Weave and Sew Dust

Seeking Wisdom? JBB

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest—Matthew 11:28

It is easy to get a visual image of a day laborer in this passage and not the more erudite meaning of a Jewish scholar struggling to master the laws of the Torah while failing to seek wisdom. All ancient Hebrew thought is expressed through the senses, what can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted, or heard. In this way, because of Hebrew’s concrete language, the Lord reaches both the day laborer and the scholar with these reassuring words.

In our Door Ministry, many day laborers come seeking financial help. Our “day laborers” consist of construction workers, nurse’s aides, bus drivers, moms with kids in tow, restaurant workers, landscape gardeners, young people trying to finish college or trade schools, and the elderly, to name a few. Thanks to the wonderful contributions from the parishioners at Sacred Heart, the Door Fund is able to give them a little bit of financial rest.

But, something else happens here at The Door. Wisdom happens. For it is here that we encounter our sisters and brothers who have the same hopes and dreams like our own. Paul describes it in this way: “There is no such thing as Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female; for you are all one person in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). Or, as Anne Werdel so often says, “We are all beloved sons and daughters of God.” We learn the wisdom of inclusivity.

I am also thoroughly convinced that the Lord gives us the poor, not so much for us to change them but so that we can be changed, transformed in our minds and hearts--to begin to love as God loves. We learn the wisdom of selfless love.

Finally, on the road to everyday holiness, God often sends people to us so that we may continue on our way toward God. However, because most of us are so insulated from the poor, we need to put our feet on the ground in their neighborhood if we wish to grow in holiness. Remember, Jesus spent a good portion of his life among the poor making their lives better. As we hear in Joan Chittister: In My Own Words: “Sanctity consists in making life good for everyone whose life we touch.”  We learn the wisdom of walking with the poor.

The Big Nest JBB

Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God  1Corinthians 4: 1

As I write this, I am sitting on my deck (on a glorious Carolina-kind-of-day) watching the birds take turns at my birdfeeder. Sometimes I run out of seed, but I have no doubt that God feeds them (Mt 6:26). Still, it is a joy for me to be able to provide for these little feathered creatures of God’s beauty.

Today’s second reading begs the question, “What does it mean to be a steward of God’s gifts?” According to the dictionary, to be a steward is to be one who manages, administrates, or supervises another’s property, finances… sure doesn’t sound all that exciting. Here in the Diocese of Raleigh, stewardship is spoken of as a way of life that brings a sense of personal joy and fulfillment to life.

So how does stewardship work in the Christian perspective? Our Stewardship Office explains:

1. Stewardship is a choice of the heart. We choose to make God # 1 in our love and our lives every day. This, in turn, deepens our awareness of the spiritual dimension of life, freeing us from dependency on material things—there’s a joy in that!
2. Stewardship is discipleship in action. In spiritual partnership with God, rich in prayer and grace, we choose to place in God’s service our three fundamental God-given gifts—time, talent, and treasure—there’s fulfillment!
3. Stewardship is active faith. We trust God to provide all that we need (not our wants, but our needs). Constant worry is replaced by peace of mind.
4. Stewardship accepts responsibility. We take our share of responsibility for the vitality of our faith community and our larger community in the world and this becomes our way of life.

www.dioceseofraleigh.org/how/stewardship

I have this big nest theory. If all I do is take care of my own nest without my commitment to, in some way, improve our communal “big” nest, then my own nest may very well be in jeopardy.

I think I will go get some more birdseed.--Nonna's Knowings

For numbers people

Just a thought that came through an e-mail--

1/1/11. . .1/11/11. . .11/1/11. . .11/11/11

Now go figure this out...

Take the last two digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year and...

it will equal...                     111 !

Never doubt that you are number 1, just remain humble about it 'cuz so is everyone else--Nonna's knowings

 

The Power of the Apron

We had some friends over for dinner last night and I decided to fix lasagna for our meal. Over the Christmas holidays, I had been telling my daughter that, unlike her, I really didn't enjoy cooking all that much.I grew up in a house where my mom could stand at the sink and touch every kitchen appliance including the hot water heater.Consequently, she was always shooing us out of the kitchen. The most fun with cooking I ever had as a child was making flat circles from the dough that Mom would roll out on the dining room table in order to make ravioli. I would use an inverted drinking glass to accomplish the miracle of perfect circles.Then, as she stuffed the raviolis, I would crimp their edges with my little fingers. In the early days of my marriage, I did experiment with recipes, but as children came along my cooking evolved into what everyone would eat, had the least amount of waste, and was most efficient to prepare. 

Yesterday afternoon as I started preparing the evening meal, I decided to put on a new apron that I have had for awhile and not ever worn, a big black thing with the words,"La Cucina Italiana" emblazoned across the front. Who would have thought that the mere act of putting on that apron would make me feel like such a chef!! I actually had fun tasting and slicing and tasting and dicing. Add to this "recipe," our excellent conversation with our guests later in the evening and we had a most wonderful meal. 

The power of the apron is a well-kept secret--Nonna's knowings

A Christmas Message

Remember the song, "Let Your Love Flow," by the Bellamy Brothers? It has always been one of my favorites. I got to thinking about how love doesn't originate with us; love really does flow through us. We, in turn, can stop love from its flow or let it go, baby, go. In this season, when we are reminded that, " For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son..." (John 3:16), let us remember that the Divine gift of Love given to us is to be shared with others. We are so loved. How can we not love? 

As the song goes--

"There's a reason...

Must be the season...when that love light shines all around us...

So let that feeling grab you deep inside and send you reeling where your love can't hide...

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream...love grow with the smallest of dreams...love show...

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing...love bind you to all living things...love shine..."

I wish this Christmas for a world of people that will let their love overflow into the new year, all year.

GOD LOVES US, EVERY ONE!

PEACE and JOY in all you do!  Barbara and Chris                               

   

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray

I sold my first commissioned painting yesterday in my new vocation of artist! So excited! This past summer, in the midst of my mother's slow dying, I had attended a workshop called "Called & Gifted" at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Not only did they discuss one of my favorite topics, the apostolate of the laity, but they helped participants to identify their charisms, gifts from God to use in the building of a better world. Following the workshop, we met with a one-on-one advisor and then met in small group sharing three times over the summer. The purpose of these gatherings was to evaluate whether the gift was a true charism or a natural talent. True charisms bring great joy and are given freely to the community of the faithful. My two identified charisms are pastoring and knowledge (they are a whole topic for another blog). BUT, I also prayed that if I had an unknown charism it would also be revealed. Also occurring this past summer, I led my book club in a discussion of the book, Women Who Run with the Wolves. One of the images so captured my imagination that finally I had to run out and get some acrylic paints  to attempt to paint what was spilling out of my head. Using one of my daughter's unfinished canvasses (apologies to her but I wasn't quite sure if I could even do what I was attempting and I didn't want to spend money on an expensive canvas), I began painting. Meanwhile, my grandson lay sprawled underneath me, playing with his DS as we discussed color in the different aspects of the painting. By the time of the 101st anniversary of my dad's birth (9/19/1909), I had painted six canvases with variations on theme around the same subject. So much fun!

Not only did God give me a gift of being able to paint on canvas but it seemed God was saying it was okay to be joyful in the midst of Mom's dying. When I fed her on September 17th, I shared all this and the slavic folk tale that had inspired me. Despite her dementia, she was engaged in my tale, perhaps because the story is also one of Polish heritage and she might have heard it from her storytelling father when she was a child. It was to be the last time that she ate her entire meal--her last supper, as she died ten days later.

I brought the paintings to a course I created and was leading at my parish called "Interior Life and Interior Design." One of my lady friends commissioned me to do a painting for her based on my 6th painting and one of the themes she loved. Its theme is grandparent love. Here is the painting I did for her---"The Sweet Spot #2"---

 
As Nicholas Sparks writes in The Notebook, a novel dealing with Alzheimer's, "Love, in these last and tender hours is sensitive and very pure" (212).

How perfect is God's timing!--Nonna's knowings

 

Motorcycles & Giving Birth

A few weekends ago the Sunday morning show featured a young woman whose passion is motorcycle racing. She was referred to as a "driving diva." Anyway, she has decided to postpone having children while she (and her husband) are engaged in this death defying sport. I got to thinking about that statement and really wish I could tell her--

There is nothing more death defying than giving birth!--Nonna's knowings 

A New Path

I did something I have never done before--I painted my very first canvas! It is based on an old Slavic fairy tale that I read in Women Who Run With the Wolves. Actually, it kind of painted itself out of my active imagination. Haven't had so much fun in ages. My grandson was sitting under my feet half the time and giving suggestions for colors that were just perfect. We had a grand time.

Life is good--Nonna's knowings

Snuggle Bunnies and Snoopy Waffles

My grandson thought it would be a great idea to have a sleepover Saturday night at our house. After our short teasing that he hadn't come equipped with even a toothbrush, he twisted our collective arms.  Not that they needed much twisting, he's such a snuggle bunny with his hugs and kisses, who can resist? Once we all agreed, his next question was a given as it tops his list of things to do at Nonna's and Papa Q's--"Can we have Snoopy waffles for breakfast?"

My wafflemaker has been in our family for so long that it has become vintage. Of course, you have probably already deduced that it replicates the head and collar of a much beloved cartoon character. It's so much fun in the morning to have everyone gathered at the bar, forks in hand so to speak, awaiting their own waffle. Only the best for Snoopy (and company), I warm genuine maple syrup to be spooned over the honey-colored head ever so carefully. But the best of all is the look of sheer enjoyment on our little one's face when he takes his first bite.  

Snuggling with a six year-old and Snoopy waffles, life can't get much better than this--Nonna's knowings  

Gutter Language

Am I the only one who finds the level of rhetoric swirling around the national health care issue to be offensive? Some pseudo-newscasters/editorialists and radio commentators are the worst when it comes to bleep bleep language and stereotyping. Thank heavens for the ability to change channels.

Their mamas should get the proverbial soap out--Nonna's knowings