Survival Kit

First off, thanks for all your prayers for my friend's son, Chris. He is home and doing better, though with seizures you can never quite tell when you're out of the woods. The doctors think it was due to an abrupt change in medications and with the worst out of the way, he should be fine.

This week is shaping up to be something memorable. According to our local long range weather forecast, winter seems to be going out with a whimper and that's always nice. Spring starts this weekend, and my wife celebrates another circuit around the sun on Thursday. Our basement refinishing is nearly done, and Bonnie's health seems to be slowly improving, so it's all good here.

Meanwhile, let's start off this week talking about Agelio Batle, a San Francisco artist who, among other things, makes small sculptures from graphite. I've pictured his latest collection.

It's a special blend of graphite that allows you to use the sculpture as a pencil - and one that lasts for about eight years, at that - and leaves no residue on your hands.

The latest collection is called "Weapons" - pictured above - and you can get one for under $60 here. The artist's intention was for you to use these sculptures and thus change these weapons of war into words of kindness and poetry.

+++

SURVIVAL KIT FOR EVERYDAY LIVING

Put the following items into a small box or bag and keep with you each day:

1) Toothpick
2) Rubber Band
3) Band Aid
4) Pencil
5) Eraser
6) Chewing Gum
7) Mint
8) Candy Kiss
9) Tea Bag

1) The toothpick is to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.

2) The rubber band reminds you to be flexible. Things seldom go as you want them to go.

3) The band aid is a reminder to heal wounds. Physical or emotional. Yours or someone else's.

4) The pencil is so you can list your blessings each day.

5) The eraser is there to remind you that everyone makes mistakes. And that's okay. It's part of life.

6) The chewing gum is a reminder to stick with it. You can accomplish almost anything with perseverance.

7) The mint ... that's how much you are worth.

8) The candy kiss is a reminder that everyone needs some affection each and every day.

9) The tea bag is to remind you to relax. Take a moment to reflect on the positive things in life.

[Pastor Tim's Sermon Illustrations; edited by Mark Raymond]

+++

WORD for YOUR WEEK: Today's word is one that is changed very little from the original Latin. "Mutare" meant "to change" - you can see where we get the word "mutant" from - and when you add the word "trans," which means "across" you get the word transmutare, which is a complete and utter change. We use it and know it as the word "transmute." As in, "The sculptures pictured above can transmute into works of art." Ironic, I suppose, that the word hasn't changed much from the original Latin.

+++

Make Mark's Musings part of your very own survival kit by clicking here for a free subscription. It's sent each weekday via email and is also available via RSS Feed.