Mary's Heartbeats

Aftermath After the rain has stopped, After the snow has fallen, After the leaves have dropped face down, After the colored lights have dimmed, After the carols have all been sung, After the bows untied, the packages unwrapped, After all the Christmas cookies are gone,  After it's all over, What remains?    Aftermath, The pause between now and then, The break between past and future,  The mystery of the known and unknown, The New Year unfamiliar, the Old Year much too recognizable, What now? Where do I go from here?   Aftermath, Picking up the pieces of the undone, the unfinished, Put simply, living in the same manner, Pursuing peace and goodness, Practicing love for God, myself and others. Praying for greater faith to believe that even in my aftermath, Emmanuel is with me, Even if I don't recognize his Faithful Presence.   Aftermath,    An interrupted night,   A flock of sheep left unattended,   A chorus of angelic beings proclaiming th...

Christmas Eve awakens me at my usual 5 AM, but without the clock radio going off.  It's actually the sound of heavy rain drops that have persisted throughout the night that nudge me out of bed.  How wonderful to be blessed with rain, real rain, not just a light dusting of water.  The trees, the grasses, the mountains all seem to be rejoicing with each drop.  And the promise of snow for our mountains and foothills is on its way this coming week.  I always think that God graces this time of year with the best decorations, the golden crimson leaves, that dance in the windy breeze, the spotless crystal skies, and the orange harvest moon wrapped in silky clouds at night.    As I drive home each night from my new job, I weave in and out of side streets in small local towns that make up the suburbs of our Inland Empire.  I have enjoyed the festive Christmas lights that fill the main streets of each one and of their shopping centers, as well as the houses...