Why is this so earth shatteringly important that I think it imperative to share with everyone?
Well, let me explain…
Just the other day I told someone something I’d heard in the past, regarding how hippo’s fart through their mouths. After thinking on it, I realized that I’d heard it from a movie with Val Kilmer, where he made that statement. I have actually never fact checked the information… and one should always do this before the retelling of a thing!
Here is what I found, everyone, and I was shocked, dismayed… and ran for my toothbrush:
According to Googleydoo,
Normal, harmless bacteria in the intestine break down food and produce gas. Any excess gas production or accumulation will cause the passing of gas to occur through the mouth or rectum. Therefore, your friend was partially correct, hippos do pass gas through their mouths. It is called “burping.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, I wish to bring your attention to the fact that, in reality… everyone does this with the gases that the body produces! Yeah, that is pretty horrifying when you think about all the times you felt safe burping around your guests, family and/or friends.
So, as I try to brush my teeth without throwing up, I want to warn everyone for the future of this world… watch where you’re pointing that thing, and cover your mouth…
Here, if your stomach can handle it, have a cookie…
When I say Just Breath, it goes far beyond the act of just inhaling and exhaling! To truly let go of this world’s angst, and all the gnashing of teeth that wears at our peace… and Just Breath!
Be at peace with the knowledge that things of this world, can be observed, but shall not permeate one’s spirit while resting beneath the shadow of the Almighty!
To purposefully practice the form of physically exercising my lungs… choosing to breath out all the burdens of this world, and breath in the pure and sustaining peace that passeth all understanding…
His Peace… I take in the very breath of my Creator, My God!
I love purposely allowing God to be the very air that I breath…
Ok, don’t blame me for that last line… my coffee got cold, and I didn’t realize it until after taking a drink. I only paused from writing this for a second, I swear it!
Sometimes, I feel more like a dog than a person… Squirrel!!!
Oh well, that’s how poetry is for me, at times. I catch a thread of something and start writing it down, only to find that I’ve lost my train of thought somewhere in the middle. Yeesh! How do you guys and gals all do it? Day after day, you bring it with such creativeness and fervor… well, my hat’s off to you! I think that I shall leave the poetry to the poets and stick to what I do best, which is really just writing whatever the storms bring on the winds…
In a world where black is white, up is down, and right is wrong, we may sometimes feel as if God isn’t paying attention… or is sitting idly by, while we suffer through things that He could easily rescue us from. Our human hurt, confusion, anger and/or grief overwhelm us, blotting out the SON!
For me, it is very easy to become discouraged about my circumstances, when I naively begin assuming that He isn’t paying attention. If I let myself, I can have a myriad of differing types of pity parties… all in an instant, if I hold to my own understanding and forget to look up!
Look up for what, you may be wondering? When I look up to see what God has done, is doing, and will faithfully continue to do for my good, and my future within His purpose!
It is so frustrating to observe how we humans have such a propensity to take our eyes off of God when things are going good, but when we experience anything beyond our understanding, rather than being angry at Satan and his minions for the wickedness they’ve caused upon this earth, in our hurt and confusion, we blame God!
Oh, we don’t blame Him for causing a thing… no no, we just like to blame Him for apparently doing nothing to help us!
For so many, it is far easier to make a list of what God wouldn’t, couldn’t or won’t do for us, his children… than to believe and trust in who we know He IS!
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
When I am struggling with a thing, regardless of what or how difficult it might be, I tell you this… I go to His word!
Writing down a list for you, reflecting my grief credentials and qualifications, might be great for playing the “I’ll show you my scars, if you show me yours” game, but not for expressing genuine empathy to others, who are hurting desperately, over a thing.
Another blogger wrote an article the other day about understanding why God seemingly steps back and allows bad things to happen to good people, refusing to intercede. That is an age old question… mainly because humanity has a habit of circling the wagon, as far as repeating a thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.
Things went sideways from the moment Satan tempted Eve, and in turn, Adam. We could go all the way back to asking why God allowed Cain to murder his brother, Abel? Or what about the flood, why didn’t God let anyone else on the boat… well, that was ultimately their sinful choice, if you want my two cents.
Or, how might things have gone with Abraham and his son, Isaac? How must the man have struggled with the why’s, as he walked his only son up that mountain to offer him as a sacrifice to God, on blind faith? Did God actually ever make him kill the child… of course not! It was all about the man’s faith!
Let us not forget Joseph in the well, Moses and the Israelites, or King David, all those years before he was actually sitting upon the throne. Oh, the questioning and doubts they must have wrestled with, deep into the shadows of the night! We don’t have all day, so I’ll leave you with one last example before you go:
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
Just in case you were wondering, the Son of The Most High God felt our human emotions… though HE overcame all of it, for our sakes!
When I am in the depths of things beyond me, I hold to that!
We sinned
But He wouldn’t turn away…
We turned away
But He wouldn’t abandon us…
We denied Him
But He wouldn’t refuse us His only Son!
I ran, I fought, I raged, I sinned, I screamed for Him to just smite me… blot me out of His vision forever…
Yup! With only two intersections to cross, I got there… and two hours later, I’m just sitting down to write.
It was wonderful, I tell you, simply divine! Remember me telling you that I was missing my literary mojo, with this living in no mans land stuff? Well, oh my! I found that sweet spot… just inside of those two hours in the fresh air.
Long story short… my brain doors flew open, somewhere around mile two, and now it’s once again the Willy Wonka Factory in there!
I leave you with a song that should leave you with a visual of how I’m feeling right this moment…
At least that’s what Tilly calls them… Flying Lizards!
As to what these little guys actually are, and where they came from, I’m at a complete loss… which is saying a lot about how strange they seem.
Whatever they are, somehow they’ve managed to create a little encampment of sorts, inside our barn’s back wall. There was a loose piece of roofing material that I spied earlier this year, but I’ve yet to have the time to repair it. They must have crawled in through the opening, thought they’d reached the promise land and simply set up shop!
Aside from Miss Tilly being up in arms about rules, hygiene and sleeping under the same roof with a band of wild somethings… the rest of the babes seem rather tickled with our new tenants! Boomer keeps trying to pick them up and pet them, while Lilly is riding them like they’re small horses.
Don’t ask me what I’m going to do with them all… I have no idea! But, I can’t just kick them out, what with the cooler months ahead.
Until I’ve had some time to investigate things and figure out what to do about it all, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to fuss at them, just yet.
For now, I think this calls for some gentle grace for that which I do not yet understand. I always did like a good mystery and now I’ve had one fly in through my barn roof!
I shall get right to the bottom of things and let you know what I find out… wish me luck!
Oh, and if any of you have seen these little guys before, I would love your input.
Journey With Me! 