“God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(acorn in the leaves / Julie Cook / 2021)
The crown will be given neither to beginners,
nor to the advanced, but to the victorious,
to those who persevere to the end.
St Margaret Mary Alacoque
God wants us to receive His mercy and, in turn,
be merciful to others through our actions, words, and prayers.
He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He extends
love and forgiveness to us.
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
from his book Understanding Divine Mercy
(hidden creatures amongst the rosemary /Julie Cook / 2021)
Free me from evil passions and heal my heart of all disorderly affections,
that being healed and well purified in my interior,
I may become fit to love, courageous to suffer and constant to persevere.
Love is an excellent thing, a great good indeed,
which alone maketh light all that is burdened and makes all that which is bitter sweet and savory.
The love of Jesus is noble and generous;
it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect.”
Thomas á Kempis, p. 89
An Excerpt From
Imitation of Christ
“What you are is God’s gift to you,
what you become is your gift to God.”
Hans Urs von Balthasar, Prayer
(Michael Davenport, a handicapped Athens street artist)
It was almost a year ago…
We were still living on the western side of Georgia when I caught a news story that was
taking place on the eastern side of our state, in the city of my alma mater.
There was a street artist in the Classic City of Athens, Ga. named Michael Davenport.
Street artists in Athens are nothing new.
I was an Art Ed. major in Athens 40 years ago…artists in any college town tend to
prevail upon the streets.
This story however is not a typical artsy story.
Rather this is the story about a handicapped middle aged man who had lost
both of his arms as a teen.
There was some sort of electrical accident.
Michael lost both of his arms at the age of 13.
Eventually Michael taught himself to write and draw by using his mouth.
I learned about this talented young man about a year ago when there was a news story about
Michael being attacked and robbed.
It seems that some low life thug cold-cocked Michael while he was in a Athens
parking lot doing his art.
Michael was knocked unconscious and robbed of both his earnings and art supplies.
I made a mental note– I wanted to support this young man–I wanted to eventually buy
one of his UGA bulldogs drawings.
Fast forward to yesterday.
My husband and I make almost daily runs to the Lowes and Home Depot in Athens as we continue working
on our new “home” project.
This new home of ours is about 10 minutes outside of Athens.
And as life would have it, it just so happens that Michael stands in front of
the Athens Lowes where he is set up out in the parking, drawing his UGA art.
As I pulled into the parking lot, my husband noted that “‘my artist’ was over there
making his pictures.”
WHAT??
I practically leapt out of the car racing across the parking lot toward Michael.
“Michael, Michael, my name is Julie, I saw you on the news…”
Michael began to tell me his story.
He explained how he was still healing from the brutal attack almost 11 months ago.
Still going to doctors.
He was just finishing up a bulldog that he drew using various Sharpies on a white canvas.
“Michael”, I began, “I don’t have much cash on me, but I would be honored if I could
buy one of your drawings…could I come back tomorrow or would
you be willing to take a check?”
Michael thought for a minute and eventually told me that he would indeed accept my check.
All the while various shoppers were stopping and patting Michael on the shoulder.
Cars would pull up, arms stretched out of windows, each offering cash in hand.
Michael told me to undo the the canvas from the easel and take the pictures he had just finished.
People like Michael remind us all what it means to persevere.
He shares a gift.
A gift that emerged from tragedy.
A gift that has been tested and tried but a gift none the less.
How blessed I was today.
Thank you Michael.
Thank you God.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/athens-artist-without-hands-inspires-national-audience
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/video/858408
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
“Persevere in labors that lead to salvation.
Always be busy in spiritual actions.
In this way, no matter how often the enemy of our souls approaches,
no matter how many times he may try to come near us,
he’ll find our hearts closed and armed against him.”
St. Cyprian of Carthage
(red indian pheasant / Parrot Mt. /Pigeon Forge, TN/ Julie Cook /2020)
“Christ Himself is our mouth through which we speak to the Father,
our eye through which we see the Father, our right hand through which we
offer to the Father.
Without His intercession neither we nor all the saints have anything with God.”
St. Ambrose
All sorts of things are running through our thoughts today.
Some of us are pleased yet hesitant.
Some of us are sad and resentful.
But what we need to remember is that there is One who is so much greater than
all of this mess.
If you’ve been a regular guest here,
then you already know that I am a big fan of the series The Chosen
https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen
It is solely a crowdfunded production.
Since I was afforded the opportunity to watch season 1 due to the giving of someone
who came before me…
I have opted to do the same, I have paid it forward, twice.
Here are just two of the “thank yous” I received…
So on election day…I have found that these types of words transcend the silliness of man…
words of anger, divisiveness, and bickering…all of which cast a pall over the
ways of this world.
So today, the day after, no matter how things turned out for you or me…be it good or bad …
remember, there is One who is so much greater than any of this mess…
Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 NIV
(sunrise / Rosemary Beach, Fl / Julie Cook / 2019)
“Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty,
persevere in it for this very reason.
God often desires to see what love your soul has,
and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.”
St. John of the Cross
Amen, and again I say, AMEN!!
“The most deadly poison of our time is indifference.
And this happens although the praise of God should know no limits.
Let us strive, therefore, to praise him to the greatest extent of our powers.”
St. Maximilian Kolbe
(poor Percy, not a happy camper—his home for the next 12 weeks / Julie Cook / 2019)
“If, then, we wish to persevere and to be saved—-for no one can be saved without perseverance—-
we must pray continually.
Our perseverance depends, not on one grace,
but on a thousand helps which we hope to obtain from God during our whole lives,
that we may be preserved in his grace.
Now, to this chain of graces a chain of prayers on our part must correspond:
without these prayers, God ordinarily does not grant his graces.
If we neglect to pray, and thus break the chain of prayers,
the chain of graces shall also be broken, and we shall lose the grace of perseverance.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 201
An Excerpt From
The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori
(a moment of freedom and reprieve from the dreaded cone / Percy / Julie Cook /2019)
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin,
but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
Harper Lee
(ice and snow encrusted Camilla / Julie Cook / 2017)
Remember the picture of the yard sign I shared on Friday??
That ‘Southern State of Mind’ Georgia Bulldog yard sign??
A yard sign that was quickly accumulating snow?
Well this is what it looked like once the snows ended Saturday…..
We Southerners do like our “weather.”
And we love to both fuss and cuss it….
Be it good or bad.
All kinds of weather.
We will complain about the heat.
We will lament about the humidity.
We will run and hide, with good reason, at the first sign of a tornado.
We will grumble about the lack or rain…
Just as we will grouse over its abundance.
But throw a little sleet, ice or snow our way and it’s all but
Katy bar the door..
We will get practically giddy at the first mention of anticipated snow…
As visions of serene images of Currier and Ives dance like magical
sugarplums round our anticipating heads.
Horse drawn carriages gliding effortlessly through the snow, as bells merrily jingle
while both adults and kids alike race joyously to build snowmen.
Children and teachers alike sit glued to weather reports, praying the Weatherman
will grant that ever so hoped for wish…the announcement of No School..
as everyone races for a homemade sled…mother’s favorite cookie pan….
However all of this wonderment quickly dissipates the minute the roads ice over,
the pine trees bend to the ground and snap under the heavy weight of all
the frozen precipitation…as the temperatures dip in to the teens, transformers blow
like popcorn, and the lights all go out…
as in out for days….
For suddenly there are no more fun and games as all things have
jumped to drastically frightfully serious in the twinkling of an eye…
Yet under all that frightfully messy winter…
Just like our much maligned yet prevalent Kudzu….
we remain…ever tenacious…
It’s what we do…
We might wilt a bit, panic a tad, slip slid into every ditch imaginable…
but we will always come back strong….
Just wait until April to see just who’s looking good!!!!
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for
you against your enemies to give you victory.
Deuteronomy 20:4
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill
(photograph: Troup County, Georgia / Julie Cook / 2013)
If there is anyone who should have known all about failure, tried attempts, loss of position, loss of a child, loss of income, loss of support, a bevy of doubters, naysayers, opposers ….the list can go on and on…it is none other than Sir Winston Churchill. And yet through all of the doubting, the disbelief, the hardships and sadness… he persevered forward..going on to become one of the greatest statesmen and orators this world has ever known.
But time is of the essence. You mustn’t dawdle. Time to get a move on if you’re going to make a difference, make a change, do something positive in a not so positive world. Heaven knows we all need positive—we need people who are willing to stand up for what is right, willing to take a stand for those who cannot stand for themselves, who will do the right thing when no one is looking, who will do the right thing when the masses “rile against thee”….
Better get hopping, time is “a wasting”……
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