Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

Valentine’s Day – it’s supposed to be a day of communicating those matters of the heart as they relate to love and affection.   While Valentine’s Day has come and gone, perhaps there is room for one more Valentine… In regard to those matters of the heart, if I were to paraphrase dictionary definitions, the heart is the center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling or emotion. So, how about this as a matter of the heart?    “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.”   (Psalm 33:11) The plans of His heart…could it be that God’s plans are based on His emotions or feelings? I must confess that I am more used to plans that come from the mind.   For that reason, Jeremiah 29:11 resonates more with me:   “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”   Did you catch t...

Do you whistle while you work? Do you whistle when you’re happy? Do you whistle to summons (perhaps a person or a pet)? Do you whistle to get someone’s attention? Did you know that God whistles?   What????? Before we go there, perhaps defining the word might be helpful: Whistle - a shrill clear sound produced by forcing breath out or air in through the puckered lips; the sound produced by a whistle; a signal given by or as if by whistling; to send, bring, signal, or call by or as if by whistling. God whistles?   Yep, check it out:   “ I will whistle for them to gather them together, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they were before.” Zechariah 7:10 (NASB) Another translation puts it this way:   “I will signal for them and gather them, for I have already redeemed them; then they will become as numerous as they were before.” (NET) I don’t think we are given any indication as to the type of sound that God’s ...

Upside down - t he common definition is to position in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position.   B ut it can also mean in or into great disorder. When I recently read Isaiah 29:16, I was struck by an “upside down”: You turn things upside down!   Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? (NIV) It seems so obvious, but the potter is not the clay and the clay is not the potter.   If they were, that would be a major and inappropriate reversal of position and the result would be an upside down, big time! Furthermore, the normal order is that the clay is in the hands of the potter and the potter shapes it as he wishes.   The clay shouldn’t question the potter or assume the potter doesn’t know what he is doing.   Those just throw things into great disorder While that is all...

I’ve been intrigued of late by the phase “hidden in plain sight”.   I looked it up on the internet to see how it is defined.   The commonly described meanings are as follows: Be unnoticeable by staying visible in a setting that masks presence. Seems to be hidden while also simultaneously remaining completely visible by anyone, that is, anyone who knows how or where to look. It basically means so obvious that you don't see it, or pay any attention to it, or it doesn't even cross your mind. God Himself hides things in plain sight.   Jesus said:   “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”   (Matt 11:25) It seems that God also hides things from those that you would think would know how or where to look:   “ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...

“One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.”   (Ecc 4:6) That’s how the verse reads in the New American Standard Bible.   Other versions are slightly different.   I’m not going to try to suggest which version appears to have the best translation.   I simply want to look at some of the word pictures the verse creates. A hand full can have positive connotations.   When we need something and we open our hand to receive it, and we receive what we need, a hand full is wonderful thing.   The contrast is being empty handed or having only enough to fit in the palm of our hands.   Fists tend to suggest demand or even aggression.   But perhaps more so, a fist full can also present a picture that our fingers have tightly closed over what is in our hands.   That can portray selfishness. So why mention the word pictures?   Allow me to paint a bit further… We should look to the Lord to m...

Disorder:  a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction... I once heard a story about a man who, no matter where he went in a large building, always started at the same fixed reference point.   The reference point was a landmark located outside the front door of the building.   If he went to an office, he started at the reference point.   If he had to go to another office within the building, he would never go directly to that office but would go outside the building to his reference point and then go back into the building to the office he wanted to go to.   If he was unsure where an office was, he always asked for directions to that office but the directions had to include starting from his fixed reference point. While I’m certainly not a trained mental health care professional, it seems this person has some of the classic symptoms of a disorder.   And while his behavior may seem bizarre to us, it could actual...

Sometimes we get caught up in the big words and that certainly has its place.   But, sometimes I think I appreciate the little words even more.   These are one or two or three letters words that can have big meaning and big impact. Take the word “I”.   It is a pronoun that often is used to identify the one who might be communicating.   The communication could be something like “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “I will do that.”   Meaning and impact from a word with just one letter! Take the word “no”.   It can put a stop to things. For example, you could have what you think is a really great idea but if you receive a no, your great idea comes to a screeching halt.   Meaning and impact from a word with just two letters! Take the word “yes”.   It can set things in motion.   For example, perhaps you are in love with that certain special person and you ask that question and they say yes.   Big things are set into motion and yo...