Plan K

There are days when you make a plan...Plan A. then something turns and you move to B... we are on plan K. But you know it's ok.

What do we do to ourselves when we insist that all must be as we planned? Have you heard the saying..if you want to make God love tell God your plan...

But know dear friends that all is well. The children here begin their day at 6 am singing and praying. All take turns at leading the service. They read scripture, and then they sing some more before breakfast and then their chores around the Home.

Stories to share
Love to all
God abides
Bobbie Giltz McGarey @2007

Wedding

We were present here for a Christian wedding. Here in Varanasi, India. It was a wonderful sight with great celebration. The groom's family brings him to the church with dancing and drumming and all are happy. The bride and groom are young and both wonderful. My cousin Ben conducted the service as he is the minister here. He did a great job. There was food in abundance and party time after. We had a good time.
So it is amazing to see that we all have so much in common. We who are brought together by God's love for us in Jesus Christ.
Be well
God abides
Mercy abounds
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

hear the drums
not of war
drums love
before a wedding
hear the drums
to lead the dance
to bring the prayer
to center the heart

the drums beat all over
all over the earth
calling us to hear
the heartbeat of all

let the drums
call you to dance
call you to prayer
call you to joy.

Tomorrow

We are in India which is ahead of most of you in days. It is Wednesday morning as I write. We had a great flight over and the whole travel worked well and we are very pleased. We are enjoying the India warmth...100 degrees + . Tonight we take an overnight train to Varanasi to visit Ben and Susan.
Please know we'll update when we can.
blessings
God abides
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

Today and tomorrow

Soon my daughter and I will be leaving for a trip to India to visit family. We'll be flying overnight. It is 11:30 minutes ahead of our time here in Oklahoma. That makes quite a difference. Apparently we are making the time change here while we are doing the last minute packing. We will see what comes of all this.
We look forward to our time with them and the children we'll see at the Children's Homes and at the Home in Benares as well. We pray that we will be a blessing along the way as we know our time with them will bless us.

Take care. I'll write when I can.
God abide
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

Dense Fog

What is it about fog? Is it that we think we know where we are going and at the same time think we know where we are but not really when there is fog.
Even more in fog we don't know where everyone else might be.

Years ago, Father Frank Volmecke, a good friend and colleague, was driving in an area that was familiar. Except there was dense fog. He was going to visit a parish member and looking for the 'big' road that he figured was at least 50' ahead when a car broadsided his car. Amazingly neither he nor the other driver were seriously hurt. He took responsibility knowing he had pulled out into the road and the other driver didn't have a chance to stop. We cried with joy when we knew he was alright.

Later he said it was just so dense he couldn't see the road signs or the edge of the road and was glad to be alive.

Sometimes we live our lives thinking we know where we are or where we are going and then reality comes and says...think about it. I believe that we need to do several things when faced with 'fog'.
1. Stop it is time to asses where we are without being in motion at the time
2. Listen sometimes there is noise in the fog that is more clear than our own sight.
3. Look to others to lead you through.

Remember the old saying from kindergarten..stop look and listen before you cross the street, use your eyes, your ears and then you use your feet.
Not bad life advice either when confronted with a fog.

God abide and sunny days
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

Graduation

Saturday our daughter graduates from medical school --Dr Martha.D.O. To be honest she's been working toward this day her whole life. She has worked hard and well. We are so happy for and with her! Oh and proud too.

Today I was at a meeting in Okc one of the women knew our son in college, oh he's so smart! she said. And funny too! And she knew our daughter a little... happy and proud of him and his/my molly too.

John and I will mark 35 years being married! Whee! We are happy and proud of that too. Most of all I am happy that we have felt God's love all these days.

Short reflection
God abide
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

Super Nova

This week there is a report on the CNN Science site, (and other places as well), about a super nova..k--boom!
The picture on the cnn site right now has a flash that looks like a perfect diamond in the sun. We don't have to 'worry' about fragments getting this far as it is ... well let's just say it's light years longer than a football field. 238 Million light years to be sure. A-way over there.
Wow. The scientists were thrilled to have seen and recorded information from this huge explosion. A star in the making... (remember we are all made of stars).

If we were to grab a little piece of the sky and hold it in our hands do you think we'd fly like the children in peter pan ...a little fairy dust. Do you believe?
What does it take to catch our attention these days? A super nova way over there or the town in KS that was leveled by the huge tornado that went through the middle of town. On occasions when you look at a picture of the houses in the storm's path..you see one or two homes still standing, the rest looks like the end time for blocks on a particular day...He won't knock them down again until its time . let's go.

Flash in your world
with all the brightness of heaven
We remember your presence and we know in our hearts
you love us.
a brightness in the world
where there is no light
where there is no reflection or shadow to fall
be with us keep us, love and adore us.
as you do love some come and love me. ...
Thanks God
]
God Abides
Bobbie Giltz McGarey

Rainbow again

Once again the other day leaving OK City I saw a rainbow. This one was broad and pastel but with the colors still marked one blending to another. The violet was awesome and just so perfect.
Roy G Biv --the colors of the rainbow. red orange yellow green blue indigo violet
who that's wonderful.
I often wonder what the ancient people thought of this in the sky. After a rain with some sun... there you have it a sign in the sky. For some I wonder if it was the only time thay saw one of the colors? Does everyone know how to make the color blue?
There is a reason we have rainbows. Hope.
As I said a few weeks ago.. Hope. from the rainbows.
Now what is it you need to work on this next week? Do you need a shot of hope, of love, of compassion, of energy, of healing, of....
May it be yours.
God abides
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
still looking for rainbows
@2007

God placed in the sky
the colors of the world
not one here and one there
but blended together making each neighbor color even more beautiful.

What will we do with this gift?
fold it up and put in the pocket?
Hold it tight and hope for magic?
Fling it over on another part of the sky?
Let it remind us of the One who created us all.
All of us..
not just one kind or one skin or one smile or one dress or one
with a certain lipstick or shoe
All of us
brother sister, sister brother.
family not so formal as lovable
We have to look at the whole of things.
But then again
you'd not know that there is thought and purpose and wholeness
because we fill up our baskets
with the strangest things
leaving the most beautiful and free
taking instead things "things"
that are not free.




In the sky is the rainbow
a promise
that the really wonderful miracles of life
are not in reach
but ours for the taking even so.
God abide
BGMcG

How many choices

Standing again in the grocery store trying to find a cereal I looked down an entire long aisle that had cereal. It seemed like we had more choices than anyone ever needed. I found one that looked good and decided not to spend any ore time comparing either ingredients or nutritional scores and put it in the cart.
We here in the US have so many choices. Even ones that are more important that which cereal to buy. After all a decision like that will have impacts for only a couple of weeks.
Surely there are more important decisions that are presented to us. What car to drive, what trips to take, what calls to make, what people to see, what books to read, what tv to watch....etc etc etc.
Perhaps we don't take the little decisions seriously enough? Would that help? Would dwelling on the small ones make larger ones easier? I'm thinking about that and I don't know. What if we would learn quickly to say...this is important take some time with it...and this really doesn't matter so just do it...and learn how to discern which is which.
What are the long run possibilites of this learning? Would we worry less? Would we feel ighter not burdened by those things that are really trivial. Or would it not? Or is it the case that we need to feel control in all we do? Is this a matter of control... That we would have 'power over' all the choices before us?

I'm choosing to lighten up on the little ones and give energy to the bigger ones...and to learn the difference.

God Abide
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

quiet

We have a mockingbird that likes to sing at night. It has 12 different songs it sings before it repeats. A the bird family Mimidae. I've counted this one's songs more than once. It amazes me to hear it sing. It is not that unusual for them to sing at night either. This particular, midnight mocker, as I call it has been around our house here in Oklahoma for several years. That also is not unusual.
The songs of the birds it is copying are not as familiar to me as I'd like. It sings the songs of others. Years ago in college I studied the literature on Mimidae in the journals of the time and felt like I understood somehow this family. Other members of this bird family sing their songs in a different fashion. They only give one line of the other songs and then move on to the next. The mockingbird sings the phrase of say the chickadee several times before moving on.
Our bird doesn't sing all night. Sometime between 12 and 3 it sings. If it wakes me I hear other animal sounds like the coyotes chorus on occasion. There is an armadillo that roots through the leaves just outside the window sounding like a much bigger varmint than it is.
What call do we leave in the world? Do we call out like a chorus singing our own song, solo or in a choir? Do we speak for those whose voices have been silenced? Do we only sing at night, when others can't hear or are we bold enough to sing the song of our hearts in the fullness of light?
sing... sing your song to the beauty of the world and the Creator. Let your life sing...sing to the wonder of the gifts you are given of home and hearth. Let your generosity of your talents fill the world with beauty so that if another's song is quiet you can sing for them as well.

Blessings
God abide with you
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007

Determination

Outside the Nursing home in Temple Oklahoma they've paved, with blacktop, a part of the parking area for visitors. It helps when it's been raining and the ground is soaked. Today, going on the first Wednesday of the Month, I was surprised to see in several places grass growing through the pavement. Determined. Well, alright, I know that it is just that grass-happens and not with any prethought or plan. But it is odd somehow that where we want grass to grow we struggle to make it so...but here in the middle of the pavement it's right there and seemingly doing well.

Sometimes we have to make it through what to others or ourselves seems impossible. We've got to hold on, be determined and be courageous. We have to push aside each obstacle that blocks us from the sun. Sometimes pushing through is easier than other times. When there is a goal or reward on the other side we can make things happen with no less effort but with far more ease. We can make it through the times when we can't see the outcome too. When we know deeply it is something that has to be accomplished. It is rarely something that has to be won but it may well be something that has to be completed.

Great athletes know this. Brilliant scholars and researchers know this. Faithful individuals know this.
Answers.com gave me this definition as second choice

1. Firmness of purpose; resolve: approached the task with determination and energy.
2. A fixed intention or resolution: returned to school with a determination to finish.

Determination a way of following the plan for your life with zest and discipline.

So it says

This morning's Gospel lesson comes from the New Testament book of Luke
Luke 6:17-19
17He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

And I also read these lines from a book online
"For it's for miracles I pray each day, while working to make it so."
Jane Yolen



We all seek healing for ourselves or for others nearby. We live our lives wanting good. We want good news. We want good reports. We want good result. We want, want want..
We wish we had the power to wave a wand of prayer and make everything in the world good. But according to scripture God did that in creation. It was good.
There are those who have it 'good' and don't even know it. They take for granted all that they have and choices they have and figure that the rest of the world should/could do the same. Could make choices that would bring others in line with our personal expectations of others.
The healing that comes in our lives that sets us free is the healing of our own expectations and the resting in the sure and certain knowledge that god loves us. That we pray for miracles and we work to make them happen. We pray for peace, we work for peace. We pray for justice, we accept our share of justice. We pray for food for the hungry, we are offered opportunity to give what we have for others without question. Because we can choose to do so.
The healing --the power that went out Jesus--could it have been healing from our illusion of control and being loosed from the bonds of our own expectation.
"My soul finds no rest, my heart finds no rest, my spirit finds no rest until it rests in Thee."
and Theresa of Avila "Be not Perplexed. Be not Afraid. Everything passes. God does not change."

God abides and that IS Good News.

Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2007