Christmas letters to Noah

This week, Jamestown area youth got busy making homemade Christmas cards for a young man that is going through the final stages of cancer. Upon hearing his story, we all wanted to find a way in participating in making his early-Christmas wishes come true.

Here is his simple wish - to celebrate Christmas with his family and too receive some Christmas cards:

Five year-old Noah Biorkman is in hospice and we need your help to make this the best Christmas ever by sending him Christmas cards! His family will be celebrating Christmas this weekend.

Noah was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in February 2007. He went into remission in August 2007. In September 2008, Noah relapsed with lesions in his right arm and right leg. After going through six different trials, the cancer continues to spread.Please help the fulfill the Biorkman family's wish to make this the best Christmas ever for Noah. You can send your Christmas cards to:

Noah Biorkman
c/o 99.5 WYCD
2201 Woodward Heights Blvd.
Ferndale, MI 48220-1511

Thank you for your help in making Noah's wish come true

Forgot

Forgot to charge my phone,
forgot to bring my charger,
forgot to ship a package,
forgot to forget to push a little harder.

I need to take moment,
and restart the start of this day.
Before it runs full-speed downhill
and gets scott-free, out-of-reach, past-the-point-of-return-away.

Sometimes instead of forgetting, I'd rather run far, far into yesterday.


T.L. Eastman 09'

SWB: Adjustment

Have you ever worn a pair of sneakers that rub a certain uncomfortable way until you take the time to re-lace them and make sure they aren't too loose here or too tight there?

For the last week, I felt as if I was constantly adjusting my shoelaces, as upon returning from a work trip I had a great deal of catching up to do in many areas. There is always housework, dishes and laundry to do and running of the vacuum as well, but throughout the week both of kids ended up needing some extra attention - one became ill with a sinus infection and the other had banged up their knee in a Halloween mishap and was hobbling all week on crutches. So in some places I had to SPEED UP and in others I had to SLOW WAAAYYYY DOWN and adjust what my normal pace is.

You know what? Adjusting takes energy.

However, after making some of those adjustments, the feeling of uncomfortableness gave way to settling into a better stride. One child is back to school and the other is back and off the crutches. Work stuff is settling a bit, and I'm getting Nov. and Dec. filled up fairly well. I'm still staying active every morning with the help of my canine alarm clock - I exercised 7 days in a row last week - AND ALL BEFORE 8:30 AM! For those of you that know how I LOVE to sleep in, this is quite a feat! As for the housework, well that is something that never stops, so I plan to work a little on that today (after I go for a run!)

So for today, I will have to be content in the pace that is attainable rather than the pace I THINK I need to be functioning at.

Adjusting takes time and energy, but the adjustment is better than getting feet full of blisters because of being in too big a hurry.
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Sleeping with bread is an examen, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, helps a person hold onto what spiritually nourishes him by looking at what is giving him consolation in his life or causing him desolation. It allows someone to express his gratitude to God for the good stuff and turn to him for solace for the bad stuff. It is quite simple. You simply ask yourself, in the last day/week/month what gave me consolation and what caused me desolation. If you would like to join in on this Monday blogging group, simply go to the host post at Sleeping With Bread and leave your comments and blog link there. Blessings upon your bread!
T.

Time for daylight savings?

Image from the Kenyon Review.


Ever since the daylight savings time switch last Sunday, I've been feeling a little off kilter. While I'm thankful that my morning run is no longer completely in the dark, its weird to have it be totally dark by six in the evening. I know that eventually I will adjust to the shift in light's arrival and departure, but for now it seems off to me.

To be honest, I think I'm just be longing for to long, warm, sunny days of summer; with it's bird song mornings and late balmy sunsets. Somehow, time is marching on to the destination of the winter season - no matter what I prefer the season to be.

In the start of the arrival of the winter season, how do you balance out the changes in the shorter days. Do you embrace the longer night for times of rest and rejuvenation, or do you wish for the long windows-open-while-you-sleep-and-the crickets-sing-summer? Somehow, I think I'm more of a summer kind of person.

Even so, there is a time for all things, according to the book of Ecclesiastes. Maybe even changes in the length of our days could be counted here:

Ecclesiastes 3
There Is a Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything.
There's a time for everything that is done on earth.
2 There is a time to be born.
And there's a time to die.
There is a time to plant.
And there's a time to pull up what is planted.
3 There is a time to kill.
And there's a time to heal.
There is a time to tear down.
And there's a time to build up.
4 There is a time to cry.
And there's a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad.
And there's a time to dance.
5 There is a time to scatter stones.
And there's a time to gather them.
There is a time to hug.
And there's a time not to hug.
6 There is a time to search.
And there's a time to stop searching.
There is a time to keep.
And there's a time to throw away.
7 There is a time to tear.
And there's a time to mend.
There is a time to be silent.
And there's a time to speak.
8 There is a time to love.
And there's a time to hate.
There is a time for war.
And there's a time for peace.

9 What does the worker get for his hard work? 10 I've seen the heavy load God has put on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given men a sense of what he's been doing down through the ages. But they can't completely figure out what he's done from the beginning to the end.

12 They should be happy and do good while they live. I know there's nothing better for them to do than that. 13 Everyone should eat and drink. People should be satisfied with all of their hard work. That is God's gift to them.

What is G-d's gift to you in this time of shortening days? I especially like vs, 11...they can't completely figure out what he's done from the beginning to the end.

Even when we don't have things figured out, we still have the gifts of the season to be thankful for and recognize. This week, what are the challenges or shifts you've had to compensate for - what are the gifts you've received as well?

There is a time for all things and now is the time for Sleeping with Bread. Would you like to share some of your bread? Please do, it's Monday and we're getting peckish for some comfort.
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BTW: For the next month or so, Mary Lue, our regular SWB host will be taking a break as she wraps up her Masters studies. Please stop by and leave Mel a cheer of encouragement as she works hard on this goal. In the meantime, I will be standing as host, and I hope the thoughts I offer as SWB springboards are helpful and effective. Let me know too if you have any particular topics or leanings you'd be interested in discussing in the month to come.

Although the examen Sleeping with Bread is a Christian practice, I would hope that anyone who has something to share would feel welcome here. Also, if you don't have your own blog and would like to participate, share your bread in the comments. To holding on to what gives life,
Peace,
Lamont