Monastery of the Holy Spirit

Today I went to the monastery of the Holy Spirit. We arrived for the 12
noon service. It was led by the cook, a lady. No monks attended. It was
disappointing. We had a wonderful meal, fried chicken, not what I would
consider normal monk fare.

The book store was excelent. Bought a couple of books and an icon of
Mark the Evangelist.

Retreat

Going on a sorta weekend retreat to High Falls, Georgia, then to Holy
Spirit Trappist Monastery in Conyers, Georgia.

I have never learned the art of packing. Clothes is not my problem, but
too many books, pens, etc. I will never read them all. Planning takes
time and I just throw things together. Oh well. Stay tuned.

Turn your head sideways and enjoy picture of Westminister Abbey.

Forever?

Maybe a blog is not forever, is just a period when a chain of events
must be considered and dealth with. Sorta life a novelist resting after
finishing a book.

I have noticed my own disinterest in myself. Maybe it is a tiredness, or
a lapse of memory, or the muse has left. So one's blog becomes stale, a
life slows, we are powered down, and feel lost.

Richard Nixon said, "there are to many reruns on tv." It sounds like
many of us. Reruns in our lives. Nothing left to peculiarize about.
Dreams drift by. Friends leave. The summer doldrums. Here a drought,
other places a flood.

After our London trip life has been procesing. Since then I have read
several books on England. How alive history seems when one goes
somewhere. So here I am re-living the 16th century, or am I just
reliving my own history? Something to think about.

Retreats for Thomas Merton

For information related to Thomas Merton Retreats go to Spiritual Directions .

Nice beautiful day. Reading some from A Good Life, Benedict's Guide to Everyday Joy by Robert Benson.

Fluffy Cloud

It is a beautiful evening Tennessee cloud, isolated in the heavens like
a puff of smoke. Sometimes the smallest things bring joy unexpectedly; a
smile, the evening breeze, a shadow over a doorway, a small bird
passing, a tree leaning into the wind.

It has been a long dry summer. It was 94 today. I sit on the eastward
side of our house to escape the sun's heat. A few cars trickle by. I
continue reading Darkness Visible by William Styron desribing his
descent into madness.

The cloud has barely moved. The shadow of the sun's yellow shade fills
the whiteness.

Business

Sometime busy-ness is the order of the day. Worked getting things ready
for Melinda's baby shower for baby Jack. 23 people came. Lots of really
nice gifts.

Went to see Harry Potter's latest movie so that I would be gone during
the party. Why are the men always told to "leave?"

Thoughts

Missing Gethsemani. Done a lot this year but still need to do a couple
of things before baby arrival.

As I said busy-nesssss. Little time for self for most of us. Cut hedge,
mow grass, weedeat. Sweep porch, vacumn house, take out the trash. You
get the idea, right.

How do you find free time without demands of others?

Thoughts on Prayer

"If you are enabled to prevail in prayer you will have many requests to
offer for others who will flock to you and beg a share in your
intercessions, and so you will find yourselves commissioned with errands
to the mercy-seat for friends and hearers." (C.H. Spurgeon- Lectures to
my students)

Going to HELL

Just discovered by Pope Benedict XVI's latest edict that I am going to
hell because of not being a catholic. No one appreciates catholics as I
have through the years but this makes me angry. His apostolic succesion
argument is a joke. He has set himself up as God, the only worthy
dignity to worship. Sorry Popie you ain't God.

Bits and Pieces

Key verse for the day

"Be kind to one another."

Bits and Pieces

There are times when the Bible does not hit the spot. Reading it is like reading a dead newspaper. At such times about the best we can do is read "bits and pieces" of the text. For Kathleen Norris that meant a glancing over the psalms listening for a word.

For us it might just mean "bits and pieces." This morning with the deadening spirit surrounding I found a phrase used many times in a book by Lancelot Andrewes. The phrase was "save us." Not a bad prayer.

What do you do with the bits and pieces?

Humour


A minister dies and is waiting in line at thePearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.

Saint Peter addresses this guy: "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"  The guy replies: "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver,
of Noo Yawk City." St. Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver,

"Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The taxi driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it's the minister's turn.

He stands erect and booms out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Calvary Church for the last forty-three years." St. Peter consults his list. He says to the minister,
"Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

"Just a minute,"says the minister. "That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?"

"Up here, we work by results," says Saint Peter.

"While you preached, people slept; while he drove,
people prayed."

The Cult of the Amateur Review - New York Times

The book comes out tomorrow. Sounds like a worththy read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/books/29book.html?bl&ex=1183348800&en=854f8e2a84e9cef0&ei=5087%0A

Holiday

Looking forward to day off. Bought new battery operated trimmer. Hope it
works.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Went to their concert in Nashville last night. They were last here in
1971. They were terrific.

Today ate at Sunset Restaurant in Lebanon, Tennessee. Really good.
Rained a little today.