BLESSINGS AND LESSONS

To my delight, the world surrounding me this morning is white.  Even the tree branches are dancing in the wind.  If I was young, I'd bundle up and go for a snow walk.  There's nothing in the world like being the first one to leave footprints in the pristine blanket of white.  Age deters me from playful ventures, cuz I dare not risk falling and breaking one of my branches.

This last week I've been watching movies, one after the other.  Mostly rom-coms and mysteries.  A dialogue by one of the actresses playing the part of an earth-angel ended with, "Everything that happens to us is either a blessing or a lesson." 

Blessings bring us happiness and benefit our lives.  We see them as gifts from a Higher Power.  Lessons learned prevent us from repeating our mistakes.  The most precious life lessons can only be learned the hard way.  

THE GIOCONDA SHINE DOOR- Bucharest, Romania

Today's spotlight shines on The Gioconda Shine Door in Bucharest, Romania.  It features a replica of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting, Mona Lisa.  

The door is made of genuine leather and 31,707 Swarovski crystals, considered one of the most expensive doors in the world.

The Gioconda Shine Door

Shine doors describe high-end doors, with luxurious designs and decorative elements like crystals or intricate patterns. 

While researching today's spotlight, I came across a powerful sentence......

Let everyone sweep in front of their own door, 

and the whole world will be clean.

BLUE DOORS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

💙  In 1938, a national order in Greece mandated the painting of island homes in blue and white.  At the time, Greece was suffering an outbreak of cholera.  In an effort to curb the disease, the citizens were ordered to whitewash their homes.  The whitewash used to paint the houses contained limestone, which is a powerful disinfectant.  So, the citizens whitewashed their homes to reduce the spread of cholera.

💙 Greek fishermen painted their doors and shutters with leftover paint after painting their boats.  The blue color was made from a mixture of limestone and a cleaning product called loulaki, which was kinda like blue talcum powder most people had in their homes, making it both affordable and available.

💙  The white and blue colors of the Greek island homes became mandatory during the military dictatorship of 1967.  The regime believed the colors inspired patriotism and reflected Greek nationalism.  Eventually, in 1974, a law was passed that mandated the painting of Greek island homes in blue and white.  These regulations have now been relaxed, but the blue and white colors have become a huge draw for travelers.  Many of the island homeowners continue painting their homes blue and white because it's good for tourism.

Flag of Greece

💙  Blue and white are the national colors of Greece and appear on the Greek flag which consists of five blue alternating horizontal stripes and a white cross on the upper left corner.  Blue symbolizes the sky and the sea, and white represents purity, the struggle for independence, and the clouds and the waves.  The cross represents Christianity.

💙  The Greek Island of Santorini is known for its white architecture and blue-domed churches.  The most iconic blue domed churches are located on a cliff side overlooking the Aegean Sea.

💙  Greece is known for its culture, beauty and history. The Olympic Games and democracy originated in Greece.  

💙  Greece was the birthplace of Western philosophy by well-known thinkers like Socrates, Aristotle and Plato.  Their concepts spread and influenced people all over the world. 

💙 Greek mythology began as an oral tradition and was passed down through generations.  The legends were eventually written down as epic stories about Greek gods, the nature of the world, the origins of traditions and beliefs, and the weather.  Greek mythology taught the importance of bravery, intelligence and right and wrong, punishment and reward.  Modern-day scholars study Greek mythology to better understand their ancient society and politics.

💙  Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus believed that the universe is in a state of constant flux....that nothing remains the same and that change is the fundamental essence of reality.  Everything is temporary.  For us to better understand the world and be comfortable in it, we have to accept that nothing is going to stay the same. 

💙  Life is like a river.  It keeps on flowing, evolving and changing from one second to the next.....

1. Technology is a good example of constant change.  What is cutting-edge today will be obsolete tomorrow.
2. Social media platforms that are popular today may fade away.
3. Personal relationships grow closer or apart depending on circumstances or shifting priorities.  Personal connections are not permanent, nor should we expect them to be.
4. Fashion trends change from year to year, season to season.  Styles we wore a few years ago we wouldn't be caught wearing today.  Human expression is always evolving.
5. Economic trends, job markets and consumer preferences are always changing.  The stock market prices fluctuate throughout the trading day.
6.  Our environment, the natural ecosystems continually change because of the climate, natural disasters and human interference.  This reflects the ongoing transformation of Planet Earth.  
7. Personal health and well-being can change in an instant. Every human lives under the umbrella of lifestyle choices, age and unforeseen circumstances. 

"Incredible change happens in your life

 when you decide to take control 

of what you have power over

 instead of craving control

 over what you don't."

  ~Steve Marabol

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

My yesterday was spent at a Signed-Sealed-Delivered movie marathon.  The episode where Oliver recites His Eye Is On The Sparrow made me cry.  Not only are the words emotionally touching, but they reminded me of Aunt Jane's funeral a few months ago.  She lived to be 103.  The soloist at her celebration of life sang that song based on Matthew 10:29-31.  The message is meant to give us comfort and reassure us during times of worry or sadness.  He keeps his eye on us and our earthly concerns and well-being.

These are the words that Oliver recites from memory in the movie:

Whenever I have sorrow,

Whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing,

When hope within me dies.

I draw the closer to Him,

From care He sets me free.

His eye is on the sparrow.

And I know He watches me.

His eye is on the sparrow.

And I know He watches me.

SEA SCALLOP

Sea Scallop

Second to lobster, grilled sea scallops are my absolute favorite seafood.  

Sea scallops are called bivalves, having two hinged shells, like clams and oysters.  The shells are scalloped with fluted edges, usually reddish-pink or brown in color.  Its lower shell is white or cream-colored.  They're commonly found on beaches and are fun for the seashell collector to find.  

Each ring on a scallop's shell represents a year of growth, similar to how tree rings indicate a tree's age.  Atlantic sea scallops can live up to 20 years.  Environmental conditions dictate populations.  There are more than 400 species of scallops found around the world.  They are one of the cleanest shellfish available.

Sea scallops can swim by opening and closing their shells.  They open their shells to filter plankton out of the seawater for food...the tiny organisms get caught in the scallop's mucus and tiny hairs move the food toward the mouth.

They can have up to 200 eyes, located along the mantle lining of their shells (photo left).  The eyes can detect shadows and movement, which enables them to escape their predators.  I should note that scallop eyes are one of the most unusual visual systems in Nature.  They're said to be similar to reflecting telescopes.  Their complexities are still being studied.

The scallop shell is imprinted
on milestones that show the way to
Santiago de Compostela

 Camino de Santiago in Galicia, Spain, is a pilgrimage route that traces the path of apostle St. James to the Cathedral of Santiago.  (Said to be the burial place of the apostle St. James.)  Along the route, the scallop shell is the symbol of the pilgrimage and is used in its Christian art and architecture, including doorways, arches and baptismal fonts.  The shell's grooves that radiate outward from a central point, have been interpreted as a metaphor for the rays of Divine light extending out to the world.  St. James is said to have used the scallop shell to pour water on his converts' heads in Baptism.  

Scallop Shell Art and Architecture
of Camino de Santiago

The scallop shell is a metaphor for a pilgrimage, emphasizing the idea that the journey is more important than the destination. 

Shell Oil Logo

Shell Oil's logo actually started out as the black and white mussel shell found on a beach in the Philippines.  Over the years, it has changed to the Scallop which is instantly recognizable in a bright yellow and red color scheme.  The yellow associates with energy and optimism, and the red associates with power and strength.

All my life, I've been fascinated with seashells....the tiny structures in which a sea creature once lived on its own journey,  While most scallop shells share a similar fan-shape, each scallop shell is slightly different...in color, growth variations and the patterns of its ridges. Regions, habitats and species play a significant part in their uniqueness. 

If I was to choose one tiny piece of Creation to  remind me of the Divine Force in my life, I'd quite possibly opt for the shell of the sea scallop.  Looking at it from bottom to top, it embodies the concept of life fanning out in stages from baby to child to adolescent to adult to its sacred end.  From the top to bottom it mirrors how we individuals walk side by side through life toward the same destination.