Gratitude Journal
1. Rainy days and Sundays
2. Honesty
3. Honesty, even when painful!
4. Reconnecting with family
5. Any time with grand kids...
"It rains on the just and the unjust..."
Recently, on our annual family reunion, it rained every day. Some days there were just a few sprinkles. On those days we were able to doge rain drops and get outside and have some fun. On other days, we felt a little more trapped indoors with three little people. Each seemed anxious to outdo the other with loud play or orders and directions toward one another. Although the house was large, there was really no place to 'get away' from all the activity and sound.
There were moments of deep joy, as well as sadness. Joy of being with folks we don't see often. Joy of reconnecting and laughing together and making new memories. Joy of watching the children grow before our eyes. And sad moments also when we realized we had let one another down in some way or we could not erase painful experiences for those we love and care so much about, or when we remembered those who were not with us this year, for so many different reasons. Those moments were tough!
Rainy days. That can be a metaphor for any day that seems to be stacked against us. Moments when we really have no control. Anxious moments when we wonder what will happen next. Sad moments when things don't turn out according to our best plans or wishes or prayers.
Rainy days. This can also be a wonderful time for quiet moments of introspection. Moments when we ask ourselves what our will is as compared to God's Will. To review our actions and reactions. To dream of what might happen next... what doors may open or close before us. Times when we can just sit together in silence and listen and watch blessings drop from heaven.
When we visit the rental cabin during the summer, I enjoy getting up early while the house is quiet. When all are asleep and there is no sound of T.V. or other distraction. Listening to the quiet, I call it. Some might say reflection, others contemplation. What ever the title, I embrace the time as gift and offer thanks. Rain brings growth to plants and provides nourishment to animals. And it also brings renewal to the soul, if we will let it!
AMEN
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Where will the 'Cross' roads take us this year?
1. Grateful for 'spring green'...
2. Grandkids visits during Spring Break
3. Young folks committed to living 'green'
4. Two days of Coach Training, successfully completed!
5. The POWER of Coaching to change lives.
In these days following EASTER, we often fall back into old routines and habits. The joy of the celebration we shared seems to dull in a short time. How do we stay the course? What can guide our path during the days ahead?
I heard an EASTER reflections from some radio preacher that briefly mentioned the term 'cross' roads. For some reason, it struck a cord with me this time, that had not been struck before... Most often I am reminded of a friends faith community that is called the Crossroads Church. And I simply think of the building's location at the country cross roads where it has stood for years.
However, this time 'cross' roads meant for me the roads I might traverse in days following the big day of EASTER.
Our Catholic brethren honor the cross which always displays the crucified Christ. Most protestants honor the cross, but their symbol is empty. When pressed to discuss the difference, clergy in main line churches may say that they worship the risen Christ and it is hard to display a symbol of an empty tomb.
It might be a worthy goal for Christians to consider naming their path - the 'cross' roads... Roads that lead us away from the tomb and toward service and the joy of our faith. What will your 'cross' roads be today - this week - this month - throughout the year ahead? I pray that I will remember this simple term and embrace the challenge that Christ still sheds light on our path and if we dedicate that path back to God in humble service - they can become true 'CROSS ROADS'!
SHALOM
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A Life Well Lived... A Lenten Reflection
Gratitude Journal 2-14-13
1. Ruth Elizabeth Adcock - GRANDMA
2. VALENTINES DAY
3. Grand kids - new discoveries each day!
4. New Home for OSCAR - (more later...)
5. 25 years at the P.I.
Our beloved grandma - Ruth Elizabeth Adcock - lies near death at the local hospice house. She suffered a massive stroke early Monday morning. She has indeed 'fought a good fight and kept the faith'. She has embodied a well lived life!
She has been fondly known as 'grandma' or 'Aunt Beth' by all. She has been my mother-in-law for over 46 years. She will be celebrated as the mom of two - grandmother to three and great-grandma six. She worked for SEARS as a bookkeeper for many years and was actually born in Florida 94 years ago. (Most seniors now living there we not born there!). She lived most of her life in West Palm Beach, Florida. She was married to George.
Now we wait. Now we reflect. Now we remember...
This is the season of LENT - a time to 'give up' or 'sacriface' something as a gentle, everyday reminder of God's grace and mercy for us, and universal love for the world and all creation. As we prepare to 'give up' grandma to God's loving care eternally, we give thanks for the gift of her life, her faithfulness to family and to her God and her love for family and friend alike. Her humor could blind-side you and her hospitality was legendary.
Some might say this reflection is 'pre-mature' while grand-ma is still with us... but she is here in body only. We/she has been blessed that her final chapter appears to be so pain free. Her transition is peaceful. What a gift for all those who love her during this most blessed season of the Christian year.
Thank You God for your love - shared through this wife, mother, grand-mother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister-in-law, and beloved friend.
SHALOM
J
1. Ruth Elizabeth Adcock - GRANDMA
2. VALENTINES DAY
3. Grand kids - new discoveries each day!
4. New Home for OSCAR - (more later...)
5. 25 years at the P.I.
Our beloved grandma - Ruth Elizabeth Adcock - lies near death at the local hospice house. She suffered a massive stroke early Monday morning. She has indeed 'fought a good fight and kept the faith'. She has embodied a well lived life!
She has been fondly known as 'grandma' or 'Aunt Beth' by all. She has been my mother-in-law for over 46 years. She will be celebrated as the mom of two - grandmother to three and great-grandma six. She worked for SEARS as a bookkeeper for many years and was actually born in Florida 94 years ago. (Most seniors now living there we not born there!). She lived most of her life in West Palm Beach, Florida. She was married to George.
Now we wait. Now we reflect. Now we remember...
This is the season of LENT - a time to 'give up' or 'sacriface' something as a gentle, everyday reminder of God's grace and mercy for us, and universal love for the world and all creation. As we prepare to 'give up' grandma to God's loving care eternally, we give thanks for the gift of her life, her faithfulness to family and to her God and her love for family and friend alike. Her humor could blind-side you and her hospitality was legendary.
Some might say this reflection is 'pre-mature' while grand-ma is still with us... but she is here in body only. We/she has been blessed that her final chapter appears to be so pain free. Her transition is peaceful. What a gift for all those who love her during this most blessed season of the Christian year.
Thank You God for your love - shared through this wife, mother, grand-mother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister-in-law, and beloved friend.
SHALOM
J
Monday, December 31, 2012
What's So NEW About 2013?
Gratitude Journal - January 1, 2013
1. Down time - even 'forced' vacation time...
2. These particular "HOLY"-days!
3. Spending quality time with grand-kids
4. Beth making home-made cookies
5. Tail lights leaving the drive-way... bittersweet!!!
Think about it. Literally everyone - myself included - seems to be bent on wishing you a Happy NEW Year! The more I ponder those words, I wonder what we mean when we repeat this oft heard phrase to one another? What is so NEW about this year?
There is indeed a turn of the page on our old paper calendars. But while this year starts on Tuesday, every week of the year has a Tuesday. What is NEW about that? We still have to prepare for work, pay bills, do laundry, eat food - even if we do 'start to diet'... We continue to have kids in school, same relatives in nursing homes, homes to maintain, even same houses of worship to attend. So what is so NEW about a year?
Studies indicate that most of those who make 'resolutions' soon break them. No matter what the good intent might be - exercise, diet, sleep, quality time with our mate, staying in touch with friends/relatives on a more consistent basis, etc. Most of these 'commitments' go out the window in a very short amount of time!
So maybe we need to recognize that there really isn't much NEW under the sun! (someone famous said that before I...) But before we get depressed and throw all our grand intentions out, maybe we should really revisit what it is we are looking forward to and/or anticipate when we say, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I believe deep within all of us there is a desire to start over. To try once again to 'get it right'. To make up for mistakes we have made or clean up some mess that continues to hand around, no matter how hard we wish otherwise... So - maybe, just maybe - it is the anticipation of a more hope-filled moment to occur on our path!
I for one need disparately to start all over, beginning with my attitude toward those who have hurt me. Whether it was intentional or just in oversight or blindness to my need, others do inflict pain and I naturally want to get back at them. Or I want to see the suffering others cause me and omit my own participation in a wounded relationship. Or maybe I am too much self-centered on my own pain and don't see the burdens others are dealing with...
God blesses each of us with the start of each NEW day - whether it begins some NEW month on a calendar or not. With each breathe we are granted NEW hope to start over. NEW opportunities to accept the GRACE we don't deserve, to open our hearts and lives to God's love for us. No matter how old I get or how many NEW year's come along, God grant me to eyes to see and ears to hear that NEWNESS is something all around me and available to me each and every day... I need not wait 12 more months to start over again!
AMEN
1. Down time - even 'forced' vacation time...
2. These particular "HOLY"-days!
3. Spending quality time with grand-kids
4. Beth making home-made cookies
5. Tail lights leaving the drive-way... bittersweet!!!
Think about it. Literally everyone - myself included - seems to be bent on wishing you a Happy NEW Year! The more I ponder those words, I wonder what we mean when we repeat this oft heard phrase to one another? What is so NEW about this year?
There is indeed a turn of the page on our old paper calendars. But while this year starts on Tuesday, every week of the year has a Tuesday. What is NEW about that? We still have to prepare for work, pay bills, do laundry, eat food - even if we do 'start to diet'... We continue to have kids in school, same relatives in nursing homes, homes to maintain, even same houses of worship to attend. So what is so NEW about a year?
Studies indicate that most of those who make 'resolutions' soon break them. No matter what the good intent might be - exercise, diet, sleep, quality time with our mate, staying in touch with friends/relatives on a more consistent basis, etc. Most of these 'commitments' go out the window in a very short amount of time!
So maybe we need to recognize that there really isn't much NEW under the sun! (someone famous said that before I...) But before we get depressed and throw all our grand intentions out, maybe we should really revisit what it is we are looking forward to and/or anticipate when we say, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I believe deep within all of us there is a desire to start over. To try once again to 'get it right'. To make up for mistakes we have made or clean up some mess that continues to hand around, no matter how hard we wish otherwise... So - maybe, just maybe - it is the anticipation of a more hope-filled moment to occur on our path!
I for one need disparately to start all over, beginning with my attitude toward those who have hurt me. Whether it was intentional or just in oversight or blindness to my need, others do inflict pain and I naturally want to get back at them. Or I want to see the suffering others cause me and omit my own participation in a wounded relationship. Or maybe I am too much self-centered on my own pain and don't see the burdens others are dealing with...
God blesses each of us with the start of each NEW day - whether it begins some NEW month on a calendar or not. With each breathe we are granted NEW hope to start over. NEW opportunities to accept the GRACE we don't deserve, to open our hearts and lives to God's love for us. No matter how old I get or how many NEW year's come along, God grant me to eyes to see and ears to hear that NEWNESS is something all around me and available to me each and every day... I need not wait 12 more months to start over again!
AMEN
Friday, December 7, 2012
Pressure to take a vacation...
Pressure to take a vacation...
Over this past year I have been extremely busy. I have been assisting clergy and congregations in addressing obstacles standing in the way of a more fruitful ministry. It has been exciting, challenging, fulfilling, joyful and at times anxiety producing! It has never been dull.
Although I have taken some time away for a break with my wife, kids and grands, I have not 'used up' all my vacation days. So now at the end of the year I am have created another 'pressure' for myself. Either find a way to use the days OR I will loose them.
So I recently looked over the calendar and carved out almost three weeks of 'down-time'. Beth (my wife) indicates that there won't be much 'down' about it - ha. But I do hope and plan to set aside some private time for reflection during Advent and prepare my heart more for the gifts God has in store.
I pray for a peaceful heart and thereby peaceful relationships with all those I come in contact with this year. I pray for a hopefulness to fill my mind, so that I may share positive hope with anxious persons around me.
I pray for gracefulness with myself, in hopes that I will be graceful toward those who are hard and bitter.
I pray for joy to radiate from my life, particularly for those filled with sadness and pain, so they might be restored.
And finally I pray for LOVE - God's love for all!
May it be so Lord, may it be so...
SHALOM
Over this past year I have been extremely busy. I have been assisting clergy and congregations in addressing obstacles standing in the way of a more fruitful ministry. It has been exciting, challenging, fulfilling, joyful and at times anxiety producing! It has never been dull.
Although I have taken some time away for a break with my wife, kids and grands, I have not 'used up' all my vacation days. So now at the end of the year I am have created another 'pressure' for myself. Either find a way to use the days OR I will loose them.
So I recently looked over the calendar and carved out almost three weeks of 'down-time'. Beth (my wife) indicates that there won't be much 'down' about it - ha. But I do hope and plan to set aside some private time for reflection during Advent and prepare my heart more for the gifts God has in store.
I pray for a peaceful heart and thereby peaceful relationships with all those I come in contact with this year. I pray for a hopefulness to fill my mind, so that I may share positive hope with anxious persons around me.
I pray for gracefulness with myself, in hopes that I will be graceful toward those who are hard and bitter.
I pray for joy to radiate from my life, particularly for those filled with sadness and pain, so they might be restored.
And finally I pray for LOVE - God's love for all!
May it be so Lord, may it be so...
SHALOM
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
CAVE People: Citizen Against Virtually Everything
Gratitude Journal 10-10-12
1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our first born - love ya son!
2. Great meeting with local congregation sharing intro to Male Spirituality
3. Fall - Autumn - this time of year, whatever you call it...
4. Home-made chocolate cake - even if I did bake it myself (right out of the box - ha)
5. Feeling 'organized' - even if it was only for a day.
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord... "plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Have you noticed how many people seem so caught up in the national elections even to the point they are willing to loose friends and create enemies? I must have crossed some threshold (must be an age thing, maybe...) because it doesn't seem to be effecting me in the same way this time around.
Oh, I still have my preferences for president/vice-president and I will definitely vote my conscious as always. AND I have not drunk the 'koolaid'! I believe very passionately in my candidate and the values of the party I support. However, I am not planning on calling people names because they differ with my vote. I am not going to belittle anyone or post messages on FaceBook calling for the wrath of God (or my other 'friends') upon those who differ.
The amazing thing for me is how many people seem to be bent on tearing down instead of building up! (I think the candidates are doing fine in that arena all by themselves!!!) It appears some people want to throw stones instead of building bridges. They have drawn a circle and find it easy to leave lots of American Citizens out... just because they differ. When pressed, they never say what they are for - it is rarely about a long held value or because they like their candidate more. No... it is simply that they are 'against' a party or a candidate. They don't want to spend time telling me why I should vote for their candidate, they are just against!
But, come to think about it - these are the same people who are typically against most everything! If someone says it is a beautiful day, they say it is cloudy or to cold or hot, it is the wrong season, time of day, or they don't like the day of the week. If you share a current success, they rain on the parade because they didn't have a 'success' recently (even though they are blessed beyond measure).
I am generally an optimistic person. I am not Pollyanna about life. I have lived long enough to know that everything doesn't work out great. I am aware that there are lots of people in pain and suffering. Life is 'tuff' for a host of people today! There are folks with chemical imbalances, etc... AND I do work in mental health.
However, I have a growing consciousness that I do not want to spend my days strategizing how to pull people down more! I do not want to give others any power that is mine, allowing them to determine my mood. I choose not to join in with others to cast negative, vindictive motives onto every subtle difference between me and those who see the world differently. I will not embrace the idea that there is a special place in Hell for those who hold an opinion that is contrary from my own!
I make a decision not to join the CAVE People: Citizens Against Virtually Everything!
1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our first born - love ya son!
2. Great meeting with local congregation sharing intro to Male Spirituality
3. Fall - Autumn - this time of year, whatever you call it...
4. Home-made chocolate cake - even if I did bake it myself (right out of the box - ha)
5. Feeling 'organized' - even if it was only for a day.
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord... "plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Have you noticed how many people seem so caught up in the national elections even to the point they are willing to loose friends and create enemies? I must have crossed some threshold (must be an age thing, maybe...) because it doesn't seem to be effecting me in the same way this time around.
Oh, I still have my preferences for president/vice-president and I will definitely vote my conscious as always. AND I have not drunk the 'koolaid'! I believe very passionately in my candidate and the values of the party I support. However, I am not planning on calling people names because they differ with my vote. I am not going to belittle anyone or post messages on FaceBook calling for the wrath of God (or my other 'friends') upon those who differ.
The amazing thing for me is how many people seem to be bent on tearing down instead of building up! (I think the candidates are doing fine in that arena all by themselves!!!) It appears some people want to throw stones instead of building bridges. They have drawn a circle and find it easy to leave lots of American Citizens out... just because they differ. When pressed, they never say what they are for - it is rarely about a long held value or because they like their candidate more. No... it is simply that they are 'against' a party or a candidate. They don't want to spend time telling me why I should vote for their candidate, they are just against!
But, come to think about it - these are the same people who are typically against most everything! If someone says it is a beautiful day, they say it is cloudy or to cold or hot, it is the wrong season, time of day, or they don't like the day of the week. If you share a current success, they rain on the parade because they didn't have a 'success' recently (even though they are blessed beyond measure).
I am generally an optimistic person. I am not Pollyanna about life. I have lived long enough to know that everything doesn't work out great. I am aware that there are lots of people in pain and suffering. Life is 'tuff' for a host of people today! There are folks with chemical imbalances, etc... AND I do work in mental health.
However, I have a growing consciousness that I do not want to spend my days strategizing how to pull people down more! I do not want to give others any power that is mine, allowing them to determine my mood. I choose not to join in with others to cast negative, vindictive motives onto every subtle difference between me and those who see the world differently. I will not embrace the idea that there is a special place in Hell for those who hold an opinion that is contrary from my own!
I make a decision not to join the CAVE People: Citizens Against Virtually Everything!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Mike and Oti and John... and CANCER
Gratitude Journal 9-11-12
1. Vulnerability in those who lead and those who lead by example...
2. Willingness to rail against the dispiriting moments humans must face...
3. Friendship - across the miles and years!
4. Belonging - when one feels loved unconditionally by another brother or sister
5. Believing that the walk of faith - though never a cake walk if it is authentic - is the best way to go through life!
You will walk by faith and not by sight... 2 Cor. 5:7
I have a friend (locally) who is ‘fighting’ the BIG C. He has CANCER. When I say he is ‘fighting’ I mean he has marshaled all the resources and options anyone could imagine. He has traveled, read, consulted, tried the old ways and even a few new ones and the road continues to steep for my friend, his wife and family, and our larger community as we walk this path together.
How would such a private matter, with all the highs and lows, affect a whole community? It affects us because my friend has made a decision to share the journey through the written word and with anyone within the range of his voice. He blogs. He talks publicly. He has laughed out loud and cried and railed against this hated disease. He has shared his ‘humanity’. He continues to share from the deepest place inside. He shares from his faith and his soul.
There are times when I do not want to read another posting for fear the next blog will describe some new dark cloud on his journey? But, he is such a gift I dare not miss any opportunity to see what is being offered as my friend pulls back the curtain and invites us (all of us) into his study, into his doctor’s office, into the lab, into his hospital room, into his family, into his marriage, into his 'eternal' life!
I also have a friend in Dallas, TX. She too has recently had to manage the burden of CANCER in her body. Her husband, my college roommate, died of this dreaded disease several years ago. Therefore she is no stranger to the twists and turns associated with this path and how little 'control' she/we actually have when it comes to CANCER. As each test probed and searched her body, she did the same with her doctors, seeking knowledge and greater understanding. What should she expect? How long would she need to recover? To what extent might there be complications? AND she shared her pilgrimage with grace and openness and humor and faith through FaceBook.
Almost forty years ago my pastor’s child was diagnosed with CANCER. My pastor pulled back the curtain on his life experience as a father and husband. He shared the struggle they were going through with this dreaded disease. His nine year old child eventually died. A month later my pastor returned to the pulpit. He preached a series of sermons and eventually published a small book about his experience and what he learned along this bitter path. (Tracks of a Fellow Stuggler)
Unfortunately, because his open sharing and willingness to be vulnerable to his journey, his marriage came apart. He eventually not only lost a child and his marriage, but he also was forced to leave the church of his childhood because of their intolerance for divorced pastors.
Today I celebrate these models of courage and strength and hope that I have received from my friends (Mike and Oti) and the gifts I gleaned from my pastor's journey! There are moments when their words are filled, not only with realism, but also deep and abiding hope.
Lord - bless Mike Veneble, Oti Marsden and the legacy of John Claypool! May I be found as open to You and Your will and may I always seek to be open and vulnerable - even in the dark valleys - about my hope in You whatever turn my path may take...
SHALOM
1. Vulnerability in those who lead and those who lead by example...
2. Willingness to rail against the dispiriting moments humans must face...
3. Friendship - across the miles and years!
4. Belonging - when one feels loved unconditionally by another brother or sister
5. Believing that the walk of faith - though never a cake walk if it is authentic - is the best way to go through life!
You will walk by faith and not by sight... 2 Cor. 5:7
I have a friend (locally) who is ‘fighting’ the BIG C. He has CANCER. When I say he is ‘fighting’ I mean he has marshaled all the resources and options anyone could imagine. He has traveled, read, consulted, tried the old ways and even a few new ones and the road continues to steep for my friend, his wife and family, and our larger community as we walk this path together.
How would such a private matter, with all the highs and lows, affect a whole community? It affects us because my friend has made a decision to share the journey through the written word and with anyone within the range of his voice. He blogs. He talks publicly. He has laughed out loud and cried and railed against this hated disease. He has shared his ‘humanity’. He continues to share from the deepest place inside. He shares from his faith and his soul.
There are times when I do not want to read another posting for fear the next blog will describe some new dark cloud on his journey? But, he is such a gift I dare not miss any opportunity to see what is being offered as my friend pulls back the curtain and invites us (all of us) into his study, into his doctor’s office, into the lab, into his hospital room, into his family, into his marriage, into his 'eternal' life!
I also have a friend in Dallas, TX. She too has recently had to manage the burden of CANCER in her body. Her husband, my college roommate, died of this dreaded disease several years ago. Therefore she is no stranger to the twists and turns associated with this path and how little 'control' she/we actually have when it comes to CANCER. As each test probed and searched her body, she did the same with her doctors, seeking knowledge and greater understanding. What should she expect? How long would she need to recover? To what extent might there be complications? AND she shared her pilgrimage with grace and openness and humor and faith through FaceBook.
Almost forty years ago my pastor’s child was diagnosed with CANCER. My pastor pulled back the curtain on his life experience as a father and husband. He shared the struggle they were going through with this dreaded disease. His nine year old child eventually died. A month later my pastor returned to the pulpit. He preached a series of sermons and eventually published a small book about his experience and what he learned along this bitter path. (Tracks of a Fellow Stuggler)
Unfortunately, because his open sharing and willingness to be vulnerable to his journey, his marriage came apart. He eventually not only lost a child and his marriage, but he also was forced to leave the church of his childhood because of their intolerance for divorced pastors.
Today I celebrate these models of courage and strength and hope that I have received from my friends (Mike and Oti) and the gifts I gleaned from my pastor's journey! There are moments when their words are filled, not only with realism, but also deep and abiding hope.
Lord - bless Mike Veneble, Oti Marsden and the legacy of John Claypool! May I be found as open to You and Your will and may I always seek to be open and vulnerable - even in the dark valleys - about my hope in You whatever turn my path may take...
SHALOM
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