Fending off Buffalo And Never Backing Down

She barks bravely and furiously,
doing her job. Loud and deep,

the sound continues on and on.

She does not back down.

The big brown beast stands too close to her territory
- to her domain - the one she is called to defend.

...Instinctively,

she knows who she is and why she is on this earth...

It is bred into her;
she cannot ignore it.

The angry brown 2000 pound buffalo does not even make her flinch.
She will do what she is called to do

- no matter what.

Yes, a week ago, my dog took on a buffalo, and the buffalo almost took her on until he was herded back toward his field via police escort.

See Anatolian Shepherds and Great White Pyrenees are bred to protect and defend flocks of sheep and goats, mostly, traditionally. It is what they do. They know this is what they do, and my dog is a mix of these two breeds. She did not herd the buffalo that day; she is not a Collie. Herding is not her job. She barked and defended.

She never backed down, sure of her calling.

Daily, she stays between my son and the backyard fence at all times, doing her job. At 85 pounds, she has a presence. She romps and plays, but she is never off duty. . .never.

She will stop in the middle of a game with her face half buried in the sand to protect her perimeter, and most days, she is protecting us from joggers she does not know or the next door neighbor's Chihuahua that likes to sneak out of the house.

But, that day, she barked and barked, angering the buffalo and doing her job -
protecting...defending...

confident...fierce...and true...

She was ready . . .sure of her calling.

Ode to the Canyon - The Laity Lodge Retreat

The minnows nibble on my toes in the cold water. That is why I come here. I come hear because the water and the canyon speak. Inhaling the Frio is inhaling the spirit of God and I feel him from head to toe. The water that ripples over my feet heals me and I can listen deeply. Here, I am free to write. I am filled up with the magnificence in nature – feeling the awe and feeling me, small – this is reason to go to Laity Lodge in the Canyon, to be filled up and to let go.

"poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility" - William Wordsworth

Laity Lodge Writer's Retreat

Doing Doxology

I have read about monks and other people who spend their lives in simple holiness. They talk about doing praise and every act of life as an act of celebratory worship of God, nature, and all that is. I have read how a monk sees slicing bread or pulling weeds in the garden as an act of worship and a chance for celebration.

For me cooking and weed pulling does not usually foster thoughts of happiness, praise, or worship. I consider it a good day if I am not complaining aloud for all to hear.

Ann Voskamp raises this question in her beautifully written blog post, "Does it always come down to just two ways to do life? Do doxology – or do destruction."

In every moment I have two choices: to embrace the moment for all that it is. . . or resist it with negative destructive words and actions (or thoughts). I get to choose my response. I want to breathe life into others and into myself.

Knowing and Doing

Sometimes, I am pretty sure we know what God has asked us to do, but we keep asking him just to be sure he meant what he said . Or, we wax philosophical - " well God could not mean that because... " Or, we fain armchair psychology, " God is not a voice in my head. I just made this up because my grandmother. . ."
But really, we know. We often know that we know, but we don't do.
We should follow those knowings. Instincts - voices from the deep that call us to do good and right.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hobbling Hopefully

I am sitting in the coffee shop. Austin Java – a rather hip Austin spot. They have good egg tacos and hot green tea, so I am here. Two old women have just hobbled in on their walkers, and I see the wisdom in their faces. I start to cry because I have been considering my grandmothers, their lives and their passing, already this week. Me Maw and Nanny, they so shaped me. I have always valued old people and their stories, even since I was a child. Maybe because my grandmothers told me stories, sang me songs, taught me to read, shuck corn, and feed the chickens. Someday, I too will hobble, hopefully with wisdom and grace. Sometimes, our work is remembering.

What are you remembering today?

Returning to The River

I spent a great deal of my youth at the river, the Frio River. It is cyrstal clear and cold as the name suggests. I recently returned to the Frio and spent some time with my feet in the water. Sitting and staring at the minnows nibbling on my toes makes me feel deeply connected to the earth and to my life. I remember; I dream; I feel. More importantly, I am still and I feel the sun. This river runs through me. It links my past and my present. I sat in this same spot with my grandma before I can even remember. My time at this river always gives life. It even saved my life once. Water can do that. Healing and cleansing the river runs. It takes the things that need to go and mixes the old and the new to gives us a type of newness.

Sometimes, we need to return to the things that feed us.
What feeds you?

In Disaster We Are At Our Best

In disater, we, humans, are at our best because we focus on the essential, life. In moments of disater and disarray, we focus; we respond to each other. We hug strangers, rescue women and children, and help people we don't know. I pray that we can bring this focus and response to our daily life. Lots of people need rescuing. Just look around. I have to go see my neighbor now.

Wishing you focus and someone to wipe your tears.

Getting to Jesus

My son did a school project. In it he was asked, "why did the shepheards follow the star?" He replied, "They wanted to get to Jesus." This phrase stands out to me because we always say "they wanted to see Jesus." But, I think getting to Jesus is the thing we most want to do. Seeing him from a distance is okay, but I imagine myself and the shepheards wanted to experience Jesus. Getting implies being involved with him and participating with him in his work. Seeing him implies that we want to see him from afar but not really touch him or experience him. Getting to Jesus - that is thing.