Unique Unity

These are the photos of the Unity banner I've been working on with a group of 1-3rd graders in a after-school program.

This banner is a mixed media project involving fabric, pencil, marker, sewing, and fabric paint. It is approximately 4 feet by 10 feet in size.

The project was individual and well as a group project, giving the children the chance to design their own square all about them and to work together on the descriptive words.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. It was a big, but worthwhile project.

Woods in bloom, my budding photographer and my sprouting rock star!

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

Henry Van Dyke



Photo by H. Eastman
So far this weekend (It's late Friday night as I write this.), I've seen a glimmer and shimmer of gifts and talent in both my lovely children. The photo at the top of this post is one taken by my daughter, Heather. She's a great photographer and I'd love to find a means for her to foster her natural abilities in our area. Any ideas? She's the wood sprite to the right in the photo below.



Nigel had his first open mic night at Infinity Performing Arts, a local music education program that he's been a guitar student of for almost two years. He's done a great deal of growing and developing as a guitar player in the last six months or so and had this opportunity to play with a group assembled for this night only. The group played two songs together and Nigel was asked to solo on 'Stand by me.'



He looks so serious here, but afterward he was all smiles.



Keep on using your gifts, whatever they my be! They may just grow so much someone may take notice -
Peace.

Friendship chalk talk

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 me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.

11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

16"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

17"But remember the root command: Love one another.

We drew out a diagram of a root. In the space above the root we brainstormed the things that spoil relationships, in the space between the roots we wrote the things that foster friendships, and in the root sections themselves we wrote different aspects of friendship that were mentioned in the John 15 scripture.

At the end of our discussion on the challenges of knowing what true friendship is and how difficult it is to really apply in this world one of my students asked for a piece of chalk and said - I have a really good visual - can I add something to the brainstorm?" I said yes and he shifted two of the large sheets of paper to the right. He drew a cross in between one section that carried across the area of obstacles and down to the roots section.



Finally, he wrote: Through God we can push through obstacles and make true friends.


I was amazed. His concise but profound statement hit the point at the heart. In life, so often people try to accomplish this or that - but rarely in invite God to be part of the process or effort. We try to accomplish great things while often being cut off from the source of greatness.

Knowing that this young man understands this point gives me greater hope for the future and fosters the desire for me to ask God who I might need to reach out to today.

God, who needs a true friend that I may be missing somehow? Help me God to see, help me God to be true to the friends you place in my path.

The photos below show the three panels of the tree root diagram. At the top of the paper we wrote things that can be obstacles in relationships, on the roots we wrote the parts of the John 15 scripture that talked about love and relationships, and in between the roots were the aspects of true friendships.

Sparrow and the lily

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'

Thinking about good works

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 concerned about the doing good works solely so we can have an opportunity to tell others about Jesus. Other worry about being too aggressive in evangelism. So, how can we steer between these two poles and still let our good works lead to God?" (Pg. 84, 40 days living the Jesus creed, McKnight)

I have to say that I've been a part of and also experienced the vast range of good deed efforts in my life and time in the church. In my youth and some of my adult life, I'd have to say some of my good deeds were somewhat of a ruse for what should have been explained as direct evangelism efforts. Today when I think about those times, I feel uncomfortable with this manipulative approach to outreach. If the purpose of an effort is evangelism, that is fine, I just feel it is important to be up front about the intention of the effort.

Too many times I've seen helps efforts disregard or dismiss the real,tangible,physical and emotional needs of a person all for the purpose of telling them about Jesus, praying a prayer for salvation, and walking away satisfied with their own evangelism/outreach campaign; only to leave that person in the same physical state they were before they were spiritually bombarded.

James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Caring for the needs of others has the everyday face of practical care and sincerity that sometimes is lost in the name of evangelism "campaigns".

McKnight explains this further by explaining:

" We begin with behavior - doing good thing for others. Next we check our motive: good deeds need to be propped up by doing good for the sake of the other and for the sake of God. We also have confidence: our prayer is that our good works will somehow be used by God to show his goodness. Finally, sometimes there is an opportunity: people of the Jesus Creed wait for God to prompt someone to ask the question, "Why are you doing this?" (Pg. 84, 40 days living the Jesus creed, McKnight)"

It's when I consider the words, " Love your neighbor as yourself." that I pause to think how I would feel if someone were only to come to help me in some way because of their desire to peddle their philosophy to me. I would feel manipulated, foolish, and like I was being seen as less than in the eyes of the helper. I would not desire to feel or be treated in this manner and I'd fathom a guess that others would not like it much either. I think not.

When Jesus looked upon people in need his first response was compassion, after that he did what he could to help. What if I could begin grasp what good works sincere compassion could accomplish in this world around me? What if help could be given unconditionally and with no strings attached. What if I were more focused on the needs of others than I was with my own? What if I was quiet long enough for someone to ask the question, "Why are you doing this?" and my truthful answer was, "Maybe by helping others I can begin to learn more about this God of love. Thank you for helping me to become a better student in the way of Jesus."

We all are on a journey. I hope that my deeds are more help, less ego, and quietly, gently point to the compassionate face of Jesus. There is so much to learn, there is still so much to learn.

SWB: Rock and a hard place

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 how to move past the loss, and figuring out how not to get caught up in wanting to fill the hole too soon, or not filling that space with the 'right' bread.

What if, what if, though the new door/window that was presented to me a few days ago is the right one? What if that is the bread that I really should eat?

Here I am between a rock and a hard place, but I'm still holding on to the bread of hope. I will hold out for the hope of joy in this dark corner, even when just the idea of it brings tears to my eyes.

Canadian Music Monday

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 Sing Sing, by Serena Rider."

Here's the song that was choosen

Rigatoni breakfast? Ah...breakfast then rigatoni

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!