Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Pearls of LIfe - Wreath of Christ
The God Pearl
The large, golden God Pearl forms the beginning and the end of the string of beads. It is a reminder that drawing closer to God is the goal of our lifelong journey of faith. Grasp the God Pearl and remember that you are never alone. God who created you is always with you, loving you and leading you.
The Pearls of Silence
The Pearls of Life include six oblong beads. These are the Silence Pearls that call you to set aside time in your busy day to be quiet and still so you can sense God’s presence. Silence makes it easier to hear what God might be saying to you. In quiet times, you can share your most intimate thoughts with God without saying a word. Breathe deeply. God is near.
The I Pearl
You were created in God’s image. The small, white I Pearl, closely joined to the God Pearl by a Silence Pearl, is a reminder of how unique and special God made you. The I Pearl can help you see yourself from God’s perspective, as a beloved child with talents and abilities to be discovered and nurtured.
The Baptism Pearl
The next large, white bead is the Baptism Pearl. This bead holds the promise of forgiveness, and the assurance of God’s never ending love for you. This bead invites you to leave behind your feelings of guilt over things you have done and things you have failed to do and to begin again, trusting in God’s grace.
The Desert Pearl
Everyone experiences difficult times when life seems dry, barren, and lonely. The large, sandcolored bead helps you travel through such times in your life. The Desert Pearl reminds you that even times of doubt and struggle can bring you closer to God if you turn to Jesus for comfort and guidance.
The Serenity Pearl
The blue Serenity Pearl stands for the peace and joy that only God can give. After traveling through desert times, this bead offers you a place to rest and be renewed. Here your worries fade as your faith and courage grow. Welcome this blessed moment that calls you to really live, not just exist. Carpe diem. Seize the day!
The Love Pearls
The large, red beads are the Love Pearls. The first stands for the love others give you. When you feel loved and cared for, it is easier for you to act lovingly. The second Love Pearl represents the love you give to others. It reminds you to love not only family and friends, but also people who are hard to love the same way Jesus loves you.The Pearls of Mystery
The Mystery Pearls are three, small white beads that hold the inner secrets of the heart. We all have questions and things we don’t understand. We all have dreams, fears, and desires that we keep hidden from others, but there is no need to hide ourselves from God. These beads invite you to share your most intimate feelings with God.
The Night Pearl
The large, black bead is for the darkest times in your life - times of doubt, fear, and despair. The Night Pearl encourages you to express your anger, pain, and sadness, and not to deny what you are feeling. Even when you doubt God’s existence, even in the face of death, even in the darkness, God comes to you.
The Resurrection Pearl
The final large, white bead is the Resurrection Pearl. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we know that light overcomes darkness, hope defeats despair, and life conquers death. Hold this bead and remember that Jesus died for you. Trust in Jesus’ promise that because he lives, you, too, have the hope of everlasting life.The meaning of the pearls
In this time of great spiritual longing as well as unprecedented busyness, stress and difficulty in focusing, Swedish bishop Martin Lönnebo has devised the Pearls of Life™ as a method to help the mind attain a state of stillness, meditation and prayer. In this way, we are drawn back to what is most important in our lives, to our spiritual centre and an experience of God.The Pearls of Life bracelet are made of eighteen beads, twelve round and six oblong. Each has a meaning of its own, reflecting a particular issue, concern or desire in your life. Together they become a symbol of your journey through life, as well as companions for that journey.
The Pearls of Life™ that you hold in your hand make faith something that can be grasped. That is their special gift to you. The meaning of each bead is just the starting point for deeper understandings that will come as you use the Pearls of Life bracelet. Keep them close at hand and use them often. Let them be a blessing in your life.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thought #3 Try to share their poverty
Rags to Riches
This past week I had the chance to go to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Churchwide (National) Assembly here near Walt Disney World. I had the pleasure to see some friends from school days long ago, and some new friends from Facebook. I missed a few too. We all said we were doing well, but I lied, and maybe they did too.
There we stood in the richness of polished marble floors, rich vestments and altarware made just for the occasion, georgeous fabric art that made me feel so inspired and copies of icons that reminded us we were citizens of another realm, and all these riches belong to The Other. I am inspired to design some quilt squares with blessings attached! Oh to belong to a church that knows how to enjoy the beauty of art and music that has stood and will stand the test of time.
This quote from Merton reminded me that we are also called to barefooted living among the poorest, too. It was easy to pass approval for programs to fight malaria, or stop bullying, but Merton reminded me of Francis of Assisi, and of Jesus who were living in rags, and sharing those.
I ask myself, rich as I am in the midst of my poverty, how do I share now so that when I get that paying job, and family members get work we will not indulge ourselves but give to others. So I bought a meal to share with the too thin woman on the median, and I will hire someone to paint more of these house quilts with a blessing so I can have them in stock. Got to build this new start of a business, hire the unemployed, reach out and touch someone, let the blessings flow, build communities of trust and care, these will last! This is true rags to riches.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thought #2
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
~Philippians 4:8
Think on the things that are positive, Paul writes, the pure and lovely, admireable, excellent and praiseworthy. Easier said than done, I think in my lower moments when I ask, myself what is right? Certainly the first things I think about that are "lovely" are loons upon a northern lake, dancing on the surface of sparkling waters, with the scent of pine on the warm air. That's where I went when I was laboring to deliver my daughter (Happy #18 on the 18th!). Now when I am wondering what in the world is happening, I recall this verse used in my sorority days.
What are the beautiful things? Children playing together and laughing? The cats chasing a feather around, raindrops on roses in a parched land, rational voices discussing the needs and coming to agreement, no one bullied. (So beautiful!). Each positive all the more appreciated and enjoyed because of the constrast with the possibilities that the world could produce. Contrast health happy children in a safe society, versus children hungry and sick in a theater of war unprotected. Rain to a thirsty land, water running in trickles from up stream spreading to all who need rather than the stopped, stagnant, polluted, or piped away element.
The quilt square that comes to mind for this thought is a contrast of many threads and colors, balanced and working together. This is called a Hindu kolam, the play together of contrasts.
~Philippians 4:8
Think on the things that are positive, Paul writes, the pure and lovely, admireable, excellent and praiseworthy. Easier said than done, I think in my lower moments when I ask, myself what is right? Certainly the first things I think about that are "lovely" are loons upon a northern lake, dancing on the surface of sparkling waters, with the scent of pine on the warm air. That's where I went when I was laboring to deliver my daughter (Happy #18 on the 18th!). Now when I am wondering what in the world is happening, I recall this verse used in my sorority days.
What are the beautiful things? Children playing together and laughing? The cats chasing a feather around, raindrops on roses in a parched land, rational voices discussing the needs and coming to agreement, no one bullied. (So beautiful!). Each positive all the more appreciated and enjoyed because of the constrast with the possibilities that the world could produce. Contrast health happy children in a safe society, versus children hungry and sick in a theater of war unprotected. Rain to a thirsty land, water running in trickles from up stream spreading to all who need rather than the stopped, stagnant, polluted, or piped away element.
The quilt square that comes to mind for this thought is a contrast of many threads and colors, balanced and working together. This is called a Hindu kolam, the play together of contrasts.
Friday, August 12, 2011
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