lest you blaspheme the Body and Blood.

+++++++++++++++

My oldest child, who is to turn sixty next Monday, June 25th, checks out of her rehab facility on Friday, being discharged to home and progressing beautifully.

In our family, reports from Shepherd Center, Atlanta that Joseph is doing well physically as he begins his rehab, a ways to go cognitively his mother says. Joyfully, we'll take what we have, a wonderful young man. A photo Joy posted on FB yesterday. Nothing matters more to us than this boy's life and his return to wellbeing 

Finally, trying to get my life back to the normal that's gone, a car that's for sale, a 1937 Ford tudor sedan

and contrast with its major competition, a 1937 Chevrolet. Ford had the styling and engineering edge, with a flathead V8 against Chevy's OHV straight six. 

  Not to mention the1937 Plymouth, another dowdy offering against the sleek Ford

not safe

We have both had the sense, as far as I can remember not actually spoken until sitting up in bed sipping coffee at four o'clock this morning, of 7H as a Safe Place, like a retreat, 

a religious retreat where one withdraws for a Time and the world turns somewhere distant, unintrusive. The distance being more abstract than physical. Existential maybe, a place where one is in life that other people, even if in the same physical space, are not. 

Why am I down this path. The existential bubble burst just over a month ago when life on the outside broke in here, and again Monday a week ago with a flash. In a sense, 7H doesn't seem so Safe anymore. But then, it happened once earlier, May 12, 2015. So I had simply slipped back into the illusion. A Safe Place is a sense then, not a reality, isn't it.

Intrusions today - - care plan meeting, TAFB barber shop, thoughts & fears 

  

Monday

Passing 7H at 5:43 AM after several days lingering offshore, Lauritzen Line's beautiful ship Maple Pioneer 590x94 entering port to load wood pellets for Tyne. A busy trade of wood pellets (bio-mass) replacing coal-fired fuel in power plants. 

From Anu Garg this morning that I love,

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His. -Roger Ebert, film-critic (18 Jun 1942-2013)

and I loved Roger Ebert, especially still and always his book Life Itself: A Memoir but God has not been/is not always as unchangeable as we might insist everyone believe, for example Exodus 32:14,

"And יְהוָ֑ה repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." (KJV)

God, יְהוָ֑ה Adonai the Lord has in various and sundry times and places proved reasonable, which carries the meaning of being able and willing to consider others' points of view, an admirable trait in anyone, especially a divinity.

And so יְהוָ֑ה is perhaps what we experience and observe יְהוָ֑ה to be, as opposed to God being what humans and human organizations decide and doctrinally (or worst dogmatically) decree, viz, the Nicene Creed; though even observation and experience are subjective. Our human problem, maybe born of Nachash, is in insisting that everyone else believe based on our observations and experiences. 

So who or what is God? Perhaps, at least for us, the answer is found in God's name as given and explained to Moses at the burning bush: יְהוָ֑ה I Am. Then God explains to Moses, אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה I Am That I Am, I Will Be Whatever I Will Be. So, God is whoever or whatever God says God is, in and as God's word. Which may vary as God will, wills. As God says, whatever.

Weather looks good this morning, including for flight from Panama City to Atlanta. Be there, יְהוָ֑ה, hover and never leave, gently with this beloved boy.

T

resuming

At some point, depending on what one has met or is still encountering in life, one hopes to resume life as it was "before." It never quite happens, does it, and that if only because every encounter is and has been a new "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" in the full sense of Robert Frost, and the encounter itself changes us and our lives ahead, and we cannot go back and take another road. For all that happened beyond our wishing, here in our family, fully conscious of unthinkable unspeakable other roads, we are thankful to be where we are this Fathers Day morning, even changed as we are and cannot go back.

Resuming for me would, does, mean looking at the text for today and, seeing it's not my day to preach, contemplating what to discuss in adult Sunday School. Four great scriptures as always. Y'Vah (pronounce it as you will) is unhappy with Saul, and Samuel is sad about that but does as directed, anointing David king in Saul's place. Biblically there was a formula for making the king: Y'Vah chooses the man, the prophet anoints him king, and the people acclaim him. Today's OT lesson doesn't get to the people's acclamation, but for David it will come in Time, Judea, then Israel. 

The psalm is perfect, not only in response to the OT lesson as intended, but in our lives. It's copy and paste below, read it and agree!

Paul to the Corinthians (from 2 Corinthians 5) seems a little threatening when Paul reminds that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ for recompense regarding what we have done or left undone. At least for me in my life it's as much threat as promise, I don't know about you.

In Mark 4 Jesus is likening the kingdom of God (Matthew calls it the kingdom of heaven) to planting seeds and look all what comes of it. From our family point of view this morning, may it be that our Spring 2018 encounters, or close encounters, serve in some way as seeds to help many see Jesus, or at least to look back in years to come and recall having seen Jesus in us and themselves come to Christ.

Here's this morning psalm, written to be sung in worship, a chanted prayer for David the king, but take it personally if you will, and then Let us bless the Lord.

Psalm 20 Exaudiat te Dominus

1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, * the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2 Send you help from his holy place * and strengthen you out of Zion;

3 Remember all your offerings * and accept your burnt sacrifice;

4 Grant you your heart's desire * and prosper all your plans.

5 We will shout for joy at your victory
and triumph in the Name of our God; * may the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; * he will answer him out of his holy heaven, with the victorious strength of his right hand.

7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, * but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.

8 They collapse and fall down, * but we will arise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, give victory to the king * and answer us when we call.

T

Time

It’s 3:03 AM because I couldn’t go back to sleep after sacrificing to Father Nature at 1:57 AM. Muggy out here on 7H porch but not uncomfortable at 78.8F 87% and slight air movement. Sky is clear, no moon to be seen, a couple of planets in their plane. 

At Times, this is one, I remember my telescope longingly so as to look closer at planets and galaxies, but prefer the adequate space of 7H to cramming it with more things. Things are good, but there are more than enough of them here. 

Looking across StAndrewsBay, there are tiny lights over at Shell Island, people sleeping on their boats, I reckon, maybe with children and creating memories.

What today, then? Anticipating beloveds for a festive celebratory Sat/Sunday. Quietly within myself, Fathers Day will be uncommonly thoughtful this year for me, and I expect for John Carroll. They are to fly Joseph to Atlanta on Monday for his rehab treatment. We’re to return to Sacred Heart, Pensacola the end of July to address Malinda’s other side. selah 

There’s that red light flashing atop the tower across the way toward BayPoint. It usually casts a reflection on the Bay, but isn’t this morning. Selling the Old Place and preparing to move, we looked at several possibilities across the bridge and are glad we settled here with my origins.

Life is Good isn’t a boast, doesn’t mean we are wealthy and doesn’t mean we are tooting horns and tossing confetti, it means we are glad to be here with those we love. selah  

T