This is a post from 2023 (September 24). At the end of my reflection I wrote the words copied below. I no longer think that a resolution is impossible. A decision to move forward and forget past transgressions can bring inner peace.
“However, when motivations are left unspoken,
no clear understanding is communicated, and when
reasons are not explained, mistakes will be repeated.
No resolution has been made possible.“
If you want to read more about James Clerk Maxwell’s faith, you can read about it here.
Today I have been reading about men and women of science who had a strong faith in God. I discovered this great website, The Vatican Observatory Foundation. I saw on their website information about Mary Anning, a fossil hunter. This reminded me that many years ago I read a book about her. She had a very interesting life, and is credited with discovering many large fossils along the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast in Lyme Regis, England.
She also had a strong faith in God. “Like many contemporary clergy-naturalists, Anning viewed the ancient, extinct creatures she unearthed not as a challenge to God, but as a revelation of a deeper, grander creation. ” This is a quote from the Vatican Observatory.
I mention these two scientists today because I have previously read about both of them. I have been thinking about Maxwell, and I have recently read about his contributions to the discovery of color photography, and of course this was of interest to me. I already knew about his discovery of electromagnetism. I added information about Mary Anning because I was reminded today that I had read a book about her life, and her discoveries. She is largely unknown even though her contributions to paleontology are huge! Both scientists saw no conflict between their faith in God and their study of science.
I write this as an encouragement to students of faith and science. Let nothing deter you or discourage you from your pursuits. Harmony can exist between the two.
When doing my Sunday reflection this morning the thought of rivers came into my mind. I am still thinking about March as a month to honor my Scots-Irish heritage. River symbolism runs deep in many cultures, and the river is used symbolically in the bible as well. As I was researching rivers in Scotland and Ireland, I remembered the Riverdance show starring Michael Flatley. My daughter was in love with this show, and we bought her the VCR tape which we still own and can still watch on an old TV/DVD/VCR machine we still have. I took a picture of it. See below.
She is watching this today. Luckily the tape still works and so does the TV/VCR/DVD player. I wish we could buy another newer version of this same machine. It is made by Toshiba. When we bought it was being discontinued. We got the last one.
This coming week Saint Patrick’s day will be celebrated, and not necessarily in the way it was historically intended. However, we live in America and the year is 2026, so the spirit of celebration is one of happiness with family and heritage.
Cheers!
We are in Black History Month right now. Soul Train was a TV show that ran in the 70's when I was in my teen years.
I think the #2 definition of soul is a good reflection of the intense energy that was exhibited on this show. I loved the energy of the music and the dancing. I did not watch the show consistently, though, when I did watch it the energy was contagious!
A celebration of the soul embodied in this show is definitely worth showcasing during Black History Month.
It is 2025. This garden picture was taken by me in my garden in 2010. It looks nothing like this today. Now I have family priorities that take most of my time.
I look back and I am thankful that at one time I had the luxury of playing in my garden for hours upon hours. I am thankful that I took enough pictures to look back at and be grateful for that time. I am grateful that my family allowed me this time.
This coming Tuesday 12/02/2025 is Giving Tuesday. Some of you, including myself, have already given to organizations or missions that speak to the heart. Though it is nice to have a day set aside to make sure in this season of giving that you remember others, especially those organizations that serve people who need help.
Count your blessings, and be grateful by giving to others that need your help.
This morning as I was drinking my coffee and looking out onto our deck,
I saw a trail of bright yellow cucumber flowers.
They looked so pretty in the sunlight shining onto the deck.
Through all my neglect and amateur skills at vegetable gardening,
this cucumber plant has been a star performer bordering on miracle plant.
I looked away and then my subconscious told me to take another look.
I looked again and right above these flowers hung a new cucumber,
which I had not noticed the day before.
This has happened a few times with this plant.
I notice nothing, and then the next day I see a fully developed cucumber.
I have wondered is my vision so selective that I miss things.
I don't know the answer here.
I feel I must have a guardian angel watching over me to keep my spirits up.
It also makes me think I should not give up on future plans of growing vegetables.
I will show proof of produce that has been recently picked.
I won't show the ugly mess of pots and yellowed leaves.
https://movingforwardslowly.com/2019/12/07/the-spin-is-all-that-matters/
Above is a link to an old post of mine dated 12/07/2019, and titled The Spin is all that Matters. Thinking about the wooden bus mounted on top of a Ford metal frame shown in my most recent post from yesterday, reminded me of this old post of mine about wooden spools and how they can be made into something new.
I talked about God in this post. It is most likely considered a radical idea. However, I thought it appropriate to revisit it this Sunday.
I definitely believe in God. He has proven time and time again that he exists in my mind. The problem arises when trying to visualize him, and maybe this is why some religions believe God transcends our ability to visualize him.
("Many monotheistic faiths, like Islam and some interpretations of Christianity and Judaism, emphasize God's transcendence, making direct visual representation impossible..." This is an AI quote.)
My difficulty with visualizing God must stem from the fact that I was raised in the Christian faith. So, in my attempts to visualize him, I make him so large he controls Earth and continually remakes the female earth to advance with technology, and with him (since they are entangled.)
There is no way to be sure of any of my visualizations, so I am content with keeping him in my thoughts and my heart, and trying to live by his doctrine of good will towards all. He does transcend us all, and is larger than life on Earth.
My daughter likes to watch the Anne of Green Gables collection of movies based on the books by L. M. Montgomery. The picture I have featured here is from a Canadian government website. This house is a National Historic house based on the book. We visited this house on Prince Edward Island when my daughter was young. Her love of this story is still strong today.
Recently I overheard Anne ask Mirella if she can imagine being in the depths of despair. Mirella responded, "No I cannot. To despair is to turn your back on God." Hearing this got me to thinking about whether I agree with this.
Curiosity got me to thinking about other famous fictional characters' ideas about faith and belief in God. The Charles M. Schulz comic strip titled Peanuts came into my mind. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang are so famous that they have their own museum. https://schulzmuseum.org/
It is well documented that Charles M. Schulz, the creator of this iconic comic strip, did not shy away from including faith, spirituality, and theology in his comics. Here is one that I think is appropriate when thinking about Mirella Cuthbert's quote that is mentioned above.
I admire his open-mindedness and willingness to discuss religious beliefs. I think many people want to be considered “good” religious people. The trouble arises when we all have differing opinions about how “good” should be defined.
My personal opinion is that there are many roads that can lead you to God and salvation. Religions set-up their own system of beliefs and theories to point us in the direction they think we should follow. Reflection is all about considering your beliefs compared to other beliefs. This opens the door to modification if necessary and it can help foster a peaceful co-existence among us all.
I have several thoughts on my mind this Sunday. I think I posted about the cardinal flower yesterday because Pope Francis has been in the news.
My thoughts and prayers are with him.
Last week I received my Virginia Real ID. This is my birthday month, and it was time to renew my driver's license, so since the law has changed regarding this, I upgraded to a real ID. I am good now for eight years before the need will arise again.
My inside joke is that I will be blessed next week since adding one year to my age will make my age 'code' for blessed. I see this word written on clothes, garden stones, garden fairies, etc. Making it a joke is one way to lessen the thought of 'older age' or 'old age'. I don't feel old.
This hypertufa planter I made 14 years ago is still standing strong.
The inside needs to be redesigned with new plant material and fun features.
I found the recipe online at gardeners.com. Here is a picture.
You can find directions at the above mentioned website. I did not follow these exact directions when I made mine years ago. If I remember correctly I found the directions in a book or magazine. They were not complete directions, so I had to improvise with how to make the form. I used a big old picnic basket that I lined with a super-sized, plastic, heavy duty garden refuse bag. I used gloves to slap the mixture on the sides. It was much harder to make than I expected. Once you start the process, you have to finish it. I was very blessed that it turned out as well as it did. The only reason I made one is because I kept seeing them at an upscale garden center, and I really wanted one, though their price was more than I could justify or felt comfortable paying.
Since I will be blessed this year (ha!), I should redesign the planter with some new mini or dwarf plantings. It currently holds a dwarf azalea, and some dwarf hostas named "Mouse Ears." These are drought tolerant. I still have the faded fairy with the word "Bless" on it. I will look for more garden decor with the words: bless, blessed, or blessing. Also I need to look for an automatic way to water it.
Looking ahead with plans to improve some things is a good way to feel positive right now.
