REGARDLESS OF FORM, CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO

Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or of one's wrong-doing and most commonly is practiced in a number of faith traditions. Pleading guilty to a crime in a court of law is also a form of confession.


They say that "confession is good for the soul" and most of us who have confessed in one form or another over the years can attest to the accuracy of that saying.  Confession coupled with forgiveness enables us to start afresh in life, free of the burden of guilt.  It is fair to say that confession is a very personal concession that can be enacted in a religious/church setting or one-on-one, as in person-to-person.


As mere humans, we have a history of doing wrong and we generally are the first to know when we have erred in word, deed or action.  It is not always easy to admit that we were wrong or misguided and it is doubly difficult to confess to a wronged party(s) and to ask forgiveness.


We often hear the term self-confession being used and there are those who will allude to a certain redundancy.  To me "self-confessed" is an adjective, not a noun, and simply describes an open confession that one makes on one's own without being prodded or interrogated.  It is completely self-motivated and to my way of thinking is most honorable and commendable.


Here is a little exercise that we all can engage in from time to time in the privacy of our own space.  You can either speak the words aloud or you can say them to yourself...Trust me, someone will be listening.  You might be surprised.  The main thing is that you will be acknowledging weaknesses and wrong-doings of everyday living and in the process putting the unpleasantness of associated stress and guilt behind you.  You can substitute the word "we" for "I", it is entirely up to you.  And remember, you do not have to be a particularly religious person.  All you need is a soul, and a heart -- and the ability to know right from wrong as you perceive it.  A degree of honesty doesn't hurt either.


For what it is worth, here is a free-for-nothing confessional template that you can tuck into your pocket.


"Too often we know full well what we should be doing, but we turn away and do the complete opposite.  We make mistakes. We are rebellious.  We are selfish and arrogant.  At times, we feel small and insignificant, so we pity ourselves; or we feel big and arrogant and we puff ourselves up in false pride.


"We close our ears and eyes to the needs of those around us.  We want to hold too tightly to the things of this world, forgetting that we have been given them so that we might help others.


"We engage in conflict and give in to the impulse to get even or to gain the upper hand.  When hurt, we hurt back.  We put conditions on love and forgiveness when we have the capacity for compassion and understanding.


"Down deep, we seek the grace of true repentance so that we may not only confess our wrong-doings in this manner, but also to lament and forsake them with our whole hearts and in the end bear the fruit of righteousness for the balance of our journey."


Is something else laying heavily on your heart?  If so, you can throw that in too, just for good measure.  Take ownership of the words as you release them to the universe!  As I say, it can't hurt.  Think about it, if you will.

TOOTH FAIRY KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION

My daughter Cindy posted the following comment on her Facebook page:

"Madi (almost seven-year-old Madison) lost her first front tooth so the Tooth Fairy made a visit last night and she's had to keep up with inflation.  I told Madi that her tooth must have been very special because when the Tooth Fairy visited me when I was a girl her age I only got quarters and dimes. Madi said, 'I guess 'cause that was the olden days Mom.'  Well, this Tooth Fairy suddenly feels very old."

Welcome to the club Cindy.  Don't feel bad!...Your ancient dad only got nickles and dimes from the Tooth Fairy when he was shedding his baby teeth.  Now, those were truly the olden days.

OTHER WEB SITES I'VE BEEN WORKING ON

Wright's Lane has taken a back seat recently to several other web site interests that I have been developing and facilitating.  If interested, you can check them out.

*See www.pipersglen.ca

The Links at Piper's Glen Golf Club offers a unique course layout that is a throwback to the original "golf links' found in historic Scotland, reputed to be the birthplace of the grand old game.  The course is a pleasure to play for golfers of any skill level -- challenging yet providing a relaxing, picturesque backdrop.  Fairways that test accuracy, water hazards and Scottish bunkers all add to an unparalleled golfing experience.

 *See http://standrewssouthampton.blogspot.com

The congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Southampton, ON. traces its origins to 1851 when services of worship were conducted in a log cabin church for Presbyterian settlers to the first harbor on Lake Huron shores.  The congregation today is small but extremely active with an outstanding musical ministry, as evidence several special concerts in the month of April.

THANK GOD I AM NOT ALONE...!

Here's a priceless video on "Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder" that I can totally relate to.  Maybe some of my readers will too.  Click
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6oHBG3ABUJU&vq=medium

MUCH OF OUR GARBAGE WILL OUTLIVE US

I do not know the source of this material on decomposition of garbage,  neither can I confirm accuracy,  but I get the message.  How about you?


Banana Peel- 3-4 weeks
Orange peels- 6 months
Apple Core- 2 months
Paper Bag- 1 month
Cardboard- 2 months

Milk Cartons- 5 years
Newspaper- 6 weeks
Paper Towel- 2-4 weeks
Cotton Glove- 3 months
Tinned Steel Can- 50 years
Aluminum Can- 200-500 years
Disposable Diapers- 550 years
Plastic Bags- 20-1000 years

Glass- 1-2 million years
Cigarette Butts- 10-12 years
Leather shoes- 25-40 years
Rubber-Boot Sole- 50-80 years
Plastic containers- 50-80 years
Monofilament Fishing Line- 600 years
Foamed Plastic Cups- 50 years

Wool Sock- 1-5 years
Plywood- 1-3 years
Plastic Bottles- 450 years

WRITING IS COSTING TIME THAT I CAN ILL AFFORD

People who are much better at mathematics than I have figured out that there are precisely 8766.1536 hours in a year.  By my own rough calculations, in the past three years I have spent an average of 3,000 of those hours per year at the computer writing entries (almost 600 posts) for my various web sites and other  publications (including two books) and projects that I voluntarily contribute to.  That works out to a little better than one-third of my time, or in total a whole year out of the past three.

In all, we're talking about a staggering chunk of my life during which I have neglected a number of normal routine responsibilities, not to mention untold hours of lost sleep -- some nights never going to bed until sun-up because I cannot put subject matter and thoughts on hold.  I have been strangely driven by what possibly has been a delusional, self-created sense of commitment to an unknown ghost audience.

Of course, there is no monetary value connected to any of my web sites and I have yet to break even (and probably never will) on two self-published books.  In retrospect, a price has been paid and that is neither healthy nor fair from a marital standpoint, particularly in a household with health care needs. Certain things domestically and personally have not had my full attention as I poured out my heart and soul over the computer keyboard for hours on end.

What has been gained then, in three years of literary musings?  I have derived personal satisfaction in writing about subjects that interest and inspire me.  I have also gained a few new friends and some faithful web site followers.  On the down-side I have ruffled a few feathers and left myself open to criticism.  In the hope that others might learn from my experience, I have exposed myself in some very personal areas that would normally be taboo for most writers.  Emotional intensity, at times, has been my worst enemy only to be matched recently by the increasing cynicism, irritation and intolerance that seems to come with age and from being around the block a time or three.

I now find myself involved in a personal tug-of-war, pitting on one end of the rope an in-born need to express myself in writing and on the other end the necessity of giving in to the acknowledgement of certain life priorities.  In all honesty, I feel a not-too-subtle change coming over me which I am compelled to give in to.  Values and standards change with the passage of years and so do our interests and motivations.  We gradually move from one phase to another, often without realizing it.

In many respects I have exhausted myself -- physically, mentally and creatively --and I am having to learn to come to grips with that.  I've had a good kick at the can and I'm now prepared to leave it to brighter and younger minds to "save the world".  I need not regret what I am leaving behind or unfinished.  What I DO need to do now, however, is to be openly willing to accept what most assuredly is coming my way...and having the good grace to accept it.

As I have written this post, lyrics from Kenny Rogers' The Gambler -- "...You have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them" -- have been running through my mind.  That pretty well sums things up.

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POST SCRIPT:  Before I had a chance to re-read this item and publish it, an anxious voice from an adjoining room interjected unceremoniously: "Dick, what's keeping you?  It's already two hours past supper time.  I have to eat something and my medication is past due.  Lucy also needs to be fed!"  That jolt of reality reminded me that I bought some frozen food from M&Ms earlier this afternoon and it is still sitting on the kitchen table.  Before being overcome with the sudden impulse to pursue this subject at the expense of everything else, I only intended to leave it unrefrigerated for a few minutes.

See what I mean!

AN EASTER GIFT FOR MY READERS: "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" is a Christian Passion hymn based on a Latin text written during the Middle Ages. Paul Gerhardt wrote a German version O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden. Contents [hide] 1 Text 1.1 Original Latin 1.2 German translation 1.3 English translation 2 Melody 3 Lyrics (J.W. Alexander's version, 1830) 4 References 5 External links [edit]Text [edit]Original Latin The hymn is based on a long medieval Latin poem, Salve mundi salutare, with stanzas addressing the various parts of Christ's body hanging on the Cross. The last part of the poem, from which the hymn is taken, is addressed to Christ's head, and begins "Salve caput cruentatum." The poem is often attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), but is now attributed to the Medieval poet Arnulf of Louvain (died 1250). I hope that by listening to this tape you will feel a special emotion and blessing.

AN ARTIST WHO IS JUST "A CUT" ABOVE

Bobbi Switzer moves with the grace of a dancer as she wields her chain saw and creates her sculptures.

Bobbi Switzer creating another art piece

Switzer and her daughter, Nova, recently demonstrated their art form at the Maple Syrup Festival held at Saugeen Bluffs in Bruce County.

Switzer creates carvings from her own artistic imaginings but also takes commissions for special creations.  From blocks of wood, she creates carvings and has often been commissioned to turn trunks of trees into special lifelike pieces of art.

Today, from her farm at Cherry Hill, Switzer and now her daughter, Nova, continue to create artwork that is currently being sold in galleries through Ontario.  The work is amazing and is starting to show up on properties across the county.

"We attend many events such as this," said Bobbi Switzer, "I'll soon be competing in an international event against some of the world's best carvers and we have been invited to demonstrate the art of carving in many shows throughout the Province.

Bobbi carves as daughter Nova watches intently.

With thanks to the Saugeen Times