There are two new phones in my world, each equipped to provide connections with the people I love. One is my fancy new smartphone; the other is a new-old-fashioned Tin Can. Which is better at connecting?

Note about image: Created using Microsoft Copilot. This image reflects a recent experience waiting to see my chiropractor. I think there should be a warning about cervical injury.

My Mysterious Mind

A few weeks ago, my elderly smartphone died and was replaced by the latest and greatest, an S26. In a tale of stark contrast, my life recently gained another phone, a Tin Can phone. This throwback to the days of landlines uses Wi-Fi to call other “Tin Can” phones. My oldest daughter had added one to her home and gave them also to me and to her sister. Now the three homes can connect via our retro phones.

This new way to connect to my daughters and their children has me wondering about connecting. Which is better, my S26 or my Tin Can?

My S26 can connect as a phone AND it can connect in many other ways. I can connect to the Internet, which is essentially a connection to pretty much everything digital. I could connect to my email, but I do not. It came with a connection to social media, i.e., Facebook, but I removed that app. If I don’t want to connect with a phone call, I can just connect via text messaging. My connections can include images, gifs, emojis, and video. I can connect to Uber through an app, thereby connecting to transportation provided by a network of available strangers.

Furthermore, I can connect to addictive games, but I refrain. My location can be connected to a network of satellites in space, aka, GPS. I can connect to an archive of photos via Google. My ever-listening phone is connected to AI, thus connecting me to unlimited merchandisers wishing to sell me something. And many more forms of connection I try not to ponder.

Then there’s my new Tin Can phone. It is connected by speed dial to my daughters’ Tin Can phones in Indiana and Oklahoma. Two places. I can also call 911 with it. Given these limited connections, you might be surprised to learn my Tin Can phone is my new favorite thing.

In one week, I have received five phone calls on my Tin Can phone, all from my grandchildren.

For them, the phone only calls one person, Grandma. And it’s simple enough, even a two-year old can pick it up and push the speed dial that connects to me.

Note about image: This is cartoon version of an actual photograph of my granddaughter calling me on a Tin Can phone.

Returning to my question, which is better at connecting, my S26 or my Tin Can phone? I guess it depends on whether you are measuring quantity or quality of connections. My S26 excels at its unlimited number of connections, including a contact list of several hundred phone numbers. My Tin Can phone only has two connections, but those two are of incredible worth to me.

There’s also a difference in the level of focus required for connection via each. My S26 has a myriad of distractions competing for attention every time I hold it. Plus, I can wander around with it, barely paying attention to the person to whom I am speaking. My Tin Can phone offers only one focal point, the voice of another person. And the twirly cord prevents the distraction of wandering. In a world where hands-free multitasking is revered, this might seem uncomfortably primitive.

I, however, find this countercultural form of connecting to be liberating.

Message of Mystery Acres

You won’t be able to call me on my Tin Can phone when I am in my beloved forest. Unless I bring my smartphone, I won’t be able to connect with you unless you are there with me.

I will be able to connect to nature. I don’t need a phone for that.

And, if I take a walk without my smartphone, I can connect to myself. Alone.

Most of us grew up being untethered to everything and everyone else in the pre-smartphone world. Have we forgotten how to be unconnected digitally?

There has been an epidemic of anxiety and depression since the intrusion of smartphones, especially among those too young to have lived before their takeover. One of the antidotes for these emotional problems is to go be in nature. Unconnected. Alone.

The message of Mystery Acres is a plea for disconnecting from the noise of the digital world and reconnecting with nature and with self. Losing ourselves in the forest without a smartphone might be the key to finding who we really are. Do we dare?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus, said, ‘When you pray, go into your room and close the door.’” (Matthew 6:6)

Prayer is the term for connecting with God. Jesus gave instructions for how to improve the quality of these connections. He described a private conversation, focused only on the Father, by directing the one praying to go into a room and shut the door. The resulting conversation would be just between the two persons, God and the person praying.

This approach would minimize external distractions. It brings to mind the story of Jesus visiting the sisters Mary and Martha (see Luke 10). Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him while Martha was distracted by preparations and frustrated by her sister’s lack of help. Mary was focused on a single connection; Martha was multitasking, able to hear Jesus’s voice among the noise of her activities.

Mary was using an ancient Tin Can phone; Martha was distracted by all the apps on her ancient smartphone. Which had the better connection?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice challenges us to consider the quality of our connections to the persons who matter to us. Are we able to focus, just listening to the one voice? Or are we distracted by various voices and trivial noise? A high-quality connection is one person focused on one person. This is a gold standard for conversations between people. It is also the means to deeper connectedness with God. Focused, simple connections.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of connecting, with a contrast between Tin Can and smartphone? It starts by taking inventory of your methods of connecting with the people you love. Do you use texting, phone calls, social media posts, or email? To what extent do your connections include in-person, or one-person-at-a-time methods?

Next, contemplate the quality of those connections. According to Gary Chapman, our relationships are built on five love languages, one of which is Quality Time, my personal favorite. If you are with me and checking your smartphone, that diminishes the quality time I am experiencing. In my head, your phone is more important than I am. If you are taking an important phone call, that’s fine. But if you feel compelled to check your phone for any other reason, I become unimportant to you in that moment. It’s heartbreaking experience of becoming invisible for me.

Quality Time isn’t the most valued “love language” for everyone, but it is for me. The others are Acts of Service, Gifts, Physical Touch, and Words of Affirmation. But this message isn’t about those. Quality Time means connecting without distraction. It’s the Tin Can version of interpersonal communication. It’s also the Mary version of listening, not the multitasking Martha method. Which version is typical of your connections with those you love? Which best describes your connections with God?

As an old mom to young parents, I encourage you to get your children a Tin Can phone. It also makes a great gift for other people’s children, such as grandchildren or nieces and nephews. For about a hundred dollars, this new “land-line” provides a way for children to call family members and friends without the clutter of smartphones. It’s free to use via Wi-Fi to call other Tin Can phones and only about $10 a month to call any phone. The phone is protected by an app that only allows approved numbers to connect to the Tin Can. For children old enough to be left alone at home, it also provides access to emergency services. It provides a means of connecting to people without the dangers of smartphones. Think about it. And, no, I don’t own stock or get a commission if you buy one.

If this message elicits an uncomfortable awareness of being overly connected to your smartphone, I dare you to practice spending time without it. Turn it off for a few hours. Take a walk outside without it. Sit on a park bench with another person without either of you having a smartphone nearby. Connect in a “tin can” way with someone. Just the two of you. Or just you and nature.

In our hyperconnected lives we are becoming increasingly disconnected with ourselves, with nature, and with each other. Filling our time with a myriad of random connections is emptying us deep inside. When the measure of connecting is quality, the tin can approach wins.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to being easily distracted when I am talking with you or with the people I love. Help me to adopt a “tin can” mentality in my times with others and my times of prayer. Thank You for showing me how to be better connected with You; grant me the courage to live in deeper connection. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Ponder the story of Mary and Martha and how to decrease distractions during your conversations with God and those important to you.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

There are two new phones in my world, each equipped to provide connections with the people I love. One is my fancy new smartphone; the other is a new-old-fashioned Tin Can. Which is better at connecting?

Note about image: Created using Microsoft Copilot. This image reflects a recent experience waiting to see my chiropractor. I think there should be a warning about cervical injury.

My Mysterious Mind

A few weeks ago, my elderly smartphone died and was replaced by the latest and greatest, an S26. In a tale of stark contrast, my life recently gained another phone, a Tin Can phone. This throwback to the days of landlines uses Wi-Fi to call other “Tin Can” phones. My oldest daughter had added one to her home and gave them also to me and to her sister. Now the three homes can connect via our retro phones.

This new way to connect to my daughters and their children has me wondering about connecting. Which is better, my S26 or my Tin Can?

My S26 can connect as a phone AND it can connect in many other ways. I can connect to the Internet, which is essentially a connection to pretty much everything digital. I could connect to my email, but I do not. It came with a connection to social media, i.e., Facebook, but I removed that app. If I don’t want to connect with a phone call, I can just connect via text messaging. My connections can include images, gifs, emojis, and video. I can connect to Uber through an app, thereby connecting to transportation provided by a network of available strangers.

Furthermore, I can connect to addictive games, but I refrain. My location can be connected to a network of satellites in space, aka, GPS. I can connect to an archive of photos via Google. My ever-listening phone is connected to AI, thus connecting me to unlimited merchandisers wishing to sell me something. And many more forms of connection I try not to ponder.

Then there’s my new Tin Can phone. It is connected by speed dial to my daughters’ Tin Can phones in Indiana and Oklahoma. Two places. I can also call 911 with it. Given these limited connections, you might be surprised to learn my Tin Can phone is my new favorite thing.

In one week, I have received five phone calls on my Tin Can phone, all from my grandchildren.

For them, the phone only calls one person, Grandma. And it’s simple enough, even a two-year old can pick it up and push the speed dial that connects to me.

Note about image: This is cartoon version of an actual photograph of my granddaughter calling me on a Tin Can phone.

Returning to my question, which is better at connecting, my S26 or my Tin Can phone? I guess it depends on whether you are measuring quantity or quality of connections. My S26 excels at its unlimited number of connections, including a contact list of several hundred phone numbers. My Tin Can phone only has two connections, but those two are of incredible worth to me.

There’s also a difference in the level of focus required for connection via each. My S26 has a myriad of distractions competing for attention every time I hold it. Plus, I can wander around with it, barely paying attention to the person to whom I am speaking. My Tin Can phone offers only one focal point, the voice of another person. And the twirly cord prevents the distraction of wandering. In a world where hands-free multitasking is revered, this might seem uncomfortably primitive.

I, however, find this countercultural form of connecting to be liberating.

Message of Mystery Acres

You won’t be able to call me on my Tin Can phone when I am in my beloved forest. Unless I bring my smartphone, I won’t be able to connect with you unless you are there with me.

I will be able to connect to nature. I don’t need a phone for that.

And, if I take a walk without my smartphone, I can connect to myself. Alone.

Most of us grew up being untethered to everything and everyone else in the pre-smartphone world. Have we forgotten how to be unconnected digitally?

There has been an epidemic of anxiety and depression since the intrusion of smartphones, especially among those too young to have lived before their takeover. One of the antidotes for these emotional problems is to go be in nature. Unconnected. Alone.

The message of Mystery Acres is a plea for disconnecting from the noise of the digital world and reconnecting with nature and with self. Losing ourselves in the forest without a smartphone might be the key to finding who we really are. Do we dare?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus, said, ‘When you pray, go into your room and close the door.’” (Matthew 6:6)

Prayer is the term for connecting with God. Jesus gave instructions for how to improve the quality of these connections. He described a private conversation, focused only on the Father, by directing the one praying to go into a room and shut the door. The resulting conversation would be just between the two persons, God and the person praying.

This approach would minimize external distractions. It brings to mind the story of Jesus visiting the sisters Mary and Martha (see Luke 10). Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him while Martha was distracted by preparations and frustrated by her sister’s lack of help. Mary was focused on a single connection; Martha was multitasking, able to hear Jesus’s voice among the noise of her activities.

Mary was using an ancient Tin Can phone; Martha was distracted by all the apps on her ancient smartphone. Which had the better connection?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice challenges us to consider the quality of our connections to the persons who matter to us. Are we able to focus, just listening to the one voice? Or are we distracted by various voices and trivial noise? A high-quality connection is one person focused on one person. This is a gold standard for conversations between people. It is also the means to deeper connectedness with God. Focused, simple connections.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of connecting, with a contrast between Tin Can and smartphone? It starts by taking inventory of your methods of connecting with the people you love. Do you use texting, phone calls, social media posts, or email? To what extent do your connections include in-person, or one-person-at-a-time methods?

Next, contemplate the quality of those connections. According to Gary Chapman, our relationships are built on five love languages, one of which is Quality Time, my personal favorite. If you are with me and checking your smartphone, that diminishes the quality time I am experiencing. In my head, your phone is more important than I am. If you are taking an important phone call, that’s fine. But if you feel compelled to check your phone for any other reason, I become unimportant to you in that moment. It’s heartbreaking experience of becoming invisible for me.

Quality Time isn’t the most valued “love language” for everyone, but it is for me. The others are Acts of Service, Gifts, Physical Touch, and Words of Affirmation. But this message isn’t about those. Quality Time means connecting without distraction. It’s the Tin Can version of interpersonal communication. It’s also the Mary version of listening, not the multitasking Martha method. Which version is typical of your connections with those you love? Which best describes your connections with God?

As an old mom to young parents, I encourage you to get your children a Tin Can phone. It also makes a great gift for other people’s children, such as grandchildren or nieces and nephews. For about a hundred dollars, this new “land-line” provides a way for children to call family members and friends without the clutter of smartphones. It’s free to use via Wi-Fi to call other Tin Can phones and only about $10 a month to call any phone. The phone is protected by an app that only allows approved numbers to connect to the Tin Can. For children old enough to be left alone at home, it also provides access to emergency services. It provides a means of connecting to people without the dangers of smartphones. Think about it. And, no, I don’t own stock or get a commission if you buy one.

If this message elicits an uncomfortable awareness of being overly connected to your smartphone, I dare you to practice spending time without it. Turn it off for a few hours. Take a walk outside without it. Sit on a park bench with another person without either of you having a smartphone nearby. Connect in a “tin can” way with someone. Just the two of you. Or just you and nature.

In our hyperconnected lives we are becoming increasingly disconnected with ourselves, with nature, and with each other. Filling our time with a myriad of random connections is emptying us deep inside. When the measure of connecting is quality, the tin can approach wins.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to being easily distracted when I am talking with you or with the people I love. Help me to adopt a “tin can” mentality in my times with others and my times of prayer. Thank You for showing me how to be better connected with You; grant me the courage to live in deeper connection. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Ponder the story of Mary and Martha and how to decrease distractions during your conversations with God and those important to you.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

My Mysterious Mind

As we approached the July 4^th holiday, I thought about the United States of America, especially our first name, “United.” Many of us celebrated Independence Day with fireworks; either in our driveways or at a public display. As the wife of a pyrotechnician, I have been to countless fireworks shows and several international fireworks conventions. The crowd reactions to fireworks are always the same, namely, “oooo” or “aaaah,” interspersed with an intermittent “wow!” or “whoa!” One reaction never heard is “boo” because people don’t take sides when enjoying fireworks together.

Together. Crowds who attend fireworks shows are united by a common experience. Unlike sporting events, where some cheer and others groan, fireworks elicit only unified, positive reactions. There is no taking of sides at a fireworks show, no winners and no losers.

This year’s “fourth of July” is special, a point in time 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. My husband and I chose to celebrate in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC, for an epic fireworks show and a state fair of the 50 states and 6 territories.

Except this celebration of the “United” states of American failed to fully align with its name. Invisible battle lines between groups of states were drawn, with several states choosing to be absent from the DC celebration. Their empty booths testified to the state leaders who chose division over unity.

Marriages, too, deteriorate when each partner is more interested in winning than in being united. Some couples fight as though they are on opposing sides, not on the same team. Each critique hurled at the other should really be directed at self for choosing to be married to their now-targeted companion. Two who became one are at risk of reverting to two.

United we stand; divided we fall. At a football game, the opposing fans become one while watching the half-time show. The same people can be on different sides of a battle one minute, then all on the same side when the marching band performs. In marriage, the same people who pledged their lives and loyalty to the other, can allow that unity to decline until they are not even friends. As for the United States of America, the courageous ancestors who left homes and families to forge a new nation wouldn’t recognize their descendants’ hurling insults on social media.

Unity doesn’t mean a lack of diversity of belief, language, or culture. People can disagree without being disagreeable. People can see things differently without becoming enemies. Sadly, the propaganda machines of social media are actively sowing seeds of division. If you haven’t watched Social Dilemma, which is about Facebook, I highly recommend it to you. Or you can read a bit of Jaron Lanier’s thoughts on social media, summarized here. There are compelling explanations for the divisive role of social media in the severity of side-taking in our “united” states of America.

As we ponder Independence Day, think being united, without being in agreement. The diversity of perspectives was present among our nation’s founders. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington differed passionately on matters of foreign policy. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, part of the five who authored the Declaration of Independence, were polarized on centralized verses decentralized government. In their later years they wrote regularly to each other, never altering their political perspectives. These two pillars of our nation, who were the founding strands of our two-party political system, died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the nation’s declared independence. Divided by political party, they were united in their commitment to their friendship and bonded to their country even in the timing of their deaths.

They knew something many of us may have forgotten - we can be united while disagreeing.

Message from Mystery Acres

There are myriad plants growing at Mystery Acres, all of them native to the land. I have added a few plants into the mix, but only those purchased from a wildflower nursery dedicated to native Missouri varieties. The irises blooming at my home are wonderful, but I am not transplanting any of them to my bit of native forest. If there are going to be irises at Mystery Acres they will be ones naturally growing elsewhere in unaltered regions of the state.

Plants that don’t belong in my forest might become invasive. These predatory, boundary-less plants spread without opposition, jeopardizing the survival of native ones. Native species work in harmony with each other, invasive species can spread and strangle native plants.

One example of an invasive species is the Callery Pear, also known as the Bradford Pear. These ornamental trees spread quickly, crowding out native trees. In the spring, their lovely white flowers display their popularity…and their successful propagation in open fields and along roadways. Missouri is trying to slow down the invasion through a Buyback program, a way for people to trade an invasive Callery Pear tree for a native variety. Tragically, these and other invasive species are still being sold to unaware buyers, with legislative efforts to stop those sales.

Invasive species are like people who take sides, more interested in winning than in harmonious co-existence. Because these plants are such great “winners,” the outcome is the loss of native species. The message of Mystery Acres is to beware of plants, and people, who only want to win. When one plant, or side, is too focused on winning, everyone is losing.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

Jesus said, “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (See Matthew 12, verse 25)

When accused of being aligned with Satan when driving out demons, Jesus pointed out the nonsense of such an accusation. A city or house or kingdom can’t survive if its parts are working against each other. Driving out demons demonstrated the authority Jesus had over the enemy, not his alliance with him. An ally of Satan wouldn’t be working against him, that just doesn’t make sense.

And yet, such division is too often seen in marriages, churches, and nations. Spouses take sides against each other; churches split from conflict and the battle lines are drawn between allied flanks; nations, once united, descend into civil war. In some cases, the differences are irreconcilable with no middle ground to be found. Sometimes division between sides is warranted, with the dissolution of what was once united as the appropriate outcome. Sometimes, but not always.

Internal division brings weakening. A cracked bowl is at risk of breaking along the fractured line. Marriage with unresolved conflict might create a “broken home.” Church members who neglect to forgive each other’s injuries, choosing to develop allies for their side of a conflict, threaten to split a congregation. Nations who allow differences in political philosophy to degenerate into hatred of those across the political aisle, jeopardize the “united” in their country.

The apostle Paul wrote a letter of advice to his friend and co-worker Titus. In that letter, Paul cautioned Titus about people who are prone to division (see Titus 3, verse 10). Paul advised Titus to “warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” The context of this warning was about those who tried to start arguments based on heresy, spreading doubt and errant doctrine among believers. Such divisiveness would drive believers into competing camps, destroying unity.

Paul, like Jesus, made unity a high priority. Jesus prayed for His followers to “be one” as He and His father “are one” (see John 16, verse 11). This doesn’t mean people have to agree on everything; but how those disagreements are handled will either strengthen or weaken relationships. Jesus was in unity, or one-ness, with His Father, but, nonetheless questioned His father’s plan to send Him to be crucified (see Luke 22, verse 42). Unity doesn’t mean a passive “rubber stamping” of one’s spouse, or pastor, or elected official. Rather, seeking unity approaches differences with love, honesty, and respect, seeking a stronger outcome for all, not a weaker, divided one.

The words of Ancient Mystery caution us of the dangers of division. Disagreement is healthy; taking sides in a conflict brings brokenness where unity once was.

Living in Mystery

Living in the mystery of unity means, first of all, understanding the subtle, destructive power of division. Winning, by putting one above another, creates a loser. When you win, you might actually be losing, because of the division caused by fighting to be right. Conversely, sometimes when we lose, such as choosing not to win an argument, we actually win. Thus, “winning at all costs” might be losing for you and for everyone else. This is unfortunately true in fights between spouses or members of the same church.

Dale Carnegie, in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, said, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” He advised not to argue. There is no winning when winning an argument. Everyone loses because relationships, and unity, are damaged. A practical piece of advice is to limit divisive interactions on social media. Block or unfriend divisive people. Or, as Jaron Lanier admonished, get off social media completely. His warnings, those of a Silicon Valley insider, were published before the pervasive propaganda machine, TikTok.

As an old mom to young parents, I suggest you think about how natural division emerges in children, and how unity must be learned. The proclivity to push for a separate and elevated position above another can be seen in the toddler who proclaims “mine” and the teen who rejects a parent’s wisdom. The innate drive to be better and/or separate is at the foundation of what fuels divisive behavior. Unity requires surrender of self-glory, seeking collective well-being instead.

Sibling bickering is common in children. My solution was to put the warring children together on a love seat, requiring them to hold hands. They were only allowed to get up when they had agreed to stop fighting. In doing this, I made myself their common enemy, forcing an alliance between them. They learned to get along because I required it, not because it came naturally.

And, as for our conflicted nation, I suggest you intentionally listen to media produced by those with whom you disagree. One of the ways I pass the time when driving alone on long car trips, is to listen to a variety of talk radio, purposefully listening to rhetoric from the “left” and the “right.” In doing so it becomes clear how slanted each side presents any story. Both accuse the other of distorting the facts. After several hours I realize the truth is probably somewhere in-between. And there is the root of the real problem; there is a somewhere BETWEEN the sides, a place of common ground neither is standing. Divisive commentary draws followers, and it creates distance between the sides. Where is the ‘united’ in our country? How can we behave more like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, divided in politics but united in friendship and love of their nation?

Lastly, ponder the unifying power of watching fireworks together. Pray for the people who vote differently than you. Beware divisive people, media, and rhetoric. Remember to stand on the side of unity, choosing to disagree without being disagreeable. Our marriages, churches, and nation depend on each of us to be united as we stand, because divided we all fall.

Connecting With Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I am troubled by the lines of division in marriages, churches, and our country. So many of us have become disagreeable in our disagreements, threatening the well-being of our shared connections. Help me to see whatever role I play in these dangers, equipping me with the love, patience, and respect needed to hold an opinion without creating enemies. Help us, Lord, help us. United with You, we stand; divided from You, we fall. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. You might enjoy reading the larger context of Matthew 12, Titus 3, John 16, or Luke 22.

You can find previous posts and podcasts in my ARCHIVE  and organized compilations in the My “Books” section. You can also find Mystery’s Voice on Spotify .

Do you have thoughts to share? Please leave a comment below or through the Substack App, or email me privately at Dear Dr. Mac. I love to hear from you!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

My Mysterious Mind

As we approached the July 4^th holiday, I thought about the United States of America, especially our first name, “United.” Many of us celebrated Independence Day with fireworks; either in our driveways or at a public display. As the wife of a pyrotechnician, I have been to countless fireworks shows and several international fireworks conventions. The crowd reactions to fireworks are always the same, namely, “oooo” or “aaaah,” interspersed with an intermittent “wow!” or “whoa!” One reaction never heard is “boo” because people don’t take sides when enjoying fireworks together.

Together. Crowds who attend fireworks shows are united by a common experience. Unlike sporting events, where some cheer and others groan, fireworks elicit only unified, positive reactions. There is no taking of sides at a fireworks show, no winners and no losers.

This year’s “fourth of July” is special, a point in time 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. My husband and I chose to celebrate in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC, for an epic fireworks show and a state fair of the 50 states and 6 territories.

Except this celebration of the “United” states of American failed to fully align with its name. Invisible battle lines between groups of states were drawn, with several states choosing to be absent from the DC celebration. Their empty booths testified to the state leaders who chose division over unity.

Marriages, too, deteriorate when each partner is more interested in winning than in being united. Some couples fight as though they are on opposing sides, not on the same team. Each critique hurled at the other should really be directed at self for choosing to be married to their now-targeted companion. Two who became one are at risk of reverting to two.

United we stand; divided we fall. At a football game, the opposing fans become one while watching the half-time show. The same people can be on different sides of a battle one minute, then all on the same side when the marching band performs. In marriage, the same people who pledged their lives and loyalty to the other, can allow that unity to decline until they are not even friends. As for the United States of America, the courageous ancestors who left homes and families to forge a new nation wouldn’t recognize their descendants’ hurling insults on social media.

Unity doesn’t mean a lack of diversity of belief, language, or culture. People can disagree without being disagreeable. People can see things differently without becoming enemies. Sadly, the propaganda machines of social media are actively sowing seeds of division. If you haven’t watched Social Dilemma, which is about Facebook, I highly recommend it to you. Or you can read a bit of Jaron Lanier’s thoughts on social media, summarized here. There are compelling explanations for the divisive role of social media in the severity of side-taking in our “united” states of America.

As we ponder Independence Day, think being united, without being in agreement. The diversity of perspectives was present among our nation’s founders. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington differed passionately on matters of foreign policy. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, part of the five who authored the Declaration of Independence, were polarized on centralized verses decentralized government. In their later years they wrote regularly to each other, never altering their political perspectives. These two pillars of our nation, who were the founding strands of our two-party political system, died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the nation’s declared independence. Divided by political party, they were united in their commitment to their friendship and bonded to their country even in the timing of their deaths.

They knew something many of us may have forgotten - we can be united while disagreeing.

Message from Mystery Acres

There are myriad plants growing at Mystery Acres, all of them native to the land. I have added a few plants into the mix, but only those purchased from a wildflower nursery dedicated to native Missouri varieties. The irises blooming at my home are wonderful, but I am not transplanting any of them to my bit of native forest. If there are going to be irises at Mystery Acres they will be ones naturally growing elsewhere in unaltered regions of the state.

Plants that don’t belong in my forest might become invasive. These predatory, boundary-less plants spread without opposition, jeopardizing the survival of native ones. Native species work in harmony with each other, invasive species can spread and strangle native plants.

One example of an invasive species is the Callery Pear, also known as the Bradford Pear. These ornamental trees spread quickly, crowding out native trees. In the spring, their lovely white flowers display their popularity…and their successful propagation in open fields and along roadways. Missouri is trying to slow down the invasion through a Buyback program, a way for people to trade an invasive Callery Pear tree for a native variety. Tragically, these and other invasive species are still being sold to unaware buyers, with legislative efforts to stop those sales.

Invasive species are like people who take sides, more interested in winning than in harmonious co-existence. Because these plants are such great “winners,” the outcome is the loss of native species. The message of Mystery Acres is to beware of plants, and people, who only want to win. When one plant, or side, is too focused on winning, everyone is losing.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

Jesus said, “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (See Matthew 12, verse 25)

When accused of being aligned with Satan when driving out demons, Jesus pointed out the nonsense of such an accusation. A city or house or kingdom can’t survive if its parts are working against each other. Driving out demons demonstrated the authority Jesus had over the enemy, not his alliance with him. An ally of Satan wouldn’t be working against him, that just doesn’t make sense.

And yet, such division is too often seen in marriages, churches, and nations. Spouses take sides against each other; churches split from conflict and the battle lines are drawn between allied flanks; nations, once united, descend into civil war. In some cases, the differences are irreconcilable with no middle ground to be found. Sometimes division between sides is warranted, with the dissolution of what was once united as the appropriate outcome. Sometimes, but not always.

Internal division brings weakening. A cracked bowl is at risk of breaking along the fractured line. Marriage with unresolved conflict might create a “broken home.” Church members who neglect to forgive each other’s injuries, choosing to develop allies for their side of a conflict, threaten to split a congregation. Nations who allow differences in political philosophy to degenerate into hatred of those across the political aisle, jeopardize the “united” in their country.

The apostle Paul wrote a letter of advice to his friend and co-worker Titus. In that letter, Paul cautioned Titus about people who are prone to division (see Titus 3, verse 10). Paul advised Titus to “warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” The context of this warning was about those who tried to start arguments based on heresy, spreading doubt and errant doctrine among believers. Such divisiveness would drive believers into competing camps, destroying unity.

Paul, like Jesus, made unity a high priority. Jesus prayed for His followers to “be one” as He and His father “are one” (see John 16, verse 11). This doesn’t mean people have to agree on everything; but how those disagreements are handled will either strengthen or weaken relationships. Jesus was in unity, or one-ness, with His Father, but, nonetheless questioned His father’s plan to send Him to be crucified (see Luke 22, verse 42). Unity doesn’t mean a passive “rubber stamping” of one’s spouse, or pastor, or elected official. Rather, seeking unity approaches differences with love, honesty, and respect, seeking a stronger outcome for all, not a weaker, divided one.

The words of Ancient Mystery caution us of the dangers of division. Disagreement is healthy; taking sides in a conflict brings brokenness where unity once was.

Living in Mystery

Living in the mystery of unity means, first of all, understanding the subtle, destructive power of division. Winning, by putting one above another, creates a loser. When you win, you might actually be losing, because of the division caused by fighting to be right. Conversely, sometimes when we lose, such as choosing not to win an argument, we actually win. Thus, “winning at all costs” might be losing for you and for everyone else. This is unfortunately true in fights between spouses or members of the same church.

Dale Carnegie, in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, said, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” He advised not to argue. There is no winning when winning an argument. Everyone loses because relationships, and unity, are damaged. A practical piece of advice is to limit divisive interactions on social media. Block or unfriend divisive people. Or, as Jaron Lanier admonished, get off social media completely. His warnings, those of a Silicon Valley insider, were published before the pervasive propaganda machine, TikTok.

As an old mom to young parents, I suggest you think about how natural division emerges in children, and how unity must be learned. The proclivity to push for a separate and elevated position above another can be seen in the toddler who proclaims “mine” and the teen who rejects a parent’s wisdom. The innate drive to be better and/or separate is at the foundation of what fuels divisive behavior. Unity requires surrender of self-glory, seeking collective well-being instead.

Sibling bickering is common in children. My solution was to put the warring children together on a love seat, requiring them to hold hands. They were only allowed to get up when they had agreed to stop fighting. In doing this, I made myself their common enemy, forcing an alliance between them. They learned to get along because I required it, not because it came naturally.

And, as for our conflicted nation, I suggest you intentionally listen to media produced by those with whom you disagree. One of the ways I pass the time when driving alone on long car trips, is to listen to a variety of talk radio, purposefully listening to rhetoric from the “left” and the “right.” In doing so it becomes clear how slanted each side presents any story. Both accuse the other of distorting the facts. After several hours I realize the truth is probably somewhere in-between. And there is the root of the real problem; there is a somewhere BETWEEN the sides, a place of common ground neither is standing. Divisive commentary draws followers, and it creates distance between the sides. Where is the ‘united’ in our country? How can we behave more like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, divided in politics but united in friendship and love of their nation?

Lastly, ponder the unifying power of watching fireworks together. Pray for the people who vote differently than you. Beware divisive people, media, and rhetoric. Remember to stand on the side of unity, choosing to disagree without being disagreeable. Our marriages, churches, and nation depend on each of us to be united as we stand, because divided we all fall.

Connecting With Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I am troubled by the lines of division in marriages, churches, and our country. So many of us have become disagreeable in our disagreements, threatening the well-being of our shared connections. Help me to see whatever role I play in these dangers, equipping me with the love, patience, and respect needed to hold an opinion without creating enemies. Help us, Lord, help us. United with You, we stand; divided from You, we fall. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. You might enjoy reading the larger context of Matthew 12, Titus 3, John 16, or Luke 22.

You can find previous posts and podcasts in my ARCHIVE and organized compilations in the My “Books” section. You can also find Mystery’s Voice on Spotify .

Do you have thoughts to share? Please leave a comment below or through the Substack App, or email me privately at Dear Dr. Mac. I love to hear from you!

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My Mysterious Mind

During a recent visit to the chiropractor, I noticed a small bowl of cheap plastic frogs by the checkout counter. I sensed a prompt to take one but ignored the nudge. As I walked away, I turned back to the counter and asked if I could have one of the frogs. Granted permission, I picked out a frog and tucked it into my purse.

A few days later, I was at my daughter’s party in Indiana, a celebration of her turning 40. As she and her friends played a murder mystery game, her youngest was wrestling with the inflated “dead body.” I was watching from the edge of the party, having been tending to the food and games for the children present. I felt a nudge to get the frog from my purse, which was tucke to which I immediately complied.

Moments later, the grandson who had been playing with the inflated man began screaming and rushed to his mother. I approached her to offer help so she could continue overseeing the murder mystery game. She turned to me and said, “he’s bleeding.” I grabbed the distressed child from her arms and took him to the bathroom. He protested loudly as we left his mother.

In the bathroom, I tried to clean the blood from his hands and check his mouth for the source. This only made him cry more passionately. Then I remembered the frog.

I showed him how the frog could jump into the sink into the stream of water. His crying turned quickly into laughter. As he watched me make the frog jump into the sink, he allowed me to wash his hands and face. He enjoyed the frog so much he didn’t want to leave the bathroom, even with the promise of going to see his mother.

That little frog was the key to turning his distress into joy.

The blessing of that frog was ready at that moment because I had responded to the nudge to pick one out of the bowl at the chiropractor’s office. And days later I had acted when prompted to grab it from my purse. The blessing was ready because I listened and obeyed these seemingly silly impulses.

The funny thing is – I can’t find the frog now. I have no idea where it is. After deciding to include the frog story in this message, I began searching for this tiny harbinger of joy. I guess its mission is completed; I had to rely on AI to create an image.

The frog has me thinking about the many times when I “just happen to have” exactly what I need. An avid watcher of “Let’s Make a Deal” as a child, I have trivial items in my purse, just in case. I travel lighter than I did when raising small children, and my purse is smaller, too. But the frog in my hand when my grandson needed its joy is special. This was no random alignment of stuff and need. The frog can teach us about tiny blessings we might otherwise miss.

Message of Mystery Acres

Our little patch of forest wasn’t the first bit of land my husband and I considered buying. There was a beautiful piece bordered by a river on one side, a creek along another, and it had a pond. It was more than we had been seeking and would have stretched our finances considerably to purchase it. My husband sought a way to make it work, but I resisted going into debt for it. Yes, I loved it, too, but I had no peace about buying it. And so, we didn’t.

There are characteristics of that property we would have loved, but we later learned the asking price was far above its worth. We would have stretched ourselves financially to buy something for too high a price. My “peace barometer” told me to pass on buying it, though it was incredibly lovely.

The day my husband and I first walked the 17.5 acres of what we would later name Mystery Acres, was a winter’s day with an enchanting layer of snow through which we and the realtor hiked. The place stirred me deeply. After we returned home, I had no peace about not buying it.

We made an offer, which was accepted. The closing was on my birthday in 2019. We had enough money to pay for the property without borrowing. Over the years, we have added infrastructure, paying as we go for the improvements. One important feature it still lacks is a place to go fishing. Somehow, we are going to need to add a pond.

The message of Mystery Acres is a quiet voice of peace. When a path feels wrong, and peace is missing, it’s better to go another way, or at least pause until the next step is clear. The peace barometer was my guide to purchasing my sacred bit of forest, it was also the reason I turned back and grabbed one of those plastic frogs.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You will keep the mind focused on You in perfect peace.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Where does peace originate? According to the book of Isaiah, the prophet, peace originates from a mind focused on God. In fact, Isaiah described such a peace as “perfect.” Logically, a distracted mind would be lacking in complete peace.

Life is full of decision points. Each step opens the options for the next step. And sometimes the next step isn’t a step at all, but a pause, awaiting further instructions. Such is often the case when I write these messages. If the next words don’t come to mind, I pause until they do. Sometimes that pause involves arranging a bookshelf or putting away laundry. My dog Oscar prefers the pauses when I sit in the recliner and quietly listen for the next words. He relaxes at my side and “listens” with me.

Focused. A quiet mind. Alert to subtle nudges. Patient to wait for guidance when it seems tardy.

These are the conditions for perfect peace, conditions easily disrupted by distractions, noise, rebellion, and impatience.

In a quiet moment of focus I heard and obeyed the prompt to grab a plastic frog. Days later, in another moment of quiet focus I heard and obeyed the nudge to get it out of my purse. Waiting for further instructions, I heard the cries of my grandson and the suggestion to calm him with that frog.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice beckons quietly for a focused mind on the One we cannot see with our eyes or hear with our ears. From that place of perfect peace, the voice of a mysterious Spirit provides directions. Go this way. Pause. Grab a plastic frog. Be ready. Respond. These small acts of obedience yield tiny blessings along life’s path.

Living in Mystery

What does the mysterious story of the frog and its tiny blessings teach us about how to live? The story’s lessons begin with the condition of the mind. To receive tiny blessings of having the right resources at exactly the right moment begins with a quiet, focused mind. Promptings, such as grabbing a plastic frog, are almost imperceptible. Only an undistracted mind can sense such urges. The ripples across awareness are only detectible when the surface of perception is calm.

Such a focus isn’t our default nature, but the peace barometer helps us know when we have slipped out of focus. The mind focused on God is at perfect peace. As focus diminishes, so does peace. When distractions rule the mind, agitation permeates, replacing peace with restlessness. This unsettled feeling can serve as a barometer that the mind has lost its focus on the One who provides peace. Restoring peace requires a quieting of the mind, with thoughts turned to the Divine source of guidance and supply. Reading a Psalm helps me.

Distraction isn’t the only way to lose peace; disobedience is another. If peace is missing because of failing to act as prompted, peace can be restored by obeying the mysterious nudges of the Spirit. This may require going back to where you were and doing what you felt you were supposed to do. When this isn’t possible, peace can be restored by recognizing how it was lost through not heeding the prompting, vowing to be more compliant in the future.

The frog and its tiny blessing offer reminders for how to live in step with the path of peace. First, remember to focus your mind on God, minimizing the noise from within and the distractions all around. In that place of quietness, listen to the nudges for when and where to step, when to pause, and what to do along the way. Remain alert to the barometer of peace, noticing what disobedience might be destroying peace, and what obedience might reorient you into a place of greater peace. There are metaphorical frogs in your path, just as there was a literal one in mine; we experience these tiny blessings when we are calm, obedient, and alert.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I wonder what peace I often forfeit by not keeping my mind focused on You. Help me to notice when my peace is diminished or missing and use that to remind me to quiet myself in Your presence. Thank You for providing the lessons of the frog, how tiny blessings can be delivered through simple acts of obedience. May I live more fully in Your perfect peace. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Ponder Isaiah chapter 26, verse three, quieting your mind to a place of perfect peace.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image: Created using Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

During a recent visit to the chiropractor, I noticed a small bowl of cheap plastic frogs by the checkout counter. I sensed a prompt to take one but ignored the nudge. As I walked away, I turned back to the counter and asked if I could have one of the frogs. Granted permission, I picked out a frog and tucked it into my purse.

A few days later, I was at my daughter’s party in Indiana, a celebration of her turning 40. As she and her friends played a murder mystery game, her youngest was wrestling with the inflated “dead body.” I was watching from the edge of the party, having been tending to the food and games for the children present. I felt a nudge to get the frog from my purse, which was tucke to which I immediately complied.

Moments later, the grandson who had been playing with the inflated man began screaming and rushed to his mother. I approached her to offer help so she could continue overseeing the murder mystery game. She turned to me and said, “he’s bleeding.” I grabbed the distressed child from her arms and took him to the bathroom. He protested loudly as we left his mother.

In the bathroom, I tried to clean the blood from his hands and check his mouth for the source. This only made him cry more passionately. Then I remembered the frog.

I showed him how the frog could jump into the sink into the stream of water. His crying turned quickly into laughter. As he watched me make the frog jump into the sink, he allowed me to wash his hands and face. He enjoyed the frog so much he didn’t want to leave the bathroom, even with the promise of going to see his mother.

That little frog was the key to turning his distress into joy.

The blessing of that frog was ready at that moment because I had responded to the nudge to pick one out of the bowl at the chiropractor’s office. And days later I had acted when prompted to grab it from my purse. The blessing was ready because I listened and obeyed these seemingly silly impulses.

The funny thing is – I can’t find the frog now. I have no idea where it is. After deciding to include the frog story in this message, I began searching for this tiny harbinger of joy. I guess its mission is completed; I had to rely on AI to create an image.

The frog has me thinking about the many times when I “just happen to have” exactly what I need. An avid watcher of “Let’s Make a Deal” as a child, I have trivial items in my purse, just in case. I travel lighter than I did when raising small children, and my purse is smaller, too. But the frog in my hand when my grandson needed its joy is special. This was no random alignment of stuff and need. The frog can teach us about tiny blessings we might otherwise miss.

Message of Mystery Acres

Our little patch of forest wasn’t the first bit of land my husband and I considered buying. There was a beautiful piece bordered by a river on one side, a creek along another, and it had a pond. It was more than we had been seeking and would have stretched our finances considerably to purchase it. My husband sought a way to make it work, but I resisted going into debt for it. Yes, I loved it, too, but I had no peace about buying it. And so, we didn’t.

There are characteristics of that property we would have loved, but we later learned the asking price was far above its worth. We would have stretched ourselves financially to buy something for too high a price. My “peace barometer” told me to pass on buying it, though it was incredibly lovely.

The day my husband and I first walked the 17.5 acres of what we would later name Mystery Acres, was a winter’s day with an enchanting layer of snow through which we and the realtor hiked. The place stirred me deeply. After we returned home, I had no peace about not buying it.

We made an offer, which was accepted. The closing was on my birthday in 2019. We had enough money to pay for the property without borrowing. Over the years, we have added infrastructure, paying as we go for the improvements. One important feature it still lacks is a place to go fishing. Somehow, we are going to need to add a pond.

The message of Mystery Acres is a quiet voice of peace. When a path feels wrong, and peace is missing, it’s better to go another way, or at least pause until the next step is clear. The peace barometer was my guide to purchasing my sacred bit of forest, it was also the reason I turned back and grabbed one of those plastic frogs.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You will keep the mind focused on You in perfect peace.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Where does peace originate? According to the book of Isaiah, the prophet, peace originates from a mind focused on God. In fact, Isaiah described such a peace as “perfect.” Logically, a distracted mind would be lacking in complete peace.

Life is full of decision points. Each step opens the options for the next step. And sometimes the next step isn’t a step at all, but a pause, awaiting further instructions. Such is often the case when I write these messages. If the next words don’t come to mind, I pause until they do. Sometimes that pause involves arranging a bookshelf or putting away laundry. My dog Oscar prefers the pauses when I sit in the recliner and quietly listen for the next words. He relaxes at my side and “listens” with me.

Focused. A quiet mind. Alert to subtle nudges. Patient to wait for guidance when it seems tardy.

These are the conditions for perfect peace, conditions easily disrupted by distractions, noise, rebellion, and impatience.

In a quiet moment of focus I heard and obeyed the prompt to grab a plastic frog. Days later, in another moment of quiet focus I heard and obeyed the nudge to get it out of my purse. Waiting for further instructions, I heard the cries of my grandson and the suggestion to calm him with that frog.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice beckons quietly for a focused mind on the One we cannot see with our eyes or hear with our ears. From that place of perfect peace, the voice of a mysterious Spirit provides directions. Go this way. Pause. Grab a plastic frog. Be ready. Respond. These small acts of obedience yield tiny blessings along life’s path.

Living in Mystery

What does the mysterious story of the frog and its tiny blessings teach us about how to live? The story’s lessons begin with the condition of the mind. To receive tiny blessings of having the right resources at exactly the right moment begins with a quiet, focused mind. Promptings, such as grabbing a plastic frog, are almost imperceptible. Only an undistracted mind can sense such urges. The ripples across awareness are only detectible when the surface of perception is calm.

Such a focus isn’t our default nature, but the peace barometer helps us know when we have slipped out of focus. The mind focused on God is at perfect peace. As focus diminishes, so does peace. When distractions rule the mind, agitation permeates, replacing peace with restlessness. This unsettled feeling can serve as a barometer that the mind has lost its focus on the One who provides peace. Restoring peace requires a quieting of the mind, with thoughts turned to the Divine source of guidance and supply. Reading a Psalm helps me.

Distraction isn’t the only way to lose peace; disobedience is another. If peace is missing because of failing to act as prompted, peace can be restored by obeying the mysterious nudges of the Spirit. This may require going back to where you were and doing what you felt you were supposed to do. When this isn’t possible, peace can be restored by recognizing how it was lost through not heeding the prompting, vowing to be more compliant in the future.

The frog and its tiny blessing offer reminders for how to live in step with the path of peace. First, remember to focus your mind on God, minimizing the noise from within and the distractions all around. In that place of quietness, listen to the nudges for when and where to step, when to pause, and what to do along the way. Remain alert to the barometer of peace, noticing what disobedience might be destroying peace, and what obedience might reorient you into a place of greater peace. There are metaphorical frogs in your path, just as there was a literal one in mine; we experience these tiny blessings when we are calm, obedient, and alert.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I wonder what peace I often forfeit by not keeping my mind focused on You. Help me to notice when my peace is diminished or missing and use that to remind me to quiet myself in Your presence. Thank You for providing the lessons of the frog, how tiny blessings can be delivered through simple acts of obedience. May I live more fully in Your perfect peace. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Ponder Isaiah chapter 26, verse three, quieting your mind to a place of perfect peace.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

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Note about the image: Created using Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

In recent weeks I have been fascinated with World War II. It started with watching a documentary about FDR. Then, Netflix trying to cater to my interests, suggested “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial.” I watched all six episodes and then finished my journey into this ugly era with a movie called “Nuremberg.” I thought watching the story of the psychiatrist who worked with the 22 Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice would bring me some type of closure. Instead, the movie ended with a note about how the psychiatrist committed suicide by taking a cyanide capsule, just like Goring, Hitler’s number two.

Darkness, horror, and more darkness. At least 60 million people dead because of one world war. Why?

A few months ago, I read a book called “Man is Wolf to Man” – it’s about one man’s time in Russian gulags. This book is a favorite of my son-in-law; one he loaned me to read. You see, my son-in-law and I have a two-person book club. We each provide a book for the other from our collection and later, after we’ve read our “assigned” book, we have a sort of book report/conversation. I would NEVER have chosen this book on my own. It was deeply disturbing and left me without a sense of meaning or hope.

However, it does portray an accurate depiction of a troubling truth about humans. As the “apex predator” on the planet, capable of slaying any beast, people have often preyed on other people. From one person murdering another person to world leaders who lead their people into deadly battles, man is certainly wolf to man.

As I struggled with images of the Holocaust and the callous testimonies of those responsible, I searched for evidence of man’s goodness. And I found it in tales of severe sacrifice of those who fought to bring right where there was wrong, freedom where there was oppression, and justice were there was unthinkable crime. FDR served until the presidency took his last breath, staying in office because of the war. Millions of soldiers fought against tyranny, many died. Their families also suffered.

I also searched to understand what it is that turns a human being into a wolf to other human beings. And what turned Goring’s psychiatrist into a wolf towards himself, taking his own life?

The answer I see: Arrogance.

Hitler’s arrogance led others in an arrogance that fueled a scourge that spread over Europe and built 1200 concentration camps. It was the humble dedication of Allied leaders who sent millions of soldiers into a war that defeated the Nazis. The psychiatrist who studied Goring was drawn in by his own arrogance at wanting to write a book and become famous. He thought he could master the wolf in Goring but succumbed to the wolf inside of himself.

I have named that wolf. His name is Arrogance.

Message of Mystery Acres

There is no sign of wolves in our bit of forest. We hear no howling, nor see any footprints. However, we often hear coyotes in the distance. Their yipping can be quite noisy, but they pose no danger to humans.

The neighbor has seen evidence of mountain lions, including one who was foraging for trash in the bed of his truck. That was years before we purchased Mystery Acres. The last confirmed mountain lion in the county was in 2016. Also known as cougars, mountain lions are apex predators, same as wolves. Attacks on humans are extremely rare, and, like overgrown cats, mountain lions prefer to do their own thing away from interference of people.

Nonetheless, in the obscure chance I did cross paths with a mountain lion at Mystery Acres, I would most certainly take the threat seriously. If I can trust the internet, I should make a lot of noise and wave my arms around, so I don’t look like easy prey. And I wouldn’t run because that might trigger the predator to chase me.

The message of Mystery Acres about wolves is not to live in fear of them, but to be prepared in case my meanderings do encounter one, or possibly a mountain lion. It is unlikely, but not impossible. No need to avoid walking in the woods. For me, there is far more danger in poison ivy.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus said, ‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.’” (Matthew 10:16)

The Bible often uses imagery to communicate important truths about people. Matthew recorded the words of Jesus prior to the first missionary trip he assigned to the original twelve disciples. In chapter ten, Jesus gave instructions for how to respond when they were not welcomed at a house. These instructions included “shake off the dust from your feet when you leave,” which brought to my mind the mortality of lifeless dust (I wrote about this in my last post). When someone didn’t want to hear the message of life in Christ, the disciples were to leave the dust of that house behind. Mortality would remain there.

Then, Jesus told the disciples they were to be as wise as serpents but as harmless/innocent as doves, sent as sheep into the midst of wolves. Somehow, the disciples were to be a combination of sheep/serpent/dove when going into places where people might reject what they had to say. That rejection would cause wolf-like behavior towards the disciples. Rather than respond as wolves, the disciples were to be wise, innocent, and humble.

This is some crazy imagery. A harmless, humble sheep walks with wisdom among its enemies, who are represented as wolves. In nature, wolves usually leave snakes alone, respecting them as apex predators whose prey is rodents. Wolves don’t prey on doves either. Sheep, however, are an attractive, potential meal for wolves.

A sheep who is unaware of wolves, lacking in the shrewdness of a serpent, is in danger. A very rough paraphrase of the advice from Jesus would be, “Don’t be a dumb sheep when you travel where there might be wolves.” Furthermore, behave like a harmless dove, not a threat to the wolves. Go in humility among the arrogant.

After this animal-infused directive to His disciples, Jesus summarized by saying, “Beware of man.” He elaborated with examples of those in power using that power against the disciples, in other words: wolves with power. The worst kind of wolves.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice, the words of Jesus, provide a caution to His followers. They also highlight the danger of wolves in powerful positions and how to behave when traveling in wolf-infested territory. Be wise. Be humble. Stay alert.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of arrogance, the wolf within? It starts with the uncomfortable realization that there is a wolf of arrogance in every person, including me, and you. Each of us has a tendency to want to elevate self over others, judging, finding fault, seeking superiority. Simple arrogant thoughts sneak into our minds, such as “I would never do something like that,” or “How can anyone be so stupid!”

Even in thinking about Hitler and the Germans, we want to believe, “I would never fall for something like that!” And there it is; putting ourselves above those foolish Germans.

Arrogance is such a sneaky wolf.

Some friends just returned from a trip to Germany. The people living there, 80 years after the end of World War II, are clearly impacted by their ancestors’ experiences. Humbled by the tragedy their people brought to the world through their allegiance to Hitler, Germans are shrewdly vigilant to not repeat history. Innocent as doves, wise as serpents, they are unwilling to surrender their allegiance as sheep to another wolf.

Beware of man. Man is wolf to man. This is not just a caution about the subtle, destructive persuasion of dangerous leaders. The wolf nature in each of us is continually prowling for a way to destroy our relationships through eyes of disdain for others.

I am the wolf. You are the wolf.

But the wolves in us don’t have to lead to destruction. Be alert. Be humble. Be wise. Remember to be a dove. Remember you are a sheep. And there is One greater who is Your shepherd.

Surrender your pride. Confess your arrogance. Think of yourself as no better than anyone else.

Transform the wolf inside of you into a domesticated dog, loyal, submissive, and loving. Look again at the wolf in the image for this message. Is the canine an arrogant wolf, or a dog surrendered peacefully to its Master? When I want to be better than others, perhaps I can, instead, focus on the One who is Greater than I.

The message of Mystery’s Voice is this: Each of us contains the potential destruction of an arrogant wolf, viewing others as lesser than us. With eyes of assessing judgment, we see the inferiority of those around us, elevating ourselves into a place above them. This dangerous arrogance can be replaced by humble awareness of our lower place relative to the One who made us. The wolf within cannot be eliminated, but it can be changed into a dog content to submit to One Greater.

Arrogance can be replaced with Humility.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to thoughts of superiority and judgment towards others I perceive as less than me. Help me replace this wolf of arrogance with a surrendered version of myself, acknowledging You are Greater. As I humbly submit to You, my Shepherd, keep me wise in the ways of wolves in others. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for references to wolves, sheep, or both.

Would you like more from my writing? You can visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Subscribe now

Share

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image: Created using Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

In recent weeks I have been fascinated with World War II. It started with watching a documentary about FDR. Then, Netflix trying to cater to my interests, suggested “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial.” I watched all six episodes and then finished my journey into this ugly era with a movie called “Nuremberg.” I thought watching the story of the psychiatrist who worked with the 22 Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice would bring me some type of closure. Instead, the movie ended with a note about how the psychiatrist committed suicide by taking a cyanide capsule, just like Goring, Hitler’s number two.

Darkness, horror, and more darkness. At least 60 million people dead because of one world war. Why?

A few months ago, I read a book called “Man is Wolf to Man” – it’s about one man’s time in Russian gulags. This book is a favorite of my son-in-law; one he loaned me to read. You see, my son-in-law and I have a two-person book club. We each provide a book for the other from our collection and later, after we’ve read our “assigned” book, we have a sort of book report/conversation. I would NEVER have chosen this book on my own. It was deeply disturbing and left me without a sense of meaning or hope.

However, it does portray an accurate depiction of a troubling truth about humans. As the “apex predator” on the planet, capable of slaying any beast, people have often preyed on other people. From one person murdering another person to world leaders who lead their people into deadly battles, man is certainly wolf to man.

As I struggled with images of the Holocaust and the callous testimonies of those responsible, I searched for evidence of man’s goodness. And I found it in tales of severe sacrifice of those who fought to bring right where there was wrong, freedom where there was oppression, and justice were there was unthinkable crime. FDR served until the presidency took his last breath, staying in office because of the war. Millions of soldiers fought against tyranny, many died. Their families also suffered.

I also searched to understand what it is that turns a human being into a wolf to other human beings. And what turned Goring’s psychiatrist into a wolf towards himself, taking his own life?

The answer I see: Arrogance.

Hitler’s arrogance led others in an arrogance that fueled a scourge that spread over Europe and built 1200 concentration camps. It was the humble dedication of Allied leaders who sent millions of soldiers into a war that defeated the Nazis. The psychiatrist who studied Goring was drawn in by his own arrogance at wanting to write a book and become famous. He thought he could master the wolf in Goring but succumbed to the wolf inside of himself.

I have named that wolf. His name is Arrogance.

Message of Mystery Acres

There is no sign of wolves in our bit of forest. We hear no howling, nor see any footprints. However, we often hear coyotes in the distance. Their yipping can be quite noisy, but they pose no danger to humans.

The neighbor has seen evidence of mountain lions, including one who was foraging for trash in the bed of his truck. That was years before we purchased Mystery Acres. The last confirmed mountain lion in the county was in 2016. Also known as cougars, mountain lions are apex predators, same as wolves. Attacks on humans are extremely rare, and, like overgrown cats, mountain lions prefer to do their own thing away from interference of people.

Nonetheless, in the obscure chance I did cross paths with a mountain lion at Mystery Acres, I would most certainly take the threat seriously. If I can trust the internet, I should make a lot of noise and wave my arms around, so I don’t look like easy prey. And I wouldn’t run because that might trigger the predator to chase me.

The message of Mystery Acres about wolves is not to live in fear of them, but to be prepared in case my meanderings do encounter one, or possibly a mountain lion. It is unlikely, but not impossible. No need to avoid walking in the woods. For me, there is far more danger in poison ivy.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus said, ‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.’” (Matthew 10:16)

The Bible often uses imagery to communicate important truths about people. Matthew recorded the words of Jesus prior to the first missionary trip he assigned to the original twelve disciples. In chapter ten, Jesus gave instructions for how to respond when they were not welcomed at a house. These instructions included “shake off the dust from your feet when you leave,” which brought to my mind the mortality of lifeless dust (I wrote about this in my last post). When someone didn’t want to hear the message of life in Christ, the disciples were to leave the dust of that house behind. Mortality would remain there.

Then, Jesus told the disciples they were to be as wise as serpents but as harmless/innocent as doves, sent as sheep into the midst of wolves. Somehow, the disciples were to be a combination of sheep/serpent/dove when going into places where people might reject what they had to say. That rejection would cause wolf-like behavior towards the disciples. Rather than respond as wolves, the disciples were to be wise, innocent, and humble.

This is some crazy imagery. A harmless, humble sheep walks with wisdom among its enemies, who are represented as wolves. In nature, wolves usually leave snakes alone, respecting them as apex predators whose prey is rodents. Wolves don’t prey on doves either. Sheep, however, are an attractive, potential meal for wolves.

A sheep who is unaware of wolves, lacking in the shrewdness of a serpent, is in danger. A very rough paraphrase of the advice from Jesus would be, “Don’t be a dumb sheep when you travel where there might be wolves.” Furthermore, behave like a harmless dove, not a threat to the wolves. Go in humility among the arrogant.

After this animal-infused directive to His disciples, Jesus summarized by saying, “Beware of man.” He elaborated with examples of those in power using that power against the disciples, in other words: wolves with power. The worst kind of wolves.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice, the words of Jesus, provide a caution to His followers. They also highlight the danger of wolves in powerful positions and how to behave when traveling in wolf-infested territory. Be wise. Be humble. Stay alert.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of arrogance, the wolf within? It starts with the uncomfortable realization that there is a wolf of arrogance in every person, including me, and you. Each of us has a tendency to want to elevate self over others, judging, finding fault, seeking superiority. Simple arrogant thoughts sneak into our minds, such as “I would never do something like that,” or “How can anyone be so stupid!”

Even in thinking about Hitler and the Germans, we want to believe, “I would never fall for something like that!” And there it is; putting ourselves above those foolish Germans.

Arrogance is such a sneaky wolf.

Some friends just returned from a trip to Germany. The people living there, 80 years after the end of World War II, are clearly impacted by their ancestors’ experiences. Humbled by the tragedy their people brought to the world through their allegiance to Hitler, Germans are shrewdly vigilant to not repeat history. Innocent as doves, wise as serpents, they are unwilling to surrender their allegiance as sheep to another wolf.

Beware of man. Man is wolf to man. This is not just a caution about the subtle, destructive persuasion of dangerous leaders. The wolf nature in each of us is continually prowling for a way to destroy our relationships through eyes of disdain for others.

I am the wolf. You are the wolf.

But the wolves in us don’t have to lead to destruction. Be alert. Be humble. Be wise. Remember to be a dove. Remember you are a sheep. And there is One greater who is Your shepherd.

Surrender your pride. Confess your arrogance. Think of yourself as no better than anyone else.

Transform the wolf inside of you into a domesticated dog, loyal, submissive, and loving. Look again at the wolf in the image for this message. Is the canine an arrogant wolf, or a dog surrendered peacefully to its Master? When I want to be better than others, perhaps I can, instead, focus on the One who is Greater than I.

The message of Mystery’s Voice is this: Each of us contains the potential destruction of an arrogant wolf, viewing others as lesser than us. With eyes of assessing judgment, we see the inferiority of those around us, elevating ourselves into a place above them. This dangerous arrogance can be replaced by humble awareness of our lower place relative to the One who made us. The wolf within cannot be eliminated, but it can be changed into a dog content to submit to One Greater.

Arrogance can be replaced with Humility.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to thoughts of superiority and judgment towards others I perceive as less than me. Help me replace this wolf of arrogance with a surrendered version of myself, acknowledging You are Greater. As I humbly submit to You, my Shepherd, keep me wise in the ways of wolves in others. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for references to wolves, sheep, or both.

Would you like more from my writing? You can visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image: This is Grandfather, May 2026, gradually decaying and feeding the life around him.

My Mysterious Mind

My summer schedule has become less full, with more time to be in my house and less at my office. The anticipation of time to relax, catch up with neglected tasks, and run needed errands has been invaded by a thin layer of an annoying substance on the furniture in view of my relaxing recliner. Dust.

I know this nuisance will return soon after its removal, so why hurry to grab the dusting supplies? Instead, I’ve been thinking about dust while observing its pervasive presence in my home. Having heard dust is mostly dead skin cells, I have also been pondering mortality.

It turns out that “80% of dust is dead skin” is wrong. More accurate estimates are 20-50%. The rest is residue from outside, pets, or deteriorating manmade household furnishings. Let’s just stick with the dead skin portion of dust; the rest is troubling in its chemical and biohazard composition.

According to the Internet, “an average adult sheds roughly 0.03 to 0.09 grams of skin per hour.” Skin cells are continually dying and being replaced, with dead ones sloughed off. Bedroom dust has a higher proportion of dead cells because we spend about a third of our time sleeping. Our bodies are discarding skin cells due to our inherent mortality. Dust is residue of that mortality.

I don’t like dust. Thinking about its composition makes me dislike it more. I’m mortal. My body is shedding evidence of that. The evidence collects as an unattractive coating on everything in my home. Yuck.

Message of Mystery Acres

Having grown up as a farm girl, I have a relaxed attitude about the cleanliness of food. Food is, after all, just recycled dirt. Fruits and vegetables are clearly produced from dirt, combined with water and sunlight. Animals survive by eating what grows from the dirt or eating other animals who survive by eating what grows from the dirt. After an animal or plant dies, the remains become dirt and are recycled by the next generation of plants.

If food isn’t recycled dirt, it’s synthetic and not really food. If food has a little bit of dirt on it, that just skips the middle step of becoming food before being eaten. Don’t worry – I do wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. I don’t feel a need to double or triple wash them.

What does this have to do with Mystery Acres? Natural recycling from dirt to life and back to dirt again is happening constantly in the forest. Fallen trees gradually decompose into dirt; we can watch the process over the years of our visits.

Note about the image. This is Grandfather, already dead, in March 2019, shortly before my husband and I purchased the property. Spring had not yet emerged in the forest.

One of the marker trees, Grandfather, was already dead when we purchased Mystery Acres in 2019. [There’s a picture from 2019 in the post here.] We considered removing the upper branches to reduce the weight on the cantilevered tree but decided to allow natural processes. We expect to find Grandfather collapsed on the ground on some future visit. Until then, I visit him and pay my respects to his gradual return to the dirt from when he grew. A white oak, Grandfather might have been as old as 350 years at the time of his death. The base of the original trunk is almost ten feet in circumference. Or at least it was before the bark started to fall off.

The message of Mystery Acres is about dirt. Like dust, it is residue of mortality, but it also forms the foundation for life. I am sad that my beloved tree, Grandfather, is slowly turning into dirt. At the same time, I find joy in watching life springing up from his decomposition. I wish death wasn’t a necessity for life.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)

The story of humans is a tale of dust. God formed the first human, Adam, by shaping some dust and breathing life into it. Eve was taken from Adam’s rib, which also originated as dust. These first humans were made of dust but not infected with mortality.

These dust-made humans became “dusty” after they disobeyed their Creator. The words “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” said at many a graveside service, echo the declaration of God as He told Adam and Eve they were taken from dust and to dust they would return. The exact words of the funeral prayer are not in the Bible but are supported by truths found there.

That’s not the whole story. There is a bigger story of love behind the destiny of dust. Life came into humans because God put His breath into them. Death came into dust-made humans by rebellion. Then, two thousand years later, that same God, as Jesus, entered a mortal body made of dust. Jesus lived in that body of dust for 33 years then willingly died for dust-made humans, paying the price for their rejection of God.

A popular Bible verse might appropriately be reworded as:

“For God so loved the [dust] that He gave His Son Jesus to die for the sins of the [dust].”

Jesus humbled Himself to enter a wrapping of mortal dust. Why” Love was the motive, love for humans made of mortal dust. We don’t love dust, but Jesus did, does, enough to die for it.

In another layer of this divine dust story, Jesus, after coming back to life, went back to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit back to those who believe. The Holy Spirit enters our dust-made, still mortal bodies, and sustains us with a new life. God, as the Holy Spirit, dwells in temples of dust, us, as a deposit to guarantee our life with Him after mortal death.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice speaks of a wonderful mystery about dust. I don’t love dust. I especially don’t like it reminding me of the mortality of this body of dust. But God so loved the dust! His love is demonstrated in the first breath of life given into Adam and the return of that breath of life through the Holy Spirit into our still-dusty bodies. Our story doesn’t need to end when these dust-made bodies stop. There is life beyond mortal death, and it isn’t just dirt recycling.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of dust, a residue of mortality? It starts with letting dust remind you of your own limited life in your mortal body. As uncomfortable as this may be, living in the knowledge of your finite time can infuse life with greater meaning. Like nature’s recycling program, your life emerges from the sacrifices of others’ lives, and your passing from this life can be the foundation for those who outlive you.

Mortality means time is limited. At some point the clock of your life hits “zero.” The people you love in this life are also on restricted calendars. Today, when you are together, is the currency you have available to invest in relationships. Dust is a reminder of the limit of “todays.” Don’t wait to make amends. Don’t delay telling loved ones how much you value them. Let dust remind you to fully live today.

Spend time in nature and observe the pattern of dust to life to dust to life. Find joy in the sadness of what dies as it lays the foundation for new life to emerge. Let nature teach you about mortality where death transforms into life. There’s a lesson from nature here, but it also speaks to the mystery of bringing spiritual life from death.

Our bodies are made of mortal dust, still dying, but there is life preserved within us beyond mortal death. God’s story of dust proclaims His love for us:

God so loved the dust!

Let dust in this life remind you to imagine a life beyond this one where furniture doesn’t gather dust. In a life beyond this one, our immortal bodies won’t need to shed dead skin cells. I don’t know what that will be like, but the absence of annoying dust is something exciting to me!

For now, I am a temple of dust in which the Spirit of God lives as a deposit for a future time, a time without death. Dust on furniture is a residue of my temporary mortality. Whenever I notice dust and think about how much I dislike it, I can think about the great love my Creator has for dust.

For God so loved the dust, so loved me, so loved you!

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I don’t like dust. It makes everything look dirty and it reminds me of my mortality. But Your love for dust was so great You found a way to live with Your spirit inside of me, mere temple of dust that I am. Thank You for Your love of me. Help me live in the hope of a life after this one, a life without dust, without this residue of mortality. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for “dust” and ponder the 100 uses of the word.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image: This is Grandfather, May 2026, gradually decaying and feeding the life around him.

My Mysterious Mind

My summer schedule has become less full, with more time to be in my house and less at my office. The anticipation of time to relax, catch up with neglected tasks, and run needed errands has been invaded by a thin layer of an annoying substance on the furniture in view of my relaxing recliner. Dust.

I know this nuisance will return soon after its removal, so why hurry to grab the dusting supplies? Instead, I’ve been thinking about dust while observing its pervasive presence in my home. Having heard dust is mostly dead skin cells, I have also been pondering mortality.

It turns out that “80% of dust is dead skin” is wrong. More accurate estimates are 20-50%. The rest is residue from outside, pets, or deteriorating manmade household furnishings. Let’s just stick with the dead skin portion of dust; the rest is troubling in its chemical and biohazard composition.

According to the Internet, “an average adult sheds roughly 0.03 to 0.09 grams of skin per hour.” Skin cells are continually dying and being replaced, with dead ones sloughed off. Bedroom dust has a higher proportion of dead cells because we spend about a third of our time sleeping. Our bodies are discarding skin cells due to our inherent mortality. Dust is residue of that mortality.

I don’t like dust. Thinking about its composition makes me dislike it more. I’m mortal. My body is shedding evidence of that. The evidence collects as an unattractive coating on everything in my home. Yuck.

Message of Mystery Acres

Having grown up as a farm girl, I have a relaxed attitude about the cleanliness of food. Food is, after all, just recycled dirt. Fruits and vegetables are clearly produced from dirt, combined with water and sunlight. Animals survive by eating what grows from the dirt or eating other animals who survive by eating what grows from the dirt. After an animal or plant dies, the remains become dirt and are recycled by the next generation of plants.

If food isn’t recycled dirt, it’s synthetic and not really food. If food has a little bit of dirt on it, that just skips the middle step of becoming food before being eaten. Don’t worry – I do wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. I don’t feel a need to double or triple wash them.

What does this have to do with Mystery Acres? Natural recycling from dirt to life and back to dirt again is happening constantly in the forest. Fallen trees gradually decompose into dirt; we can watch the process over the years of our visits.

Note about the image. This is Grandfather, already dead, in March 2019, shortly before my husband and I purchased the property. Spring had not yet emerged in the forest.

One of the marker trees, Grandfather, was already dead when we purchased Mystery Acres in 2019. [There’s a picture from 2019 in the post here.] We considered removing the upper branches to reduce the weight on the cantilevered tree but decided to allow natural processes. We expect to find Grandfather collapsed on the ground on some future visit. Until then, I visit him and pay my respects to his gradual return to the dirt from when he grew. A white oak, Grandfather might have been as old as 350 years at the time of his death. The base of the original trunk is almost ten feet in circumference. Or at least it was before the bark started to fall off.

The message of Mystery Acres is about dirt. Like dust, it is residue of mortality, but it also forms the foundation for life. I am sad that my beloved tree, Grandfather, is slowly turning into dirt. At the same time, I find joy in watching life springing up from his decomposition. I wish death wasn’t a necessity for life.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)

The story of humans is a tale of dust. God formed the first human, Adam, by shaping some dust and breathing life into it. Eve was taken from Adam’s rib, which also originated as dust. These first humans were made of dust but not infected with mortality.

These dust-made humans became “dusty” after they disobeyed their Creator. The words “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” said at many a graveside service, echo the declaration of God as He told Adam and Eve they were taken from dust and to dust they would return. The exact words of the funeral prayer are not in the Bible but are supported by truths found there.

That’s not the whole story. There is a bigger story of love behind the destiny of dust. Life came into humans because God put His breath into them. Death came into dust-made humans by rebellion. Then, two thousand years later, that same God, as Jesus, entered a mortal body made of dust. Jesus lived in that body of dust for 33 years then willingly died for dust-made humans, paying the price for their rejection of God.

A popular Bible verse might appropriately be reworded as:

“For God so loved the [dust] that He gave His Son Jesus to die for the sins of the [dust].”

Jesus humbled Himself to enter a wrapping of mortal dust. Why” Love was the motive, love for humans made of mortal dust. We don’t love dust, but Jesus did, does, enough to die for it.

In another layer of this divine dust story, Jesus, after coming back to life, went back to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit back to those who believe. The Holy Spirit enters our dust-made, still mortal bodies, and sustains us with a new life. God, as the Holy Spirit, dwells in temples of dust, us, as a deposit to guarantee our life with Him after mortal death.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice speaks of a wonderful mystery about dust. I don’t love dust. I especially don’t like it reminding me of the mortality of this body of dust. But God so loved the dust! His love is demonstrated in the first breath of life given into Adam and the return of that breath of life through the Holy Spirit into our still-dusty bodies. Our story doesn’t need to end when these dust-made bodies stop. There is life beyond mortal death, and it isn’t just dirt recycling.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of dust, a residue of mortality? It starts with letting dust remind you of your own limited life in your mortal body. As uncomfortable as this may be, living in the knowledge of your finite time can infuse life with greater meaning. Like nature’s recycling program, your life emerges from the sacrifices of others’ lives, and your passing from this life can be the foundation for those who outlive you.

Mortality means time is limited. At some point the clock of your life hits “zero.” The people you love in this life are also on restricted calendars. Today, when you are together, is the currency you have available to invest in relationships. Dust is a reminder of the limit of “todays.” Don’t wait to make amends. Don’t delay telling loved ones how much you value them. Let dust remind you to fully live today.

Spend time in nature and observe the pattern of dust to life to dust to life. Find joy in the sadness of what dies as it lays the foundation for new life to emerge. Let nature teach you about mortality where death transforms into life. There’s a lesson from nature here, but it also speaks to the mystery of bringing spiritual life from death.

Our bodies are made of mortal dust, still dying, but there is life preserved within us beyond mortal death. God’s story of dust proclaims His love for us:

God so loved the dust!

Let dust in this life remind you to imagine a life beyond this one where furniture doesn’t gather dust. In a life beyond this one, our immortal bodies won’t need to shed dead skin cells. I don’t know what that will be like, but the absence of annoying dust is something exciting to me!

For now, I am a temple of dust in which the Spirit of God lives as a deposit for a future time, a time without death. Dust on furniture is a residue of my temporary mortality. Whenever I notice dust and think about how much I dislike it, I can think about the great love my Creator has for dust.

For God so loved the dust, so loved me, so loved you!

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I don’t like dust. It makes everything look dirty and it reminds me of my mortality. But Your love for dust was so great You found a way to live with Your spirit inside of me, mere temple of dust that I am. Thank You for Your love of me. Help me live in the hope of a life after this one, a life without dust, without this residue of mortality. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for “dust” and ponder the 100 uses of the word.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

Let me know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or Join the Chat through the button below. I hope to hear from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. This a picture of three of my grandchildren pointing at a discovery of a weird mushroom at Mystery Acres. I love their wonder-filled faces but am protecting their identities.

My Mysterious Mind

This week I have been wondering about wonder. Being filled with wonder is a pleasant, almost divine experience. Caught up in the implicit knowledge of something beyond the reach of complete understanding, wonder returns us to a childlike state of joy. The intricate beauty of a flower fills me with wonder as I ponder it. The incredibly complex functioning of the human eyeball overwhelms me with wonder as I consider its design, and designer. The mysterious beauty of light divided into the colors of the rainbow stops my pointless shuffling and immerses me in wonder.

Children seem more naturally prone to wonder than adults. I remember a time when I was rushing down a sidewalk with my oldest daughter, then a preschooler, in tow. Abruptly stopping, she proclaimed, “Mommy! Birdies singing!” Having passed that point in the sidewalk dozens of times, her sense of wonder of singing birds was the catalyst for my hearing them for the first time. I nearly cried with the sudden joy of it, combined with the regret-filled realization of never noticing the birds before.

Last week I taught a song called “The Wonder Song” to two of my grandchildren, ages 5 and 2. The lyrics do not include the word “wonder” – it is a song about some of the wonders of creation that prompt us to wonder.

Oh, who can make a flower? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can make a flower? No one, but God; it’s true.

Oh, who can make a rainbow? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can make a rainbow? No one, but God; it’s true.

Additional verses are about who can make sunshine, a butterfly, and the wind blow. My grandchildren loved it; and I enjoyed the joy with which they sang it. This simple song reminded me to experience wonder. My five-year-old grandson added verses to the song, focusing on whatever he chose. It was a wonderful time of wondering.

Something else happened as I was caught up in the wonder of singing “The Wonder Song” with my grandchildren. Any sense of anxiety or sadness was driven away completely. Somehow the act of wondering created a wall of emotional protection, keeping dark emotions at bay. Simply put, singing this song made me feel better. In some mysterious way I became a content child with my grandchildren.

What about you? What causes you to experience the joy of wonder? How long has it been since you were caught up in wonder? Perhaps this childlike stronghold could chase away what is disturbing your joy.

Message of Mystery Acres

I wander the woods and wonder about whatever I see and whatever is on my mind. Setting aside any personal agenda, I just ponder the sights and sounds of each moment. I’m good at wandering there while wondering; my grandchildren are even better.

It takes so little to capture a child’s sense of wonder in the forest. During a visit in April of 2024, my grandsons expected to chase grasshoppers, having done so the previous summer. I forewarned them it was not the season for grasshoppers. Undaunted, they frolicked across the clearing, hoping to trigger the hopping of insects. To my surprise and wonder, a single grasshopper appeared for them to pursue. The presence of that grasshopper out of season still causes me to wonder. How in the world was there a grasshopper in the forest in early April? My grandsons didn’t think about it much, they just enjoyed the chase.

Camping with small children is a tremendous amount of work. We have basic infrastructure at Mystery Acres, but any food, beverages, and special sleeping supplies need to be brought with us, while also transporting children. In the summer, our oldest is adamant about having s’mores, even if the temperature is stifling. This expectation means my husband is building a fire while sweating.

No matter the level of work, the experience of their wonder in the forest is well worth it. Every rock is a treasure. Mushrooms are fantastic discoveries, worthy of photographing. Supplied with trowels, the simple act of digging occupies their energy for hours. A tumble of fallen trees is nature’s jungle gym.

Such exhausting trips to the forest with children provide a mysterious strength. Even now, as I type, remembering these visits, my heart is fortified with the joy. The message of Mystery Acres is a reminder to invest in experiences of wonder. Such expenditures of energy and time invite childlike wonder and build a stronghold of joy

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You ordained strength from the mouths of children and babies; to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease.” (Psalm 8: 2)

This summer, I have been reading one Psalm each day and pondering it during my early quiet time. Verse two of Psalm 8 grabbed my mind like some kind of divine Velcro. What does it mean? Something about the praise of children and its power as a stronghold against enemies. One translation states that God has ordained praise in the mouths of babes and children as a defense against the avenger. Ordained? Like an assignment to a priest? For babies and children? Against an avenger? With the power to stop the enemy?

I reviewed the various translations of the verse. I consulted my interlinear Bible to see the direct Hebrew to Greek translation. Noting the ambiguous thread connecting the different wordings, I concluded the obvious meaning into English is a mystery. Like infinity captured in a small collection of words, this verse has layers of possible meaning.

Unwilling to fail in my quest for understanding, I chatted with another Bible-believer about this verse. Maybe this verse is about the joy of children as a defense against despair. It might be the miraculous sounds of babies, expressed in babbling and cooing, but not words, testifies to a Creator in a way intellectual adults cannot. Who are these babes and children to which the psalmist referred?

And, maybe, these children are not children. Jesus spoke of coming to Him as little children; this is the disposition of faith. New believers are described as “born again,” babies whose voices are full of joyous praise for their adoption into God’s family.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to wonder about the strength of childlike faith. And children, who are easily caught up in wonder, are fortified against enemies. Trusting, transfixed by creation, a child’s stronghold is a place of divine wonder.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of wonder, experiencing a childlike stronghold? It’s simple. Really.

See the world through the eyes of a child. Stop to listen when birds are singing. Gaze with mesmerized eyes at a sky filled with stars. Laugh at the tickle of a dog’s tongue. Scamper through the grass in search of an unlikely grasshopper.

Sing The Wonder Song. Make up your own verses. If you’re worried about something you can’t fix, write a verse about it. Remind yourself there is an Infinite Power who can fix anything.

Oh, who can fix my problem? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can fix my problem? No one, but God; it’s true.

Let yourself become the child who trusts in the wonder of what is greater than you.

Allow wonder to become a stronghold between you and your enemies. Fear, despair, and sadness are kept away as wonder builds a fortress around you. A heart filled with wonder is protected, for a time, from terror and hopelessness.

Wonder is a child’s stronghold; it can be yours, too. Feeling under attack? Sing a song of wonder. Notice something wonderful. Pause from being a stressed-out grownup and view the world through the eyes of a child. There is strength in the simple praise of wonder.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, thank You for reminding me to view the world You created through a child’s eyes, knowing the stronghold of such wonder. Help me to see with the trusting eyes of a child, finding strength against my enemies. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for “stronghold” and ponder the translations of Psalm 8, verse 2.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

What does this message bring to your mysterious mind? You can join the chat through the button below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. This a picture of three of my grandchildren pointing at a discovery of a weird mushroom at Mystery Acres. I love their wonder-filled faces but am protecting their identities.

My Mysterious Mind

This week I have been wondering about wonder. Being filled with wonder is a pleasant, almost divine experience. Caught up in the implicit knowledge of something beyond the reach of complete understanding, wonder returns us to a childlike state of joy. The intricate beauty of a flower fills me with wonder as I ponder it. The incredibly complex functioning of the human eyeball overwhelms me with wonder as I consider its design, and designer. The mysterious beauty of light divided into the colors of the rainbow stops my pointless shuffling and immerses me in wonder.

Children seem more naturally prone to wonder than adults. I remember a time when I was rushing down a sidewalk with my oldest daughter, then a preschooler, in tow. Abruptly stopping, she proclaimed, “Mommy! Birdies singing!” Having passed that point in the sidewalk dozens of times, her sense of wonder of singing birds was the catalyst for my hearing them for the first time. I nearly cried with the sudden joy of it, combined with the regret-filled realization of never noticing the birds before.

Last week I taught a song called “The Wonder Song” to two of my grandchildren, ages 5 and 2. The lyrics do not include the word “wonder” – it is a song about some of the wonders of creation that prompt us to wonder.

Oh, who can make a flower? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can make a flower? No one, but God; it’s true.

Oh, who can make a rainbow? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can make a rainbow? No one, but God; it’s true.

Additional verses are about who can make sunshine, a butterfly, and the wind blow. My grandchildren loved it; and I enjoyed the joy with which they sang it. This simple song reminded me to experience wonder. My five-year-old grandson added verses to the song, focusing on whatever he chose. It was a wonderful time of wondering.

Something else happened as I was caught up in the wonder of singing “The Wonder Song” with my grandchildren. Any sense of anxiety or sadness was driven away completely. Somehow the act of wondering created a wall of emotional protection, keeping dark emotions at bay. Simply put, singing this song made me feel better. In some mysterious way I became a content child with my grandchildren.

What about you? What causes you to experience the joy of wonder? How long has it been since you were caught up in wonder? Perhaps this childlike stronghold could chase away what is disturbing your joy.

Message of Mystery Acres

I wander the woods and wonder about whatever I see and whatever is on my mind. Setting aside any personal agenda, I just ponder the sights and sounds of each moment. I’m good at wandering there while wondering; my grandchildren are even better.

It takes so little to capture a child’s sense of wonder in the forest. During a visit in April of 2024, my grandsons expected to chase grasshoppers, having done so the previous summer. I forewarned them it was not the season for grasshoppers. Undaunted, they frolicked across the clearing, hoping to trigger the hopping of insects. To my surprise and wonder, a single grasshopper appeared for them to pursue. The presence of that grasshopper out of season still causes me to wonder. How in the world was there a grasshopper in the forest in early April? My grandsons didn’t think about it much, they just enjoyed the chase.

Camping with small children is a tremendous amount of work. We have basic infrastructure at Mystery Acres, but any food, beverages, and special sleeping supplies need to be brought with us, while also transporting children. In the summer, our oldest is adamant about having s’mores, even if the temperature is stifling. This expectation means my husband is building a fire while sweating.

No matter the level of work, the experience of their wonder in the forest is well worth it. Every rock is a treasure. Mushrooms are fantastic discoveries, worthy of photographing. Supplied with trowels, the simple act of digging occupies their energy for hours. A tumble of fallen trees is nature’s jungle gym.

Such exhausting trips to the forest with children provide a mysterious strength. Even now, as I type, remembering these visits, my heart is fortified with the joy. The message of Mystery Acres is a reminder to invest in experiences of wonder. Such expenditures of energy and time invite childlike wonder and build a stronghold of joy

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You ordained strength from the mouths of children and babies; to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease.” (Psalm 8: 2)

This summer, I have been reading one Psalm each day and pondering it during my early quiet time. Verse two of Psalm 8 grabbed my mind like some kind of divine Velcro. What does it mean? Something about the praise of children and its power as a stronghold against enemies. One translation states that God has ordained praise in the mouths of babes and children as a defense against the avenger. Ordained? Like an assignment to a priest? For babies and children? Against an avenger? With the power to stop the enemy?

I reviewed the various translations of the verse. I consulted my interlinear Bible to see the direct Hebrew to Greek translation. Noting the ambiguous thread connecting the different wordings, I concluded the obvious meaning into English is a mystery. Like infinity captured in a small collection of words, this verse has layers of possible meaning.

Unwilling to fail in my quest for understanding, I chatted with another Bible-believer about this verse. Maybe this verse is about the joy of children as a defense against despair. It might be the miraculous sounds of babies, expressed in babbling and cooing, but not words, testifies to a Creator in a way intellectual adults cannot. Who are these babes and children to which the psalmist referred?

And, maybe, these children are not children. Jesus spoke of coming to Him as little children; this is the disposition of faith. New believers are described as “born again,” babies whose voices are full of joyous praise for their adoption into God’s family.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to wonder about the strength of childlike faith. And children, who are easily caught up in wonder, are fortified against enemies. Trusting, transfixed by creation, a child’s stronghold is a place of divine wonder.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of wonder, experiencing a childlike stronghold? It’s simple. Really.

See the world through the eyes of a child. Stop to listen when birds are singing. Gaze with mesmerized eyes at a sky filled with stars. Laugh at the tickle of a dog’s tongue. Scamper through the grass in search of an unlikely grasshopper.

Sing The Wonder Song. Make up your own verses. If you’re worried about something you can’t fix, write a verse about it. Remind yourself there is an Infinite Power who can fix anything.

Oh, who can fix my problem? I’m sure I can’t; can you?

Oh, who can fix my problem? No one, but God; it’s true.

Let yourself become the child who trusts in the wonder of what is greater than you.

Allow wonder to become a stronghold between you and your enemies. Fear, despair, and sadness are kept away as wonder builds a fortress around you. A heart filled with wonder is protected, for a time, from terror and hopelessness.

Wonder is a child’s stronghold; it can be yours, too. Feeling under attack? Sing a song of wonder. Notice something wonderful. Pause from being a stressed-out grownup and view the world through the eyes of a child. There is strength in the simple praise of wonder.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, thank You for reminding me to view the world You created through a child’s eyes, knowing the stronghold of such wonder. Help me to see with the trusting eyes of a child, finding strength against my enemies. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for “stronghold” and ponder the translations of Psalm 8, verse 2.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

What does this message bring to your mysterious mind? You can join the chat through the button below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. I took this picture of a tiny flower along the road by Mystery Acres.

My Mysterious Mind

Last night I considered my plans for today, plans that included the hope of writing. I searched my mind for ideas, but none were forthcoming. Rather than continue this pointless hunt, I decided to see what the new day might bring. Perhaps I would wake up with an idea.

Upon awakening this morning, I surveyed the day ahead and sighed contentedly. Nothing big on my day’s agenda, the phrase “Take it Easy” popped into my mind. Really? Could I relax and enjoy the blessing of a simple day?

So many days are hard, have been hard recently.

But today looks easy.

Easy? I’ll take it!

Life is often hard. Staying married is hard. Raising children is hard. Training is hard. So much of what makes life good requires what is hard.

Many days bring trouble. Perhaps not this one?

Maybe today nothing will break, all plans will go smoothly, children will listen and obey, the weather will be calm.

An easy day? I’ll take it!

Today might be the miracle of an easy day. There’s something grand in its perfect simplicity, a break from the difficult. Aaah!

The message in my mind this morning was “Take it easy, accept, with gratitude, the blessing of a simple day.”

Yesterday I hoped to write today but had no idea. This morning I found a message, placed in my mental “inbox,” –

Easy? I’ll take it!

I’ve lived too many years to expect a day to go as I had hoped. A realist, I anticipate that plans may need to change, people might behave differently than I expected, and there may be trouble ahead before I lay my head down for tonight’s sleep. I don’t expect any day to be easy. But when it is, I hope to recognize that blessing for the miracle it is.

Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day.

Message of Mystery Acres

What does the forest teach me about life being easy? It shows me that life is hard. I can pack a lunch, bring a lawn chair, and sit in the forest for a few hours. Beyond that requires work.

Sometimes I think about the labor required by indigenous people for their survival. Hunting for animals to eat, then processing the meat to eat and other parts for materials. Their lives required scavenging for berries and edible plants, making tools from stones and bones, and using natural materials for clothing and shelter. At the end of a long, hard day of work, I’m confident they enjoyed a chance to “take it easy” before a night of well-earned rest. It may be the influence of movies, but I picture them sitting around a campfire telling stories and singing a song or two at day’s end.

Such a lifestyle doesn’t seem easy to me, but it does have a beautiful simplicity. Their efforts were focused on survival and were combined with the work of others in communities. The shift to “modern” times brought goods produced through industrialization. Food, clothing, tools, and building materials could be purchased. Community and hard work were exchanged for individualism and the promise of an easier life.

It seems human beings are driven to make things easier. The focus of my message isn’t “make it easy,” but, rather, “take it easy.” I’m not certain making life easier is always for the better. But I am confident that accepting a simple day as a blessing, a chance to take it easy, is good.

The message of Mystery Acres is to work when it is necessary and to relax when given a blessed day in which to do so. Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day when you get one.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus said, ‘My yoke is easy.’” (See Matthew 11:30)

When two oxen plow a field together, they are connected by a yoke. This heavy implement provides a way for the burden to be pulled by the pair. For normal farming, the work is divided, making the pulling easier. But, in this perplexing statement by Jesus, He declared His yoke to be easy.

“Here, let Me put this on you, it will be easy.”

Sure, Jesus, that looks heavy to me.

Alternative translations for the original Greek word are “pleasant.”

“Here, let Me put this heavy yoke on you, it will be pleasant.”

Um, ok, Jesus, but it looks unpleasant to me.

What am I missing here?

Two are pulling together when yoked. The second person working beside me is the same One who designed me for the job, Jesus. The load is harder and more unpleasant when I try to carry it alone. If the load seems too much for me to bear, it’s probably because I am not allowing Jesus to help me with it.

Jesus says, “take it easy,” which translates as “let Me help you with that.”

Ancient Mystery’s Voice says, “hey, you are making this harder than it needs to be.” The burdens placed on us were not meant to be carried alone; they were meant to be carried with the help of the Lord. Sometimes a day seems easy, and the blessing of a simple day is clear. At so many other times, the day seems too heavy, the burden too great. At those times it is especially important to hear the words of Jesus, “my yoke is easy; please take it as I intended, to be a burden carried with My help.”

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of “take it easy,” and the blessing of a simple day? The foundation of this mystery is gratitude for the fleeting moments of simplicity. I am so grateful for an easy morning, especially because an email I received in the afternoon set fire to my being, and not in a good way. When given the blessing of a simple day, or part of one, accept it with gratitude. Such gifts are beautiful and precious.

Don’t expect life to be easy, it usually isn’t. Modern conveniences promise to make life easier, implying that such a life will be better. The reality of modern living is the complications of manufactured things breaking down and wearing out. Expect to work, and often hard, to have and maintain a life that is good.

But don’t work all the time. Make time for enjoying simple pleasures. Take a slow walk and notice birds singing and flowers blooming. Sit by a campfire and enjoy the company of friends. Seek times to “take it easy.” And, in the midst of busy days, pause to enjoy the blessing of an easy one.

When your burden is feeling heavy and difficult, ask for the Lord’s help to carry the yoke upon you. Hear His voice declaring, “My yoke is easy,” and allow your burden to become His. Perhaps you have made it harder than it needs to be by refusing His help. The stronger ox can shoulder more of the load; let Him.

Most days of this life require work. When life offers you an easy day, say, “Easy? I’ll take it!” If the day is hard, remember it could be easier with the help of One who can share the weight of the yoke. With help the complicated can be simple, the unbearable can be made bearable.

Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to sometimes making things more difficult by stubbornly insisting on carrying the weight on my own. Thank You for the offer to turn what is heavy into what is not. Help me to surrender to Your help, taking the easy yoke You offer. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. For this week, ponder the invitation for help from Jesus in Matthew 11.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can join the chat I’ve linked below). I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. I took this picture of a tiny flower along the road by Mystery Acres.

My Mysterious Mind

Last night I considered my plans for today, plans that included the hope of writing. I searched my mind for ideas, but none were forthcoming. Rather than continue this pointless hunt, I decided to see what the new day might bring. Perhaps I would wake up with an idea.

Upon awakening this morning, I surveyed the day ahead and sighed contentedly. Nothing big on my day’s agenda, the phrase “Take it Easy” popped into my mind. Really? Could I relax and enjoy the blessing of a simple day?

So many days are hard, have been hard recently.

But today looks easy.

Easy? I’ll take it!

Life is often hard. Staying married is hard. Raising children is hard. Training is hard. So much of what makes life good requires what is hard.

Many days bring trouble. Perhaps not this one?

Maybe today nothing will break, all plans will go smoothly, children will listen and obey, the weather will be calm.

An easy day? I’ll take it!

Today might be the miracle of an easy day. There’s something grand in its perfect simplicity, a break from the difficult. Aaah!

The message in my mind this morning was “Take it easy, accept, with gratitude, the blessing of a simple day.”

Yesterday I hoped to write today but had no idea. This morning I found a message, placed in my mental “inbox,” –

Easy? I’ll take it!

I’ve lived too many years to expect a day to go as I had hoped. A realist, I anticipate that plans may need to change, people might behave differently than I expected, and there may be trouble ahead before I lay my head down for tonight’s sleep. I don’t expect any day to be easy. But when it is, I hope to recognize that blessing for the miracle it is.

Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day.

Message of Mystery Acres

What does the forest teach me about life being easy? It shows me that life is hard. I can pack a lunch, bring a lawn chair, and sit in the forest for a few hours. Beyond that requires work.

Sometimes I think about the labor required by indigenous people for their survival. Hunting for animals to eat, then processing the meat to eat and other parts for materials. Their lives required scavenging for berries and edible plants, making tools from stones and bones, and using natural materials for clothing and shelter. At the end of a long, hard day of work, I’m confident they enjoyed a chance to “take it easy” before a night of well-earned rest. It may be the influence of movies, but I picture them sitting around a campfire telling stories and singing a song or two at day’s end.

Such a lifestyle doesn’t seem easy to me, but it does have a beautiful simplicity. Their efforts were focused on survival and were combined with the work of others in communities. The shift to “modern” times brought goods produced through industrialization. Food, clothing, tools, and building materials could be purchased. Community and hard work were exchanged for individualism and the promise of an easier life.

It seems human beings are driven to make things easier. The focus of my message isn’t “make it easy,” but, rather, “take it easy.” I’m not certain making life easier is always for the better. But I am confident that accepting a simple day as a blessing, a chance to take it easy, is good.

The message of Mystery Acres is to work when it is necessary and to relax when given a blessed day in which to do so. Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day when you get one.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Jesus said, ‘My yoke is easy.’” (See Matthew 11:30)

When two oxen plow a field together, they are connected by a yoke. This heavy implement provides a way for the burden to be pulled by the pair. For normal farming, the work is divided, making the pulling easier. But, in this perplexing statement by Jesus, He declared His yoke to be easy.

“Here, let Me put this on you, it will be easy.”

Sure, Jesus, that looks heavy to me.

Alternative translations for the original Greek word are “pleasant.”

“Here, let Me put this heavy yoke on you, it will be pleasant.”

Um, ok, Jesus, but it looks unpleasant to me.

What am I missing here?

Two are pulling together when yoked. The second person working beside me is the same One who designed me for the job, Jesus. The load is harder and more unpleasant when I try to carry it alone. If the load seems too much for me to bear, it’s probably because I am not allowing Jesus to help me with it.

Jesus says, “take it easy,” which translates as “let Me help you with that.”

Ancient Mystery’s Voice says, “hey, you are making this harder than it needs to be.” The burdens placed on us were not meant to be carried alone; they were meant to be carried with the help of the Lord. Sometimes a day seems easy, and the blessing of a simple day is clear. At so many other times, the day seems too heavy, the burden too great. At those times it is especially important to hear the words of Jesus, “my yoke is easy; please take it as I intended, to be a burden carried with My help.”

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of “take it easy,” and the blessing of a simple day? The foundation of this mystery is gratitude for the fleeting moments of simplicity. I am so grateful for an easy morning, especially because an email I received in the afternoon set fire to my being, and not in a good way. When given the blessing of a simple day, or part of one, accept it with gratitude. Such gifts are beautiful and precious.

Don’t expect life to be easy, it usually isn’t. Modern conveniences promise to make life easier, implying that such a life will be better. The reality of modern living is the complications of manufactured things breaking down and wearing out. Expect to work, and often hard, to have and maintain a life that is good.

But don’t work all the time. Make time for enjoying simple pleasures. Take a slow walk and notice birds singing and flowers blooming. Sit by a campfire and enjoy the company of friends. Seek times to “take it easy.” And, in the midst of busy days, pause to enjoy the blessing of an easy one.

When your burden is feeling heavy and difficult, ask for the Lord’s help to carry the yoke upon you. Hear His voice declaring, “My yoke is easy,” and allow your burden to become His. Perhaps you have made it harder than it needs to be by refusing His help. The stronger ox can shoulder more of the load; let Him.

Most days of this life require work. When life offers you an easy day, say, “Easy? I’ll take it!” If the day is hard, remember it could be easier with the help of One who can share the weight of the yoke. With help the complicated can be simple, the unbearable can be made bearable.

Take it easy! Enjoy the blessing of a simple day.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to sometimes making things more difficult by stubbornly insisting on carrying the weight on my own. Thank You for the offer to turn what is heavy into what is not. Help me to surrender to Your help, taking the easy yoke You offer. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. For this week, ponder the invitation for help from Jesus in Matthew 11.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can join the chat I’ve linked below). I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. I took this picture of my old phone with my new phone. I used the AI in the new phone to create the tombstone on the photo I took. Crazy!

My Mysterious Mind

A few days ago, there was a sudden death in my world. After ten happy years together, my Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone died and could not be resuscitated. There was no warning. One minute it was fine and happily charging; a few minutes later the screen was black and the phone unresponsive. Suddenly, without warning, I felt disconnected and vulnerable.

I tried without success to force it to awaken. Then I used my laptop to order a replacement. I chose based on color and how quickly a phone could be sent. The cobalt purple Samsung Galaxy S26 in my cart, I paid an extra $12.99 so the phone would arrive sooner.

The next few days were weird and slow. At times I felt naked and afraid. At other moments there was a deep sense of freedom in my being. No longer enslaved by the notifications of a small electronic device, I could just be. I couldn’t check the time or search the Internet, but did I really NEED to?

The strange space without a phone provided a context for pondering vulnerability, for ways in which I might have developed dependency on something not dependable. Such reliance on the unreliable is risky, potentially leaving me exposed and vulnerable. What, I wondered, do I have trouble living without? To what do I depend on for a sense of peace and stability? Or put another way, what, when lost or threatened, triggers panic or insecurity?

Our phones. Our bank accounts. Electricity. Air conditioning. Our cars. The Internet.

As modern humans we have grown dependent on many things for our lives to function. A century ago, dependency was very different. People lived simpler lives in closer communities of mutual dependency. Many gathered regularly for worship in a local church. There was a network connecting them, not phones connecting them to “the” network. In the quest for what is faster and easier, humans have created a fragile life built on risky dependencies. Lost without our phones. Frightened if our investments decrease in value. Paralyzed if the “power” goes out in a storm. Panicked when the car won’t start. Confused when we can’t access the internet or GPS navigation.

We have become vulnerable, dependent in a myriad of risky ways. Have we forgotten how to be OK without all of the stuff that promises to make life better?

Message of Mystery Acres

I was in the forest for two days and one night without a phone. My husband and two friends each had their phones. One might think that three phones for four people would be enough, however, I felt odd without a phone. This was especially true when the sky became dark and the possibility of rain approached. Two of the three phones were pulled out to check the radar.

I leaned back in my lawn chair and sighed. Could we not just relax, watch our surroundings, and wait to see if we got wet? The sky was displaying a magnificent array of cloud shapes in pink and grey hues. Would it be so terrible to just rest in the wonder and majesty of it all, without the tiny slavedrivers in our hands?

Or maybe I just felt left out.

The running joke over my days-without-phone was, “I would blank, but I don’t have a phone.” Versions included: I could check the time, take a picture, consult the internet, etc., but I don’t have a phone. My husband and friends added their version, “you could blank, but you don’t have a phone” or “I could blank (for example, text, send you a picture, etc.), but you don’t have a phone.”

I wanted to be OK without a phone, to not feel vulnerable without the device upon which I had become dependent. Humans thrived for millennia without smartphones, surely, I could be OK for a few days.

Smartphones aren’t the only recent dependencies. Electricity. Cars. Air conditioning. The Internet. Roll back the calendar to a century ago and most humans were thriving without any of these modern conveniences.

Prior to the 1800s, camping wasn’t a recreational activity. For most humans, camping was a lifestyle of survival. In the early 1900s, as modern life became more encumbered with technology and people were crowded in cities, the escape into the national parks became a popular pastime. The history of camping has a long era of survival and a very brief, recent period of recreational vehicles and campgrounds. Camping in cars evolved to small motorhomes until today when massive campers and RVs boast all the modern conveniences of the places humans used to camp to seek a time away from.

Mystery Acres, as we develop it, has most of the comforts of home. It only lacks an unlimited water source for a hot shower and a power love seat recliner. And, during my recent visit, it was missing one smartphone. Mine.

All of which leaves me pondering what Mystery Acres is trying to tell me and how I might be blocking the message. The more complicated support structures I need for my time in the forest, the farther away from the beautiful simplicity of nature I might be straying. Electricity and air conditioning don’t make the forest better, just easier to be there. And smartphones and the Internet are not only unnecessary but also might be detracting from what the forest has to offer.

The message of Mystery Acres is this: Needing more than the forest when visiting there is a risky dependency. Food and shelter are necessary; access to the Internet is not. Is the answer becoming less dependent, or finding what is more dependable?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Depend on the Lord, the Rock eternal.” (see Isaiah 26:4)

I wrote in my journal several times while waiting for my phone to arrive. The words of an old hymn played repeatedly in my mind, bringing me security in a place of vulnerability.

“Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

The words of this hymn were published by Augustus Toplady, an ordained minister for the Church of England, the same year the Declaration of Independence was authored and signed in the rebellious British colonies. Legend tells of a storm during which Augustus hid in the cleft of a large rock. With the battle for independence, the historical context of the hymn was a stormy, vulnerable time. Enraged by their risky dependency upon Britain, the colonists were willing to pledge themselves to whatever it took for independence.

“Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

I don’t like feeling vulnerable, depending upon what is not dependable. Yet so much of my physical existence is dependent upon what could be hacked or destroyed. Except for an envelope of emergency cash, my money is just numbers stored at financial institutions. Most of my existence depends on these numbers. I feel more secure when these numbers go up, less secure when they go down. But I’m vulnerable all the time because of dependency on money that’s just numbers in a computer. My pension. My retirement savings. My checking, savings, and money market accounts. All just numbers stored in server farms, backed up by numbers in other server farms. I’m financially dependent on “1’s” and “0’s” the code of computers. Thieves and hackers relentlessly try to access these fragile numbers.

“Rocks of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

Some financial planners suggest buying gold – but people cannot eat gold. What may have value now may not have value in the future. I’d rather depend on what cannot change, on what nothing can destroy or steal, on what has unchanging value.

“Depend on the Lord, the Rock eternal.”

He is the source of all good gifts. The money I need, He provides. From the riches of a King, the King of Kings, He provides for me, an heir to His kingdom. I am blessed with royal treasures and protected by armies of the King’s angels.

My phone died unexpectedly. But God was not surprised. I felt vulnerable but I was not in any danger. I’d grown dependent but my need for a phone was an illusion. I was vulnerable because I lost my usual way of calling or texting people. I also didn’t have a camera. But was I in any danger without my phone? After all, I raised three children without the Internet!

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites dependency on the One who is strong, immovable, and eternal. Such dependency isn’t risky because the Lord as our Rock protects us from vulnerability.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of vulnerability, placing dependency where it is risky? This message is a cautionary one. It starts with assessing where you are at risk of becoming vulnerable because your dependencies lie upon what is not dependable. What in your world, if lost or threatened, activates a sense of panic? Phones, cars, electricity, and bank accounts can be gone in a moment.

Recognize your basic vulnerability. Being mortal is risky; being in the modern world has additional risks. Our bodies are fragile, at risk of injury and illness. Our stuff is subject to malfunction, theft, and destruction. Clinging to the stuff of life is risky.

Find what is more dependable; depend on the Lord, the Rock Eternal. When your phone dings, use it as a cue to pray before checking the notification. Before you start your car, say a prayer for the Lord’s blessing on your day’s journey. When you flip an electric switch, send up a prayer to the Light of the World. As you pay your bills or check your bank statements, ask for the Lord’s help to be a good steward of what He has provided.

Depend on the Source of the stuff, not the stuff. The practice of gratitude for the things on which our lives depend helps us remember their provider. Thank You, Lord, for my phone. Thank You, Lord for my car. Thank You, Lord, for electricity. Thank You, Lord for the money in my accounts. Thank You for being the provider of all that I need.

Practice being OK without stuff. Take a walk without a phone or smartwatch. Sit and listen to the birds. If you feel too vulnerable, grab a physical Bible and rest it on your lap. As a side note, I don’t read the Bible on my phone. I don’t want to depend upon something undependable to hear from the One who is Dependable. It just seems wrong to me.

As vulnerable humans we too often place our dependency where it is at risk of failing us. Being vulnerable is unavoidable; we can choose to place our dependency on the One who is eternally reliable, the Lord, the Rock Eternal. We can practice transferring our dependency to Him by using our stuff as a reminder to pray and be grateful. Instead of being enslaved by our stuff, we can practice being free of it. We become less vulnerable by depending less on what is just stuff, and more upon the One who is completely dependable.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I am uncomfortable realizing how vulnerable I am, how dependent upon unreliable stuff I have allowed myself to become. Remind me to thank You for my stuff and to pray, transferring my risky dependency to You, my Rock Eternal upon Whom I can depend without risk. Thank You for being my totally reliable Lord. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Do a search for the word “rock” and find solid foundations for placing your dependency.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! Join the chat through the button below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note about the image. I took this picture of my old phone with my new phone. I used the AI in the new phone to create the tombstone on the photo I took. Crazy!

My Mysterious Mind

A few days ago, there was a sudden death in my world. After ten happy years together, my Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone died and could not be resuscitated. There was no warning. One minute it was fine and happily charging; a few minutes later the screen was black and the phone unresponsive. Suddenly, without warning, I felt disconnected and vulnerable.

I tried without success to force it to awaken. Then I used my laptop to order a replacement. I chose based on color and how quickly a phone could be sent. The cobalt purple Samsung Galaxy S26 in my cart, I paid an extra $12.99 so the phone would arrive sooner.

The next few days were weird and slow. At times I felt naked and afraid. At other moments there was a deep sense of freedom in my being. No longer enslaved by the notifications of a small electronic device, I could just be. I couldn’t check the time or search the Internet, but did I really NEED to?

The strange space without a phone provided a context for pondering vulnerability, for ways in which I might have developed dependency on something not dependable. Such reliance on the unreliable is risky, potentially leaving me exposed and vulnerable. What, I wondered, do I have trouble living without? To what do I depend on for a sense of peace and stability? Or put another way, what, when lost or threatened, triggers panic or insecurity?

Our phones. Our bank accounts. Electricity. Air conditioning. Our cars. The Internet.

As modern humans we have grown dependent on many things for our lives to function. A century ago, dependency was very different. People lived simpler lives in closer communities of mutual dependency. Many gathered regularly for worship in a local church. There was a network connecting them, not phones connecting them to “the” network. In the quest for what is faster and easier, humans have created a fragile life built on risky dependencies. Lost without our phones. Frightened if our investments decrease in value. Paralyzed if the “power” goes out in a storm. Panicked when the car won’t start. Confused when we can’t access the internet or GPS navigation.

We have become vulnerable, dependent in a myriad of risky ways. Have we forgotten how to be OK without all of the stuff that promises to make life better?

Message of Mystery Acres

I was in the forest for two days and one night without a phone. My husband and two friends each had their phones. One might think that three phones for four people would be enough, however, I felt odd without a phone. This was especially true when the sky became dark and the possibility of rain approached. Two of the three phones were pulled out to check the radar.

I leaned back in my lawn chair and sighed. Could we not just relax, watch our surroundings, and wait to see if we got wet? The sky was displaying a magnificent array of cloud shapes in pink and grey hues. Would it be so terrible to just rest in the wonder and majesty of it all, without the tiny slavedrivers in our hands?

Or maybe I just felt left out.

The running joke over my days-without-phone was, “I would blank, but I don’t have a phone.” Versions included: I could check the time, take a picture, consult the internet, etc., but I don’t have a phone. My husband and friends added their version, “you could blank, but you don’t have a phone” or “I could blank (for example, text, send you a picture, etc.), but you don’t have a phone.”

I wanted to be OK without a phone, to not feel vulnerable without the device upon which I had become dependent. Humans thrived for millennia without smartphones, surely, I could be OK for a few days.

Smartphones aren’t the only recent dependencies. Electricity. Cars. Air conditioning. The Internet. Roll back the calendar to a century ago and most humans were thriving without any of these modern conveniences.

Prior to the 1800s, camping wasn’t a recreational activity. For most humans, camping was a lifestyle of survival. In the early 1900s, as modern life became more encumbered with technology and people were crowded in cities, the escape into the national parks became a popular pastime. The history of camping has a long era of survival and a very brief, recent period of recreational vehicles and campgrounds. Camping in cars evolved to small motorhomes until today when massive campers and RVs boast all the modern conveniences of the places humans used to camp to seek a time away from.

Mystery Acres, as we develop it, has most of the comforts of home. It only lacks an unlimited water source for a hot shower and a power love seat recliner. And, during my recent visit, it was missing one smartphone. Mine.

All of which leaves me pondering what Mystery Acres is trying to tell me and how I might be blocking the message. The more complicated support structures I need for my time in the forest, the farther away from the beautiful simplicity of nature I might be straying. Electricity and air conditioning don’t make the forest better, just easier to be there. And smartphones and the Internet are not only unnecessary but also might be detracting from what the forest has to offer.

The message of Mystery Acres is this: Needing more than the forest when visiting there is a risky dependency. Food and shelter are necessary; access to the Internet is not. Is the answer becoming less dependent, or finding what is more dependable?

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“Depend on the Lord, the Rock eternal.” (see Isaiah 26:4)

I wrote in my journal several times while waiting for my phone to arrive. The words of an old hymn played repeatedly in my mind, bringing me security in a place of vulnerability.

“Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

The words of this hymn were published by Augustus Toplady, an ordained minister for the Church of England, the same year the Declaration of Independence was authored and signed in the rebellious British colonies. Legend tells of a storm during which Augustus hid in the cleft of a large rock. With the battle for independence, the historical context of the hymn was a stormy, vulnerable time. Enraged by their risky dependency upon Britain, the colonists were willing to pledge themselves to whatever it took for independence.

“Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

I don’t like feeling vulnerable, depending upon what is not dependable. Yet so much of my physical existence is dependent upon what could be hacked or destroyed. Except for an envelope of emergency cash, my money is just numbers stored at financial institutions. Most of my existence depends on these numbers. I feel more secure when these numbers go up, less secure when they go down. But I’m vulnerable all the time because of dependency on money that’s just numbers in a computer. My pension. My retirement savings. My checking, savings, and money market accounts. All just numbers stored in server farms, backed up by numbers in other server farms. I’m financially dependent on “1’s” and “0’s” the code of computers. Thieves and hackers relentlessly try to access these fragile numbers.

“Rocks of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

Some financial planners suggest buying gold – but people cannot eat gold. What may have value now may not have value in the future. I’d rather depend on what cannot change, on what nothing can destroy or steal, on what has unchanging value.

“Depend on the Lord, the Rock eternal.”

He is the source of all good gifts. The money I need, He provides. From the riches of a King, the King of Kings, He provides for me, an heir to His kingdom. I am blessed with royal treasures and protected by armies of the King’s angels.

My phone died unexpectedly. But God was not surprised. I felt vulnerable but I was not in any danger. I’d grown dependent but my need for a phone was an illusion. I was vulnerable because I lost my usual way of calling or texting people. I also didn’t have a camera. But was I in any danger without my phone? After all, I raised three children without the Internet!

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites dependency on the One who is strong, immovable, and eternal. Such dependency isn’t risky because the Lord as our Rock protects us from vulnerability.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of vulnerability, placing dependency where it is risky? This message is a cautionary one. It starts with assessing where you are at risk of becoming vulnerable because your dependencies lie upon what is not dependable. What in your world, if lost or threatened, activates a sense of panic? Phones, cars, electricity, and bank accounts can be gone in a moment.

Recognize your basic vulnerability. Being mortal is risky; being in the modern world has additional risks. Our bodies are fragile, at risk of injury and illness. Our stuff is subject to malfunction, theft, and destruction. Clinging to the stuff of life is risky.

Find what is more dependable; depend on the Lord, the Rock Eternal. When your phone dings, use it as a cue to pray before checking the notification. Before you start your car, say a prayer for the Lord’s blessing on your day’s journey. When you flip an electric switch, send up a prayer to the Light of the World. As you pay your bills or check your bank statements, ask for the Lord’s help to be a good steward of what He has provided.

Depend on the Source of the stuff, not the stuff. The practice of gratitude for the things on which our lives depend helps us remember their provider. Thank You, Lord, for my phone. Thank You, Lord for my car. Thank You, Lord, for electricity. Thank You, Lord for the money in my accounts. Thank You for being the provider of all that I need.

Practice being OK without stuff. Take a walk without a phone or smartwatch. Sit and listen to the birds. If you feel too vulnerable, grab a physical Bible and rest it on your lap. As a side note, I don’t read the Bible on my phone. I don’t want to depend upon something undependable to hear from the One who is Dependable. It just seems wrong to me.

As vulnerable humans we too often place our dependency where it is at risk of failing us. Being vulnerable is unavoidable; we can choose to place our dependency on the One who is eternally reliable, the Lord, the Rock Eternal. We can practice transferring our dependency to Him by using our stuff as a reminder to pray and be grateful. Instead of being enslaved by our stuff, we can practice being free of it. We become less vulnerable by depending less on what is just stuff, and more upon the One who is completely dependable.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I am uncomfortable realizing how vulnerable I am, how dependent upon unreliable stuff I have allowed myself to become. Remind me to thank You for my stuff and to pray, transferring my risky dependency to You, my Rock Eternal upon Whom I can depend without risk. Thank You for being my totally reliable Lord. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Do a search for the word “rock” and find solid foundations for placing your dependency.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! Join the chat through the button below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note. This image was created with Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

In my most recent message, I wrote about enjoyment and reflected on joy being filled into us through nature, nourishment of food and beverages, simple productivity, and being your own good company. As I considered these activities, all possible without the presence of another person, I contrasted such solitary enjoyment with mentally hollow amusement. But there is another level of joy possible, one that requires the presence of another person – sharing.

Sharing time in nature, sharing a meal, accomplishing tasks together, and just being together provide a far richer source of joy than enjoyment alone. This is possible because the presence of the other provides a source of joy; when combined, two people can create an infinity joy loop between them. Each is the provider and recipient of joy in this exchange. Sharing creates joy between two people. Joy is multiplied through sharing.

Consider a meal eaten alone compared to one shared with a friend or loved one.

Consider watching a movie alone compared to watching with a companion who enjoys the same type of movie.

After the joy of reading a book, a subsequent conversation with someone else who read and enjoyed it can deepen and extend the experience of joy for both.

And a hug, well, it’s hard to compare the joy of hugging yourself to that of hugging another.

Then there’s the saying, “many hands make light work.” This isn’t just an expression of an easier amount of work; it also speaks of the joy of working together.

Also, think about dividing something and giving part of it away. One dessert – two spoons. One dinner – two plates. Two coats – one given to someone without a coat. Such division of resources becomes multiplication of joy.

My time given away to the task of writing these messages becomes time that gives away to others. And, thanks to the potential of public posting on the Internet, sharing these messages multiplies my original investment. I cannot keep my time; it will pass no matter what I do. But I can share it, creating something that perpetuates.

The infinity joy loop. Between two people, each sending joy to the other, that joy becomes a phenomenon of exquisite beauty. What brought joy alone can multiple joy when shared with another.

Message of Mystery Acres

What a wonderful week this has been! I chose to take a break from my job duties and head to my beloved forest. My husband, our two dogs, and I enjoyed three days and two nights at Mystery Acres. We did some post-winter cleaning and took down two dead trees. In the evenings, my husband and I waited for dusk and the anticipated arrival of bats hunting for bugs. We were treated to a trio of bats doing formations above us! We shared this experience and now have a memory to revisit and enjoy.

I hung my hammock and was joined by our dogs. I was surprised, and delighted, to learn of their joy in hammock time with me! Oscar, usually fearful, jumped eagerly into the hammock beside me. Smudgie peered over the top to watch and listen for intruders. Fortunately, there is very little traffic on the private road nearby. I included a picture to share the joy with you.

Yesterday a friend from my previous university joined me for the day. She, whose father was a geologist, enjoyed exploring for rock treasures from the dry stream bed. Our joy was multiplied as each treasure we collected was shown to the other. Our satchels were heavy with rocks when we trudged up the hill to the lawn chairs for a picnic lunch. After eating, we dug through our packs and reveled at each discovery. This one has a fossil. That one sparkles and has a fossil. These two round ones are twins. The one with a hole completely through it will make a wonderful addition to the collection of similar marvels collected with her father decades ago. The color of this red one is so pretty. And so on. She was so overjoyed with the time we shared that, homeward bound, she called to tell her son all about it.

After two nights at home, my husband and our dogs are heading back to the forest tomorrow for an overnight stay with two of our dearest friends. We came home to shower, do laundry, and stock up. I have a list of wildflowers I found that I am eager to share their locations with our friends. We have meals planned to enjoy together and a pan of brownies to share. Everything tastes better when camping, especially when shared with friends.

The message of Mystery Acres is about sharing, finding the infinite joy loop with another. Whether spouse, pet, family, or friend, the joys of nature and food are multiplied when shared.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You fill me with joy in Your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)

Like needy children, grownup humans tend to view God as a source of whatever they lack. Need peace? Seek the peace that passes understanding, the peace from the Lord. Need wisdom? The source of infinite wisdom is the place to tap. Need comfort? The God of all comfort has plenty to provide. And joy? The psalmist said, of God, “You fill me with joy in Your presence.”

We tend to think of our relationship with God as one-way, a one-direction conduit for whatever is needed. But what if our presence in God’s presence delivered something back to Him? What if our being filled with His presence also fills Him with joy of our presence? This makes sense if we think of how He spared nothing to restore us into relationship with Him.

There are hints of this throughout the Bible, though it’s clear the book is written for us, not for God. Consider the overjoyed father when the prodigal son returns home. Or what about the joy of the shepherd who finds the lost sheep, the sheep’s presence restored to the flock? And then there’s verse from Zephaniah where God rejoices over His people with singing (3:17).

I don’t mean to imply that God is lacking in joy without us, rather, as the source of joy, God is complete without the presence of His creation. What I am suggesting is that we receive joy from God, the source of joy, while also bringing Him joy from our connection to Him. This could be the ultimate infinity joy loop, an interacting presence with God.

When we are still and focus on being with God, that is time in the infinite with The Infinite. Matthew recorded Jesus saying, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.” Infinity Here. With us.

This infinity joy loop occurs when we sense infinity through a sharing of a moment with God or another person. We are being filled through the mutual exchange of presence. Sharing becomes so much more. Infinitely more.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to be filled with joy by coming into the presence of the Lord. Such filling also brings joy to the Creator, who longs to be infinitely connected with His beloved creation. Sharing presence with another creates an infinity loop, a completeness of joy.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of sharing, experiencing the infinity joy loop? It starts with recognizing that the fullness of joy requires a reciprocal process. Like alternating current, a return of joy must be added to the receipt of joy. The infinity joy loop has two halves, with each half being in an exchange with the other.

Thus, the full enjoyment of nature, taking in the beauty of it all, necessitates a return of gratitude for it. This reciprocation acknowledges the Creator in the creation. Listening to the joyful bird song, the joyful response is to be thankful for such an amazing sound. This elevates the joy of the experience, completing the flow of joy between Creator and you, part of the creation.

Instead of thinking about joy as a one-way process, ponder the inclusion of a second person, and possible joy exchange. To “complete the loop” of joy with another person requires a focus not only on one’s own joy, but also on the joy of the other. Sharing joy, not just receiving joy, transforms solitary joy into transformative joy. This infinity joy loop lifts the experience from the temporal to the eternal plane, even if just for a moment. Consider inviting someone into an activity you enjoy alone.

Anything that disrupts or distracts from the interchange severs the loop and decreases the joy. To be primarily focused on self, and not other, eliminates the reciprocal joy. It is human to focus on bringing joy into self, but, transcending our own needs, the infusion of joy into another is likely to come back to us. Sharing unselfishly opens the channel in the infinity joy loop. How fully do you focus on the other person when you are together? What distractions might be getting in the way of the reciprocation of joy?

Invite next-level joy by seeking the infinity joy loop of sharing. Have lunch with a friend. Invite someone to a movie. Loan a favorite book and wait for a future chance to chat about it. Sit in a hammock with a dog. Take in joy whenever possible but remember to return it so joy can be multiplied. Share with others and enter the infinity joy loop.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to being overly focused on myself and what I need, including what brings me joy. Instead, help me shift to sharing and to gratitude. Thank You for the fullness of joy You offer me and for inviting me into an infinity joy loop with You. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Psalm 16 is a wonderful place to direct your musing.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message (buttons below). I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note. This image was created with Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

In my most recent message, I wrote about enjoyment and reflected on joy being filled into us through nature, nourishment of food and beverages, simple productivity, and being your own good company. As I considered these activities, all possible without the presence of another person, I contrasted such solitary enjoyment with mentally hollow amusement. But there is another level of joy possible, one that requires the presence of another person – sharing.

Sharing time in nature, sharing a meal, accomplishing tasks together, and just being together provide a far richer source of joy than enjoyment alone. This is possible because the presence of the other provides a source of joy; when combined, two people can create an infinity joy loop between them. Each is the provider and recipient of joy in this exchange. Sharing creates joy between two people. Joy is multiplied through sharing.

Consider a meal eaten alone compared to one shared with a friend or loved one.

Consider watching a movie alone compared to watching with a companion who enjoys the same type of movie.

After the joy of reading a book, a subsequent conversation with someone else who read and enjoyed it can deepen and extend the experience of joy for both.

And a hug, well, it’s hard to compare the joy of hugging yourself to that of hugging another.

Then there’s the saying, “many hands make light work.” This isn’t just an expression of an easier amount of work; it also speaks of the joy of working together.

Also, think about dividing something and giving part of it away. One dessert – two spoons. One dinner – two plates. Two coats – one given to someone without a coat. Such division of resources becomes multiplication of joy.

My time given away to the task of writing these messages becomes time that gives away to others. And, thanks to the potential of public posting on the Internet, sharing these messages multiplies my original investment. I cannot keep my time; it will pass no matter what I do. But I can share it, creating something that perpetuates.

The infinity joy loop. Between two people, each sending joy to the other, that joy becomes a phenomenon of exquisite beauty. What brought joy alone can multiple joy when shared with another.

Message of Mystery Acres

What a wonderful week this has been! I chose to take a break from my job duties and head to my beloved forest. My husband, our two dogs, and I enjoyed three days and two nights at Mystery Acres. We did some post-winter cleaning and took down two dead trees. In the evenings, my husband and I waited for dusk and the anticipated arrival of bats hunting for bugs. We were treated to a trio of bats doing formations above us! We shared this experience and now have a memory to revisit and enjoy.

I hung my hammock and was joined by our dogs. I was surprised, and delighted, to learn of their joy in hammock time with me! Oscar, usually fearful, jumped eagerly into the hammock beside me. Smudgie peered over the top to watch and listen for intruders. Fortunately, there is very little traffic on the private road nearby. I included a picture to share the joy with you.

Yesterday a friend from my previous university joined me for the day. She, whose father was a geologist, enjoyed exploring for rock treasures from the dry stream bed. Our joy was multiplied as each treasure we collected was shown to the other. Our satchels were heavy with rocks when we trudged up the hill to the lawn chairs for a picnic lunch. After eating, we dug through our packs and reveled at each discovery. This one has a fossil. That one sparkles and has a fossil. These two round ones are twins. The one with a hole completely through it will make a wonderful addition to the collection of similar marvels collected with her father decades ago. The color of this red one is so pretty. And so on. She was so overjoyed with the time we shared that, homeward bound, she called to tell her son all about it.

After two nights at home, my husband and our dogs are heading back to the forest tomorrow for an overnight stay with two of our dearest friends. We came home to shower, do laundry, and stock up. I have a list of wildflowers I found that I am eager to share their locations with our friends. We have meals planned to enjoy together and a pan of brownies to share. Everything tastes better when camping, especially when shared with friends.

The message of Mystery Acres is about sharing, finding the infinite joy loop with another. Whether spouse, pet, family, or friend, the joys of nature and food are multiplied when shared.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You fill me with joy in Your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)

Like needy children, grownup humans tend to view God as a source of whatever they lack. Need peace? Seek the peace that passes understanding, the peace from the Lord. Need wisdom? The source of infinite wisdom is the place to tap. Need comfort? The God of all comfort has plenty to provide. And joy? The psalmist said, of God, “You fill me with joy in Your presence.”

We tend to think of our relationship with God as one-way, a one-direction conduit for whatever is needed. But what if our presence in God’s presence delivered something back to Him? What if our being filled with His presence also fills Him with joy of our presence? This makes sense if we think of how He spared nothing to restore us into relationship with Him.

There are hints of this throughout the Bible, though it’s clear the book is written for us, not for God. Consider the overjoyed father when the prodigal son returns home. Or what about the joy of the shepherd who finds the lost sheep, the sheep’s presence restored to the flock? And then there’s verse from Zephaniah where God rejoices over His people with singing (3:17).

I don’t mean to imply that God is lacking in joy without us, rather, as the source of joy, God is complete without the presence of His creation. What I am suggesting is that we receive joy from God, the source of joy, while also bringing Him joy from our connection to Him. This could be the ultimate infinity joy loop, an interacting presence with God.

When we are still and focus on being with God, that is time in the infinite with The Infinite. Matthew recorded Jesus saying, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.” Infinity Here. With us.

This infinity joy loop occurs when we sense infinity through a sharing of a moment with God or another person. We are being filled through the mutual exchange of presence. Sharing becomes so much more. Infinitely more.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to be filled with joy by coming into the presence of the Lord. Such filling also brings joy to the Creator, who longs to be infinitely connected with His beloved creation. Sharing presence with another creates an infinity loop, a completeness of joy.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of sharing, experiencing the infinity joy loop? It starts with recognizing that the fullness of joy requires a reciprocal process. Like alternating current, a return of joy must be added to the receipt of joy. The infinity joy loop has two halves, with each half being in an exchange with the other.

Thus, the full enjoyment of nature, taking in the beauty of it all, necessitates a return of gratitude for it. This reciprocation acknowledges the Creator in the creation. Listening to the joyful bird song, the joyful response is to be thankful for such an amazing sound. This elevates the joy of the experience, completing the flow of joy between Creator and you, part of the creation.

Instead of thinking about joy as a one-way process, ponder the inclusion of a second person, and possible joy exchange. To “complete the loop” of joy with another person requires a focus not only on one’s own joy, but also on the joy of the other. Sharing joy, not just receiving joy, transforms solitary joy into transformative joy. This infinity joy loop lifts the experience from the temporal to the eternal plane, even if just for a moment. Consider inviting someone into an activity you enjoy alone.

Anything that disrupts or distracts from the interchange severs the loop and decreases the joy. To be primarily focused on self, and not other, eliminates the reciprocal joy. It is human to focus on bringing joy into self, but, transcending our own needs, the infusion of joy into another is likely to come back to us. Sharing unselfishly opens the channel in the infinity joy loop. How fully do you focus on the other person when you are together? What distractions might be getting in the way of the reciprocation of joy?

Invite next-level joy by seeking the infinity joy loop of sharing. Have lunch with a friend. Invite someone to a movie. Loan a favorite book and wait for a future chance to chat about it. Sit in a hammock with a dog. Take in joy whenever possible but remember to return it so joy can be multiplied. Share with others and enter the infinity joy loop.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to being overly focused on myself and what I need, including what brings me joy. Instead, help me shift to sharing and to gratitude. Thank You for the fullness of joy You offer me and for inviting me into an infinity joy loop with You. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Psalm 16 is a wonderful place to direct your musing.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message (buttons below). I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note. This is my granddaughter and one of our dogs. The first thing she wants to do after awakening is run to find and greet this dog, crazy bed-hair and all. I offer this picture to bring you joy.

My Mysterious Mind

I love musing. Immersing deeply in my own thoughts, feelings, and sensations is an enjoyable hobby for me. As a third born child living on a farm, I learned to be good company to myself. I read books, wrote poetry, listened to music, and took long walks. I enjoyed being responsible for entertaining myself. Over the decades since my childhood, not much has changed in my love of musing.

My musing this week has focused on two words, enjoy and amuse. The word “enjoy” is very familiar and used often. As I ponder the word I see two parts, “en” and “joy.” The first part means to “put something in.” To “en-joy” is to put joy in.

Amuse is quite different. The word also consists of two parts, “a” and “muse.” I like the second part, as musing is one of my favorite pastimes. But to put an “a” as the prefix represents a troubling shift. Such an addition means “not,” such as in “atypical” which means “not typical.”

To “a-muse” means to distract or divert in a pleasurable manner. To amuse is to redirect attention away from one’s own musing. Sit-coms are intended to be amusing, to bring laughter from shallow humor. Passing time with the amusement of video games is a way to escape from thinking.

That probably explains why I don’t like sit-coms or video games. I like musing and dislike being a-mused. I enjoy laughing, but only if my mind is engaged. My preference is clever jokes and whimsical exchanges with someone I like. Those activities I “en-joy” – my mind is involved in a process of bringing joy into my being.

All of this has me thinking about the intrusion of amusements for which only shallow thinking is required. Games on smartphones. Online gambling. Doom scrolling on social media. Netflix binging. Such uses of time shut down the mind in exchange for temporary amusement. What is the long-term impact on our ability to muse? Are such amusements, when used often, hollowing out our minds?

I would rather en-joy my time, either with myself or with someone else. Granted, it’s harder for me to just play. I acknowledge that people with less enjoyment in the activity of musing are probably less introspective and prone to melancholy. Setting aside amusement, I’d like to focus this message mostly on enjoyment. What does it mean to enjoy something? What are sources of enjoyment? To “en-joy” or bring joy in can pour into our beings, rather than just hollowing out our minds with what “a-muses.”

Message of Mystery Acres

Being in the forest is definitely one of my favorite things. It’s a wonderful place to muse. My mind can be infused with sights and sounds of nature, prompting beautiful, deep reflections. Perhaps it brings me back to my younger years where I had access to many acres on which to roam by myself.

It is, of course, possible to be distracted from the potential joy of the forest even while immersed in it. This has happened when something becomes frustrating, such as covering the motorhome with tarps or being unable to find some needed item in one of the possible storage compartments where it is hiding. Such distractions are not amusing, but they do prevent joy from entering in.

Nature offers joy from every direction; we need only to pause and let it in and avoid the temptations leading to a distracted mind. Joy is waiting for opportunity to pour in; such avenues patiently linger in sights, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations. Offerings of joy await in the wonders of wildflowers, some so tiny only the focused eye can discover them. Unlimited prospects of rocks lie below, each with its possibility of fossils or unique shapes and contours. The grasses bend gracefully in response to the invisible hand of the dancing wind. An occasional butterfly drifts silently past, only noticeable to the non-distracted mind. And so much more!

The message of Mystery Acres calls for the quiet mind and the observant heart to enjoy its many offerings. Pause. Become still. Watch patiently. Listen carefully.

Let joy in.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“I commend the enjoyment of life.” (Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:15)

A very wealthy man in ancient times, Solomon was king over the Jewish people. His one request from God was for wisdom. Apparently, Solomon, like me, enjoyed the activity of musing and wanted plenty of wisdom to fuel his times of reflection.

Known as a man of great wisdom; Solomon is also credited for authoring a philosophical book contained in the Bible, Ecclesiastes. This book is famous for inspiring the song by The Byrds, with its recurrent chorus of “to everything there is a season, turn, turn, turn.” A well-known phrase from the book, the result of Solomon’s pursuit of meaning, is “this too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” He wrote of many ways life might be hollowed out of its meaning.

In his pursuit of meaning, Solomon tried pretty much everything and had tremendous power and wealth for his exploration. Solomon wrote:

“I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved meaningless. ‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is foolish. What does pleasure accomplish?’ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly. . . I undertook great projects. . . everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecc. 2: 1-4; 11)

Solomon’s meandering of intellectual musing contains a few pieces of advice. One of them is this: “I commend enjoyment of life” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). His existential angst found comfort in eating, drinking and simpleproductivity. His book is a complicated dissertation with a surprisingly simplistic conclusion. He tried amusing himself with women, wine, and obsessive projects but found no meaning in such pursuits.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice, recorded in the words of Solomon are to avoid the meaningless pursuit of pleasure and grand projects. Rather, given the finite nature of life, he recommends enjoying the simple activity of getting things done and finding pleasure in the nourishment needed to sustain your life. Throughout the many seasons of life, these sources of joy remain constant. We need to eat and drink; and there is always something to do. Solomon commends enjoyment of life, but not pointless amusement.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of “en-joy or a-muse,” pouring in rather than being hollowed out? It starts with recognizing our heart’s longing to feel good. Such pleasure can come from a mind that is distracted from its worries by amusement or from a heart that welcomes the entrance of joy waiting all around. It’s quite human to want to feel what is pleasant; the methods to get to that feeling are worth pondering.

Assess the activities to which you turn for recreation. Chasing the temporary pleasure of some activities can lay the foundation for addiction. What starts as a way to be amused, to stop the mind from thinking about something, can become an unhealthy habit. The path of amusement can hollow out the mind’s awareness and lead to a trap. Digital games and social media are not harmful unless such amusement becomes quicksand from which escape is difficult. Think about what you do to amuse yourself and whether you are trapped by it. If you are trapped, get out so you can engage your mind, and, with an open heart, let joy in. Joy satisfies the thirst within you for what is good.

Beware of what prevents joy from entering your being. Distractions, including hollowing-out amusements, prevent joy’s entrance. The experience of joy requires an engaged mind and an open heart. Joy happens from full immersion into a moment of life. Worry, devices, and frustrations prevent the pouring in of joy. Limit such barriers to joy. Instead, let joy in.

Because life requires eating and drinking, consider the utensils and dishes you use. Eat with lovely silverware and use pretty plates. Drink from beautiful glasses, preferably made of glass. Wash dishes with good washcloths and dry the dishes with cheerful towels. Let joy in at every meal.

I realized while writing this message to you that I needed to make some changes for myself. Our daily silverware is a rag tag mixture of unmatched styles and forks with bent tines. The kitchen towels are mostly worn, faded, and stained. Thus, I ordered new silverware for daily use and cheerful kitchen towels. Soon every meal will be eaten with joy-bearing forks and dishes dried with joy-offering towels.

I’m preparing to let joy in.

Our hearts long for what feels good. Such longing can be temporarily quieted through superficial amusements but is satisfied more deeply by experiences of joy. It isn’t hard to find joy, but it does require intention. Joy can be found in the simple pleasures of eating and drinking, but only when there is sufficient focus of an engaged mind and adequate receptiveness of an open heart. Without focus, joy can be missed by going through the motions of daily life. The wonders of nature wait patiently for us to slow down and experience what provides joy to our being. Beware the hollowing-out of what amuses. Seek instead to enjoy life. Let joy in.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, in a world of great trouble and suffering, my heart longs to feel good. Show me where I am turning to what hollows out my mind with shallow amusements. Guide me instead to how I can more fully enjoy the life You have provided for me. Thank You for helping me let joy in. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. The book of Ecclesiastes is a place to ponder life, its pointless amusements and its profound joys.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message through the buttons below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Note. This is my granddaughter and one of our dogs. The first thing she wants to do after awakening is run to find and greet this dog, crazy bed-hair and all. I offer this picture to bring you joy.

My Mysterious Mind

I love musing. Immersing deeply in my own thoughts, feelings, and sensations is an enjoyable hobby for me. As a third born child living on a farm, I learned to be good company to myself. I read books, wrote poetry, listened to music, and took long walks. I enjoyed being responsible for entertaining myself. Over the decades since my childhood, not much has changed in my love of musing.

My musing this week has focused on two words, enjoy and amuse. The word “enjoy” is very familiar and used often. As I ponder the word I see two parts, “en” and “joy.” The first part means to “put something in.” To “en-joy” is to put joy in.

Amuse is quite different. The word also consists of two parts, “a” and “muse.” I like the second part, as musing is one of my favorite pastimes. But to put an “a” as the prefix represents a troubling shift. Such an addition means “not,” such as in “atypical” which means “not typical.”

To “a-muse” means to distract or divert in a pleasurable manner. To amuse is to redirect attention away from one’s own musing. Sit-coms are intended to be amusing, to bring laughter from shallow humor. Passing time with the amusement of video games is a way to escape from thinking.

That probably explains why I don’t like sit-coms or video games. I like musing and dislike being a-mused. I enjoy laughing, but only if my mind is engaged. My preference is clever jokes and whimsical exchanges with someone I like. Those activities I “en-joy” – my mind is involved in a process of bringing joy into my being.

All of this has me thinking about the intrusion of amusements for which only shallow thinking is required. Games on smartphones. Online gambling. Doom scrolling on social media. Netflix binging. Such uses of time shut down the mind in exchange for temporary amusement. What is the long-term impact on our ability to muse? Are such amusements, when used often, hollowing out our minds?

I would rather en-joy my time, either with myself or with someone else. Granted, it’s harder for me to just play. I acknowledge that people with less enjoyment in the activity of musing are probably less introspective and prone to melancholy. Setting aside amusement, I’d like to focus this message mostly on enjoyment. What does it mean to enjoy something? What are sources of enjoyment? To “en-joy” or bring joy in can pour into our beings, rather than just hollowing out our minds with what “a-muses.”

Message of Mystery Acres

Being in the forest is definitely one of my favorite things. It’s a wonderful place to muse. My mind can be infused with sights and sounds of nature, prompting beautiful, deep reflections. Perhaps it brings me back to my younger years where I had access to many acres on which to roam by myself.

It is, of course, possible to be distracted from the potential joy of the forest even while immersed in it. This has happened when something becomes frustrating, such as covering the motorhome with tarps or being unable to find some needed item in one of the possible storage compartments where it is hiding. Such distractions are not amusing, but they do prevent joy from entering in.

Nature offers joy from every direction; we need only to pause and let it in and avoid the temptations leading to a distracted mind. Joy is waiting for opportunity to pour in; such avenues patiently linger in sights, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations. Offerings of joy await in the wonders of wildflowers, some so tiny only the focused eye can discover them. Unlimited prospects of rocks lie below, each with its possibility of fossils or unique shapes and contours. The grasses bend gracefully in response to the invisible hand of the dancing wind. An occasional butterfly drifts silently past, only noticeable to the non-distracted mind. And so much more!

The message of Mystery Acres calls for the quiet mind and the observant heart to enjoy its many offerings. Pause. Become still. Watch patiently. Listen carefully.

Let joy in.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“I commend the enjoyment of life.” (Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:15)

A very wealthy man in ancient times, Solomon was king over the Jewish people. His one request from God was for wisdom. Apparently, Solomon, like me, enjoyed the activity of musing and wanted plenty of wisdom to fuel his times of reflection.

Known as a man of great wisdom; Solomon is also credited for authoring a philosophical book contained in the Bible, Ecclesiastes. This book is famous for inspiring the song by The Byrds, with its recurrent chorus of “to everything there is a season, turn, turn, turn.” A well-known phrase from the book, the result of Solomon’s pursuit of meaning, is “this too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” He wrote of many ways life might be hollowed out of its meaning.

In his pursuit of meaning, Solomon tried pretty much everything and had tremendous power and wealth for his exploration. Solomon wrote:

“I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved meaningless. ‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is foolish. What does pleasure accomplish?’ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly. . . I undertook great projects. . . everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecc. 2: 1-4; 11)

Solomon’s meandering of intellectual musing contains a few pieces of advice. One of them is this: “I commend enjoyment of life” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). His existential angst found comfort in eating, drinking and simpleproductivity. His book is a complicated dissertation with a surprisingly simplistic conclusion. He tried amusing himself with women, wine, and obsessive projects but found no meaning in such pursuits.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice, recorded in the words of Solomon are to avoid the meaningless pursuit of pleasure and grand projects. Rather, given the finite nature of life, he recommends enjoying the simple activity of getting things done and finding pleasure in the nourishment needed to sustain your life. Throughout the many seasons of life, these sources of joy remain constant. We need to eat and drink; and there is always something to do. Solomon commends enjoyment of life, but not pointless amusement.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of “en-joy or a-muse,” pouring in rather than being hollowed out? It starts with recognizing our heart’s longing to feel good. Such pleasure can come from a mind that is distracted from its worries by amusement or from a heart that welcomes the entrance of joy waiting all around. It’s quite human to want to feel what is pleasant; the methods to get to that feeling are worth pondering.

Assess the activities to which you turn for recreation. Chasing the temporary pleasure of some activities can lay the foundation for addiction. What starts as a way to be amused, to stop the mind from thinking about something, can become an unhealthy habit. The path of amusement can hollow out the mind’s awareness and lead to a trap. Digital games and social media are not harmful unless such amusement becomes quicksand from which escape is difficult. Think about what you do to amuse yourself and whether you are trapped by it. If you are trapped, get out so you can engage your mind, and, with an open heart, let joy in. Joy satisfies the thirst within you for what is good.

Beware of what prevents joy from entering your being. Distractions, including hollowing-out amusements, prevent joy’s entrance. The experience of joy requires an engaged mind and an open heart. Joy happens from full immersion into a moment of life. Worry, devices, and frustrations prevent the pouring in of joy. Limit such barriers to joy. Instead, let joy in.

Because life requires eating and drinking, consider the utensils and dishes you use. Eat with lovely silverware and use pretty plates. Drink from beautiful glasses, preferably made of glass. Wash dishes with good washcloths and dry the dishes with cheerful towels. Let joy in at every meal.

I realized while writing this message to you that I needed to make some changes for myself. Our daily silverware is a rag tag mixture of unmatched styles and forks with bent tines. The kitchen towels are mostly worn, faded, and stained. Thus, I ordered new silverware for daily use and cheerful kitchen towels. Soon every meal will be eaten with joy-bearing forks and dishes dried with joy-offering towels.

I’m preparing to let joy in.

Our hearts long for what feels good. Such longing can be temporarily quieted through superficial amusements but is satisfied more deeply by experiences of joy. It isn’t hard to find joy, but it does require intention. Joy can be found in the simple pleasures of eating and drinking, but only when there is sufficient focus of an engaged mind and adequate receptiveness of an open heart. Without focus, joy can be missed by going through the motions of daily life. The wonders of nature wait patiently for us to slow down and experience what provides joy to our being. Beware the hollowing-out of what amuses. Seek instead to enjoy life. Let joy in.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, in a world of great trouble and suffering, my heart longs to feel good. Show me where I am turning to what hollows out my mind with shallow amusements. Guide me instead to how I can more fully enjoy the life You have provided for me. Thank You for helping me let joy in. Amen.

Notes from Dr. Mac

If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. The book of Ecclesiastes is a place to ponder life, its pointless amusements and its profound joys.

Do you want more from my writing? Please visit my ARCHIVE (link and QR code provided).

You can also connect to Mystery’s Voice on Spotify (link provided).

Please pass on this message to friends and suggest they subscribe. It’s free!

I love to find out what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message through the buttons below. I love hearing from you!

Share

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Get more from Cindy MacGregor in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app