Downtown Memphis (by Carley Evans)

Beale St. Memphis, TN (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fear is one of those — what? — emotions? that confounds life. Before I arrived, several people warned me that downtown Memphis “has some really bad areas” and to “be careful.” I was told that “it’s not safe to walk around Beale Street” or along the “Trolley Line.” So, I rented a car, figuring I’d drive everywhere. Now that I am here, I haven’t used the rental car except to get to the hotel. And, tomorrow I’ll use it to get to the airport.

Yesterday, walking along the Trolley line, I happened on a street festival with live music and balloons. A little further on, I passed “Occupy Memphis” with tents and persons who appeared homeless. Today I witnessed one man ask a couple for money so he might eat a meal. Otherwise, I felt completely safe.

Like I said, fear is one of those — what? — emotions? that confounds life.

Jesus Says of Himself

Jesus says of Himself:

” I am the Good Shepherd.” I am He, I am one, all are one in unity with Me. He that feeds the sheep apart from Me, feeds them in opposition to Me.

– Augustine of Hippo

Leave Your Self and Run to That ( by Carley Evans )

Avalanche On Ozone (Photo credit: DCZwick)

On NPR this morning, I heard a Pakistani official give instructions to soldiers defending a glacier. The instructions were how to avoid being killed in an avalanche. The man, in what we often describe as ‘broken’ English, said: “Leave your self and run to that.”

I laughed, thinking: “what a perfect description of salvation!” When we are saved, we are literally leaving our selves and running to Jesus, to be hidden under His wings.

Six Days ( by Carley Evans )

Just a note to any Whos out in Whoville that my approximately six day break from ‘obsecrations’ and even ‘Grace Partakers’ has been for the purpose of polishing to shiny my novel METAL MAN WALKING in preparation for publishing with CreateSpace for selling on Amazon.com and other venues in cyberspace.

Don’t you love the run-on sentence?

Loss ( by Carley Evans )

I was reminded this evening of the sudden loss of my dog, Hanna on February 13, 2011. The reminder came in the form of an online petition from a young woman who lost her dog recently. Her dog and my dog died. She knows her dog was essentially poisoned by a treat manufactured in China for Nestle Purina. I have always suspected my Hanna died of some form of poisoning. I suspected a Nestle Purina product, but testing did not reveal any toxin in the sample.

The petition calls for Nestle Purina to stop the distribution of this particular treat which has been implicated in the deaths of many dogs, I gather.

I haven’t felt the loss of my dog in a while. But tonight, the shocking details of Hanna’s last 24 hours rushed back into my mind’s eye. My little white Bichon Frise suddenly started shaking, her tail between her legs, unable to eat and drink without foaming at the mouth and vomiting. She had constant diarrhea and was barely able to walk. She began to show these signs late Friday night and died sometime late Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday. The shock was overwhelming.

The memory now is a reflection of the pain of those who are losing dogs to this treat. Consider signing this petition.

Who Can Say? ( by Carley Evans )

 

 

“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9, KJV)

 

I’ve heard people say this; I must admit the statement always surprises me. I’ve never said this because I’ve never accomplished this feat. I’m able to say, “Jesus made my heart clean, so I am pure from my sin.” But, I can’t say, I never sin.

To believe you never sin — that’s equivalent to believing you are perfect. You never make a mistake, you never do less than your very best, you never strike back, you never take more than your share, you never speak ill of another, you never go to bed with worry or anger in your heart, you never fail to notice someone’s pain, you never fail to help, you never roll your eyes, you never look away, you never forget to care, you never turn your back, you never run away.

I can not imagine.

I can know that Jesus is such a person. Like the lamb slaughtered as a substitute for people who sin, so Jesus substitutes Himself for me. His death on the cross wipes away my sins, though they be as red as the tide befouled by algae. And so, I stand pure before His Father in heaven.