Sunday Psalm

Psalm 9 (NRSV)

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.

4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgement.

5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned for ever, he has established his throne for judgement.

8 He judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with equity.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.

12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,

14 so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.

16 The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish for ever.

19 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.

20 Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human.

World Refugee Day

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

is an impartial, non-political humanitarian organisation mandated by the United Nations to lead and co-ordinate international action for the world-wide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems.

There is a 6-page pdf full-color leaflet that can be printed and shared that gives an overview of the need and the purpose of the day. There is a poster here. Many other resources are available, including curriculum materials for teachers, lesson plans and teaching tools that suggest helping people become more empathetic and open-minded in addition to promoting other particular values.

The United Methodist Church encourages us to reach out to refugees. The United Mathodist Committee on Relief has a strong emphasis on helping refugees:

Through UMCOR's Refugees/Immigration programs, congregations that reach out to refugees and immigrants in a spirit of welcome and sharing find their own lives enriched and their understanding of the world broadened. They gain a deeper insight into the biblical command, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).

Since 1940, UMCOR's mission - providing relief in disaster areas, aiding refugees and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty - has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries.

More resources and information on the issue and how we as individuals can help can be found at the sites linked above.

World Sauntering Day

Today is World Sauntering Day. Have a nice stroll, just for fun, and enjoy the time.

Dinner and a Movie

Another in a series of easy meatless meals, but I was so exhausted by the time I got home that I ended up not even eating. The others had baked potatoes with the fixin's of their choice while we watched House of Flying Daggers. #2 Son liked this movie even better that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The Daughter thought it was entirely too sad to be enjoyable. It was a tragic tale.

Short-order Food

What with being up before daylight and going straight through until my flat tire at 8:00 tonight, fixing supper was out of the question. We picked up MickyD burgers at the drive-through after the itty-bitty spare was installed by AAA, who came after a little over an hour.

What a day!

Meatless Supper

We had fried okra, a couple of kinds of beans, salad with tomatoes, and cheese bread with The Daughter's home-made fudge for dessert. The Daughter made the cheese bread, too. She's a great cook.

.999... = 1

Don't believe me? Check it out here. Or here.

The Ironic Catholic Haiku Contest

Winners have been announced. My favorite, though not the winner, is this one:

I always wondered
Why is God a mystery?
Guess I'll never know.

--Anne Watson

Tacos

Tonight we had tacos. We aren't eating beef right now, so we had a choice of refried beans or cheese with the usual fixin's. I found the recipe for the cheese tacos at this cooking site. We altered it some, but it was still tasty. And it is very easy.

Remember the Bud Ice Penguin?

Dooby Dooby Doo....

Spaghetti

Tonight we had spinach spaghetti with a veggie sauce. I use the Prego "Chunky Garden" instead of making my own since my clan seems to like it just as well ---better, really. I used to add some meat to it, but I'm avoiding beef due to what I see as the agriculture and beef industries' unwillingness to test adequately for Mad Cow Disease and we'd rather have our sausage on pizza. The spinach noodles have sometimes been hard to find, but lately they've been on the shelf at Kroger. The Daughter had seconds, but this dish is not a great favorite with #1 and #2 Sons.

Sunflower Pest

My poor sunflowers have fallen victim to head-clipping weevils. The photo below is from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln site.



The weevils girdle the stem, causing the stem to fall over near the top where the flower has just reached blooming stage. I've had sunflowers before but have never seen anything like this. I think I'll plant zinnias next year.

Trinity Sunday

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made:
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man:
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried:
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures:
And ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father:
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose Kingdom will have no end:

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead:
And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

Sunflowers

I love sunflowers. I didn't plant any this year because I thought the patio might be too small for them, but the birds were a bit messy at the feeder and sunlowers growing under the birdfeeder was the happy result. The photo posted above is from pdphoto, but I do have one tiny little sunflower that bloomed yesterday. There are lots of buds that look like they will be opening soon. I'm already planning where I'll plant sunflower seeds next year.

National Hunger Awareness Day

Today is National Hunger Awareness Day. There are local events to raise awareness of the problem. There will be an interfaith service here sponsored by the Memphis Food Bank and held at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.

What can you do? You can advocate, raise awareness, donate, sponsor an event or volunteer. Suggestions can be found here.

World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day. The United Nations General Assembly established the annual observance in 1972 to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action. The theme for this year is Deserts and Desertification and the slogan is Don't Desert Drylands! You can find links to news on the subject at Topix.net. Send somebody a card to celebrate and spread news of the event.

Miss Marple

I always liked the Miss Marple TV shows we'd watch on PBS and A&E starring Joan Hickson, who died in 1998 at age 92. Tonight we watched a new Miss Marple -at least this series was new to us, but we don't watch much TV. I'm not sure what to make of Geraldine McEwan in the role. She has some characteristics in common with my old friend from previous years, but it just doesn't seem like Miss Marple. Yet. I'm sure she'll grow on me.

The shows are based on Agatha Christie's works. Miss Marple was introduced in The Murder at the Vicarage, published in 1930.

Pentecost film

Pentecost Film from Mark Berry, the "pioneer leader of : safe space".

Pentecost Psalm

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (NRSV)

104:24 O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

104:25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.

104:26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

104:27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;

104:28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

104:29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

104:30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.

104:31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works--

104:32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.

104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

104:35b Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!

We love our patio!

Today we bought 4 Plantation Patterns brand Napa action chairs and 2 little end tables that are a close enough match to suit us. We bought 2 Butterfly Bushes (Black Knight) and 3 Lantana. The bright yellow Lantana will go in a hanging basket. We also got 2 pots. These pots are bigger and prettier than what we have now, and we'll move the rubber tree into one and the mother-in-law tongue into the other. I'd love a fountain, but I don't know if that'll come this year.

National Trails Day

The first Saturday in June is National Trails Day. I can't find any activities around here that are planned specifically to celebrate the day, but there are hiking trails in the area. There are more than 20 miles of hiking trails at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. Some information about the trails is here. There is information about other area hiking trails here.

Dalai Lama Honors Tintin

Tintin is the first comic book character to be honored in this way. The Dalai Lama gave "Tintin in Tibet" the Light of Truth Award for helping raise awareness of Tibet. Google's links to news stories on this is here.

I first saw the story at Religion News Blog.

Day Lily

I'm having trouble getting a good photo of my day lilies, but I found a public domain picture at pdphoto and am posting it with this entry. The kind of lily I have is the common orange field lily that is often seen by the side of the road. Although each bloom only lasts one day, there are many blooms on each plant. They are easy to care for, preferring full sun. Some care instructions are here. They bring back fond memories for me, because my parents had several beds of day lilies in our yard as I was growing up. The ones I have now came from one of those beds.

It looks like the sunflowers may bloom soon.

Raleigh Community Council Meeting

The Raleigh Community Council had its regularly scheduled meeting tonight at Raleigh United Methodist Church. The special guest was Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton. Attendance was great, and the public officials present stayed around after the meeting to discuss the issues with people. There will be a community barbeque soon. We are planning on going and are looking forward to it.

Travel Narratives

World Hum has just completed a list of their top 30 travel narratives of all time. I enjoy travel narratives and lists, so this is a great combination for me. Their #1 book is Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger. This book, published in the 195o's, details his time among the Bedouin. There is some information on Thesiger and this book at RoadJunky. You can read the Guardian obituary here. He was 93 years old when he died in 2003. Some of his photographs are online at the Pitt Rivers Museum website. Longitude Books is a great source for travel narratives and related books.