Prairie View

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

Lenten Posts

Lent starts tomorrow, and I hope to undertake a Lenten project, despite this project having little to do with penance and self-denial.  I hope to post something on this blog each day during Lent.  That's 40 days of posts, and writing this here makes me wonder if I have taken leave of my senses, or, more likely, have vastly overestimated my ability to persevere.

My posts will very likely be quite fragmented and varied, and may not be as well-written as I would like.  The plan is to write anyway.  I have no particular topics in mind.  The idea is to go back to writing on this blog the kind of content that has landed on my Facebook posts in recent months (years?). 

****************

I listened to the State of the Union address by President Biden this evening (Livestream on the New York Times website).  I'll leave it to others to analyze it, for the most part.  While I sometimes wish the President enunciated more clearly, when I remember that he had a stuttering problem as a child, I realize that just being able to get through a sentence without painful faltering is quite a feat.  There was a bit of undignified heckling from people who should know better than to disgrace their office in such a way, but, by and large, I could listen without visceral distaste. It's good to have an adult at the podium during a presidential address.  Promises? Clearly won't be able to deliver on all of them.  Aspirations?  Mostly good ideals, in my opinion.  

****************

Hiromi and I had tickets for a Community Concert tonight.  I decided to stay home, reasoning that I'd rather have a quiet evening tending to some of my seed starting tasks than listening to country music.  Hiromi enjoyed it though, so maybe I would have liked it better than I thought I would.  

****************

I've been trying to keep my brain exercised in recent weeks by playing Wordle online.  I recommend it to anyone who likes words.  For those who are unfamiliar with the game, just go to this website, read the directions and get started.  I'll paste my statistics summary below and explain what it means.  You should know that the game involves guessing a secret word in six guesses or less, basing your guesses on feedback that comes automatically.  


This screen shot reveals that I've played the game 45 times, and I've guessed the word every time.  I have guessed it in three guesses 14 times, in four 13 times, and in five 12 times.  Twice I've guessed it on the second try, and four times it took six guesses.  I doubt that anyone ever guesses it on the first try.  

Someone in my extended family set up a Facebook Messenger group called Wordles with Friends, where a group of us shares our results.  This adds to the fun.

******************

I'll copy here a Facebook post on my wall today.  It references Ukraine particularly.  There's a great deal that one could say about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but I'll leave it with this for today.

013ta73Sp79ol4343hol26d 
Shared with Public
Public
I didn't know all this symbolism about sunflowers in Ukraine, but I'm from Kansas where the sunflower is the state flower. Not only that, many of the Mennonites who settled in Kansas came from present-day Ukraine , bringing Turkey Red winter wheat seeds with them. Those seeds were a good match for this climate. This eventually resulted in our state becoming America's "breadbasket," just as Ukraine is Europe's breadbasket.
Feeling kinship with Ukraine is happening now for many people for many reasons. I'm happy to use sunflowers and wheat as reminders to pray for those kinfolk who are in harm's way.
Sunflowers aren't blooming right now, either in Kansas or Ukraine, and the wheat is still largely dormant in both places. But life and vibrancy is possible in both places because Immanuel, God With Us, hears when his people call on him. Our prayers form the surest connection of all with the people of Ukraine.


Sunflowers have long been the national flower of the Ukraine, but in 1996 they were also chosen as a symbol of world peace, and a world free of nuclear weapons.
This event took place when Ukraine gave up its last nuclear warhead on a former Ukraine missile base, on June 4th 1996.
The US, Russia, and Ukraine were all present at this event, and the then Secretary of US Defense, William Perry, said, “Sunflowers instead of missiles in the soil will ensure peace for future generations.”
They celebrated by scattering and planting sunflower seeds on the site, and also at nuclear disaster sites throughout the world…Fukushima, Chernobyl, Hiroshima…..
May those scattered sunflower seeds be remembered today, and their message bloom in the hearts of all, bringing about the changes needed to restore peace once again to the Ukraine and her people.


0 Comments:

Post a Comment



<< Home