Turning points hit VERY differently now - indeed! At 81, (which I can't quite believe) the view is very different than it was at 51 - or even 71! There are so many "no mores" - as the list of things I'll never do again grows daily. Life has been full and rich and blessed, but long-term plans are no longer a 'thing'. I am sad that for YOU this view has come to you so young, my friend. I am blessed to still be able to preach - and so are you. When we first met it never occurred to either of us that we would come to this time of limitations at the same point in time. Love and blessings to you dear Elizabeth. And PS - I love "Abundance".
I really appreciate your comment about focusing on the present. I'm finding myself invited to awareness of and a dwelling in the presence of God. An exchange with a fellow priest and mentor has spurred me on in this direction. As we begin Lent I find reassurance that in our liturgy we are invited to a holy Lent. Too often, for both myself and others I see, I fear that Lent has been a means to an end. The season that prepares us for the joys of Easter, and also often confronts us with our own short-comings. However if we're invited to a holy Lent, then it is not merely a means to an end, but a holy thing in itself. I sense God calling me, and the congregation I serve, to be fully present with the presence of God. I'm prayerfully hoping that our sacrifices, disciplines, and habits this season will draw us more and more fully into the presence of God. May God's peace be with you.
Turning points hit VERY differently now - indeed! At 81, (which I can't quite believe) the view is very different than it was at 51 - or even 71! There are so many "no mores" - as the list of things I'll never do again grows daily. Life has been full and rich and blessed, but long-term plans are no longer a 'thing'. I am sad that for YOU this view has come to you so young, my friend. I am blessed to still be able to preach - and so are you. When we first met it never occurred to either of us that we would come to this time of limitations at the same point in time. Love and blessings to you dear Elizabeth. And PS - I love "Abundance".
I really appreciate your comment about focusing on the present. I'm finding myself invited to awareness of and a dwelling in the presence of God. An exchange with a fellow priest and mentor has spurred me on in this direction. As we begin Lent I find reassurance that in our liturgy we are invited to a holy Lent. Too often, for both myself and others I see, I fear that Lent has been a means to an end. The season that prepares us for the joys of Easter, and also often confronts us with our own short-comings. However if we're invited to a holy Lent, then it is not merely a means to an end, but a holy thing in itself. I sense God calling me, and the congregation I serve, to be fully present with the presence of God. I'm prayerfully hoping that our sacrifices, disciplines, and habits this season will draw us more and more fully into the presence of God. May God's peace be with you.