Thank Goodness It's Sunday #57

~Bonhoeffer. As I read of all the attempts to assassinate Hitler that failed, I wonder where was God as these brave men endeavored to save millions of lives. They were willing to sacrifice their own to see the end of this evil man. Then I remind myself to return to the Abraham and Isaac principle: We are not here to prove God, and we are not here to prove ourselves to God; we are here to prove ourselves to ourselves. Are we willing to do good no matter the cost? Are we willing to stand with God, no matter the cost? Are we willing to try and fail and still hold true to our faith in God? When I knew the end was only a few paragraphs away, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it, but then I reminded myself that he gave his life for his faith; I could read about it. I cried. My thanks to Eric Metaxas for all the time and effort he put in to sharing this remarkable man's life.

~Congratulations to Carl Edwards. He won the Nationwide race, in Michigan, and came in fifth in the Chase, and he is still #1 overall in the Chase! WHOOHOO! And I've come to realize something else that has allowed me to tackle history. I always felt foolish for not being able to remembers names and dates. Numbers are not my friend. I turn them around really easily. It's frustrating. Enter NASCAR. There are 43 drivers in the Nationwide series and 43 drivers in the Sprint Cup Chase. A few of the drivers overlap, but the numbers don't necessarily. For example: Carl is #60 in Nationwide and #99 in the Chase, whereas Joey Logano is #20 in both. I don't know all the names or all the numbers, but I know quite a few. It occurred to me that if I could keep track of more than two dozen drivers, their numbers, including who is on whose team and what kind of car they drive, then I can keep track of a few history names and approximate dates.

~I have been berating myself for my lack of control over my eating this week. I've been blaming my gobbling food on stress from a number of things I've been working through. Au contraire. It's all perfectly normal for me, as it is every single month, except it's a little early this month. Crumbs. In another day or two, my eating will be back to being manageable again. Sometimes, my body and I are not friends. This is one of those times. Ah, and why am I grateful, you may ask? It's always a relief to know I'm not completely out of control. Just a momentary lapse that will pass, soon. Good to know.

~Mobile lawn ornaments. There are eight feral cats that have claimed this house as their official designated hangout. There is an undeniable pleasure in looking out the window on a cool morning and watching them play. A peacefulness settles over me when I see one sitting in the yard, surveying it's kingdom. In the heat of the afternoon, it's a bit shocking and then funny seeing "bodies" strewn about the yard in any patch of shade that can be found. Actually, I've always loved lawn ornaments; this is the closest I've come to being able to have them.

~Not last or least, I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven, who gently leads me along, as slowly or as quickly as I am able to keep up. I didn't grow up with any heroes, the four-legged variety of which I had several not included. I wasn't captured by the "heroes" I was told I should admire. I look back now and understand why. In order to have true heroes, you have to have a working concept of honor and be able to apply it in your own life. I know plenty of dishonorable people who claim to have heroes, but those aren't heroes; they're people they admire and want to be like because they want what they have. I think true heroes are people we admire and wish we could be like but aren't sure we have what it takes, the courage, the conviction, the steadfastness. The world looks entirely different when it is viewed with the heart that is changed by the heroes one holds there.