Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly before the Lord your God.

I'm not one to jump on the "petition bandwagon," but this is truly imporant. I've met these women. I've studied and heard their stories. The should truly not be in prison. Please, sign this and pass it on.

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Grasses and dew

(An observation, photo, and words resulting from my walk back from class today.)

"Dewdrops"

The dewdrops on every blade of grass are so much like silver drops 
that I am obliged to stoop down as I walk to see if they are pearls, 
and those sprinkled on the ivy-woven beds of primroses underneath
 the hazels, whitethorns, and maples are so like gold beads that I
 stooped down to feel if they were hard, but they melted from my 
finger. And where the dew lies on the primrose, the violet and
 whitethorn leaves they are emerald and beryl, yet nothing more than
 the dews of the morning on the budding leaves; nay, the road 
grasses are covered with gold and silver beads, and the further we go
 the brighter they seem to shine, like solid gold and sliver. It is
 nothing more than the sun's light and shade upon them in the dewy
 morning; every thorn-point and every bramble-spear has its 
trembling ornament: till the wind gets a little brisker, and then all is 
shaken off, and all the shining jewelry passes away into a common 
spring morning full of budding leaves, primroses, violets, vernal 
speedwell, bluebell and orchis, and commonplace objects.

~ John Clare

In my own circumstance, I found a rare patch of grasses and plants sprinkled with dew on this sunny January afternoon. Given the short time that the winking, twinkling little beauties will be there, I feel like I found something special.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, jeven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, kO you of little faith? (Matt 6: 28-30)

Harmless religion and dangerous Jesus.

I see and not only accept but fully embrace the challenge to the "religion" that we are left with when we remove a relationship with Jesus (and following his commands) out of the Christian faith.

Christianity is not pro-American culture and it is not about moralism.

However, I don't think that the two (Jesus and religion) are as mutually exclusive as the poet presents them to be. Rather, I think they intersect. After all, as dictionary.com provides evidence to, the word "religion" is in and of itself innocent (or otherwise harmless):

"A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects."

That being said, I think that truly following Jesus will not only free you, but turn your life upside down. With those side-notes in mind, my response to this prophet-poet is, "Well done."

A Word.

First night of the new year.
Burning the past and the regrets and the pain.
Looking forward in hope.

"Daughter, I have called you. And you are Mine."