Scars!

Today I would like to share with you a poem written by my son.

Scars

Do you laugh because he is young?
Is he not fast enough?
Strong enough?
Does he not have the look of a warrior?
Look again!
See how he walks!
There is care in where he steps.
See his glance,
Which takes in the room
Determining friends or foes.
Watch how he carries his sword
Always ready,
But never threatening.
These aren't enough?
You still doubt him?
A scar is a sign of battle.
It marks a wound
And may remind its bearer of sorrow or joy.
One does not acquire these scars through cowardice,
And rarely is the scar desired by its bearer.
But look closely at the warrior scarred,
And marvel how he takes his weapon to continue the war he is called to.
These scars show the warrior had good fortune on his side,
That hopefully he has gained knowledge and wisdom through his pain,
That he knows how fragile life is,
That he must be better with his weapon than his enemy,
Lest the next wound be too deep to scar.
So, most wise and excellent observer,
See the young man's scars.
See them.
He has not a few
But many.
He has seen battle.
And he lives still.
There is knowledge and wisdom in him.
He must be good with his weapon for he would not be alive otherwise.
There is one scar in his back.
The mark of a dagger I would guess.
See how every other scar is on the front of his body.
See!
No, most excellent observer,
He is not the fastest or strongest.
And his appearance does not inspire awe or fear.
But
See!
I'll wager the one that put the scar on his back is no longer of this world,
For here this young man stands!
Mighty is the warrior dealt such a wound,
Who even in his pain turns to face his enemy.
Now do you see, most excellent observer?
Do you see the scars?
YOU STILL DOUBT HIM?
Oh my dear, foolish observer, one more thing must you see.
This young warrior, for a warrior he IS,
Is returning to battle.
Be knows he risks the pain of another scar,
That he might possibly lose his life in this next battle.
Yet he returns
Because it is his to do.
He is a man
And a brave warrior
Who goes back
Who risks the pain
Who faces the fear
To do what he was meant to do.

By Benjamin Beckner

Projects!

April 6, 2013

I find myself unexpectedly unemployed. This would perhaps be a problem if it were not for a wedding coming up in less than two months. There is no shortage of things to do!

I have never planned a wedding a before. Well, not one that wasn’t mine. My daughter is pretty laid back which is nice because she is easily satisfied, but difficult because it doesn’t matter (to her) if everything gets done. Since I am a Type A personality I like to know how many exactly and it is harder for me to be okay with whatever we have. So not only am I having fun working with my daughter on her wedding, I get to grow personally. I don’t have to worry about how many flowers get made and how many arrangements we have. Whatever we have will beautiful and enough.

And yet another opportunity for personal growth…there is no shortage of things to do around the house to get ready for the wedding. Again, the Type A kicks in and I want things to be perfect! After all, I reason to myself, this is the only time some of our family will see our house; I want it to look good. There are rooms that need to be painted, new blinds, curtains and carpets needed, and landscaping that needs to done. As I usually do, I start with grand, big ideas that are way too expensive and complicated. Then I go back and reassess and redo the list and I end with simple, workable, and less expensive projects that are able to finished. Most of them will get done and those projects that don’t get done will still be there when the wedding is over.  For the record, I love working around the house, working in the yard, painting rooms, and making flowers. So here are a few of my projects… And I will post some after pictures when some of these projects are done!

Making Room...

Bon Appetit? Am I going to do a whole blog on a cooking magazine? Well, no. But those of you who know me well know I love Bon Appetit and have collected them for many years. And I am getting rid of them; that is what this blog is about.

“Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” Genesis 26:22

I have always found this verse, and the whole chapter actually, interesting. The nutshell version is Isaac is opening wells originally dug by his father, Abraham. As he opens one well someone comes along and claims it is their well. This happens several times until at last, no one bothers Isaac about the well. That is when he declares that God has made room for them in the land.

No, this is not a random thought; there is a point. We are pretty well into January now and I am now cleaning up and out. This could have something to do with the fact that I have just put all the Christmas stuff away, or it could be because my daughter plans to get married this year. Either way, the New Year is a great time to sort things out and start fresh.

Personally, I am embarking on a healthier lifestyle. I am still not eating gluten and have eliminated other things from my diet as well – dairy, corn, sugar, and meat. And, as I mentioned earlier, we have a wedding coming up this year and usually (from what I hear) there is some expense associated with weddings, so I am preparing for a garage sale to add to the income column of the budget and help offset the “outgoing” column of the budget. This involves cleaning out, sorting, and my favorite, throwing away! And that brings me to the Bon Appetit’s. Some of these I have had for a while – yes, that really says 1989!

 

And I am not just getting rid of magazines. I have gone through cupboards, closets, craft supplies, and boxes I have been storing since we moved into the house. Honestly, it feels great! My house is neater and more orderly, which makes it easier to keep clean, which means time spent on things that are more important to me like my college classes.

So what is my point? I am making “room” in my life. In cleaning out my house I am not making room for more stuff. I am making “room” for simplicity and peace. I am making room for friends and gardening and school and making wedding decorations! And with my healthier lifestyle choice I am also making “room.” I am making room for weight loss and better health. But hopefully, I am also making “room” for other more important things – things I want more than weight loss. Hopefully, I am making room for forgiveness and love, which I need in abundance. And perhaps, there will be room for grace and wisdom too – you can never have too much of  either! And maybe, hopefully, God willing, like Isaac, I also will flourish.