Happy Wednesday TSJ Peeps!
Today’s blog is going to depend on pictures. The emotions are too conflicting and profound to articulate in a quick blog journal. But all of you faithful TSJ readers know that death and moving are high on the list of things we human peeps find stressful.
And you know that no matter what happens here or how we feel in any given moment in the earth pastures, we are guided by Chief Shepherd…the God “who was, who is, and who is to come.” We also know where there is sadness and turmoil there can also be profound peace. But sometimes it means we have to consciously make ourselves breathe deeply. This alone helps revitalize our whole being (body, mind, and spirit).
Nine months ago on the fifteenth of December we lost our beloved Tom as he answered the call of the Great Shepherd to new pastures.
Nine moths later … on the fifteenth of September another move has begun. TSJ headquarters is indeed “on the move”. We are in a temporary place while waiting for our small new home to be built where Tom had longed to be able to move to as well.
So things are changing. New sounds are greeting our ears this morning as our TSJ muses (Solomon, SJ and Lovey the Lamb) and I are “recalculating” our lives and moving forward to new pastures.
A quick story. I had packed the car to come to the apartment and was headed down the road when I suddenly realized something was seriously missing. Since the house only has a few last minute annoying things to sort out and clean up it seemed unlikely. But the feeling was strong. Then I realized. My sister and I had placed Solomon and SJ where they would not be snatched by movers nor get dirty.
I turned around and went back. It made me giggle a bit. I am way too old (one would think) to have to go back for stuffed animals. By they are not just any stuffed creatures. They are yours and mine now. They have meaning to me (and yes..admit it…to you too). My spirit and imagination gives them life. I thought to myself how often an object that no one else would necessarily think is worthy of all that affection, is important to our children. Usually it is a stuffed animal, but not always. What it is does not matter. What matters is our brain needs predictability and safety/security and our hearts are created for affection. We are all children of the universe.
So. Sheepishly (pun intended here) I turned around and got them. 
And I felt like a child when the level of “ah” settled my tears and comforted me.
So here is their new view. They are by a window that shows tree tops (which I need to see) and they are the last thing I see at night now and the greeters in the morning. We are hanging together and all depending on Chief Shepherd as usual.
Thank you to friends and family and TSJ peeps who have been amazing in checking in and helping out and making sure I am feeling your love and prayers. A couple days of cleaning up back home and turning the keys over to a lovely young couple are awaiting me. All made easier (not easy) because of this great message the God of love and grace seems to want us to hear both through each other and by listening silently for the message that Moses received and shared with all of humanity willing to believe it… the God of Love is The I AM. Always active. Always Present. Whew!
We can all play or at least rest in the pastures because of this truth.
As usual the wisest sheep ever lends us his smile.
