Uphill idealist

Painting, Glimpse of hope by Among Thorns , found at Flicker . Sometimes, in or after a difficult gray time, I seem to catch a glimpse or flicker of hope, promise, or joy. It sometimes shows up in the gut flutter feeling of excitement in my stomach. It appears over and over again in the things (that I thought had no connection) that I read or watch. Then again this flicker of lightness may come through the voice or a friend, a dream, or sometimes something I can't quite put my finger on. It's like catching a whiff of something that triggers a childhood memory and makes you smile involuntarily, only this memory hasn't happened yet. I'm glad for these shadowy glimpses, for every time they appear; hope is renewed and life has a greater sense of purpose. Cheers to glimmers and glimpses, and to G-d who sends them my way just when I need them the most. 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. >

You may be familiar with organizations like Big Brothers or Big Sisters , Compeer and even locally, Striders makes an effort to pair students with caring adults to help support and build up the lives of students who may be missing out on caring adult relationships. Mentoring Spotlight - Ben and Dennis from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo . This month, my church ( First Lutheran of Jamestown, NY ) will be learning about a new program called, The Mentoring Project , when Don Miller stops in Jamestown on his Million Miles tour with Susan Isaacs , to let us in on the details of his program geared for boys growing up without the regular involvement of a father. My new friend Larry, from Grace Church in Erie, PA is on the board of the Mentoring Project and will be coming to help share more details about the program on October 24th, in addition to Don's presentation. Larry tells more about this opportunity, here at his church's blog. Are you interested in mentoring a child miss...

To book tickets for Susan Isaacs and Don Miller's USA Book Tour, go to itickets.com to search for a booking in a city near you. If you are in the Southwestern NY, Northwestern PA area - come to their booking at First Lutheran Church, October 24th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $12.00 for Adults and $8.00 for Students. Call 716-664-4601 for more details.

Comfort Image by Edvard Munch from the blog Canvas. God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy I know it's too early for Christmas songs for some, but the words of "God rest ye merry gentlemen" speak to the circumstances of this last week and particularly, this last weekend. Comfort/Joy: Earlier this week, we adopted a 2-year-old cattle dog/beagle dog from our local humane society. Her name is Aggie. I know it may be hard for some to understand the grief that is a part of loosing a pet, but for the last year my family was in the process of grieving over the loss of our family dog who passed away last August. It was so hard to feel the space that was left when she died. The house felt empty afterward, but day by day we learned how to get along. It took a little over a yea...

I don't know if you have a Mc Cafe' in your town, but I have one just down the street from my house. As if McDonald's didn't have the corner on the market on the drive-thru meal, they now are working on staking ground on all the sit in/take out coffee shops that many folks know and, despite the $5.00 a cup price tag, love dearly. If you are a fan of the Starbucks Frappuccino , McCafe' is now trying to draw your business by offering their, somewhat cheaper, versions of the same coffee treats you've grown to love. Coffee, or tea, is something that gets people moving as well as brings them together. It's warm, sometimes sweet and creamy, sometimes dark and bold. Coffee has a way of clearing away the cobwebs of the mind, while it's warmth brings comfort and sometimes I'd even say solace. Somehow though, the warmth or comfort of a cup of coffee (wherever you get it from), only lasts as long as some remains in your cup - or you get a refill. The kind of c...

Image from Best Weight Loss Now . Darkness surrounds, but the jingling sound of the leash calls us to greet the street with our feet. Your feet are bare and mine are tied up snugly in my sneakers. You don't wear a coat, except the one you were born with - but I wear layers of clothing. Tank top, long-sleeved running shirt, over-sized hoodie, track pants, skull cap and hobo gloves. It seems too cold today, even for October. Step by step my body warms up, you happily prance by my side. You are sniffing here and there as your tail wags almost in tempo with our moving feet and the song on my Ipod. Our breath hangs in the air as the darkness begins to lift. I take the top layer hoodie off as you rest for a moment. Tying to hoodie around my waist, we head up the big hill and you graciously stay with me, even though my pace slows a little. You are asking me lead. You need me to be the leader. As we reach the top of the hill, I look back and see the sky erupting in colors of cotton candy b...