Dear Reader:

I had an early morning ophthalmologist appointment yesterday so it was around 7:30 when I walked out into the garden… before leaving.

As the sun was coming up…the steam from the rains the afternoon before… started rising and presented me with one of the most beautiful, breath-taking scenes in my life.

I immediately sensed what it felt like to be Adam and Eve walking in the morning light with God in the Garden of Eden.

The light filtering through the trees seemed to glisten like a Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve. I felt God’s presence hovering above and around me through the transcendent sparkles of light. I felt truly humbled to witness this beautiful gift from Him. A perfect way to start the day!

It is out of the original story of man and woman in the Garden of Eden that the proverbial question of who we are first comes to light.

Source: “What Does it Mean to Be a Person?”- Doug Erickson

…”All persons have intrinsic dignity, simply because they are persons- not as a result of anything they have done, could do, or achieve.

The Biblical story starts somewhere, and ends somewhere, and in between, tells the story of this image of man- made perfectly, deeply marred, and then restored. It is the story of us.

We were made for relationship- for knowing and being known. We were made to do something- it’s in our nature to create, build, make our mark, change the world, have an impact.

The problem arises when our brokenness, pain, and wrong turns in life stem from trying to meet these basics needs- (relationship and impact) on our own terms.

If we leave God out of the equation in defining man and ourselves as “persons”  we discover our identity, it would seem, is merely a moment-in-time snapshot of our desires, preferences, and behaviors, and thus, as these change, so may our identity.

It is only through listening and allowing God to take charge of our lives that we discover the essence of what it means to be human, and more importantly, a child of God.

It is only when we lose sight of our Creator that  detours suddenly appear… leading us down the lost path of misunderstanding our own identities. It is a dark path because we can no longer the light…God’s light.

……………………….

*If you have never seen the movie “Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor and Meryl Streep ….go get it…you are in for a treat…they do this beautiful duet (In the Garden) for the famous old radio show that touches everyone. Here is a clip:

Meryl Streep & Garrison Keillor ~ In The Garden~ ( A Love …

So until tomorrow….God …Open our ears and hearts to Your design planned for us…Help us realize that total reliance on ourselves will not accomplish the goal of self-discovery and true identity. Only You know who we are…Only You can light the divine spark hidden inside each of us.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* I should have known that with such a beautiful, perfect start to my day…good things would continue to happen. “Dolphin Lady,” a.k.a Linda Karges Bone sent me a photo…a “rainbow” of friendship… she discovered on line. This is a quadruple WOW!

Pass it on to a friend or someone who could use a smile…the rainbow of friendship!

*A quadruple rainbow was spotted in Glen Cove, New York.

* Sis Kinney said that story of the “BIG Tea Party” in Summerville made the Tennessee news….she was so proud of her former home town!

Good morning, Becky!

I’ve been watching Facebook posts about the Big Tea and found it interesting that the “local” channel we watch for news (out of Johnson City, TN) had a segment on the Biggest Tea Pitcher yesterday afternoon! Good ol’ Summerville made the TN news!! Evidently a reporter passed it along – including live shots of the mixing and stirring! Quite a big to-do for the sleepy ol’ ‘ville, eh? Just thought I’d tell you.