Sharing Circle » God http://www.sharing-circle.com We're All In This Together! Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:02:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Mother Taught Us http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/mother-taught-us/ http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/mother-taught-us/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:10:54 +0000 Terri http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/mother-taught-us/ About God.
To pray and know He heard, that His presences was a constant and that only
we could turn away….He never would.
That He loved us as we were, but called us higher to become more.

Mother taught us:

To never go to sleep angry.
That things done right took no longer than things done wrong.
That all problems looked better after a good night’s sleep.
That every story had two sides.
That we had a reputation to uphold; a name to be proud of.
That time heals grief and then memories will bring comfort.
That we answered for our words as well as our actions and that words were
powerful enough to hurt and heal.
To give flowers to the living.
That all we give out comes back to us…the good and the bad.
That every person we meet would have a lesson to teach us if we could listen
with our heart.

Mother taught us:

That death was just as natural as birth and that when it was her time to leave us that God would supply all the strength, healing and love to go on.
And….that we should pass on all the good she and others have freely given to us.

]]> http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/mother-taught-us/feed/ 1 Divine Intervention?? http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/divine-intervention/ http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/divine-intervention/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:04:41 +0000 Terri http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/divine-intervention/ We were going on vacation. I was only ten years old but I can remember the days of preparation and packing that Mother did. We were headed to the high mountains in West Virginia. It would be a long and winding five hour trip. We were going to rough it and stay in a “cabin” that one of my Dad’s friends was loaning us. We would bathe in the river (we could use Ivory soap so that it would float so we wouldn’t lose it). There was no heat in this place so oil lanterns and a wood stove would have to do. I couldn’t wait! It sounded like such an adventure to me. Dad said maybe one night we could sleep on pine needles that we would gather and we would name the stars.

Finally the day of departure arrived. Daddy worked long, twelve hour days but he got us all up bright and early and we took off in a car packed full of supplies and four sisters. Now, here is the clincher. We had been on the road a couple hours with me already asking “how much further is it?” and all the sisters complaining about being crowded and could my parents take me up front with them? Dad even offered me a nickel if I could be quiet for fifteen minutes (this may have scarred me for life!) and I complied to prove I could.

Suddenly Mom broke the silence, “Mark, I just realized that when I shut the electricity off for the house to save money that the chest freezer went off too. Every thing will thaw out and have to be thrown out in a week’s time!”

And here is the wisdom: as Daddy turned the car around he patted my Mom’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “God works in mysterious ways. Perhaps this was His way of slowing us down to protect us from harm. We will just trust in that and be grateful.” And so a five hour trip ended up taking about nine hours but we arrived safely. It was one of our best vacations and also one that we teased Mom about forever.

I have thought of that day many times through the years, as I took a wrong turn, forgot something and had to backtrack, etc. It was a good lesson to learn young, a unique way perhaps, to look at God’s love and timely interventio

]]> http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/divine-intervention/feed/ 0 A Retreat From The Noise http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/a-retreat-from-the-noise/ http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/a-retreat-from-the-noise/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:03:08 +0000 Terri http://www.sharing-circle.com/2009/02/19/a-retreat-from-the-noise/ Last fall I felt a strong calling to go to Laurel Ridge and stay at the Gemein House. Logically I did not want to go. Spiritually I knew that I must. I had read the article that Jennifer Sealy had written about staying there. I spoke to her after I had made reservations. She assured me it was the right thing to do and that I would not feel afraid or alone. She was right. I have always traveled a lot by myself and that has never concerned me. But, did I want to stay in a tiny cabin in the woods, cut off from telephones, television and computers as well as people? The gal that took my reservation explained to me that the cabin would be unlocked, the key on the table. She said there would be staff at the office down the road during the day but that I would see no one during my stay. Big difference from staying at the Hyatt!

I was going for different reasons than on my usual travels. I was going to listen to God, to feel His Love, His guidance. I was quite simply going to be restored. I didn’t grow up a Moravian and I didn’t spend summers at Laurel Ridge. This was all unfamiliar territory to me. That is until I arrived, saw those mountains and trees and felt the familiar touching me. I walked into that tiny cabin and instantly felt safe. I built a fire in the fireplace and settled in to read the notes other people had written about their stays. Their words touched my heart. We all had common needs: silence, soothing, healing, guidance, acceptance, and on and on their words echoed my yearnings.

I stayed three nights. I was never afraid. It rained and rained and I kept that fire going the whole time. I opened windows so I could hear the patter of the rain more clearly and oh, the smells of the wet forest mingled with the wood smoke. I put on a hooded jacket and I walked and walked in the rain feeling like a teenager without a care in the world.

The cost is only fifteen dollars per night. Did you know that, $15.00?? Donations above that are welcome but that is the charged cost. A slice of heaven, no housework surrounding me calling my name, no meals to cook, no meetings to attend, no phone to ring and on and on the list goes.

Don’t you want to go? I am heading out again this spring. I found what I went there expecting. I will again. Life is like that for the most part, isn’t it? We just have to keep seeking and finding answers all the way home.

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