Fantastic Being

     Well, some slopes are open on the ski mountain, but the group decided that it was not water skiing they were after...and after a string of 60 degree days, the manmade snow was really more like manmade soup. So instead, we will look forward to a full day of exciting homeschool, learning about such perennial favorites as the Civil War, inhumane factory conditions, and maybe even a worm dissection.
     As you can imagine, Asherel is disappointed.
     But as I lay in bed this morning, I felt a distinct urging in my heart to look on the world with a more upbeat perspective. There is so much disappointment in life that it is sometimes very easy to wallow in it.
     I often pass a happy person on my neighborhood walks. She is an ex-principal of an elementary school. She is just the sort of person that should have been involved in childrens' lives. Every single time I see her, I always say, "How are you?" and she always answers, "Fantastic!"
     Always.
     Now we all know that no one is always fantastic. But if we dig deeply enough, somewhere we can find something of that level of delight. The word fantastic is derived from the Greek phantastikos, which roughly translates, producing mental images (e.g. fantasy). I find this quite liberating. I suspect that is also the origin of the ex-principal's state of constant fantasticness.  If I can just produce mental images of optimistic delight, I can be fantastic every day too!
     I remember the recent visit home. I went with my mom to the doc's office  to have her stitches removed.
     "Think calming thoughts!" I called after her, "Like green pastures and still waters!"
     So as I lay in bed this morning, conjuring fantastic thoughts, this is what I came up with:    

Psalm 23

 ¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
 ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.