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.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Self-Imposed Work
5.30.19—Self Imposed Work
Ever since 7th grade, I’ve kept a journal of my poems. For years, I would gather pieces of paper, napkins, and any else I’d scribbled on, put them in chronological order, and then copy their contents neatly into my “book of poems.” This collection process helped keep me organized and made the formatting the same for all of my writing. It’s actually really neat to look at how both my handwriting and signature have changed over the years—and how I am the same person year after year, just with a different understanding of God and self, and with much, much more grace.
Since 2007, however, I’ve done most of my writing on the computer or, more recently, my phone. This electronic gathering of words is much cleaner, neater, and easier to organize than the paper way. I haven’t needed my hand-written book of poems as much because I can print and bind a professional looking book quite easily. In fact, I have printed and bound books for every year of the past decade or more. My “original copy of songs and poems” file has pretty much ceased receiving additions. My writing thought process with edits has pretty much ceased to be seen. The backspace and delete buttons of electronics erase evidence of poor word choice and misspellings.
Maybe this is why I still find myself desiring to copy my writing into my book of poems—to remind myself that I’m human—to remember that some processes can and should take time—to remind myself that it’s okay to make a mistake every once in a while. Pen and ink are good reminders of that fact—especially when one writes as small and messy as me…
Ever since my first year of teaching, I’ve kept a budget sheet. Money Matters with Larry Burkett was on the radio each afternoon as I drove home, so he instilled in me both the importance of having a budget sheet and of having no debt. In the past twenty years, software programs, apps, and electronic banking have all become popular ways of keeping up with spending. I know this. I know there are time-saving ways to keep track of personal finances. And yet, I continue to keep my own budget sheet. The format of the sheet has changed many times over the years, but it’s always involved a manual entering of spending…because maybe I need to slow down and process my purchases—really look at where my money is going and ask myself what my spending habits say about my heart—and maybe I need a slap in the face ever so often because maybe I’m not always the good steward of my money that God has called me to be…
The other day, I was complaining about my hand hurting from writing down poems. A few days before that, I was complaining about being behind on my budget sheet. One of my friends said, “All of that self-imposed work.” And I realized she was correct. My book of poems and my budget sheet are both self-imposed tasks that no one would miss were I to stop doing them—except for me. I would miss both of them—because both of them have their place in my life—and both serve as a reminder for me to slow down and really look at the life that I’m living—to truly remember the journey—and to pray for the people, events, and circumstances that inspire me to write or cause me to spend money…
Think about the self-imposed work that you have in your life--schedules, routines, tasks, organizational systems, and expectations that you alone hold for yourself. Does this self-imposed work help or hinder you? Does it add something positive to your life or fill you with frustration? Is it something that you need or is it something that can be let go? If you need it, then why? What value does it add to your life? Don’t be afraid to name and claim it. But if you can let it go, then what practical steps can you take to actually do so? There is no need to live life bogged down by self-imposed work.
Whatever you name and whatever you decide, I hope that you will embrace your self-imposed work as part of who you are and use it for the betterment of yourself and others. In the meantime, I will continue writing down poems to the detriment of my hand and I will continue filling in my budget sheet to my personal dismay. How one person can spend so much money on food, I don’t know. But at least I know it and can celebrate that so much of what I have spent has been with family and friends.
Ever since 7th grade, I’ve kept a journal of my poems. For years, I would gather pieces of paper, napkins, and any else I’d scribbled on, put them in chronological order, and then copy their contents neatly into my “book of poems.” This collection process helped keep me organized and made the formatting the same for all of my writing. It’s actually really neat to look at how both my handwriting and signature have changed over the years—and how I am the same person year after year, just with a different understanding of God and self, and with much, much more grace.
Since 2007, however, I’ve done most of my writing on the computer or, more recently, my phone. This electronic gathering of words is much cleaner, neater, and easier to organize than the paper way. I haven’t needed my hand-written book of poems as much because I can print and bind a professional looking book quite easily. In fact, I have printed and bound books for every year of the past decade or more. My “original copy of songs and poems” file has pretty much ceased receiving additions. My writing thought process with edits has pretty much ceased to be seen. The backspace and delete buttons of electronics erase evidence of poor word choice and misspellings.
Maybe this is why I still find myself desiring to copy my writing into my book of poems—to remind myself that I’m human—to remember that some processes can and should take time—to remind myself that it’s okay to make a mistake every once in a while. Pen and ink are good reminders of that fact—especially when one writes as small and messy as me…
Ever since my first year of teaching, I’ve kept a budget sheet. Money Matters with Larry Burkett was on the radio each afternoon as I drove home, so he instilled in me both the importance of having a budget sheet and of having no debt. In the past twenty years, software programs, apps, and electronic banking have all become popular ways of keeping up with spending. I know this. I know there are time-saving ways to keep track of personal finances. And yet, I continue to keep my own budget sheet. The format of the sheet has changed many times over the years, but it’s always involved a manual entering of spending…because maybe I need to slow down and process my purchases—really look at where my money is going and ask myself what my spending habits say about my heart—and maybe I need a slap in the face ever so often because maybe I’m not always the good steward of my money that God has called me to be…
The other day, I was complaining about my hand hurting from writing down poems. A few days before that, I was complaining about being behind on my budget sheet. One of my friends said, “All of that self-imposed work.” And I realized she was correct. My book of poems and my budget sheet are both self-imposed tasks that no one would miss were I to stop doing them—except for me. I would miss both of them—because both of them have their place in my life—and both serve as a reminder for me to slow down and really look at the life that I’m living—to truly remember the journey—and to pray for the people, events, and circumstances that inspire me to write or cause me to spend money…
Think about the self-imposed work that you have in your life--schedules, routines, tasks, organizational systems, and expectations that you alone hold for yourself. Does this self-imposed work help or hinder you? Does it add something positive to your life or fill you with frustration? Is it something that you need or is it something that can be let go? If you need it, then why? What value does it add to your life? Don’t be afraid to name and claim it. But if you can let it go, then what practical steps can you take to actually do so? There is no need to live life bogged down by self-imposed work.
Whatever you name and whatever you decide, I hope that you will embrace your self-imposed work as part of who you are and use it for the betterment of yourself and others. In the meantime, I will continue writing down poems to the detriment of my hand and I will continue filling in my budget sheet to my personal dismay. How one person can spend so much money on food, I don’t know. But at least I know it and can celebrate that so much of what I have spent has been with family and friends.
Monday, May 27, 2019
What We Love The Most
5.27.19—What We Love The Most
Last year, sometime before retiring from my job as music minister, one of my choir members came to church in the most awesome shoes. I asked where she’d gotten them and within 10 minutes I’d ordered a pair from Amazon. Before the summer was over, I’d ordered two more pairs, and just recently I added two more pairs to my collection. I wanted to have all color bases covered.
What’s interesting about this part of my shoe collection is that people have actually noticed it! I’ve been wearing Birkenstocks since the early 1990s. I started wearing them because my brother’s college roommate recommended them and I’ve not stopped because most other shoes hurt my feet. For those of you who know me well, you know that I don’t pay much attention to fashion, so it’s not phased me that Birkenstocks haven’t been popular. But all of a sudden, they are popular again, and people keep noticing and asking about my shoes! I’ve probably told ten people what type of shoes they are and where they can find them. That’s ten more people than have asked about my shoes in ten years!
When people ask, I tell them that they are waterproof Birkenstocks and that they can be found on Amazon. [To be more specific, they are Gizeh EVA sandals, but I never can remember that much.] I share that I like them because they are lightweight, they float, they don’t stink, they aren’t overly expensive, and they come in many different colors. I say that I like that they all fit the same so that the tan line on my foot is consistent. But most of all, I say, I like them because they are comfortable and they support my foot with the footbed that my foot has come to expect. I’m not sure how many people have actually purchased a pair because of my recommendation, but it’s not because I haven’t tried.
Friends: We talk about the things that we experience and value the most. My original choir member had no idea that her telling me about her shoes would result in me purchasing five pairs would result in me telling at least 10 other people about the shoes. This is evangelism—not of the love of Jesus Christ—but of that which we experience and value the most. We talk about shoes, clothes, TV shows, movies, food, phones, vacation destinations, art, parenting techniques, worship styles, health and beauty, cleaning hacks, teaching tools, sports, couponing, politics, and endless other topics because, 1) they are life, and 2) we experience and value them the most.
I think this is natural. I think it is normal to talk about the things we know the most about. But I can’t help but wonder: What if, above all else, we experienced, valued, and talked about love—not of things—not of anything of this world—but of the God who IS Love and who wants us to live in relationship with one another through Christ’s love? Yes. We would need to talk about other things. But what if, at the root of it all, our goal was Love? And what if we refrained from saying anything that doesn’t come from a place of love?
I suppose this may sound silly. But every time I buy a pair of shoes—especially if they are expensive—I pray that God will bless the shoes and the feet that will walk in them. I pray blessings on the places that they will go and I pray that God will use me as I go wherever God leads…
I think maybe I should start praying for the people who ask about my shoes—that God will guide their feet, too—and that together, in Birkenstocks or not, we will carry Love to this world.
Last year, sometime before retiring from my job as music minister, one of my choir members came to church in the most awesome shoes. I asked where she’d gotten them and within 10 minutes I’d ordered a pair from Amazon. Before the summer was over, I’d ordered two more pairs, and just recently I added two more pairs to my collection. I wanted to have all color bases covered.
What’s interesting about this part of my shoe collection is that people have actually noticed it! I’ve been wearing Birkenstocks since the early 1990s. I started wearing them because my brother’s college roommate recommended them and I’ve not stopped because most other shoes hurt my feet. For those of you who know me well, you know that I don’t pay much attention to fashion, so it’s not phased me that Birkenstocks haven’t been popular. But all of a sudden, they are popular again, and people keep noticing and asking about my shoes! I’ve probably told ten people what type of shoes they are and where they can find them. That’s ten more people than have asked about my shoes in ten years!
When people ask, I tell them that they are waterproof Birkenstocks and that they can be found on Amazon. [To be more specific, they are Gizeh EVA sandals, but I never can remember that much.] I share that I like them because they are lightweight, they float, they don’t stink, they aren’t overly expensive, and they come in many different colors. I say that I like that they all fit the same so that the tan line on my foot is consistent. But most of all, I say, I like them because they are comfortable and they support my foot with the footbed that my foot has come to expect. I’m not sure how many people have actually purchased a pair because of my recommendation, but it’s not because I haven’t tried.
Friends: We talk about the things that we experience and value the most. My original choir member had no idea that her telling me about her shoes would result in me purchasing five pairs would result in me telling at least 10 other people about the shoes. This is evangelism—not of the love of Jesus Christ—but of that which we experience and value the most. We talk about shoes, clothes, TV shows, movies, food, phones, vacation destinations, art, parenting techniques, worship styles, health and beauty, cleaning hacks, teaching tools, sports, couponing, politics, and endless other topics because, 1) they are life, and 2) we experience and value them the most.
I think this is natural. I think it is normal to talk about the things we know the most about. But I can’t help but wonder: What if, above all else, we experienced, valued, and talked about love—not of things—not of anything of this world—but of the God who IS Love and who wants us to live in relationship with one another through Christ’s love? Yes. We would need to talk about other things. But what if, at the root of it all, our goal was Love? And what if we refrained from saying anything that doesn’t come from a place of love?
I suppose this may sound silly. But every time I buy a pair of shoes—especially if they are expensive—I pray that God will bless the shoes and the feet that will walk in them. I pray blessings on the places that they will go and I pray that God will use me as I go wherever God leads…
I think maybe I should start praying for the people who ask about my shoes—that God will guide their feet, too—and that together, in Birkenstocks or not, we will carry Love to this world.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
We Should Tell Them
5.23.19—We Should Tell Them
I was recently looking through some old poems when I stumbled across one that hooked me. It is a 2014 update of a song that I wrote in 1999 for a dear friend whom I learned had been molested by her babysitter when she was a kid. At the time, her story was the first of its kind that I had heard. It naturally broke my heart. Since that time, I have heard (and witnessed) many more terrible stories of childhood sexual trauma—and other forms of childhood trauma as well—and my heart still breaks for their reality today…
Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing as a music teacher. I have my Master of Divinity and my Master of School Administration degrees, and yet I am outwardly using neither of those degrees on a daily basis. Yes, the process of getting the degrees influenced and changed me for the better. But sometimes I wonder why I spent so much time and money earning degrees that I do not need as an elementary music teacher. Sometimes I wonder if I’m wasting my life and call in this classroom. But then I remember the kids…the brokenness…the pain and heartache…mixed with promise and hope…and I remember that I can provide 45 minutes of goodness and attempted unconditional love to 700 students each week—and that’s big. I can also provide music…and music has a way of healing us when nothing else can—that’s big, too.
I don’t know what doubts you carry today, friend. I don’t know if you, too, wonder what you’re doing with your life—if you wonder how you can simply influence your family, much less the world. I don’t know if you have experienced a trauma from which you are still healing. I don’t know if you know someone who is hurting so deeply that it makes you cry. But I do know this: the God who provides us with goodness and true unconditional love is wooing you to accept that goodness and unconditional love and to try to share it with those around you—however you can, in whatever you do—even if it seems like your attempts are pointless.
Show up. Sit. Listen. Tell stories. Laugh. Give. Hug. Sing. Do your best work. Be patient in the midst of chaos. Remain calm when tempers flare. Smile. Drive someone to therapy. Realize that therapy is okay. Share a meal. Share a spare room. Share Jesus.
There is so much brokenness in the world. So much from which we must heal. But we have the Great Physician on our side and God wants to heal and redeem the world with and through us…and that’s just so big…
-----
“I Don’t Know About You But I Think We Should Tell Them”
No child should have to:
know all she knows,
see all she sees,
hurt all she hurts,
be all she is.
No child should have to:
face life alone,
doubt her next meal will come,
feel she’s not good enough,
believe who is she is, is wrong.
No child should have to:
joke to hide all the pain inside,
think she's weak if she cries,
fear the touch of another’s hand,
hear words that wound and damn.
But so many do.
Just look into eyes: shame.
Just listen to voices: humiliation.
Just look at shoulders: embarrassment.
If only they knew who they are.
If only they knew they are loved as they are:
Beautifully broken, resilient children of God,
Created and able to grow by the creativity of God,
Redeemed and made new by the grace of God…
I was recently looking through some old poems when I stumbled across one that hooked me. It is a 2014 update of a song that I wrote in 1999 for a dear friend whom I learned had been molested by her babysitter when she was a kid. At the time, her story was the first of its kind that I had heard. It naturally broke my heart. Since that time, I have heard (and witnessed) many more terrible stories of childhood sexual trauma—and other forms of childhood trauma as well—and my heart still breaks for their reality today…
Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing as a music teacher. I have my Master of Divinity and my Master of School Administration degrees, and yet I am outwardly using neither of those degrees on a daily basis. Yes, the process of getting the degrees influenced and changed me for the better. But sometimes I wonder why I spent so much time and money earning degrees that I do not need as an elementary music teacher. Sometimes I wonder if I’m wasting my life and call in this classroom. But then I remember the kids…the brokenness…the pain and heartache…mixed with promise and hope…and I remember that I can provide 45 minutes of goodness and attempted unconditional love to 700 students each week—and that’s big. I can also provide music…and music has a way of healing us when nothing else can—that’s big, too.
I don’t know what doubts you carry today, friend. I don’t know if you, too, wonder what you’re doing with your life—if you wonder how you can simply influence your family, much less the world. I don’t know if you have experienced a trauma from which you are still healing. I don’t know if you know someone who is hurting so deeply that it makes you cry. But I do know this: the God who provides us with goodness and true unconditional love is wooing you to accept that goodness and unconditional love and to try to share it with those around you—however you can, in whatever you do—even if it seems like your attempts are pointless.
Show up. Sit. Listen. Tell stories. Laugh. Give. Hug. Sing. Do your best work. Be patient in the midst of chaos. Remain calm when tempers flare. Smile. Drive someone to therapy. Realize that therapy is okay. Share a meal. Share a spare room. Share Jesus.
There is so much brokenness in the world. So much from which we must heal. But we have the Great Physician on our side and God wants to heal and redeem the world with and through us…and that’s just so big…
-----
“I Don’t Know About You But I Think We Should Tell Them”
No child should have to:
know all she knows,
see all she sees,
hurt all she hurts,
be all she is.
No child should have to:
face life alone,
doubt her next meal will come,
feel she’s not good enough,
believe who is she is, is wrong.
No child should have to:
joke to hide all the pain inside,
think she's weak if she cries,
fear the touch of another’s hand,
hear words that wound and damn.
But so many do.
Just look into eyes: shame.
Just listen to voices: humiliation.
Just look at shoulders: embarrassment.
If only they knew who they are.
If only they knew they are loved as they are:
Beautifully broken, resilient children of God,
Created and able to grow by the creativity of God,
Redeemed and made new by the grace of God…
Monday, May 20, 2019
Sometimes We Have To Wait
If you’ve ever been to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, then you may have noticed that it is directly across the street from the South Carolina Baptist State Convention Building. This is the building that houses SC WMU and greeted me almost every day for three years. There were days that I would arrive at work and hear the siamangs calling to one another. There were other days that I’d visit the zoo during my lunch break, just because I wanted to see the bears—they were my favorite—and that’s how close we were to the zoo.
If you’ve ever been to the zoo, then you know that it is a major attraction for children seeing animals that they’ve read about in books for the first time. You also know that the animals don’t hold children’s attention for very long unless they are doing something other than sleeping—which is very often what animals are doing. One of the things that I learned to do when I worked across the street from the zoo was simply to wait. Since I didn’t have to cram a full zoo tour into one afternoon, I could just stand and watch one particular animal for quite some time. Eventually, they would yawn, stretch, get up and walk around, decide it was time to eat, scratch, turn over, play, swim—something! It’s in the waiting that I became fascinated by the brown bears—and the koala bears—both of which I wish I could snuggle.
So it makes sense that the animals I most wanted to visit during a one hour visit to Riverbanks on Tuesday were the brown bears and the koala bears. The brown bears were awake and active. One of them was hanging out in the pool, playing with in the water. The other was sitting on a rock at first, but then he got up to walk around, roll around, and then plop into the water as well. As always, the brown bears made me smile!
When I got to the koalas, they were asleep. I wasn’t surprised. Koalas usually sleep about 20 hours per day, so to see them awake is a rare treat…but I got to see it! Standing there smelling the fragrance of eucalyptus filling the room, I startled to realize that one of the koalas was waking up! He stretched his little arms and opened his little eyes and then just sat there, straight up, until his keeper came and gave him some medicine. Then he stuck out his little tongue, which was extremely cute, hoping for more medicine, until he decided that it was time to go back to sleep.
Meanwhile, the other koala had woken up, stretched his little arms, decided he was hungry, and walked over to get his dinner. Watching him reach his little hand and grab the branches of eucalyptus leaves was so neat! I’d never seen a koala that awake and active, leaves hanging from his mouth, chowing down…
Friends: There is a lot in this world that I don’t understand. Sometimes it seems that society’s problems and heartaches are so grounded that they will not go away. Sometimes it seems that war, conflict, us-against-them, and other dividing forces are so strong that forces of peace, cooperation, togetherness, and unity-through-diversity can do nothing to make a dent. Sometimes the questions and doubts are so poignant and real that answers and faith cannot be seen. And yet—
Sometimes we just have to wait. Even if all the world keeps going, sometimes we just need to remain in place and believe that something more will come. A little hand will stretch. A little mouth will open. A large body will decide that it’s hot and move toward the water. Something will happen. Energy will shift. And Life will make itself abundantly clear. It’s just that sometimes…
Sometimes we have to wait.
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