tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372450672024-03-13T13:10:53.118-05:00Uphill idealistLife is tough, but hope is tougher.Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.comBlogger1272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-16141426915239253422024-01-30T18:34:00.001-05:002024-01-30T18:34:29.780-05:00Selah Season<p><a href="https://holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com/1347916/14358971-selah-season" target="_blank"> Holy Shenanigans Podcast Episode #162 Selah Season</a></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Tara continues sane spiritual practices with an opportunity to practice, "Selah".</span></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">This week's Scripture focus: Psalm 62.</span><br style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Questions for Discussion:<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />1. What Spiritual Practices do you enjoy?<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />2. Are your Spiritual Practices Active or more Contemplative? <br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />3. Do you "Selah", before you Serve?<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />4. Do you think pause (Selah) should come before Service? Why or why not?<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />5. If you could give advice to a friend about the value of pause, what would say?<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />6. Where can you find a pocket for Selah/pause in your day?</span><div><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGStdHt52k0i31_NNbhexDzSHCw98Yl4Ce9dqImLVmcUs-j9Lhx4O-6mIzOOFpwBRj_hZiWQkiQ-EUGL28WYewdLVsIRWH6gZFSTtXkDjnfo71V5ZHirdrp5f5JT9l06vnE3xycrgjRkwSmMHLZQVpTZbreMXL6f4wfjhAHv6O9V21B8g01iLbg/s1040/C94C3E36-BA27-414E-94E0-77C2A2880048.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1040" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGStdHt52k0i31_NNbhexDzSHCw98Yl4Ce9dqImLVmcUs-j9Lhx4O-6mIzOOFpwBRj_hZiWQkiQ-EUGL28WYewdLVsIRWH6gZFSTtXkDjnfo71V5ZHirdrp5f5JT9l06vnE3xycrgjRkwSmMHLZQVpTZbreMXL6f4wfjhAHv6O9V21B8g01iLbg/s320/C94C3E36-BA27-414E-94E0-77C2A2880048.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-67999654695848189132024-01-30T18:32:00.002-05:002024-01-30T18:32:14.484-05:00Star Words for 2024<p><a href="https://holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com/1347916/14267535-star-words-for-2024-with-writer-rev-katy-stenta" target="_blank"> What is your Star Word for 2024? Episode #161 Holy Shenanigans Podcast</a></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Join Rev. Tara Eastman, as she shares the spiritual practice of choosing an annual “Star Word” and gentle options for spiritual renewal with special guest, author: Rev. Katy Stenza. </span><br style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Katy Stenta is a PCUSA pastor, writer, workshop leader and community builder. She is currently vice moderator for Albany Presbytery, regular contributor to Sermonsuite and leads workshops on writing, particularly prayer and liturgy. Her conversational prayers and psalms are used by people and churches all over the world from </span><a href="https://katyandtheword.com/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">KatyandtheWord.com</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> and she is all but dissertation for completing her Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing as a public theologian at Mr Roger' alma mater </span><a href="https://www.pts.edu/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhglDx-erAsTAyJfIuTjRVdP0MqW5muAhCvXxcdqljDv5bcHM8TKGKLa53oAH2Le_GCHDFoC79G_GkU4kSyyRN1SgNypFhDgzTrQj3gJo5PzYuW3FDZkOhF37BS6p0RwiCec8f_Z7EIospANdG4JCSKEzmJ4_Y07WfFk7VKglHqWBRBu6q-g60SA/s1079/E464A550-13D8-4A07-936A-E664D35F5C0F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhglDx-erAsTAyJfIuTjRVdP0MqW5muAhCvXxcdqljDv5bcHM8TKGKLa53oAH2Le_GCHDFoC79G_GkU4kSyyRN1SgNypFhDgzTrQj3gJo5PzYuW3FDZkOhF37BS6p0RwiCec8f_Z7EIospANdG4JCSKEzmJ4_Y07WfFk7VKglHqWBRBu6q-g60SA/s320/E464A550-13D8-4A07-936A-E664D35F5C0F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-195006771371863642024-01-30T15:48:00.001-05:002024-01-30T15:48:17.042-05:00St. Brigid Blessings on the Threshold<p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In preparation for St. Brigid’s day, I consider the blessings that are with us on the threshold. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the blessings, neither at the beginning or end, but in the middle. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">transitional spaces that take up most of our days? </span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">I think that the threshold can be a space of healing. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">An opportunity to see things in a new way. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">A river that takes us to new places of grace. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">May you feel the presence of love in your thresholds. May it flow from all our beginnings through to each end. <a style="cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>May the space of threshold be a balm like lavender, healing our battle wounds. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">May we find healing in the inbetween. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: times;">Healing lives on the threshold. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/blessings?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUjZuaAcoZecHXC0UEsacMsWsOEAcf4zYh7HD0cLAW_H6mKSVMvOIq2_jHkWskXCf7Sj0G1f0oDxum5sRK7mJ6OpgJmaDhMGa9O76WBDceoCN4xt9S60oc1Be4KlZF6ApE0_Rl8R4Tui-cp2AR_CIj7zjnff_oqL2I8Os0M80ntZw&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#blessings</a></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stbrigid?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUjZuaAcoZecHXC0UEsacMsWsOEAcf4zYh7HD0cLAW_H6mKSVMvOIq2_jHkWskXCf7Sj0G1f0oDxum5sRK7mJ6OpgJmaDhMGa9O76WBDceoCN4xt9S60oc1Be4KlZF6ApE0_Rl8R4Tui-cp2AR_CIj7zjnff_oqL2I8Os0M80ntZw&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#stbrigid</a></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/taralamontart?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUjZuaAcoZecHXC0UEsacMsWsOEAcf4zYh7HD0cLAW_H6mKSVMvOIq2_jHkWskXCf7Sj0G1f0oDxum5sRK7mJ6OpgJmaDhMGa9O76WBDceoCN4xt9S60oc1Be4KlZF6ApE0_Rl8R4Tui-cp2AR_CIj7zjnff_oqL2I8Os0M80ntZw&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#taralamontart</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/taralamontart?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUjZuaAcoZecHXC0UEsacMsWsOEAcf4zYh7HD0cLAW_H6mKSVMvOIq2_jHkWskXCf7Sj0G1f0oDxum5sRK7mJ6OpgJmaDhMGa9O76WBDceoCN4xt9S60oc1Be4KlZF6ApE0_Rl8R4Tui-cp2AR_CIj7zjnff_oqL2I8Os0M80ntZw&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWegr1_HabqCLnlVRL7mtLkKq-uO0IqASk8MLNJOhdr5YTDI1g3WoFeEwqRDwaUPwUpUN9o6fqOblWRlGtFTRgdBue1fZFIFdWnmb6vK5yUv5mid3F3ab2qB3qBc6PVI63HDHgsGALeO7z3NweZEbESv8Cth6Sj_M0sF3YF9AfRK7B6tMEaBS5XA/s3780/FA783135-3FFD-40E7-9919-17765D43CFD5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWegr1_HabqCLnlVRL7mtLkKq-uO0IqASk8MLNJOhdr5YTDI1g3WoFeEwqRDwaUPwUpUN9o6fqOblWRlGtFTRgdBue1fZFIFdWnmb6vK5yUv5mid3F3ab2qB3qBc6PVI63HDHgsGALeO7z3NweZEbESv8Cth6Sj_M0sF3YF9AfRK7B6tMEaBS5XA/s320/FA783135-3FFD-40E7-9919-17765D43CFD5.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /></span></div></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-76898367151086772572023-09-13T16:46:00.001-05:002023-09-13T16:46:12.200-05:00A Twenty Year Tale of Holy Shenanigans<p> </p><h1 style="caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; line-height: 32.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: indigo; font-family: merriweather, georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><strong><u>A Twenty Year Tale of Holy Shenanigans:</u></strong></span></span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 20px;">Wildgoose Journal 2#: Doug Pagitt bought my first beer</span></strong></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Seriously though, <a href="http://dougpagitt.com/" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Doug Pagitt</a> bought me my first beer at age 30 something. I had grown up in a church tradition where alcohol was not permitted, so I was something of a late bloomer in trying something so common as a beer. My spouse and I were attending an Emergent Pittsburgh event where Doug was the presenting speaker. At the end of the day, the leadership invited us to go to dinner with them at <a href="https://churchbrew.com/" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">The Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh</a>. It was at this dinner that I took note of the other guests enjoying a tall cool one, and asked the waiter what they might suggest for a brand new beer taster to try. All the while, I was doing my best to keep this conversation quiet, but Doug was delighted upon leaning my lack of beer knowledge and shouted from the end of the table, "I'm buying the lady at the end her first beer!" My face flushed as all eyes were on me - but as cool as I could play it, I asked the waiter for a glass of, "Pious Monk", and said; "That seems appropriate!" as the table of guests erupted in more laughter. <br /><br />Far beyond the refreshing drink, Doug's writing and teaching helped me to realize that I was not alone in what we were just beginning to understand as the "Emerging Church". There was Emergent Village and the support and community care from the leaders from Emergent Pittsburgh. The support of this community helped me as I led an Emerging Church over 3 hours north. This community, I would learn quickly, was essential for my own journey that would eventually lead me to become an ordained pastor in an entirely different church denomination. <br /><br />This summer at the Wild Goose Festival, Doug Pagitt and I had another opportunity to catch up and talk about the long and winding road of life, ministry and many, many experiences of Holy Shenanigans. Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 join us for a twenty year tale of Holy Shenanigans in Episode #150 - also the 3rd Birthday of Holy Shenanigans Podcast, since it's beginning in September 2020. Help us celebrate, by listening, writing a review on Apple Podcasts and sharing your favorite episode with a friend. <br /><br />I hope this weeks conversation, will be the encouragement that will help you in your own spiritual journey!</p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MO6SL--xytyP0kGknWCtY7DWtDvnGXZEGtd8idAugXyUnv4FDNF62KdyiopLPVuyuxlaYXjK3TXOGTkti3Vq143p2-sVQWIOP_OsnFOymAF6j-XVgebf06Ef0TltP1hzQuoZ9-0nZG8Vne7_hvmOm7-X_xqbjIWDtfZ7X5seVgKql91yaNUJKQ/s1080/Holy%20Shenanigans-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MO6SL--xytyP0kGknWCtY7DWtDvnGXZEGtd8idAugXyUnv4FDNF62KdyiopLPVuyuxlaYXjK3TXOGTkti3Vq143p2-sVQWIOP_OsnFOymAF6j-XVgebf06Ef0TltP1hzQuoZ9-0nZG8Vne7_hvmOm7-X_xqbjIWDtfZ7X5seVgKql91yaNUJKQ/s320/Holy%20Shenanigans-3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Link </span><span style="background-color: white;">to this weeks podcast episode: </span><a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1347916/13573262" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">A Twenty Year Tale of Holy Shenanigans</a><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Rev. Tara L. Eastman</p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-8944095851605380082023-08-29T11:35:00.000-05:002023-08-29T11:35:02.843-05:00Faith In Harm Reduction and International Overdose Awareness Day <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaYPIkwB78qP3lKVJF7zuOQnkD1x2v0cCGY_hxYZ33IzDXgTXR13xQk9jKd1r45HzA1AWGIwwjEsWK_heFdcdoqJx9nMpJLstNkloPRJmC57Fvy3CwAfSr2VxUD-cX6QB8htare9K15mln5CnvpCBXAqRGKuC2LFTmIBbEALZQ33ozQeQkM845w/s1080/Holy%20Shenanigans%20Podcast%20%23149.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaYPIkwB78qP3lKVJF7zuOQnkD1x2v0cCGY_hxYZ33IzDXgTXR13xQk9jKd1r45HzA1AWGIwwjEsWK_heFdcdoqJx9nMpJLstNkloPRJmC57Fvy3CwAfSr2VxUD-cX6QB8htare9K15mln5CnvpCBXAqRGKuC2LFTmIBbEALZQ33ozQeQkM845w/s320/Holy%20Shenanigans%20Podcast%20%23149.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In honor and remembrance of<span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="https://www.overdoseday.com/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">International Overdose Awareness Day</a><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, on August 31, 2023 this week's episode focuses on, "Faith In Harm Reduction " with special guest</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="https://faithinharmreduction.org/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Rev. Erica M. Poellot</a><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, MSW, MDiv. </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><p></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />Rev. Erica M. Poellot, serves as the <a href="https://www.ucc.org/what-we-do/justice-local-church-ministries/justice/health-and-wholeness-advocacy-ministries/overdose_and_drug_use_ministries/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Minister of Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Ministries for the National United Church of Christ</a> and Executive Director of <a href="https://faithinharmreduction.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Faith in Harm Reduction</a>.<br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />As a faith leader engaged in a long term healing process from substance use disorder, Erica founded <a href="https://faithinharmreduction.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">`Faith in Harm Reduction'</a> to co-create a justice movement which connects people who use drugs, their loved ones, and communities of faith through the development of harm reduction centered spiritual resources, ritual support, and spiritual care. <br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />With joint MDiv/MSW degrees from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University in NYC, Erica is based at <a href="https://www.judson.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Judson Memorial Church</a> in NYC. Erica also serves on the Board of Directors for Safehouse and the <a href="https://www.peernetworkofnewyork.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Peer Network of New York (NYS Union of People Who Use Drugs).</a><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />Find Faith and Harm Reduction Resources at: <br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />* <a href="https://generalsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/F.-Harm-Reduction.pdf" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Faithful Advocacy for Intersectional and Transformational Healing in Harm Reduction Resolution </a><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />* <a href="https://harmreduction.org/issues/harm-reduction-basics/spirit-of-harm-reduction-a-toolkit-for-communities-of-faith-facing-overdose/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">Spirit of Harm Reduction Tool Kit</a><br style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;" />* <a href="https://generalsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/F.-Harm-Reduction.pdf" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">https://generalsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/F.-Harm-Reduction.pdf</a></p><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/taraleastman" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Support the show</a><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 25px 0px;">When in Western New York, please join Pastor Tara in worship at <a href="https://www.firstpresjamestown.com/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY</a> on Sundays at 10:30 am.</p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-90501778219209916082023-08-16T10:09:00.004-05:002023-08-16T10:09:41.371-05:00What Treasure Do You See?<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The collection of treasure on my windowsill might not look like treasure to someone else, but it is treasure to me. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JriLu7xPXqXim-Yw96tiCiUR_4KvjyA9t1EAnOd_llIg9LbX-buFdFnF4TWcxamwtJgThv4wsLoLLGZfkMiTMes2aHotDk99d4VslwXDrRm8B3Fe59mQMxQEyxh-6yoSd9PWmXoUguM-25fhJrHkssxI0b_pD61RExHCal_gqOoxGmtTKYTSmQ/s4032/4740C658-FC74-4E3A-ADC4-762A69BEFDB6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JriLu7xPXqXim-Yw96tiCiUR_4KvjyA9t1EAnOd_llIg9LbX-buFdFnF4TWcxamwtJgThv4wsLoLLGZfkMiTMes2aHotDk99d4VslwXDrRm8B3Fe59mQMxQEyxh-6yoSd9PWmXoUguM-25fhJrHkssxI0b_pD61RExHCal_gqOoxGmtTKYTSmQ/s320/4740C658-FC74-4E3A-ADC4-762A69BEFDB6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see a plaque that a family member </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">gave me over 10 years ago to announce news of the grandhuman. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see a freshly transplanted plant, that I nurtured from tiny cuttings on a greenhouse visit. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see an adorable mushroom planter I found at </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.nycitiot.com" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Citiot</span></a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on vaca that was a perfect home for my baby plant. I see a handmade pog-chip affirming all-body positivity created by </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/BorderlineNormalCo?fbclid=IwAR3EXnh1I4EVnCv3zFrP68_03csQl8NdqcbGKHWP_bqEHLPXCX7f3L4iimk" target="_blank"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="xt0psk2" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;">Borderline Normal</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></a></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our vision sometimes needs an adjustment to see the treasure right before us. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What treasure do you see around/in you today? </span></div><div dir="auto"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-17972655908633001912023-08-15T11:17:00.005-05:002023-08-15T11:17:48.162-05:00Mary's Assumption Day:Yes to the Middle<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Untie-Strong-Woman-Blessed-Immaculate/dp/1622030729" target="_blank">“Untie The Strong Woman”</a> by <a href="https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/445303/Clarissa-Pinkola-Estés?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1376603968&utm_content=468203463492&utm_term=&hsa_acc=4971833360&hsa_cam=1376603968&hsa_grp=54884341883&hsa_ad=468203463492&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=dsa-529289089810&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwxOymBhAFEiwAnodBLASKEg_tUmJD3cBOIkwfmfDd9GCIrRvkOADpH0OpQqQ9fXAIXaWxYRoCf2AQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Clarissa Pinkola Estés</a>, I heard a story about Mary the Mother of God and how she navigated a call to be engaged on the earth, care for the poor and connected with the sacred. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>She navigated middle space between Heaven and Earth with grace with a resounding, “Yes”. </b></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_00hY-XNJobSTcThW23ba9Ime-Qo3UGd_TPjFFSBozcYRdaEcd9OhRF1w7HX1YaVGlKTKtDBevzszyojzZ-SsxB0ZmRiQdW_7lViHMlNZOR9bLS5g1sb14F3e-1VNhrIev7_OBnzzWUkh7rAGgzxCNoGHJImU8kBADTaqjkiKf08s1rVzAsCFLA/s4032/IMG_3435.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_00hY-XNJobSTcThW23ba9Ime-Qo3UGd_TPjFFSBozcYRdaEcd9OhRF1w7HX1YaVGlKTKtDBevzszyojzZ-SsxB0ZmRiQdW_7lViHMlNZOR9bLS5g1sb14F3e-1VNhrIev7_OBnzzWUkh7rAGgzxCNoGHJImU8kBADTaqjkiKf08s1rVzAsCFLA/s320/IMG_3435.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Today on August 15th, the Catholic Church, and those who are drawn to Mary, celebrate her Assumption Day. This day declares that she was taken up to Heaven, body and soul, at the end of her life. Even in her farewell she said yes to the <a style="cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>both/and. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">(Photo of stained glass window comes from Our Lady of Knock Shrine in East Durham, NY.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">What does saying yes to the sacred and the earthy mean to you? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">What middle place do you feel the most comfortable? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">What is challenging about being in the middle?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Where do you feel most connected to your body and spirit?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-35150040851372712482023-08-15T05:00:00.002-05:002023-08-15T05:00:00.161-05:00HSP #148 Youth Are Either Leading Or Leaving!<p><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px;">This week at <a href="https://holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com" target="_blank">Holy Shenanigans Podcast</a>, we celebrate the release of the book,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/youth-are-either-leading-or-leaving" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #92c13c; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"Youth Are Either Leading or Leaving",</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px;">by Lyle Griner. To get your copy, go to:</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/youth-are-either-leading-or-leaving" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #92c13c; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://store.bookbaby.com/book/youth-are-either-leading-or-leaving</a></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.peerministry.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #92c13c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lyle Griner</a>, is Executive Peer Ministry Leadership Director: A connoisseur of “Aha” moments as soulfully curious youth and families wrestle with the nuances of faith and life! A writer, teacher, youth minister, spiritual director, working across the country, with multiple denominations to help congregations expand and deepen their abilities for youth and young adults to find purposeful ministry in every day life. <<a href="http://www.peerministry.org/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #92c13c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.peerministry.org</a>></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZprEr0G33QFLWalvD0l7ldzwSmEPPNW3MAnfW7QwU1Ey98ZOmaWBQ5QpOd9pveMBGnEwdWcS4zXAZJSnEh6ZqYAb8j_B4ZkysFRssND_yTgbjXHbfaCsAaBqykg5VVWJT-ytiBJ2dB2zs8_2XU-W4KB_b-pwWT3GylCWH-A28sD5vHQGX1NWFFg/s1080/Holy%20Shenanigans%20Podcast%20with%20Lyle%20Griner-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZprEr0G33QFLWalvD0l7ldzwSmEPPNW3MAnfW7QwU1Ey98ZOmaWBQ5QpOd9pveMBGnEwdWcS4zXAZJSnEh6ZqYAb8j_B4ZkysFRssND_yTgbjXHbfaCsAaBqykg5VVWJT-ytiBJ2dB2zs8_2XU-W4KB_b-pwWT3GylCWH-A28sD5vHQGX1NWFFg/s320/Holy%20Shenanigans%20Podcast%20with%20Lyle%20Griner-2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/taraleastman" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #92c13c; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Support the show</a><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: lato, "Helvetic Neue", Arial, san-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 25px 0px; padding: 0px;">When in Western New York, please join Pastor Tara in worship at <a href="https://www.firstpresjamestown.com/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #92c13c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY</a> on Sundays at 10:30 am.</p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-2521459497673183982023-08-14T22:25:00.005-05:002023-08-14T22:25:55.801-05:00For the love of sunflowers<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>“Yaya, I chose this table to sit at because I know you love sunflowers and Van Gogh.” </b></i></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a gift to be known and loved. My grandhuman is especially gifted at noticing and celebrating the things they know about the people they love. May your day be blessed with being known, loved and remembered. </span></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq7brwaWN2ne_R_Ut2rS-G1fYQDO-_Ff9Hv2HCiwc2kNpC8DJANuwcAsUupFRyvCVdWM8A-9ea7mtFJByZuhdO2ZIdJytCq6ru58c9Tl_2e5R81KIXGIrSR6agAefEi-O8vQTGLelVEBiyXl8V6Xh4bA7RY6O1r5U7fBoPntKVAEGBgCARV_Uaw/s4032/IMG_3561.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq7brwaWN2ne_R_Ut2rS-G1fYQDO-_Ff9Hv2HCiwc2kNpC8DJANuwcAsUupFRyvCVdWM8A-9ea7mtFJByZuhdO2ZIdJytCq6ru58c9Tl_2e5R81KIXGIrSR6agAefEi-O8vQTGLelVEBiyXl8V6Xh4bA7RY6O1r5U7fBoPntKVAEGBgCARV_Uaw/s320/IMG_3561.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you have a story of being remembered? Share it in the comments. </span></span></div></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-4728391501062219592023-08-13T15:22:00.008-05:002023-08-13T15:23:58.315-05:00HSP #147 What Is Spiritual Companionship?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nCoyfPngtlB6clQ7rG-PlLiGDMqWLk8EAFQawQ-uc19fm5s83oYUVlukBZiYPuyJepyCFmEowYxU7yzRrp1io7o2BBmPDd2ztxYfsJ-cbTy-V3CMPxm4hu1PoyPIyLHqIkOQaCqXpWGfxGwz0sBVGH8uLfsQdAkYG6eF-Doa5dNBGPVkFx0F8A/s1011/933271AF-9563-4B84-9D5C-7D0FE4A67368.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1011" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nCoyfPngtlB6clQ7rG-PlLiGDMqWLk8EAFQawQ-uc19fm5s83oYUVlukBZiYPuyJepyCFmEowYxU7yzRrp1io7o2BBmPDd2ztxYfsJ-cbTy-V3CMPxm4hu1PoyPIyLHqIkOQaCqXpWGfxGwz0sBVGH8uLfsQdAkYG6eF-Doa5dNBGPVkFx0F8A/s320/933271AF-9563-4B84-9D5C-7D0FE4A67368.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;">Welcome to episode #147 of<a href="Welcome to episode #2 from the 2023 Wild Goose Festival - this week I visit with a new friend, Jon Carl Lewis, on the topic of Spiritual Direction/Companionship. Jon Carl Lewis is a spiritual companion dedicated to helping followers of Christ connect more deeply with Christ—and each other—so that they might live with abundant joy, loving God and their neighbor with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He lives in Trenton, NJ, with his husband of 27 years and Alfred the cat. He feels a special affinity with contemplatives of any tradition and the LGBTQIA+ community. Jon Carl is always open to chat. Please schedule a free hour with him at https://calendly.com/joncarllewis/60min and find out about all of his projects at linktr.ee/joncarllewis. Support the show When in Western New York, please join Pastor Tara in worship at First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY on Sundays at 10:30 am." target="_blank"> Holy Shenanigans Podcast</a> from the</span><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="https://wildgoosefestival.org/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">2023 Wild Goose Festival</a><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;">- this week I visit with a new friend,</span><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/joncarllewis/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Jon Carl Lewis</a><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;">, on the topic of </span><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="https://incarnatus.com/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Spiritual Direction/Companionship.</a><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jon Carl Lewis is a spiritual companion dedicated to helping followers of Christ connect more deeply with Christ—and each other—so that they might live with abundant joy, loving God and their neighbor with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He lives in Trenton, NJ, with his husband of 27 years and Alfred the cat. He feels a special affinity with contemplatives of any tradition and the LGBTQIA+ community. Jon Carl is always open to chat. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Please schedule a free hour with him at <a href="https://calendly.com/joncarllewis/60min?month=2023-08" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">https://calendly.com/joncarllewis/60min</a> and find out about all of his projects at <a href="https://linktr.ee/joncarllewis" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">linktr.ee/joncarllewis</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/taraleastman" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Support the show</span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/taraleastman" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">When in Western New York, please join Pastor Tara in worship at <a href="https://www.firstpresjamestown.com/" rel="noopener" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e62228;" target="_blank">First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY</a> on Sundays at 10:30 am.</span></p><p></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-85618465650770204032023-08-13T15:18:00.006-05:002023-08-17T10:10:40.726-05:00Rest Your Eyes<div class="gmail-xdj266r gmail-x11i5rnm gmail-xat24cr gmail-x1mh8g0r gmail-x1vvkbs gmail-x126k92a" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); color: #222222; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><h3 style="color: #625529; font-family: "Segoe UI", -apple-system, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px; white-space: normal;"><a class="gmail-bibleref" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-30&version=ESV" style="color: #1155cc;">Matthew 11:28-30</a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></h3><h3 style="color: #625529; font-family: "Segoe UI", -apple-system, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px; white-space: normal;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal;"><b>"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”</b></i></h3></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">This spring I read the book by <a href="http://www.triciahersey.com/" style="color: #1155cc;">Rev. Tricia Hersey</a> from <span class="gmail-xt0psk2" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/" style="color: #1155cc;">The Nap Ministry</a></span> and have been returning to it as a well of encouragement to live into regular rest practices. I</span><span style="color: black;">n her book, </span><span style="color: black;">“Rest Is Resistance”,</span><span style="color: black;"> she tells the story of an elder in her life who practiced rest daily by taking a pause to, <i>“Rest their eyes.”</i> This story reminded me of my neighbor Ms. Estella who had a similar practice of, <i>“resting her eyes”</i> every afternoon. As a child it was a puzzle to me, but her commitment </span><span style="color: black;"><a style="cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="color: black;">to this practice made a big impression on me. </span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The ways we all rest is different, but what if <i>“resting our eyes”</i> was something we all engaged in? </span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This photo comes from last week’s vaca time.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw--Rpax-mBR3NWwypHv9VERtUs8Pg7io41SnN1TV-69mNY3OIUSsUqxU7GTvqmzlMgsM2AAAyHQ-5-6CF54lmRRH_xBxjDgyJhXBF-DZr1m5cydKKqO6jzQhkdf2gmgHkXHiRgwM6hj_g9blQYRjh7-C8IKuhjNISKukVxazNSH6p9yHrfcbl-w/s3024/98AB6154-7184-4D36-AB97-D8CBA1D505BB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2419" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw--Rpax-mBR3NWwypHv9VERtUs8Pg7io41SnN1TV-69mNY3OIUSsUqxU7GTvqmzlMgsM2AAAyHQ-5-6CF54lmRRH_xBxjDgyJhXBF-DZr1m5cydKKqO6jzQhkdf2gmgHkXHiRgwM6hj_g9blQYRjh7-C8IKuhjNISKukVxazNSH6p9yHrfcbl-w/w332-h415/98AB6154-7184-4D36-AB97-D8CBA1D505BB.jpeg" width="332" /></a></div></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">As the last campfire burned down, I collected some glow-in-the-dark stones and spelled out the word “BE”. </span></div></div><div class="gmail-x11i5rnm gmail-xat24cr gmail-x1mh8g0r gmail-x1vvkbs gmail-xtlvy1s gmail-x126k92a" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); color: #222222; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">"Be" is reminder to the next visitor (and myself) to take time to simply be and rest.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">Even as I prepared to return home and all that was waiting, for me to remember to take the practice of sacred rest with me.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">What is your sacred practice of rest? </span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">How do you rest your eyes, heart and mind?</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Remember that rest is a sacred practice. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Remember that God rests, and that we must rest too.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gratitude to Ms. Estella (and The Nap Ministry) for showing me a new way to see rest as a sacred practice.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sincerely,</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Holy Shenanigator</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-8691400005530581952023-08-02T20:15:00.000-05:002023-08-02T20:15:01.688-05:00What is Lughanasa?<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">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. </span></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In recent </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a style="cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">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. </span></span></h4><h3><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>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 "greening" has grown in my heart, soul and mind - and give thanks for the people and places that have encouraged growth. </h3><h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEStjo15qm-s63P-uCV0nwLy0Y72LFj_XNc5A6uM4HMnO8tE9ljN3ifewjXd_Ff9kscYDemgxPPJ0Wfp5fHheTGFY2ts6igBaPbhtVITSL5cvvwPLeHHIEFpcXBDX5FyQKAmSOeW21c2npKsYAFWN8XRFq0Te7DnFIQy-Pz3ukGSAfraHkd7REw/s4032/IMG_3250.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEStjo15qm-s63P-uCV0nwLy0Y72LFj_XNc5A6uM4HMnO8tE9ljN3ifewjXd_Ff9kscYDemgxPPJ0Wfp5fHheTGFY2ts6igBaPbhtVITSL5cvvwPLeHHIEFpcXBDX5FyQKAmSOeW21c2npKsYAFWN8XRFq0Te7DnFIQy-Pz3ukGSAfraHkd7REw/s320/IMG_3250.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />What growth do you give thanks for? </h3><h3>Who has encouraged growth in you?</h3><h3> Name it. Name them.</h3><h3>Celebrate this first harvest with joy. </h3><h3><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h3>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-7517728113254098892023-07-30T11:00:00.006-05:002023-07-30T11:00:00.157-05:00Looking for little treasures<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little things make a difference.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-336a1a9d-7fff-526f-8974-df0940605045"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several years ago, I was a youth chaplain for young adults that lived in a secured residence facility. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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, </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ok God, here we go - you are coming with me and I have NO idea what we’re walking into!”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In that season as a youth chaplain:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I taught lessons on the parables - like the Good Samaritan - and the students clamored to help act out all the parts of the story.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I brought in art projects to work on - and the students painted and played with the supplies - and made beautiful projects to adorn the main office.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I sat around dinner tables, sharing simple meals of chicken nuggets and fries - as the students shared their life stories with me. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My role as youth chaplain was to care, to listen, to offer support - and with the help of God I learned that those little things meant more to my students than I could understand.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the two years I worked in this role,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I never had a safety issue!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It didn’t take much time for my initial fears about “safety” to be calmed. </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I got to know my students, my perspective shifted from asking God to escort me in - to understanding that God was already present in the lives of the students. In this role as youth chaplain, I learned in very real ways, that while God was with me in the fearful places, as well as many other little treasures.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God was very much present in the lives of the young people that taught me about faith and courage. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God asks us to partner in the work of discovering and unearthing little treasures; wherever we are.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ALSO…</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I needed to learn</i> from my student’s stories. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I needed to learn</i> that the students were able and ready to give treasure to others. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I needed to see</i> the treasure of who they were…among secured units with buzzers, alarms, and security staff.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 24pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The youth who lived in the residential facility were a huge source of treasure - right before my eyes.</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 24pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u><i>They were a living parable I needed to learn from. </i></u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 24pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little treasures: mustard seeds, yeast, pearls and fish of all kinds - to see and celebrate the little beautiful treasures that are always present. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u><i><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">little treasure Jesus talks about in Matthew 13 are: </span></i></u></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mustard Branches as shelter for birds</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bread for hunger</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pearls of great value</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Net full of all the fish</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the sorting of what is to be held on to and what is to be released…</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all of these examples it is important to see how the little treasure connects or builds spaces of community: Trees for birds - Bread for hunger - pearls for place - a net full of fish. All of these little things lead to connection - provision - community.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of the parable, we learn that the scribe, who is wise, is able to gather the old and new little treasures, sort what to keep and what to release - so they can share good things with the greater community. So that they can offer support, nurture and encouragement to that gathered community.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The scribe is given the opportunity to gather little treasures to make a big difference. Do we recognise that we are scribes - that we are called to gather treasure and nurture community? I learned my role as a youth chaplain - we all need eyes and ears to see and hear the little treasures that are right before us.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all have little treasures that we have within us and around us that God can use to nurture, grow and attend to the needs of the community. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK5p_0paotDZqE4vm3i9R8Rh5CavpBed-Mcdse4BxT_lfHkLJGTfk9HEey_Os2V7Js1PrQo3QgJiNOa_xrFkCBQglVqDtpwsBA8gSPjqqyvqcHJfvnZe_2Pwxv578HP6bwn3GCyawVfIgyMP4-BdwLxjx00xiDsfbu54DJ4FDmWcAoCXtNItzbOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="630" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK5p_0paotDZqE4vm3i9R8Rh5CavpBed-Mcdse4BxT_lfHkLJGTfk9HEey_Os2V7Js1PrQo3QgJiNOa_xrFkCBQglVqDtpwsBA8gSPjqqyvqcHJfvnZe_2Pwxv578HP6bwn3GCyawVfIgyMP4-BdwLxjx00xiDsfbu54DJ4FDmWcAoCXtNItzbOQ=w297-h287" width="297" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God takes small seeds of faith and grows them into bountiful harvests. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Little things, gathered, nurtured, and attended to - actually are the big things. The little things of life that bring hope, strength, connection and purpose.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the help of God, may we see little treasures, share them generously and celebrate the little things - that actually are the big things. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Questions to Ponder:</u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>What are the mustard seed treasures do you have to share?</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Have you ever considerer the process of "sorting things out" to be a gift? What if the sorting section of this text refers to a process of growth, testing or process of change? How does this help you hear the text in a new way?</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>What little treasures do you notice today? </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>How have little treasures shown up as the "big things"?</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>@Copyright 2023, Rev. Tara L. Eastman July 28th</i></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-15229720742602659102023-07-29T08:07:00.001-05:002023-07-29T08:07:17.749-05:00Seventh Anniversary of Ordination<p><span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today is the 7th Anniversary of Ordination Day. What a wild and wonderful seven years so far! Gratitude to God, my family and all who have traveled this road of ministry alongside me. “I swing in the grasp of Thy Great Love, Thy Great Love’s strength.” holyshenaniganspodcast </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pastorlife?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZXT0Y28_WSvJxT-F0QUwdrP_ILL1qW19Q1lFR6eRDfCLLomC3zMuajLGMI7rsBBVFZpiErZbJ5YokOgLOybNLauHcsPS3tr4IQF80k-9k82RNQtjIEA3dL3WHnHaE95L68FXoxWn5kaDjfKyxbqatAJtdhYoCH0Bgb5-JT8a_w-YA&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBi0Pw1tu9VZTSKhi4GS0PisIPIU1SgiWr792_ubEuUMkHLeuEE3unfzAnn8gHzksmL57BsHqrGWCP9XFanblV0G35DBJg1wpntv_7UZemxOrq2ZEsfmDiZemqvyAZ_aLP86iXGuVLWPHVsGEPu6aCqSMW3ip9XK51lOcOQk3EWPQVIFF-JL-4VA/s320/319C2242-DD5D-4018-92AB-395BB525C455.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Wednesday was a day to buy a bunch of gorgeous flowers for no reason. <p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, was it actually for no reason? </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They were $14. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They smelled gorgeous. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They made me smile. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They helped me stand in hope for something good that is yet to be. This is more than enough reason to take $14 flowers home. Where can you treat yourself to hope today? </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/gratitudematters?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZXjTNm3K6wMPZoFHK9ZYn-RZOhsUH9HNtA4QeCFykH89koOdxwKYcPYF8ERsHfTgGbsNM1Vb-p-pZ5JuyUr3hAHL2dy4eYtH22Fz-LFgKavJy0ZS02Sv-HnAqKP5AWJTjNuL7RPZ9o2RKIlbFeKkeg6CsTo0UD7RWU-mhnXF4Ea2w&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#gratitudematters</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/holyshenaniganspodcast?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZXjTNm3K6wMPZoFHK9ZYn-RZOhsUH9HNtA4QeCFykH89koOdxwKYcPYF8ERsHfTgGbsNM1Vb-p-pZ5JuyUr3hAHL2dy4eYtH22Fz-LFgKavJy0ZS02Sv-HnAqKP5AWJTjNuL7RPZ9o2RKIlbFeKkeg6CsTo0UD7RWU-mhnXF4Ea2w&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#holyshenaniganspodcast</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-42144967345078482362023-07-25T13:28:00.000-05:002023-07-25T13:28:00.342-05:00Why Paint Rocks?<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>What can painted rocks do? </i></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was my question in May as I was considering what mini community art project to engage with this summer. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In time, I decided to start with rock painting for its accessibility and simplicity adding the </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/loverocks?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW_3WL-KlXqZYiOR_RZIgiC2_PJfyBpK1tIz4t4nrjTKlim3LpnjHe8a1_6tJcvwlUrrWLrFd5pCpoBBgweOZkvsTqtWkrfI9QKnx012JmQ4K5GXmuFrTcCBvSXcfafl8mlYEJG-f1h9rGwashz7D3EAvFTm0ijfmMimkFnGM1uPNWGU1lYBKacQy0kGenM_9M&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#loverocks</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/fpcjtn?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW_3WL-KlXqZYiOR_RZIgiC2_PJfyBpK1tIz4t4nrjTKlim3LpnjHe8a1_6tJcvwlUrrWLrFd5pCpoBBgweOZkvsTqtWkrfI9QKnx012JmQ4K5GXmuFrTcCBvSXcfafl8mlYEJG-f1h9rGwashz7D3EAvFTm0ijfmMimkFnGM1uPNWGU1lYBKacQy0kGenM_9M&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#fpcjtn</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since June over 100 rocks have been painted by an over 50 people. Some of the rocks are in the garden at church - others all over Jamestown. Some well beyond Chautauqua County. </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But yesterday morning I witnessed a moment that </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a style="cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">clarified why I’ve been lugging all these rocks around. </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A grandmother and grandchild walked past a garden and paused to look at the colorful rocks, they smiled, they made a good memory and continued their walk, carrying a bit of joy with them. </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the whole point. Share love. Share joy. Take it with you. We need it. </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Thanks be for painted rocks. </b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(228, 230, 235); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF_YHFLgsfsBA0_IOKvPYgQcajl9pad7b1ec7Vk8gUX-4QixUq2WYbHBUtJ_KhLWRxePxAgtxMw35r1BYdMBAKxO9zw-92YzfgFxZQ0-Wz8FAuj8-e8KbQcJ_xB0DxLZ_bv6WKYIJYOP2riIy5_8AUN1z7QRxM71Eb9cYgBmjwVq1Sj1_RHzrdA/s2005/7264EBA6-050B-4B62-9A89-A5E272BC2180.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2005" data-original-width="2005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF_YHFLgsfsBA0_IOKvPYgQcajl9pad7b1ec7Vk8gUX-4QixUq2WYbHBUtJ_KhLWRxePxAgtxMw35r1BYdMBAKxO9zw-92YzfgFxZQ0-Wz8FAuj8-e8KbQcJ_xB0DxLZ_bv6WKYIJYOP2riIy5_8AUN1z7QRxM71Eb9cYgBmjwVq1Sj1_RHzrdA/s320/7264EBA6-050B-4B62-9A89-A5E272BC2180.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-91497763947574038412023-07-24T12:35:00.005-05:002023-07-24T12:35:46.546-05:00Wild Goose Journal: #1 Prepared for Everything?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSZd1gt3gJnpqzk_lBI1ofoUQZELq5tDrA_CeZ_6A1Ys84zMOo9yBozPX8OeB5gFNCyaz0u8NRbOFeHRRhX8bWqtXaZ9sxy91IvNNerlwf-Po6h6sidLfkENhSVrx72xJmrgLJ2WANk7yIvDD6vK3szVLvelqXxL5vPLmlxjckq5b86ci_5tH_g/s3780/B1CE37E6-A857-4E28-BBD6-68941108615A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSZd1gt3gJnpqzk_lBI1ofoUQZELq5tDrA_CeZ_6A1Ys84zMOo9yBozPX8OeB5gFNCyaz0u8NRbOFeHRRhX8bWqtXaZ9sxy91IvNNerlwf-Po6h6sidLfkENhSVrx72xJmrgLJ2WANk7yIvDD6vK3szVLvelqXxL5vPLmlxjckq5b86ci_5tH_g/s320/B1CE37E6-A857-4E28-BBD6-68941108615A.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /></div><br /> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wildgoose Journal 1#: </span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prepared for Everything?</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9e795a75-7fff-4d8a-b83e-60c0f847c170"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Wednesday morning, Ian and I filled up our Subaru with all the provisions we needed for our annual “glamping” trip to the <a href="https://wildgoosefestival.org" target="_blank">Wildgoose Festival</a> in Union Grove, NC. ( If you would like to learn more about the Festival, go to: </span><a href="https://wildgoosefestival.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://wildgoosefestival.org/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The list of what to bring was quite extensive: Clothes for the variety of weather we would experience, water for hydration, power bars - for what else but energy, camp chairs, cash for concessions and and a notebook to gather ideas and inspiration from over 300 classes, workshops, lectures, table talks, music and art exhibits! In addition to the official opportunities for learning, there are the in-between conversations that fill every pocket of time with joy and wonder. We were prepared to take in what we could - all the while knowing there is no way to experience everything the event offers. It’s just not humanly - or physically possible to do so. </span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know that this is true - but it can be tempting in such an oasis of opportunity - to try to do it all. That is, until something happens to remind us that we are people - not machines. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A certain “something” occurred that I was NOT prepared for. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I sat in my Thursday session, taking in wisdom from <a href="https://brianmclaren.net" target="_blank">Brian McLaren</a>, <a href="https://www.katerademacher.com" target="_blank">Kate Rademacher</a>, and <a href="https://findyournextcalling.com/brian-allain/" target="_blank">Brian Allain</a>, I noticed tiny little bumps forming on my right arm and fingers of my right hand. The longer I sat in my session, trying to focus on what was being said, I saw the rash growing rapidly and said to myself, “It’s probably just a heat rash.” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the afternoon, I stopped by the Ranger station to see if they had any cream to help with the itchy rash. When I showed them my harm they knew what this something was: </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">POISON IVY!</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The ranger loaded me up with calamine lotion and cream and said:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not touch the rash. Do not scratch. Do not shake anyone’s hand! Come back if it spreads!!!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This “something” was a "something" I was not prepared for. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This “something” made me adjust my plans. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This “something” had some wisdom to offer.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are people - not machines. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was not happy about having to adjust and to do things differently - but the Camp Doc was serious that this “something” was a need I could not ignore or “power through”. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I needed to shift - for my well-being and that of others - to a new way of being in that place. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are people - not machines.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The “something” we don’t expect can have something to teach us. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It causes a shift of routine. It connects us to people we never would have met. It helps us to be reminded that we (I) am not a machine, but a beloved person of God. It reminded me that care and rest - (and yes) even a trip to Urgent Care is the “something” we may need.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proverbs 20 speaks of how all our steps are ordered or led by God/Creator. As I read that text I recall how the “something” of poison ivy reordered my plans. Not that this misfortune was given to me by God/Creator - buy how that “something” gave me an opportunity to do/be/live in a way that I might have missed if “something” hadent’ shown up. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a person - not a machine! (Say it with me!)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year at the Wildgoose Festival was different than I had expected it to be, not because of the Festival, but because of my own need for care, compassion and lots, and lots of Calamine Lotion. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>As we walk through this last week of July of 2023, where do you notice “something” unexpected. </i></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>What might that “something” be offering you? </i></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>How might that “something” teach you a lesson of compassion and care?</i></span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So here is to all the “somethings” that reorder the plan, the hope, the goal. While we may not be prepared for all the “somethings”; there is something to learn from them - always.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are people - not machines.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely Coated in Calamine,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rev. Tara L. Eastman</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcJVwnu9poWLdS3zJTDDSk2RaVH-7C_cFZ-Vta1GzeFPDiJuTb8yMvmPwTZyRpHsKRjWnb9tpyr7oc-M5XlikNxjw7q56YexlNOvtqSrSwPd2KRnP-TvleZ2GGhPYcHwoKFHjDKCl_UAPiWiwg2323s1EAvT6I8KvPd5h4oSTWOoM98P7sWw5MQ/s1080/IMG_3137.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcJVwnu9poWLdS3zJTDDSk2RaVH-7C_cFZ-Vta1GzeFPDiJuTb8yMvmPwTZyRpHsKRjWnb9tpyr7oc-M5XlikNxjw7q56YexlNOvtqSrSwPd2KRnP-TvleZ2GGhPYcHwoKFHjDKCl_UAPiWiwg2323s1EAvT6I8KvPd5h4oSTWOoM98P7sWw5MQ/s320/IMG_3137.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PS> To learn more about reclaiming rest and sabbath, go to this week’s <a href="https://holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com/1347916/13242370-reclaiming-rest-with-kate-h-rademacher-at-the-wild-goose-festival" target="_blank">Holy Shenanigans Podcast titled: Reclaiming Rest</a>.</span></p></span><br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-85218373311948014552023-06-26T15:09:00.001-05:002023-06-26T15:09:25.900-05:00What Summer Camp Means to Me...<p> <b>I was around six-years-old when I first went to sleep-away summer camp. </b></p><p>At the time I lived in PA and the camp (through my church) was in Ohio. All school year, I attended Sunday School faithfully partially because regular attendance allowed my family scholarships to help with the cost of Summer Camp. Over the school year, I attended most Sunday's and by the end of the year, my little coupon book was full of stamps - providing me with a scholarship to attend a camp session. I provide this background on how I first got to go to camp, because it is an essential part of explaining what Summer Camp meant (and means) to me. </p><p> Going away to Summer Camp gave me a whole new experience of community. The whole process of going to and attending was the first times I experienced, "it takes a village", personally. From the Sunday School Teachers who drove a sedan full of kids to Ohio, to the counselors and staff who supported new campers: through the first 48 hours of homesickness to the joy of choosing what I would do during activities, to swimming in an in-ground pool, to evening vespers with songs, campfires and s'mores; I am grateful. </p><p>It was at Summer Camp, that I truly learned how to swim. </p><p>It was at summer camp, where I witnessed young-women in leadership roles in all areas of "Camp Life", including spiritual care. </p><p>It was at summer camp that the fires of my creativity were stoked.</p><p>Without Summer Camp, I don't know if I would have stepped into leadership roles. </p><p>Without Summer Camp, I might not have been so quick to embrace the muse of creative work. </p><p>Without Summer Camp, I might not know how to make a camp fire. (Safely that is.) </p><p>My positive experience at Summer Camp, begs the question, </p><p><i><b>"Without Summer Camp, would I be the person I am today?"</b></i></p><p> For me, Summer Camp was a portal into becoming a creative, leader, who is willing to try new things and work with others to solve problems.</p><p>Thank to Summer Camp, and the village that made going, possible. </p><p>You, and Summer Camp, helped me become me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2zjKBdTJf5KB9M6yI2j94qGFXEWkOogGk2qGigfAQS9aXD7NPh7fLX8X3r7-jZPZjVipAK9QUw75glAIusqLNg1TURLrLprTU9H9mSs0y8Do3gPO-05h4RkSDcfqJstBHa-z8HoxswwA8_ZxZ6OGcdhj-pNzrNHo-naupad9VW1R4lGLHCJ9qg/s4032/IMG_2731.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2zjKBdTJf5KB9M6yI2j94qGFXEWkOogGk2qGigfAQS9aXD7NPh7fLX8X3r7-jZPZjVipAK9QUw75glAIusqLNg1TURLrLprTU9H9mSs0y8Do3gPO-05h4RkSDcfqJstBHa-z8HoxswwA8_ZxZ6OGcdhj-pNzrNHo-naupad9VW1R4lGLHCJ9qg/s320/IMG_2731.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span><a href="https://taralamonteastman.com"><b> </b><b>Rev. Tara L. Eastman</b></a> - <a href="https://www.firstpresjamestown.com">First Pres. Jamestown, NY</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><p><span> </span><br /></p><div><br /></div>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-4645624678742092612020-09-28T11:45:00.000-05:002020-09-28T11:45:21.801-05:00It's time to change your mind<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: .25in center 3.0in right 6.0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: .25in center 3.0in right 6.0in; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FXrSHk-Gyfc/X3ISyRtBV6I/AAAAAAAANDk/26doJhopzz046zOmikit5MsxYsvdcqMJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/artfulprayer.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: .25in center 3.0in right 6.0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">If I were to have a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">conversation with change about
changing a mind, this is how I imagine it mig</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">ht go…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: .25in center 3.0in right 6.0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“You're here. I did not expect you n</span></b><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">ow. </span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Change.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“What do you expect? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“What are you asking me to do – who are you asking me to become?”<br />
<i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i></span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I’ve never heard this before.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change
your mind</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“ This is different than what I thought before.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m learning something new.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Change your mind<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I’m not sure I know everything I should. </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">This is a good. This is hard.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Changing
your mind</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I wish I didn’t have so much to </span></b><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">learn.</span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I care about you – I’m willing
to try.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change you</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“ In time, we will figure out how to </span></b><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">solve this.”</span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change<b>
</b>you</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“It isn’t perfect, but we have a start.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change
you</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“We must find a way, to truly, honestly, love one another.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Changed.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The art of changing our minds is one that requires a
few essential things: being willing to learn and being willing to fail. In this
weeks Gospel, people are stuck in a particular way of thought – because they
don’t’ want to be wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being wrong, especially in a public way, is
embarrassing and uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being wrong, requires that something new be learned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being wrong, means that minds and actions need to be
changed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The process of changing of mind – is one that can take
a lot of time and energy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I think of change in relationship with God, many
things come to mind…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The tune of the chorus… Change my heart O God, make it
ever true, change my heart of God – may it be like you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And the partner text for today from <b>Philippians
2:1-13<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk51930078"></a><a name="_Hlk51931532"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51930078;"><i><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1</span></sup></i></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51931532;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51930078;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, <sup>2</sup>make my
joy complete: <a name="_Hlk51931279">be of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind.</a></span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51930078;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51931279;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51930078;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51930078;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I hear this text, the words “compassion and
sympathy” shine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And while they may be sometime misconstrued is “soft
or fluffy” words. I don’t understand them to be so – and I will tell you why. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk51935072"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s time to have our
minds changed.<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk51935072;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When it comes to the changing of a mind and to sharing
in the Spirit of our faith; when I have encountered “compassion and sympathy”;
they show up on the days that changed my mind as well as my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I grew up in a rural town in Pennsylvania. It was not
a what you would call a globalized community. My family moved a few times in my
childhood, and I had the distinct experience of being the “new kid” at school
several times. The schools were cliquey – and because I my family had not lived
there for all the generations -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there
always was a level of being on the outside of things in that community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was known as the “city kid”, the “Trooper’s kid”,
and the “Artsy” kid….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But in that space, I did not feel known by name. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was on the outside and knew nothing would change
that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being the eternal new kid did have some benefits. It
gave me just enough social space to learn about many different groups of
people. It gave me space to bob and weave in and out of the various cliques –
and I think gave me some skills to navigate and get to know different groups of
people.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then one day, a new, new kid came to town.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">J’s family was actually from the “city”. He was
friendly, funny and he was black.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">J was the first person of culture and color that I
attended school with – and this was 8<sup>th</sup> grade.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We were lab partners in Biology.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We would sometimes have lunch period together.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a lot of ways, I thought we were “new kids”
together – and we were in some ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As a fellow new kid, I thought I knew the challenges
that Jamie would face. As a new kid in that community, I knew some of those
challenges – but not even close to all of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Truth be told I could never know the challenges he
would face as a solitary new kid – who was of African descent – would feel, in a
community that was entirely of white, European descent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">J attended our school for only about 6 months, before
his family decided to move to a city where new jobs awaited his parents.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sadly, I would come to learn, that in that small rural
community, this pattern of a family of culture moving in and out in short
course – was an unfortunate norm.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Black families would move in – and in a matter of
months – they would move out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They were pressured to move, or worse, feel threatened
and unsafe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I learned that simply living in that community, as a
person of color/culture, was dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was time to have my mind changed.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This story of J and his family’s experience is an
example of how my mind needed to change. I assumed we lived in a country where
all people were treated as equals; this I discovered – was not the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because of my exposure to J”s pain – I learned that
what I thought was true about my community and country; was not. While I would
not then understand this agitation as the start of my understanding of white
privilege; that is exactly what becoming J’s friend, did. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Compassion and sympathy in this case were not “warm
and fuzzy”. They were unsetting, upsetting, and left me with a pit in my
stomach – knowing the truth that living as a white person in this county and
world; is not the same experience of my siblings of culture. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This “change of mind” is what some might equate to the
experience of becoming “woke” to the realities of racial inequity. But I’d like
to suggest that true change of mind is not a one time “waking”; it is an
ongoing process of humility, listening and learning – and relearning again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These, big, new, and hard learning – these true
changes of heart and mind around “isms” are not solved in the reading of one
book, one prayer vigil, or having one hard conversation on racism. This is not
a one and done – a magical change of mind. This is a long process – one of
intention and action, compassion, and empathy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The process of living as,
Jesus-following-anti-racists, requires us to be willing to learn and be willing
to fail.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some may ask why I might preach on racism and what
racism has to do with the gospel. The gospel has everything to do with
dismantling racism. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In today’s gospel, Jesus challenges the chief priests
and elders to admit their wrong. Jesus does not intend to leave them in their
error – but to help them to peel away what did not serve God’s purpose… but
they were stuck.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He says… “even after you saw it, you did not change
your minds…”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Racism is something we are being “shown” and called to
change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If we believe, as followers of God, that
all people are created in the image of God; that there is no room for racist ideas
and actions to stand.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s time for our minds, actions and
lives, to be changed.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As Jesus followers, we affirm and stand for the truth
that the image of God sacredly dwells in the lives of our siblings of color and
culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And our minds need to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Black lives are sacred.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And our actions need to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Black lives matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And our community needs to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is a start.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We don’t know all the answers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We are not experts in all the ways of living out an
anti-racist life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, in imperfection and error, I am willing to peel
away these difficult layers with you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To lament. To listen. To learn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To read. To walk. To talk. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For “J”, for Martin Luther King Jr. , for George Floyd
, for Breonna Taylor… for you and for me: The Spirit calls us to proclaim the
gospel that humanity, in all its beautiful colors and variations - is made in
the image of God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This gospel calls us to make a stand, to have our
minds changed by the power of true sympathy and compassion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">A conversation with change…<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“You're here. I did not expect you now. </span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change.</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“What do you expect?<span> </span><span> </span></span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change.</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“What are you asking me to do – who are you asking me to become?” </span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I’ve never heard this before.” (You’ve heard it now!)</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 106%;"> </span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change
your mind</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“ This is different than what I thought before.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m learning something new.”<span> </span><span> </span></span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Change your mind</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I’m not sure I know everything I should. </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">This is a good. This is hard.<span> </span><span> </span></span></b><i><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Changing
your mind</span></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“I wish I didn’t have so much to learn.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I care about you – I’m willing
to try.<span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;">Change you</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“ In time, we will figure out how to solve this.”<span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;">Change</span><b style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;">
</b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;">you</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“It isn’t perfect, but we have a start.”<span> </span></span></b><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> </span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 106%;">Change
you</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">“We must find a way, to truly, honestly, love one another.”<span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 14pt;">Changed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Children of God…it’s time to change our
minds.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">AMEN</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; break-after: avoid; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">THE GOSPEL: Matthew 21:23-32</span></b><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><sup><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">23</span></sup><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” <sup>24</sup>Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. <sup>25</sup>Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ <sup>26</sup>But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” <sup>27</sup>So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <sup>28</sup>“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ <sup>29</sup>He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. <sup>30</sup>The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. <sup>31</sup>Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. <sup>32</sup>For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and <a name="_Hlk51930413">even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”</a></span></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-40343157621357328852020-09-07T11:38:00.006-05:002020-09-07T11:41:56.077-05:00Windy Day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WOcf38I8JNo/X1ZhtLULnQI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/uoFA52A3ocgfjN8kgkpJ1fUZEvuz5p-hACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/trees2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WOcf38I8JNo/X1ZhtLULnQI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/uoFA52A3ocgfjN8kgkpJ1fUZEvuz5p-hACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/trees2.jpg" /></a></div><br />There is nothing better than a windy day.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One that arrives, with
almost, too-much-force.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Disheveling hair.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Opening the door of my soul.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stealing the sound of my laughter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">like a game<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">of hide and seek.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whipping around my arms and legs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Holding space for me to ebb and flow –<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like the seagull held secure in her head-first,
wing-flapping, flight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Going somewhere and nowhere at the same time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a playful space <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">to pull and press<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">worry, hope, and wonder <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">in and around me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Refreshing, drawing out, and channeling away, </p><p class="MsoNormal">everything that
keeps me <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">from</p><p class="MsoNormal">flying.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Copyright September 2020 T.L. Eastman</p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-90935980469230269782020-08-19T09:19:00.008-05:002020-08-19T09:19:56.539-05:00Count on love<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt;">1 2 3 4 What do we stand on a rock for</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5 6 7 8 We stand for God’s love, don’t hesitate!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We’ve been blessed with hearts bold and stout worthy
strong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We, like Peter, have been called by love our whole
lives long.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To stand for love, justice and grace – Everywhere we
go, mercy all over the place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wherever it is a rock you see<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That is the place for love to be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the place for love to be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You are the place for love to be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Crying out with songs of praise<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Never-ending for all our days<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lived, shared, generous, true.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">LOVE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wherever we go, God’s love is calling you …<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 2 3 4 What do we stand on a rock for<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">5 6 7 8 We stand for
God’s love, don’t hesitate!</span>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-19306731256301467912020-08-16T11:41:00.003-05:002020-08-16T11:41:53.045-05:00A woman teaches Jesus something new<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gm3vM8u2RM/Xzlhoryn1sI/AAAAAAAAKik/n994ZFHIaxY1KY4YFLT6shbQ6bmquM-EACLcBGAsYHQ/s275/Canaanite-Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gm3vM8u2RM/Xzlhoryn1sI/AAAAAAAAKik/n994ZFHIaxY1KY4YFLT6shbQ6bmquM-EACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Canaanite-Woman.jpg" width="426" /></a></b></div><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we hear the account of Jesus and the
Canaanite woman, I want us to pause to listen to today’s text from the prophet
Isaiah – as the prophet teaches the expansive nature of God’s house – as a
house of prayer for ALL peoples.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Isaiah 56:1, 6-8<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thus says the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>:<br />
Maintain justice, and do what is right,<br />
for soon my salvation will come,<br />
and my deliverance be revealed.<br />
</span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And the foreigners who join themselves to
the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>,<br />
to minister to him, to love the name of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
and to be his servants,<br />
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,<br />
and hold fast my covenant—<br />
</span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">these I will bring to my holy mountain,<br />
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;<br />
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices<br />
will be accepted on my altar;<br />
for my house shall be called a house of prayer<br />
for all peoples.<br />
</span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thus says the Lord <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>,<br />
who gathers the outcasts of Israel,<br />
I will gather others to them<br />
besides those already gathered.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today as we worship together and focus on
prayer – specifically prayers for healing – I am struck by a story of Jesus,</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> early in his ministry. It is odd, because he does
not seem to fully grasp the breadth of humanity that God is calling him to serve.
He hesitates to heal a child, because she and her mother come from a tribe that
historically was an enemy of the Jewish people. Matthew’s use of the term
“Canaanite” to describe this woman, <i>recalls historical animosities and
reinforces the fact that significant social barriers existed between Jew and
non-Jew.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There is some difficult history between the people of Israel and Canaan;
but that history of war and broken relationship will not stop this woman, this
mother, intent on finding healing for her child. She pushes past the verbal
brush off and displays a faith in God that becomes an opportunity for Jesus to
learn something new. To his rebuff that he is called to focus on the people of
Israel, she responds with these words: </span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs
that fall from their masters’ table.” </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the love for her child, this
woman, challenges Jesus’ then limited sense of calling. She kicks down the
doors of historical grudges, segregation of ethnic groups, as well as gender
mores, and in what some might call a “come to Jesus conversation”; calls Jesus
to embrace the depth, width, and breadth of his calling to minister to and
with: ALL THE PEOPLES. This Canaanite woman echoes the intent of the prophet
Isaiah and teaches Jesus that he was called to care for – and heal – ALL
PEOPLE.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There is nothing like a parent – or in this
case – the strength of a mother, living out the role of a “mama bear” moment. I
think of the dig deep moments of motherhood (and parenthood), but for the point
I think it is important to take note of the strength depicted in this woman’s
example.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>She reminds me of the “mama bear – come – to –
Jesus – teaching – living witness”, of faith in difficulty.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have seen many mamma bears:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a woman of a sick child - is a force of
nature seeking healing, a woman grieving the loss of a child - wails out for
justice, a woman seeking the needs of all children be met. She calls out boldly
for food, health care, safe shelter and for the opportunity for all children
the right to breathe the air around them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This women’s faith is a witness to her spiritual
depth, her connection to the Holy Spirit, and her courage to see things in a
way they had never been seen before. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When we hear the Gospel of Matthew 15, we are
challenged by what we know of Jesus – because his response seems more human
than divine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this gospel, we witness the amazing moment where Jesus learns
something more about who and how God has called him to serve. Jesus is not the healer
of one nation – but all nations.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I am thankful for the witness of the Canaanite woman, because she had
faith that not only brought healing to her daughter – but helped Jesus see his
own ministry and mission in a deeper, wider and grace-centered way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because of the lesson of the Canaanite woman who displayed “mama bear”
love, courage, and persistence so that her daughter would be healed – she
helped Jesus focus for mission to expand and include ALL PEOPLE.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would suggest, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Canaanite
woman helped to define the truth that: God’s love is greater that all the
things that try to divide us.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It can be hard to witness Jesus, learning something new, but if we are
honest, we know that God has ways of working through moments of surprise and
wonder. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">AND If Jesus needed to learn something new about who and what he was
called to live into in his mission, we can assume we might have more learning
to do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like Jesus, we are being called by the voice of the Holy Spirit, to learn
our mission is bigger than we understand, yet…</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like the prophet Isaiah calling the people of Israel to expand their understanding
to include ALL PEOPLE in God’s house of prayer – we too are called to curate
space in our world, community and church that welcome ALL peoples. As I look to
scripture for resolve, I find the words of the prophet Isaiah calling out: <b><i>“Maintain
justice and do what is right…for my house shall be called a house of prayer for
all peoples.”</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I give thanks for the mamma bears. I give
thanks for Canaanite woman. I give thanks for Holy Spirit who taught Jesus
about the expansive love and grace of God for all peoples. Without the lessons
of these mama-bears </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">– I wonder if Jesus would have stood up for the
Samaritan Woman, healed lepers, turned over the money-changers tables in the temple,
or even gone to the cross?</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The voice of the Holy Spirit calls all mama, papa, young, old, he, she,
they, middle-of-life, black, brown, white, bears to use their voice, hands,
resources and imagination to make room for ALL PEOPLES in God’s house of
prayer.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You may not recognize it yet – but you are a beloved bear of God. You
have a voice. You have a calling. You have gifts that God needs in the world
today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This – great expansive mission and family of God – will be a house of
prayer. A place of peace and love and care. A place to learn to love and share.
This will, you will, we will be a house of prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Prayer: </span></b><br />
<i><span style="background: white;">God, give us your courage. Help expand our
vision for mission and ministry to expand to ALL PEOPLE. Teach us that your
love is greater. Amen<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><b><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Matthew 15:21-28</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">21</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">22</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">23</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">24</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">25</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">26</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">27</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” </span><sup><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">28</span></sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.</span></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-4013227750712968442020-08-14T09:44:00.002-05:002020-08-18T16:44:29.670-05:00Creek walk <p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrlUVJAU4Io/XzajVeZIPFI/AAAAAAAAKiY/XYX_zAq4SsoiI95bZ-Pmd3T-ZBFKy54ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Houseofprayer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrlUVJAU4Io/XzajVeZIPFI/AAAAAAAAKiY/XYX_zAq4SsoiI95bZ-Pmd3T-ZBFKy54ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/Houseofprayer.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Rocks, lines, running, laughing - going somewhere bigger.</p><p>Missed, overlooked.</p><p>Determined, telling me something important.</p><p>Refill with a silver ladle.</p><p>Missed, overlooked.</p><p>Salamander, tadpole, dragonfly, sparrow - alive because you are here.</p><p>Refill with a silver ladle.</p><p>Where the common people walk.</p><p>Salamander, tadpole, dragonfly, sparrow - alive because you are here.</p><p>Determined, telling me something important.</p><p>Where the common people walk.</p><p>Rocks, lines, running, laughing - going somewhere bigger.</p><p><br /></p><p>(French Pantoum) Copyright 2020, August - T. L. Eastman</p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-27256102174940627792020-08-10T21:15:00.006-05:002020-08-14T09:35:30.407-05:00If I had one more day<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We'd wake up early to drink hot,
black coffee in the summer heat - <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> because you believe the heat
of the coffee will help keep us cool as we...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
walk to the garden, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
pull
up carrots whole out of the earth<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
and
pick and eat concord grapes - <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
until
we can't eat anymore and then go<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sit on the front porch, in those
aluminum bouncy chairs,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">re-painted and re-painted in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
bright,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
cheery,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
colors.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'd look, unapologetic, at your
silver, course, curls<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and stare into your beautifully tan
handsome face - <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and will my straight, dark hair
silver<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and my skin golden brown - <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
longing to
embody<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
your glorious, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
shimmering <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
glow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'd open my ears to catch each
syllable and note<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of your Welsh tenor voice<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and turn up the volume <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to record into my memory:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b> "How Great Thou
Art",</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
thrilling stories of wild bears<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
and worlds no
one had ever seen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Somehow your voice, your song, and
your imagination<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 3.5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> -
would always bring me back to life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'd open my mouth wide,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to breathe in all the oxygen of you
that I could<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to exhale my joy and love for
you, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in a rollicking laugh<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- a twinning sound <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
that we share,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You see me, know me and love
me. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We share part of the same soul
or mind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - or something, I still don't have words
to explain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ceremoniously, as night draws near,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you reach out<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
and gently place into<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
the
palms of my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
expectant hands<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - too-many-quarters<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and
say, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Till next time."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
..."Till the next time."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7QsIXqfWYg/XzH9t-HbfOI/AAAAAAAAKiA/ZGUaDhYsX3IVyLJLw-xcJ5ImalekJpfVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Loveinfinty2019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7QsIXqfWYg/XzH9t-HbfOI/AAAAAAAAKiA/ZGUaDhYsX3IVyLJLw-xcJ5ImalekJpfVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Loveinfinty2019.jpg" /></a></i></div><p><span><i>Poem written in honor of "</i></span><i>Grandpap" John Dunn</i></p><p>Copyright August 2020 Tara L. Eastman</p><p><br /></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37245067.post-23435755652881612372020-08-06T08:47:00.001-05:002020-08-06T09:26:36.316-05:00Two late - a love note from St. M and St. R<p> </p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I85PPWG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzu94F_hd8s/XywSxQxgbxI/AAAAAAAAKhA/lgiLncNrdXorwMoYviaPiYYySE2BJ0p3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Anditwasgood.jpg" /></a></span></div><span> </span>Too late<p></p><p>I opened the pages</p><p>of a new to me book</p><p>written by </p><p>an author</p><p>I loved.</p><p>I was in a hurry</p><p>to get to the</p><p>pages that </p><p>I </p><p>just </p><p>learned</p><p>existed.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>Too late.</p><p>I rushed through</p><p>the forward</p><p>greedy to get to the main event.</p><p>But the words</p><p>cut me</p><p>to the quick.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span>Too late.</p><p><i>"Who's writing this? I know this voice."</i></p><p>The tone, the hope, the wisdom </p><p>slowed</p><p>me</p><p>down</p><p>to savor every word.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>Too late.</p><p>I knew it was you.</p><p>You write these words</p><p>like they are just for me.</p><p>You write your words</p><p>so I hear your voice</p><p>in my head.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span>Too late.</span><br /></p><p>The</p><p>writer</p><p>is/was </p><p>dear to me.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span> Too late.</span><br /></p><p>She is/was dear to many.</p><p>I wish I could write, is instead of, was.</p><p>But, was is, what it is.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span>Too late.</span><br /></p><p>St. M, thank you for asking St. R to write this.</p><p>I know you are having a rollicking time. Writing, laughing and walking arm in arm.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span>Too late.</span><br /></p><p>Thank you for leaving beautiful words,</p><p>that feel like a love note</p><p>just for me.</p><p><span> </span><span> <span> </span> Too late.</span><br /></p><p>You two knew, </p><p>to leave me a surprise</p><p>for a sad day </p><p>a too late night</p><p>and</p><p>my </p><p>no-longer</p><p>weary</p><p> heart.</p><p><span> <span> </span><span> </span> Two late.</span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Dedicated to <a href="https://www.madeleinelengle.com/" target="_blank">Madeline L'Engle</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Held_Evans" target="_blank">Rachel Held Evans</a></p><p>Copyright August 2020 Tara Lamont Eastman</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tara Lamonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13491954863446932424noreply@blogger.com0