Author: bobbiemcgarey

Presbyterian Pastor. Working - Freelance for God.

Eve of Christmas

Christmas Eve again

Some years ago in ’97 I went to India for Christmas with my mother in law Gladys and my daughter, Betsy. It was the perfect year for me not to be leading worship as my Mother, Betty Giltz died on Christmas Eve the year before. This was going to be very different.
And it was a turning of my life. My life was never the same. I fell in love. In love with India and the Children at Bhogpur.

The children each got a brown paper bag with a few items in them for Christmas by an oddly thin and masked face person.
Two of the girls ran up to my daughter and me after the celebration and gave us the candy they had been given and a wash cloth from the bag. We accepted these gifts with the best gracious thank you. It was their Christmas. The best they had. I still have that cloth.

We stayed at THE HOME until the 30th. Each of the girls, and I’m still in touch with several of them, became precious to us.
As we were leaving I had promised myself I wouldn’t cry. But cry I did. The girls ran up to the car…Don’t cry Auntie, we have everything….we have Jesus. I waved until they were out if sight. But they remain clearly in my heart. Yes, then, they did have everything. Thanks be to God.

We stand always in the midst of grace. Let us recognize where we are and rejoice.
Thank you God.

God abides, joy abounds!

Bobbie Giltz McGarey @ 2013
ABQ, NM

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Ready ready wait wait

I have always wondered how hard it must be for little children to wait?
I have some memory of the feeling of anticipation when either my cousins arrived for thanksgiving or we were driving to their house. What joy when we met.
We would try and sleep in the same bed. Often called for excessive giggling with the dreaded threat of being separated if we didn’t stop talking and go to sleep. Giggling muffled often followed. Most of the time we would finally settle down. However I do remember one night when one of us was put on the other room. Much protest and crying ensued. As an only child having bed buddies to talk with was bliss. That was 60 years ago.
I still love them as I did then. We still talk and giggle when we are together. Not often enough. Not enough

The moon it seems changed it all. One turn it is summery – the next Fall. You can feel it. My daddy, Maurice Leroy Giltz was the one who taught me to be a keen observer of life. And so it has been. I don’t know how early he started my training but I do know every Saturday we spent the morning together and my Mom could do whatever she wanted . He would fix me breakfast. Soft boiled eggs always perfect with toast buttered and twisted off in small pieces to best soak up the yolk. I usually ate one…maybe two but one day I ate three. You see after breakfast we would go out on what became a snoopers hunt. We went out yo a pond on the Ohio State Farm. Which is now covered with buildings and parking lots. We would walk around the ever changing pond, depending on rain, and snoop…we’ll observe what was there. Make note. There was one big round rock… Ok I was 4 it is hard to know what big was. But every Saturday fortified by my soft boiled eggs or Kellogg’s frosted flakes with milk you ate out of the boxes, I would try to pick up that big rock. How this started is not at all in my memory. I do recall going over to it as the last thing we’d do before we went home. It was many months I tried. A couple of times it was submerged in the pond with the heavy fall or spring rains Columbus received. Those days, so my Daddy later told me I would declare that I would just save up this weeks strength for next week. Not to be discouraged it would happen. The plants and birds that were around the pond changed over the years. I remember the bird dock with its huge leaves and the tiny yellow flowers. Then. THE day came. I don’t know what I had eaten but when I went to MY rock I lifted it! Not just a little but so I could stand up holding it. I shouted, ” Daddy, look at me –look at me!” I dropped the rock in the edge of the pond mud and started crying. Joy? Nope. Confusion? Yes. What was left in life to do? This was my 4 year old little girl goal and it was done.” CompletedMy wonderful gracious loving Daddy started laughing at me when I told him why I was crying. He held me and said,” trust me darlin, there are more challenges ahead in your life. I love you”.

My wonderful gracious loving Daddy started laughing at me when I told him why I was crying. He held me and said,” trust me darlin, there are more challenges ahead in your life. I love you”. Yes

Cloud Tag

Hi,  On the way to work today the mostly blue sky held some fluffy little clouds that here and there would spill their shadows on the road.  It was amazing how fast they  moved across the road.   I tried to catch some,  run under their shadows but they were gone about as quickly as I could spot one.

On occasion one crossed over me as I was at first in a sunny spot.  I was and am amazed that the wind is moving them so fast.   Sometimes think what it would be like to be in a balloon flying across the sky like the clouds…

There is a poem by A.A. Milne   Spring morning… enjoy

Where am I going? I don’t quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow —
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow —
Anywhere, anywhere. I don’t know.

Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You’d sail on water as blue as air,
And you’d see me here in the fields and say:
“Doesn’t the sky look green today?”

Where am I going? The high rooks call:
“It’s awful fun to be born at all.”
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
“We do have beautiful things to do.”

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You’d lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You’d say to the wind when it took you away:
“That’s where I wanted to go today!”

Where am I going? I don’t quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow —
Anywhere, anywhere. I don’t know.

God abides

Bobbie Giltz McGarey

@2010

Greetings Friends

The Path

Grace and peace and happy day.

I’m Bobbie G. McGarey,

I’m a Presbyterian PCUSA minister.  Currently I’m doing interim work because it is important work for the church and with the 30 years of parish experience it prepared me to be the transitional pastor.   I’m a Christian, a wife, a mother, a daughter, an auntie and cousin.

I’ve been blogging for five years at this site –  http://www.southwestparish.blogspot.com –  if you want to read there -it would be great.

I am using word press for linking folk to my sermons and other information.   Blessings.  May the way be clear.

God abides– I say that all the time because I believe with my whole heart it is true.

Bobbie

Rev. Dr. Bobbie Giltz McGarey

I can be found on Facebook at   bobbiemcgarey