keep-going

I enjoyed being outside yesterday – knowing that today will be rainy – and well Autumn is upon us – Fall is falling temperatures and falling leaves and sometimes falling in sadness that summer is done – and yet the temperature is more manageable to be able to THINK – as too hot is too hot… Falling seasons is also feeling like hunkering down and yet we are to remember that it is not hard to throw a sweatshirt on and get back outside…

The night falls faster too – it gets dark earlier and this is probably why the fall TV season starts up this time of year – and the only new offering that I am interested in will be Survivor – and well everything else on TV is just not seemingly worth it – nor is most of the new Roku lineup that I now have investigated after my youngest got one – honestly the only thing I saw last night worth anything was classic old fare: was a few minutes of the A-team – of Carol Burnett – and I don’t even remember now – (and sad for me to complain when I should have been thankful I had the downtime). SO, then I went to YouTube and after watching an interview with Ringo Starr, I stumbled upon a rabbit hole of another great force in entertainment from years ago – Mae West… Yeah the historic biographies were much more interesting than junk TV of the 2000’s or 80’s – and that was the EARLY TV 1950’s Red Skelton comedic bits with Mae West were hilarious.

Yes, Mae was quite the firework sparking attention – of what is now “Old Hollywood” but with sassy Vaudeville roots and scandalous new New York stage ventures… (Yeah scandalous and I make no defense of bawdy behavior)… Yet you have to admit that probably people in show business today have a fraction of her spunk as well as public power. She was so strong that she was able to keep WC Fields from drinking for a movie!!! However her publicity for bad press was still good publicity – and Mae West was a woman who worked hard and knew her power. Her attitude and one-liner comebacks were notorious and stunning. She even made good publicity use of her short prison sentence for her indecent show and they say she simply stayed pampered on the Welfare Island NY (now Roosevelt Island park with stunning views of NYC).

What struck me in one interview – with giddy interviewers like Dick Cavet – was a sentence that she essentially said: “Keep what Keeps You…” – she was asked about her success in living and she said she did not drink or smoke – and when asked about her diary she said: “I figure everybody should – yeah I figure you keep a diary and someday it may keep you!”… smirking laughter – but what a nugget of thought… Keep what keeps you…

And that is the big nugget of more than thought but the ultimate “Keep what (WHO) Keeps you.” – and this ties back to our thoughts of us and God – which we should say God and us – we keep the faith because He keeps us – we have to realize that He kept us first – made us too – and sure we often still do wonder our place in this world, so we need to realize that our FAITH is what is keeping us grounded and able to keep moving – and able to rest without falling into fear or fret or worse… Keep what is Keeping you – keep faith – keep God as focus – keep going…

And do I advise keeping a “diary” or conversation going with God? (written or otherwise?) YOU BETCHA!!! I am so much better when I start my day with discussing life with God – checking in – surely not listening enough but God always says: Oh I know the plan I have for you – keep going – keep listening – and ESPECIALLY KEEP FOLLOWING… (and after a good rest or at least some rest – yes we should praise the Lord that He wants us to refuel….)

One more mini-rabbit hole for video watching was a faith clip from 70s or 80s TV show “All in the Family” – a scene from “Edith” played so masterful by Jean Stapleton and son-in-law “Meathead/Mike” played so well by Rob Reiner – and she questioned her faith after their friend was murdered (that show pushed all the social controversies of the day into riveting thoughtful episodes while still being a comedy) and the conversation went like this: Edith said she didn’t understand God – and Mike asked ‘well what subject did you hate the most and not understand in school’ – “Algebra” Edith answered – and Mike said: but you didn’t quit school – and Edith gave the most thoughtful of poses – of course that means that if you don’t understand all that God is doing – don’t quit God… DON’T QUIT GOD!!!

True – we don’t understand everything – barely a fraction it seems in people’s actions and evil in the world – don’t understand from the beginning of time on earth the fierceness of cowardness in doing the right thing – but that doesn’t mean that WE don’t do the right thing – and that doesn’t mean that WE don’t keep the faith. We is our limited view = and THEE is God Almighty. Don’t Quit God – because God is NOT quitting you!! and Keep what keeps you – yeah FAITH…

“those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” from Psalm 9

Amen

Psalm 9 NKJV

Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.

Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation. Selah

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

The label on the bathroom towel dispenser “MARATHON” reminded me of the Jackson Brown song, “Get up and do it again.” That we are in a marathon of life. That life changes and yet doesn’t. There are common situations all around, even if the scenery or seasons change. Then there’s core situations that instruct us that “what is old is new again”. No matter what season or place we are in, we best to keep moving, learn from the past, and apply newness to the new times. Times change, but yet how many repeated scenarios will we encounter? Many… Many…

Marathon life. Keep running… Don’t forget to shine… If the Lord doesn’t change, He doesnt, and if our gifted salvation is secured by our belief in the Lord, asking forgiveness, it is, then who are we not to be working out in the world with a renewal of faith every day. Jesus said to remember this and SHINE.

Today I’m helping with a rummage sale for a local non-profit. Selling for proceeds, yes, because they need money to paint the place to preserve it, but also since clearly things at the sale are priced to move – they don’t want to keep it all!!! Reducing the volume of what surely was donations and attic accumulations and what not. Dishes are a quarter, the stuff is OLD and yet not. The stuff is simply A LOT! And if we don’t sell it we have to pack it up! So we want to sell it!!!

My marathon marvel moments were MANY last night, the first time I stepped into the sale set up… First this is a reminder for the many church rummage sales of the 70s, that my mom used to volunteer with. Stacks and stacks, and people chomping at the bit to come in. Other marathon memories include taking my kids to this mansion to absorb history and remember that we are to remember. But what got me last night walking in to help price, was that the SAME CHRISTMAS donations that I personally brought were there for me to SELL, AGAIN, haha, Lord that is funny. After selling for my friend who is moving, these are now the SAME in the room that I am staffing for selling today… weird and not… It’s like I’m in a loop of my life for a reason. And yet I think the lesson here is just keep living life… This is an opportunity to share and to shine – and have fun for a good cause – and really – I hope we DO sell it and not have to pack it up and sell it again…

I heard the birds chirping last night as I was putting price tags on – it is definitely spring and we could even leave doors open in the warmth of the weather… it was a short long winter and spring has sprung. Yet I am going to wear my Christmas outfit because it is funny – humor is timeless. SO we have no excuse to not get out of our ruts of winter and move forward.

Our scripture for motivation today is Jesus reminding us to live life and keep living it – no matter how many times around the sun – we need to shine the LIGHT of HIM. We don’t shine to shine our accomplishments – we shine to show that He is still lighting us up from within… We as believers are called to be salt and light. – let us shine and not put our lights under baskets – let us keep salty preserving the goodness trusting inside of us. Let us KEEP LIGHTING UP FAITH IN EACH OTHER!

Ok – time to keep going and get rolling…

It is time to shine….

Amen and please read: Matthew 5 – Believers Are Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”