I'm Jazzed

I'm not a particularly religious person.   The time I spend with my God, I spend in my car, in my home...rather than in any one church.   When the spirit moves me, I go to a church that is close to me.
So far, I think I've been in 10-12 churches in Tampa.   I'm not a congregant.  For most of my church going years, I attended the Catholic church, although I was baptized in an Eastern Orthodox following.  I despair of Catholicism.   I love its pomp and circumstance, but I find little about it connected to God.  I view it as a church of men.   With men's rules.

So it is with surprising feeling that I'm somewhat overwhelmed by Pope Francis.  For as long as he leads the church, it is possible that he will help it find its way.  He has already done so with his kindliness to the poor, the earth, the family.  I hope he will help it find its way to open to the leadership of women, to a welcoming experience for the divorced, for the gay community, for those who use contraception.

I find him humble and gracious, inspiring and a beacon of hope in such a troubled world.  I really believe he lives a life of joy as well as service.

Just one woman's opinion.

Double Rainbow

Tuesday, July 7....

Just when it seemed my week would be a big yawn; the daily rainstorms, heavy clouds, thunder and lightning that plagued us in the Bay area for the month of June had ceased during the 4th of July weekend. But starting on the 6th, when the workaday world butted in again, the rains resumed.

On the way west towards the bay, on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, around 7:20, my daughter broke the monotony of the radio morning show with a "look, Mom...a rainbow". And, she was right. Seeing the full arc of the rainbow woke me up to what the differences have been since I've been in Florida. It seems, at least in my part of the state, that a full arc rainbow is a rarity..potentially I hadn't seen even one since I arrived in 1995. For some strange reason, we seem to get only the rising part of the arc....or only the descending part. A partial rainbow, at best.

But this one was a vision, and a full arc, with both bases appearing to end in the water. And as we drove west, the colors blazed from pastel to nearly primary. It was then that Andrea craned her neck to look through the uppermost part of the windshield... and spotted the full, pastel second arc, above the first. We drove in awe. Inspired, the beauty of it all carried me through the rest of the week, storms and all. And while we were unable to get a picture with our silly little cellphone cameras, I hope that this photo, from Ken Rockwell , which almost exactly duplicates the phenomenon we saw, will inspire you all, as well.

quid