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It’s getting more difficult to write without having my eyes functioning properly. For the next month or so, the posts are going to be short. Today the focus is a word with maybe a question or two or a sentence about the word.

Today’s word is “powerless”. I am feeling a little powerless now, because I can’t get myself around. Plus, I can’t fix my eyes. Powerless is not a fun place to be. But, there’s a bit of relief, too. I don’t have to be in charge, because I can’t fix what’s wrong.

This reminds me of a Southern woman joke. What does a Southern woman mean when she says, “I’m not in charge!” ? She means, “They are doing it wrong.”

Seriously, it feels good to be powerless, because I know One who isn’t!

The temperature this morning was twelve degrees Fahrenheit. That’s much too cold for me to go out for church, especially since the service is available on streaming. Between that and not driving, I had an old-fashioned Sabbath.

Usually, I will drive somewhere on Sunday. Or, I will cook a meal. Or, sometimes I will do both. But, not today. I didn’t cook, because using an oven or stove while not being able to see didn’t sound like a good idea. Driving didn’t happen because I am legally blind without corrective lenses.

Today was a true Sabbath with no work being done. I have really enjoyed this rest. Even though my rest was somewhat forced on me, I could have expended more effort and washed dishes. But, I didn’t. Instead, I rested – and it was wonderful!

So, when I wrote the post on rest a few days ago, it was meant to encourage others that were not resting to take a much needed break. It was not supposed to be for me.

However, with four weeks of not being able to wear my scleral lenses, I am being forced to take a break from a few things. I have withdrawn from one online class and stopped pursuing two more. I am having to reach out for help to go to doctor appointments and support meetings. Plus, I have asked my spouse to read aloud to me for the book launch team that I joined.

Those are things that I have lost. What have I gained? Well, I am getting caught up on my Bible reading plans through YouVersion. It turns out that there’s a Listener’s Bible and that more than one of my devotionals have audio as well. I also discovered that listening to the Bible doesn’t take as long as me reading it. That’s probably because I am not reading cross-references and going down Biblical rabbit holes.

Another thing I have realized is that asking for help does get easier. I have had more than one period of sightlessness, since receiving my diagnosis of keratoconus. I have been forced to ask for help more than once over the years. Early on, it felt like I was a failure if I needed help. Now, I just do it. If I don’t ask for a ride somewhere, I have to stay at home. That’s worse than admitting that I can’t do everything!

Today, I experimented with vlogging. It’s much less stressful on my eyes to look at a camera than to hold my phone one inch from my face. I have wanted to do videos for a while, but I let my perfectionism talk me out of it. Now, even though I probably won’t do it perfectly, it will be easier to convey my thoughts that way.

I don’t know why I am experiencing this time out. But, I am not going to waste it by sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Today, I did some laundry and fixed my my morning coffee. I am not as helpless as my inner critic led me to believe I was four years ago.

As I said yesterday, your prayers are appreciated and welcome. Thank you!!!

Hello! If you have been following me for quite a bit you may remember that eye episode from almost 4 years ago. If you don’t, I have corneal hydrops. Well, it’s happened again in the other eye. My lens use is heavily restricted. No, glasses won’t correct my vision due to my having keratoconus. Glasses won’t correct this. This blog post is courtesy of voice to text on my phone. Please keep me and my family and friends who will be assisting me over the next four weeks in your prayers. Thank you. ❤️☮️

With temperatures as cold as they have been lately, there can be no doubt that winter is here and is going to stick around for a while. With the exception of Christmas, New Year, and the Super Bowl, winter seems pretty useless. The weather is inhospitable. Due to the unfavorable weather, people spend more time indoors, leading to outbreaks of the flu, colds, and Covid-19. Why must winter last for thirteen weeks? All of the events listed above could take place in around nine weeks, leaving four weeks that can be added to Spring and Summer.

It just makes sense. In Spring, the weather warms up, Flowers begin to grow. Summer gardens with yummy watermelon and tomatoes are planted. In Summer, it’s finally warm enough to wear shorts and sandals. School is out. Plus, the time for enjoying swimming, watermelons, and fresh tomatoes has arrived. 

Yes, winter with its cold temperatures, long nights, short days, and barren landscape seems pointless. Except, like with everything else in nature, God has a plan and purpose for winter. God created winter to give the world a break.

During the winter, the earth rests. The ground rests from producing vegetation. Bears hibernate. After the holiday season, people take life a little slower too.

In the Bible, after creating the world and everything in it, God rested on the seventh day. Later, when dictating the Ten Commandments to Moses, God instituted the Sabbath. The Sabbath is one day of rest that is set apart from the other six days. There was to be no work of any kind done on the Sabbath. God ordered His people to take a break.

Rest is good. Brains need a rest from activity and thinking. Depleted energy is restored. Rest also connects people to their Creator.

Rest is mentioned 525 times in the King James Version of the Bible. Clearly, God believes that rest is important. Why? The answer is found in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

During periods of inactivity, rest, people may pray to God. They may read the Bible. Or, some choose to sit quietly and listen to God speak to their hearts.

God wants His creation to rest, so that they can recognize Him. God wants a relationship with the people He loves. God loves people enough that He sent His son to be killed as the perfect atonement sacrifice. This way, all people can know the God that loves them.

So, during this time of extremely cold weather, take a break. Spend some time with God. Rest.

It’s very cold in the South today. The temperature didn’t get above freezing. It would not be so bad if there was snow. But, there can’t be too much ice with the snow, otherwise it might take down the power lines. Plus, the roads can’t be too icy.

There’s not enough Department of Transportation infrastructure to take care of the entire area. I think that the entire area of Georgia that is north of Interstate 20 has a handful or less of salt trucks and maybe one snowplow. If the state’s DOT isn’t really prepared for widespread cold weather, imagine how ill-suited the residents are for these below freezing conditions.

Most residents don’t own clothes made for low temperatures, unless they are transplants from colder climes. Also, in driver’s education classes, driving in snow and ice isn’t covered. Safe driving in the snow here is as many people as possible staying home.

This really is the best plan, because when the roads have fewer drivers, there’s less of a chance of someone getting injured when a car hits a patch of ice and goes skidding across the road. Also, staying home ensures that the driver plus any passengers don’t have to abandon the car and walk to shelter. Most drivers don’t own a set of snow chains, much less know how to put them on their tires. While there are a good number of people who own four wheel drive vehicles, on snow days they spend their time acting as food delivery workers, ride share drivers, and emergency transportation for their family, friends, friends of friends, and distant acquaintances who drive fuel efficient vehicles.

I think that snow is lovely to look at and spend a few minutes in nature. But, after I have walked about a hundred yards, made a snowman, a snow angel, participated in a snowball fight, and slid down a hill on a plastic tarp, because I don’t own a sled, I am done with being cold and wet.

Spending cold weather days inside wearing fleece, drinking hot beverages, and reading is my idea of a good snow day. Actually, it’s also my idea of a good rainy day, sunshiny day, and a partly cloudy day, too. If it’s a day that has weather, I’m okay with those activities. It really doesn’t take much to coerce me to do any of them!

Drive safe. Watch out for icy places in the shade. Stay warm. And, bring your pets inside, unless you plan to spend the night outside with them!

Like most members of Gen X, I have no firsthand remembrances of Dr. King. But, he and I were alive at the same time, albeit briefly. Dr. King was killed when I was less than one month old.

Since, Dr. King was still alive when I was born, I hoped that he had made one of his emotionally moving speeches on my birthday. Sadly, my research came up with no great words spoken on that day. However, almost three weeks after my birthdate, he spoke to the sixty-eighth annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly. At the Rabbinical Assembly, he was introduced to the rabbis in attendance by Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel. A transcript of the event is at the link posted below.

I was glad to find this transcript. While I have seen television footage of the marches of Selma and Washington and the speeches in Washington and Memphis, I was not aware of this event.

After watching Driving Miss Daisy, I was made aware that the struggle for social justice for Jewish Americans and African Americans were similar. This point as well as several others are expounded on by Dr. King. There are a couple of things that he said that reminded me that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Dr King touches on the tension between the Muslims and Israelis. Also, when asked which candidate he liked for president, Dr. King said that he didn’t care for either of the two candidates.

Please remember that this is a direct transcript of the evening. There’s certain things said which may offend or upset 2024 sensibilities that were, apparently, not offensive in 1968.

I will end my ramblings with my favorite quote from Dr. King. I stand in agreement with this statement and cling to the hope that it offers. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Let’s be the light and love to the world.

www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/assets/public/resources-ideas/cj/classics/1-4-12-civil-rights/conversation-with-martin-luther-king.pdf

Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the Bible verses for today is:

And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him. 1 John 4:22 AMP

This seems so basic. Love God. Love other people. In several places, though, this is the exception rather than the rule, and I don’t go to many places. The list of places that I go to are the grocery store, gas station, library, church, and the movie theater. In all of these, I have seen one person treating another one less than respectfully.

I wish that it wasn’t so. Life is difficult enough without people being rude. The old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” has developed a snappy comeback of, “Yeah, but who wants more flies?” 

It’s not about honey or flies. It’s about treating others as people who have value and worth. It’s not that people have to love each other in a romantic or passionate fashion. If people would simply not be jerks to one another, it’s enough. To quote that immortal sage, Bill S. Preston, Esquire, “Be excellent to each other.”