Uphill idealist

Last evening at youth group we talked about the obstacles and benefits of friendship. We looked at the text from John 15 to our springboard for discussion because of its emphasis on love and Jesus expression of choosing us to be his friend. Image from Blog Hendersonville John 15: 1-17" 1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. 4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. 5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from...

Lilies of the field and sparrows of the sky have a lovely agreement. The lily looks upwards as the sparrow flies, reaching higher and higher in the sky, and swoops back the greet the lily. Then the lily nods her reply and the sparrow flies by and by. T.L. Eastman 2009'

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Picture By Norman Rockwell Sometimes it can be difficult to strike a balance in the doing of good. As a student of life in the Jesus way, the loving of others pushed past the boundaries that I often become so comfortable to stay behind. Even in being a somewhat outgoing person, I do have a zone of comfort that I exist in. I suppose we all do. The combination of religion and good works is one that can become dicey prospect. Sometimes people will do good works for the photo op, sometimes they will do a good deed just for the potential opportunity to share their particular religious perspective with the deed recipient, and other times people do good because they are compelled to quietly help someone and that gift of giving is all the payment they ever desire. There seems to be a wide range in the good deeds scale. According to Scot McKnight in his book, 40 Days living the Jesus Creed, this scale is a vast one. "Many today are concer...

I once read that the hardest thing about moving on to a new opportunity is to stop the habit of looking back at the old door/window that used to be yours. Is it my looking backwards that keeps causing me to be in this awkward place? My consolation and desolation are hinged on the same window this week. The issue itself I think is one that could be plugged or unplugged, but the root of what makes it a desolation is knowing I can't choose to go back. Loss is like that. Just when you think you are over it, poof! A smell, a memory, even a new possibility can trigger the feeling of emptiness and wanting to fill up the hole that you thought was gone, but really is still there. I keep trying to let this loss go and bravely move into the new found freedom that the loss made room for, but moving on is sometimes so hard. My bread this week is knowing what I lost was very important to me, more so than I ever knew. My bread is knowing I'm not alone in my feelings. My struggle is knowing ho...

My friend Linda is a great blogger and always finds the most interesting things online. She sent me a message this morning concerning Music Monday and I thought you all would enjoy learning about it. Peggy was blogging that, "in Canada the the first Monday of May each year is designated as Music Monday. It is an educational event organized within the schools across Canada - both primary and secondary. During that day, they take their music outside into the open air of their school grounds or into their communities, to perform a short concert. Many community and professional organizations and ensembles are also involved, along with musicians and artists across the country. It is a musical day. The highlight of the day is at the same time across the country, i.e. 10 am Pacific time, 11 am Mountain time, 12 pm Central time, 1 pm Eastern time and 2 pm Atlantic time, and 2:30 in Newfoundland, everyone is united as they sing the same song. This year the designated piece of music is Si...

All eight students that are going to New Orleans for the ELCA Youth Gathering in July. Libby and I served lots of smiles today. Hannah was our greeter and money collector. Phil, Libby and Heather were happy to serve. Really. Nate and Scott are fearful that tossed salad will take over the world. Devious vegetables. Lexi wants to go on the trip to New Orleans. We start them out fundraiser young in this youth group. Heather and her coffee cart. Becca helping to clean up - she still is smiling! More food? It was a long day. But we had fun... and we chipped away at the cost for the trip with our efforts.:) Thanks for your help and support Jamestown - F.L.Y Youth loves you!

Cartoon from Toothpaste for Dinner. No complaints here. I'm pressing onto the reality that I had had some serious help today in preparing for the fundraiser breakfast and luncheon for Sunday. I keep looking around and on my to do list and I see that most everything I was worrying about is done, assigned, or good to go. One, two, three, four, five, six of the eight student that the fundraiser is for came to help and one, two, three, four who are not attending the trip came to chip in just because. Tables are set, eggs are cracked, and the rigatoni is ready to bake. Thanks to the two moms who assisted as well. Usually the night before such events I full of nervous energy, tonight I'm relaxed. In fact the most relaxed I've felt in a long while. This fact is one I'd like to happen more often in my reality. If you think of us on Sunday - stop by and have some good eats. If you can't make it here - say a prayer that it all goes well. Breakfast is 9am-10:30am with scramble...

In light of reading my blogging friend Mel's reminder of the choices we all have in life, I'm making a thankful list for today to make up for, well - some really cranky attitude I choose to swim in earlier this evening. By the way family - sorry for that. On to the thanks, for what I thought was a crummy, but really not day: A sit down breakfast out with my hubby complete with over-easy eggs, sour dough toast, strawberry jam, a PITCHER of coffee and great conversation. Getting a flyer project done for my youth group. Complete with bios on each student and pictures. Beautiful color printers at the office. People who call the office after reading my article in the monthly newsletter to tell me they were TICKLED by what they read! TICKLED! Love that word. Little children that are content to sit by me and color with sharpies, chat about what movies they will see this weekend, and sing very loudly in my ears for over an hour. I think this means that they might just like me a little...

Donald Fels. At the Table, 2008. My friend Jodi was sharing with me about a worship gathering she used to help lead at her previous church. The gathering was simply called, The Table. This is her explanation of "The Table" At my last church, the Children's director and I worked hard to establish something we called "The Table." The idea was to gather together as whole families for a simple meal of soup and bread. Then we shared a prayer experience together and ended the evening with communion - all intended to recognize the presence of each other and Jesus around the table. The table included lots of silence,time to just notice each other, time to just be. The Table is something I think all of us are hungry for. How often does church really offer us the space to be, to notice and to reflect? I'm somewhat ADD of my own accord, so focus for me can naturally be difficult, but it the time, space and place are things that I still crave and need. When will us ch...