From A Prayer Journal by Flannery O'Connor:

"My dear God, I am impressed with how much I have to be thankful for in a material sense; and in a spiritual sense I have the opportunity of being even more fortunate. But it seems apparent to me that I am not translating this opportunity into fact. You say, dear God, to ask for grace and it will be given. I ask for it. I realize that there is more to it than that--that I have to believe I want it. 'Not those who say Lord, Lord, but those who do the Will of My Father.' Please help me to know the will of my Father--not a scrupulous nervousness nor yet a lax presumption, but a clear, reasonable knowledge; and after this give me a strong Will to be able to bend it to the Will of the Father."

When I went looking for something to share for Palm Sunday, I came across this:

The Legend of the Donkey's Cross

Soweto Gospel Choir: their music never fails to make me feel uplifted.

The Canticle of the Sun

by Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.

(translated by Bill Barrett from the Umbrian text of the Assisi codex.)

Is 50 years old!

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/celebrating-50-years-small-world-152035342.html

This was actually yesterday. But goodness, it makes me smile and feel old at the same time. I think they call that "nostalgia".

And now it will be stuck in my head all day. *grin* I've had worse songs stuck there.

This one seems appropriate for today. It's a favorite of mine:

I found this very cheering!

Here are the lads in their home on top of my desk, left to right, Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin.

IMG_20140407_095919_323

More details and pics of them individually can be found here at

lotr_crafts!

A quote from my favorite book in CS Lewis' Ransom trilogy, Perelandra:

“It is not for nothing that you are named Ransom,” said the Voice...

The whole distinction between things accidental and things designed, like the distinction between fact and myth, was purely terrestrial. The pattern is so large that within the little frame of earthly experience there appear pieces of it between which we can see no connection, and other pieces between which we can. Hence we rightly, for our sue, distinguish the accidental from the essential. But step outside that frame and the distinction drops down into the void, fluttering useless wings. He had been forced out of the frame, caught up into the larger pattern… “My name also is Ransom,” said the Voice.”
― C.S. Lewis, Perelandra

Another legend has left us.

I saw this site mentioned by

pegkerr: Middle Earth Meditations.

I've listened to a couple of them now, and afterwards, I felt so relaxed, and just as if I had spent a quiet day in the Shire. I was almost a puddle when I was done!

Here's one of them:

Today was the fifth Sunday in Lent. We had a guest preacher today as our pastor was out of town. Also, since it was the first Sunday of the month, we had Communion and a potluck lunch.

I really liked our opening prayer at the service, so that's my Lent contribution today: ( Read more... )

We also sang this lovely song:

Another old anecdote with a very good message:

"The Wolves Within"

An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."

"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eye and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather solemnly said, "The one I feed."

One of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music ever.

The last line really got me!

“We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge. People make mistakes.
We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Forgive & forget. Love one and all.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

Mother Theresa

"Be Thou My Vision" played on the harp:

Just thought since it was April Fool's Day today, I'd mention an old prank

danae_b and I pulled in 2006: We made up a name and a fake account, and posted a very cracky!MarySue that we co-wrote. Explanations of how we wrote it are here

Most of my friends who've been around a while have seen it, and took part in trying to guess who we were. The only time in my life I've ever been part of a successful April Fool's Day joke! I thought some of my newer friends might get a giggle out of it!

This really spoke to me:

Job 14 9

Carrying on the theme from yesterday: someone who is literally blind has found his own way to see:

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

Dreamflower's Mathom-house

"And laugh they did, and eat, and drink, often and heartily..."

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