All "Ponderings" Posts

• Four Chambers of the Heart

  Posted by Joe Landis on August 2, 2012, in Featured & Ponderings

  The New Year Address to all Peaceful Living staff , July 19 and 20.

  As we start a new fiscal year, it is important to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed.  All of the financial numbers are not in for the last year July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, but we will end the year in a strong financial position. We do however have the results of our staff and customer satisfaction surveys in and they all averaged 4.5 or higher on a 1-5 scale, which is excellent.

  The readings from the lectionary for … Read More!

• A Midsummer’s Morning

  Posted by Joe Landis on July 17, 2012, in Featured & Ponderings

  Warm summer mornings allow me to enjoy my coffee outside, close to our flowerbeds. The following poem came to me as I was sitting outside with my first cup of coffee,  while it was still dark in the early morning.  As I sat there the sun changed the night into day.

   A Midsummer’s Morning

  Listening… as night changes to day.
  The crickets form the eternal foundation of sound, day and night.
  The sound of the robin, goldfinch, dove, cardinal and carolina wren break into the scene.
  They sing, coo, chirp, or softly whistle,  staking their territory in the Lord’s creation.… Read More!

• A Holy Holi Moment in Time

  Posted by Joe Landis on April 28, 2012, in Ponderings

  

  The problem I’m trying to solve in our community, with real people in our community, is an old one: how to live together in peace. It has to do with neighbors getting to know neighbors, and getting along together. The images I have are of animals living together in peace,  a lamb, and the leaves of a special tree. The image of animals living in peace is from the Quaker sign painter from Lower Bucks county, Edward Hicks, who is drawing upon the Peaceable Kingdom from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 11^6-9):

  A Living Knowledge of God
  The

  … Read More!

• A “Stingy Planter” vs. A “Lavish Planter”

  Posted by Joe Landis on November 11, 2011, in Ponderings

  Thanksgiving 2011

  One of the texts for the lectionary for Thanksgiving this year is from 2 Corinthians 9^6-15.  One of the key verses is the inspiration at the top of the very page you’re reading.

  ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

  This is not the easiest verse to understand, the context is giving of ourselves unselfishly. Earlier in 2^nd Corinthians Paul says,

  ^6-7 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.

  … Read More!

• Solidago

  Posted by Joe Landis on October 6, 2011, in Ponderings

  The Lord is continually sending us messages through scripture, nature, the cosmos…to be totally present in our lives, minute by minute, day by day, season by season..and every fall we get this message. Are we listening?

  … Read More!

• Building a Peaceable Kingdom

  Posted by Joe Landis on June 15, 2011, in Ponderings

  

  This is the opening devotional for Initial meeting of the Proposed International Voluntary Service Unit for the Indian and North Penn Valley, which occurred on April 26^th, 2011.

  Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they will be my people.  There will be no further need for neighbor to try to teach neighbor, or brother to say to brother, “Learn to know Yahweh!”  No, they will all know me the least no less than the greatest­- it is Yahweh who speaks- since I will forgive

  … Read More!