Here’s your picture of a dog in a shower cap wearing a bathrobe.
Why?
Because it’s Friday. Because it’s been one of those weeks. Because everyone needs a little lighthearted humor every now and then.
Just because.
You’re welcome.
Oh, and here’s one more.
And the very last one . . .
“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE” (G K Chesterton).
I’m all for maturity, but I believe in some cases we would do well to grow younger. Not younger as in acting childish but more like having a childlike wonder and awe.
God, for all the wonders and miracles you did in days of old, we say to you, “Do it again.”
God, for all the mercies and grace you have lavished on us today, we say to you, “Do it again.”
God, for every time you give us not what we deserve or have earned but what Jesus has earned for us, we say to you, “Do it again.”
May we never tire of God’s great mercies or grow weary of His unfailing love and grace toward us. May we be as astonished at our own salvation with each passing day as we were the day before.
God, as you have faithfully acted throughout all our days and nights, do it again.
I finally got around to this 80’s classic. It only took 30 years, but I found this little gem on Netflix and decided to take a break from Sons of Anarchy for a trip down Nostalgia Lane.
The movie features a young Patrick Dempsey, better known to most people these days from his role on Grey’s Anatomy, and Amanda Peterson, who sadly passed away in 2015. It also stars the red-headed kid from The Burbs, but in a much less creepy role.
What I expected was a bit of light romantic comedy fluff done 80’s style. What I got was a lot deeper and more meaningful treatise about the price of popularity versus the ultimate freedom in being true to yourself.
The movies I like and tend to gravitate toward are movies I can relate to, and I could certainly relate to this one. Patrick’s character starts off as a bit of a nerd, buys his way into popularity, loses himself, and eventually . . . well, I’m not big on spoiler alerts, so you’ll have to find it on Netflix to find out what happens.
There’s something magical about a good 80’s movie. I can’t put my finger on it, but I know that it’s missing from most of the newer movies I’ve seen. Maybe it’s that 80’s movies have a kind of fantastical quality that, if not completely realistic and believable, is fun to visit for a while.
I just may be forced to break down and buy this one on blu ray to add to my already ridiculous movie collection.
I loved my vacation with the family. It was great and a good time was indeed had by all. But I need another vacation to recuperate from the previous one.
I need a few days where I can hibernate in a hammock with only the occasional bathroom and food breaks. No television, no radio, no smart anything. Just that hammock and a good long book. And the periodic coffee beverage.
I also want to eat all the chocolate my grubby little hands can stuff into my face without getting fat. In other words, I can’t always get every little thing I want and it’s probably a good thing I can’t. Not everything I want is good. Or beneficial. Or realistic.
In the mean time, I will settle for one very comfortable bed where I can hibernate. Until 5 am tomorrow morning.
Pleasant dreams, everyone.
“The underlying premise of this book: the splendor of a human heart which trusts that it is loved gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom.” (Brennan Manning).
I’m always a little sad at endings. Today was the end of my vacation, and while I know it can’t go on forever (or I’d be broke and fat) I still get a little sad knowing that the experience is coming to and end.
Still, I have some good memories (and a few good photos) to cherish from the past five days. Plus, I got some really snazzy hiking boots.
Every day you get to be alive in has a beginning and an ending. No matter how good or bad or indifferent the day is, it still only lasts 24 hours. While some days seem longer, they’re really not.
Every day you get to be alive is another opportunity to choose. You can choose to be grateful for what you have or envious over what you don’t. You can choose to give thanks or grumble. You can choose to serve the Lord or chase after the latest tin god that’s fashionable for a season. As Bob Dylan said, “Everybody’s gotta serve somebody.”
So, tomorrow is Tuesday. Hopefully, fall weather is on its way.
And as a reminder, once you understand that you are the beloved of your Heavenly Father and start living out of that, every day gets better. Not perfect, but better.
Today was the last full day of my 2017 Smoky Mountains vacation. Yes, a good time was had by all. Including me.
I believe I’ve stored up enough good memories to carry me along until my next vacation, whenever that may be.
I saw some reminders of the fire that tore through the area last year, but thankfully, a lot more managed to escape unscathed. I’m especially thankful that the main part of Gatlinburg where all the shops and restaurants (including the Pancake Pantry) are wasn’t burned.
My thoughts and prayers are still with those who are still rebuilding their lives and their homes a year later, long after the media has largely forgotten about them. They still have a long way to go to get back to any sense of normal.
But I believe the people here are strong and sturdy. They will survive. They will carry on. It will take a lot more than a fire to kill the spirit of te people of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the rest of Sevier County.
In the midst of all that, I’m grateful to still have a place like this to come to for vacation and create new and lasting memories.
Thank you for making my vacation great.
“The Christ within who is our hope of glory is not a matter of theological debate or philosophical speculation. He is not a hobby, a part-time project, a good theme for a book, or a last resort when all human effort fails. He is our life, the most real fact about us. He is the power and wisdom of God dwelling within us” (Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging).
Tonight, I had a semi-crazy notion. I wondered, “What would Brennan Manning say about all the political mess we’re in where we seem to grow more divided every single day?”
He might have a few strong words for a President who uses his office as a kind of bully pulpit to shame and mock those who disagree with him. He might bemoan the alm0st complete lack of compasion coming from the so-called religious right.
He also might have a few words for those whose motto was “Love trumps hate,” yet in turn mocks and jeers the current President and whose anger borders on hostility.
He’d say that Abba’s children should be a prophetic voice that cries from outside the political spectrum, whose message is that Jesus loves each and every one of us (even the Trumps of the world) as if we each were the only ones to love. He’d say that no one is beyong the reach of the grace of God.
I believe he’d say that kindness and compassion are way more fitting of a child of Abba than name-calling and fear-mongering. He’d remind us that our ultimate allegience is not to a political party, platform, or ideology, but to the person of Jesus. Not to a flag, a president, and a nation, but to a King and a Kingdom.
“Whenever I allow anything but tenderness and compassion to dictate my response to life–be it self-righteous anger, moralizing, defensiveness, the pressing need to change others…I am alienated from my true self. My identity as Abba’s child [a child of God] becomes ambiguous, tentative and confused” (Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out).
I’m not much of a fan of knick-knacks and cutesy crafts and such. But today I saw a little wooden handcrafted sign that resonated with me. Plus, it was only $4.95 (not including tax).
It said, “Kindness is like snow. Everything it covers is made beautiful.”
This world sure could use more kindness. I’ve seen enough hatred and animosity spoken and posted in the name of politics and religion to last several lifetimes. I’ve seen way too much hostility displayed on social media over those who dare to disagree with someone’s viewpoint.
I don’t see all that hate and vitriol getting us anywhere, except maybe more divided and paranoid.
Kindness goes a long way. Kindness trumps getting even in the same way that grace always trumps karma (and isn’t it odd how people always seem to want karma for others and forgiveness for themselves?)
I choose kindness whenever possible. Kindness opens doors and breaks down walls and creates bridges of understanding between two sides.
Whenever possible, err on the side of grace and kindness. You won’t go wrong.
Here I am, back in Gatlinburg for the umpteenth time. This time, I’m staying in a rental cabin up in the mountains.
The downside? The roads are narrow, winding, and scary. Especially at night. It’s like something out of one of those horror movies they used to show on TV after midnight.
The upside? I can see actual stars. Sitting out on the balcony in the dark is already becoming my favorite activity here. I believe everyone needs to get out away from suburbia into a place where they can see stars in the night sky at least once a year, if not more often.
For me, Gatlinburg feels like a time machine that takes me back to my childhood. Sure, a lot has changed, but overall, it looks and feels the same as it did way back in the 80’s.
I’m anticipating good times and lots of good food for the next four days. A good time will be had by all.
It’s been almost 3 months since I was rescued by this little furball at the Williamson County Animal Shelter. I’ve told the story about how I had a completely different cat in the carrier, ready to take home, when Peanut stuck her little paw out of the cage and gave a little piteous mew that said, “Take me instead, please!”
I did, and the rest so far is history.
She typifies the loving and affectionate nature of just about any rescue. She shows her gratitude for being taken out of that solitary little cage every chance she gets. Add that to the fact that she is 100% kitten and what you end up with is sometimes completely hilarious and always a lot of fun.
She’s quite literally growing on me. She’s more than doubled in size since I first brought her home back in June. Maybe that explains why she will eat just about anything in sight (including dog biscuits).
She can never take the place of my beloved Lucy, whom I still miss dearly. She’s her own person with very unique traits and characteristics. She has helped my heart to heal by providing another outlet for the love to flow.
I do recommend that if you’ve lost a beloved pet, go to a shelter and find a cat or dog to rescue. You could pay a lot of money to a breeder for a specialized pet, but I personally think you’ll never regret saving the life of an animal that might otherwise be euthanized.
This whole Lucy to Peanut transition has taught me that while life never quite goes according to expectation, it somehow always turns out better. God really does work all things together for good to those who love Him. That’s not just a quaint saying that you can cross stitch and stick on your refrigerator (to borrow a Mike Glenn saying) but an every day reality.
Don’t ever take anyone in your life for granted at any time. Ever. Not people. Not pets. Always let them know how much they mean to you and always make time for them because you never know when they won’t be around any more.
God is good. Life is great. I am still blessed.
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