Thank you for your prayers to Jesus and Buddha on behalf of my health. Honestly, I thought I was going to pass out the other day when I wrote to you. But I made it home and into bed. I took my western medicines along with some Chinese concoction which tasted like heck, no kidding. That was a pretty rough night, and last night was only slightly better. But, I do seem to be holding my own this morning. I am drinking lots of water, taking my vitamins, eating pretty well... though, sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what I'm eating. I am clearly on the mend.
I love you all for your prayers and support. Hopefully, I'll be online at home this afternoon and can write more extensively then. I've already taken some pictures and written a little news which I want to get out. Overall, I am having a big time and adjustimg to this very different culture. China may be just the challenge I needed.
Again, thank you for being connected to me. Your support is more valuable than I can say.
Lindy
I did not know that Lindy was sick, but I'm relieved to know that she seems to be getting better.
Lindy moved to China recently. Read about her move at her blog, Still Fruity.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunset - October 27, 2009
This evening, the sunset was spectacular. Above is my photo of the scene, which does not at all do it justice. The sky was aflame, truly breathtaking.
Sun slipping from sight
Sky blazing, trees darkening
Breaths sharp, eyes delight
UPDATE: Below is another view of the sunset taken a bit later, showing a more accurate view of the bright reddish-orange color of the sky.
Regarding Frogs...
From the Right Reverend John Broadhurst, who is the Anglican Bishop of Fulham and the Primate of Forward in Faith, at Catholic News Agency:
My words to Doug in an earlier post on frogs seem singularly apropos:
Bishop Broadhurst, please leave the stage.
Thanks to Ann for the link.
In an emotional closing speech on Saturday, Bishop Broadhurst used the metaphor of the frog and the boiling pot to describe the current Anglican status.
"The temperature at the pot has become intolerable, but the process of boiling started before the ordination of women… The truth is, the tragedy for us is the Church of England has presumed. It's presumed to know better than the tradition on many matters and it's presumed to know better than Jesus Christ about some matters,” he explained.
“And It is the presumption of our Church in this present period that has caused such pain and anguish to many of us.
“Oh yes, the ordination of women was the water being turned up; we knew that we were going to be cooked to death ...
“And what the general (Anglican) Synod did, was to say, ‘We will push the pot towards the edge of the gas, as long as you stay on this side of the pot, with a few ice cubes, it'll be all right,’” Bishop Broadhurst said.
My words to Doug in an earlier post on frogs seem singularly apropos:
Bishop Broadhurst, please leave the stage.
Thanks to Ann for the link.
"...A Tainted Olive Branch"
From James Carroll at the Boston Globe, titled "From Vatican, a tainted olive branch":
Ouch! And the title of the column must prick a little, too. I've long admired Carroll's writing in his columns for The Globe, and I've read a couple of his books. American Requiem and Constantine's Sword. He's a former Roman Catholic priest and still a practicing RC. In fact, he's written a book titled Practicing Catholic, which I have not read.
By all means, read the entire piece. It's a cry from the heart for those of us in Anglicanland and against the policies of the present pope of his own church.
Thanks to John for the link.
Last week’s anti-Anglican salvo from Rome shows how far the Catholic leadership has fallen from the heights of Vatican II. The invitation to “disgruntled’’ members of the Church of England’s extended family to abandon the Thames for the Tiber is a rejection of contemporary human experience, a resounding response of “No!’’ The church against the modern world, after all. Not only a cruel assault on a fellow Christian communion that is valiantly struggling to strike a balance between liberal and conservative impulses; not only an insult to loyal Catholic liberals who will be denied what converted Anglicans are offered (notably a married clergy); not only a slap at women and homosexuals whose progress toward equality is a global measure of justice; not only a stark contrast with the common Anglican practice of fully welcoming alienated Roman Catholics, while eschewing any pressure on them to convert - there is more.
....
From the misfit fringe of another denomination, Rome recruits the naysayers it needs to bolster what has become its own place on the margin of Catholic life. First there was Opus Dei, with its crypto-fascist origins, then there were the Holocaust-denying lovers of Latin - and now the Anglo-fundies. Come on over, guys!
Ouch! And the title of the column must prick a little, too. I've long admired Carroll's writing in his columns for The Globe, and I've read a couple of his books. American Requiem and Constantine's Sword. He's a former Roman Catholic priest and still a practicing RC. In fact, he's written a book titled Practicing Catholic, which I have not read.
By all means, read the entire piece. It's a cry from the heart for those of us in Anglicanland and against the policies of the present pope of his own church.
Thanks to John for the link.
Birth Of A New Community
See Paul the BB on the birthing of a new community at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in the wake of the departure of members of the Episcopal Church for greener pastures, leaving the church vacant, but not for long. Paul has already presided at two services for a small, but growing, number of people in attendance.
Ask and you shall receive. Paul posted a list of the needs of the church. Any and all help is welcome, especially prayers that the community of Our Savior will grow and flourish and bear good fruit.
UPDATE: Should you want to help, the mailing address is below:
Church of Our Saviour
c/o Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
4304 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87107
Diocesan phone: 505.881.0636
Mr. Frog
Mr. Frog comes home from work, puts his briefcase down, and walks over to the kitchen table. He opens the newspaper to the obituary section and starts to read.
"Why did you start reading the newspaper at the obituary section?" Mrs. Frog asks.
"Because," Mr. Frog says, "I wanted to see who croaked today."
[cue cymbal crash]
Doug, please leave the stage.
"Why did you start reading the newspaper at the obituary section?" Mrs. Frog asks.
"Because," Mr. Frog says, "I wanted to see who croaked today."
[cue cymbal crash]
Doug, please leave the stage.
Story Of The Day - Sense of Directionlessness
cursed with an unerring sense of
directionlessness even when things are
going well
From StoryPeople.
Ahhhh, so true!
Still...to be hit with this first thing in the morning is something of a blow.
directionlessness even when things are
going well
From StoryPeople.
Ahhhh, so true!
Still...to be hit with this first thing in the morning is something of a blow.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Death, Death, And More Death...
From the New York Times:
KABUL, Afghanistan — Fourteen Americans were killed in Afghanistan on Monday in two crashes involving helicopters, making it one of the deadliest days in America’s eight-year war here.
Neither crash appeared to involve hostile fire, American military officials said.
From Salon:
Oct 26th, 2009 | BAGHDAD -- Iraqi security forces conducted intense searches at checkpoints in Baghdad on Monday amid warnings of more attacks, as Iraqis questioned how two buses packed with explosives penetrated what was supposed to be one of the city's safest areas, killing 155 people.
From Canon Andrew White of St. George's Church in Baghdad:
Dear Friends,
I am very sorry to tell you that the two major bomb explosions in Baghdad this morning have done serious damage to the church compound, the clinic, the bookshop, the school rooms and the Mothers' Union buildings.
....
And the clinic? The St George's clinic provides free medical and dental treatment to people in Iraq, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. It is staffed by a team of medics representing each of the Abramic faiths: Muslim, Christian and Jew. It contained high quality medical equipment provided by charitable donations to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. In a moment, much of this equipment has been destroyed, placing it permanently out of reach of the Iraqi people who need it so desperately.
Outside the church, at least 132 people were killed and over 600 injured. Destroyed fragments of their bodies have been thrown through windows of the church, making the clean-up operation yet more unpleasant. Many of our staff and church members remain unaccounted for. Lay Pastor Faiz and I have been trying in vain to reach them by telephone.
Today was a terrible day for us. But even in the blood and trauma and turmoil, there are things for which we can, and indeed must, praise our G-d. The carnage was terrible, but it could have been even worse.
At 10.30am this morning, when the bombs exploded, there was no-one in the church. If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage.
....
Some people ask us whether days like today make us want to give up. We have seen much of what we have worked for destroyed. We have seen people we love bereaved. But the truth is, it is days like today that remind us why our work in Iraq is absolutely essential.
We must continue to provide a place of worship for Iraqi Christians. We must continue to treat the medical needs of Iraqi civilians. And we must continue to engage with the senior religious leaders from across the sectarian divides, working with them to challenge the belief systems that lie behind this terrible slaughter.
We will not stop because of this. Will you stand with us and help us to restore what was destroyed?
Blessings,
Andrew
H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.
May those who died rest in peace and rise in glory. May God give comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding to all who loved them.
May the love of God flow in abundance upon the wounded and their families and friends and bring healing to bodies, minds, and spirits.
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
KABUL, Afghanistan — Fourteen Americans were killed in Afghanistan on Monday in two crashes involving helicopters, making it one of the deadliest days in America’s eight-year war here.
Neither crash appeared to involve hostile fire, American military officials said.
From Salon:
Oct 26th, 2009 | BAGHDAD -- Iraqi security forces conducted intense searches at checkpoints in Baghdad on Monday amid warnings of more attacks, as Iraqis questioned how two buses packed with explosives penetrated what was supposed to be one of the city's safest areas, killing 155 people.
From Canon Andrew White of St. George's Church in Baghdad:
Dear Friends,
I am very sorry to tell you that the two major bomb explosions in Baghdad this morning have done serious damage to the church compound, the clinic, the bookshop, the school rooms and the Mothers' Union buildings.
....
And the clinic? The St George's clinic provides free medical and dental treatment to people in Iraq, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. It is staffed by a team of medics representing each of the Abramic faiths: Muslim, Christian and Jew. It contained high quality medical equipment provided by charitable donations to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. In a moment, much of this equipment has been destroyed, placing it permanently out of reach of the Iraqi people who need it so desperately.
Outside the church, at least 132 people were killed and over 600 injured. Destroyed fragments of their bodies have been thrown through windows of the church, making the clean-up operation yet more unpleasant. Many of our staff and church members remain unaccounted for. Lay Pastor Faiz and I have been trying in vain to reach them by telephone.
Today was a terrible day for us. But even in the blood and trauma and turmoil, there are things for which we can, and indeed must, praise our G-d. The carnage was terrible, but it could have been even worse.
At 10.30am this morning, when the bombs exploded, there was no-one in the church. If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage.
....
Some people ask us whether days like today make us want to give up. We have seen much of what we have worked for destroyed. We have seen people we love bereaved. But the truth is, it is days like today that remind us why our work in Iraq is absolutely essential.
We must continue to provide a place of worship for Iraqi Christians. We must continue to treat the medical needs of Iraqi civilians. And we must continue to engage with the senior religious leaders from across the sectarian divides, working with them to challenge the belief systems that lie behind this terrible slaughter.
We will not stop because of this. Will you stand with us and help us to restore what was destroyed?
Blessings,
Andrew
H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.
May those who died rest in peace and rise in glory. May God give comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding to all who loved them.
May the love of God flow in abundance upon the wounded and their families and friends and bring healing to bodies, minds, and spirits.
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
How to be a Gracious Bitch*
Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement-- not even her parent's nasty divorce. Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear and would be the best-dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!
A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother! Jennifer asked her father's new young wife to exchange it, but she refused.
'Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it,' she replied.
Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, 'Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day.'
A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress.
When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, 'Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it.'
Her mother just smiled and replied, 'Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.'
NOW I ASK YOU - IS THERE A WOMAN OUT THERE, ANYWHERE, WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY THIS STORY?
None that I know of, Doug.
*I tried to think of a less offensive word that made the same exact point, but none came to mind. I even thought of putting asterisks to substitute for the middle letters, but I thought that would be taking the cowardly way out. Sooooo.....excuse my language!
A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother! Jennifer asked her father's new young wife to exchange it, but she refused.
'Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it,' she replied.
Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, 'Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day.'
A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress.
When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, 'Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it.'
Her mother just smiled and replied, 'Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.'
NOW I ASK YOU - IS THERE A WOMAN OUT THERE, ANYWHERE, WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY THIS STORY?
None that I know of, Doug.
*I tried to think of a less offensive word that made the same exact point, but none came to mind. I even thought of putting asterisks to substitute for the middle letters, but I thought that would be taking the cowardly way out. Sooooo.....excuse my language!
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