Inspirational quotes

Posted on February 20, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Everything will change. The only question is growing up or decaying. – Nikki Giovanni

We must go ahead and see for ourselves. – Jacques Cousteau

Life forms no logical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties – which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return? – Margot Fonteyn

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. – Frederick Douglass

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King Jr.

One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. Andre Gide

All change is a miracle to contemplate, but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant. Henry David Thoreau

To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, not lie at anchor. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

The more you move, the stronger you’ll grow, not like a tree that can be killed if you uproot it.- Ha Jin

Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life. – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Two changes to live… to live is to change…and not to change is to die. Tennessee Williams

Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Rumi

The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences. Hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. – Chris McCandless

In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. Robert Frost

As time passes we all get better at blazing a trail through the thicket of advice. – Margot Bennett

If the fish had stuck to its gills, there would have been no movement up to the land. Cynthia Ozick

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning. Louis L’Amour

An infinite question is often destroyed by finite answers. To define everything is to annihilate much that gives us laughter and joy. Madeline L’Engle

Every intersection in the road of life is an opportunity to make a decision, and at some I had only to listen. Duke Ellington

The moment of change is the only poem. Adrienne Rich

Disconnecting from change does not recapture the past. It loses the future. Kathleen Norris

Our way is not soft grass, it’s a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upwards, forward, toward the sun. Ruth Westheimer
Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with. – Mark Twain

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22

Laughter is the sun which drives winter from the human face. Victor Hugo

How truly is a kind heart a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles. Washington Irving

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or, more correctly speaking, loved in spite of yourself. Victor Hugo

Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity. Joseph Addison

… feel the stars and the infinite high and clear above you. Then life seems almost enchanted after all. Vincent Van Gogh

Joy is prayer, joy is strength, joy is love, joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. Mother Teresa

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do, the fun is in having lots to do –
and not doing it. Mary Little

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. Abraham Lincoln

One cannot divine or forecast the conditions that will make happiness; one only stumbles upon them by chance, in a lucky hour, at the world’s end somewhere, and holds fast to the days, as to fortune or fame. Willa Cather

You won’t win until you learn how to lose. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Growth and self- transformation cannot be delegated Lewis Mumford

What we lack is not so much leisure to do as time to reflect and time to feel. Margaret Mead

The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and saying. What a mistake that would be. Joan Oliver Goldsmith

Every beginning is only a sequel, after all, and the book of events is always open halfway through. Wislawa Szymborska

We ought not to look back, unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors. George Washington

Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for living a full life. Sophia Loren

The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations. Anaïs Nin

To assign unanswered letters their proper weight, to free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves -there lies the great, singular power of self-respect. Joan Didion

We know too much and feel too little. Bertrand Russell

Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim. Nora Ephron

The man who has lived most is not he who has numbered the most years, but he who has had the keenest sense of life. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness. May Sarton

We need other human beings in order to be human. Desmond Tutu

People are like bicycles. They can keep their balance only as long as they keep moving. Albert Einstein

Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t. Pete Seeger

Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun. Julia Child

In the Book of Life, the answers aren’t in the back. Charles Schultz

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

To find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest, or over a wild flower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life. John Burroughs

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials. – Lin Yutang

The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity. Walt Whitman

Simplify the problem of life: distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run. Henry David Thoreau

Silence is more musical than any song. Christina Rossetti

Most of the luxuries, and many of these so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. Henry David Thoreau

I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex. Oscar Wilde

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity. Charlie Mingus

To be a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. Helen Keller

Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves. Edwin Way Teale

Learn to wish that everything may happen as it does. Epictetus

Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are. Theodore Roosevelt

Look at your feet. You were standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth…We breathe it deep within us. Diane Ackerman

Go not abroad for happiness. For see! It is a flower that blossoms by thy door. Minot J Savage

Being is sufficient. Being is All. The cheerful, sunny self you are missing will return, as it always does, but only being will bring it back. Alice Walker

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. Khalil Gibran

Happiness, not in another place but this place … not for another hour, but this hour. Walt Whitman

…those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy. Marcus Aurelius

Learn to be quiet enough to hear the sound of the genuine within yourself, so that you can hear it in other people. Marian Wright Edelman

Strange as it may seem today to say, the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. Henry Miller

The breeze of grace is always blowing on you, but you have to unfurl your sails. Sri Ramakrishna

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. Carl Jung

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness. James Thurber

You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after. J.R.R. Tolkien

Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved. Jane Goodall

The softest thing in the universe overcomes the hardest. Lao Tzu

Sometimes people say unkind or thoughtless things. When they do, it is best to be a little hard of hearing. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectations of reward, save that one day someone might do the same for you. Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life. Arthur Ashe

Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation. Henry Ward Beecher

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own. Benjamin Disraeli

We must understand ourselves before we can respect ourselves. We must respect ourselves before we can win the respect of others. Pearl S Buck

Art is a lie that makes us realize truth. Pablo Picasso

Time has no divisions to mark its passage; there is never a thunderstorm to announce the beginning of the new year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols. Thomas Mann

I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you can see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. Kurt Vonnegut

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old. Franz Kafka

It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view. George Eliot

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde

Better keep yourself clean and bright: you are the window through which you must see the world. George Bernard Shaw

A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. Mohammed Ali

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust

Drop by drop is the pitcher filled. Buddha

Patient serves as protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. Leonardo da Vinci

Nothing great is produced suddenly. Epictetus

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. Anna Quindlen

Little drops of water wear down big stones. Russian proverb

Little strokes fell great oaks. Benjamin Franklin

The best way out is always through. Robert Frost

It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. Albert Einstein

Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience . Georges-Louis LeClerc de Buffon

The one at peace sleeps pleasantly having abandoned victory and defeat. Buddha

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. Martha Washington

Never look at what you have lost; look at what you have left. Robert Schuller

You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say. Paulo Coelho

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his own feet. James Oppenheim

One must view the world through the eye I n one’s heart rather than just trust the eyes in one’s head. Mary Crow Dog

It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head. Sally Kempton

A thousand words leave not the same deep print as does a single deed. Henrik Ibson

It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the Navy. Steve Jobs

I don’t believe that life is supposed to make you feel good, or to make you feel miserable either. Life is just supposed to make you feel. Gloria Naylor

You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you. Mary Tyler Moore

Take as a gift whatever the day brings forth. Horace

When you drink the water, remember the well. Chinese proverb

The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. GK Chesterton

It isn’t enough to talk about peace; one must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it; one must work at it. Eleanor Roosevelt

However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light. Stanley Kubrick

Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means. Ronald Reagan

He has great tranquility of heart who cares for neither praise nor blame. Thomas A Kempis

Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. William S Burroughs

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein

Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out. Katherine Dunham

There is no way to peace; peace is the way. Mahatma Gandhi

Do you work, then step back. The only path to serenity. Lao Tzu

None but ourselves can free our minds. Bob Marley

My door collection

Posted on February 20, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

88-kitchen

At 88 Kitchen – a Chinese buffet in Madison, TN

baptist-church

Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ (near the Howard School Building)

cookeville

Downtown Cookeville, TN

corner

Ferdinand, IN – at Monastery Immaculate Conception

henry-horton

Super solid door in the bathroom at Henry Horton state park, TN

sewanee1

At Sewanee – a college on Monteagle Mountain. A very narrow door outside of a classroom – an emergency exit? You’d have to be skinny.

sewanee2

At Sewanee – under the stairs in a building with classrooms. A tiny hatch.

sewanee3

At Sewanee – a very tall and very narrow door. A supply closet? A professor’s office?

sewanee4

At Sewanee – the entrance to a bathroom. Almost TARDIS like – it was bigger on the inside. Very hard to get in, though – the sink was very close to the door.

tulip-grove-elem

Outside Tulip grove elementary school – a utility building? A tiny metal door.

—–

LLanthony, Wales. An abandoned priory.

Tintagel, Cornwall

Atop the Glastonbury Tor

frist

A tiny door – at the Frist art museum, part of the “Woman on the Run” exhibit by Tracey Snelling.

Some good things from the current US situation.

Posted on February 20, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

A friend posted about how the current President gets so upset about what he thinks of as “fake” news.” I think it is important to state that I didn’t vote for him or Clinton – I voted a different party. That is the change we really need – to get past this divisive mentality embodied in the two-party system. It sets up a no-win situation, where there is always a “loser”. But I’m starting to see some good out of what has happened because people are starting to wake up and realize that the government cannot take care of them. People are taking matters into their own hands in a healthy and healing way.

Here was my response to him –

“It all seems fake to him because he’s being fed lies by his cronies. There is evidence that he not only does not, but cannot read. This means he is incapable of getting first-hand information. It is all pre-digested for him. I no longer think of him as evil. Just very sad and mislead. Pray for him.”

One of his friends (unknown to me) was freaked out that I suggested we pray for him, saying that we all needed to be prayed for instead. I replied that Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies.

While meditating on this, I read the Catholic readings for the day, and all three that were for the afternoon spoke to this.

Leviticus 19:17-18

¹⁷“You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. ¹⁸Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

¹⁶Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Matthew 5:38-48

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.³⁹But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. ⁴¹And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ⁴³“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Another friend shared this, and there is a lot of truth to it. This is copied from a writer named Susan Keller. I have edited out the snarky bits. What is left shows how much people are waking up.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it looks like Trump is actually making America great again. Just look at the progress made since the election:

– Unprecedented levels of ongoing civic engagement.
– Millions of Americans now know who their state and federal representatives are without having to Google.
– Millions of Americans are exercising more. They’re holding signs and marching every week.
– The Postal Service is enjoying the influx cash due to stamps purchased by millions of people for letter and postcard campaigns.
– Millions of Americans now know how to call their elected officials and know exactly what to say to be effective.
– Everyone knows more about the rise of Hitler than they did last year.
– Everyone knows more about legislation, branches of power and how checks and balances work. – Marginalized groups are experiencing a surge in white allies.

– White people in record numbers have just learned that racism is not dead.
– “Mike Pence” has donated millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood since Nov. 9th.
– Travel ban protesters put $24 million into ACLU coffers in just 48 hours, enabling them to hire 200 more attorneys. Lawyers are now heroes.
– As people seek veracity in their news sources, respected news outlets are happily reporting a substantial increase in subscriptions, a boon to a struggling industry vital to our democracy.

– Live streaming court cases and congressional sessions are now popular.

– Massive cleanup of Facebook friend lists.

– People are reading classic literature again. Sales of George Orwell’s “1984” increased by 10,000% after the inauguration.

– More than ever before, Americans are aware that education is important.”

My take is that the best thing we can do is to pay attention to what is going on and be active. Not reactive – because to react is to let “them” set the pace. Don’t let them rule the dance. Look for what is broken, who is hurting. Go help them. We’ve long said that the government is too involved in our lives. This is a great opportunity to take control back. Instead of the government taking care of the sick, elderly, poor, homeless – we need to do this, through churches and other civic organizations. Don’t worry about government funding for Planned Parenthood – make it private. Then there will no longer be a debate from some that their money is going to something they don’t agree with. We need to decentralize everything.

Perhaps the nomination to be the Secretary of Education of a person who has nothing to do with public education is a good thing. We have a broken system, with children who are not able to get a job or even think on their own. Currently, children learn to read well enough to memorize test answers. This leaves them unprepared for adult life. Parents who can afford to send their children to private schools because they are seen as better. So why not take the template of the private schools and put it on the public one? Now – and this is critical – it must not be religious-based (unless it covers all faiths).

Better than that – let’s start reading again. I don’t mean current fiction. I mean non-fiction, things that make us think. We’ve spent too long escaping life and not facing it. We’ve spent too long asleep. Go to your local library and support it. Get together with people and discuss what you are learning.

Worried about your health-care? Go for a walk or to the gym. Eat the healthiest food you can. Learn to cook.

This entire debacle has caused us to stop thinking of the government as our savior. This is a good thing.

——————–

(All Bible verses are HCSB)

Ella

Posted on February 14, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

ele

Ella had been raised with humans since she was a wee calf, only two months old. She’d been abandoned by her mother, who simply walked away one afternoon while Ella was sleeping in the damp savannah heat under a baobab tree.

Perhaps the mother forgot her? Perhaps she walked off to check on a strange sound or find something to eat. Perhaps she didn’t want to be a mother anymore. Perhaps she was too young for the experience, or it was more than she’d anticipated.

Regardless of the reasons why, the “what” was that Ella was by herself for a day and a night before she was found by a safari full of New Zealand tourists. That area wasn’t on their tour, but her bellows aroused their curiosity so they rerouted.

Ella was fine for a few hours after she awoke. It wasn’t unusual for Mama to go away. Calves had to learn to be independent early on, so mothers didn’t coddle them. But when sunset came and Mama still wasn’t there she started to get a little anxious. That hungry feeling in her tummy got more insistent, which only worsened her anxiety. It was a terrible self-reinforcing loop.

Ella began to whine, quietly at first, feeling sad and alone. She didn’t want to call the wrong sort of attention to herself. There were plenty of animals in the Savannah who would love to make a meal of a young elephant left unguarded by her parents. But after a few hours alone under the stars, Ella started the bawl openly, no longer holding back. She no longer cared if some predatory animal was drawn to her cries. Death was better than this, this half-life of loneliness and fear.

What would she do? How would she care for herself? Her Mama had been her world, her constant companion. And now as far as she looked across the flat scrubland, she saw nothing but thorn bushes and trees stripped of their leaves by the giraffes. She was still awake, red-eyed and hoarse from her keening in the early morning when the safari group found her.

A young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Halverson, married just 6 1/2 months, decided to take her as their own. They’d agreed when they were engaged that they didn’t want children, both having been raised by abusive parents. They didn’t trust themselves to not repeat the pattern. It was as if they both chosen to be teetotalers after being raised by alcoholics. They decided it was safer for everyone all around if they didn’t even try. But an elephant was another matter entirely. And who couldn’t fail to fall in love with her? Her huge dark eyes with her long ashes locked into them like a tractor beam. There was no chance of escape.

However, there were a few obstacles to overcome. How to get her home? An airplane was out of the question. If airlines charge by the pound for luggage, there’s no way they can get her on board. Perhaps a combination of train and boat? It was the only way it seemed. However, the moment they put her on the train for the first time they knew there was going to be a problem. She began to bawl when Jake stepped out of the car. He and Margie quickly realized one of them would have to stay with her.

They hurried to get another ticket and had to pay extra for the “privilege” of riding in the animal car. It wasn’t meant for people, and Mr. Gruber, the engineer, had to pay off the station manager to keep him from grumbling. Fortunately the weather was good, because the animal cars weren’t air-conditioned. No use wasting heat and air on them, the company thought. But Jacob would have a hard time. Even though it was early summer, the speed of the train would mean it would be rather chilly while it was traveling. Margie gave him her mink coat that he’d given her as an engagement gift to soften the blow. The other animals kept away from him once they caught a whiff of it, unsure of what it, or he, was. It masked his aftershave, however, and that was good. He was grudgingly accepted as one of them at least long enough to get Ella to her new home.

The weather box

Posted on February 14, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

It was that time again. Around August, every year for the past two decades, Michael consulted the box. He had to. It was part of his job as chief forecaster for the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Some would say it was all of his job, but he would disagree. There were plenty of other chores he did around the office on Main Street in Dublin, New Hampshire that justified his salary, but this was by far the most important.

The box was kept in the editor’s office on the floor. It was unlocked – in fact, Michael was sure he’d never even seen the keys for it. The information inside it was too valuable to risk not being available when needed. Michael shuddered to think how much damage would result from an attempt to force open that black box. He might never be able to create the eerily accurate year-long forecast that the almanac was famous for. No, it was best to leave it unlocked, safely in the editor’s office. The office door could be locked, sure, but there was no need.
Nobody stole anything here. It just wasn’t that sort of town. What came first, the town or the almanac? Was the reason for the honest nature of the citizens due to the intentions of the founder over 225 years ago? Or did he choose to place his center of operations in this place because of its nature? Did it matter? The two went together like peanut butter and jelly, both making each other better by being together.

Michael had been carefully advised on the preparations he had to do before even starting to write the forecast. It was a carefully guarded secret handed down orally from meteorologist to meteorologist. Even the editor didn’t know what was involved. Even Michael’s wife, a kind lady who’d claimed him as her own when they were both in their mid-20s half their lives ago, even she who had seen his ups and downs and in between, even she didn’t know.

It was only after he understood and agreed to the very specific and arcane instructions that he was even offered the job. It was essential for everyone’s safety, no doubt about it. One step forgotten or performed in the wrong order and people would die. Not immediately, probably. He was by nature an inquisitive man, but on this point he knew better than to question any part of the litany, and never to write it down.

But what if he died before he found his replacement? Subsequent meteorologists were carefully selected and groomed for the job by the current occupant. How would the knowledge pass on if he wasn’t around? It turns out that this wasn’t a concern. In fact, it was one of the perks of the job although nobody else knew it. He couldn’t die from an accident as long as he performed the annual pre-prognostication ritual carefully and correctly. He wasn’t sure how closely the ritual matched the preparations the high priest made to approach the Holy of Holies in the Holy Temple 3000 years ago but he was pretty sure it wasn’t far off.

That cool August day, he took the box from the current editor’s office and took it to his own. He sat down at his small wooden desk after he’d locked the door. It was best to not be interrupted. He made sure that everybody was out of the office so they wouldn’t need anything from him for the rest of the day. They understood how important it was to not interrupt him once he started, but they might forget and try to come in to get a refill on their coffee or to tell him the latest sports score. He often did his forecasts on a Saturday for this very reason, so he could be sure nobody would be there.

Michael took a deep breath in and opened the box. He took out all the papers and put them to the side. He kept the empty box in front of him. The box was what mattered after all. The papers were a red herring, put there to confuse and misdirect. That was the trick – anybody could open the box and look through the papers there. The instructions made no sense to anyone, even him. This was on purpose. The box was the secret. This is why it had never changed for all these years. It certainly wasn’t out of a sense of sentimentality or thrift.

The box was forged from a blend of steel, copper, and meteor. The tiny meteor had fallen behind Robert Thomas’ house all those years ago. When he touched it with his spade while turning the soil for his wife’s daffodil bed, it told him in his mind that it would tell him the future. Not meaningless trivia, mind you, not anything so banal as who would win the World Series or who would be president in 130 years. No, this meteorite would tell him what really mattered – the weather.

It was the weather that caused the crops to grow or not. It was the weather that made life pleasant or deadly. Balmy days were nice, but ice storms and floods were what really mattered. Robert knew better than to keep the meteor as is. It might get lost, or forgotten, or mistaken for a knickknack or a paperweight and get put in the rock garden or given to a grandchild. No, he knew what to do – blend it with molten metal and then forge that into a box. Nobody would think twice about a small metal box, like the kind you would use for keeping cash in at a garage sale or school bazaar. It was hiding in plain sight.

Michael looked into the box and knew everything all at once. Some people thought making up the forecast for the year for the whole country was difficult. It turns out that the hard part was separating it out. The information came all at once into his mind, like a zip file. It took him the rest of the afternoon to scribble the important parts of it down, and then a week later to fill in the details and sort it out into an acceptable shape.

Biblical euphemisms for death

Posted on February 12, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

7 This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years. 8 He took his last breath and died at a ripe old age, old and full of days] and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:7-8)

17 This is the length[e] of Ishmael’s life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:17)

33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people. (Genesis 49:33)

14 “I am now going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed. (Joshua 23:14)

(All verses are HCSB)

Stay in the path that leads to life

Posted on February 12, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 Moses speaks to Israel at Mt. Sinai –

32 “Be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left. 33 Follow the whole instruction the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.”

Joshua 1:6-7 The Lord to Joshua, Moses’ successor –
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.”

Joshua 23:6-8 Joshua’s final instructions as he is about to die –
6 “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left 7 and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not worship them or bow down to them. 8 Instead, remain faithful to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

Isaiah 30:19-21 The prophet Isaiah speaks –
19 For you people will live on Zion in Jerusalem and will never cry again. He will show favor to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears, He will answer you. 20 The Lord will give you meager bread and water during oppression, but your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher, 21 and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

(all verses are HCSB)

“Home” resources

Posted on February 6, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

What does “home” mean? When is “progress” a step backwards? If we are building for a community in need, we must consult the community to see what it values. What about co-housing – sharing resources?

—-Movies—

The Pruitt-Igoe myth. Housing project in St Louis.

Surviving Progress. Overconsumption, environmental collapse.

The Human Scale. Architect Jan Gehl. Cities for people – human sized, meant for livabilit

Tomorrow we disappear. India slums rehab. Doing for people (the poor) versus doing to people.

Commune. About Black bear ranch. Features Peter Coyote

Urbanized. Documentary by Gary Hustwit about design. “Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? And how does the design of our cities affect our lives?” (from the description)

Blackout. “The lights went out and all hell broke loose” – about the chaos that followed the July 13, 1977 New York City blackout. Haves and have-nots.

“10 that changed America” – 10 homes, parks, and towns that changed our nation. Urban design, relationship of environment upon the people who live in it. Shaping people by where they live.

A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil

—-Books—

“Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World” by Chapin, Ross

“A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction” by Alexander, Christopher W.

“Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and Other Small Structures” by Diedricksen, Derek

A Nation Under God

Posted on February 5, 2017 by betsybeadhead | 1 Comment

If we want to go with the idea of making America a nation “under God” – what does that mean? What does it mean when people say that they want America to be a Christian nation? Let us look at Holy Scripture for direction. I’ve selected some prominent ones and then boiled them down to the essentials in boldface. Read over all of it carefully, and see if what America does currently in the name of Christian values matches up with what the Bible says.

Ezekial 18:7-9 describes the actions of a righteous man –
7 He doesn’t oppress anyone but returns his collateral to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. 8 He doesn’t lend at interest or for profit but keeps his hand from wrongdoing and carries out true justice between men. 9 He follows My statutes and keeps My ordinances, acting faithfully. Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live.”This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

We shouldn’t oppress anyone. We should repay debts. We shouldn’t steal. We should feed the hungry and clothe the naked. If we lend money, we shouldn’t do it at interest. We should do only good things and act in a just manner. We should follow the rules that God has given us.

The whole of chapter 58 of the book of Isaiah tells us what to do –
“Cry out loudly, don’t hold back!
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Tell My people their transgression
and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 They seek Me day after day
and delight to know My ways,
like a nation that does what is right
and does not abandon the justice of their God.
They ask Me for righteous judgments;
they delight in the nearness of God.”
3 “Why have we fasted, but You have not seen?
We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t noticed!”
“Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast,
and oppress all your workers.
4 You fast with contention and strife
to strike viciously with your fist.
You cannot fast as you do today,
hoping to make your voice heard on high.
5 Will the fast I choose be like this:
A day for a person to deny himself,
to bow his head like a reed,
and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Isn’t the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will appear like the dawn,
and your recovery will come quickly.
Your righteousness will go before you,
and the LORD’s glory will be your rear guard.
9 At that time, when you call, the LORD will answer;
when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you get rid of the yoke among you,
the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
10 and if you offer yourself to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted one,
then your light will shine in the darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
11 The LORD will always lead you,
satisfy you in a parched land,
and strengthen your bones.
You will be like a watered garden
and like a spring whose waters never run dry.
12 Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
you will restore the foundations laid long ago;
you will be called the repairer of broken walls,
the restorer of streets where people live.
13 “If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath,
from doing whatever you want on My holy day;
if you call the Sabbath a delight,
and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much;
14 then you will delight yourself in the LORD,
and I will make you ride over the heights of the land,
and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

God does not want us to fast in sackcloth and ashes, drawing attention to ourselves. God wants us to set people free of anything and everything that enslaves and traps them. God wants us to share our food with people who are hungry, share our homes with people who are homeless, to clothe people who have nothing, and to not neglect our families. We are to make sure that others have as good as we have, by sharing what we have with those who have nothing.

Micah 6:6-8

6 What should I bring before the LORD
when I come to bow before God on high?
Should I come before Him with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
7 Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams
or with ten thousand streams of oil?
Should I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the child of my body for my own sin?
8 Mankind, He has told you what is good
and what it is the LORD requires of you:
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

The only offerings God wants from us is to show justice and mercy, and be humble when following God’s commandments.

What are those commandments? They are in Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
3 Do not have other gods besides Me.
4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.
7 Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. 11 For the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
13 Do not murder.
14 Do not commit adultery.
15 Do not steal.
16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

In summation – know that God is the only God, and worship only God. Don’t use God’s name casually. Rest on the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t want anything that your neighbor has.

Jesus boils it all down to two simple rules in Matthew 22:34-40

34 When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

If you love God and your neighbor (everyone else) then you will not violate any of the commandments. You won’t make idols, worship other gods, or use God’s name without reason if you love God. You can’t murder, steal from, or lie about anyone if you love them.

Jesus tells us more with a parable in Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’
40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!
42 For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43 I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’
44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’
45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

We are to treat everyone as if they are Jesus – to serve them in the same way. This means that we are to give food to the hungry, something to drink to the thirsty, give shelter to the stranger, give clothes to the naked, and take care of people who are sick and/or in prison.

If we do all these things, then, and only then, can we say that we are Christian nation. Let us focus our efforts on being known for our love by serving others – feeding, clothing, welcoming. If we do that, we won’t have time for anything else which we’ve been deluded by false pastors into thinking we have to do.

(All translations are HCSB)

Elisha and Jesus comparisons

Posted on February 2, 2017 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Elisha raised a child from the dead –

2 Kings 4:32-37
32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm. 35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.

Jesus does the same – one instance is Mark 5:21-23 and 35-43

21 When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the sea. 22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet 23 and kept begging Him, “My little daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live.”…..35 While He was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?” 36 But when Jesus overheard what was said, He told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” 37 He did not let anyone accompany Him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. 38 They came to the leader’s house, and He saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 They started laughing at Him, but He put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with Him, and entered the place where the child was. 41 Then He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was 12 years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. 43 Then He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and said that she should be given something to eat.

See John 11:1-44 for Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and Luke 7:11-17 where he raised the widow’s son from death.

Elisha feeds many people with a little food –

2 Kings 4:42-44
42 A man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with his sack full of 20 loaves of barley bread from the first bread of the harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 43 But Elisha’s attendant asked, “What? Am I to set 20 loaves before 100 men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said, “for this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat, and they will have some left over.’” 44 So he gave it to them, and as the Lord had promised, they ate and had some left over.

Jesus does the same, but it is 4,000 people in one instance and 5,000 in another.

Matthew 15:32-39
32 Now Jesus summoned His disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry; otherwise they might collapse on the way.” 33 The disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to fill such a crowd?” 34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them. “Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.” 35 After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 He took the seven loaves and the fish, and He gave thanks, broke them, and kept on giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 They all ate and were filled. Then they collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. 38 Now those who ate were 4,000 men, besides women and children. 39 After dismissing the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

and Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns. 14 As He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When evening came, the disciples approached Him and said, “This place is a wilderness, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.” 17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to Him. 18 “Bring them here to Me,” He said. 19 Then He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces! 21 Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

Elisha’s predecessor, Elijah is similar to John the Baptist.

Malachi 3:1-4 (About Elijah)

“See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire—see, He is coming,” says the Lord of Hosts. ²But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like cleansing lye. ³He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. ⁴And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by.

and Malachi 3:22-24 (New American Bible Revised Edition) (Because these verses are not in the Protestant canon)

²²Remember the law of Moses my servant,
    whom I charged at Horeb
With statutes and ordinances
    for all Israel.
²³Now I am sending to you
    Elijah the prophet,
Before the day of the Lord comes,
    the great and terrible day;
²⁴He will turn the heart of fathers to their sons,
    and the heart of sons to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
    the land with utter destruction.

Jesus refers to these lines when talking about John –

Matthew 11:7-15

⁷As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one it is written about:

Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You;
he will prepare Your way before You.

¹¹“I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; ¹⁴if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵Anyone who has ears should listen!

(All Bible verses are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible unless otherwise noted)