Feeling self-confident or not, she stood before Goliath using the ‘sling and stones’ of word, of gentle voice, of eye-to-eye contact.
Her sermon has been shared countless times. Her words have been quoted and debated and thousands upon thousands have heard words of hope through her.
Like David, she taught Goliath an important lesson: Never underestimate the power of God however that happens even if even if and maybe even if and especially through a woman.
********** May God bless Bishop Budde. May she continue to listen to God’s still, silent voice within. And may she, her family, staff, and people she serves be protected from physical harm, emotional distress, and spiritual dis-ease. Amen. So be it. Amen.
January 20, 2025 is Inauguration Day in the United States. It is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
It is not a co-incidence that the two are happening on the same day this year.
While it is true that what is coming is darkness, it is also true, as Martin Luther King Jr reminded us, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Light. Love. Hope!
Light can drive out darkness! Love can drive out hate!
Let us not lose sight of the hope that is is Light and Love.
Time to process what has just happened in the United States … and really, what has happened that will affect the world.
So, I took a little walk around the yard, enjoying Mother Nature breathing in life, ruach, praying, healing.
The mushrooms that keep popping up in the yard may have a short life, but each day, through them, Mother Nature provides such wonderful colour, texture, shape, peace.
And a gentle feeling of hope begins to slowly surface.
The mushrooms make their way through the earth year after year after year, in spite of winter weather, summer heat, fall and spring rain.
So too will humanity.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for your everpresent reminder that “All shall be well. All shall be well. All manner of thing shall be well.” (Dame Julian who reminds us that even though things may not be well, in time, they “shall be.”)
Reach for the sun, mushrooms. Reach for the sky. Keep on growing and surviving in spite of the elements of Nature.
It rests in the lies he told; the crimes he committed; the supporters who blindly followed and follow; the team around him who have planned and will carry out Project 2025.
I cannot – must not …
We cannot – must not … allow it to consume our light.
Gentle cyberhug is on its way to all who are confused, who are angry, who grieve.
May the light … even if only just a flicker … never go out.
And if it goes out, may another stand with us as a reminder that “we are not alone.” Together, the light remains lit.
May we be gentle with ourselves – and one another.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen them. November 2nd and there they were … four strawberries in the strawberry planter on my deck, this morning!
We’ve already had our first snowfall yet, they survived the snow and the cold and the rain and there’s another berry “on its way” to full strawberryhood. <g>
So if you’ve had a difficult day … if the rains are causing your arthritis to flare … if traffic was frustrating … if the news brings despair … if the future looks bleak let these strawberries … give you a sweet surprise … put a smile on your face even if only for a second or two.
· in the midst of tears light raindrops on flower petals reveal beauty something about which one can be grateful if so in the midst of personal tears what are you grateful for today if so in the midst of political tears what can we be grateful for today if so in the wider scheme of life what can humanity be grateful for today name them name them out loud name them by writing name them so they will never be forgotten even in the midst of tears
Have a look through the peekhole … what is on the other side, if the head of the ultra-conservative very radical-sounding Heritage Foundation and architect of Project 2025, Kevin Roberts, has his way, is devastating. He stated: “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
WHAAAT?
American lawyer Joyce Alene Vance who served as the United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama (2009 – 2017) has written an intro to Project 2025’s ideology starting on page 34) and says “He’s (Kevin Roberts) talking about using violence if the majority of American voters don’t agree with his vision for our country. He’s endorsing another January 6, a bloodletting if liberals won’t cave into his view of how the country should be run. If the left won’t “allow” him to have his way, he’s going to make us give in. That’s the man behind Project 2025.”
Please, look through the peekhole – learn about Project 2025 … share what you learn about the Project (which, btw, has already begun) on social media … recognize that this isn’t “pie in the sky” it is as real as were the warnings in Germany in the 1930’s. https://www.project2025.org/about/about-project-2025/https://www.project2025.org/
There is only one way to stop Project 2025 and that is to exercise the right to vote – ignore the hype about the candidates – ignore the rhetoric about what Trump promises – just don’t ignore what undergirds Trump or what undergirds the Kevin Roberts’ of this world.
Today Americans mark their independence from a monarchy. Kevin Roberts is trying to re-create the monarchy.
Remember Roberts’ words: “We are in the process of the second American Revolution”. Not “going to be”. It’s begun. But it can be stopped by one simple act … voting blue – voting the Biden/Harris ticket – choosing democracy not fascism.
Btw, here’s a list of some of the actual things on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 list:
It’s real. Its implementation has already begun. Read – digest – and recognize where/how you/your loved ones will be affected. No one will *not* be affected.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision took the United States back to July 3, 1776, the day BEFORE the Declaration of Independence. That SCOTUS decision gave Americans the thing that caused them to break away from England – away from a a president-king who’s above the law.
Peek through peep-hole and learn about the depth of the plan of Project 2025. It is not good. It is anything but good. If it succeeds, it will mean the end of democracy. Don’t let that happen – exercise your right to vote and vote for democracy: blue.
