Standing Strong in the Holy City

Reprint

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining

I believe in love, even when I do not feel it

I believe in God, even when he is silent.

written by a holocaust  prisoner on the wall of Auschwitz

It is 97 degrees in Charleston.

We woke up to a different city today. The city we went to sleep in was not the same we woke up too. Somewhere in between evil walked into the most sacred of places and showed itself. It was, like most evils, insidiously. Slipping in quietly, unnoticed, but leaving everyone in the city changed.

13 parishioners left their home Wednesday, kissed their spouses and kids, grabbed a bite to eat and went to Bible Study to pray and thank the Lord for all He has done. Nine of the 13 met the Lord that very night.

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the brutality of the crime, where it happened. The statement “if you cannot be safe in church, where can you be safe?”

I contend they were safe. If they were there, evil was there, God was there too. He alone knew the outcome. He gathered them up and took them home. What better way to meet God then while in the process of praising Him?

See, when they were saying see you later to their family, God alone knew it was goodbye, temporally until we meet again.

We did not know, but the God of Abraham, Moses and Joshua knew.

I have Tasha and two of her friends over today. It seems listening to their conversation

, It seems as if everything is about death today. Polly Pocket has met her demise many times today. The very interesting thing is, they are not discussing race, this has not occurred to them.

Not taking away from the fact racism is important, but because there is hope.

The thing is, it is not every white person. This was the doing of one person, with hatred in his heart and he represented not anyone else.

A truer show of God’s word and putting it into action are the survivors. Standing in court, where we hear a lot of negative reactions. We hear love and pain. The families as they acknowledge the pain and the change in their lives then let the orchestrator of that change: they have forgiven him.

The city moves forward, helping the survivors survive. They know their city surrounds them, and are as horrified as they are.

Tasha and her friends are playing, They are not noticing the different colors, race, hair of each other. They are friends. The death and playing death is coming to terms with what has happened. Gabby, one of her friends lost her softball coach, and a friend from our local library. Tasha also know the librarian.

I hear them whispering about what has happened. Trying to figure out what they have heard. In the end, the end up making a playdough cake to share.

Everyday these girls learn something new. One of the things so far, they have not learned to hate. Yes learned. That is taught also.

I have to believe these children are our future. I have to believe this because, if they aren't we haven't any future. 

The citizens of Charleston both white and black are headed downtown to a memorial;. they are going to let us know no, let the world know Charleston earned its name of the "Holy City" and we practice it. We learned from a dark history of racial tensions, slavery, and Jim Crow. I can see on Facebook the world is trying to return to normal.

Memorial service, funeral services and mourning are in the near future for Charleston. But there is a morning, it will never be the same but it will be a morning. We will wake up to the new reality, and be proud that we are the Holy City.. We will remember how we came together to honor the dead rather then destroy a community. We will remember as we return to reality and step out of this nightmare: the evil made us stronger.

For today it is 97 degrees in Charleston

Birds, Storms and a Charleston Afternoon.

Yesterday, a giant storm came out of nowhere. One minute it was calm without a breeze, then suddenly the sky was lit up with lightening as wind, not a breeze, wind whipped across the lake. The tranquil lake now had waves, it was as if we were transported from sitting in our living room to  ocean side.

We watched as the water rose up and down going from side to side in waves,  trees on the side of the lake bent to meet the waves as if the welcoming the water to the shore.

Denise tapped me on the should and pointed to a bird. The bird was trying to make it to the dock, flying against the wind. He made it a few inches, then was pushed back. At one point, he was thrust into the water, and fought vigorously to become airborne again. WE found ourselves rooting for the bird.

"Come on, you can make it," we whispered feeling pretty silly but still wanting the little guy to succeed.

He made it airborne flying painfully  to the dock. We had not noticed that about ten other birds were clustered at the edge of the dock watching their friend. Were they cheering him on in bird talk?
  It certainly seemed as if they were, because they welcomed him with open uh, wings and ushered him onto the safety of our dock.

The wind and rain continued. Evey once in a while a test bird was sent out to see if he could get the heroic journey across the lake. Each time he was pushed back. The birds would walk away with their heads down.

Denise and I spent a little time observing the birdsthey Huddled in small groups, casting furtive glances out to the water and to the sky. They kept trying they did not give up at all.

One bird only made it about two feet from the dock, landed in the water with a plop so loud we heard it.

The other birds watched him struggle for a moment then one took off and proceeded to help his friend. When he was steady, they both begun to fly back, but the friend who came out to help was hit by a gust of wind and down he went. He made it to the group, not without great difficulity however.
Denise and I cotinued to watch this drama for about two hours. 

Finally two of them took off in opposite directions, both made it so the rest, after deep consultation,

followed.

Now you are expecting a point, or summation to pull all of this together form a spiritual point.

There is not one.

It is a story for your own interpretation. I was amazed at the resilience of the birds.

How the little creatures fought for what they wanted, to get home. What a community they had.


So its just recollection of a Sunday afternoon in Charleston SC.I hope you enjoyed it.

Wordless Wednesday: A tribute to our guys

My Birthday present..a visit to the Blue Angels Show over Charleston Harbor.

Pictures by Joan Perry

Dear Someone Thursday

Dear Groundhog
I counted on you, I really did. all of this rainy weather is a bit much. I thought, The groundhog will put a stop to it! But, you let me down. You had to come out and see your shadow. What were you thinking??

I think we should have a retake day and you should have to do it all over until you get it right. You saw the movie Groundhog day, didn't you? Now get back in there come out and see that shadow., and I do mean now!
An interested bystander

Dear Tasha:
Your Birthday is less then ten days away. I can't tell you how excited I am about that, not because you will be 4, I hate that because it means you are growing up, but because you can stop telling me about that blasted WII.
Nannie

Dear Sharon:
You are so close to my heart these days. I wonder if that is because your birthday is coming up? After alll of these years, I still miss you and it still hurts as bad as the day you died. I know you are better off in heaven, but it doesn't mean I miss you less. I think about all we missed, you missed high school, proms, Natasha, and a whole host of other things a child should enjoy. I remember how all you were looking to after your surgery was getting to take Gymnastics. Denise and Eric tell me I drummed it in your heads how life isn't fair, but life isn't fair but it's not fair if I lost all these years with you.
Be patient until I get there, I broke my promise about always being with you, but I won't when I get to heaven.
Mom

Dear God:
My mother used to tell me when it rained the angels were craying. That is such a cute story. If you would please, tell them to put a sock in it.
Your servant who is drowning.

Read more Dear Someone letter over at Family of Shorts.

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy days and Mondays in Charleston

Pictures courtesy of:  Charleston Daily Photo Joan Perry

Sunday Ramblings..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMMceEx72sE
Speaking of the Navy: Should you wish to send something to our troops:
Go Here and get a very reasonable list.


This is one of my favorite videos! I haven't quite figured out, well not even quite...I don't know how to put a you tube video on blogger! I know theres a way...someday I will learn. Anyway this is a fun video, and so I am sharing it today.


Its cold in Charleston, now mind you it has been in the 80's all week but today we had plans and....it is freezing. So we are going to bundle up, except for my foot I still can't get a shoe on, and bravely venture out into the Charleston cold to visit a petting Zoo and a pumpkin patch. What are Nanny's for?


I hope you are enjoying your Sunday, I can't quite get used to this having Church on Saturday Evenings...


Have a blessed day all

Sunrise in Charleston

Sunrise in Charleston. I couldn't sleep last night. You know one of those nights where you are up and down, lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
I got a new camera the other day so I am playing with it.

My camera, so it says, not only is a camcorder but is an MP3 player, connects to google, texts, I can download an ebook on it, play games on it and a host of other things I haven't the faintest need for. Whatever happened to a camera that just takes pictures?

So now it is afternoon and I am sleepy, is my clock off?  What do you do when you can't sleep?

/charleston Early Morn and Cinderella....

Wordless Wed Brought to you by Momdot bTW watch her video here

I am doing two memes this week, because I love memes Shortmama over at Family of shorts is starting one: she asks a question and we have to answer it..the question this week is:

What if the shoe didn't fit Cinderella

Well, it's simple actually. The poor girl had been scrubbing the floors all day, her feet were swollen beyond reconization. Being Prince Charming; the prince wasn't to smart but his mother the queen was. She put her arms around poor cinderella and quickly propped her feet up.

You see, the queen had been watching this whole little farce with the ball, lost shoes and the stepsisters very carefully.

Her worst fear was having to have tea once a week with the wicked  stepmother which was tradition in thir country so, she propped up Cinderella feet made her sit there for two hours  while she warmed up the glass slippers, (you know, glass expands! don't look at me like I am crazy) then, took the  shoe horn and forced her (cinderellas) size  7 feet into size 3 glass slippers. Showed her to the prince then whipped them off her feet before they shrank again.

The prince and cinderella lived happily ever after and the queen took her tea with Snow Whites stepmother who was just as wicked, but the 7 little men were somewhat entertaining especially the one who kept falling asleep.

The End

Go to Family of Shorts to join in

Where did Summer Go?

I woke up this morning and it was October. HOw can that be? A minute ago wasn't it just September 1st? Worse still, wasn't it just the begining of summer and now I have to start worrying bout Christmas? Time shouldn't go so fast.

So now I have to face that horrible Christmas shopping thing, and decorating, pushing people out of the way, standing in line to get a particular toy, stealing parking places, knocking little old ladies over just to be the first in line, hmm. I think I will calm down this year.

We have had a pretty exciting two days, Denise's car was inpounded it was parked next to a hidden do not park here sign, we didn't see it. I think they should not be hidded behind a tree but what do I know?

I am an Avid fan of "Parking Wars" on A&E, so i was prepared for the fun of dealing with the beaurcracy. We made sure we had proof of insurance, plenty of time, and headed out to the impound lot. I told denise on TV it takes hours, we have to have insurance, etc.etc.etc.

We got there, found out reality TV lies, the attendant looked at the release in her hand, waved her though  and went back to whatever he was doing. It took us 5 seconds.....just goes to show you can't believe anyone these days, not even reality shows....

Wodless Wednesday, A day at the Park

It's fall in Charleston, as you can see the whole city has a haze over it. the clear summer days has passed, but still, its Charleston. History mixes with a day in the park.

What a great City we live in.

Wordless Wednesday Downtow Charleston

Downtown Charleston Harbor

Charleston Fall, Yo Gabba GAbba..Random Sunday

Charleston woke up this morning in a haze. The first sign I have that fall is here, is not the changing leaves, or a chill in the air: although it is less warm, but the wonderful haze and mist that drifts over Charleston every morning, a little like what my mother used to call "angel tears" because it is a soft mist. Just obscuring your vision as you drive slightly, and making you turn on your wipers intermittently rather then all of the time.

The mist along with the wonderfully horrible smell of the Marsh, that waifs over Charleston along with the early morning smell of fish as the fishing boats unload their catch, all tell me welcome to fall in Charleston. Thats right Charleston smells. The entire city reeks of Marsh life and freshly caught fish. But if you eat in just one of our safood resturants, you get over the smell quickly.

I was thinking this morning how much of summer I actually missed. The truth is I don't know how I missed it I was here, but so wrapped up in working, always thinking I had tomorrow to do something, the summer slipped away and it is almost the middle of September.

You would think I would know better. me of all people who woke up one morning with two children instead of three should remember the fleeting value of time. Especially with the lives of our love ones.

So today is Sunday, I have for many Sundays been wanting to do so many thing. It is a shame to live in a city like Chuck Town and not enjoy it, and tomorrow is promised to absolutely no one.

remember that.

But I am not going to be all serious, this is a Non blogging day and I know everyone is at church and with family, well most everyone is. I'm not, not that I am playing hooky today,..oh OK, yes I am playing hooky. Denise is working a double shift because her Denny's is having the honor of hostin the Rev. Jesse Jackson in a publicity stunt. I won't go there and how I feel about a man who is supposed to be a man of God using a restaurant to raise Money for...well, never mind.

So Today, I am dedicating to Tasha. The grownups in Tasha's life love her to death but so much so, we often get to busy providing for her and making sure she is safe and happy, we forget to spend time with Tasha just listening to her.

Tasha has a lot to say, and has no problems saying it. She told her mom yesterday she wanted to go to the petting zoo, it had been a long time since she had been there. she told me her mom was going to see a friend and I had to take care of her. Period. I guess there are no choices in Tasha's life. It is still black and white no shades of gray.

But this morning Tasha told me about Tudi on Yo Gabba Gabba, Now I am not a fan of Yo Gabba Gabba I think it is one of the strangest shows on TV, but kids are like sponges and absorbed.

Tasha has had a problem with bugs. She hates flies, she hated ladybugs. She was bitten by fireants so all ants are bad.

But, as was explained to me today, Tudi didn't like bugs. She was scared and didn't want to pick them up. and Tudi was crying. Tasha really related to this. So, the Yo Gabba Gabba crew of robots, carefully explained how bugs were good for the earth (no, I don't understand this since they are supposed to live in outer space) but any way, Tasha told me that bugs were our friends and because Tudi wasn't afraid anymore, she wont beeither. So we met a fly, and all she said was Hi fly instead of Shoo Fly go away from me, which I taught her to say.

I sat and listen to this whole saga of Tudi and bugs, including Tasha's rendition of "Don't be afraid" a song that resonates in my head for hours after I hear it: and I became thoughtful.

Children pick up so much, I always thought Tasha would outgrow the fear of bugs, if we were just patient,but Tudi cured her. We really do have to pay attention to what our kids watch, it effects them. So,my campaign to kill yo Gabba Gabba is on hold because he aparently does good in an annyoying way, and thank Tudi for her fear of Flies.

Happy Sunday All, and I shall stop Rambling...

Angel

The Picture is "the end of anothr day and the beauty that surrounds us"

Painter is Katherine M. Schneider

Wordless Wedneday - Thank a Soldier

Thank a Soldier and remember his or her family: Charleston's Riverfront park

Wordless Wednesday: Charleston Summer Storm

All about Charleston, Gators and the Eastr Bunny...

Charleston is cold this morning. It is a chilly 40 degrees, and crisp. The air looks and feels clean but the smell of the marsh permeates Charleston, like a reminder of olden days. When the Harbor was the main source of income for this seaside city. the smell of fish is strong over here because I am five minutes from the marsh. I drive over the bridge to take the kids to work and the marsh sits there quietly reminding us, of what? Of how strong it is? How we once depended o it for Black Marketeers and escaping slaves?Even the marshes have a story here. 

Most often, though except for the smell we just hear about the gators and people who run off the bridge into the marsh in their cars. Not a pretty sight.

Gators, now are different. We thought we'd see them in Florida, but there is a gator who lives in the lake at the park where Tasha plays. We were worried for a minute, then everyone assured us that it was a baby gator and it comes up to the shore then moves on.

I like the moving on part, He can skip greeting us at the shore. 

It is strange to see a sign Don't feed the Alligators, in the middle of  West Ashley, a well populated part of  Charleston.

Like most things, the air is deceptive. The Clear cold beauty is hiding the truth, that the marsh ruins the illusion with the smell, so does our life present the same illusion sometimes. 

But the smell is a part of Charleston, just like the Alligator. 

This is Easter week, everyone is out shopping for Easter bags and like. Tasha will get to see he easter bunny but we are keeping it quiet. 

At Walmart we spent all of five minutes casing Easter Baskets, they are very expensive for what they are: mostly cardboards. So I thought for a minute to make her one. Can't be to hard right?

Well we shall see. 

I started this post this morning, had a little problem and now it is night. I am going to go ahead and post it, after all as scarlett says, tomorrow is another day.....

Random Sunday

It's Sunday Morning in Charleston, The sun is as confused as I am some days. It can't decided if it is coming out or staying in. Everytime I think it has made up it's mind it goes behind a cloud and peeks out at me, laughing.  I need it to come out, I am short on the vitamin C and at one point I heard that the sun's rays cheer you up. That, the experts say, is why you always feel cheerful on a sunny day as opposed to feeling cheerful on a rainy day.

Me? I have to  always be difficult, I have the audacity to feel cheerful on both days. Shame on me. 

This is my first spring in Charleston. The air is clean after yesterdays rain, it was a magnificent  storm in old world terms. Wind. Rain. thunder. I could in my minds eyes see the ships off Sullivans island tossing in the waves. The kind of rain God uses to clean the air and start us over again. This morning you can feel the crispness in the air. My computer tells me the temp outside my door is 67 degrees,   Natasha  and I lay in her room this morning listening to the birds talking to each other, Tasha wondered about the babies were they warm enough? Where were they? The cat next door can't reach them? I assured hr that none of the about could happen, but not enough as she takes a run outside, forgetting to put on her clothes, after  her bath to see a blue jay sitting on the fence she glimpsed through the bathroom window she forget her clothes including her pull up to greet the birds. A situation I quickly corrected.

Headlines in the Charleston Post and Courier: Streaking Baby Stalks Blue Jay..film at 11

Just my luck, but luckily she limited her streaking experience to the back yard and hopefully since I am surrounded by retired folks and college kids, they were all either getting ready for church or sleeping it off from last night. So I am safe. I hope. If the county comes by I'll let you know. 

Charleston has more azaleas then any place I have ever seen, almost every yard I have seen has azaleas in them. Not to mention flower boxes, flower gardens at the old mansions and all schools, business and gas stations. My yard has it share, but I say something and smelled something this morning for the first time. When I was picking up my streaking baby, I noticed purple flower petals on my back steps, after depositing Tasha in the kitchen and putting on a diaper as  we are out of pull ups, I looked outside and saw...in the yard behind us...the most beautiful Lilac tree, yes tree not bush. The lilacs hung like grapes from the branches full and more importantly, fragrent. You could smell them. How long has it been really since you could really smell the flowers? It seems scents have gotten lost somewhere.  But these I could smell and a distance away. No wonder the birds were singing. 

Charleston. 

Charleston is an city in itself, as I look out my window at the wonder that is this city, and think about God's grace to us that we are even here. Not more then 6 months ago was a very different picture. One of us was in an abusive relationship trying to get to safety, one of us found themselves homeless and one of us was trying to hold everyone togther. 

Different world today. Everyone is on their feet, and standing. 

Thanks to God. 

I am not one to preach, and though everyone who reads my blog knows I am a card carrying born again Christian, I am not one to hammer it in. I do a lot of praying to myself and God.

The fact is that is not what this blog is. It is a testimony what He has done in our lives, and He has been great. 

We always have to end up explaining what we are when we say we are Christians. the first thing anyone says to me is Oh My Gosh! Jerry Falwell! Bigot! small minded. Nope. None of the above.

Well  I am not.  I follow a Man. I don't follow a church doctrine. I follow His word. I follow what HE tells me is right. 

I don't believe you can show Gods love with Hatred. I don't believe I can win hearts by being judgemental. 

He says He wants no one to perish. He gives us free will to make our own decisions. 

I am not going to harp on you about yours, (ask me my opinion and you get it so do it at your own risk, but it will be I promise Biblical) but push? No.

I have a lot of Non Christians who read my blog. they know what choices they have made. I am not out to change them or win them but simply let you know all of us aren't bad. Love of God is our primary focus. And yes, Jesus died for you to, it is your choice to do what you want bout that.  I'm praying

Now I promised no preaching and no preaching it is. 

It is now 72 in Charleston, SC I am going out to do yard work (yes, on Sunday it has to be done)

The sun has made up its mind to stay out and smile on us today. 

Tasha need to get out of the house and get some excerise and fresh air.(in her clothes this time) 

She just sat down next to me and said :" I'm Bored." Bored? at three?

nannhy, I need food. I neeeeed Pancakes. 

hmmm not a bad idea.

Pancakes it is.