Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

I went to the release party for the NIWA "Journey" anthology last weekend. Someone told me my story "Siobhan of the Roses" almost made him cry. He made my day! Go to  https://www.amazon.com/JOURNEY-2025-NIWA-Anthology-Anthologies/dp/B0FBS945TN/ to see if it almost makes you cry too.

 The sign said Pre-Kart. I wondered what a pre-cart might be. A go-kart from the time before go-karts? Maybe something your parents pulled you in, like a wagon. Or maybe a go-kart before the time of wheels, and a Pre-Kart could be just a box. Or it could mean Pre-K Art, but by then I'd walked a long way past the sign and couldn't know.

 I looked up Semite, and learned the word comes from Shem, son of Noah, in the Bible. Then I learned it's a term that refers to all Semitic peoples--Jews, Arabs, and more. But the next place I looked said it only referred to people who speak Semitic languages, such as Jews, Arabs, and more... And the next said it refers to culture: Jews and Arabs again. So why isn't it antisemitic to oppose Palestinian Arabs?

An innocent parent, trapped in a cell far away, or a host of dangers safely expelled from our shore. An innocuous student, snatched from the street and removed, or a dangerous threat well-denied and wisely exposed. A child in a jail when all of the rules were obeyed, or a way to ensure they don't slip through our nets anymore. Every picture, telling a tale of a thousand words, but which words have you heard?

 A friend delighted in the fact that terrorists are at last being deported. I must say, those tattoos of roses, praying hands, mothers' and daughters' names, and inspiring quotes... they don't terrorize me. Our pastor has some cool tats too.

 A friend posted pictures of several US leader, each smiling at one Russian one. She asked why it this was okay for all of them but one. I wanted to answer, "A picture only tells a thousand words if you're willing to read them." But I didn't because I'm tired. My friend thinks I automatically disagree with everything she says, but perhaps she disagrees automatically with me. Perhaps I use too many words.

 It's Valentine's day! Yay! Let's dream of love and romance and all the things we need to make a relationship last... It's Ash Wednesday! Yay! Let's dream of love and sacrifice and all the things we need to make a relationship last... My mum (age 95) plans to walk five times around the garden each day during Lent. She's going to give up chocolate too. My pastor will give up after-the-sermon chats. And me? I know I'm dreaming of love today--the earthly love of a spouse caring for me when I've broken my wrist--the heavenly love of my creator who came to earth to live in a human body--the love that shines on a cloudy day, glints warmth from snow, reigns hope. For Lent, I'll try to remember I'm not in control (of the weather, politics, global warming, human sexuality, or anything else that everyone talks about). Neither is anyone else. I'll try to remember there's a God who will make it all work out. And I'll love my neighbor, whatever th...

 A pastor said it was "odd" to celebrate communion during Advent. Christmas is a birthday party, he said, and communion is a funeral. Then I wished I were brave enough to speak up and disagree. Christmas is a celebration of birth, not a birthday party - the baby doesn't grow one year older every year. But that birth only matters, two thousand years on, because of the person who is born; because of heaven come down to earth; because of the promise embodied in the Christ. And communion? In communion we commit ourselves to be part of Christmas's promise; we "do this in memory" of him. We say yes, this matters. This changes everything. Without communion, Christmas doesn't touch us, doesn't have any effect. And without Christmas, communion becomes a commitment that's meaningless. Just social and fun (and still not a funeral). So no, it's not "odd" at all. Communion makes us part of the meaning of Christmas. We might call the season Jesus...

Law is the pit in the ground where we lie. Love rises up from the grave. Law is the mirror that proves we must die. Love takes our place and love saves. Law gathered stones all together for throwing. Love drew a line in the sand. “Let one who has no sin take up the first stone.” Law stepped away and love sang. Law hung my God on a cross on a hill. Love paid the price for my sin. Love rose from the dead and love weeps for me still. Love’s gonna change me. Love wins. Hallelujah!

 It we make right laws and force all to obey, will we save our nation, Or will we learn like Pharisees we’ve spurned that great salvation? Cry crucify and find the one we’ve crucified   was Him For we have crucified our Lord.

 I was there when they crucified my Lord. I was there; it was for my sins he died. I was there when they nailed him to the tree. All the times I’d blamed my neighbor—those the nails. I was there when they laid him in the tomb. Let me lay down there my pride; Let me kneel at my neighbor’s side; Let me no more stand in judgment For I judged Him and he died For you, for me. Let us no more stand in judgment You and I.

 I’ll take a stand on Him, for sure, then at his feet I’ll kneel And learn to wash my neighbors’ feet, until his love I feel Flow unobstructed through me, only then might I deserve To stand with him and serve with him and join him in his work. Till then I’ll bow my head and kneel beside my neighbors’ feet — I’ll kneel before my king.

 He rode no valiant warhorse. He bore no mighty sword. His glorious crown was made of thorns. His robes trailed in the mud.   He led no revolution His politics were love He offered absolution, mercy, Hope; for these he stood,   The stones would shout to praise him If people didn’t cry. Then palms be thrown. No golden road For donkey and its rider.   So, will we shout Hosanna Or turns our backs instead — Facing the crowd, shout “Not allowed,” Though for our sins he bled?   They cannot see our savior Who rides the donkey’s back — See only us who block the path With laws, with crowns of thorns.   They cannot see him. How can we Not weep?

I was concerned enough by a recent posting about Christian "witness" outside an abortion clinic, that I found myself asking, in the comments, whether such actions by Christians draw people closer to Christ or push them away. A pastor responded by asking me: "Well what would Jesus do? Would He speak up for children being murdered by adults for money?" Which led me to wonder, inasmuch as anyone can, what would Jesus do? I suspect he would first show the women how much he loved them. Else how would anyone expect them to believe he loved what they carried in their wombs? Wouldn't Jesus first show us, sinners all, that he loves us? We're told "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Those witnesses weep, with genuine love and care, for the unborn who will never live in our world. But I weep, in my heart, for the born who may learn to stay as far away ...

For all the times we misuse statistics and call them truth For all the times we quote fake science and call it truth For all the times we cling to political ideals and call them truth For all the times we sanitize history and call it truth For all the times we preach interpretation and call it truth For all the times we lead our neighbors to equate our truth with lies Oh Lord forgive us For you are the way, the truth, and the life; We are not; And you are love.

"I'm not a mathematician but these numbers speak for themselves..." How many posts and articles have you seen that begin this way? And how many times have you been encouraged to believe what the author says, as if that were truly what "infallible" numbers decreed? The richest 10% pay over 50% of the taxes, therefore the rich pay too much. If you self-publish you'll earn as much from 20 sales as you would from 200 traditionally published sales, therefore you'll earn more by self-publishing. The Bible tells us people's ages when they died, therefore we can work out the age of the earth. Of course, if three people each pay 10% in taxes, two of whom earn ten cents a day, and one earns $10,000 per day, then one who earns more will pay a long way over 50% of the total taxes, not because they're paying too much, but because the other two aren't earning enough to live on. Context changes everything. When it comes to publishing, if you can't sell ...

  A Christian asked what it  would take for me to give up my belief in evolution and accept the Biblical Truth that the earth was created 6000 years ago. Should I argue their definition of Biblical Truth? Should I offer the evidence from science refuting their 6000 year conclusion? Should I get into an argument with them? Or should I simply tell them the truth about me... To "give up" my acceptance of science and the scientific method, I would first have to give up my belief in a faithful creator, at which point I would no longer care about the Bible. Not going to happen.

A friend’s post says, “ If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test! ” It seemed kind of a sad test to me, filled with assumptions and misconceptions. But she challenged her friends with the header: NOT OPEN FOR DEBATE. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED EASILY THEN DON'T READ THIS . So this is me, not being offended, and hopefully also not giving offense. She starts with: If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed . If I’m aware of the dangers cause by careless use of guns, I: a) don’t buy one, and b) wish those who do buy them would all be well-trained, socially responsible, careful, and properly insured. So what does that make me? If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone. And if I’m concerned about the environment and the treatment of animals, I might buy and eat meat from w...

 So God created humankind, Male and female, said to them, “Be fruitful; multiply,”   “Care for the fish and birds,” he said, But can we swim, and can we fly? “Care for the animals as well,” Care for the land, the sea, the sky. Now we, failing at human-kind, How did we let things die?   But God will not reject us for Our failure and our brokenness. God created humankind And loves us while we cry.   And so God gave two arms and legs, One voice to speak, two ears to hear, For seeing, gave two eyes. But if I cannot speak or hear Or if I cannot see, still I Am part of humankind.   God gave us gifts of milk and wheat And wine. But some of us can’t eat Or drink these. Ask him why.   God made us so to multiply But some can not and some won’t try They too are humankind.   God made us male and female; some Don’t fit the mold, aren’t quite the same But all are humankind.   God made, and lo...

 You tell your sons, “Be good, be kind, And if they threaten you, don’t mind Or else they’ll find a cause to hurt or kill you.”   Tell your daughters, “Please take care, Don’t let them catch you unaware, Or bear forever that with which they fill you.”   Tell your fathers, “Don’t complain At life, the world will give no gain, Just strife to stain the path you tread unwilling.”   Tell the mothers, “Only weep For only time will tell where we Like sheep will now be herded for their ‘shilling.’”   Tell the proud and powerful, “Pay The price. Pretend no more to pray, But stay and see the broken lives fulfilling All your lies” – destroying love, Denying hope in God above, Defining law, a gunshot, done… …Unstill me.