Uphill idealist

Lughnasadh or Lughnasa (/ˈluːnəsə/ LOO-nə-sə, Irish: [ˈl̪ˠuːnˠəsˠə]) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called Lúnasa, in Scottish Gaelic: August August 1st is the Celtic Celebration of Lùnastal, and in Manx: Luanistyn.  Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In recent centuries some of the celebrations have been shifted to the Sunday nearest this date. It is a celebration of the first harvest, a time to give thanks for the fruit of the seeds planted in Spring.  On this day of thanksgiving, what fruit and harvest are you grateful for? This morning I paused to think about the growth of this house plant as well as the lily that bloomed in my yard. My how they both have uncurled and expanded since their initial planting! The green of these plants makes me also consider what "gree...

Little things make a difference. Several years ago, I was a youth chaplain for young adults that lived in a secured residence facility.  My role was to care for the spiritual needs of the youth residents. I was tasked with visiting the teens in secured units, to offer small group gatherings and to provide emergency pastoral care.  Because I wasn’t a full-time staff person, I was never given keys or exit codes to the secured facility. I was dependent upon the support staff to let me in and out of the secured units.  In this arrangement, my safety was dependent upon my relationships with my co-workers - as well as my clients - to have way in and out of the secured units. On my first day, I entered the locked down unit to meet my first group of students. I remember saying out loud as the door was buzzed to let me in, “Ok God, here we go - you are coming with me and I have NO idea what we’re walking into!” In that season as a youth chaplain: I taught lessons on the parables -...