inflated

Written Nov. 12

And so I find my mind all over the place.  Struggling to write down all the details and wishing I had one of those mini-tape recorders to place on all the tables I share with good company.

Last night was one of these tables.  Our Monday night Bible study was another time of reflection, education, laughter, wine, and oh so sweet treats.  I had picked up a honeydew melon and some strawberries running errands with Sonia earlier in the day, thinking I would throw together a simple fruit salad to compliment all the other sweets that night.  I tend to pick cantaloupe (or rockmelon, as they call it here) mainly by smell and color.  Honeydew is a bit more confusing for me and my purchase proved I need some work on identifying the ripest individuals.  I give myself a little slack with only a few to choose from, all looking identical on the outside.  Fortunately, Sonia suggested we make dark chocolate-dipped strawberries for the group and save the melon for myself… Phew! 

You know those situations where the details are so rich and satisfying?  All your senses devoted to the experience are pleasantly satiated and you can’t help but smile and maybe even appear a bit… ungrounded; kind of like sailing over a prairie of poppies atop a big red balloon on a warm, spring day.  I find myself on this balloon quite frequently and praise God for it!

So, balloon riding… 

The wine was a shiraz, the homemade treats included Ben’s Austrian chocolate, praline cake, Bettina’s (Ben’s sister) date/nut balls, Anna’s fruit filled muffins, and Sonia and my chocolate-dipped strawberries.    I managed to get the date ball recipe from Bettina and can’t wait to make these nutritious delicatessens as soon as I acquire a food processor… I would find this appliance awfully handy for all the raw recipes building up in my online, bookmarked library.  

The nice thing about balloon riding, you don’t have to keep your balance… The speed of the balloon is quite agreeable as you manage to maintain complete comfort.  

The Bible study continued with a discussion of what baptism, marriage, predestination, and communion mean for various Christian denominations (Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, and Pentecostal).  In the end, I felt a bit stirred.  The differences seemed so minimal at times and I wondered the proportion of individuals in each denomination whose hearts the Holy Spirit worked in.  It was a big soup that was boiling down to a delicious, wholesome blend… God knows our hearts.  The author usually writes for a particular interpretation, but literature is often understood based on an individual’s past experiences.  Others’ interpretations of literature are actually sought and considered, but there is no other literature like God’s Word.  I pray the Holy Spirit continues to work in my heart to keep my feet on the true path to salvation.