Gaza

The Rev. John Angle of the Hope Trust brought a group over to Gaza on Monday.  The issueof  getting through the border was the group had to walk 1.5 miles across the border so they borrowed everyone's rolling suitcases to bring items to the Lighthouse School that they support.

When they got back last night they told us about the checkpoint searching one of their group, a 70 yearold woman form more than three hours including X-rays.  John himself was detained for 2 hours while they asked questions of him like his fathers names and grandfathers names.  

The group arrived back about 5 hours later than they thought and started sharing pictures.

Everything is pretty well flattened and building can not resume.  They destroyed all the factories.

I was talking to one of the group when they said they destroyed the cement factory so there is no way of starting rebuilding.  My comment was that they are attempting to destroy hope.  

 Hope wins...  It always does.  John and his group knows this.

A new thing

Because of timing, I am free this morning. It is a beautiful clear morning and it will get into the mid-60s today so I took advantage of the weather and washed a load of laundry. I then went out and put the clothes on the line on the roof. I have never line dried my clothes. Fumbling with the clothespins, not worrying about matching socks or who sees my underwear.

Sunshine!

I waited a few days and it finally came out.  It only took 20 minutes to make me feel better.

High Anxiety

Serpents and traveling.  Anxiety setting in?  My readings for today seemed to be focused on serpents and traveling and all I could think of was my upcoming trip. I may not be as settled as I seem.

Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer,

Calm my anxiety, Bring peace to my inner being, Slow my thoughts down, Clear my paths of serpents, Slow me down and let me see the obstacles that threaten me. That keep me wandering on the wrong paths.

This I pray, is my journey toward hope.
While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.

Amen

Ran Away

I ran off to NY City and saw a musical.  Took a express bus up and would recommend it.  I went to the WTC and looked at the hole there and thought about the tis I would walk to work.  I felt a huge emptiness as I missed something that was my past.

Desire

Psalm 19:9- 10 the fear of the Lord is pure,
   enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
   and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
   even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
   and drippings of the honeycomb.

Lord,

Do I desire the sweetness in your living?
Do I seek to be righteous within you and with you?
Do I respect what you have taught me and are teaching me?
My prayer today is for listening to your word.
What you will be saying to me as I go out.
What calls me and envelops me to be more that I can be by myself.
For your hope is with me and your love holds me.
This I pray, is my journey toward hope.
While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.

Come to Rest

Henry Nouwen writes that the literal translation of pray always is “come to rest”
p. 6 Katheen Norris, Acedia & me.

 

Lord,

May I come to rest in you as you come to rest in me.
My journey this lent is about being restored to you.
My time in this wilderness apart is about reflecting on my past and being made whole in you.
By you.
I know that I am always with you and you are always with me.
I know my journey is about what I have done,
What I have said,
Where I have been.
But Lord,
How can I,
What can I,
What shall I be with you?
New in life and new in creation!
This I pray, is my journey toward hope.
While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.
Amen

Where is the sleep?

Sleep was alluding me. The snow is falling in a silent blizzard. But I want it to be all over and I wake up with the world white.

 

Patience and being a patient. Waiting while healing. I was hurting from so much. The hurts of the past were on my mind. My body ached from the weather outside. I sat in bed trying to sleep with words of a song going through my head,

 Oh Lord hear my prayer,
Oh Lord hear my prayer,
When I call
Answer me,
Oh Lord hear my prayer,
Oh Lord hear my prayer
Come and listen to me.
This I pray, is my journey toward hope.
While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.

Amen 

Praying for sleep.

floating around

Creator, Sustainer and redeemer,

 

There are times in my life I knew what I was doing, 

Things were so clear.  Things were so right.

Now I feel like I am adrift again.  In a small boat on the sea.

But sometimes lost is where I need to be.

Not knowing my direction doesn’t mean I don’t have one.

There are currents moving me along directions I cannot see.

There are winds that I can feel blowing me along too.

My sea is my wilderness,

My temptations are the things that want me to veer off course.

Even if I don’t know the course.

This I pray, is my journey toward hope.

While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.

Amen