Leaky Shoes with a Good Umbrella

There is an Irish proverb which states:

“It’s no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.”

My dog Fritz and I are here to say that this is a very true statement.  I just attempted to take him outside for his morning walk in a steady rain that shows no signs of letting up for the next few days, according to the weatherman.  He looked at me at the doorway with the big sad eyes you see here.  He is part poodle, and has a distinct dislike of getting his feet wet.  I carried a big umbrella, and he pushed that little doggie body as close to my legs as he could.  But it was no use.  We both got our feet wet, very wet, and the umbrella just seemed silly after awhile.  Now that we are both drying off and gearing up for our next foray into the wild, I thought about other stuff, like how I try to make everything in my life seem good and dry and perfect on the outside, while sometimes my shoes, my foundation, my base is leaking.  When I lose track of the things that are really important in my life, like God, and my family, and my friends, and start just focusing on my umbrella of how the house looks, how many things I have to get done, my shoes are leaking, and the umbrella is rather silly and useless.

May you have sturdy shoes and no need for an umbrella!  🙂  Slainte, Lisa

Three Folds in my Garment

Three folds in  my garment

Yet only one garment I bear

Three joints in a finger

Yet only one finger is there

Three leaves in a shamrock

Yet only one shamrock I wear

Frost, ice and snow

Yet these three are nothing but water

Three persons in God

Yet only one God is there

-Irish blessing-

Thank you, God, for being an amazing, mind-blowing, beyond-my-imagination God.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Forever and ever.

Slainte, Lisa

Crossed Wires

We thought that the sound system had finally given up on us…the trusty sound system that had carried voices and instruments for concerts over the last 20 years had had enough.  There was no electricity in the outlets at the outdoor venue in which we were setting up…no time for a sound check before the electricity finally surged back into the lines.  A horrible buzzing sound emitted from the speakers.

Last night, we set the whole system up again in our dining room.  And lo and behold, we discovered that we had put two wires in the wrong places.  The good old sound system sounded crystal clear and was raring to go.  Which of course prompted an impromptu concert at home for my poor children to have to listen to.  🙂

Being hooked up to the right source is crucial; our energy flows, and we feel alive and well and purposeful.  Having our wires crossed, or connecting to bad sources, leads to confusion, unusefulness, and no direction.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  (John 10:10b)

Have a wonderful, God-powered day!  Slainte, Lisa

Sweet Music

Music expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” -Victor Hugo

Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” – unknown

I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God.” – Martin Luther

“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.”          -Mary Kay Ash

Find your song, whatever it is, and play it.  It is beautiful, and it is yours, given by God.

Slainte, Lisa

*images provided via Pinterest

Wind on the Haystacks

“There’s no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.”  -Irish proverb

Photo by Patricia Edwards in County Clare, 1958.
www.irishcultureandcustoms.com

 

After piling the dried hay into 7 to 8 foot stacks, hayropes would be tied down over them.  At the end of the ropes were heavy stones to hold the haystacks down in the wind.  You can only imagine what would happen if they were not tied down…hay lost, much hard work and sweat gone to waste, and no food for livestock.

This got me thinking about my life…is it tied down?  Am I blowing crazily in the wind, or am I secured to the rock?  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”  (Psalm 18:2)  Sometimes life gets crazy, and winds are howling, and it feels like you’re going to blow away.  But the Rock that is stronger than me will hold me down and keep me together in my “haystack.”    Slainte, Lisa

Women helping to create haystacks
www.irelandcultureandcustoms.com