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Woodstock, Aug. 15-18th, 1969...Were you there?

Posted by John and Janet Ruiz on August 14, 2009 at 7:30am
Did I get the dates right? It's all like, fuzzy and stuff man.Woodstock - Did you go? Were you "there"? Nearby?Of course, there's a Wiki page on it - "Woodstock Festival" - if you're unfamiliar with it or want to check out some interesting details.Share, please if you did or tried or wanted to but didn't, if you get a sec. Applicable statutes of limitations expired long ago, so don't be shy - hey - go for it.
Share your heart, recollections, best guesses, blessed messes, what happened, what might have happened. etc. etc. Wondering who travelled distances to get there, and what that might have been like, coming and going.
It's a free blog, dig it!

Peace and Love!
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The Elegance of Life

Posted by John and Janet Ruiz on December 11, 2008 at 5:30pm
Greetings Internet Pardineros! Post-Thanksgiving afterglow is providing the kindling for some more warm, tasty times - Christmas! and New Years! We do enjoy this time of year and hope it's sweet and meaningful for you too.We finished up the tree a week ago. It takes about a week to do the whole thing. It's a time to savor and not rush. Ours is filled with memories. Right on top is a star, the classic "Star of Bethlehem".We've winnowed through our ornaments over the years and have a tidy collection - picture frame ornaments that have our family in them, taken from years past. Some of the flour and water dough ornaments we made one year we didn't have the cash dough to buy much more. (the remainder made some tasty sugar cookies that year!) That was the year we bought this plastic star and light we've put on top every year since. It cost two bucks and at the time was an investment. It's a keeper. Some the kids have made, some we've been given. A range of different types we've bought. It's more a history of years past than anything. Each year we add something new, as we did this year remembering it ain't the cash, it's the stash of love we have to draw upon that fills our stockings and trims our tree to overflowing every year. That and maybe a few choice items to go with them. : )Choicest was last Sunday - we went with my sisters to see Johnny Mathis! The man, the myth, Mr. Misty himself. He performed wonderfully and magically, for a man of 30. Not bad considering he's 72. He looks as good as he sounds and he sounds better than money in the bank. We loved him. He did a sprinkling of holiday favorites and all of his classics. The crowd was his - age wise mostly over "a certain age". Basically all young at heart and 100 per cent fans of his music. Nearly every song I could hear people around me - "Oh!! ooooh....yeah...." in recognition and appreciation as he began each song. Hanky time on "12th of Never". Two songs that bring out the kleenex for me - James Taylor singing "Carolina On My Mind" and that one. Great night. GREAT night.Which got me to thinking again how full of hope our lives are. Good times remembered, yes. Good times expected - ditto. The future's still as bright as the promises of God, and the future has a past. I'm in it and diggin' it immensely. I hope to remember these days well in times to come.Which brings me to "elegance". I like the word "elegance" and I think it covers "Life" very well: refinement, grace, and beauty in movement, appearance, or manners. Life at it's best moves with it, like a bird in the breeze - effortless, easy, sweet. "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly..." More than a chaotic accumulation of stuff we can't take with us and then it's over when we least expect it. Meaning, purpose, cycles of God's grace moving like the tides in wonderful elegant motion.LIfe is very cool when it doesn't suck. Unfortunately it does for a lot of people on this planet. Would they will all come to know both the here-and-now and the hope of life in Christ. And maybe get a better leg up on everything else too. I'm very fortunate to have what I have and be where I am. I'm often reminded of that and that life sucks so bad when it isn't cool. A lot can go wrong and does for a lot of people. We can't fix everything in the time we have but in the time I have I hope to make a dent. This season is a strong reminder for me of that.Life is so precious. Elegant, so well put together there's clearly no alternative that comes even close. A sign of the pure creative existence of "God" if ever there was one. Who else could have come up such an idea? Never to be outdone in it's complete satisfaction as a state of mind. : ) It's definitely a cool thing if only (but not only) because it's so unique. Each one of us is the only one of us there's ever been, the only one of us that is, and that will ever be again. That's weird, considering the possibilities. Weird but very cool. We are the one-time unique instance of "us" and our life that there will ever be. After you - no more the same, ever. For some reason that's always given me pause since it first really hit me and when it did it hit me like a runaway train. Fortunately I survived to reflect on it, which I do from time to time, like now.The fact that "I' and "you" are non-repeatable is immense. In some ways that's probably good. : ) But in all ways it shows to me the incredible diversity and facility of God. We keep comin' on, one at a time, in pairs or quads but every li'l baby says the same thing "Hi! It's me!", never "Hi! It's me - again!" Each one loved for the simple fact that they're here, with nothing to give but the life they have."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." An incredible statement to ponder. And in that, a future promised for each of us.Chistmas is a cool time to consider again all God has done and what He holds for each of us in our own future, one filled with His good gifts and blessings, all to be known in their own time and season. And as always, the future has a past...Our best to you and yours. Happy Merry Christmas and Stuff!


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Living in Love

Posted by John Anderson on December 1, 2008 at 6:19pm
I have been listening to the songs provided here on this site. "It's gotta be God" and oh so many others.There is something really beautiful in that music. It was what attracted me to the word and the way. The heart of the believers - the organization was really immaterial. Honestly folks. That was where it was all really at . . . at the twig level and even lower.Let's not forget that - listen to the music . . . listen to your heart and what it has to say.I don't know how to classify this blog or discussion - but if you feel so moved, please leave your two cents here - it's worth way more than that.
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Thanksgiving

Posted by John and Janet Ruiz on November 26, 2008 at 12:30pm
Well, it's time for my yearly blog entry. John here, Janet in spirit, as always. If you've ever listened to the band "Orleans" they have a lyric in a song that reminds me of the relationship we have, husband and wife - "sometimes I forget where I leave off, and you begin, anymore..."It speaks to the closeness that comes over years and years of sharing life together. Separate, yet together. Joined, but independent. Two, and one. God never ceases to amaze in the diverse complexity of life that He's formed and made in this creation we enjoy. Not always understanding but never ceasing to appreciate.Tomorrow's Turkey Day and our kids and family will be together. As a parent I can feel the warmth gathering now and I look forward to our time together. Dinner will be a fine time, but really - it's all about the day and then the leftovers.Good leftovers - can't beat 'em. Our preparations figure on that - packing up the kidlings with some of this, a lot of that. No, take more, it'll just sit in the fridge here.I was thinking looking through all of you fine folks gathering on the pages here of all those years ago when we were kids. Those years we were forming, developing, literally learning who we were and what we were to become. What else can you do when you're 20? With more years ahead than you have behind, life is all about learning, going, starting, giving, getting, building. There's no need for any "do-overs" when you're doin' it. You do it like there's no tomorrow and then you get up the next morning and do it again. And again.Each of you forms a wonderful piece of the landscape we see when we look back over our lives together. We've done a lot of things, been places, done stuff. The years have past and we've gone our own ways but joined in our heart's memory and under God's watchful eye, not so far apart as it might seem I think now. The real currency in our lives is made up of the people we've known and the love we've shared with one another. In that regard you've made us rich and we're very thankful for that.Now - here we be. I sense in the community of Way Corps here depth, success, wisdom from both our victories as well as our failures. I'm sure some thing have worked out better than we could have ever expected. Others not so, on the betterness. But all in all - like they say and at the least, any day we wake up and have a pulse - is a good day. Present, accounted for, moving forward. Upward and onward. What else can we do? Persist till we succeed. And once we do, start persisting again.Anyhoo - we have much to be thankful for. Our best to all of you for a safe and happy holiday.
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