COOKIES!

Since I have this Christmas tree counter for Christmas on the right of this blog, I keep seeing how many days are left. . . .And you can be shocked by the time disappearing, too--here (though I do not know the beginning time zone.)

Then CB's mother emailed me about baking cookies for a Christmas Tea at her church. Does the frenzy start? Or should I just bake some and freeze them (and not eat them frozen)? And I haven't even tried the recipes from the link above, but they sound good. Usually, I bake the old recipes my mother used, with lots of butter in them. I think I'll wait till after Thanksgiving, where we'll be in Dallas for MJ's soccer tournament.

However, I may just rely on old favorite recipes. If you ever can find the BEST cookie cookbook I've ever found, get The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook, which is out of print, but well worth trying to find!

Grandpuppy Troy

This is a picture of BJ's Brittany Spaniel puppy Troy when he visited us about a month ago when he was three months old. He is much bigger at four months--AND more active!

BJ got the puppy before he got a job; he'd been unemployed since graduating from A&M University in College Station in May. (His big brother DC went to A&M also; DC was in The Corps, but not BJ.) When BJ got hired last month, he moved to a coastal Texas town into a trailer because it had a fenced-in yard for the dog (and was also affordable).

And then BJ was sent for seven days of safety training in Louisiana, so he needed someone to take care of Troy--us! Troy will be with us until Thanksgiving (Nov. 22 this year), the next time BJ will get home.

Troy is in his "toddlerhood" and must be in the "terrible twos," as he is busy, busy, busy. Our 11 year old cocker Baillie and 4 year old shepherd mix Cisco are tired of him. Baillie is old and just growls at this whippersnapper and walks away from him. Troy continually jumps on and bites Cisco, who is very patient, even though we humans get tired of the constant growling and wrestling. Sometimes Cisco will snap at Troy, which only discourages him for a moment or two.

When the noise gets too much for us, we usher all the dogs to the door to go "outside." It has gotten so that often Troy will run out, while the other two dogs just stand by the door, waiting for it to be closed with them still in the house.

Today Troy pulled the camera case off the desk while we were in the other room. He was chewing on it, when husband CB angrily apprehended him. CB did not appreciate me telling him that we needed to "child-proof" the room for Troy, just like we'd need to do for a grandchild.

This evening Troy dug out an orange wire that was in between the deck and the house. I asked Chuck what that wire was for--and he furiously told me it was for the internet connection! None of our other dogs (and our black lab died last year) ever dug it out before! You can see Troy gets into everything.

He's having a good effect on me though, because I'm taking him for long walks.

"The Choir" by Milan from Hi-Fi Murals.

Prayers for Peace

The following photographs to the left of the prayers are of statues and icons in The Peace Abbey.

		1. THE HINDU PRAYER FOR PEACE: Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come to me also.
		2. THE BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR PEACE: May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses - the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
		3. THE JAIN PRAYER FOR PEACE: Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma. Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not injure any living being." This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life. A weapon howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, be superior to nonviolence and love.
		4. THE MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE: In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."
		5. THE SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE: "God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear: that Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living. "Know that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated."
		6. THE BAHA'I PRAYER FOR PEACE: Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.
		7. THE SHINTO PRAYER FOR PEACE: "Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains."
		8. THE NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE: Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot; the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees: the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rockmass here on Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.
		9. THE NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE: O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things that you provide for us on this Earth.
		10. THE ZOROASTRIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE: We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.
		11. THE JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE: Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation - neither shall they learn war any more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
		12. THE CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE: Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Americans, Ice Cream, and World Needs

According to a quote in the latest Christian Century magazine (Nov. 13, 2007) under "Centurymarks, "Americans eat so much ice cream each year that the same amount of money spent on ice cream could radically increase the health and welfare of others in the world. Look:

"Americans spend $20 billion each year on ice cream. But according to United Nations figures, over the next 10 years it would take only $7 billion to provide clean water and basic sanitation for the entire world, and another $4 billion to finance basic health care for the same period that would prevent the death of 3 million infants each year." (Theology, News and Notes, Fall)

Saving the money my family spends on ice cream could help others--AND help my husband's and my overweight problem. What a thought!

AND ON THE SUBJECT OF HELPING OTHERS--If you haven't already contributed to an organization that helps world hunger, please donate to the CROP Walk, which occurs this Sunday here in Corpus Christi, TX.

Corpus Christi, TX CROP Hunger Walk
Sunday, November 11, 2007

Donate to the CROP Walk

(If you want more information about the CROP Walk, look at CROP Hunger Walk, CROP Walk Hunger Quiz!, Plumpy'nut and Malnutrition in Africa, and/or Making Poverty History.)

Loving the Present Moment

From Ellie at Meditation Matters:

Living and loving the present moment is the key to a spiritual life. Without trust, hope and love, we will not be able to endure the hardship of life.

Trust, hope and love will surely lead us to happiness, peace and consolation going beyond the ups and downs of human relationships.

-- Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan

Carrot Cake

For MJ's birthday (Monday is MJ's 18th Birthday!), I made a carrot cake minus the cup of raisins and the cup of pecans. The cake was shorter than usual, but I assumed that that was because it was missing two cups of ingredients. I iced it with cream cheese frosting, and it looked lovely. After dinner out with MJ and four of her friends, we came home to have birthday cake. She blew out 18 candles and then cut the cake. To me, it looked odd. It tasted dense and clay-like, with wonderful frosting. One girl said she was "too full" to eat it--how polite of her! I ended up throwing the cake away.

This was a humbling experience, because I am known to be an excellent baker and obviously on Monday night I wasn't. (In fact, just today AE emailed me for my pecan pie recipe.) MJ was gracious, and I felt very apologetic and also a little disappointed that her friends thought I cooked this badly!

Yesterday morning I went to the hospital waiting room to sit with the wife of an elderly man who was getting his hip replaced. Trying to be cheerful and talkative, I told Mrs. J about the mishap with the carrot cake. And she told me how carrot cake is Dr. J's favorite cake! If I hadn't told her that story, I would not have learned about him liking carrot cake so much. This turned my feelings of regret into anticipation, because I'm going to bake Dr. J a carrot cake when he comes home from the hospital! (Dr. J is a dear man who is a regular member of our weekly Wisdom Class book study.)

In fact, this weekend I was going to bake another carrot cake for our children coming to visit. AE and KA (AE and KA are engaged!) are flying to Texas from Seattle to attend a friend's wedding, and so DC and AA (Happy Anniversary, D and A!) are coming here from Austin. BJ will not be here, because he has to go to Louisiana for a week of safety training. But he'll be here in spirit, because we'll be taking care of his springer spaniel puppy Troy! (or as husband CB says, "our grandpuppy.")

When I bake the carrot cake for family, I can easily make a little for Dr. and Mrs. J. I am so happy thinking of all this, which makes the disappointing birthday a funny memory that is connected to this sweet one. I am grateful for that sad carrot cake.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom. 8:28a)

Separation of Church and State?

And he says, "WORKED FOR US!"
Ann Telnaes

Golden Rule--Interactive Movie

Click on
Golden Rule--Interactive Movie

10 Random Things

Magdalene tagged me for this:

1. I fractured my skull in 1^st grade on Memorial Day when I ran through a sprinkler and hit heads with my friend. There was a dent and now it’s flat instead of rounded at that spot on my forehead.

2. I can say “This is a beautiful fish” in Japanese.

3. I make homemade food and don’t use mixes.

4. I can’t think of things to put here, so I asked MJ—she said I like to wear funny reading glasses.

5. That brings me to something else—I had Lasik eye surgery (twice) in 2001. After a lifetime of being nearsighted, I have normal vision (but old eyes so I need reading glasses).

6. I own my parents’ house in Washington State, but live in south Texas.

7. I don’t drink coffee, but still drink that ancient diet drink TAB.

8. In college, it took a female friend and me both working to equal ONE male weekend manager of the campus coffee shop. (It also required a lot of persuasion on our part to convince the management to try this!)

9. I avoid making phone calls.

10. I hate the smell of beer, so that includes the taste of it.

I tag Katherine (when she gets back from vacation), Songbird, The Crimson Rambler, and Suzy.

End Times?

What's your eschatology? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Moltmannian Eschatology Jürgen Moltmann is one of the key eschatological thinkers of the 20th Century. Eschatology is not only about heaven and hell, but God's plan to make all things new. This should spur us on to political and social action in the present. Moltmannian Eschatology 95% Preterist 80% Amillenialist 65% Postmillenialist 40% Dispensationalist 30% Premillenialist 25% Left Behind 0%

Invited In

St. Andrei Rublev's
HOLY TRINITY ICON

This is a familiar icon for me, so when we sat with it in EFM this afternoon, I tried not to arrogantly think, "old hat." I probably was inclined that way though. As we sat and sat, slowly the scene came alive for me, especially as we discussed it alternately with silences. My first observation was that there was "hopeful expectancy."

By the end of our period of contemplation, I received an emotional yearning to respond to the invitation to join the angels/Trinity. I felt like I was invited into the setting, which was also a fearful thing to do--like I need to FULLY respond by sitting with them and STAYING.

I also felt this deep longing to convey this invitation to my children, but I don't know how. The Divine opens, waiting always, for us to be part of the WHOLE. See the empty spot for each of us to sit at? (And would I wait so long for someone to show up? Nope!)

This fits beautifully with today's Wisdom Class discussion of the last chapter in Jane Vennard's book, Embracing the World: Praying for Justice and Peace, which was entitled "Trusting the Mercy of God." (I first mentioned this book in the post Intention and Attention.) At the beginning of this chapter, the author quotes Cynthia Bourgeault:

"Mercy is God's innermost being turned outward to sustain the visible and created world in unbreakable love."

That describes the icon for me. The figures are somehow showing the outpouring and pull of the Divine unbreakable love. I think I'm being called to sit with this Love, with this image of Mercy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And if you've never read books by Cynthia Bourgeault, I urge you to do so. The above quote is from her book Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God (Cloister Books). I love her book about centering prayer, because she writes a lot about the false/true self: Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening. The cd collection she recorded Encountering The Wisdom Jesus is very good, too.

Hafiz: Tripping Over Joy

What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has just made such a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, "I Surrender!"

Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.

Ladinsky, Daniel. I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz. Point Richmond, CA: Paris Printing, 1996. 127.

Jury Duty

Rows and rows of back views of heads and shoulders in the holding room for jury selection. . . . It was a slow day, because the computers kept freezing up. Twice, we were told to take breaks due to those hang-ups. Each time I walked a few blocks away to the main public library to use their clean and empty restroom! We sat, rotated, and stood for four hours until noon. By the end of that time, I was finally chosen as #6; our group was dismissed until 1:30. I managed to come home, wash some clothes, and even hang them out on the clothesline before returning.

Our group of 60 was released at 2 pm and told that we'll be called if we need to return to the courthouse and to be available until 5 pm on Wednesday. I am hoping that this is the end of it.