A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Have an outstanding day, friends.

Twelve Days of Christmas

For our holiday facts today I thought it might be fun to learn a bit about the traditional 12 Days of Christmas since they are the inspiration for this event. So here we go!

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning Christmas Day (25 December). This period is also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide. The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed. Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas overlap.

Over the centuries, differing churches and sects of Christianity have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations. St. Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day), for example, is 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, is observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations; Boxing Day was traditionally marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (such as postal workers and trades people) in the United Kingdom. 28 December is Childermas or the Feast of the Innocents. Currently, the twelve days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas Day, some only on Twelfth Night, and some each of the twelve nights.

With the onset of more Americanized and secular traditions over the past two centuries (such as the American “Santa Claus”), the rise in popularity of Christmas Eve itself as a holiday, and of New Year’s Eve parties, the traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas have been largely forgotten in the U.S. This is also heightened by the commercial practice to have after-Christmas sales begin on 26 December and run usually until New Year’s Eve. Indeed, contemporary marketing and media tend to espouse the (erroneous) belief that the Twelve Days end on Christmas and thus begin 14 December. (Source: Wikipedia)

Holiday of Lights – Hanukkah

Today I thought we could touch on a non-Christmas Holiday Tradition. So, let’s talk about the Holiday of Lights – Hanukkah. I have always heard of Hanukkah but really know nothing about it. I thought this was a great opportunity to learn a little something about another religion and culture.

Significance of Hanukkah

According to Jewish law, Hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish holidays. However, Hanukkah has become much more popular in modern practice because of its proximity to Christmas. Hanukkah falls on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Since the Jewish calendar is lunar based, every year the first day of Hanukkah falls on a different day – usually sometime between late November and late December. Because many Jews live in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won’t feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.

Lighting the hanukkiyah (menorah)

The hanukkiyah is used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and commemorates the miracle of the oil. According to the Hanukkah story, once Jewish revolutionaries had retaken the Temple from the Syrians they wanted to rededicate it to God and restore its ritual purity. Eight days worth of oil were needed to complete the ritual purification, but they were only able to find one day’s worth of oil. They lit the menorah anyway and miraculously the oil lasted for eight full days. In commemoration of this event Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and a candle is lit on the hanukkiyah on each of those days. One candle is lit the first night, two the second, and so on, until the final night when all the candles are lit. Each of the eight candles is lit with a “helper” candle known as the shamash. The shamash is lit first, is used to light the other candles, and then is returned to the ninth candle spot, which is set apart from the others.

Spinning the dreidel
A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. It is used during Hanukkah to play a popular children’s game that involves spinning the dreidel and betting on which Hebrew letter will be showing when the dreidel stops spinning. Children usually play for a pot of gelt, which are chocolate coins covered in gold colored tin foil, but they can also play for candy, nuts, raisins – anything really! A game similar to the dreidel game was popular during the rule of Antiochus. During this period Jews were not free to openly practice their religion, so when they gathered to study Torah they would bring a top with them. If soldiers appeared, they would quickly hide what they were studying and pretend to be playing a gambling game with the top.

Eating fried foods

Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served with applesauce. Sufganiyot are jelly-filled donuts that are fried and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating.

Credits: About.com

Santa Claus

Today were going to take a look at Santas around the world in honor of Nikolaustag, or St. Nick’s Day!

Santa Claus is derived from Sinterklaas (Dutch), or St. Nicholas, who was a Greek Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) in the 4th Century AD. He gained a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as leaving coins in the shoes people left out for him, and became the model for Santa Claus. December 6th is his name-day and therefore the day celebrating him in many European Countries. In Germany, for example, he visits the evening of Dec. 5th and leaves gifts to be found on the morning of Dec. 6th (as long as you leave out your shoes!) As a bishop, he wore a Bishop’s Hat, golden Robes and had a white beard.

So how did Sinterklaas become Santa Claus? Word has it, the tradition of Sinterklaas was reinvited by a former Dutch colonial town who wanted a symbol of the city’s non-English past. In 1810, John Pintard published a pamphlet with illustrations where he calls for Saint Nicholas to be made the patron Saint of New York and to start a Sinterklaas tradition. His pamphlet included an old Dutch Sinterklaas poem in which Sinterklaas was referred to as “Sancta Claus”. Two years later, John Irving wrote his famous poem: The Night Before Christmas: where Santa Claus was first born as a red-suited, rosy-cheeked, Jolly old elf! Ultimately, Pintard’s initiative helped morph Sinterklaas into Santa Claus, but freed of his Bishop’s Robes. Source: Wikipedia

Sinterklaa visits children in the Netherlands, de Kerstman or le Père Noël comes bearing gifts for children in Belgium on Christmas day, Tomte comes to Scandanavian households, Papai Noel is known in Brazil, Mikulás comes to Hungarian Children, Croatian children expect a visit from Sveti_Nikola, Kleeschen comes to children in Luxembourg, in Slovenia, Miklavž comes with an angel and a devil (Krampus), Italy boasts Babbo Natale & La Befana & in Russia Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) comes visiting!

Feliz Navidad!

Today we travel to Mexico to learn about Las Posadas they’ll be celebrating Las Posadas for nine days! Unofficially, the holidays in Mexico begin with the saint’s day of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, but decorations can appear any time after the Day of the Dead on November 2.

Starting on December16, the posadas start. Every evening until the 24th, Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is reenacted. These are a novenario, or nine days of religious observance and are based on the nine months that Mary carried Jesus. The word posada means ‘lodging’ in Spanish:
“Traditionally, a party is held each night in a neighborhood home. At dusk, guests gather outside the house with children dressed as shepherds, angels and sometimes, Mary andJoseph. An angel leads the procession, followed by Mary and Joseph or by guestscarrying their images. The adults follow, carrying lighted candles. The“pilgrims” sing a song asking for shelter, and the hosts sing a reply, finallyopening the doors to the guests and offering hot ponche, fried rosette cookiesknown as buñuelos, steaming hot tamales and other festive foods.” –source mexconnect

In the U.S., the Posada is usually celebrated on one night only, but as in Mexico, ends with a piñata in the shape of the Christmas star!

In both counties, the procession marches to the different houses in the neighborhood and is turned down at each one until they reach the site of the night’s party where they are finally welcomed inside, and the party can start!

In Mexico, the last posada, on December24, is followed by a midnight mass.

History of Festive Decorations

There aren’t too many homes that escape the plethora of decorations used at this time of year and indeed much of the excitement of the season is thanks, in part, to the degree of decoration we create and see around us and the feelings it arouses in us. The history of the different decorations is as varied as the decorations themselves. Holly & mistletoe were significant to the Druids long before Christmas festivities were started.

The Christian faith incorporated these items, claiming that the sharp holly leaves symbolized the crown of thorns Christ wore and the red berries drops of his blood, and the white mistletoe berries symbolized the purity of the Virgin Mary. The Yule Log probably dates back to the Celts bringing a large log indoors to burn for warmth and later it was believed toward of the devil. The chocolate table top variety is a modern 19th century invention!

Nativity scenes are accredited to St. Francis of Assisi in1223 who wished to recreate the scene after his visit to the Holy Land. Tree decorations consisting of glass baubles and tinsel shards developed in Germany,with candles and later electric lights adding to the décor. Christmas crackers were apparently invented by Tom Smith, a baker in London in 1847, who filled his early attempts with sweets. Christmas cards are another Victorian invention and the concept to spread seasonal goodwill caught on quickly, no doubt aided and abetted by the postal systems in various countries.

Sources: h2g2. History.uk, Christmas Archives, Wikipedia

History of Festive Music

Music has played an important role in most religions throughout time, with chanting, mostly in Latin taking the earliest form in the Christian church. Carols as we know them now, written in the venacular, became popular from the 13th century first in Italy, then Germany & England. In 1426 an English priest, John Audelay, listed 25 “caroles of Cristemas” which were probably performed by wassailers, who went from door to door.

The tradition of carol singing for charity began in Britian during the 17th century. In Britain today, very few wassailers are seen and heard, but we still get the large scale charity arrangements including our local rotary club arriving on the back of the horse drawn brewery cart, complete with brass band, choir & amplification – Victoriana at its finest, 21st century style. Somewhat surprisingly, and despite the long heritage and tradition of carols, most carols we sing today date back no further than the 19th century.

Since the mid 20th century pop Christmas songs have come to the fore, thanks in a large part to “Christmas creep” starting earlier & earlier in malls and on radio shows the world over. These are not generally religious but are often infuriatingly catchy and we all have our favourites.

With thanks to Wikipedia

Christmas Trees

Today were going to talk about CHRISTMAS TREES! Why do we have them? Where did the tradition start? Well, let’s find out!

The tradition of Christmas trees has ancient origins which date back long before the first Christmas. Many ancient cultures treasured and worshiped evergreen plants and decorated their homes with them at the time of the winter solstice. Evergreens were considered a symbol of eternal life or the triumph of life over death. It is from these early traditions that our modern Christmas tree evolved.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. Legend has it that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles. The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. After the war in 1776, many Germans stayed in the United States, introduced the Christmas tree, and shared their traditions. The size of the tree was limited to 8 feet, and decorations consisted of dolls, as well as sugar items. In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts in Russia, Austria, France, Denmark and Britain.

The American Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.

The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition.

(Sources: History.com, Wikipedia, AllAboutHistory.org, Christmas-Tree.com)

So now you know all about the history of Christmas trees :)

Want weird weather? Come to Oklahoma!

By Steve Olafson  OKLAHOMA CITY | Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:24am EST

(Reuters) - After one of the strangest local weather days in memory, an Oklahoma woman with a sense of humor asked on Twitter earlier this week:

"Wanna experience the apocalypse before it happens? Visit Oklahoma!"

She posted that on Monday night shortly after a 4.7-magnitude aftershock earthquake shook the state. The temblor occurred not long after six tornadoes ripped through southwest Oklahoma, which was preceded by flash-flooding in an area that's been plagued by a historic drought.

"Seriously, WHAT'S GOING ON?" someone else tweeted that night.

The answers vary. Global warning? Coincidence? Bad luck? Bad timing? End of time?

There's agreement on only one thing: It's been weird all year.

"Even for Oklahoma, this is crazy," said Rick Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Norman. "Since January, we've been setting records. People are just kind of amazed and shocked."

State records set this year have ranged from the lowest temperature (31 degrees below zero in Nowata in northeast Oklahoma) to snowfall in a 24-hour period (27 inches, also in Nowata) to the largest hail stone (a spiky, six-inch piece recovered in Gotebo, in southwest Oklahoma).

This year also produced the state's highest-ever-recorded surface wind speed (151 miles per hour near El Reno, outside of Oklahoma City) and biggest known earthquake (5.6 magnitude, breaking the 1956 record).

On Wednesday, Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for 20 counties because of earthquakes, tornadoes and severe storms.

TOUGH YEAR

"It's been a tough year for Oklahoma when it comes to weather and natural disasters, but we're doing everything we can to help," Fallin said in a statement announcing the declaration.

The state's record-breaking earthquake got everyone's attention. In the past week, counting both foreshock and aftershock earthquakes that sandwiched the state record-breaking rumbler, 32 earthquakes have been recorded in central Oklahoma.

In Meeker, population 968, east of Oklahoma City, the town administrator was describing the damage and wondering aloud if his town, founded in 1903, could survive a California-style "big one."

"I'm beginning to think God's a little mad at us," Jim Howard said.

Howard was joking, but questions of the Almighty are coming into play in Oklahoma, where Christian beliefs underpin much of the culture.

An Oklahoma City TV station interviewed a preacher who proclaimed, "I think it's pointing up to the end of time."

That belief is not shared by all, even fervent believers.

Nancy Dailey, a school teacher in Oklahoma City whose father was a Baptist preacher, dismisses doomsday talk from the pulpit, saying it just scares people.

Still, she said she overheard two co-workers sharing end-of-the-world talk in the teacher's lounge.

"After all these natural disasters we've been having, at some point all you have left is humor to try and cope with it," said Gary McManus, associate climatologist for the state.

There is at least one benefit to the state's weather.

Norman, home to the National Weather Festival, has become a magnet for meteorology students from around the country. The University of Oklahoma there built a five-story, $69 million National Weather Center six years ago, and installed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as its largest tenant.

This week, NOAA said it will send the university $75 million in federal funds for weather radar research to improve severe storm forecasts and increase understanding of extreme weather.

Smith, the National Weather Service meteorologist, calls OU a "top-of-the-list" institution for people serious about weather.

"For going to school in a natural laboratory, you can't beat it."

McManus agreed: "You don't want to go to L.A. and study endless sunny skies."

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Jerry Norton)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/11/us-apocalypse-oklahoma-odd-f-idUSTRE7AA3VQ20111111?feedType=nl&feedName=usoddlyenough

Happy Halloween

Thought for Today ::

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.

Thought for Today ::

Every time you smile at someone,
it is an action of love,
a gift to that person,
a beautiful thing.

Mother Teresa, 1910-1997

Thought for Today ::

There's always a little truth behind every 'just kidding.'
A little knowledge behind every 'I don't know.'
A little emotion behind every 'I don't care.'
A little love behind every 'I hate you!'
A little uneasiness behind every 'I'm okay.'
A little pain behind every 'forget it.'
A little fear behind every 'leave me alone.'
A little hope behind every 'goodbye.'
And a little 'something' behind every 'nothing.'
Author Unknown ~ But Very Much Appreciated!

Thought for Today ::

The adventure of life is to learn.
The purpose of life is to grow.
The nature of life is to change.
The challenge of life is to overcome.
The essence of life is to care.
The opportunity of life is to serve.
The secret of life is to dare.
The spice of life is to befriend.
The beauty of life is to give.
The joy of life is to love.

William Arthur Ward, 1921-1994

Time...

...it's time you let go. Of course, you want to control so everything happens in just the way you want it. But at the end of the day, we control nothing, - it's all in God's hands, - has always been, and will always be. So, do what you can, then let go and let God handle the rest.

Pictures before and after the storm

Thought for Today ::

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything.
Author Unknown ~ But Very Much Appreciated

April Flowers

To get through the hardest journey, we need to take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping." - AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Thought for Today ::

We are more than what we do...
much more than what we accomplish...
far more than what we possess.
William Arthur Ward, 1921-1994

Oddz n endz

Thought for Today ::

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

Dale Carnegie

The Lake

The Happiness Project

I L.O.V.E. this

Vision statement of The Happiness Project:

It is because the world is so full of suffering,
that your happiness is a gift.
It is because the world is so full of poverty,
that your wealth is a gift.
It is because the world is so unfriendly,
that your smile is a gift.
It is because the world is so full of war,
that your peace of mind is a gift.
It is because the world is in such despair,
that your hope and optimism is a gift.
It is because the world is so afraid,
that your love is a gift.

Where has the year gone?

It's so hard to believe it's already the end of November and the holidays are already creeping upon us! What happened to the entire year - it seems to have flown right by!

::Thoughts::

With Thanksgiving approaching - my thoughts are turning to all the things I am truly thankful for. My wonderful family, my faith, my home and friends and soooo much more.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

- St. Francis of Assisi

Hopefully this will prompt you to think this month about what is important to you.

:: Circus Time ::

We all went to the Carson & Barnes Circus last night and had a great time. It was the first time Travis had been to a circus and he was all but bouncing of the walls...LOL
Travis riding the ponies.


He kept bobbing his head and body up and down and saying yeah haw, ride em cowboys...LOL
(I think he's been watching to much TV)


Going up...
Coming down.
Riding the train...he's all into trains now.

Visiting the animal zoo.

Petting the Llamas.

A contortionist

The clowns..


the elephants...
...she is hanging by his feet..

Tried to get more pictures but the lights were shining right at us which made it hard to see so pics are few. All in all we had a great time.

Uses of Vinegar

Today’s tip is about the many uses of vinegar in the laundry room!

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

Some stains on clothing and linens can be soaked out using equal parts milk and white distilled vinegar.

Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Remove smoky odors from clothes by filling the bathtub with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers.

Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Get water and salt stains off shoes and boots by wiping them down with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

Give patent leather shoes and bags a better shine by wiping them down with white distilled vinegar.

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

Eliminate manufacturing chemicals from new clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water.

Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

Bring out bright colors by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Fluff up wool or acrylic sweaters (hand- or machine-washed) and rid them of soap smell with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the last rinse water.

Get rid of the tiny holes left along the hemline when you take out the hem of any garment by moistening a cloth with white distilled vinegar, placing it under the fabric and ironing.

Thank you to VinegarTips.com!

Almost Fall

It’s Almost Fall…Those lazy days of summer are over. The kids are back to school. The weather is changing from hot to crisp and cool! The leaves are starting to change to those bright orange and yellow hues!! Ahh… Fall is almost officially here!!

Art

Art
By Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, England.

What is “art”?
At its most deep and basic level, art is expression.
Everything is art.
We are surrounded by art:
the way we talk; the way we eat; the way we smile;
The way we hate; the way we love; the way we work; the way we dream.
The way we act is simply an expression of what we are, or what we have let ourselves become. And in this sense, life is art.

Art, as a creative process, is often a
Conscious expression of an idea, a theme, an emotion, a perception.
Every move we make is art,
Conscious or unconscious.
The world we have all contributed to sculpting,
Which, in turn, sculpts us,
Is art, a reflection of the collective labyrinth of our hearts.

Art is about bringing out what is within,
A process of manifestation,
Since manifestation is the primary essence of expression.
Art is therefore the endeavour to know oneself,
To bring out what lies within, and to perceive it, to understand it.

In expressing a perception, a feeling, an idea,
One is portraying what is within oneself,
What one grasps with one’s consciousness,
To what is without oneself and within the “other”;
One is communicating, bridging the gap between hearts,
Dissolving separation.

Art is a striving towards a certain harmony between all beings, towards unity.
Art is the endeavour to become one with oneself,
To understand oneself,
By contemplating what is brought forth out of oneself in the creative process;
It is the endeavour to become one with others,
In the act of conveying to the heart of others,
What one’s own heart comprehends;
It is the endeavour for self-realisation,
And realisation of the unity of all hearts.

Art is a striving against that which separates and deludes,
A movement towards the attainment of the knowledge
That division and conflict are the overflow of illusion.
The perfection of art is the erosion of illusion
And the evolution of a pristine, unitary vision of life and reality.

The true artist is one who,
Perhaps unwittingly,
Is attempting to grind away the barriers of self-deceit within the soul,
To topple the walls of misunderstanding that divide all souls.

The true artist is one who,
Whether they know it or not,
Aims to dissolve all such fragmentation,
To heal the wounds scattered within and without,
To bring us to an unadulterated clarity,
A pristine awareness of the deep relationship
Which is the Root and Sky of all things.

The true artist is not merely one who paints,
Who composes songs,
Who sculpts,
Who writes poetry or prose,
But is someone who starkly perceives the fragmentation of their own being,
Of society,
And who, through art,
Seeks to draw their being - and all beings - together,
In the name of achieving the vision of Truth.

The true artist is one
Who carries the endeavour for the perfection of art
Into all spheres of life,
For it is only upon the vast canvas of Life Itself
That art can reach its fullest possible perfection,
That unity can have its fullest possible expression.

The perfection of the art of living,
Which embraces, transcends and includes all modes of art,
Is the goal of the true artist.
Real art lies not in painting,
Not in writing,
Not in singing,
But in living,
For it is only in living that life has its purest and most meaningful expression.

Thus, the deepest and most crucial question
The artist must constantly seek insight into
Is that which asks,
“What is the meaning, the purpose, the reality,
That life itself is supposed to express,
What is the supreme ineffable mystery that alone is worthy of expression?”

It is a meaning that overflows from the Supreme Unity
Which embraces all things,
That the true artist intuitively seeks to unveil.
The artist is contantly searching for insight into this,
Not merely in the various modes of art recognised by a culture,
But in life itself,
For it is the perfection of living that is true art.

Art is the endeavour for love:
For in striving to know oneself, to know the other,
To reveal oneself to oneself, to reveal oneself to the other,
In striving to unite all
In the apprehension of what is within and without,
One is striving to give expression to the relationship,
The Compassion, the Majesty, the Beauty,
Which is the Root and Sky of all things.

A work of art reflects,
In some way,
The artist who worked it.
In any creative act there is a symbol of some dimension of the artist’s being.
Any expression is a manifestation of a living depth that yearns to be known.
Art is an expression of the yearning to be known and to know.
Art is the recognition that only in relationship are we real as individuals.
Art is the realisation that reality is perfect relationship, endless compassion, all-embracing Unity.

We are all unconscious artists,
Carving our lives brutally in the sensitive flesh of Nature.
We should learn not to carve, but to flow with the secret song of Truth
That guides the Universe we are so divorced from.
We wonder why life can be so brutal,
But is it not sheer ignorance of the sovereignty of harmony,
That guides our driven fingers to contruct this wasteland of egoism we call “life”?
Reality repays humanity with what humanity itself strives to be.

Who is to blame for unnoticed injustice and corruption,
Except the lame artist
Who paints, who sings, who writes,
Who works, rests and plays
Without knowing why?

Who is to blame for ignorance, suffering and disharmony,
Except the divided humanity that knows not what it means to be human?
Who would deny the reality of the pain of those without shelter?
Those whose stomachs bulge in malnutrition?
Those whose hearts ache in hopelessness?
Those who are poverty-stricken?
Starving?
Thirsty?
Bereaved?
Orphaned?
Oppressed?
Those who are the victims of a sick system?
Those who surround us, yet remain invisible?

Is it not the blind artist of humanity, that maims its Mother,
That maims itself, in the name of fun, pleasure and power,
That cuts at its own body,
Deaf to its own howls of torment, horror and despair?

Blind to the blood that streams down our stricken cheeks,
Deaf to our cries that yearn for mercy and hope,
Dumb because the intoxicated drug-soaked sponge of our consciousness
Keeps us ignorant of the truth,
Drunk, uncoordinated, incoherent.

And when Truth chooses to awaken this “artist”,
And surely It shall,
What will stop us from beholding the Beauty, the Majesty, of Truth Itself,
What will prevent us from trembling in terror
At the realisation of our pettiness, our blindness,
What will halt us on our reckoning with Justice,
With our own wounds, our own scars, our own insanity?
For life is but a dream on the way to death,
And death, an awakening unto the reality of life.

Nature is the work of the
Ultimate Artist,
All things dance to Its secret melody
Of harmony, wisdom and peace.
And we are Its vicegerents,
Come to paint the only picture worth painting.

But so far have we fallen
From Truth’s sweet embrace,
So low have we become
Compared to the height of love’s glory.

Die before ye die:
Awaken to reality from the dream of your life,
Before death rips open your eyelids
And you can do nothing but behold the Truth
Of Love and Justice
That shows you what you are
And what you have become.

What have we made of life?
For us, life is a dream that we weave for ourselves
In a haze of ignorant assumption.
Life is a labyrinth of need and desire,
Of pain and pleasure,
Of work and play,
So predictable in its small pointless surprises.
So many things have we invented to pass the time,
So many goals, so many amusements, so many tasks,
On the foundations of some ineffable drive to be.
(To be what? What does it mean to be?)

We know not the Aim
So we invent our own ones.
We know not the Path
So we tread where we like.
We are scattered about in our isolated dreams,
Tossed to and fro by tides of our own making.
The world we have sculpted is a manifestation of what we have become.
We are surrounded by a symbol of ourselves.
These ugly cities and trash-ridden slums,
These wasted villages and smoke-filled skies,
These heart-hungry bullets and blood-thirsty bombs,
These money-craving business men and war-torn nations,
These luxurious decadent elites and oppressed poverty-stricken masses,
Are but facets of the world
That is but a reflection of the hearts which sustain it.
We are swamped in the pointlessness of our own art,
Immersed in the relativity of our own values,
Caught in the web of our own confusion.

We are so ignorant and yet we do not even acknowledge
Our own ignorance.

The drug that soaks the sponge of our minds
Is our own global self-portrait, self-deceit.
We are blinded by our own reflection,
Bombarded by the emergent insanity of our collective vanity.
Our language, our culture, our politics, our economics, our ideals, our norms,
Express the fragmentation at the very core of our being.

Art without the spirit of its own nature -
To become awake -
Is but perversion and blindness.

True art,
Art that is true to itself
Is meditation,
Its goal being insight into oneself,
And mutual compassion.
A work of art is a window into the soul of the artist.

True art is a bridge between hearts,
A purging of the impurity of illusions that divide people.
Art is a resurrection of inner depth,
Inward plenitude,
An eruption of emotion,
Of intense tranquility,
A flower plucked from a land of forgotten dreams.

What is this land of forgotten dreams?

It is but the reality of our relationship,
Our unity as brothers, as sisters,
Our oneness
Through the Unity that embraces all things.
Art is remembrance.

Our art reflects what we become, and what we are devoted to.
But we are artists, who know not why.
We paint our history a schizophrenic portrait
Because we know not why, we know not how
And we do not care.

Equinox

There are two days each year where the day and night are of equal length. For eons, people have used these says to mark beginnings and endings in their year. These days are called an "Equinox".

In the autumn, on either September 22nd or 23rd, we observe the Autumnal Equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is celebrated on March 20th or 21st).

From this point on, each day will grow shorter, each night longer. The air will turn crisper, the wind a little more brisk. The leaves will turn, and the animals that will be wintering with us get busy with their own preparations for the coming winter.

Tired of water?

You already know that drinking water is key to your health. Downing at least six cups of water daily can minimize bloating, prevent headaches, help prevent you from getting sick and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. It may even temporarily rev your metabolism, if you drink it on the cool side (72 degrees).

Coffee, which some people accuse me of being addicted to, is basically liquid gold. It may lower your risk for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, breast cancer, skin cancer, diabetes, gallstones, even oral cancer. It's also linked to a reduced risk for depression.

Orange juice guards against heart disease. Just watch the sugars—one cup contains 21 grams and 122 calories.

Chamomile tea can keep you calm. Ease into mellow mode at night with a cup of chamomile tea.

Cranberry juice may prevent gum disease and urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice also delivers 39 percent of the daily value for vitamin C per 8 ounces, raises levels of good cholesterol and keeps your urinary tract tip-top.

Chocolate milk keeps your abs flat. A glass of skim chocolate milk delivers a great combo of carbs and protein, helping you recover after a workout. Simply stir 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder or syrup that has less than 20 g sugar into your milk and sip.

Green tea may keep your weight steady. Plus, the tea's plentiful stash of antioxidants slashes your risk for cancer and heart disease.

Black tea may help fend off skin cancer!

Tomato juice may lower your cancer risk!

Monday's Quote

"If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever." I love this quote! If you always watching cartoons with your children, you will recognize this quote! is by Winnie the POOH!

Faith

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1

So very true :)

Happy Freakin’ Friday!!!

ROFL!!! Is it just me or has this week dragged? It seems like it’s taking forever to end. I woke up today thinkin’ it was Thursday so at least it’s a bonus for me to find out it’s Friday.)

Monday? Bah humbug…

TGIF

There I said it. Did you hear me screaming Monday?
This has been a hellish week and I’m personally glad it’s O-V-A-H.

Today I’m all mellow and calm…

Ugh!!

Woke up to the cat throwing up on the carpet....not exactly the way I wanted to start my day, especially before my first cup of coffee :(

Happy Humpday

..it is Humpday isn’t it?! LOL! My brain has gone into vacation mode.

Can someone please tell me where August went? All I know is that I woke up this morning & it was gone!

Went to town today...they have Christmas already out...it’s really difficult to get in the Christmas spirit in September, ya know?! ROFL!!

This cracked me right up!!

Got this in an email…

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.

There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”

Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Mellow

Morning!!! Did you have a good weekend?

This weekend for me was perfect!!! I got some work done around the house, and bought groceries. Went shopping Saturday with Kris...visited with my fam...just enjoyed life :)

Lazy Sundays ROCK!!

Today I am restful. We have had a busy last few days and it’s nice to just stop and rest.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1

"If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever." I love this quote!
If you always watching cartoons with your children, you will recognize this quote! is by Winnie the POOH!

Friday already?

Where has this week gone?

Home Sweet Home

You don’t realize how sweet home is until you go away for a week. …even when you come back to a house that looks like a freakin’ BOMB went off in it. :) Kristin was cleaning her room and trying to finish putting up the last of the boxes from the move and didn’t finish. In all honesty it was just the entry way and hall, but you have to watch where you step when your heading to the bathroom.

And where did I go for a week…..to my sissys!!! Went to Lawton shopping, went to see Rob Lake Magic show, visited with the folks at Weatherford, all in all just had a awesome time.

Rolling into the weekend

I know it's still summer, but wow it has been so muggy and hot!! Not our normal thing at all.
I am not a summer person, at least not when it comes to this kind of summer, but the weatherman said it was going to be the second hottest year we've had...ugh :(

::later peeps::