Some days you take your faith to the scales. You wonder…is it up to mustard?
Today is one of those days–and it’s epitomized in the not-so-scenic view from my front porch.
Will you pray for me?
What do you need faith for today?
Some days you take your faith to the scales. You wonder…is it up to mustard?
Today is one of those days–and it’s epitomized in the not-so-scenic view from my front porch.
Will you pray for me?
What do you need faith for today?
Posted in Christianity, Community, fear, God's will, hope, Humor, Jesus, Life As Prayer, Prayer, Prayer Follies, Scriptures, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices, Story as Life, Theology, Walking with God
Tagged anxiety, bad neighborhood, Bible, Christian theology, Christianity, faith, fear, hope, Jesus, Life As Prayer, move mountains, mustard seed, parable, petition, Prayer, Schuylkill County, Theology, throw mountains, Walking with God
The site “people of Walmart” is just startling!
You can’t look away…
Here’s a potential candidate for entry from my local St Clair Walmart.
Share your thoughts… you like?
Comments Off on my chosen Winner of the Walmart Scary Hair contest!
Posted in #fail, Community, Humor
Tagged #fail, baldness, funny photo, hair fail, hair piece follies, Humor, people of walmart, redneck, redneck fail, redneck humor, Schuylkill County, Skook, Skook Fail, St Clair Walmart, toupee, walmart, walmart fail, walmart shoppers, what not to wear, wig fail
If you’re reading because of my column in Schuylkill-News, welcome! (Be sure to join up with S-N on facebook, and get hip to the latest news items and great tips and stories before they hit the newsstands. Tell Amy you enjoy her publication! She needs to know.)
Thanks for reading, and please leave your questions or comments, now or anytime.
By default our heads are filled with an odd and faulty knowledge/sense that Life is a Show about ourselves. Each person thinks he/she must be the center of the universe (think: reality lived out), until something, or someone interrupts this notion. Living outside this worldview takes practice, increased maturity, and concerted effort. Cultural norms and money makers do not encourage us to turn the channel from “The Show About Me”.
Sounds like a blanket statement, right? It sounds like I’m saying everyone is a dirty, rotten jerk, and that can’t possibly be true?
Okay, let me back it up and just start with a few questions:
Think about these 5 questions as you read them and answer truthfully (to yourself, or if you feel that sharing will help others, leave your results in the comment section).
1. When you wake up in the morning do you think about the upcoming events in your day, or focus on your feelings?
2. Do thoughts of your past, present, or future occupy your time in your day?
3. Do you endeavor to find pleasure and avoid pain?
4. Do you mentally weigh the personal benefit when making decisions and actions?
5. Do you long for people to think well of you, and you make decisions based on this factor?
Okay, maybe you skimmed those questions.
Maybe you don’t want to do a personal inventory. If you want to move on, and this is getting weird or uncomfortable, you’re headed for a rerun. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Before that happens, please, go back, for one more minute and read and consider the 5 questions. After you’re done,consider your results. If you answered “yes” or “sometimes” at all, you are fairly normal, and you are also living your life as the Main Star of your Show. You perceive reality as something that centers around, basically, _________. <—— (say your name here.)
So what? you say, doesn’t everyone? What’s the big deal?
Well, friends, it’s only a big deal if you want to feel unstuck….If watching the same re-runs of yourself meeting the same sorts of dead ends and disappoints, and having the same insatiable cravings, growing frustrations, and restricted and delayed growth wears on you, then yes, the deal is starting to head into a biggish area.
Seriously, re-runs are really what you get when the season’s over. No one is working anymore, and the networks hope more rehash won’t be too egregious and lame. After two or three times of the same stuff, we usually want something new, something better.
A whole other Reality is going on, and has been long before you, and will long after you. You may have been skimming on the surface of it, but you have to wake up and realize thoroughly that you are not the Star of the Show, and more importantly, it’s not your Show.
‘Ever seen the movie the Matrix? It’s like, but with fewer people wearing sunglasses. …. oh never mind, The Matrix explanation is WAY too long and slippery. You’ll think you’re Neo, and we’ll be back where I started.
There’s a bit more to come:
In a few days, Part II of this reflection will get down deeper. Soon, I’ll also offer mental, spiritual, and emotional (concrete) ways many people have truly shifted their view to a more healthy one. We’re just getting the engine started on this vehicle to a new perspective. Let’s stick together–Meet back here soon.
Always feel free to leave your thoughts, experiences, or comments here. (Just after the tags below this post, it’ll say Leave a Comment. Not to be too obvious, and insult you, but….You click that.)
Or answer some questions:
Any guesses who the Star of the Show is?
What do you think Reality looks like with this different worldview/perspective?
And how would it be lived out? (examples, generalities, etc.)
Comments Off on “The Show About Me”…is just re-runs (part 1)
Posted in #fail, Authors, Bible, blogging, Christ, Christianity, Christians, God's will, Gratitude, Humor, Integrating Spirituality, Jesus, Life As Prayer, Practicing the presence of God, Recommendations, Scriptures, Self-esteem, Spiritual growth, Spirituality, Story as Life, Theology, Walking with God, worldviews
Tagged Amy Beres, autonomy, Christ, Christianity, contentment, despair, ego, ego-centric, Facebook, God, God's Story, God's will, hope, Humor, individual, Jesus, joy, life, living, maturity, meaning of life, meta-narrative, narrative, philosophy, Prayer, purpose, redemption, satisfaction, Schuylkill County, Schuylkill-News, Self-esteem, show about me, show about you, small stories, Spiritual growth, story, Theology, tv, tv head, Walking with God, worldviews
I had the chance to bike ride sl-ow-ly with my husband yesterday in the valleys near Hawk Mountain. One stop included a delicious fresh spring, next to Stoudt’s Mill (1750) Here are some photos from our trip.
Your responses are welcome.
Posted in Art, blogging, church, Humor, Integrating Spirituality, Nature, Photography, Recommendations, Spirituality, superstition, Walking with God, Worship
Tagged 1750, biking club, blooming trees, cycling, Deer Lake, Dough Rollers, flowers, Fresh Spring water, Hawk Mountain, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, hiking, Indian raids, Indians, mountain spring water, Native Americans, Nature, pennsylvania, pennsylvania nature, Photography, pioneers, road trip date, road-biking, roadkill, savages, scenery, Schuylkill County, settlers, snakes, stoudt's mill
(Yes, if you smell something weird, it’s because there is a nearly sardonic mood here today. I snapped this photo myself last night.)
Image this Potential Backstory:
Been away from church for awhile? Thinking this Easter Sunday might be a good time to go and get back into the fold?
Are you ready for a spiritual reawakening? A kind of rebirth? A cleansing in your spirit?
NOT SO FAST. WE’LL HAVE OUR EYE ON YOU. So-WATCH your back, Slacker!
Maybe you’re thinking… “Lots of family members will arrive for a big dinner at 1:00 pm. Will there be time to do it all?”
Before you make your final decision, we at Christ Church have something to tell you:
We know what you’re up to, and that won’t fly here.
You’re welcome, America!
(What are your comments on this Epic fail?)
Other posts on various fails can be found on this site. Click #fail in the categories section below.
I guess you could say, the irony of human weakness against the stuff of hubris is just something that amuses me.
Posted in #fail, Christianity, Christians, church, Community, Holidays, Humor, irony, Jesus, ministry, warfare, worldviews, Worship
Tagged #fail, Calvary, Celebrating Easter, Christ Church McKeansburg, Christian fail, Christians, church fail, devotion, Easter, Easter Fail, Easter service, evangelism, guilt trip, hospitality, Humor, Jesus, jokes, Judas, loyalty, mad church disease, ministry, NOT, pastors, Pharisee christians, reaching the lost, resurrection, Rose from the grave, rude Christians, Schuylkill County, Sunny Stock, warm and fuzzy
Here is the link to the FACEBOOK fan page where the Schuylkill-News is available in its entirety online. This page (see Fidler’s Tree Farm pg) features my December installment of Notes from the Footpath, and focuses on Advent and longing as a precursor to joy.
Also featured are snippets from the Holy Bible Mosaic.
The print addition of Schuylkill News is available free at these locations.
Comments Off on Advent Article ~Longing a Precursor to Joy~ Schuylkill-News
Posted in Authors, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Free Stuff, Holidays, Holy Bible Mosaic, hope, Integrating Spirituality, Jesus, Life As Prayer, Worship
Tagged Advent, Amy Beres, Bible, Christmas, devotions, Facebook, Holy Bible Mosaic, Jesus, joy, Life As Prayer, Lisa Colón DeLay, longing, meditation, Notes from the Footpath, Schuylkill County, Schuylkill-News, Season of Advent, Spirituality, Worship
Welcome! If you’re visiting because of reading my column Notes From the Footpath in the Schuylkill-News, please let me know in a comment below.
Also tell me if you have any questions (about my SN article, this site, or Christian spirituality, etc.).
Poke around. There’s lots to read, think about, and challenge yourself with too. I love to hear your take on things, so feel free to post. You should know, I like posting funny things (photos, videos, etc.), and mildly amusing little, cosmo-style quizzes. And I give away gifts!
(Do a site-wide search on the blog home page for what interests you, or check the archives listed.) I post almost every day, so come back again soon.
So glad you came by. 🙂
Comments Off on Welcome Schuylkill-News Readers!
Posted in Christians, Community, Free Stuff, hope, Integrating Spirituality, Practicing the presence of God, Prayer, Spiritual growth, Spirituality, Walking with God, worldviews
Tagged Amy Beres, Christians, church, Community, hope, Humor, joy, life, Life As Prayer, Lisa Colón DeLay, lisadelay.blogspot.com, Notes from the Footpath, peace, personal growth, perspective, Prayer, rejuvenation, Schuylkill County, Schuyulkill-News, soul, spiritual formation, Spiritual growth, Spirituality, the presence of God, welcome, worldviews, Worship