• SOULPRINTS: Get Your Copy of My New Book!

• VIEWFINDER: Are You Alive for the Mystery?

• TRAILMIX: Gail’s Asian Slaw

From the Back Cover of Tracks for the Journey 2023:

The pages of our 2023 calendar have been filed away with the scribbled notes, stars for important events, and maybe some doodles of the boring hours. Each mark is a small snapshot of what our life experienced. The days will never be repeated. But they can be recalled, reflected upon, and reinterpreted for what lies ahead. This small book is a part of that wonderful process for growth in wellness.

Larry writes to each reader, “The journey through the year of our Lord, 2023, held highs and lows for all of us. In our human pilgrimage that is the norm. This volume offers sixteen snapshots of spiritual life, relationships, and adventures taken along the journey. I offer these essays in the hope some wisdom might help you on the quest for well-being.”

Each chapter grows from an episode of the Tracks for the Journey Network presented on video, audio, or blog. Chapters in Tracks for the Journey 2023 include: Clay Pot Parents, Finding Me, Finding a Climate Comfort Zone, My Bad and God’s Good, Myths of Christian Nationalism, Affirming Transgender Care, Crazy Mercy, And More…

Available in paperback or Kindle eBook. Get your copy today!

The wonderful museum at Heraklion, Crete, carries the observer back thousands of years to the Minoan civilization. This advanced culture dominated much of the Mediterranean world 6000 years ago. The museum holds the enigmatic Phaistos Disk. As I stood in front of this dinner plate sized relic, covered with hieroglyphics, I wondered what it communicated to the people of long ago.

The clay disk was discovered in 1908 in the ruins of the Minoan palace. It has 242 symbols arranged in a circular pattern on both sides. It clearly tells a story. There is no consensus about the message, however, with scholars proposing a magical incantation, a religious hymn, a sacred narrative, and even a board game![i] Writers have speculated it is a prophecy for the end of the world to be revealed at just the right moment!

Mysteries dominate publishing and media today. We want them to come to a tidy conclusion that brings a twist and a resolution. We treat the stories of the Bible the same way. There is comfort in the preacher revealing the truth from the puzzling narrative. But most of the Bible narratives provoke more questions than provide answers. We don’t know what happened to Jesus’ body, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, or when the world will end. Could that be a part of the plan, that we are challenged to seek more about ourselves than we are how many animals were on the Ark? Is the greatest mystery what I make of my life amid all the unknowns that fill this world? Rather than frustration, the sacred stories seem to carry a message across the centuries that provoke new discoveries of faith.

The Disk may have more questions in its ancient, mysterious script than it does answers, as well.

[i] “What is the Phaistos Disk and What does it Mean?” Discovery Channel, United Kingdom. https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/what-is-the-phaistos-disc-and-what-does-it-mean/

This is a delightful side dish for cookouts or picnics. It came from my niece, who is an excellent cook.—JanMaree

 2 pkgs. beef or Asian flavored Ramen Noodles, crushed

1 large pkg. cole slaw with carrots

1 c. sliced almonds

1 c. sunflower meats

3 green onions, chopped

Prepare dressing the night before and pour over the mixture just prior to serving:

1/3 c. white vinegar

½ c. sugar

½ c. oil

Add the beef powder and heat dressing to dissolve sugar.