Dale offers the theme “cold and bright” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
I took these photos in 2019 in the fall. This was the first snowfall, cold, but still warm enough for the snow to stick to the trees.
I imagine it is far colder now in northeastern Illinois where these were taken. Where I am now in southern Florida it is bright, but toasty warm.
Elimelech, his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, went to Moab to escape the famine in Bethlehem. There Mahlon married Ruth (Ruth 4:10) and Chilion married Orpah. There also Elimelech died as well as his sons Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi told her daughters-in-law to stay with their families in Moab, but Ruth would not leave her.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16-17 King James Version
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Ruth went with Naomi back to Bethlehem. She gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi’s husband Elimelech (Ruth 2:1). He married Ruth and she bore Obed, an heir for Mahlon, the son of Elimelech. After Obed came Jesse the father of David in whose line was born Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus) of a virgin named Miriam (Mary) (Matthew 1).
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Ruth 4:17 King James Version
Weekly Parashah Readings
Parashah: Pecudei 2 Adar II, 5782 – March 5, 2022
Torah: Exodus 38:21 – 40:38
Haftarah: Kings I 7:51 – 8:21
Brit Chadashah: Hebrews 1:1-14
Resources: Chabad, Hebrew4Christians, Weekly Torah Readings, Calendar
I am looking for a name to replace “Sunday Walk”. I am trying “Exploration”.
The care they take is on display
as swallows from the rafters swoop.
From nest to ground they make a loop
to feed their young throughout the day.
Can evolution show a way
that’s plausible when all I see
is nature mocking endlessly?
Chance has no chance to make sense here.
There’s much to doubt. They no doubt fear
we’ve lost our gullibility.
Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “swoop” to be used in a B-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.
The painted wall was old with an open knot hole letting those passing by peek through should any care, but in this mundane setting no one bothered. All that was on the other side was the mystery of another family’s sense of home.
Was it Bert’s family where bankruptcy and divorce left the remaining member, Bert, wondering how to get even, wondering why, wondering and then resting from wondering? Was it Clara’s family whose husband was buried last month wondering when it would be her turn and wondering how she would be able to get by on her own until then?
Was it Bill’s family where Bill suggested repentance and reconciliation for Bert as Bill’s wife stopped by to see Clara to let her know she was not alone? Was it some other family of lovers and beloved perhaps even your own?
Denise offers the word “mundane” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories. Eugenia offers “lovers” as the theme for her prompt this week.
Dale offers the theme “when the wind blows” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. These photos were taken some years ago. The evidence that the days in the photos were windy are in those parasails and the waves.
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:7 King James Version
Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave, was the one who told us our God is the God who sees (Genesis 16). That may not seem like much, but the blind idols we construct to imitate God have no interest in us.
Those who think they can get by on their own might prefer blind gods, but it doesn’t matter what any of us prefer. All we have, given our experiences of bliss or despair in this wonderful universe, is whether we will choose to serve God or not. Those who are blessed to realize that they can’t get by on their own yearn for Him with repentance, praise and thanksgiving.
God sees you. God sees me. God sees.
I am grateful to Kathie Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen whose oratorio The God Who Sees presented Hagar and to revivedwriter whose poem Call Me Hagar brought Hagar to mind.
Weekly Parashah Readings
Parashah: Vayachel 25 Adar, 5782 – February 26, 2022
Torah: Exodus 35:1-38:20
Haftarah: Kings II 11:17 – 12:17
Brit Chadashah: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; 3:7-18
Resources: Chabad, Hebrew4Christians, Weekly Torah Readings, Calendar
Constricting envy cannot rest.
It meditates throughout the night,
turns dark the dawn of morning light.
Our lungs can’t breathe. We’re python pressed.
We’d much prefer to be caressed
without this dust. We don’t need more
of what they’ve got. We’re looking for
a way to make the python go,
stop scheming, squeezing, wanting so.
The Spirit breathes. We see the door.
Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “rest” to be used in a A-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers “envy” as the prompt for her challenge this week.
Niko had not one but six godmothers carefully selected by his father and mother. He had just as many godfathers, too, because those godmothers were all happily married even though their marriages might have suffered through times when the husband, the wife, or usually both, were a bit rambunctious.
Being an infant Niko didn’t remember the oil anointing at his dedication, but now with the battles raging about them he gave thanks for all of his extended family who faithfully showed him by their examples the narrow path all those years. As the men and women who stood by him fell he remained fearless. He prayed that all would find their way home.
When Niko himself found his way home his mother and all those godmothers along with his father and all those godfathers rushed to welcome him laughing and singing like joyfully rambunctious children eagerly showing him by their example the dance of praise before the Lord.
Denise offers the word “rambunctious” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Dale offers the prompt “picturing the past” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
The top photo is an old house preserved in a park in Illinois. I imagine it is sometimes open for tours, but I have only looked through the windows.
In the bottom photo is a bookshelf I made myself. I use it for old books I bought decades ago. They are mostly books on mathematics which is what I studied. They are also mostly unread. I picked a photo where the titles were blurry, since what I did read back then is now blurry in my mind and I have no longer any desire to make it clearer.
It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we experience the joy of salvation and are enabled to rejoice even in the midst of trials.
Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness, page 113
I sometimes forget the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian rebirth since many of the fruits of the Spirit I can fake for a short while with my own efforts. Trusting too much in my own efforts leads me to doubt that there even is a Holy Spirit.
Joy is a fruit that is difficult to fake. True, I can smile when events or emotions challenge me, but people looking closely see through it.
What this tells me is there is more going on to make joy possible than my own efforts. Although I might be tempted to refuse to participate in the working of the Holy Spirit, the more I let the Holy Spirit work in me the less I am persuaded to work against Him.
And yet there are many times when circumstances seem overwhelming. Imagine the despair the Israelites felt trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. And yet God was there for them. Or, imagine what Hagar felt in the desert before God spoke to her. But then He spoke.
Weekly Parashah Readings
Parashah: Ki Tisa 18 Adar, 5782 – February 19, 2022
Torah: Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftarah: Kings I 18:20-39
Brit Chadashah: 2 Corinthians 3:1-18
Resources: Chabad, Hebrew4Christians, Weekly Torah Readings, Calendar
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 