Monday’s gift, a Psalm 23 mindset . . .

It’s not merely morning; it’s Monday morning.  

After breakfast spent some time reading/reflecting with a pen in hand on Psalm 23—thought, “post this on yon blog” . . .

Hey, while it doesn’t read as in King James’ English, it still rhymes thinking. Rhymes are for ruminating. This morning I ruminated the "ancient shepherd rhyme" from “The Message Bible” translation’s paraphrase, and also “wrote-it-up-a-bit” myself . . .  

God, my shepherd! Looking at you, I yet again remind myself “I don’t need a thing.”

I’m not reminding you, I’m reminding me . . .

You have bedded me down in lush meadows; you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word, you let me catch my breath send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.**

So God, thanks for two of your gifts . . .  

The “gift of Monday, and the “gift of my work”

. . . help me to be "minded" to give through what You have given 

**Psalm 23 as an amalgam of the Message Bible and the DPV

Have a laugh, think, and wise-up . . .

This cartoon got me thinking, ruminating actually . . . 

Its humour’s an easy one for me to think on, most of my flights around the country are "no-baggage-check-in's". While overall baggage check-in is down, I observe a high percentage (myself included) travel with their "stuff" with them in back-packs. One’s “on my back carry stuff” gets x-rayed, and examined. But, is it self-examined? Do I know what I’ve bought with me? What’s in the bag on the back is matter for scrutiny; security personnel look at on-screen shapes and patterns, asking occasional questions of us as we repack and move onto our destinations.

We travel with things on us and with us; things visible, and invisible—baggage. The invisible is not merely with us, it’s within us. 

Do we really know what's inside of us in our life-travels? We know there's seen baggage; we've got eyes for that; how do we “see the unseen emotional and attitudinal baggage on our back”? There’s unseen baggage; some of which is not only OK, its necessary and needed for our life-travels. 

Early Christian apostle, Saul of Tarsus’ rumination with the Corinthians connects with my previous paragraph. He was interacting with them on self-knowing and understanding, wisdom; simply, what “God-only-knows” (a common statement of my late mother) through the Spirit’s interactions with our spirits. Try doing some assisted reflective self-knowing—some ruminating . . . 

Hey, when ruminating about me or you, why not “chew-on-a-bullet-or-two”—here’s what the Corinthians* were offered . . .

·         The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.

·         Whoever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself?

o   The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it.

·         God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.

o   We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions.

·         The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit.

o   There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness.

·         Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion.

·         Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics.

Thot: While there’s often some unnecessary (or unresolved) baggage in our inner selves, most of what we travel with is highly necessary for our life-journey. Don’t just lose your baggage, evaluate and re-engage life through it—Paul infers “what we carry in concert with the Spirit, in fact carries us . . . "

*Bulleted selections have been excerpted from 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (Message Bible)