Uphill idealist

Did this song make your toes tap? It always does for mine.

Today is the day I head out of town with 8 students, one other adult leader, tons of luggage, snacks and some butterflies dancing in my stomach. It's been a while since I've gone on a weekend trip with a group of students. I've checked my to do list, my what to bring list and have a 3 ring folder with every person's info, my driving directions,a list of restaurants in the area, and a tax exempt form for good measure. If you think of us this weekend, pray for our safety, fun and opportunity to learn some things about God, ourselves and each other. It will be a great opportunity. Today is Y-Day as we are headed to Youth Quake Encounter in Pittsburgh. Only 3 1/2 hours on the road and we'll be there. Adventure awaits.

Sitting suspended by telephone wire, totally unaware of the conversation and communication going on beneath it. Huddling into itself in the cold of the day, it's head almost disappears into it's body like an ostrich burying it's head in the sand. Seemingly unaware of the pigeons on the wire with him, he happily huddles into the gray feathers of himself. At a moments notice, he could take flight and head to a warmer town with more sun and less sub-zero winds, but he stays - content where he is. This bird sits content in mid winter on a wire, while I daydream of places filled with sunshine and warmth. Yet, I'm not the one with the wings, am I? Does he know what opportunity he has, then again do I? If I had wings like him, I'd hope I'd fly!

Earlier this week I spoke of how I was needing some good "summery" music to get me past the cold and mid-winter mood that has settled over my neighborhood and mind. This morning I thought I'd share one of the groups that spend a great deal of time playing on my ipod, all year round. "Waterdeep" is a great indie (sort of) group that I really love and hope you will too. Here's is a singalong version of their song, "Sweet River Roll." This song is indeed a melancholy one, but somehow the chorus fills me with hope. May hope keeps you rolling through your week too... Here are the lyrics if you prefer to read them: Homebound Henry's got a tumor in his head He wakes up every morning after dreaming he was dead He used to think that life was boring, but now that's not the case He turns to his wife in the evening, he says "Honey I'm afraid I'm gonna lose this race." Sweet River, roll all over me Sweet River, roll all over me Soa...

Painting from the Wooster Collective It is discouraging to me that one week into President Obama's installation as the leader of our country that I seem to be bombarded by negative, racially charged, cynical, hateful, and angry political sarcastic comments on blogs, Facebook and the like. I will not reply to your statements in the same attitude or tone, but I find it totally unacceptable to not reply to these inappropriate statements in some manner. When people are put in the spotlight, they often become the subject of criticism. In the case of any president, criticism is something to be expected. However, comments based solely on the basis of a persons race is not something that I would have expected to see and hear in the USA in the year 2009. How sad that in a historic moment that greater includes all humanity, some of humanity continues to try to isolate and divide. Martin Luther King Jr once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot dr...

I've been singing with the kids at my church (First Lutheran of Jamestown NY) for a few months now and we've managed to learn a nice number of songs in our Sunday School opening so far. We usually sing for the people that attend our breakfast fellowship the first Sunday of the month. Here are two photos of the group a few Sundays ago. First serious. Then not so serious. Here's to many more reasons to SMILE!

As I was wrapped up in my piles of covers this morning I dreaded pulling myself from their warmth to move the cars and run the kids to school. The cold seemed so overwhelming this morning, seeing my breath as I scurried to get into the iced over car. My nose froze from the inside out, if you know what I mean. As I let the car warm up, I started fiddling with the cd's that were in the armrest compartment and happily came across "The Best of Santana". I remember picking up this CD at a yard sale a few summers ago and smiled as the conga drums opened the first song on the CD - Jingo! There is a great deal for me to accomplish this week. 1. Get over the fact that warm this week is going to be a high of 20, maybe. 2. Prepare for a Jr. High youth trip to Pittsburgh for next weekend. Eight students, two adults and one of my favorite cities: Pittsburgh! 3. Make sure my remaining 1/2 of family is set for the weekend at home. 4. Get the laundry done. 5. And all the things that are ...

This image came to me after looking at my icon of Jesus the Pantocrator. Here is is Wikipedia's explanation of the icon: Icons of Christ Pantocrator The oldest known icon of Christ Pantocrator, encaustic on panel (Saint Catherine's Monastery) The iconic image of Christ Pantocrator ("Christ, Ruler of All") was one of the first images of Christ developed in the Early Christian Church and remains a central icon of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the half-length image, Christ holds the New Testament in his left hand and makes the gesture of teaching or of blessing with his right. The oldest known surviving example of the icon of Christ Pantocrator (illustration, right) was painted in encaustic on panel in the sixth or seventh century, and survived the period of destruction of images during the Iconoclastic disputes that racked the Eastern church, 726 to 787 and 814 to 842, by being preserved in the remote desert of the Sinai, in Saint Catherine's Monastery.[5] The ge...