Introduction

February 17, 2016

What follows is my original introduction.  My concept was to have a dialog, an exchange of theological ideas and shared expressions of God showing up in our lives.  What it has become has been more of an offering of my sermons along with those musings that will never make it to the pulpit.

A lot has changed since I started this blog.  I have been appointed to another church and  gone through big changes in both my personal and my spiritual life, especially in the pursuit of holistic health.  My sanity remains intact because of the monthly day retreats at a spiritual center two hours away.  It is a sabbath practice that helps me break the routine and step away for a time of solitude, prayer and pondering.

As noted in an update from this last summer, Blondie died, but Harley remains with me.  She is still very energetic, but she is maturing into being my calm, non-anxious presence in the midst of change and challenges.  She continues to teach me how to be that for my friends, family and congregants -- to be present and listening, to sit with them and just be with them.

So, please, read on, and my prayer is that it speaks Christ to you, in spite of me.

As a Christian, I believe that God speaks to us through a number of different ways.  This blog is not so much about swapping stories about cats as it it about sharing those "God moments."  You know, the times when God shows up or speaks to us in surprising ways, usually when we least expect it. 

So, let me get "the cats" part out of the way, first.

For 29 years, since my marriage, cats have found me, or maybe God has sent them to me.  First, there was Bob, a little tiger tabby kitten abandoned by his feral mother in our backyard.  Full of fleas and half dead, I brought him in to give him a safe place to die.  Wrapped in a towel sprayed with flea spray and placed on a heating pad, Bob Cat Long Tail made a speedy recovery and spent 16 years as part of our household.

Next came Lydia Half-Ear who adopted me at a city park.  She had been badly kicked around, and we ended up having a lot of broken teeth removed.  Lydia was a loving animal and a healer.  When my husband or I or anyone who came to the house was in emotional pain, she would sit next to the person, purr quietly and just abide with them.  (Good example for pastoral ministry.)

Blondie, a black cat, came next and is still with us.  Blondie was living in our dryer vent for a couple of months until the weather turned cold, and she decided it was time to live inside.  Before our recent move, she loved to watch "The Dog Whisperer," but we don't have cable here.  She is my companion -- two middle-aged ladies trying to lose weight. 

Harley, a little calico kitten, just joined us.  She picked me out at a pet store where animals from a local shelter were being displayed.  She reached out a paw to me, and well, what can I say.  This was during a time when most of my ministry was with people in hospice or at funerals. 

I once read something from G.K. Chesterton about God.  (The source slips my mind.)  A child on a swing will often squeal, "Whee! Do it again!"  With that same enthusiasm, God greets God's creation.  Harley, who finds delight in every new thing has brought that kind of excitement and enthusiasm, that joy of life, back to me. 

She is a reminder that God's steadfast love and mercies are new every morning, and with each morning comes grace and love and the opportunity to discover something new and something holy.

I hope to hear about your own "God moments."

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