Prayerful Life

Folks, it’s been an eventful month already, and we’re only half-way through it. It’s been cold, which makes us shiver, but we’re all very thankful for a warm blanket, and for the wall-heaters that really take the edge off. Aren’t we? But we have to admit, if we’re being honest, that the hail really scares us when it is coming down so hard on the roof. It makes us want to hide under the hearth, doesn’t it? What’s with the hail, anyways? It’s April for gosh sakes! Some of us already got our spring cuts, and it is damn cold out there without our surplus hair.

In any event, on to the news: First off, there’s a new gal in town. Not sure if you’ve seen her yet, but she’s a looker. Chunky, with a big flat nose as big as a lollipop! And she stinks to high heaven! Yes, she’s got it all. But to be honest, we don’t think she’s a dog. She snorts, which is odd, and she has this little curly tail that doesn’t wag. They say she’s called, “Chubby Chub-Chubs” and that the little girl she lives with named her. Be that as it may, and whether or not she’s a canine makes no difference to us, she’s worth a gander next time you’re in the neighborhood. If you can, get up real close, right next to the chicken-wire fence where she resides, and take a big whiff. She’s something special!

The squirrels are out in abundance lately. You’ve probably noticed. They’re everywhere: running along fencetops, up and down trees, tearing wildly across streets, even venturing to look into our houses through the back window or the sliding door. It’s fantastic, it is truly wonderful to be alive! One of our compatriots, Fritz, nearly caught an unsuspecting squirrel right off, when he went out yesterday morning, and then he chased another up a tree directly after that one, and by the time his walk was done he had chased a good half-dozen of the glorious little fluff-balls. They’re fast, they’re darty, and they’re twirley too! The larger dogs say that they’re tasty as well. We’ll have to take their word for it. There is so much about them to enjoy!  

On to more serious matters, it has been reported there is a strange blending of aromas to be found in much of the surrounding vegetation. Dogs everywhere are highly excited by this recent development, and we’re no exception. We’ll turn this next segment over to Fritz with help from his brother Rocco, who’ve both been doing some deep investigation into this story. It is a constantly evolving situation so we’ll try to give you the most current update possible. Here is what we know so far: in the shrubs alongside the main street there seems to be some combination of savory and sweet, possibly slightly urine-ical, it takes one back to the classic smells from continental Europe—possibly Paris—so first guess is it is Eau de Poodle, possibly with remnants of hamburger…or cheeseburger intermingled. Interestingly, not much further up the road some of the grass there also has traces of this same selection, although with a musty overtone added, which hits the nose slightly acidic at first, but then softens and is reminiscent of the seashore and dirty socks. Across the street from this, we think someone in the recent past probably dropped some eggs or rotten fish into a fern—maybe both—it was nearly impossible to resist, and both of us just had to roll for a while in it. The smell is fading though, so if you are interested in experiencing it for yourself, you should hurry on down before it’s gone! As we all know, good smells don’t last forever; and stink waits for no dog.

That’s all the time we have for today, it’s nearly time for treats. The weekend looks to be a bit warmer and excellent for some exercise. Get out there is ramble! Remember, if you don’t like your news, try a different news source! Canine News is your source for another perspective; widening your view of the world. There’s more to life than meets the eye; when in doubt, or overwhelmed, just follow your nose instead!  

~FS

When I was a younger man, back when I was absolutely certain that I knew quite a lot about a great many things—whereas now, I’m only fairly confident that I know much less about far fewer things—but back at that time, when my expanding mind was burgeoning with fresh thought, the Spirit tried to teach me a little something about the world around me, of which it spoke that I was a small, but still meaningful part. Though at the time I was unsure of my part, or whether I had any part at all to play in the world—meaningful or otherwise. Yet, paradoxically I was at the same time the precise center of the entire world, at least in my own mind: a modern man—both narcissistically self-assured and insecure.

I was quick to speak and slow to listen; even so, the Spirit led me up a mountaintop to show me things I didn’t know. If only I had eyes to see and ears to hear, and a mind receptive to truths shrouded in mystery and shadows. The poetry of creation surrounded me and I was immersed in the language of the stars; like all people, made to understand (at least in part) the same celestial music that directs the moon and the wind, though I didn’t know it at the time. Perhaps I felt it then as a numinous possibility, a spiritual potentiality, but my mind was too dull, from too much calculation and from seeing the world too fully through the lens of calibration; falsely imagining that if I could measure reality, then I would know reality. We are enamored by the allure of quantifiable minutiae, making these an end in themselves rather than as markers pointing to our spiritual source. We speak but don’t listen, we speak our own language but do not try to learn, or remember, the language of creation.

When I finally stopped talking (which was very difficult for me to achieve) and I listened instead—another presence came and filled the space around me. It has taken me decades just to begin to quit talking, and to start listening. Spirit speaks poetically and enchantingly—and quietly. I try to write down what I hear. Sometimes I hear clearly, so as to take dictation in a sense; other times it is as though I am translating from another language into my own. However, when the wind gently shakes the tree tops, what else is there to say? As sunlight dances brilliantly upon the tiny waves of a sheltered bay, and as gulls glide softly through the silken water as silhouettes, why should I append this happening with any additional words whatsoever? Isn’t God clearly seen and known by what He has created; what then is the purpose of clarifying creation as it is occurring, simply with more words—as an ultimate act of redundancy?

Although…the words that we use to describe to one another the beauty and mystery of creation, might they be symbols that can and do describe something even further about God? Poetry speaks to the heart and soul, and communicates something that we humans are, perhaps, otherwise too dull of mind to perceive; directing our thoughts, and hearts, heavenward in an inexplicable encounter with the Divine—discovering word and meaning from the world around us.

~FS

When I die I want the wind blowing into my face and around my head, and through whatever hair may still be growing there. Don’t package me up into a warm bed, in a warm room, to patiently await my expiration date. I want to be in the wilds, smelling the fresh pine, and not my own urine—if I am still able to smell anything at all. I want to feel that fresh breeze, blowing into my face; not pure oxygen from a tube thrust up my nose. Let me gaze out towards the horizon, and not up at the ceiling; out at the sky—streaked with golds and purple—and not up at an old brown water stain from a leak hidden someplace above the tiles. If I must go I want to go under the trees, and not in my bed, soiling my sheets. If you see me gasping and clutching at my chest, but I’m near a pond, on a mountain, or on a beach, leave me be. I’m dying my best death. Don’t ruin it for me with a call to the ambulance, or a trip to a hospital. When it is time to lay me down, into the earth, do not burn me. The time for fire is over; if I am to burn, let me burn while still alive: burning with love and burning with hope. Ignite me now with desire for all that is good, and all that is noble. Dress me in a simple gown, and place me in a plain pine box; and drop me into the earth to await my lord and king. And I don’t want to wear a suit, or a tie; those are fine, for other people’s funerals, but not for my own, thank you. I don’t need fanfare, I don’t expect a visit from dignitaries. Just close my eyelids, and set a little cross upon my breast. When I die, just say a little prayer and let me go. 

~FS

Prayer is the gravity that anchors our being in peace. Prayer calms the thoughts and puts order to our searching. Prayer is our center and our arrow; it aims us at our target—Jesus Christ. I know that many people today don’t understand a need for Christ, they think he is foolishness, uselessness, or even damaging. But this is confusion, if we think Christ is these things we deny our hope, our strength and our source of healing. All good things within our heart and mind derive from a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Prayer guides us into the intimate depths of this most essential relationship. We must spend time in prayer, to know the peace that brings the chaotic confusion of this life to rest. I understand very little about this world but I understand something about prayer. Prayer is the most essential thing. It is the means of transcending sorrow and pain; it is the balm that allows Christ access to our heart in order to heal us. 

~FS

Pain casts us into many roles. It is a clever dramatist. One moment we are smug and disdain it—when it is light—the next moment it can torment us into unrecognizable beasts—when it is at its worst. It has the power to inspire, turning us into saints who run to alleviate the pain of others, and it has also the creativity to debase, transmogrifying us into devils who run to destroy others in order to alleviate the pain within ourselves.

I could be a Hitler. Sure. I could be a Mother Teresa as well. I could also be the drug addict laying on the sidewalk. I could be the parent praying fervently at their child’s hospital bedside, or the parent drowning their children in a bathtub. Pain drives us to many different conclusions. It can make us mad, and it can drive us mad. There are not enough tears in heaven, I think, to soothe all the pain on this earth. There is a hope of a future world without pain, but for now, there is enough pain in one square mile of dirt, to fill an entire universe.

Sometimes we are able to bear pain, by God’s grace, and can extend our hearts to others, helping to bear their pain as well. We enter into their pain, and we share it, and together we are softened and drawn close in bonds of charitable love. We endure, we struggle, we pray, we do whatever we can to lessen the pain of those we love. We are broken by the pain, and are subjected to extremes. The pain we feel in our own heart ignites and burns within us, and we pour ourselves out: in anger, in rampant love, in vengeance, in hope and faith, in desperation. The pain we see in others can make us frantic—though once our efforts to help them appear fruitless—it can turn our heart cold, we let ourselves freeze, to protect ourselves from further pain. We cannot look any longer, we turn the other way. It is sensible, what else can we do? The pain of others, especially those we know and love, will tear us to shreds, it will annihilate us, and break us, seemingly, beyond repair.

Sometimes we prefer narcissism, hedonism, or some other diversion from the pain of this life. At some point it just can be too much to bear; everyone has their limit. How can we fault them? Certainly we can judge them, especially if we aren’t feeling too much pain ourselves at the moment. I can’t fault them. Pain dialed up to a certain intensity is the stimulus for all manner of human failings. I’m grateful I haven’t endured that much pain.

But I’ve certainly had my share of it, and more than I’d like. As we all have, I would suspect. So, how can I judge even those who judge, or those who accuse others? Human judgement of others is just one more human response to pain; to the frustration that life, and human nature, isn’t what we wish it would be. Pain is a vicious cycle; one pain leading to another pain, and that pain feeding the next one. There is an end to pain in the next life (supposing you believe in that), but for now, pain is a very demented dramatist—casting us into roles we’d mainly like to avoid.  

~FS

Are you perplexed? Are you distressed? Have you despair? Might you be harboring anger? Take a deep breath, and let your mind rest. Look up at the sky, at the wide expanse that stretches beyond view; the calming gray of the clouds rolling by, and the vibrant, clear blue. The sky is untroubled by our worries; let it untrouble you. The sun shines brightly upon us—lightly—and the rain falls, giving us life. If someone you love is nearby, give them a hug. If they are far off, pray for them, and draw them near with your heart; and by the movement of your kind thoughts, they may find light where they are. Charity, the love that gives, is never lost, when given away. Pray for your enemies too, and draw them with hope, into your circle of peace. They may not come willingly—but they are free—let them go as they wish, but always pray for them, calling them silently, with charity and hope. In this way, plant a garden within yourself, which will yield a bountiful harvest of simplicity and sweetness; and clear the weeds of hatred or self-righteousness which choke and constrict all that is good within you.

Give free reign to your goodness, but not that goodness which arises from your indignation; and be kind, but not the kindness that foments self-congratulation. Rather, let your goodness and kindness arise from below, nourished from above. Let your goodness grow up out of the soft soil of humility; hand out the fruit of your labors—to your neighbors, and your foes—from your knees, as it were. Looking up, and never down at them, as you share whatever gift it is that you possess to give them. If you are able, allow the soil of your humility to be fed by Divine Wisdom. Trust not in yourself, if you can resist that temptation; and trust not in the claims of this world, if you can resist that temptation. Rather, look only to the Truth that comes from above; seek it with sincerity and innocence. Cultivate faith and hope, for these things allow one to recognize that Truth.

Our world is at war with itself; with every faction fighting every other faction, tearing each other apart. For those with faith in the God of creation, He is our lodestone to guide us through the miasma of this world. We look for something to lean upon in the confusion that is growing and swirling around us, and it is the cross; the stake that is driven into this earth, and upon which all our hope and salvation hangs. Our world offers us many compelling truths, leading in many directions, to many different ends; but only one Truth leads out of this confusion, and into the light of peace, and into The Life that is eternal joy.

Try not to become addicted to bad news, which only manifests outrage and fear. Take deep breaths and long walks in nature. Fellowship with the plants and the animals, and closeness to the rhythms of creation, will help mollify anger and extinguish fear. For this reason, distance yourself from the allure of digital technology—what we are gaining in convenience we are losing in humanity. This technology is a chimera and it is deceitful, it promises us unification, but is delivering division; it is dividing our human family, and it is conquering us. Use it wisely and sparingly—as a tool—but not as a god, or as a nursemaid.

How can we, who can only understand ourselves in the smallest way, hope to understand the complexities of this world? Who of us understands our own emotions and motivations—how then can we understand what is in the heart of other people? For this reason, try to refrain from judgment or accusation; and keep praying for those you disagree with, or who actively hurt you. Pray for everyone who is suffering; which includes everyone on this planet. Try to do no harm; think before speaking, and wait before acting, and try to refrain from adding further injury to the problems that already are bringing such suffering and pain to our human family. Even so, we cannot avoid offenses, since competing truths are vying for supremacy here, and each truth is incompatible with the other.

For those of faith, hold fast to the Truth that is God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, and defend it with charity, humility and firmness; never desiring offence towards anyone—even though offences will be interpreted and imputed to you by others. For those with a truth other than that found in God—if you are interested and able—begin to pray to God, read the Bible, attend services, befriend other believers, and learn the Truth that leads to ultimate human liberty, peace and eternal life. May God be with all people, and may His peace prevail. Above all, be below all. Make yourself as a little child; we are all little children before the face of God. We think, but we do not know; we act, but we fail. Therefore, forgive all people at all times. Forgiveness is the gateway to the kingdom of peace. Ask forgiveness, and give forgiveness, and may the God of peace gain entry into your heart forevermore.

~FS

Are you perplexed? Are you distressed? Have you despair? Might you be harboring anger? Take a deep breath, and let your mind rest. Look up at the sky, at the wide expanse that stretches beyond view; the calming gray of the clouds rolling by, and the vibrant, clear blue. The sky is untroubled by our worries; let it untrouble you. The sun shines brightly upon us—lightly—and the rain falls, giving us life. If someone you love is nearby, give them a hug. If they are far off, pray for them, and draw them near with your heart; and by the movement of your kind thoughts, they may find light where they are. Charity, the love that gives, is never lost, when given away. Pray for your enemies too, and draw them with hope, into your circle of peace. They may not come willingly—but they are free—let them go as they wish, but always pray for them, calling them silently, with charity and hope. In this way, plant a garden within yourself, which will yield a bountiful harvest of simplicity and sweetness; and clear the weeds of hatred or self-righteousness which choke and constrict all that is good within you.

Give free reign to your goodness, but not that goodness which arises from your indignation; and be kind, but not the kindness that foments self-congratulation. Rather, let your goodness and kindness arise from below, nourished from above. Let your goodness grow up out of the soft soil of humility; hand out the fruit of your labors—to your neighbors, and your foes—from your knees, as it were. Looking up, and never down at them, as you share whatever gift it is that you possess to give them. If you are able, allow the soil of your humility to be fed by Divine Wisdom. Trust not in yourself, if you can resist that temptation; and trust not in the claims of this world, if you can resist that temptation. Rather, look only to the Truth that comes from above; seek it with sincerity and innocence. Cultivate faith and hope, for these things allow one to recognize that Truth.

Our world is at war with itself; with every faction fighting every other faction, tearing each other apart. For those with faith in the God of creation, He is our lodestone to guide us through the miasma of this world. We look for something to lean upon in the confusion that is growing and swirling around us, and it is the cross; the stake that is driven into this earth, and upon which all our hope and salvation hangs. Our world offers us many compelling truths, leading in many directions, to many different ends; but only one Truth leads out of this confusion, and into the light of peace, and into The Life that is eternal joy.

Try not to become addicted to bad news, which only manifests outrage and fear. Take deep breaths and long walks in nature. Fellowship with the plants and the animals, and closeness to the rhythms of creation, will help mollify anger and extinguish fear. For this reason, distance yourself from the allure of digital technology—what we are gaining in convenience we are losing in humanity. This technology is a chimera and it is deceitful, it promises us unification, but is delivering division; it is dividing our human family, and it is conquering us. Use it wisely and sparingly—as a tool—but not as a god, or as a nursemaid.

How can we, who can only understand ourselves in the smallest way, hope to understand the complexities of this world? Who of us understands our own emotions and motivations—how then can we understand what is in the heart of other people? For this reason, try to refrain from judgment or accusation; and keep praying for those you disagree with, or who actively hurt you. Pray for everyone who is suffering; which includes everyone on this planet. Try to do no harm; think before speaking, and wait before acting, and try to refrain from adding further injury to the problems that already are bringing such suffering and pain to our human family. Even so, we cannot avoid offenses, since competing truths are vying for supremacy here, and each truth is incompatible with the other.

For those of faith, hold fast to the Truth that is God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, and defend it with charity, humility and firmness; never desiring offence towards anyone—even though offences will be interpreted and imputed to you by others. For those with a truth other than that found in God—if you are interested and able—begin to pray to God, read the Bible, attend services, befriend other believers, and learn the Truth that leads to ultimate human liberty, peace and eternal life. May God be with all people, and may His peace prevail. Above all, be below all. Make yourself as a little child; we are all little children before the face of God. We think, but we do not know; we act, but we fail. Therefore, forgive all people at all times. Forgiveness is the gateway to the kingdom of peace. Ask forgiveness, and give forgiveness, and may the God of peace gain entry into your heart forevermore.

~FS