Wish You Were Here

“Do not be anxious
about anything, but
in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests
to God. And the peace of
God … which transcends
all understanding …
will guard your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”

~ Paul the Apostle
(Philippians 4:6-7)

“Bless those
who persecute you
[who cause you harm or hardship];
bless and do not curse [them].ย 
Rejoice with those who rejoice
[sharing othersโ€™ joy],
and weep with those who weep
[sharing othersโ€™ grief].
Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty
[conceited, self-important, exclusive],
but associate with humble people
[those with a realistic self-view].
Do not overestimate yourself.ย 
Never repay anyone evil for evil.
Take thought for what is right,ย 
and gracious, and proper,
in the sight of everyone.
If possible,
as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.”

~ Paul the Apostle
(Romans 12:14-18 Amplified)

Artwork:
David B. Redpath ยฉ 2025



~ Marc Alan Schelske

Photography:
David & Linda Redpathย  ยฉ 2025

62 thoughts on “Wish You Were Here”

      2. ๐ŸŽถ The good in the bad
        (When you find it)
        The good in the bad
        (Can you see it? ๐Ÿ‘€)
        The good in the bad
        (Just believe it)
        You’ll realize it’s
        been there all the time ๐ŸŽถ

        ~ David Archuleta

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Love love love your perspective! YES I am hopeful and refuse to be anything less. LOVE the scripture you shared too! Oh yes if it were not for the Protection I know I have, I would not be able to have the happy in my heart that I do have. Thank you!.

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    1. Hope โœ”๏ธ Faith โœ”๏ธ Love โœ”๏ธ
      … the essential ingredients
      to a meaningful existence โ™พ๏ธ
      with confidence, protection, and
      plenty of heavenly satisfaction.
      I greatly appreciate your
      positive reaction, Amy ๐ŸŒน๐Ÿ˜Ž

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    1. Thanks, Jan ๐Ÿ™
      I find acrylic on canvas is best
      lest I make an oily mess ๐ŸŽจ ๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ๐Ÿ˜Ž
      Your comment has reminded me
      of the words from a Dylan song …

      While preachers preach of evil fates
      Teachers teach that knowledge waits
      Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
      Goodness hides behind its gates
      But even the president of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ
      Anโ€™ though the rules of the road
      have been lodged
      Itโ€™s only peopleโ€™s games
      that you got to dodge
      And itโ€™s alright, Ma, I can make it

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  7. Looks like a nice place to be.
    “So, so you think you can tell
    Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain
    Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
    A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?” Pink Floyd

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    1. When feeling like a lost soul ๐Ÿ 
      it’s good to get out of the fishbowl
      every now and then, Timothy ๐Ÿ˜Ž
      Preferably not to get eaten up
      by one of your cats ๐Ÿ˜บ whilst
      flopping about on a hammock ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ

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      1. So true. Years ago, we had a hammock for when we got out of our fishbowl. Our two black cats at the time, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, would lie in the hammock with us.

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      4. I read for that play at school,
        but the drama teacher
        she was no fool.
        The rejection was tough ๐Ÿ˜ฅ๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ
        when she said
        I wasn’t gay enough
        (how could she be so cruel?๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ)
        So, being Scottish ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ
        I become a psychotic Macbeth
        . . . just for a laugh ๐Ÿ˜Ž
        Now Hamlet is dead …
        being chronically Danish! ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฐ
        So Timothy, don’t name
        your next cat Ophelia ๐Ÿˆ
        or she’ll make a big splash ๐Ÿ˜บ๐Ÿ’ฆ

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      5. Laurie had a cat named Ophelia. A clerk at the grocery store checkout had Ophelia on her name tag. I asked her if she had a sister named Desdemona. She said no and looked puzzled. I told her Desdemona was another heroine in Shakespeare. She looked more puzzled. I told her Ophelia was the heroine in Hamlet. She said, “Really? I had no idea!” I was surprised she didn’t know who Ophelia was, given the fact she had to be close to my age. But this is New Mexico.

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      6. “New Mexico”! Hasn’t Trump renamed it
        New America yet? ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ Give him time โŒš
        Being the new head of the John F. Kennedy
        Centre for the Performing Arts, I’m sure
        he’d know all of Shakespeare’s works by
        heart ๐Ÿ˜Ž

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      8. Just as Alec Baldwin was surprised
        when he realized he’d been handed a
        loaded gun, I was surprised that the
        Orange POTUS had been handed back
        the keys to the Whitehouse!.
        But then ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ being an Australian
        I shouldn’t comment on US politics ๐Ÿ˜Ž

        Liked by 1 person

      9. Baldwin should have spent less time being an anti-gun activist and spent time learning gun safety rules that are drilled into gun enthusiasts. If Baldwin had known and followed the first two rules of gun safety: “1) keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and 2) assume all firearms are loaded until you check to see the chamber is empty,” he would not have shot Halyna Hutchins.

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      11. Unfortunately, the public does seem to adore them. I don’t. I haven’t watched a Hollywood movie in years. Fortunately, we generally don’t make mistakes that take other people’s lives.
        Seven or eight years ago, Baldwin had made an offer on a 10,000 SF (929 m2) house two properties south of me. My neighbor, directly south of me, was a curmudgeon. The story goes that he got into a huge fight with Baldwin, and Baldwin withdrew his offer. We curmudgeons can be useful sometimes.

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      12. Otherwise, all of New Mexico would
        have been saying . . .
        “There goes the neighborhood!” ๐Ÿ˜Ž

        There does seem to be a tendency
        amongst these Hollywood A-listers to
        espouse such high minded politically
        correct aspirations … that invariably
        come crashing down due to their own
        personal lives and behaviour.

        Liked by 1 person

      13. Since housing prices in Santa Fe have gone higher than the stars, many stars have been looking at the village I live in. One starlette rented a casita on a short-term lease to get away from it all and be anonymous for awhile. I hadn’t heard of her, but I guess she was famous, or maybe not famous enough. Anyway, when someone discovered she was hiding out here, it sparked a huge polemica with some residents and the village government. I never figured out what was at the core of the controversy.

        Liked by 1 person

      14. There’s no funny business
        … like show business ๐Ÿซฃ๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ

        No wonder Australian actors are
        doing so well in America. They’re
        simply going stateside to work
        (and make lots of money ๐Ÿ’ฐ), not
        to preach to the masses, or make
        a spectacle of themselves ๐ŸŽช ๐ŸŽ ๐Ÿฅธ

        Talking of which, you’ve inspired my
        next project … ‘Hamlet, the Musical’
        Even the gravedigger from the “Poor
        Yorick๐Ÿ’€” scene gets to do a number;

        ๐ŸŽถ”Ophelia, Oh Ophelia
        I’m really diggin’ ya . . .
        You’re all wet like a drowned rat
        but I’m still diggin’ ya! “๐ŸŽถ

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Uncle Kevin, the Crocodile Man?!
      I’ll always remember meeting you
      two driving through the hinterlands
      of tropical Queensland ๐ŸŒž
      Yes, if it wasn’t for Jesus rescuing
      me from the swamp ๐Ÿ›Ÿ I’d be all
      caught up in a croc trap ๐ŸŠ๐Ÿšซ
      Hilary, have you ever managed to get
      Kevin to keep his shirt on in public? ๐Ÿ˜Ž

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    1. I believe that ‘Sowing & Reaping’ is a
      universal principle, that some call fate,
      destiny, or even karma.
      I believe a true curse is the natural
      (even supernatural) consequence of
      people’s actions … and reactions.
      I’ve been to places where the poor
      are treated with contempt, to countries
      where tribal divisions cause nothing but
      chaos and bloodshed, to nations where
      religious orthodoxy and institutionalized
      misogyny breeds fear and misery.
      I believe to witness a curse in action one
      needs only to watch the evening news.
      Vengeance, on the other hand ๐Ÿคšis
      radioactive toxic … like novichok โ˜ฃ๏ธ๐Ÿšซ
      Just ask Vladimir Putin. He knows all
      about it ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ

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  15. Both texts emphasize the importance of a life centered on faith and love, both in the individual relationship with God and in interaction with others. They offer a path to inner peace and social harmony through prayer, gratitude, humility, empathy and unconditional love.

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    1. In a world full of distractions and
      divisions, I find it best to follow the
      instructions of the Good Manual ๐Ÿ“–
      so things will go well with my soul.
      There are lots of alternatives on offer,
      but none other โœ๏ธ can make you whole.

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  18. Pingback: “Wish You Were Here”/David Redpath | By the Mighty Mumford

  19. Reading your comments makes this a double and triple delight. Your titlr reminds me, sadly, of what we johns—i mean that the way it seems—waiting for the paid for services that never arrive—-and better that they don’t arrive. With my wife’s final years and her passing last July, it’s been that very Cross and the Love poured out upon it, His church that loved me and my Pastor preaching —what’s the word?—not discernment—-keeping my mouth shut about what i was doing on line? But I’ve been washed again by His blood. Life goeth on. Thank you for thy colorful witness to Truth, which Ialso cing to! YOU GO,MAN!

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