brennan manning

The Return of October

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Once again, October is upon us. We’re entering yet again into my favorite time of the year.

Today was a pleasant reminder of why I love this month so much with the very fall-ish weather. I could almost smell the pumpkin spice in the air (though my personal preference if I have to choose is the salted caramel).

I’m completely aware that this is still the wonderful state of Tennessee and the warmer weather is far from done for the year. I expect there will be a few more days of 80+ degree weather (though hopefully no more 90+ days).

Still, the advent of October means that Halloween is on its way, and after that comes Thanksgiving and Christmas. October means bonfires and changing colors of leaves and crisper temperatures.

My one and only gripe about October is that I wake up in almost complete darkness. It looks and feels like midnight and my body doesn’t want to get out of bed. Still, I’ll take that if it comes with all the goodness that October brings.

Happy October, everyone!

Three Months Later

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Three months ago today, I went into the Williamson County Animal Shelter hoping to pick out a kitten after my Lucy had crossed the rainbow bridge 9 days earlier.

It was a bit overwhelming at first, as there are so many kittens and cats in need of good furr-ever homes. I actually took a few kittens out and played with them to see how friendly and playful they were.

I had it in my mind that I wanted the cat to purr when I picked it up, but none of the cats I looked at did that. Maybe they were nervous or shy, but none of them seemed overly friendly.

I had a little male tuxedo kitten picked out and ready to take home. He was in the carrier and all that was left was for me to sign the papers and he’d be mine. Or I’d be his. I’m still not sure how exactly that works.

That was when I heard the most heart-wrenching piteous mew. I turned around to see a little black paw reaching to me from a cage behind me. I saw this little tortie kitten begging me to take her home.

I went over to the cage and she reached out and stroked my hand. She was purring. I knew then and there she had picked me to be my next cat. The tuxedo kitten went back to his cage with his mates and was probably adopted later to another good home.

I found out that my little tortie had been found stranded on I-65 when she was rescued. To this day, I don’t know if she was alone. I don’t know if she was actually on the interstate or in the median between the two sides.

All I know is that she rescued me. She gave the love I had for Lucy a new place to go.

The old saying is still true. God does work in mysterious ways, but I’m learning that those ways always turn out way better than my ways and my plans ever could.

Here’s to what I hope will be at least 17 years with Peanut, my little tortie.

 

Encore

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“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.

 

 

More Magic Movie Moments from the 80’s

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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 Need a Vacation from My Vacation

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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.

 

 

Beginnings and Endings

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“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.

 

An Update on Peanut

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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.

Happy Monday

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“Success is to wake up each morning and consciously decide that today will be the best day of your life” (Ken Poirot).

I still think Monday is a rude way to start the week. It feels like being sucker punched in the face every time. After the calm that is Sunday, Monday comes in and seriously disturbs my calm.

Still, I’m thankful for Mondays.

Mondays remind me that I’m still here and that I still have a purpose.

Mondays make me thankful for Fridays and the weekend.

Mondays are another day to discover that God is still good and that I am still blessed.

Mondays, as insanely crazy as they may feel sometimes, are still only 24 hours long– the same as every other day– and all Mondays eventually come to an end. I promise.

Currently, Mondays are good because Monday is when I get my overdose of nature when I go hiking through Radnor Lake State Park. I still say getting outdoors and exercising is one of the best and most underutilized antidepressants.

As my old boss used to say, any day without a toe tag is a good day. Even Mondays.

 

Vintage Love

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Today, I went into a retro store called Pre to Post Modern and picked up a 1965 Admiral transistor clock radio. I was drawn to it in the first place because it looks like something out of a Mad Men episode.

The older I get, the more I’m drawn to all things retro and vintage. I’m all about old movies, old music, old books . . . if it’s old, I’m probably a fan. Maybe it’s because I’m “vintage” myself. I also happen to drive a very vintage 1997 Jeep Cherokee that is still very much styling.

I think I’m drawn to vintage because they have survived the ravages of time and are still around. Like me. Like my Jeep.

I also think that I’m a fan of vintage values, like honoring your commitments and staying true to your word, even when it costs you something. I’m a fan of good manners and good grammar, two things that are rapidly becoming extinct in the age of social media and instant gratification.

I think I’m drawn to vintage and retro because it connects me with people I’ve loved who are gone. It takes me back to a simpler (and in many ways better) time when the pace of life was slower and people seemed to be more content and not in such a hurry.

I also have my grandfather’s old tube radio that used to sit in his garage. He listened to it when he was tinkering with projects or just puttering around. I love the fact that while it may have some wear and tear on it, it’s something that he held in his hands and that brought him joy. That makes my heart happy.

I can’t imagine too much of today’s technology still being around 50 years from now. Everything’s disposable and obsolete within one or two years. Does that make me sound like an old fart?