This weekend we had planned to take care of several projects. We only really got one accomplished and we got in the ready position for two other projects that we'll take care of this week. The one project was moving the bird bath so it can be seen better from the couch and buying more garden soil to fill in the flower bed.
Saturday morning the phone rang about 9:15. Since I didn't recognize the number I let it go to voice mail. The caller was a friend from long ago. I picked up the phone and we began visiting. We have probably not seen or spoken to each other in over 30 years. She had been looking for us for a while because a group of our friends from back in the day were having a reunion and the reunion just happened to be Saturday afternoon. She had given it one more Google try. It was so much fun talking with Sherry and to tell you the truth I usually have a good memory but there were several things I had completely forgotten. We happily made the trek out toward Pasadena and had a great time with friends from so long ago. We all exchanged emails, FB and cell numbers before we left.
I finished up most of my homework yesterday. Genesis 4: 1-4 was one of the passages we had to look up in reference to I John 3. All these years I have never been able to keep Cain and Abel straight. I couldn't remember who did what. I have now found a way to remember, Abel=acceptance of sacrifice and Cain=crappy sacrifice. I know, but it works for me. It's kind of like how I hardly ever want to quote Job because it may sound good but what if it is coming from Job's friends and that isn't good. I call Roy my walking commentary and he was so helpful in breaking down the happenings between these two brothers. He even made a passing reference to Joseph and his brothers. I don't think I ever realized that Joseph tattled on his brothers and that was the final straw, along with the colorful coat, that caused the brothers to act so intently. It is really a study into what we meditate upon and why we get so angry when a weakness or wrong is exposed just by the life and light of another person. I have mentioned before our loved one who meditates and is a brooder over every wrong, real and imagined. That loved one's life illuminated the the whole concept and reality of unreasonable anger like that experienced by Cain toward his brother. Also the sacrifice Cain made to God was not from the first fruits or the best crop. Roy explained how the first crop brings the most joy of any other crop. Cain did not share that rejoicing, he gave his leftovers. Our loved ones favorite quote when caught in this reality is this statement, "my best isn't good enough." Funny, I cannot remember one time when the loved one really ever gave their best much less good or better. They cloaked themselves with that deception throughout the years. Then Roy used as an example a birthday gift because the people that know and love you the most, know how and what gifts to give. Then you have friends that don't really care what they give because they are really not close to you, sometimes it is an obvious regifting or sometimes the gift isn't anything you really like or use. For years I had a friend and I guess we felt obligated to give one another birthday gifts whose gifts to me felt more like an obligation than a celebratory situation. Thankfully, we stopped giving gifts to each other. She usually gave me earrings with the backs being a fish hook style (don't like them and they won't stay in my ears) or a pair of such cheap earrings ($3.00 price tag left on them) that the cheap metal of the posts makes your ears crust over. Pretty much almost every pair I received throughout the years went into the trash. I kept one pair to always remind me to be a generous giver. Roy said, the difference between the givers and the gifts illustrates the gifts that Cain and Abel made to God. Put all this together and I finally understand the Cain and Abel story.
Roy grilled turkey legs last night. He marinated them for a day and they were so good. We are having leftovers tonight. Yum! We went to church Sunday morning. We had missed two weeks because I had been sick. I went with Roy to his Sunday oops, Life Bible Study class. David is teaching Galatians and the lesson was very good. Roy and I did Collina's afterwards and then headed to Lowe's to pick up dirt and a few flowers...oh and some bird seed. I am feeding every bird in Fort Bend County. Well, at least it seems like it.
Maybe tonight Roy will help me unbox a table I ordered last week. Several times I have almost ordered it but felt it was a little more than I wanted to pay. Last week Grandin Road ran a special sale and the table was included and on top of the sale price an additional 30% off. Love a good deal!
Book reading and maybe a short nap are calling out to me. I am reading Garry Marshall's biography and it is wonderful! Love to see how he has been successful, still married to his original wife, and loved his family while being one of the most creative men in Hollywood and New York.
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