ocotillo

city dreams country dreams

Ok these are some of my crazy city or country dreams/ideas I find myself daydreaming about lately. Not necessarily practical, reasonable or realistic, but I'm allowed to dream.

In the city:

*A laundromat with a cafe and a 24/7 prayer room attached. Open 24 hours of course. It would make laundry, perhaps, something to look forward to.

*A large multi-dwelling building with apartments of all sizes. It would have a large courtyard and garden in the middle with loads of plants. People of all kinds could live there less expensively than in single family dwellings. The elderly and disabled could be looked after.

In the country:

*That's where I'd put my other cafe, the Birdsong Cafe. The woodsy, earthy whole foods cafe with lots of funky drinks (and no Frappaccinos). My winged friends would serenade, and hopefuly it would not become the Birdpoo Cafe.

*A craft store for crafters looking for quality products that aren't  toxic environmental hazards or fall-apart made in China. Lots of natural fibers. There'd be lots of spare rooms for lessons or studios.

And you'd think I really ought to have some idea for the suburbs, but all I can think of is to shut down the golf courses. Give the people the land back. We've got golfcourse(s) winding around our suburban enclave and I can't help but think how much nicer the land would be just open.  Sorry, I guess I'm just not a golfer. That 10th hole area sure would make a nice spot for a picnic.

still germinating

Here is a rather poor quality photo taken from the camera on my phone. Colors are different, but it's coming along anyways.

reprieve from winter

Our weather over the weekend and the  past couple days has been refreshingly warm. I spent as much time as I could outdoors to recharge my sunshine deprived inner solar batteries. I walked barefoot on these whitened feet that have been covered by socks for too long. These crazy winds don't bother me when they're not cold. Let them blow. I've felt closer to God and to the Kingdom than I had for a long time. But at the same time the world seems to have shrunk and the pain of this world is the same. Maybe worse. There are earthquakes, floods and upheavals in distant parts of the world which affect people I know. And personal tragedies which affect people I love. I think the pain and the joy are both increasing.

On Sunday we took Ethan to a healing service at the African church. I have never sought healing for him in a public way. I am not even sure in what ways he should be healed. But at 5 1/2, his language is still so very basic. I am perplexed as to the way forward as we have tried so many things to help him. And there are lots of little things, his body just isn't formed typically. I feel I accept him as he is, all I know is that there is no DS in heaven. There is no disability there. And we seek for things to be on earth as they are on heaven. So I brought my son forward to this traveling fiery pentecostal man from the congo to be prayed for. And he was prayed for. But what blessed me the most was that they anointed his head with oil and gave him a public blessing. They spoke against "the lies of the enemy" which was really important to us. These kids get plenty of that. Even while they are still in the womb, lies and fear are spoken over them so strong that many women choose against the life within them (a topic for another post some day- and not what I would have even said a couple of years ago).

I am such a skeptic when it comes to this stuff. No one is gonna push me over.  Sometimes when I start to "feel" something, and the music grows more intense I ask myself "is it really the anointing or a state of alpha consciousness?". But my heart took over. Maybe it is both. This traveling healer had singled me out of the crowd and had me come forward. He said "grab my hand" and told me things about myself and my future. Maybe it was not super-specific and there could have been lots of leeway for a doubting she-Thomas like myself. When I got back to my seat, my neighbor was beaming and just smiling at me. I didn't know why. Later Richard told me that she told him that she saw a shaft of light come down upon me while they were praying for me. And somewhere in my doubter's heart I know this to be true. It was later that I brought Ethan forward for prayer.

So on Sunday when all of Texas was watching the superbowl (except for the very young children, and the 54 of us- at last count- who really aren't into it), I spent time in the strangely warm February night time air. I could make out a few of the brightest stars that can outshine the lights of the Metroplex. Me, a cup of coffee and the presence of the Spirit. What a strange world.

And today on a Tuesday morning, I still feel the Spirit strong around me. Even though I've got 2 boys sick at home with different illnesses (doesn't it always happen that way?). I don't know what to say, but I've got that line from the Lord's Prayer stuck in my mind:

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

germination

I don't know if it's just the time of year it is, but my mind is stuck on germination. That word which describes the process of putting a seed in the ground and it becoming a plant. I'm even making a painting about the process. In looking for images, I realized how very scientific it has become. There are all sorts of graphs and illustrations of microscopic parts, which somehow we feel if we can explain, and diagram, we can understand. But in the end, it still seems the mystery remains of how a little seed becomes a plant, which makes the seed and becomes another plant (etc.). At least they are supposed to. Sidetracking: that last comment a not so happy remark for companies who interfere in this process. Grrrr.

Anyhow.... I wish I could take a picture of my germination painting, but our dear Dij (our camera) is critically injured and, basically not working. The painting is at that in-between phase where the outline is down, the basic colors put on and I start to get a little fearful. I basically have to "let the painting talk to me" at this point. It could go either way. Something that seems to have a "life" to it OR a "learning experience" (shall we say). I'm taking a breather from it at the moment.

In seemingly unrelated news, it is now February and we spent a month praying about the possibility of going to the Northwest. This too seems like germination. We have planted this seed in the ground. We are waiting. Whatever is going on is happening underground, and we can't see it. Will it sprout? Richard in particular was feeling quite churned up about the situation earlier last month. He wanted out of here real bad. About a week ago he said he got a sense of peace about the whole process. That we are just to keep moving forward and that He will provide what we need in His timing. The job, the people. We learned from our last move the discomfort of desperation when we feel we have this particular timeline that God has to move within (and we have to make it happen). His timing was better in the end.

We've started telling people we know hear that this is the direction we feel led. Most people describe  Richard & I as being "laid back", but there are times when I would just like a glimpse of the itinerary. For now, the only plan is we have a couple of free airline tickets that need to be used. Richard plans to take Karina with him out on a scouting mission over Spring Break. Sure, I would like to go, but for lots of reasons feel that she is the right choice to go with her Daddy and I am content in that.

So that's where we're at. Hanging out at Germination Station. Where are you at?