Uphill idealist

What are the things that wake me up? Quite literally my alarm clock that goes off at 6am every morning to wake me up. Alarm noise is followed by a robust greeting from not-so-dainty 40lb. beagle cattle dog - Aggie. She plops on top of me with great anticipation of the great outdoor trek just minutes away from her Alphas feet hitting the floor. If I don't move fast enough, doggy kisses are on the way. Doggy kisses at 6am have an effective wake up call for just about anyone - espically me. When I think about the awareness of my dog, and her ability to be present to the moment, I'm challenged. In my very human way, I will so often be in a moment but at the same time be thinking, planning, or working out the moment that has passed or is yet to come. Dogs don't get caught up in the past or the future. Dog's live in the present. Even in the midst of a snoring canine sleep, Aggie will hear a noise and jump to attention barking at whatever has upset her rest. Often times, she w...

I happened to see an someone the other day that I had not spoken to in a while, and they asked how I was doing. We had the common conversational exchange that you have with someone that you need to catch up with. They had to be on their way, and said... " I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life." I responded, " I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up either." We laughed at our pondering and went on our way. Truth be told, I think I know more than I often say, "Who I want to be when I grow up." As a person who looks grown up on the outside, I should have some concept of the who that makes up me...right? Being the kind of person I would like to be requires for me to make some choices in all sorts of areas. Do I choose to eat healthy and exercise daily - most of the time. Do I take the time to really be attentive to the people that are in my life? Do I pause and give G-d the space and time to move, lead and work in my spirit? These a...

Last week I was introduced to a young teaching musician from Birmingham England, Clifford Harding , or NK for short. NK teaches multiplication math facts via rap rhymes (Tunes times tables) to help primary students learn and better retain math information, as well as making it more fun. He began this method of teaching after his son came home from school frustrated because he did not know his math facts. At that point, NK admits, " I did not know my times tables either! So how could I help my son with a problem I had not mastered?" NK began the process of writing rhymes to the times tables, set them to a beat and now has been teaching them since 1998. In the times we spoke during his visit to the Jamestown area last week, NK spoke of the shift in his own attitude in life when he became motivated to help others. NK had grown up in a working class city environment and faced the challenges of choosing the high road, when so many of his friends did not. At youth group last Wedne...