Bless This House

There is a plaque hanging on a wall in our kitchen with the following words emblazoned upon its four-foot length: “Bless this house and all who enter.

I recall a person visiting our home who indicated the Lord does not bless inanimate objects like a house. That comment was made years ago, and the plaque is still hanging in our kitchen because Scripture indicates otherwise.

Proverbs 3:33 reminds us: The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

One might consider a house to be lifeless and an inanimate structure. But when the Lord blesses our dwelling place, as well as the people who live within … and those people place their trust in the Lord, we can look forward to what follows:

1.      We can call upon the Lord for protection from possible events and intrusions that want to harm us. This does not mean we will never experience events that are painful and difficult. And it does not mean the unrighteous will not receive a measure of grace. Scripture reminds us it “rains on the just and the unjust.”

2.     The Lord orders the steps of a person seeking spiritual truth and directs those steps to places, situations, and righteous dwellings that minister to the sojourner.

Placing our trust in Jesus Christ forms the foundation of a righteous dwelling. Welcome all peoples into our homes. Be an encourager. Pray for the Lord’s hand to be upon all who enter our homes, especially loved ones, and pray for any household that may be divided.

Robert Parlante

October 2018

Life Wisdom From Dad

My son recently asked for life wisdom efforts I had learned over the course of my years:

1. Begin every life journey with prayer and seeking the Lord’s wisdom in Scripture and the counsel of Godly people.

2. Expect the unexpected because the Lord orders our steps. A misstep, a failure or a barrier does not mean your journey is not from the Lord. It may be a course change.

3. Never stop learning.

4. Always speak and write correctly.

5. Prepare a plan and be flexible to a change by the Holy Spirit.

6. God comes first, and family is a close second. Do not ignore your family.

7. Treat everyone with respect regardless of age, gender and ethnicity.

8. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

9. Always be thankful for what you have. Do not dwell on what you do not have.

10. Enjoy your life journey and always encourage others.

Robert Parlante

August 2018

Small and Insignificant Moments

This past weekend I celebrated a special birthday with my family, including the grandkids. I enjoyed our time together and was really blessed by the book of favorite memories presented by the grandkids. The opening page of the book set the tone of what was to follow.

“Poppy, you never hesitate to tell us how much you love us! So now it is our turn …”

Here’s a summary of their reflective memories:

Everyone loved the beach house, spending the day surfing the ocean, and coming back to the main house to Grammy preparing a meal (salt air makes you hungry!). To this day, the grandkids remember meatballs cooking in homemade tomato sauce with lemon cake for dessert

There is more food memories. Another remembers sitting in a French pastry shop with me eating coconut macarons while waiting for a train from eastern Carolina to arrive. That night she realized we both love macarons and we now had one more bond between us.

Most of my grandkids needed help (on occasion) with writing assignments and other school projects. Building soda bottle rockets was my favorite. They remembered chaotic family vacations and laughing around the dining room table listening to childhood stories.

The beach house was a favorite memory-maker with everyone. There were so many family celebrations that strengthened relationships among all.

The grandkids remember tagging along with me when I visited the nursing home. Our lives were strengthened by each other, and at the same time, positively challenging each other to open their heart to the needs of others. Another grandson saw wisdom in older adults and committed to make family members proud of his hard work and achievements.

Looking back, the grandkids saw unplanned time together as moments to teach them something. I helped with challenging school-work and demonstrated unmeasurable love toward them.

Life is full of Small and seemingly Insignificant Moments. At first glance it appears like not much is happening at those times.

The reality is, every moment, large or small, is a teachable moment.

Robert Parlante

August 2018

How Many Hallmark Movies Can You Watch?

People have different television viewing preferences. Some like emotional relationship stories that draw you in. Some like vintage movies, like me. I’m a fan of WWII military/spy movies (Who cannot like the movie “The Great Escape” with Steve McQueen?).

I was just a young child during the era, and I still remember practicing blackouts because my father was involved with civil defense. The rules were straightforward: No lights, had to use dark window shades, or no lighting up a cigarette. One little flicker of light regardless of source would be enough of a clue to an enemy bomber. Nothing ever happened in Pennsylvania where I had been living at the time. Yet, it affected my TV viewing habits. I enjoy the battles of good and evil playing out in a story.

The challenge comes when it’s time for family TV viewing. My wife’s choices are consistent … Hallmark, news, DIY and Netflix. (I mean, how many Hallmark movies can one see?)

My choice is news, Turner Classic Movies and Netflix. Just saw the Jean Arthur movie “The More the Merrier” a comedy about housing shortages during war-time Washington. The actor Charles Coburn won an Oscar for his portrayal of a millionaire curmudgeon in this comedy.

Most nights, one or the other must compromise. A few days ago, my wife convinced me to watch Heidi on Netflix. Ugh! Even worse, the movie was all in German.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Not even close. It’s just part of the things we do to please our spouses! The other evening, I watched “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” on Hallmark. Truth be told, I liked the movie series!

Robert Parlante

July 2018

The Ring of Kerry

One of the most memorable vacation side-trips I’ve taken was a bus ride beginning at Killarney and proceeding around the Ring of Kerry located in Ireland. The trek was not for the faint of heart as there is just barely enough room on portions of the narrow roadway for the bus. As the narrow roads make it difficult for tour buses to pass, all buses must run in a counter-clockwise direction. But it looked like not everyone follows the rules.

The day I took the trip we encountered vehicles approaching the tour bus from the opposite direction. A bus and a car cannot safely pass unless one of them drives in reverse until the driver finds a tight parking spot carved out of the mountain side. There are rules regarding the protocol for who must park and who has the right-ot-way.

My heart still races when I think about my encounter. It felt like one vehicle was a fraction of an inch from the other. If you looked out the window toward the ocean side, your heart leaped at the sheer drop to craggy rocks below.

If there are times one should pray for protection, this one is high on my list. I thought of Matthews 7:13,14.

^“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Life is full of choices. A person’s first inclination is to pick the way that appears easier, safer and having leeway … but it is not always a good choice. No matter how frightening the Ring of Kerry might have been, at the completion it felt exhilarating!

Robert Parlante
July 18, 2018

Mind Games

I was standing in line trying to return a clothing item my wife had purchased at a big box store. Standing in long serpentine lines is not among my favorite things to do … especially when retuning a woman’s blouse. The line was long and moved at a snail’s pace. Up ahead, I saw the big burly man behind the counter interrogating the customers and processing the returns. My legs wobbled as I sucked in my gut and tried to look more manly and taller.

When I reached the customer service representative his first question was, “What’s wrong with the blouse?” His look felt like it could penetrate steel as I tried to stand on my tippy-toes to better reach the counter.

“Not sure,” I said tentatively. “It’s my wife’s blouse. I think it’s too long.”

I thought I overly emphasized the word “wife” as I slipped him my credit card.

When the transaction was complete I spun around and confronted a man wearing a tee-shirt with words emblazoned upon it: “I am a legend in my own mind.”

It reminded me of a song, "Legend in Your Own Time", performed by Carly Simon, from her 1971 album “Anticipation.”

In that moment. the power of Scripture to speak to our needs encouraged me. Our goal in life is not to achieve true “Legend” status. Even worse is conjuring up a mind game to pretend you are a legend. We are only kept real and safe by trusting the Lord no matter what others may think.

Proverbs 29:25 - Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. (NIV).

May 2018

Robert Parlante

Where Does My Help Come From?

Recently replied to a trending topic on Twitter titled #MyInspirationComesFrom. The objective is to complete the hashtag intro and post it on Twitter. I decided to use the writer- side of my personality to complete the hashtag trend,

I wrote: My inspiration comes from a good night's sleep, starting the day with a Scripture devotion, and observing people behavior. "Write on!" says the blogger from spaghettimanwrites.blogspot.com.

Oh, and a good laugh too! That fuels my inspiration, as well.

After I posted my comments, I realized my simple wordy advice was easier said than done.
Like having a good night’s sleep. I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and now use a medical device to try sleeping through the night. Getting up bright and chipper and full of inspiration is elusive and the last thing on my mind after tangling with a breathing machine for eight hours.

Observing people behavior, especially if you are a writer, seems like sound advice. I’ve concluded, however, there is much human behavior I would not want to see emulated and considered as a benchmark of something ideal. Spending time in Scripture helps us stay focused, helps us understand human behavior, and inspires us. Psalm 121 is my daily reminder to develop book characters that behaved honorably and reflect the ideal and not the dark side of real human behavior.

Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains __ where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Mountain- top’s may look inspiring and draw you into their majesty. Mountains can be a source of inspiration. But they are shallow compared to where are most sound inspiration comes from … My help comes from the Lord. Not your best friend. Not the latest pop culture book. Not even a mountain top.

There is one more thing that helps to lighten the emotional load of life. Be sure you take time to laugh at yourself and your comic missteps.

Robert Parlante
April 2018