6.27.19—Letting Things Go
Some people are good at letting things go. They look an object, assess its importance in their life, decide whether it has served its purpose, hold on to it if it hasn’t, but release it if it has. Other people aren’t so good at letting things go. They look at an object, think about where it came from, connect it to a person or memory, get lost in the story, and then cannot bring themselves to let it go—unless it is quite clearly trash. I am most definitely the latter.
If you come to my house, then you will find yourself surrounded by art, trinkets, practical items, and collectibles that all have meaning to me. Or, if they don’t have a particular meaning, then “they just make me smile” as G-mama once said. While I’ve drastically slowed down my Hallmark and Thrift Store purchases this year, I still have a huge collection of “things” that connect to memories that allow me to think of, celebrate, and pray for people from throughout my life. This is important to me.
So letting go of things is very difficult for me. It is an emotional process that takes time and energy that I don’t often have. But this week I’ve had it. And I’ve been trying something that a dear friend did years ago: She let go of seven items per day. The items didn’t have to be big. Some could be donated; some could be thrown away. But she got rid of seven items per day. And, in time, those seven items added up to many of items that added up to less clutter, more space, and more freedom.
I doubt that I’ll ever be good at letting things go. I don’t let people go very easily either. I know that there is a time and place for everything under the sun—including stuff and relationships. But I still struggle to let go. I care too much. Everything in life is connected in my mind. It’s how I take in information—through intuition and connections—and it’s how I process information as well—through feelings and relationships.
And yet…I don’t want to be weighed down by stuff—by only memories—by things of the past. I want to be free to live now—to move forward—and to make more memories. And so I’m trying. The process is slow. But I’m trying. At least seven items per day…
I used to struggle with fancy coloring books. I’d get overwhelmed by the task of choosing colors for the images. A friend suggested that I limit the colors to 3-5 per page—no matter what the image. In so doing, the task of coloring suddenly became doable…
What is something through which you are slowly making your way? What is something that you struggle to do, and yet you’re doing it anyway? What is something you are breaking into smaller parts so that you can accomplish the whole?
Just seven items per day. Just 3-5 colors. You can do it. I believe that you can.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Monday, June 24, 2019
Gaming
Griffin and Amelia spent a few days with us last week. We played a lot of games and watched a lot of American Ninja Warrior until finally Griffin requested Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo.
Growing up, I spent many hours playing Nintendo (and before that, Atari). We even had a special green couch called the Atari Couch because of the countless hours of butt time we logged playing video games.
My favorite Atari game was Megamania. My favorite Nintendo game was Metroid. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like Super Mario Brothers or that I hesitated to hook up the Nintendo per Griffin’s request.
Here’s the funny thing. I was the first person to play a round of Mario…and I’m still playing games long after Griffin and Amelia’s departure last week! I’ve ever gotten out Metroid and I’m determined to try to beat it again…if I can remember how. Metroid is very intricate. It even has passwords to start you back close to where you left off. And the super cool thing? The hero is a girl!
Games are important. They can teach patience, perseverance, cooperation, taking turns, thinking skills, and the difference between fantasy and reality…as long as there is a balance between fantasy and reality and the game does not take over a person’s real, tangible life.
So what about you? Did you have a gaming system growing up? What was it and what were your favorite games? If not, what games did you play outside or sitting around the table with your family? Some of the other games that we played last week were Dixit, Five Second Rule, Racko, Pictionary, and Don’t Say It. Have you ever heard of those? What are some games that you like to play with your family these days? I’d love to hear.
Growing up, I spent many hours playing Nintendo (and before that, Atari). We even had a special green couch called the Atari Couch because of the countless hours of butt time we logged playing video games.
My favorite Atari game was Megamania. My favorite Nintendo game was Metroid. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like Super Mario Brothers or that I hesitated to hook up the Nintendo per Griffin’s request.
Here’s the funny thing. I was the first person to play a round of Mario…and I’m still playing games long after Griffin and Amelia’s departure last week! I’ve ever gotten out Metroid and I’m determined to try to beat it again…if I can remember how. Metroid is very intricate. It even has passwords to start you back close to where you left off. And the super cool thing? The hero is a girl!
Games are important. They can teach patience, perseverance, cooperation, taking turns, thinking skills, and the difference between fantasy and reality…as long as there is a balance between fantasy and reality and the game does not take over a person’s real, tangible life.
So what about you? Did you have a gaming system growing up? What was it and what were your favorite games? If not, what games did you play outside or sitting around the table with your family? Some of the other games that we played last week were Dixit, Five Second Rule, Racko, Pictionary, and Don’t Say It. Have you ever heard of those? What are some games that you like to play with your family these days? I’d love to hear.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Newly Cleaned Shoes
A few weeks ago, I made a post about my shoes. Since making that post, I have had more people than I thought possible actually care about my footwear! The downfall to this interest is that more people than ever notice when my legs aren’t shaved—which is most of the time—and when my shoes are dirty—which was evidently the case until today.
Because they’re on their second season, my yellow shoes had taken some hits. They were starting to look really rough, so I decided to try out something that I’d heard—that you can wash them in the dishwasher. Sure enough, I threw them in the dishwasher with this morning’s load of dishes and they came out looking practically brand new!
As I look at the before and after pictures of my yellow shoes, I am reminded that sometimes we need to take the time to wash ourselves as well. Literally? Yes. Sometimes we are actually dirty. But figuratively is more of what I was thinking. Sometimes we need to take the time to specifically work on cleaning up the dirt and grime of bitterness, jealousy, envy, grudges, clutter, heartache, and negative thinking. No. This figurative clean-up isn’t always as easy as jumping into the dishwasher, but it IS as easy as admitting that we need help, asking God—and maybe even our friends and family—to help us, and then trying to do something different than we’ve done before.
I will think about this figurative clean when I look at my newly cleaned yellow shoes. I’ve got some things that I need to clean up in my own life. What about you?
Because they’re on their second season, my yellow shoes had taken some hits. They were starting to look really rough, so I decided to try out something that I’d heard—that you can wash them in the dishwasher. Sure enough, I threw them in the dishwasher with this morning’s load of dishes and they came out looking practically brand new!
As I look at the before and after pictures of my yellow shoes, I am reminded that sometimes we need to take the time to wash ourselves as well. Literally? Yes. Sometimes we are actually dirty. But figuratively is more of what I was thinking. Sometimes we need to take the time to specifically work on cleaning up the dirt and grime of bitterness, jealousy, envy, grudges, clutter, heartache, and negative thinking. No. This figurative clean-up isn’t always as easy as jumping into the dishwasher, but it IS as easy as admitting that we need help, asking God—and maybe even our friends and family—to help us, and then trying to do something different than we’ve done before.
I will think about this figurative clean when I look at my newly cleaned yellow shoes. I’ve got some things that I need to clean up in my own life. What about you?
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Interview with G-mama
G-mama, age 97, today!
Dee, age 41 11/12
Stanley, age 10 5/6
In honor of G-mama’s birthday today, I conducted a brief interview. Here are some of the highlights.
What is your favorite color? Pink
What is your all-time favorite book? The Bible.
What is your all-time favorite movie? Gone with the Wind.
What was your most memorable family vacation? We had a lot of those. But probably the one at the beach when Dana told us that they were expecting Amelia.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in your 97 years? Electricity. Transportation. Plumbing. I’ll never forget being with mama one time when there was snow on the ground and everything outside was frozen. We flushed the commode and all of that stuff came back up into the tub. I cried and cried and Mama looked at me and said, “Nina don’t cry, not everyone even has plumbing to back up.”
What activities and music were popular when you were a teenager? That’s so long ago that I don’t remember! I do remember Kay Kyser. He was a big band leader. We didn’t have a radio inside at first, but I’d go sit and listen on daddy’s car radio. And then we got one of those little round top radios.
Do you remember any of your teacher’s names? Oh yes. Mrs. Harrison taught me 1st and 2nd grade. Mrs. Bowen taught me 5th grade. Mrs. Sawyer taught me 3rd grade. And Mrs. McGowen taught me French in high school. She was a little tiny girl from SC, and she was strict! She married a lawyer from Warrenton. I also had a man who taught history—or he pretended. He didn’t teach much at all. All you had to do was write a long paper. He never read it, but he’d give you an A. He was just out of college. Mr. Cooper was the principal.
What else do you remember about school? We had 11th grade graduation. That’s the time when they were consolidating and putting in a 12th grade. So I graduated from 11th grade and then went back and took college classes. I took typing and business arithmetic. A whole heavy load. And then I graduated 12th grade. And then I took the rest of my college courses when I went to Campbell to even it out. I got the 2-year certificate from Campbell but I only went one year.
What is something you remember about going to Campbell? Going to chapel one week and learning about etiquette! I remember it vividly. They taught us how to fold a napkin, how to sit down and stand up, how boys should hold the door, how to pass to the right—not left. It was full etiquette talk, right in the middle of chapel!
What was your first job? They had something for all the poor country folks. The WPA—Works Progress Administration. That’s what the men did. They made all the roads and such. The summer after I finished at Campbell, I was the secretary to the lady in charge of Warren and Halifax counties.
What drew you to G-daddy? I don’t know how you answer that. We were in class together and he picked up pencils that rolled off of my desk. He was the TA. And I don’t know how to describe it. But it just happened. I reckon it was the way the Lord made us.
What is one of your most vivid memories with G-daddy? On the last day of school at Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Kidd drove up to get June. He had picked out a bracelet for me but didn’t have enough money to pay for it so they bought it for him. Then we rode down the road to a little church in Angier and he gave me the bracelet. That was goodbye for the summer. I didn’t know if I’d see him again. When do you ever know if you’ll see someone again? But then he came to visit on July 4th of that summer. And then again after I’d gotten a job in Angier. And then we got married.
What is something about you that most people don’t know? I couldn’t sing. I tried to sing. I wasn’t good enough for Glee club.
What advice do you have for young people today? Try to go to church and follow the Bible teachings. And take care of yourself by eating, sleeping, exercising.
Dee, age 41 11/12
Stanley, age 10 5/6
In honor of G-mama’s birthday today, I conducted a brief interview. Here are some of the highlights.
What is your favorite color? Pink
What is your all-time favorite book? The Bible.
What is your all-time favorite movie? Gone with the Wind.
What was your most memorable family vacation? We had a lot of those. But probably the one at the beach when Dana told us that they were expecting Amelia.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in your 97 years? Electricity. Transportation. Plumbing. I’ll never forget being with mama one time when there was snow on the ground and everything outside was frozen. We flushed the commode and all of that stuff came back up into the tub. I cried and cried and Mama looked at me and said, “Nina don’t cry, not everyone even has plumbing to back up.”
What activities and music were popular when you were a teenager? That’s so long ago that I don’t remember! I do remember Kay Kyser. He was a big band leader. We didn’t have a radio inside at first, but I’d go sit and listen on daddy’s car radio. And then we got one of those little round top radios.
Do you remember any of your teacher’s names? Oh yes. Mrs. Harrison taught me 1st and 2nd grade. Mrs. Bowen taught me 5th grade. Mrs. Sawyer taught me 3rd grade. And Mrs. McGowen taught me French in high school. She was a little tiny girl from SC, and she was strict! She married a lawyer from Warrenton. I also had a man who taught history—or he pretended. He didn’t teach much at all. All you had to do was write a long paper. He never read it, but he’d give you an A. He was just out of college. Mr. Cooper was the principal.
What else do you remember about school? We had 11th grade graduation. That’s the time when they were consolidating and putting in a 12th grade. So I graduated from 11th grade and then went back and took college classes. I took typing and business arithmetic. A whole heavy load. And then I graduated 12th grade. And then I took the rest of my college courses when I went to Campbell to even it out. I got the 2-year certificate from Campbell but I only went one year.
What is something you remember about going to Campbell? Going to chapel one week and learning about etiquette! I remember it vividly. They taught us how to fold a napkin, how to sit down and stand up, how boys should hold the door, how to pass to the right—not left. It was full etiquette talk, right in the middle of chapel!
What was your first job? They had something for all the poor country folks. The WPA—Works Progress Administration. That’s what the men did. They made all the roads and such. The summer after I finished at Campbell, I was the secretary to the lady in charge of Warren and Halifax counties.
What drew you to G-daddy? I don’t know how you answer that. We were in class together and he picked up pencils that rolled off of my desk. He was the TA. And I don’t know how to describe it. But it just happened. I reckon it was the way the Lord made us.
What is one of your most vivid memories with G-daddy? On the last day of school at Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Kidd drove up to get June. He had picked out a bracelet for me but didn’t have enough money to pay for it so they bought it for him. Then we rode down the road to a little church in Angier and he gave me the bracelet. That was goodbye for the summer. I didn’t know if I’d see him again. When do you ever know if you’ll see someone again? But then he came to visit on July 4th of that summer. And then again after I’d gotten a job in Angier. And then we got married.
What is something about you that most people don’t know? I couldn’t sing. I tried to sing. I wasn’t good enough for Glee club.
What advice do you have for young people today? Try to go to church and follow the Bible teachings. And take care of yourself by eating, sleeping, exercising.
Monday, June 10, 2019
Fruit Of The Spirit--Baccalaureate Sermon
I went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch today. As I paid at the drive-thru window, the cashier said, “I think you spoke at my Baccalaureate service last night. You did a good job.” I smiled and thanked her for the compliment and then drove away amazed. A teenager had just freely and willingly complimented me!
I did, indeed, speak at a Baccalaureate service last night. I was asked last Thursday. The message that God laid on my heart during Saturday night’s rainstorm (which is when this picture was made) was non-traditional for a Baccalaureate service, but I hope that it will stick with the students and families that were there last night—and with you right now if you choose to read to the bottom of this post. It is long. But here is my message, “Fruit That Will Last.”
~~~~~
Around the time that you all entered this world, I was involved in a scripture memorization project with a friend. One week, she would choose a verse or passage of scripture to memorize. The next week, I would do the same. We continued this for an entire year.
One of the passages that I chose for us to memorize was the passage that you just heard, John 15:9-17. Now, I'd be lying if I told you that I could still quote the passage word-for-word. I cannot! But I can still quote phrases from the passage and I know that it is one of the passages of scripture that I fall back on time and time again.
Let’s listen to the passage again.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other…
I can’t be sure, but I imagine that the past few weeks have been full of activity and emotion as you have finally accomplished a goal that you’ve held for 13 years. Last week, at Kindergarten graduation, one of my Kindergarten students announced that his favorite part of Kindergarten was that everyone in his family had attended Kindergarten and that he had been able to carry on the family tradition 😊. In completing high school, some of you have carried on a family tradition while others of you have created a new family tradition. Either way, you have accomplished a huge goal, and for that you should be proud.
Yet accomplishments bring change…and change can be scary. At the time that Jesus delivered these words of scripture, he and his disciples were preparing for a huge change. Jesus knew that the end of his life was near and he wanted to teach his disciples everything that he could to prepare them for his absence. Together, they had accomplished a lot, yet the time had come for Jesus to leave them. So what did he tell them to do in his absence? What were some of his final words of teaching on this earth? Love one another.
And what’s more. What did he call them? He called them friends. Jesus calls us friends!
I think it’s safe to say that we all know the importance of having friends. Friends love and support us. Friends laugh and cry with us. Friends give us rides and show up for us when we need them. Friends stick with us despite our shortcomings. Friends help make life bearable when things are at their darkest.
Sometimes friends come and friends go. That is one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn. Sometimes friendships are temporary—for a reason or for a season. And that’s okay. Yet some friendships are forever. Your friendship with Christ is for forever. It’s important that you don’t forget that, students…because as life changes over the next few months and years, you will need your friends…and you will need Jesus.
What’s more, you will need to remember what Jesus said about laying down your life for your friends. There will be so many times in your future that you feel helpless to help those you love. Whether you plan to go to college, to serve in the military, or to go directly into the workforce, you will find yourself surrounded by people you call friends. You will need each other, yet sometimes the only thing you will be able to do for each other is to lay down your life in prayer.
I cannot tell you how many times I remind myself of these words—greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. When your hands are tied. When your heart is breaking. When you are watching someone fail for the first time. When you feel as if you can do nothing else. Lay down your life in prayer for your friends, students. Jesus has laid down his life for you…and he has sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for you when you cannot find the words to pray…for your friends…for your family....for yourself.
Speaking of yourself…did you notice what else Jesus said about you? Not only has Jesus called you friend, but he has chosen you—he has appointed you—to bear fruit—fruit that will last. No. Jesus does not necessarily expect you plant fruit trees that will produce a yearly harvest—although some of you will become farmers that provide the crops that help sustain us, and I thank you for that.
Jesus expects us to bear spiritual fruit—characteristics of the Spirit—that influence people’s lives from season to season. In Galatians 5, we read that the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Can you image what this world would look like if we all strived to live our lives according to those virtues?!
Listen to the list again—the list of fruit that Jesus has appointed us to bear—(insert motions with the words here)—Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Now. I could go into what each of these words means and how you can apply them to your lives. But I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to teach you a song that will teach you the Fruits of the Spirit that will get stuck in your head and allow you to ponder what each fruit means in your life. For instance, self-control for me might mean not eating too many Cheet-ohs when someone offers them 😊. For you, it will probably mean something else. So here we go. It’s time to learn The Fruits of the Spirit.
***TEACH FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT SONG***
Banana
Granny Smith Apple
Kiwi
Coconut
Georgia Peace
Mango
You’re welcome, everyone. May you never forget that little earworm…because…seriously, it summarizes what Jesus has called you to do with your life—regardless of accomplishment, award, vocation, or socio-economic status—Jesus has called you to bear fruit that will last…and that fruit is—say it with me one more time—Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control.
So…do you see why I chose to memorize John 15:9-17 all those years ago?
Jesus calls us friend.
Jesus tells us that when can do nothing else, we can lay down our lives for our friends.
Jesus challenges us to bear virtues that not only change the world but change us.
And, finally, Jesus commands us, above all else, to love each other.
He didn’t say to separate ourselves from one another because of differences. He said to love each other despite our differences because that is what He came to do.
Students: As you begin the next chapter of your life, I pray that you will remember that you are loved and called by a God who has chosen you—yes, YOU—to do great things in this world—the greatest of which is love.
There will be times when you are on a roll and cannot seem to do anything wrong. Then there will be other times when you run into wall after wall and feel as if you will never do anything right again.
Yet though it all, your call remains the same: Go and bear fruit, my friends, fruit that will last. For this is God’s command: Love each other.
I did, indeed, speak at a Baccalaureate service last night. I was asked last Thursday. The message that God laid on my heart during Saturday night’s rainstorm (which is when this picture was made) was non-traditional for a Baccalaureate service, but I hope that it will stick with the students and families that were there last night—and with you right now if you choose to read to the bottom of this post. It is long. But here is my message, “Fruit That Will Last.”
~~~~~
Around the time that you all entered this world, I was involved in a scripture memorization project with a friend. One week, she would choose a verse or passage of scripture to memorize. The next week, I would do the same. We continued this for an entire year.
One of the passages that I chose for us to memorize was the passage that you just heard, John 15:9-17. Now, I'd be lying if I told you that I could still quote the passage word-for-word. I cannot! But I can still quote phrases from the passage and I know that it is one of the passages of scripture that I fall back on time and time again.
Let’s listen to the passage again.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other…
I can’t be sure, but I imagine that the past few weeks have been full of activity and emotion as you have finally accomplished a goal that you’ve held for 13 years. Last week, at Kindergarten graduation, one of my Kindergarten students announced that his favorite part of Kindergarten was that everyone in his family had attended Kindergarten and that he had been able to carry on the family tradition 😊. In completing high school, some of you have carried on a family tradition while others of you have created a new family tradition. Either way, you have accomplished a huge goal, and for that you should be proud.
Yet accomplishments bring change…and change can be scary. At the time that Jesus delivered these words of scripture, he and his disciples were preparing for a huge change. Jesus knew that the end of his life was near and he wanted to teach his disciples everything that he could to prepare them for his absence. Together, they had accomplished a lot, yet the time had come for Jesus to leave them. So what did he tell them to do in his absence? What were some of his final words of teaching on this earth? Love one another.
And what’s more. What did he call them? He called them friends. Jesus calls us friends!
I think it’s safe to say that we all know the importance of having friends. Friends love and support us. Friends laugh and cry with us. Friends give us rides and show up for us when we need them. Friends stick with us despite our shortcomings. Friends help make life bearable when things are at their darkest.
Sometimes friends come and friends go. That is one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn. Sometimes friendships are temporary—for a reason or for a season. And that’s okay. Yet some friendships are forever. Your friendship with Christ is for forever. It’s important that you don’t forget that, students…because as life changes over the next few months and years, you will need your friends…and you will need Jesus.
What’s more, you will need to remember what Jesus said about laying down your life for your friends. There will be so many times in your future that you feel helpless to help those you love. Whether you plan to go to college, to serve in the military, or to go directly into the workforce, you will find yourself surrounded by people you call friends. You will need each other, yet sometimes the only thing you will be able to do for each other is to lay down your life in prayer.
I cannot tell you how many times I remind myself of these words—greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. When your hands are tied. When your heart is breaking. When you are watching someone fail for the first time. When you feel as if you can do nothing else. Lay down your life in prayer for your friends, students. Jesus has laid down his life for you…and he has sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for you when you cannot find the words to pray…for your friends…for your family....for yourself.
Speaking of yourself…did you notice what else Jesus said about you? Not only has Jesus called you friend, but he has chosen you—he has appointed you—to bear fruit—fruit that will last. No. Jesus does not necessarily expect you plant fruit trees that will produce a yearly harvest—although some of you will become farmers that provide the crops that help sustain us, and I thank you for that.
Jesus expects us to bear spiritual fruit—characteristics of the Spirit—that influence people’s lives from season to season. In Galatians 5, we read that the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Can you image what this world would look like if we all strived to live our lives according to those virtues?!
Listen to the list again—the list of fruit that Jesus has appointed us to bear—(insert motions with the words here)—Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Now. I could go into what each of these words means and how you can apply them to your lives. But I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to teach you a song that will teach you the Fruits of the Spirit that will get stuck in your head and allow you to ponder what each fruit means in your life. For instance, self-control for me might mean not eating too many Cheet-ohs when someone offers them 😊. For you, it will probably mean something else. So here we go. It’s time to learn The Fruits of the Spirit.
***TEACH FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT SONG***
Banana
Granny Smith Apple
Kiwi
Coconut
Georgia Peace
Mango
You’re welcome, everyone. May you never forget that little earworm…because…seriously, it summarizes what Jesus has called you to do with your life—regardless of accomplishment, award, vocation, or socio-economic status—Jesus has called you to bear fruit that will last…and that fruit is—say it with me one more time—Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control.
So…do you see why I chose to memorize John 15:9-17 all those years ago?
Jesus calls us friend.
Jesus tells us that when can do nothing else, we can lay down our lives for our friends.
Jesus challenges us to bear virtues that not only change the world but change us.
And, finally, Jesus commands us, above all else, to love each other.
He didn’t say to separate ourselves from one another because of differences. He said to love each other despite our differences because that is what He came to do.
Students: As you begin the next chapter of your life, I pray that you will remember that you are loved and called by a God who has chosen you—yes, YOU—to do great things in this world—the greatest of which is love.
There will be times when you are on a roll and cannot seem to do anything wrong. Then there will be other times when you run into wall after wall and feel as if you will never do anything right again.
Yet though it all, your call remains the same: Go and bear fruit, my friends, fruit that will last. For this is God’s command: Love each other.
Monday, June 3, 2019
One Of The Best Humans I Know
6.3.19—One Of The Best Humans I Know
I received a text today that surprised me. It said:
“You are one of the best humans I know.”
I won’t lie. Reading those words made me feel good. Knowing all of the not-so-good things that I think, say, and do, I have a hard time believing the statement. And yet, it feels good to know that someone thinks so highly of me that she has labeled me one of the best.
But that’s not all. The very next text said, “Top 3.”
Naturally, I wondered who the other two Top 3 people were, so I inquired to find out. When I did, I was truly humbled to be part of such a group.
On Saturday, three of the best humans that I know encouraged me to return to a place that changed me. For years, my dream was to work there and make its ministry my life. A few years ago, however, because of theological differences, I was asked to step away from my involvement with the ministry. The organization’s leader at the time told me, “It only takes one person to ruin an entire organization.” Evidently, that person was me, and so I was asked to leave. I did. But ever since, there has been a hole in my heart and a part of my spirit that has forgotten how to dream.
So going back Saturday was a big deal. Part of me wanted to go. The other part of me was afraid. Words are powerful weapons, and those weapons from years ago often still wound me. But I’m so glad that I went. Thanks to good humans, I was able to reconnect with old friends and walk sacred grounds where I once felt God’s presence more powerfully than anywhere in the world. Thanks to good humans, I was able to take one more step toward healing and letting go.
Who are the good humans in your life? Do you categorize them as such because of what they have done for you, because of the positive things they do for humanity, because of their nature and character, because of their faith, because of something else? If you had to make a list of your Top 3 “best” humans, then who would be on the list and why? Would you need to divide your list into periods of life—or increase it to 5, 10, or more?
I suppose that none of that really matters…as long as you’re simply thinking about the good humans in your life—as long as you’re remembering people who have made an impact on your existence—who still do—who have changed you for the better in some way—who have been God’s light to you in times of darkness. It’s easy to think about the “bad” humans—the ones who frustrate us—the ones who have hurt us—the ones who have squelched our dreams with their words. The “bad” people tend to often be topics of conversation in our lives. But what about the good ones? The ones who are best?
I want to challenge you to give your people a call this week, or, if you’re like me and don’t really like to talk on the phone, then send a text, or Facebook message, or, better yet, a real card/letter in the mail. Surprise them with the words that surprised me today: “You are one of the best humans I know,” and then tell them why. There is so much negativity in this world. So much hurt. So many differences that wound and separate. So much anger waiting to explode.
Yet just as three of the best humans I know encouraged me to take steps toward positive healing on Saturday, you, too, can encourage the people in your life with positive words. If it only takes one person to ruin an organization, then it only takes one person to change a life. Be that life-changer today. Be one of the best humans that you know.
I received a text today that surprised me. It said:
“You are one of the best humans I know.”
I won’t lie. Reading those words made me feel good. Knowing all of the not-so-good things that I think, say, and do, I have a hard time believing the statement. And yet, it feels good to know that someone thinks so highly of me that she has labeled me one of the best.
But that’s not all. The very next text said, “Top 3.”
Naturally, I wondered who the other two Top 3 people were, so I inquired to find out. When I did, I was truly humbled to be part of such a group.
On Saturday, three of the best humans that I know encouraged me to return to a place that changed me. For years, my dream was to work there and make its ministry my life. A few years ago, however, because of theological differences, I was asked to step away from my involvement with the ministry. The organization’s leader at the time told me, “It only takes one person to ruin an entire organization.” Evidently, that person was me, and so I was asked to leave. I did. But ever since, there has been a hole in my heart and a part of my spirit that has forgotten how to dream.
So going back Saturday was a big deal. Part of me wanted to go. The other part of me was afraid. Words are powerful weapons, and those weapons from years ago often still wound me. But I’m so glad that I went. Thanks to good humans, I was able to reconnect with old friends and walk sacred grounds where I once felt God’s presence more powerfully than anywhere in the world. Thanks to good humans, I was able to take one more step toward healing and letting go.
Who are the good humans in your life? Do you categorize them as such because of what they have done for you, because of the positive things they do for humanity, because of their nature and character, because of their faith, because of something else? If you had to make a list of your Top 3 “best” humans, then who would be on the list and why? Would you need to divide your list into periods of life—or increase it to 5, 10, or more?
I suppose that none of that really matters…as long as you’re simply thinking about the good humans in your life—as long as you’re remembering people who have made an impact on your existence—who still do—who have changed you for the better in some way—who have been God’s light to you in times of darkness. It’s easy to think about the “bad” humans—the ones who frustrate us—the ones who have hurt us—the ones who have squelched our dreams with their words. The “bad” people tend to often be topics of conversation in our lives. But what about the good ones? The ones who are best?
I want to challenge you to give your people a call this week, or, if you’re like me and don’t really like to talk on the phone, then send a text, or Facebook message, or, better yet, a real card/letter in the mail. Surprise them with the words that surprised me today: “You are one of the best humans I know,” and then tell them why. There is so much negativity in this world. So much hurt. So many differences that wound and separate. So much anger waiting to explode.
Yet just as three of the best humans I know encouraged me to take steps toward positive healing on Saturday, you, too, can encourage the people in your life with positive words. If it only takes one person to ruin an organization, then it only takes one person to change a life. Be that life-changer today. Be one of the best humans that you know.
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