Category: cats

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Just a Bag

Cont’d 7

          I am grateful that the path has been a wide one today, as I have enjoyed moving amongst you while we journey.  It has given me time, not only to know you better, but also, to ascertain your insights on the verses the old abbot whispered to me the other night.  I must say, you are a very perceptive group of companions, sharing much of your wisdom and encouragement.  Your insights solidified my interpretation of where my path is leading.  It gave me a great amount of courage… especially for what lies ahead. 

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          This morning I received a message from my Commander… we must travel with great speed to that mountain you see in the distance.  We have been tasked with retrieving something of great importance, within a cave that lies near the peak.  Whatever we are to gather, apparently, is time sensitive and very fragile.  Being late is not an option in this case, and the road ahead will be fraught with dangers, so gather your courage and a change of shoes from within your bags… we will be at a steady jog from here on.

          I am sure you may be asking yourselves why all the warning of danger, and why the rush…  if our Commander is so powerful that we are escorted by an unseen army, why can’t they go up and get whatever it is?  We travel a path that has dangers we see, and evil we do not see… but it is there, none the less. 

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There is an evil covering this land, its source is a vile and yet cunning Wickedness, always seeking to devour the weak.  This is what the unseen force has been following and protecting us against.  We are being watched over by the Commanders own guard! 

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          Here is the thing you need to understand about our task… it needs our participation, and our courage! With the unseen evil held at bay by our forces, we must still use wisdom, caution, and possibly a bit of brute strength to get in and get it done!  Besides, I try to avoid asking why very often, as I trust we have something to learn.  By stepping out in obedience… and faith, I have a feeling that it is more about the journey again.

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          Understanding why we must be careful, I will share some of what lies ahead, in order that we might be more prepared for the dangers.  The trees up ahead seem like what one would find in the lower mountain meadows, but once we enter the forest it will be suffocating and dark…

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These trees, you see, are infected with some form of blight.  A dark mist emanates from the branches, causing the air to be so thickly covered, it blocks out all light.  The ground is soaked with wet dead leaves, making it impossible for anything to dry here, so we will be unable to make a fire.  All that lives within these woods will be infected and dangerous, so no feeding or petting the wildlife.

          Your bags will be invaluable here, as we will need to use them for all of our nutritional needs, as well as clean dry clothing.  I say this because I want you to keep an eye on your feet, making sure to keep them dry at all times.  We will stop as often as needed to switch out for dry apparel, as the air will be wet and cold, the higher we climb. 

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To address the light issue, I have given Micah and Crocket both a lantern.  Micah will be our rear guard, if you will, making sure no one leaves the safety of light… Crocket will be at our midway, and I also will be carrying a lantern to guide our ascent.  Yes, you did hear me correctly when I said Safety of the Light… do not leave the light!  For I cannot say what lurks in the darkness, just beyond that which the lights cover.  Let us not stop to find out what is out there, but press on in our task. I for one dislike the dark, and I hate creepy crawly thing… so let us be quick about this!

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          James would you be so kind as to watch out for me, so to speak?  As I will be carrying only the lantern, I may need your assistance if we encounter anything unfriendly on the path ahead.  Ummm… 

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One last thing…. Ummmmm….  I feel it only prudent to warn you of exactly which mountain we are planning to climb.  This is in fact Murgaks Peak!  I know it is one of the Dragon Mountains, but not one of the bigger ones, if that makes you feel any better.  Ya, nope… it didn’t make me feel any better either.  Well, misery loves company… ah hemm, I mean, I sure am glad for all of your assistance. 

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          If anyone feels any fear or anxiety as we travel, the Commander did leave a verse to calm you, so I will be calling it out as we move up the mountain, to lend encouragement along the way… Christine, you should be able to hear me back there, so could you repeat it for the back of the group that may be out of earshot of my voice?

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”  Psalms 91:4

Well, I guess there is nothing left to do but tie my shoe laces, and adjust my lantern.  If everyone is ready… ok… let’s do this…

Over the last several months, in my ongoing search of Church and myself, I have free roamed for all my studying and delving on the above-mentioned topics.  While it has been enjoyable and enlightening, the spirit within desires more full disclosure. 

As I pursue truths, it is my God given responsibility to ensure that not only do I fully understand what I am reading, but also own it!  If I cannot Truly Walk the walk, then I have no business Talking the talk!

I have asked myself what the logical course of action for this soul should be, and the answer that I received back was…

Go to the source! 

If I believe with certainty that I carry the Holy Spirit for guidance, I am led to only one book, the Bible.  I do not concern myself with what version is before me, because I carry wisdom from One much greater than I.  I have been assured by my Father, that if I read the word, He will open my eyes and heart to what is the Truth, for me!  This answer makes logical sense to me, and therefore, I challenge myself to go back to the beginning and reread every word, slowly, and with peace that paseth all understanding. 

I am not giving myself any schedule, nor am I assigning myself some unattainable goal for completion… Why should I?  I have not met, nor have I heard of anyone ever completely finishing and figuring out the Bible, before they died, so why should I be in an all fired hurry.  I will simply read as much as I feel at each reading, and go from there… I am a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl, anyways, so this works perfect!

I’M GONNA WING IT…

As for my insights on church, well, several things have been circling around in my mind.  One thing I have come to believe pretty clearly is that I think I am the church… I mean, not just me, but you or us!  I am thinking that the bible has a great amount to say about us being vessels, to be used and sent forth.  I think it talks about it so much because the lost are most likely not inside the big buildings with a cross on the door, they are still out there in the dark, lost and unable to find what they are looking for… 

The second thing I am pretty sure of is this… Some parts of the body of Christ or The Church, if you will, should most certainly be in those buildings to guide others along their journey.  But others are called to go out into the dark to shine light along the paths of others journeys. 

I am beginning to think that traveling through the darkness, while striving to reflect His light, is my purpose…

But for now, I shall delve deeper into the scriptures, and yes, I do believe fully that the Bible is God Breathed, no matter what version it is!  I have faith in the One who breathed the words, I will ride that horse all the way to the Bank!

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For Brownies Sake, Girl…

So, I’ve got a funny memory to share, but for goodness’ sake let’s not get a Tude, when the word pot comes into the picture.  Back when I was completing my degree, was around the time IBS became my new tenant.  My friend and I had been having a conversation about natural solutions to some of my symptoms, as IBS treatments did not come with a realistic food plan my system wouldn’t reject.

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In our best naturopathic mode, we took it upon ourselves to test out a good ole Brownie.  Well, all the prescription drugs that I had tried did nothing but turn me into a Zombie, so I was going to do a test…  I admit that it had been a very long time since high school!  We were grown adults now, we knew what we were doing… somebody let us have and raise kids without breaking them, so there is that.  We Got This!  And with that, we began…

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Eight hours later…

My friends’ husband walks in the door from work, to find his wife laying on the couch with her eyes closed, not moving… and me… CHATTY KATHY… having a full-on conversation with his puddle of a wife.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we absolutely did do this for 8 whole hours.  In alarmed concern, my friends husband says, “Are you girls ok? Have you even moved or … eaten anything?”  Suddenly, time stood still! 

Like a phoenix rising, my chica’s eyes opened!!! 

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I think her refrigerator felt violated, after we heard the word “Eaten”.  It never looked at me the same after that, always making me pull a bit harder just to open the silly door. 

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And by the way… not one bit of that food bothered me that night, and I slept like baby. 

I will leave you with this lesson… reading is fundamental! 

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When they tell you on the package to eat ¼ of the brownie… If you are looking down the barrel of a brownie from your high school memory, you might want to consider it 1/8^th of said goodie… Just sayin…

She sits in a crowded room

It feels so alone, so cold

Her senses are assaulted

Sounds that are jarring

Smells of anxiety

The air is thick with it

It is difficult for her to breathe

She attempts to see into their souls

But all windows have been boarded up

Blocking her view

When she tries with her words, in only mouth sounds

Her heart only receives echoes

Sometimes hollow and empty, other times angry and defensive

The crowded room pushes her backwards

Into the darkened corridor

She remembers The Purpose…

She rests in an empty room

It is so quiet here… beautiful and peaceful

She feels His spirit guide her

She delights in encouraging others

Her words are now easily accepted, now spoken by keyboard

Instead of empty echoes

Now there is light filling her space

Love seems to float in the air here

With every note she types…