Saturday, January 8, 2011

we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

Well, I didn't have anything scheduled for today.  And I feel too tired to come up with anything even mildy interesting.  So, I thought "I can either not post tomorrow or let my husband have free reign over my blog for a day."  The latter sounded way more fun.  There you have it. Enjoy. 
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Greetings. How strange it must be for you regulars to see the airwaves taken over like this. It's like that moment in a conspiracy movie where all the TV sets go fuzzy, and then all the channels refocus on a masked villain in his control room. Or perhaps it's like visiting your favorite coffee shop from your hometown, the one with the swirly acrylic paintings and the pleasant hippie waitress, only to find that it's been bought by a wild-eyed book seller who stacks dog-eared paperbacks from floor to ceiling. Don't worry. The remodel's only temporary.

What have I to offer you? A handy crafting tip? Sure. If you want to create the effect of a fireplace in your classroom, just cut out some flame-shaped tissue paper, glue the tops and bottoms only to a poster board, fasten that poster board to the back legs of a tall, thin, brown table (flames facing in), place a red bulb or lamp in front of the flames, and blow a fan from the side, toward the flames, keeping the fan on low. Turn off the overhead lights, and tell a good story to the kids.

Would you also like a spiritual insight? Certainly. Today I took a moment to look at my hands. I thought of how the body is a metaphor for the soul (of course, a body is also just a body, which is fabulous in and of itself). Your body is a free gift. Think on it. No measure of human concentration or will could conjure it. Whatever little beauties and peculiarities grace your frame, these were yours before you could ask for them. God endowed infinitesimal grace on every one of your atoms.

But we can diminish our bodies through self-abuse and misuse. God's given me a mighty frame, so tall and broad, and in this I boast Christ's work, for I didn't choose my measurements. But what have I done with that frame? I've filled it with junk food. I've neglected it. God gave me, and everyone of us, a masterpiece to dwell within, and offered us the work of finishing touches, and look how I've muddled my little task! I'm turning a mighty temple into a soul-sack.

The soul is like the body in this way. God endowed you with a soul in his image before you could desire it. It is broad and beautiful by design. It is probably the greatest work of his creation. What have you done with the finishing touches? Have you fed it with the choicest grain? Have you exercised it well? It is God's to fill the void with glory, and it is ours to tend to one little patch of glory. Have you tended it well?

Thanks for listening to me for a little while. Now back to all the lovely and meaningful things my Kerrie offers.

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