On Being Prepared

In honor of the annual Fort4Fitness races held in my city (a 4 mile, a 10K and a half-marathon, which take place simultaneously), I’m reblogging what I wrote the first time I watched the runners from the corner near our house:

“I really wasn’t prepared.

Five thousand people were prepared for this event, to some extent.  Obviously their preparations had varied. Some were taking it all in stride, others were in pain. Some seemed shocked, others stoic. Some kept an even pace and others limped along.

But I was unprepared. I didn’t have to do anything. The half-marathon route included a section which went right down the cross street which is two houses from my front door.  All I had to do was walk to the corner and clap. There were others there on the opposite corner. They cheered and shouted encouragement. But at first I only clapped.

Because I was unprepared.

Persecution is to be Expected

A Muslim man shoots two Egyptian Coptic Christians at point-blank range, then cuts off their hands and heads.  That must have happened…this week in Cairo?

No. Back in February.

In Buena Vista, New Jersey.

Granted, the Christians were recent immigrants…after all, most of the violence is confined to Egypt–isn’t it?

Except–since January, there have been killings in these African countries, too: Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Tanzania. At ChristianPersecution.info, you can find 19 articles since April of this year about persecution against African Christians. 

Freedom-sapping Regulations and Diktats are just the Govt’s way of “Encouraging” us

The word-of-the-day is courtesy of Merriam-Webster.com:

“DISINGENUOUS“ –  lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : calculating.

And with that definition firmly ensconced in your brain, let’s get to a recent quote from our President which has (mysteriously, I know) managed to elude 98% of the Main Stream Media yet again:

(TheHill.com) – President Obama on Friday confronted critics who have opposed his administration’s regulatory efforts to get Americans to use less energy.

“In some cases we’ve actually been criticized that it’s a socialist plot that’s restricting your freedom for us to encourage energy-efficient light bulbs, for example,” he said at a town hall event in Binghamton, N.Y.

“I never understood that but you hear those arguments,” he added.

Now For Some GOOD News: Jesus Loves You Best

Lucy Jo, age 2

It’s been a depressing news week, as summed up by my brother yesterday. But a conversation with my granddaughter cheered me up considerably, so I thought I’d share it with you all.

We were singing songs before nap time…she has a long list of favorites to choose from, “Amazing Grace” topping the list right now.

A poem, five years old, but it still resonates with me. A blessed Sunday to you all.

Winnowing...sorting the wheat and chaff of my thoughts

Psalm 77: Suspending My Disbelief, Sustaining My Hope

When all that was vibrant and teaming with life

feels like pewter plate–heavy and dull;

When the duties of worker and mother and wife

leave me hollowed, a beaten-down hull;

Your Word is a light flick’ring fast in the gloom,

and Your Wind blows a life-giving breeze through my desolate room.

– – – – – –

The bow which caresses the string strokes a lingering tone,

and it trembles, sustained on the air, an invisible wave.

The Word suspends each spinning sphere on a track of its own,

and their circular dance shapes our seasons from birth to the grave.

– – – – – –

When I can’t feel my pulse for the numbness inside,

and my heart is a stone in my chest;

When I’ve run out of salt for the tears that I’ve cried,

and my sleep is…

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