Rise up to the Sermon on the Mount

           “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3-10, New Living Translation)     

          If you have your Bible handy, turn to the book of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, and read all of chapters 5 through 7. If you don’t have a Bible, click on this link to get you to the Bible Gateway website.

          These words of Jesus in Matthew are known as the Sermon on the Mount. If you read nothing else in the Bible, study these words of Jesus. Take them to heart. Memorize the verses that stick out the most for you.

          Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, those forty days leading up to Easter when we should take time to reflect on the life and death of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

          Back in the day, all my good Catholic friends gave up something for Lent (I’ve written about that here in the past). This year, let’s all give up hatred, anxiety, and fear. 

Let’s devote more time for prayer and studying the Bible. Let’s take more deep breaths. Let’s tell our friends and family how important they are to us. Let’s review our budgets to find a way to give a little bit to a worthy charity. Let’s carve out some time each day to just be at peace. And let’s share that peace with everyone we meet. And not just for the next six weeks, but for the rest of our lives.

Let us be a blessing just as God blesses us. 

(The picture is from my trip to Kenya in 2015. I’ve unfortunately never been to Israel, but maybe the location of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount looked something like this.)

What Is Freedom?

     Near Sauk City, Wisconsin, are the grounds of the former Badger Ammunition Plant, which I blogged about after visiting it a few years ago. I ran across this post the other day and thought it was worth reposting. 

Inside the Badger Army Ammunition Museum, I found the following poem, hanging on one of the walls. I tried searching for it on the internet, but came up empty. I hate reprinting articles without giving proper credit, but all I can say is that at the end was a blurb that it was used by permission of the Louisville Journal-Courier, as shown in the second picture. Hope that gets me out of plagiarism charges. In any case, I love this poem and am willing to risk arrest, because, well – that’s what freedom is. Don't take it for granted; we all need to keep fighting for our freedom.  

What is Freedom?

From the archivea of broken peace we are bringing out old words and dusting them off for use again, as shining lanterns to lead us through the darkness of another war.

Words like freedom, justice and truth – all of them hard to define, none of them used more frequently than freedom.

You cannot say what freedom is, perhaps, in a single sentence. It is not necessary to define it. It is enough to point to it.

Freedom is a man lifting a gate latch at dusk and sitting for a while on the porch, smoking his pipe, before he goes to bed.

It is the violence of an argument outside an election poll, it is the righteous anger of the pulpits.

It is the warm laughter of a girl on a park bench.

It is the rush of a train over the continent and the unafraid faces of people looking out the windows.

It is all the howdys in the world, and all the hellos.

It is Westbrook Pegler telling Roosevelt how to raise his children; it is Roosevelt letting them raise themselves.

It is Lindbergh’s appeasing voice raised above a thousand hisses.

It is Dorothy Thompson asking for war; it is Gen. Hugh S. Johnson asking her to keep quiet.

It is you trying to remember the words to The Star-Spangled Banner.

It is the sea breaking on wide sands somewhere and the shoulders of a mountain supporting the sky.

It is the air you fill your lungs with and the dirt that is your garden.

It is a man cussing all cops.

It is the absence of apprehension at the sound of approaching footsteps outside your closed door.

It is your hot resentment of intrigue, the tilt of your chin and the tightening of your lips sometimes.

It is all the things you do and want to keep on doing.

It is all the things you feel and cannot help feeling.

Freedom – it is you.

 The website for the Ammunition Plant is: http://www.badgerordnancehistory.org/

 Here is background information on the names mentioned.

Westbrook Pegler was a columnist in the 1930s and 1940s, who opposed the New Deal and criticized the Supreme Court, the tax system, and labor unions. Pegler initially supported President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but soon became one of Roosevelt’s sharpest critics, feeling the president was abusing his power. The journalist also had a strong dislike for Eleanor Roosevelt. In general, everything I read about Westbrook Pegler made me consider him to be the writer’s version of a loud-mouthed jerk.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor had five sons and a daughter, although one son died in infancy. He was not very involved in raising his children, as he was so occupied with his work. He also believed that childrearing was a wife's task, but that was a common view in the early nineteen-hundreds. No matter what Pegler’s opinion was of the Roosevelt children, they turned out just fine.

Lindbergh refers to Charles Lindbergh, of course. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he had been opposed to the United States getting involved in World War II. One of his journal entries at the time stated: "it seems improbable that we could win a war in Europe.” He also seemed to have a dislike, or maybe more a distrust, of President Roosevelt. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, and our declaration of war, he joined the fight in the Pacific.

Dorothy Thompson was an American journalist and radio broadcaster. She had been working as a journalist in Europe, when in the late 1920s, the New York Post appointed her head of its Berlin bureau in Germany. There she witnessed firsthand the rise of the Nazi party and in 1931, she interviewed Adolf Hitler, writing the book, “I Saw Hitler”. She wrote about the dangers of him winning power in Germany. The Nazis considered both the book and her articles offensive and, in August 1934, Thompson was kicked out of Germany.

General Hugh S. Johnson was a U.S. Army officer, businessman, speech writer, government official and newspaper columnist. He is best known as a member of the Brain Trust of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1932–34, writing numerous speeches for FDR and helping plan the New Deal. FDR fired him, however in 1934, for having Fascist inclinations. As World War II began raging, Johnson endorsed isolationism—staying out of the conflict. In a story he had written previously in 1911, he had Japan invading and conquering California.

Anointing His Feet

          

          Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house.

One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot—the one who was going to betray him—said, “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:1-8, Good News Translation) 

From these verses, you might take away that Mary had given this gift to Jesus – He already has everything, so what other gifts could He receive? Or you might think only of that scoundrel Judas, knowing what he is going to do next by turning Jesus over to the authorities. Or you might think about this perfume being used to prepare Jesus for His burial a week before His death.

I looked up references to these verses on different websites and in my study Bible. You can find all the nuances in those places as well. But it was in my “Children’s Bible in 365 Stories” that I found what I wanted to say today.

When Judas rebuked Mary for wasting so much money – a year’s worth of wages by some estimates – her face fell. She had wanted to show her love for Jesus by this generous gift and the humble act of washing His feet. She might have thought, “Oh, no, I messed this all up for my Lord, and now His disciples think I’m wasteful.”

But Jesus immediately jumped to her defense. Today, I’m going to remember that Jesus will always jump to my defense as well. There is nothing I can screw up so badly that I can’t turn to Him with tears in my eyes and an apology on my lips.

He will always smile at me and reassure me. He will always love me.

Is There More I Can Do? Is There More You Can Do?

 

I've been debating whether or not I should post these thoughts. However, I continue to read various news sources, including everyone's opinions on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and I feel I need to make my voice heard as well. 

After the presidential inauguration on January 20, it didn't take the new administration long to start turning our secure United States world upside down. By the end of the month, I started writing letters to my members of Congress with my concerns, mostly about immigration and other human rights issues.

I received a welcomed email from my Democratic senator in support of my thoughts but nothing from my Republican representative. Last Friday, I finally heard from my Republican senator, Ron Johnson. Let me share that email before I tell you what I thought about it.

    Finding Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Federal Spending

    Dear Christine,

    Sen. Johnson's top concern as a U.S. Senator has always been our federal debt and deficit, and the ongoing spending that is mortgaging our children's future. He calls it immoral. Sen. Johnson has consistently and persistently called out bloated spending, Big Government, and unaccountable bureaucrats who have thwarted his oversight.

    President Trump's launch of a temporary advisory committee — the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — with Elon Musk as a special government (non-paid) employee, is a new approach to correcting waste, fraud, and abuse within the executive branch of the federal government.

Creating a new department while eliminating others that are actually helping people is beyond me, but here's the email I sent back.

Dear Senator Johnson,

I sent your office an email on January 31. No one in your office seems to have read it, as I hadn't heard from you until I received a "form letter" email yesterday. Nothing in your message addressed my concerns; instead, it infuriated me.

In your message, you praised President Trump for slashing government spending and hiring Elon Musk to oversee this. Certainly, cuts need to be made somewhere, but not at the expense of the American people.

How does it help the economy to fire many middle-class residents from their government jobs? Hasn't the United States government historically helped create jobs instead?

Also, most government agencies being slashed were created to help the American people, whether providing aid to those living in poverty or allowing them to enjoy beautiful outdoor spaces and educational institutions.

Here's where cuts need to be made - the outrageous salaries and benefits packages of high-ranking government officials. Are any of their jobs or expenses being cut?

Also, the wealthy need to pay more in income taxes. Leave the working class alone - we have been the backbone of the United States since the very beginning, and we are always the first to suffer monetarily.

However, what incensed me the most while reading your email was the championing of Elon Musk. Have you ever read the Bible? Have you ever heard of two people - the antichrist and the false prophet? In the End Times of this planet, those two, along with Satan, make up the Unholy Trinity.

I hate making this email so long, but I wanted to tell you about these guys in case you've never heard of them.  

The antichrist will win people over with his charm, charisma, and promises. He will unite the world under one global superpower, one currency, and will attempt to change the dates, times, and maps. He will essentially try to play God.

The false prophet will be appointed by the antichrist to give him more credibility and pave the way for this evil ruler to exercise his injustice and corruption.

And, of course, there is Satan, who controls these two men and has the single most agenda to bring down the entire world. Are there two such men working in Washington right now?

I've been praying to God to save this country and this world for a long time. My prayers have become more fervent and frequent. As a Christian, I know that the world is going to take a horrible turn before Jesus returns. I didn't think it would happen in my lifetime, and I pray that non-believers see what's happening before it's too late. I pray that you can see that, too.

Sincerely, Christine Kincaid

I will continue to pray and continue to write. Maybe there is more I could do, but God hasn’t called me to do anything else right now. What about you?

To contact your representatives and senators, click this link. 

Jesus Brings a Deadman Back to Life

 

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him. (John 11:38-45, English Standard Version)

Just as the other stories I've shared the past few weeks, you know the story of Lazarus. I haven't copied the entire incident here, but it would be great if you pulled out your Bibles to the book of John and read all of chapter 11. (Or click on this link to the Bible Gateway website.)

I could write a good six blog posts on the first 45 verses of that chapter. But here we are, short on time with Lent creeping up on us.

Anyway, the siblings, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, are friends of Jesus. Lazarus falls ill, and his sisters send word to Jesus, asking Him to come. Jesus didn't jump up and run off to their home, a few days' walk away. No, Jesus hung out with His disciples two days before announcing, "Let's go see Lazarus, who has fallen asleep (meaning he has already died)."

They arrived at Lazarus's tomb, and Jesus called His friend to arise and come out. Miracle of miracles.

But here's my takeaway verse from this story. Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Believe and see the glory of God! What beautiful words! No matter what you are going through today, have faith, believe. You may not see God's glory with your eyes today or tomorrow. But someday you will if you only believe.

Up North – Where Were We Wednesday?

Last Friday, Hubby took me and Hannah up north for Valentine’s Day.

Our first stop was the Ice Castle in Eagle River.

We each had to get a picture with the pooch.

She wouldn’t cooperate for a selfie with all three of us.

I hope you can read the sign about the Ice Castle. I was too lazy to type it here for you. But I did hear that they were going to dismantle it in another week or so.

Further up the road, we stopped at Bluff Valley Park, just outside of Bessemer. The joy of taking a dog on a road trip – lots of stops!

Then finally arrived at Black River Harbor on Lake Superior.

Even though I didn’t tromp all the way to the shore, I could still feel the awesomeness of the greatest of the Great Lakes.  

The stillness in the frigid air in the winter always stuns me.

Hannah was not nearly as impressed, but she was a good pup.

And had to make sure that Poppa came out of Joe’s Pasty Shop in Ironwood. 

I hope I don’t have to rename this blog after Hannah? What do you think? 

Jesus Walks on Water, and so does Peter

Then Jesus made his followers get into the boat. He told them to go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. After he said good-bye to them, he went alone up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. By this time, the boat was already far away on the lake. The boat was having trouble because of the waves, and the wind was blowing against it.

Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat. Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. When the followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.

But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, “Have courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid."

Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, then tell me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus said, “Come.”

And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

Then Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”

          After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind became calm. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:22-33, International Children’s Bible)

Another great story, one you are probably familiar with. What does it tell us? That Jesus can do anything – in addition to all the other miracles He performed, He can walk on water too. He can even cause one of His disciples to walk on water.

But what’s the real take away? Three simple words. “Lord, save me!”

No matter what you are going through, what battles you are fighting, you are not alone. Jesus is with you. You need only believe, reach out your hand, and say, “Lord, save me!”

At the time, it may not seem like He is there for you. You may feel yourself continue to sink in whatever trouble surrounds you. But have faith! God is with you.  

The Rescue of the Goose

 I’ve been writing a lot about our little rescue dog Hannah, and as much as I want to keep sharing about her, I thought I should tell you about another rescue dog.

When you take a rescue dog into your home, you never know what you’re going to get. If you’re lucky, you might be told a little about their history and their previous family, but generally, even if you are told things, don’t count on any of it.

You need to be patient and diligent and remember the three 3’s. Something like – it takes three days for the dog to just calm down, 3 weeks for them to adapt to all the new things in their new world, and 3 months to gain your trust. Or it might take two years.

Two years ago, last fall, my son and his girlfriend adopted a beautiful coonhound mix, named Goose. She had been surrendered back to the shelter twice. The people who adopted her previously took one look at her and thought, “hunting dog”. She’s got some of those instincts in her, but being a gun dog is not in her heart. She had probably been treated all right, but never as the family pet.

My son and his girlfriend took her in and gave her a good home, all the attention they could shower her with, walks and runs at the dog park, new people to meet, lots of treats, lots of adventures. She was doing okay, but she remained somewhat aloof and skittish. She wouldn’t walk on a linoleum floor or go into any kitchens. She wouldn’t relax at my house, no matter how many times she was here. She would come to us, but she didn’t care about being petted or hugged. She never completely relaxed.  

Over Christmas, her mom and dad gave her a new dog bed. Dumbest thing ever, but it was like getting that bed flipped the switch. Reminded me of Dobby the house elf getting a sock. Everything changed for Goose.

She was suddenly affectionate and wanted those pets and hugs. She trotted across linoleum and into the kitchen. She wanted to play with more toys. It was like she knew, after two years of wondering, that she was in her forever home with her forever family who would always love her. And she’ll never have to look back.   

Jesus Calms the Storm

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.        

The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27, New Living Translation)

Imagine you are out in a boat on Lake Superior. Clouds gather in the sky, the wind picks up, and soon, waves toss your vessel. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” starts eerily playing in your head.

This man you’ve been following, who has performed some miracles right in front of your eyes, is sleeping in the back of the boat. You look at your partners and want to ask, “How can he sleep through this?” But a gust of wind knocks you over, almost tipping you overboard.

“Wake up, wake up!” one of your friends shouts to the sleeping man, shaking him. “We need your help!”

The man opens his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face. “What is the matter with you? You’ve been with me all day and know how tired I was.”

“But we’re afraid we are going to sink. Can’t you calm the storm?”

The man looks around, shaking his head ever so slightly. “This storm cannot hurt you. Where is your faith?”

You and your friends tightly grasp the sides of the vessel, staring at the man, trying to grasp what he means.

“All right then,” he finally says. “Wind and wave, calm down so that my friends can relax.”

The wind and rain immediately stop. The boat, which had been tossed in the waves seconds before, rocks gently in the water.

What would you think at that point? Who was this man in the boat with you?

Of course, we know it was Jesus, the Son of God. And that is why He was able to sleep through the storm; He knew that His Father in Heaven would protect Him. Are you able to get through the storms of life without worrying, without wondering where God is in your time of need? Is your faith strong enough?

 

Hannah Settling in at Home

            On Wednesday, when I wrote here about our new dog’s homecoming, I didn’t want to mention that at that point I was ready to send her back.

 Oh, she’s adorable all right and happy around us, even does well on the leash. But as happens with most rescues, she has got a history which I was just starting to figure out.

 The most annoying is that I think she was trained to do her business on a piddle pad, as her previous owners were, perhaps, too lazy to take her out. It’s been an uphill battle, as we don’t want to scold her for going on the piddle pads, if that’s what she’s been taught. So, it’s just been lots and lots of trips outside. Also, I bet from the stress of her trip here, she has been peeing a lot more than most dogs do. At least, she didn’t get diarrhea, which the rescue warned us happens in 90% of the dogs going to a new home.

 She has slowly been figuring it out, though. Yesterday, she actually started going to the door and waiting for us to get her outside, instead of just piddling willy nilly.

 The other thing is that she’s not eating. They told us what dry dog food she’d been getting (a cheap and horrible brand full of grains and little protein). I bought it anyway, to use while gradually switching to something better. But she won’t eat either one. I got a free sample of another brand from our feed store and my son brought a baggie full of what his dog’s been eating. She won’t touch those either.

 And she won’t eat any of the treats we’ve bought her either. Another set back to the potty training – how do you reward a food-motivated breed, if she won’t eat anything you give her.  

 I’ve started feeding her a decent brand of canned food, but even that is hit or miss. She has been drinking a lot of water, though, so I’ve been mixing some water in the canned to make it nice and soupy, and that seems to work.

 I keep telling myself, “She’ll eat when she’s hungry enough”. And she could stand to lose a few pounds. Also, she is still urinating a fair amount and pooping twice a day.

 I have a few thoughts on this food situation. To be sure, she is a beggar at the supper table. She also has bad breath and some gunky back teeth. I’m sure her previous owners gave her people food; maybe that’s all they gave her.

 And with the bad teeth, hard, dry food is probably painful for her. Thing is, she doesn’t even try the treats we give her, just sniffs them and refuses to take them.

 We’ll figure it out. She sees our vet next week, so I’m sure she will have ideas.

 On a positive note, she gets along great with Emma. They aren’t buddies, yet, but every time they pass each other, they look at each other with almost a longing in their eyes. As if they are thinking, “I want to be your BFF.”

 Our son was over Tuesday night with his dog, Goose, and they did fine together too. Now she just has to meet our daughter’s pack of three dogs. I’m already trying to figure out the Christmas picture with five of them under the tree!

 And one last thing. I told you last time that we put Dino down on January 4, 2023?

 Saturday night, after I got home with our new little nugget, and she was resting, I read through her paperwork. Her birthdate is January 9, 2023, five days after Dino crossed the rainbow bridge. 

Even though we’ve had our struggles with Hannah this week, she was born to come home to us.  

Corgi Comes Home

          

January 4, 2023, we had our beloved Dino the Wonder Dog put to sleep. After being our most faithful four-legged friend for nearly 16 years, it was time, and he was ready.

          Less than a year later, my heart started aching to have another dog in the house. Then last May, when we put down Cheshire Cat, leaving special Emma the only critter in the house, it was too quiet.

          I started looking on Petfinder for a small to medium dog who was already fixed and got along with cats. So many sweet faces greeted me on my laptop, but none said, "Take me home." Until this one popped up one Sunday afternoon.

          I started filling out the application before I even asked Hubby. My bad.

          I was interrupted by a phone call from my brother – he had yet another crisis. His crises range from his record player not working to being locked out of his house to not liking any temperatures outside, which fall under 28 degrees. I can't remember what he had going on that day, but we had to run to his house to tend to it. It gave Hubs and me a chance to talk about this nipper.

          Not that it mattered coz we all know that I get my way with most things, so I emailed the application off shortly after we got home.

          Within an hour, the woman from the rescue emailed me back that she had multiple applications for this pup, but I was at the top of the list, so I had to let her know ASAP if I was sure I wanted her.

          Really? With that face?

          The biggest hurdle was that she was in Oklahoma, or as the rescue calls it, Okla–hell–oma. Apparently, animals, in general, are not treated well there, and none of the shelters will let Oklahomans adopt. Which sounds pretty unfair, but I don't know. I don't live there.

          Anyway, the rescue schedules transport, but it's expensive and took a few weeks to get set up. I think I saw that this rescue sent six dogs north in the truck with our baby. Traumatic for them all, I can't even imagine. The poor little puddin' was terrified when I finally met her Saturday night at a gas station in Wausau.

          But let's move on to the good stuff.

          She is a two-year-old Corgi mix. Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted a cocker spaniel, beagle, or Corgi. We had the cockers, Shadow and Pepper, from around 1996 to 2007. They were good dogs but dumb as several boxes of rocks. I think I'm getting too old for a beagle, but two out of three ain't bad.

          She came with the name Jojo, which I was never a fan of. Who names a pet something that rhymes with "no, no"? Luckily, she wouldn't answer to that anyway, so we renamed her Hannah.

          We've had cats named Alice, Betty, Barney, Bam-Bam, Cheshire, Emma, Fred, and Gizmo, plus Dino, of course. So I've been kinda going through the alphabet, which lands us at the letter H.

          I had an aunt named Hannah who never moved to America from Germany with the rest of Dad's family in 1924. No one ever knew what happened to her, but I'd like to think she survived the Holocaust, had several kids, and that her grandkids are still somewhere in Germany.

          Thinking about Dad, though, I remember a story he told about when he lived on the farm. They had a dachshund and a mutt, and one day, the wiener dog chased some rodent down its hole. The little dog kept digging her way into the hole until the hole collapsed on her. The mutt ran home and got Dad to rescue her.

          And since Hannah looks like she has dachshund in her, that name is a tribute to Dad and his family in several ways.

          I'm still getting to know her, and this is getting too long already. Will tell you more about her on Friday.

The Woman at the Well

Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his long trip, so he sat down beside the well. It was about twelve o’clock noon. When a Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water, Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” (This happened while Jesus’ followers were in town buying some food.)

          The woman said, “I am surprised that you ask me for a drink, since you are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman.” (Jewish people are not friends with Samaritans.)

          Jesus said, “If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

          The woman said, “Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?”

          Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.”

          The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to get more water.”

          Jesus told her, “Go get your husband and come back here.”

          The woman answered, “I have no husband.”

          Jesus said to her, “You are right to say you have no husband. Really you have had five husbands, and the man you live with now is not your husband. You told the truth.”

          The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.”

          Jesus said, “Believe me, woman. The time is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you actually worship the Father. You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We understand what we worship, because salvation comes from the Jews. The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and that time is here already. You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

          The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (Messiah is the One called Christ.) “When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us.”

          Then Jesus said, “I am he—I, the one talking to you.”

          Just then his followers came back from town and were surprised to see him talking with a woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

          Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Do you think he might be the Christ?” So the people left the town and went to see Jesus. (John 4:6-30, New Century Version)

Another one of my favorite Bible stories. Can you imagine having this conversation with Jesus? When you found out who He was, wouldn’t you kind of freak out?

It is a lot to read, so I don’t want to make this any longer than it is. Just think about this simple encounter, and what it meant to the Sanitarian woman and what it would have meant to you had you been there.

Silk Island - Cambodia blog entry #36

Here I finally am – blogging about what we did on our last day in Cambodia. A bittersweet day before the arduous journey home.

In the morning, we rode the tuk tuk to Silk Island, boarding a ferry to get there, yet another mode of transportation. Maybe someday, I’ll blog about that.

Watching the whole process of making silk was as exhausting as the whole trip had been.

I always wondered how those little silk worms made silk. Imagining them sitting in their tiny rocking chairs weaving with their 50 pairs of legs a thread they exuded from some orifice in their body.

I mean, really? Do any of you know how it's done? And who figured out how this was even possible?

So here are the steps. First they grow silkworms, feeding them mulberry leaves – their favorite - until they are ready to make their cocoon.

Next, collect the cocoons and watch for them to be ready. I think we were told that the cocoon will shake when it is ready.

Then they boil the cocoons, which releases the sticky substance holding them together. This is the part where – believe it or not – PETA gets involved, claiming this is inhumane to the little silkworms. I don’t know. They are worms. Think of how many warm-blooded animals we kill in probably inhumane ways.

One bonus at this Silk Farm is that they leave 30% of the cocoons alone to produce moths so that they can continue the process. So, I tell myself that some of those silkworms are going to make the metamorphous to moths and complete their life cycle.

Also, the worms who die get sold in markets for frying up and eating. Yes, a lot of silk worms die in this process, but at least they don’t go to waste.

Okay, so back to the process. After the cocoons have been boiled, they are stirred until they unravel and the silk threads are released.

The threads are dyed to make the beautiful colors you see in silk fabrics and then rolled unto spindles.

Then a group of women weave the thread on their looms. Watching them work so tediously at their looms was fascinating as well as tiring. Our tour guide said that they weave 40 cm in an eight-to-ten-hour day, taking few breaks. Some of them work in teams though, such as a mother and daughter, so that they don’t get so worn out but they share the income.

It was impossible to not buy a handwoven scarf from them. They do get 70% profit from sales made at the farm. So I forked over $70 for a beautiful teal scarf which I have only worn once in the four months since I’ve been home.