Gratitude Journal
1. Memory of friends in special places
2. Memory of friends in special groups
3. Memory of friends from special chapters of my life
4. Memory of friends
5. Memory!
I thank God for every remembrance of thee. Phil 1:3
I recently experienced one of those roller coasters of stress and anxiety that life can throw our way some times. I flew to Denver for a week long conference one day and later that same evening I received word that a family member back home was very ill. She had been hospitalized.
Immediately I was surrounded by close friends who sustained me - supported me - loved me - and cared for my emotions through the next 24 hours as I planned my return home.
This experience reminded me of the many times I have been 'held' by friends during difficult times. Friends are such a gift. To all those folks - past and present - who have touched my life in special ways I give God thanks!
We were not destined to live in isolation. Even the most introverted person needs community. We need persons who care and reach out... not just in times of stress and anxiety, but also friends who rejoice and celebrate with us in the good times.
I also was reminded of the gift of memory. I was blessed to be able to see - in my minds eye - that great cloud of folks who have sustained me through difficult situations or hugged me or whispered words of encouragement or held my hand or touched my shoulder offering physical and emotional strength. Those visual reminders brought joy.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places or events that pinch real hard. In those moments I suggest we stop - breath deep and seek to listen to those special people God has given us. People who are not just people. True friends are not just pieces of furniture we push around the stage of our lives. Friends are gifts from God.
For each of you - I pray in this moment you know how much you mean to me and how much I both love and appreciate your love in return!
SHALOM
J
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Little girl with her dogs...
Gratitude Journal
1. Prayer gardens - the gift of special places!
2. Prayer partners - the gift of people who care!
3. Prayer rope - the gift of intentionality!
4. Prayer with others - the gift of community!
5. Prayer - the gift of relationship!
Isaiah 52:6 "Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.”
Little girl with her dogs...
Right outside my office window is a statue. In fact there are several. But this particular one is bronze. There is a bench with a small child, a little girl with a pony tail, holding one puppy while another looks on from her right.
I have been very blessed to work in a place that provides spaces! Special places of refuge for those who are deeply wounded and struggling with pain. Generally that pain is psychic. It is not seen or most often not available to the naked eye. But it is there.
I have actually heard ministers and religious workers say they wish their wounds were visible for the world to behold. There might be more compassion and support. Yet, many live in a world of assumptions about the strength and courage and holiness pastors should display. They are dumped on by well-meaning folks who want their pastor to talk about God's laws, but not about God's grace. And there are times when the minister is dealing with the normal wounds of life - troubled kids, addictions, money issues, health concerns, trying to cover too many bases with too little time, etc. - that all families face. However, the message to the minister is not to share their grief or struggle. They are 'so close with God' that these matters should not be in the perfect picture of a minister and his/her family life. At the very least, not shared publicly.
Have you ever lived under such stress?
The statue is a gentle reminder that we are not alone. Someone calls out to us and we recognise the voice and delight in our presence. Someone is glad that we exist and that we are available. Whatever pain or difficulty we are welcomed to sit close and find joy.
Thank you God for prayer! And thank You for the reminders in my life - sometimes right outside my window - of Your LOVE...
SHALOM
1. Prayer gardens - the gift of special places!
2. Prayer partners - the gift of people who care!
3. Prayer rope - the gift of intentionality!
4. Prayer with others - the gift of community!
5. Prayer - the gift of relationship!
Isaiah 52:6 "Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.”
Little girl with her dogs...
Right outside my office window is a statue. In fact there are several. But this particular one is bronze. There is a bench with a small child, a little girl with a pony tail, holding one puppy while another looks on from her right.
I have been very blessed to work in a place that provides spaces! Special places of refuge for those who are deeply wounded and struggling with pain. Generally that pain is psychic. It is not seen or most often not available to the naked eye. But it is there.
I have actually heard ministers and religious workers say they wish their wounds were visible for the world to behold. There might be more compassion and support. Yet, many live in a world of assumptions about the strength and courage and holiness pastors should display. They are dumped on by well-meaning folks who want their pastor to talk about God's laws, but not about God's grace. And there are times when the minister is dealing with the normal wounds of life - troubled kids, addictions, money issues, health concerns, trying to cover too many bases with too little time, etc. - that all families face. However, the message to the minister is not to share their grief or struggle. They are 'so close with God' that these matters should not be in the perfect picture of a minister and his/her family life. At the very least, not shared publicly.
Have you ever lived under such stress?
The statue is a gentle reminder that we are not alone. Someone calls out to us and we recognise the voice and delight in our presence. Someone is glad that we exist and that we are available. Whatever pain or difficulty we are welcomed to sit close and find joy.
Thank you God for prayer! And thank You for the reminders in my life - sometimes right outside my window - of Your LOVE...
SHALOM
Sunday, June 12, 2011
With THANKSGIVING and appreciation for Fran
Gratitude Journal
1. Friendly times with new neighbors
2. Great worship!
3. Slow steady rain... on hot, dry days
4. SUPERMAN Undies (thanks Harper!)
5. BRAVES winning streak!
(In tribute to Fran Magoni, as she leaves the Pastoral Institute to move to the Macon Georgia area, to follow where God may lead her to offer her talents in ministry!)
"The person who trusts the Lord will be blessed." Jeremiah 17:7
I have known Fran since she arrived at the Pastoral Institute ___ years ago. She began her career with us as a secretary/receptionist for the Clergy Resource Center. Through the years her talents have been utilized in many ways including through the Servant Leadership program and most recently with our Right from the Start initiative.
At each turn along her path she has moved with greater and greater openness to the task before her. She was over-qualified to serve administratively. Yet she took on the opportunity with a smile and brought efficiency to the office. Later when she moved to Servant Leadership she did so with joy and excitement for the young people with whom she worked. I never witnessed her pointing accusatory fingers toward these young scholars for some blemish or failure, although I am sure many dropped the ball when Fran thought it was in secure hands.
Her recent leadership role at the Pastoral Institute has been - according to her words - a passion. Her desire to see folks experience wholeness and health in their significant relationships has been awesome to watch unfold. She has worked tirelessly on each new program, event, or aspect of our program. She has indeed been passionate. She has been a fierce defender of the great potential of this initiative and because of her belief that RFTS can make a difference, she has tackled tasks and obstacles with grace and a bright smile. And she biting her tongue when she had too.
What is it about Fran that I most admire? While we have not always agreed, throughout these years I have grown to appreciate Fran's faith. She truly trusts her Lord. While she does not wear it on her sleeve, she is willing to take a stand for what she believes is right and she trust that if she gives her best, God will bless the effort. That is a lesson I need not only to observe, but also to seek to emulate more within my own life. I sincerely appreciate the seeds you have planted and I know they will bear fruit for years to come.
Fran, thank you for being the gift you are and for coming my way! Please know I personally will miss you. I pray that our paths will cross again and often. And I rest assured that because of your strong faith God will continue to bless and use you in wonderful ways.
SHALOM
J
1. Friendly times with new neighbors
2. Great worship!
3. Slow steady rain... on hot, dry days
4. SUPERMAN Undies (thanks Harper!)
5. BRAVES winning streak!
(In tribute to Fran Magoni, as she leaves the Pastoral Institute to move to the Macon Georgia area, to follow where God may lead her to offer her talents in ministry!)
"The person who trusts the Lord will be blessed." Jeremiah 17:7
I have known Fran since she arrived at the Pastoral Institute ___ years ago. She began her career with us as a secretary/receptionist for the Clergy Resource Center. Through the years her talents have been utilized in many ways including through the Servant Leadership program and most recently with our Right from the Start initiative.
At each turn along her path she has moved with greater and greater openness to the task before her. She was over-qualified to serve administratively. Yet she took on the opportunity with a smile and brought efficiency to the office. Later when she moved to Servant Leadership she did so with joy and excitement for the young people with whom she worked. I never witnessed her pointing accusatory fingers toward these young scholars for some blemish or failure, although I am sure many dropped the ball when Fran thought it was in secure hands.
Her recent leadership role at the Pastoral Institute has been - according to her words - a passion. Her desire to see folks experience wholeness and health in their significant relationships has been awesome to watch unfold. She has worked tirelessly on each new program, event, or aspect of our program. She has indeed been passionate. She has been a fierce defender of the great potential of this initiative and because of her belief that RFTS can make a difference, she has tackled tasks and obstacles with grace and a bright smile. And she biting her tongue when she had too.
What is it about Fran that I most admire? While we have not always agreed, throughout these years I have grown to appreciate Fran's faith. She truly trusts her Lord. While she does not wear it on her sleeve, she is willing to take a stand for what she believes is right and she trust that if she gives her best, God will bless the effort. That is a lesson I need not only to observe, but also to seek to emulate more within my own life. I sincerely appreciate the seeds you have planted and I know they will bear fruit for years to come.
Fran, thank you for being the gift you are and for coming my way! Please know I personally will miss you. I pray that our paths will cross again and often. And I rest assured that because of your strong faith God will continue to bless and use you in wonderful ways.
SHALOM
J
Saturday, May 28, 2011
I buried BUDDY yesterday...
Gratitude Journal 5-28-11
1. Buddy - great dog, wonderful pal - RIP - 1998-2011
2. Magnolia Manor West - nursing facility for grandma
3. Patient doctors who smooth the path and urge patience in their patients!
4. OPRAH's legacy to so many wounded through the years!
5. Friends...
The past two weeks have been a little more stressful than usual! My cell phone died, my home air-conditioning slowed down on some pretty hot days, and my heart was wounded in three significant ways. First, my grand-daughter (Harper) had to go into the hospital briefly for a biopsy. A small growth inside her left cheek was suspicious and now we wait. The doctor is good and her mom is resilient and we are all hopeful... but 'grandpa' couldn't be there.
Next, my mother-in-law (Grandma as I lovingly call her) had to be moved from the Assisted Living facility to Nursing Care after a week in the hospital. Heart rate, congestive heart failure, and one kidney all out of sync at one time. Not good... She is now discouraged and depressed (who wouldn't be) and Beth and I are cleaning out one small apartment and transferring her to an even smaller new 'home'.
And yesterday I buried BUDDY. He was a gift from our daughter back in 1998 when she was working with tornado victims in Birmingham. He was a true product of those storms back then and lived out his own storminess his whole life! We often laughed at his antics and described him as a poster pup for ADHD in dogs. He was a dalmatian-lab mix... black with white markings on his belly. Yesterday, when I went out to feed him I found him on his bed. It appeared he had just laid down and died. But it was unexpected!
So often death is unexpected. Whether we are talking about beloved pets or some old or young human brother and sister who has populated our lives.
Much has been said this week about OPRAH's leaving her T.V. program after 25 years. You either liked her or not. I happened to be one of her fans and I own that identity with pride! Although I rarely got to watch her show, on those occasions when I did I often was touched by her ability to 'connect the dots' in relationships. Tying us all together - red and yellow, black and white, old, young, rich and poor, gay and straight. AND she loved dogs too!
I sincerely do give gratitude this day! To the Mother/Father God who created us in an image of LOVE and HOPE and FREEDOM with the ability to be touched by deep moments of pain and times of incredible joy! A God who wanted us to know that we are not alone on this journey. A God who gave and continues to give us companions along our path - both human and the four-legged variety.
God THANK YOU for BUDDY. And Thank You for all the gifts over this ruff patch during these two weeks. While I am sure there will be even tougher times ahead, I am also confident in Your GRACE and LOVE and BLESSINGS of being one of YOUR kids.
Through Jesus
SHALOM
J
1. Buddy - great dog, wonderful pal - RIP - 1998-2011
2. Magnolia Manor West - nursing facility for grandma
3. Patient doctors who smooth the path and urge patience in their patients!
4. OPRAH's legacy to so many wounded through the years!
5. Friends...
"The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children" 1 John 3:1
The past two weeks have been a little more stressful than usual! My cell phone died, my home air-conditioning slowed down on some pretty hot days, and my heart was wounded in three significant ways. First, my grand-daughter (Harper) had to go into the hospital briefly for a biopsy. A small growth inside her left cheek was suspicious and now we wait. The doctor is good and her mom is resilient and we are all hopeful... but 'grandpa' couldn't be there.
Next, my mother-in-law (Grandma as I lovingly call her) had to be moved from the Assisted Living facility to Nursing Care after a week in the hospital. Heart rate, congestive heart failure, and one kidney all out of sync at one time. Not good... She is now discouraged and depressed (who wouldn't be) and Beth and I are cleaning out one small apartment and transferring her to an even smaller new 'home'.
And yesterday I buried BUDDY. He was a gift from our daughter back in 1998 when she was working with tornado victims in Birmingham. He was a true product of those storms back then and lived out his own storminess his whole life! We often laughed at his antics and described him as a poster pup for ADHD in dogs. He was a dalmatian-lab mix... black with white markings on his belly. Yesterday, when I went out to feed him I found him on his bed. It appeared he had just laid down and died. But it was unexpected!
So often death is unexpected. Whether we are talking about beloved pets or some old or young human brother and sister who has populated our lives.
Much has been said this week about OPRAH's leaving her T.V. program after 25 years. You either liked her or not. I happened to be one of her fans and I own that identity with pride! Although I rarely got to watch her show, on those occasions when I did I often was touched by her ability to 'connect the dots' in relationships. Tying us all together - red and yellow, black and white, old, young, rich and poor, gay and straight. AND she loved dogs too!
I sincerely do give gratitude this day! To the Mother/Father God who created us in an image of LOVE and HOPE and FREEDOM with the ability to be touched by deep moments of pain and times of incredible joy! A God who wanted us to know that we are not alone on this journey. A God who gave and continues to give us companions along our path - both human and the four-legged variety.
God THANK YOU for BUDDY. And Thank You for all the gifts over this ruff patch during these two weeks. While I am sure there will be even tougher times ahead, I am also confident in Your GRACE and LOVE and BLESSINGS of being one of YOUR kids.
Through Jesus
SHALOM
J
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Mother's Day - and Mother/Father God
Gratitude Journal 5-5-11
1. Reflecting on the 'gifts received' through my own mom!
2. Openness to nurturing relationships found through the feminine
3. Incorporation of those gifts into my own experience and skill-set
4. Seeing motherhood grow in my daughter and daughter-in-law...
they are the greatest!
5. Thanks-giving for my wife and the gift she is to our children and to me!
My life journey has allowed me the gift of many 'mothers' along the way. First was my own biological mom. She was with me for over 60 years. Significant teachers played a meaningful role. Next came my wife who has walked beside me for over 44 years. I have been generously blessed to have her as mother of our two children and it is such a joy to share grand-parenthood with her!
My mother-in-law has been an unexpected gift too. In earlier years I never thought about her intersect with my life. Again, such a wonder...
I am most thankful that I have lived long enough to recognize the 'divine feminine' and see God manifest within the special women in my life. How shortsighted it would have been to only see God as masculine. I would have lost so many wonderful opportunities to experience the divine if I had only eyes to see one half of God.
(AND I don't want to limit God to just male/female either. For me, God is manifest throughout all of creation...)
When is the last time you have allowed God to touch you, nurture you, wipe away a tear, hold and comfort you... love you? Most times those are considered feminine traits. We don't often expect men to be nurturing or sensitive or comforting. And when we see men exhibit such traits, we believe it to be unusual.
Yet if we expand our image of the Holy One to be both Mother as well as Father we may experience a deeper richer relationship with the Divine.
This Mother's Day - as you give thanks for the women in your life - don't forget our Creator. Pause and rejoice in the fullness of your God.
SHALOM
J
1. Reflecting on the 'gifts received' through my own mom!
2. Openness to nurturing relationships found through the feminine
3. Incorporation of those gifts into my own experience and skill-set
4. Seeing motherhood grow in my daughter and daughter-in-law...
they are the greatest!
5. Thanks-giving for my wife and the gift she is to our children and to me!
I will make you into a new creation. I will create in you and in your people the New Jerusalem. But you must let me love you and let me wipe away the tears from your eyes.Rev 21:4-5
My life journey has allowed me the gift of many 'mothers' along the way. First was my own biological mom. She was with me for over 60 years. Significant teachers played a meaningful role. Next came my wife who has walked beside me for over 44 years. I have been generously blessed to have her as mother of our two children and it is such a joy to share grand-parenthood with her!
My mother-in-law has been an unexpected gift too. In earlier years I never thought about her intersect with my life. Again, such a wonder...
I am most thankful that I have lived long enough to recognize the 'divine feminine' and see God manifest within the special women in my life. How shortsighted it would have been to only see God as masculine. I would have lost so many wonderful opportunities to experience the divine if I had only eyes to see one half of God.
(AND I don't want to limit God to just male/female either. For me, God is manifest throughout all of creation...)
When is the last time you have allowed God to touch you, nurture you, wipe away a tear, hold and comfort you... love you? Most times those are considered feminine traits. We don't often expect men to be nurturing or sensitive or comforting. And when we see men exhibit such traits, we believe it to be unusual.
Yet if we expand our image of the Holy One to be both Mother as well as Father we may experience a deeper richer relationship with the Divine.
This Mother's Day - as you give thanks for the women in your life - don't forget our Creator. Pause and rejoice in the fullness of your God.
SHALOM
J
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Family... tied together by EASTER!
Gratitude Journal 4-24-11
1. Easter egg hunts
2. Beth's Easter meal! (delicious as usual)
3. Photos that remind me of precious moments...
4. Feeling welcomed
5. The gift of good rest!
'And they found the stone rolled away...
For the first time in ages my mother-in-law attended church with us today. She is almost 93 years old and now lives in an Assisted Living facility 30 minutes away. But today, we sat side by side. She allowed me to hold her hand through most of the 'preaching' - she could not hear and looked out the window in long distant gazes.
I wondered where she was. Visiting church services long ago? Reviewing previous Easter's with family and friends?
Secondly I noticed I was sitting between grandma on one side and my grand-daughter on the other. A chronological distance of over ninety years in the making. Harper was at ease, listening to the music and the different voices. She was attuned to the movements. She was more at peace than we had anticipated. It was almost as if there was an echo between her 'presence' and grandma's 'presence'.
Easter ties family all together for me!
My family was not all under one physical roof today - two more grands, son/daughter-in-law, sister/brother-in-law and family, aunts/uncles/cousins. Like millions of others we struggle with relatives far away and we long for greater time together. Visits always are too shot and too infrequent!
It reminds me of the message of the 'stone being rolled away'.
I may not have been physically present with many of those I love but I am thankful for the larger roof that covers us all... both near and far. It is Christ's LOVE! God's mercy and grace and the very gift of life itself is mystery. I don't know how the stone got moved away on that Easter morning - maybe God's hand itself OR the angels OR... who knows? I don't know why our family is 'our family' either! Why were we born at this particular time? Why are we related? Why have we been so blessed?
It is all mystery. It is not for us/me to know the answers now. Yet, in some strange way it is all about EASTER - all part of the EASTER message - ultimately all about the LOVE OF GOD!
Hallelujah!
SHALOM
J
1. Easter egg hunts
2. Beth's Easter meal! (delicious as usual)
3. Photos that remind me of precious moments...
4. Feeling welcomed
5. The gift of good rest!
'And they found the stone rolled away...
For the first time in ages my mother-in-law attended church with us today. She is almost 93 years old and now lives in an Assisted Living facility 30 minutes away. But today, we sat side by side. She allowed me to hold her hand through most of the 'preaching' - she could not hear and looked out the window in long distant gazes.
I wondered where she was. Visiting church services long ago? Reviewing previous Easter's with family and friends?
Secondly I noticed I was sitting between grandma on one side and my grand-daughter on the other. A chronological distance of over ninety years in the making. Harper was at ease, listening to the music and the different voices. She was attuned to the movements. She was more at peace than we had anticipated. It was almost as if there was an echo between her 'presence' and grandma's 'presence'.
Easter ties family all together for me!
My family was not all under one physical roof today - two more grands, son/daughter-in-law, sister/brother-in-law and family, aunts/uncles/cousins. Like millions of others we struggle with relatives far away and we long for greater time together. Visits always are too shot and too infrequent!
It reminds me of the message of the 'stone being rolled away'.
I may not have been physically present with many of those I love but I am thankful for the larger roof that covers us all... both near and far. It is Christ's LOVE! God's mercy and grace and the very gift of life itself is mystery. I don't know how the stone got moved away on that Easter morning - maybe God's hand itself OR the angels OR... who knows? I don't know why our family is 'our family' either! Why were we born at this particular time? Why are we related? Why have we been so blessed?
It is all mystery. It is not for us/me to know the answers now. Yet, in some strange way it is all about EASTER - all part of the EASTER message - ultimately all about the LOVE OF GOD!
Hallelujah!
SHALOM
J
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm SUNDAY - not just childs play!
Gratitude Journal
1. Subtle stories and simple truths
2. Anticipation...
3. Teaching opportunities that go well!
4. Classie restaurants in small towns.
5. The 'Family of God'...
"Hosanna: to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna" in the highest!" (Matthew21:9
In a recent review of my years in ministry I began to reflect on the high holy days of the Christian calendar. How did I lead the various congregations in celebration? How did we enter into the experience? What would I attempt now that I did not do then?
One of the most glaring omissions was the involvement of adults in the pageantry! I remember well that on many a Palm Sunday we would have some form of greenery for the 'children' to walk down the aisle waving, while all the adults in the congregation smiled or sang a hymn. Some of the bystanders laughed at a wayward child who was 'doing his own then' with his palm branch. I don't remember a time when the whole congregation - particularly any adult - waved a palm branch. Maybe the one walking with the kids, trying to get them down the aisle to the altar, but never the whole 'body of Christ' we were there to embody.
What a loss! If I had it to do over again I would place a branch in every ones hand. Or better yet, have the whole church go out into the church yard, cut a small branch (first hand) and begin singing and waving the branches as we re-entered the sanctuary.
Young and old alike would be singing Hosanna in the highest. There would be singing and maybe a tambourine or two. A careful reading of the Matthew text indicates 'Nearly all the people in the crowd threw down their garments' and 'others cut branches from the trees'. There is no indication that this was child's play. No, adults were surely involved and celebrating and rejoicing... showing the children how it was done. The adults were very much involved.
Indeed, what a loss! I lost the opportunity to encourage adults to express their own deep joy of what the Christ had done for them - not just for children - but for all creation. It might have been awkward, but it might also have drawn all of us into the story a bit deeper.
O God, forward me for this small oversight along with oh so many more sins.
In the most Holy and Blessed name of Your Son - the Christ - I pray...
AMEN
1. Subtle stories and simple truths
2. Anticipation...
3. Teaching opportunities that go well!
4. Classie restaurants in small towns.
5. The 'Family of God'...
"Hosanna: to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna" in the highest!" (Matthew21:9
In a recent review of my years in ministry I began to reflect on the high holy days of the Christian calendar. How did I lead the various congregations in celebration? How did we enter into the experience? What would I attempt now that I did not do then?
One of the most glaring omissions was the involvement of adults in the pageantry! I remember well that on many a Palm Sunday we would have some form of greenery for the 'children' to walk down the aisle waving, while all the adults in the congregation smiled or sang a hymn. Some of the bystanders laughed at a wayward child who was 'doing his own then' with his palm branch. I don't remember a time when the whole congregation - particularly any adult - waved a palm branch. Maybe the one walking with the kids, trying to get them down the aisle to the altar, but never the whole 'body of Christ' we were there to embody.
What a loss! If I had it to do over again I would place a branch in every ones hand. Or better yet, have the whole church go out into the church yard, cut a small branch (first hand) and begin singing and waving the branches as we re-entered the sanctuary.
Young and old alike would be singing Hosanna in the highest. There would be singing and maybe a tambourine or two. A careful reading of the Matthew text indicates 'Nearly all the people in the crowd threw down their garments' and 'others cut branches from the trees'. There is no indication that this was child's play. No, adults were surely involved and celebrating and rejoicing... showing the children how it was done. The adults were very much involved.
Indeed, what a loss! I lost the opportunity to encourage adults to express their own deep joy of what the Christ had done for them - not just for children - but for all creation. It might have been awkward, but it might also have drawn all of us into the story a bit deeper.
O God, forward me for this small oversight along with oh so many more sins.
In the most Holy and Blessed name of Your Son - the Christ - I pray...
AMEN
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)