The parable of the rich fool

Posted on June 26, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Someone called out from the crowd saying “Teacher, tell my brother to split the estate with me.” Jesus said, “Man, who appointed me as a judge over you to decide such things like that? Be on guard against greed because real life isn’t about having a lot of things.”

He then told them a parable. “There was a rich man who had a very productive farm. In fact, it was so productive that he decided that it would be a good idea to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store everything he had. He said to himself, ‘I have enough stored away for many years. I can take it easy and eat drink and be merry!’

But then God said to him ‘Fool! This very night you are going to die. All these things you have saved up – who will get them?’ The very same thing will happen to those people who get rich here on earth but are poor in heaven.”

LK 12:13-21

The second prediction of his death.

Posted on April 10, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

The crowds were amazed at everything he was doing. Then Jesus started traveling through Galilee away from the crowds. Jesus was teaching his disciples while they were there.

“Mark my words, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to men. They will kill him and he will be raised up three days later.”

They were deeply distressed and did not understand this statement because the meaning was concealed from them. They were afraid to ask him what he meant.

MT 17:22-23, MK 9:30-32, LK 9:43b-45

Reprogram Your Self

Posted on March 1, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

A multi-leveled artwork, 20 x 16. Smaller canvases affixed to larger.

Text is from “Sri Isopanisad” by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Paper, acrylic paint, matte medium, decoupage glue, dragonfly wing, unknown insect wing, rhinestones, holograms from Visa credit cards, bits from a computer.

I may or may not include the words “Reprogram Your Self” at a later date on the piece – depends on if I can find a good font. Or if I feel brave enough to hand-paint it.

Background of canvas was painted the weekend my mother-in-law was dying. It symbolizes the transition from material to spiritual space.

Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing this one of a kind artwork.

Poem – Guilt and expected death

Posted on February 27, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

There’s a guilty feeling the caregiver has
when their loved one dies.
Be it spouse, parent, child,
you’ve taken care of them
for a long time
and they have finally
passed on.

Nobody talks about this.
They talk about how hard it is
to take care of
someone you love
for a long time,
someone who is terminally ill.
Someone who isn’t going
to get better,
and the only cure
is the grave.

Your life is finally back
to being yours.
Your time is yours.

You should feel bad if you
didn’t
give your time
to help them
– but you did, and now it is over.

There shouldn’t be guilt
about surviving,
guilt about feeling relieved
that it is over,
guilt about being glad
your duty is done.
But there is.

You are glad for them
that they are no longer suffering,
but also glad for yourself
that you can do
what you want to do
again.

You aren’t so crass as to say
you’re glad
they are dead,
but you are.

It is a weird feeling,
made weirder
by the mixture of grief,
the exhaustion of being
an unpaid,
untrained nurse,
there 24/7.

Poem – Plates

Posted on January 26, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

I opened the box
from my mother in law,
the heavy brown cardboard, the crisp pale paper inside.
She’d been dead a month by this time
but she knew it was coming
so there’d been time to prepare.

Every plate
every bowl
every cup
even the gravy boat
she had wrapped
herself
one
by
one

and placed carefully in this box.

She knew
that this was the last time
she would see these dishes,
these dishes that we had used
as a family
for Christmas
for Easter
for Thanksgiving
every year.

She knew
this was the end
that there would be no more holidays
for her.

We’ll continue
in our fashion
in our own new way
without her
but with her plates
so lovingly
and so carefully
wrapped.

Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah

Posted on January 23, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

When Jesus and his disciples came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, a town north of the region of Galilee, he asked his disciples privately, “Who are people in the crowds saying I am?” They replied “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others think you are Elijah, and yet others think you are Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Jesus faced them and said “But as for you, who do you say I am?” Simon answered him saying “You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

MT 16:13-16, MK 8:27-29, LK 9:18-20

Jesus responded “Simon, son of Jonah, God has blessed you with this knowledge because you didn’t learn this from a person but directly from God!” Jesus continued, saying “Your name is now Peter, because you are a rock, and upon you I will build my living church, and the gates of death will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you join together on earth will be joined together in heaven, and whatever you separate on earth will be separated in heaven.”

MT 16:17-19

Then he gave them very strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

MT 16:20, MK 8:30, LK 9:21a

Death predicted (Get thee behind me)

Posted on January 22, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

From that time on, Jesus began to let his disciples know that he must go up to Jerusalem, saying “The Son of Man is about to greatly suffer and be rejected by the elders, scribes, and the chief priests, and then rise after three days.

MT 16:21, MK 8:31, LK 9:21b-22

Speaking privately to him, Peter began to chide him saying “Don’t say such things! This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned and told Peter “Get out of my way, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s needs but your own instead.”

MT 16:22-23, MK 8:32-33

Third prediction of death.

Posted on January 21, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Jesus took his disciples aside to speak with them privately while they were on the road going up to Jerusalem. He let them know what was about to happen to him.

“Pay attention! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man is about to be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the religious authorities and they will sentence him to death. Then he will be handed over to the Gentiles and he will be mocked, insulted, and spat on. Then they will flog him and crucify him. After all that he will rise three days later.”

MT 20:17-19, MK 10:32-34, LK 18:31-34

Acknowledging Christ and Take up your cross

Posted on January 1, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Jesus said “I will acknowledge to God everyone who acknowledges me to other people. But if they deny me to other people, I will deny them when I stand before God. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of following me and my teachings will find it. You can only be my disciple if you deny your desires, bear your own cross, and follow me. How does it benefit you if you have all the possessions in the world but you lose your life? What can you exchange to get your life back?”

LK 9:23-26, LK 12:8-9, LK 14:27, LK 17:33, MK 8:34-38, MT 10:32-33, MT 10:38-39, MT 16:24-27, JN 12:25-26

Gospel causes division

“You assume that I have come to bring peace on earth, and you are mistaken. I’ve come to bring a sword, cutting old family ties. I’ve come to turn sons against fathers, daughters against mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Your worst enemies will be members of your household. Anyone who loves their family more than me cannot be my disciple.”

MT 10:34-37, LK 14:25-26

Some will not die.

“However, I tell you, there are some people standing here who won’t die before they see the kingdom of God.”

MK 9:1, LK 9:27, MT 16:28

(divided) Acknowledging Christ and Take up your cross.

Posted on January 1, 2015 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

DIVIDED Acknowledging Christ and take up your cross

Jesus said “I will acknowledge to God everyone who acknowledges me to other people. But if they deny me to other people, I will deny them when I stand before God.”

LK 12:8-9, MK 8:38, MT 10:32-33, LK 9:26

“Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of following me and my teachings will find it.”

LK 14:26, MK 8:35, MT 10:39, LK 9:24, MT 16:25, LK 17:33, JN 12:25

“You can only be my disciple if you deny your desires, bear your own cross, and follow me.”

LK 14:27, MK 8:34, MT 10:38, LK 9:23, MT 16:24

“How does it benefit you if you have all the possessions in the world but you lose your life? What can you exchange to get your life back?”

MK 8:36-37, LK 9:26, MT 16:26

Gospel causes division

MT 10:34-37, LK 14:25-26

Some will not die.

“However, I tell you, there are some people standing here who won’t die before they see the kingdom of God.”

MK 9:1, LK 9:27, MT 16:28