Can You Say Tsunami, Again?

My husband purposely left the television news on this morning when he left for work.  He wanted me to discover, immediately upon my arising, the tsunami warnings.  He knew that I would be taken back to a year ago when we were in Hawaii.  Eerily, I was!
 
Here is the link to a blogpost I wrote on March 8, 2010, in the aftermath of that other tsunami warning that tried to ruin my Hawaiian Holiday.

Can You Say Tsunami?

Speaking of Boldness....

There is a talented lady I know that can do pretty much whatever she decides upon.  She is an amazing designer and is hosting a giveaway on her blog of some of her new cross-stitch designs.  Be sure to check in to see her work and leave a comment to earn a chance to win.

My sister, Wendy's Needleart Blog. 

Life is about being bold enough to follow your dreams, isn't it?  ;-)

Step Forward in Boldness

Why not?  Some things demand a boldness that may not come naturally, that may not fall within our standard modus operandi.  There are times in our lives when we need to step out of our comfort zone, to finally be daring and bold!

It is usually when the odds are not in our favor.  It is usually when, once in motion, there is no turning back. 

But even the likelihood of failure far outweighs living with the nagging wonder of having failed to try. The "what ifs" in life are the hardest pills to swallow.

I have been immersing myself in Ralph Waldo Emerson of late, and I found a quote from his journal that I find unusually stirring.  It is this:  "Let us answer a book of ink with a book of flesh and blood."

Now I don't presume to necessarily grasp exactly Emerson's meaning from this, nor do I even guess what your interpretation would be.  But, to me it is about inspiration.  It is about taking our studies, taking the things we have read and then acting upon them with our whole souls, holding nothing back.  It is to step forward with boldness and not just live our lives vicariously through book characters or another man's thoughts and dreams.  At some point, it becomes our turn to "write our own book", to lay down our own story; to hold nothing back, to not just dream the dreams but be ready to bring them to life.

Perhaps I have come to that point in my life.

Perhaps you have too.

"Come Unto Me, All Ye That Labour"

I feel inspired today to share one of my favorite scriptures, found in Matthew 11:28-30.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

For those of us that have been taught about our Savior, Jesus Christ, just these simple words can have such power.  We should cling to the peace they bring.  It can be lasting if we will always remember Him. 

I can't even recall all the times that this passage of scripture has spoken peace to my soul, but I do remember specifically one time when I so needed to hear this message.  It was years ago when I was going to college.  I was very far from home and very overwhelmed with the demands of school.  It was an afternoon after classes and I had gone home to my apartment.  My roommate wasn't there and I went into my bedroom.  Sat down on my bed.  Knew I needed some help.  Saw my scriptures sitting on my desk.

Though my knowledge of the scriptures was in its infancy stage, I knew that there was power in that book.  I had faith that my answer was to be had in its pages.

I decided to put my faith to the test.  I told myself that whatever page the book fell open to, there would be something of value there for me.

My bible fell open to Matthew, and this passage, which had been underlined earlier, immediately caught my attention.  I wept.  I didn't weep for sadness, though I was homesick.  I wept for the knowledge I had that this was absolutely true; all I needed to do was to come unto the Savior and He would offer me the rest I needed; He would offer me the comfort and love and reassurance I so desperately needed.

Let us all cling to whatever particle of faith we have.  Let us all remember that we are never alone if we remember to whom we may always look for peace.  Sometimes in a chaotic world the only peace we will feel in is our hearts.  Often that is enough.  He will give us courage to press forward.  He will give us enlightenment and guidance to face and deal with the troubles in our lives.

Let us put behind us the mistakes of the past and look forward with a brightness of hope.  He has sent His Comforter to be with us.  It is real.  As we keep His commandments and strive to improve, we will be blessed to always have His Spirit to be with us.  His promises are sure.

Are We Really Any Different Now?

If you take two little eight-year-old girls, both with blonde hair and big brown eyes, who were inseparable, who only lived a short bike ride from each other, who thought alike and dreamed alike, and then separate them for forty years, can you really expect them to still be friends?

I would suggest that Yes! whatever brought them together as children, whatever bond was fortified between those two kindred spirits as children, that same kinship and love never goes away.  I know this as fact, not merely speculation.  It was tested just today, and proven.

I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize.  Rather hesitantly I answered.  After one simple introduction, the hesitation turned to marvel, which turned to happiness, which turned back to marvel again.  Could it really be my friend, Karen, from Lander, Wyoming?

We spoke with the ease of friends that had never parted.  We caught each other up on the last forty or so years as though that time was merely incidental.  And apparently it was, because the connection that had been there as children continued as strong and clear and evident as ever.

She remembered my married name was Haws.  She googled me, and found my blog.  Life continues to be a wonder and a blessing.  Friendships are timeless.  Our defining personalities, our souls, which we squeeze into little bodies, obviously do not change all that much over time, even as those same bodies grow bigger and older (and fatter and wrinkled).  We like to think that we mature and grow and develop into outstanding members of society.  Apparently we are really not all that different from when we were young. 

Thanks, Karen, for the lovely reminder.  And here is that newspaper clipping that I have treasured all these years, saved as my only tangible memory of that special time. The intangible memories, held tightly in my heart, have never faded.  Now I have a new facebook friend and the promise of another special friendship rekindled.

Can you find me?  Karen says I look just the same....;-)

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

What a wild card!  Every night we settle into bed, turn out the lights, close our eyes, and calmly invite whatever turns of the involuntary imagination may come to play across our minds.  And we do so willingly. It is as though we regularly acquire a ticket for whatever happens to be showing, without checking the billboard, without knowing beforehand what the entertainment will be.  Yikes!

I am astonished that we invite this.  I am astonished that our progressive society, which seeks to have control in every other facet of our lives, still leaves this completely to chance.  Why haven't we been given a pill to tame or to thwart this variable, this unknown?  Surely we shouldn't be leaving ourselves open to the ludicrous, or the impractical, or the harrowing, or the triumphant, or the frivolous....  It seems to go so contrary to everything else in our lives that is about order and inside the lines and bridled.

I find dreams to be exhilarating.  I welcome this scheduled step into another world.  I see it as an opportunity for self-discovery.  Sir Thomas Browne, of the Seventeenth Century, observed "We are somewhat more than ourselves in our sleeps; and the slumber of the body seems to be but the waking of the soul."

William Hazlitt, of the Eighteenth Century, claimed:  "We are not hypocrites in our sleep.  The curb is taken off from our passions, and our imagination wanders at will.  When awake, we check these rising thoughts, and fancy we have them not.  In dreams, when we are off our guard, they return securely and unbidden."

I have made discoveries in dreams, not always welcomed, but certainly undeniable when faced with the them in the harsh light of morning.  I have expanded my ideas and my thinking.  I have cast off the inhibiting timidity and walked boldly where I wouldn't have gone before.

I find it interesting that we can discuss this idea of dreams with people from previous centuries because dreaming is a universal experience.  Politics change, technology changes, modes of transportation, and agriculture, and exploration all change.  Yet we share a fascination with this other-worldly nightly encounter which noone can really explain or justify. 

In the words of the Nineteenth Century poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who expresses it better than I could:

"Dreams or illusions, call them what you will,
They lift us from the commonplace of life
To better things."

Not all dreams are welcomed.  Some are scary.  Some are disturbing. Some bring the welcome relief of waking.  Yet they all carry the capacity to lift us from the commonplace, to see things with fresh eyes, to explore and take chances without a safety net.  My favorite dreams are those in which I can fly.

And the ticket is free.

All in Good Time

I may have mentioned I live in Oregon, a place renowned for its stunning flora and its ubiquitous green.  Everything is green, whether we want it to be or not.  We merely dream of white Christmases; and whereas most winters are classified by dormancy, we are enrobed in brilliant evergreen, bright lawns, and the ever-present moss that covers the ground, the sidewalks, the houses, the trees, the fences.  Are you getting the picture?

I often feel there is even a thin covering of moss on me, for lack of sufficient sunshine and activity.  Moss may not grow on a rolling stone, but it does gather on a cloistered recluse who sits and sits by the window each day, watching the incessant rain, and wondering if outdoor activity will ever be possible again.

I try to look for the blessings.  I recall to mind the beauty of my home, the abundance of trees, shrubs, and year-round flowers.  But it loses a little when most of the time they can only be enjoyed from the indoors looking out.

My body aches to stretch its legs; to climb out of this hibernating state and breathe the fresh air.  I have also realized the multiplicity of benefits from a good, swift walk around the neighborhood.  It expands my focus, expands my thinking, and expands my hope.

It also expands my productivity.  While reading this morning from an address given by Ralph Waldo Emerson at the funeral of his friend, Henry David Thoreau, I was reminded that Thoreau also placed great value on daily walks.  Emerson stated that Henry valued every stride his legs made.  "The length of his walk uniformly made the length of his writing.  If shut up in the house he did not write at all."

And characteristic of Thoreau's appetite for solitude, he seldom welcomed walking companions, but preferred the rich reward of solitary jaunts through the woods, that of personal introspection and enlightenment.

While the stouthearted would not let a little (okay, a lot of) rain keep them locked inside, I do not profess to be that sturdy.  So I guess I will continue to find worthwhile distractions within, keep an eye on any change in the weather, and anticipate some drier days.  My soul longs for the inspiration that Thoreau found on his walks.  I desire to open my eyes to the wonder of my surroundings and my ears to the whisperings of the Spirit, that can best be had with nothing overhead to restrict communication with heaven.

I know Spring is on its way, and then Summer is sure to follow.  These are the blessings of predictable change.  God knew that we would welcome a natural rhythm to our days.  Forgive my shortsightedness.  I simply must learn patience. 

All in good time, Ardith.  All in good time.