74°F 82% and a gentle cool breeze seven floors up. The day promises to warm to 88° but for now is pleasant and should be for Monday’s outside walk in the Cove.  Okay, I admit, I don’t get it, from a “text” website this watercolor, ink, gouache titled “Feeding of the 5,000” by Ian Pollock.  In fact, looking at some of Pollock’s other works just now, it’s the first thing I recall coming across that exemplifies the idiom beggars description. The bread knife I do see, in fact we have one like it but with a white handle instead of red.  And maybe this below is a ravenously hungry multitude. But I just don’t get it, Ian. But I do enjoy the gospel story for this coming Sunday morning and especially the Sunday school discussion that goes along with it, comparing Matthew’s narrative built around a saying for the same dynamic, compassionate “work of power” in Mark and Luke, and contrasting it with the pointedly purposeful “sign” in the Gospel according to John, w...

The kingdom of heaven is like a rainbow in the clouds, that everyone is too busy with things of the earth to notice. But when someone got up from the Saturday morning television program and went out on 7H porch for a breath of fresh air and saw it, she called everyone in the house to quickly come out and see. Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 J esus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom...

Copied from my +Time blogpost for a morning in July 2011, same OT lesson as for tomorrow: Comeuppance at Dawn Genesis 29:15-28   The Message (MSG)   14-15  Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!"    When Jacob had been with him for a month, Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"   16-18  Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.    So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."   19  "It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."   20  So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.   21-24  Then Ja...

Three verses from our Second Lesson for Sunday Romans 8:26-39 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called κλητοῖς according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew προέγνω he also predestined προώρισεν to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined προώρισεν he also called; and those whom he called he also justified ἐδικαίωσεν ; and those whom he justified ἐδικαίωσεν he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30) called κλητοῖς called, invited, summoned by God to an office or to salvation. foreknew προέγνω know beforehand, foreknow predestined προώρισεν foreordain, predetermine, mark out beforehand. justified ἐδικαίωσεν  make righteous, defend the cause of, plead for the righteousness (innocence) of, acquit, justify; hence: I regard as righteous. Against overwhelming evidence of guilt (see hyperlink below), on Tuesday, October 3...

that you may truly and humbly     Midsummer Dawn’s Dream: again today, lightning in a cloud on the Gulf horizon to the south, too far distant for even a rumble of thunder to reach 7H. In the past three hours that cloud’s drifted away somewhat.  Early exercise burst walking down the stairwell several floors and then running back up. Why run? Because I still can, but honestly because running gets it over immediately despite crashing on the bed gasping for breath. But no angina, so it’s all good, Life Is Good. Early reading, several essays including on Basque, an oldest language; and on Mexico’s refreshing and relaxing concept of time’s lack of immediacy.  Breakfast: thick slice meatloaf on extra thin ww lightly toasted. Perhaps to be followed by a donut bought yesterday at Thomas’ on the way home from a call at Laguna Beach.  Or I may follow the donut. Some lightning streaks from that cloud into the sea. Still no rumbles. Of known a...

Do you - - smoke ? In recent time, maybe still is, it has been cool to declare of oneself, “I’m spiritual but not religious.” They’re full of it, literally Full of It , have no idea of either religion or spirituality. See, read this, read this piece, http://www.spiritualdirection.com/2017/07/26/a-kneeling-theology , this is why I’m the opposite, say I’m religious but not spiritual. It’s too early in the morning, or the Black & Dark haven’t set in, but this spaced-out gibberish is straight from Share a Little Tea with Goldie, fragrance wafting from sticks of incense to dilute the aroma of "smoke" filling the tent from the psychedelic sixties.  However, I’ll keep trying, reading and trying.  Generally I get about a haircut a month or six weeks, maybe this morning, IDK. Early in Navy days and years it was once a week, especially in Japan, from my office the pleasant walk to the base barber shop, a haircut was a dime, for another quarter a shampoo too that included a h...

Are we There yet? Maybe I’m There and don’t realize it, seeing that all day yesterday I thought about my brother’s birthday and waited for something to happen so I could text or email him news as well as birthday wishes, but nothing happened and there was no news and I didn’t until this morning, five hours late. And etcetera &c.  Was & once the 27th letter of our alphabet, or was it 26th as “X, Y, &, Z”? And why would it have been lost, dropped? This is the kind of thing one worries about when one is There. The last person I remember observing as being There was, this memory told here at least once before, the once respected man of the house, a retired priest living with his wife in their home on the grounds at Sewanee. She ran it as a B&B where I stayed once while taking the renewal weekend for my EfM mentor certification. Pleasant though always the exact same muffin and cup of instant coffee for the second B of B&B. Years ago in human time. The old pries...

For all its dark improbability, after more than two and a half years at 7H, below still is a favorite night scene, across to Courtney Point and The Pass beyond, stretching to our right past lighted high-rises lining the Gulf of Mexico at PCB.  Another favorite is waking to summer mornings of lightning, rumbling thunder, and driving rain across StAndrewsBay. Of violent storms, now and then a lightning streak into the Bay is simultaneous with its deafening burst, which, when outside on the porch, is closer than comfortable, as in jump out of the skin. Top pic: son Joe is in Seattle for the wedding of a dear friend. I remember and love Seattle from frequent visits while in the Navy and later in business. Puget Sound and Mount Ranier well more than made up for any and all drizzly weather. Why persist in this insane blogging? Maybe because of vanity, and because it seems to serve a similar purpose mentally to walking physically. No walk this morning, so it will be the...

I wonder whether, lying down asleep at night, you ever had a vision, a dream so vivid that upon waking you were not sure whether it was a dream or really happened? The Bible is filled with visions. Jacob’s dream this morning gives us the campfire song, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, we are climbing Jacob’s ladder; we are climbing Jacob’s ladder, soldiers of the cross. - - Every rung goes higher, higher, Sinner, do you love your Jesus? If you love him, why not serve him? Soldiers of the Cross.” Daniel has night visions of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man. Ezekiel has frightening visions of God, a wheel, gleaming bronze, a throne, and fire. Joseph beloved son of Jacob has dreams of lording it over his older brothers, later is gifted to interpret dreams — of the palace baker, and pharaoh’s wine steward, ultimately the prophetic dreams of pharaoh himself.  In his New Testament Revelation visions, John of Patmos is lifted into heaven to hear the seven letters, to...

So dang, what’s going on - - headed out, a white workboat of some kind that’s been to sea enough it’s not as sparkling clean as if it were a Navy craft. Neither am I, my heart, mind nor soul. The clouds are, and the sea, but not me. Saturday morning on 7H porch, bit late to be blogging, which is not journaling but nevertheless, while breakfast warms in the toaster oven: seared sea scallops and pan fried scamp grouper over ww pasta. Tomorrow’s poem catches the eye, a portion of Psalm 139 sometimes read at funerals, not often but sometimes.  Psalm 139: 1-11, 22-23 Domine, probasti 1 L ord, you have searched me out and known me; * you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places * and are acquainted with all my ways. 3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, * but you, O Lord, know it altogether. 4 You press upon me behind and before * and lay your hand upon me. 5...