There's a Little Bit of Magic in Every Blog

Yesterday's Tuesday 4 questions (and everyone's shared memories in their responses) really got me thinking about the good old days of blogging and some of the folks I've met along the way.

Some of those who stand out were: 

Mitch, a young, idealistic, pastor who served in the same denomination I was part of at the time. He was my first blogging friend. He doesn't blog any longer and the last time I saw him he's not so idealistic. Full-time pastoring can take a toll.

Rodney worked in Christian radio and youth ministry in Australia. He's still around, now working for Compassion International's Australian Division, putting out a podcast, and doing some serious mountain biking.

Josh was another youth minister. His love for the Andy Griffith Show and all things Mayberry were infamous. I don't know what ever became of him.

Simone was a pastor's wife. A woman of color with a beautiful soul who shared the joys and trials of her life and who encouraged me greatly at times. She proved with such love and grace that race does not have to divide us. We are all God's children. Simone has also left blogging as far as I know.

Paul was a gentle soul, a cowboy poet from the Texas hill country, who chose to do his blogging and sharing of God's speaking to his heart from a local coffee shop. I believe I may have heard Paul passed away some time ago. He isn't blogging at any rate.

Then there were dear friends Elaine and Yvonne who both walked away without looking back, deciding they couldn't live with my political views. That was during the 2012 election season. Neither blogs these days, that I'm aware of. Both are on Facebook and Yvonne did reach out last year with a friend request. Her political beliefs are now in line with mine. The friendship really isn't there, though.

And finally, there was Dr. John. Dr. John was a Lutheran minister and the most beautiful of souls. His health was not good. He blogged to keep himself busy and to create a community. And what a community he created!

He had a wonderful imagination and along with tales of his life he spun the story of a magical world he created and the adventures of its inhabitants. He also wanted to spark creativity in all of his readers so each week he'd hold a writing contest. The winner would get some silly prize he'd picked up at the dollar store. The week I won, I received a little frog dressed as a wizard...and a saffron bun (the most wonderful food in the world according to Dr. John). The frog wizard, he said, was to remind me that "there's something beautiful...a little bit of magic in every blog." 

I learned by chance, in a comment on another blog, that he had passed away. The frog wizard has been smiling at me from my desktop every day for a dozen years or more, reminding me to look for the beautiful, the creative, and the magic.

* My little frog is the second from the left in the photo above.

Life Will Find a Way

I'm sitting here listening to my cousin, Luke Laird's, new album on Alexa. Luke is my second cousin...or first cousin once removed...or something like that. That stuff confuses me to no end. Our mothers are first cousins and our grandfathers were brothers. So, whatever that makes us in the cousin world. The songs on this album are very personal and reflective...we didn't grow up together, but we're different shoots on the same family tree so the music strikes a chord somewhere in my spirit.

Reflective seems to be the mood of the day. I started this morning by doing my Bible study and writing in my journal as I always do. I completed a journal today...right down to the last line on the last page. I don't know about you, but the day I start a journal and the day I finish it are always kind of "big" days. The first day is one of expectation and wonder of what life will bring to fill the pages. The last day begs for a look back to see where life has taken me. Did it even come close to what I was expecting? What did I learn? 

The journal I ended today was begun on January 1, 2020. I was full of hope for a year of change. Be careful what you wish for, huh?

When the year began I was employed full-time, but not loving it due to a very difficult boss. Barely into January I asked to drop back to part-time. 

In February it came to light that the nursing home was in a dire financial situation. People were fired. People quit. Work was crazy and it seemed uncertain how things would play out.

In March Covid-19 became the roar heard around the world. At the beginning of the month the nursing home began taking extreme safety measures and stopped all visits. Since this was all new and we didn't know what to expect, rumors flew and everyone was afraid. It also became clear that the fallout from the financial woes would mean I'd have to work with my boss again. I quit my job on March 20, one day before our state's shelter-at-home order went into effect.

The rest of March and all of April were a bit like a long vacation with everyone at home. It was also a time of adjustment as we, and the world with us, learned how to navigate our "new normal." (Is anyone else as sick of that term as I am?) It was quite a weird thing to not be able to go anywhere or see anyone. 

In the months since then we've celebrated holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. I met my father and one of my brothers for the first time. We've learned to work, worship, celebrate and party virtually. We have binge watched a show about the most depraved people imaginable and turned a Tiger King into a celebrity. 

We've watched the world shut down, start to reopen, and hover again on the brink of shutting down. We have seen the divide along racial, political, social, and economic lines widen and go deep. We have seen (or experienced) families torn apart. We have seen the best of humanity. We have seen the worst. We have shared joys and we have whined. In short, we have gone on about the business of living. I think of the Jeff Goldblum quote from Jurassic Park, "Life will find a way."

Where the next two months will take us, I have no idea...especially with the presidential election looming over us next week. But I do one thing, God, my God, is in control. Romans 13:1 tells us: 

We can be assured that no matter who wins next week or what our new normal turns out to be, God is the ultimate authority and He is in control and on His throne!

Just a Second

This comes from a book of writing prompts I have to spur the creative juices.

What can happen in a second?

A blink, a breath, a death.

A smile, a tear, a spark, a bolt of lightning.

A sigh, a revelation, a regret.

A chance meeting, a reversal of fortune, injustice, justice, mercy.

A decision, conviction, fear, forgiveness.

A laugh, a shrug, a hug.

An act of bravery, cowardice, love, hate, indifference.

A life, in comparison to God's eternity.