Uphill idealist

Image from Little Dipper. There are pieces of life's puzzle that help put things together and then there are pieces that make you feel like falling apart. When feeling weary, the mole hills can seem so much more like mountains, but then usually someone comes along and gently reminds you of their real perspective. The small mole hills, as annoying as they can be, usually can't mess with the overall composition of the big picture. Alongside of those mole hills, there is bread. Bits of bread that help to keep us in the game. These pieces of bread help to sustain us in all sorts of circumstances. We are all at different stages in the puzzle of our lives. But we may have some things in common - like getting all the beginning edge pieces linked or working on the "sky" section of the puzzle. So often we feel like we are the only person that has had to work through such a difficult puzzle, but in all reality there is a 'someone' out there who has felt or dealt with so...

This Saturday was a busy, busy day. Each spring we have an annual clean up downtown event and for the last two years I've encouraged the youth from our church and community to come and help. It was rainy and early but in all 14 youth and adults showed up this Saturday to clean up all trash from our Church yard and surrounding neighborhood. Thank you all for coming and helping! Saturday evening was my daughter Heather and her beau Will's Prom. Will is graduating this year, so Heather was invited to attend with him. It's amazing to me that my own daughter will be graduating from High School on only 374 days or so. Heather and Will had photographer Kenzie Mencer of Kaboom Photography come and do a photo shoot just before they went out to dinner and to the dance. I'm in love with these photos, even though they make more real how fast childhood passes. It's bittersweet, but it's so good to see pictures of how far she's come. I'm so proud that Heather is m...

Image from In a barrel jewelry . I think that everyone like to hear the words, "You are a Jem of a person!" . So after spending a little time treasure hunting this week, I came across two blog jems that shone. So I'm taking a moment to share them with you and give these blogs the,"Blog Jem Award!" The first is called "The Girl's Guide to Homelessness" . This blog chronicles the experience of the homelessness 23-year-old Brianna Karp . Her life experience and her blog are in the works of being published in her own biography and may be made into a film soon. Talk about taking hard times and making a future out of them! The second blog I stumbled across is the blog of Margot Starbuck (no, she is not in the coffee business.) On first glance on her blog, she quotes Micah 6:8 " Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.", which happens to be a verse I consider to be a life rule...and continue and strive to live by. Margot is a writer, a speaker, an...

Image from justynsmith.com My blogging friend Mary Lue wrote a very thought provoking post on our shared "Sleeping with Bread" meme this week. Here is an excerpt from this week's theme post... The bit that I want to bring to our Sleeping with Bread group here is the idea that sometimes we point fingers when we need to be lending a hand--or, in the very likely legitimate circumstance that we can't lend a hand, we at least stop pointing fingers. Ahh finger pointing. A grade school teacher once said to me, "It's not polite to point - anyhow there are more fingers pointing back at you when you point at someone else!" This idea came across in another conversation earlier this week too. A group of friends were talking about the things in other people that make them crazy. I listened and began to ponder if the things that we most notice in others that make us crazy are the things that most bother us about ourselves? Maybe those flaws are easier to criticize w...

Click into place like my favorite set of Lego's. Line up in a way so things make sense. But please don't let me in on too much at once. I couldn't bear not being surprised - when the "CLICK" happens and things suddenly, unexpectedly fall into place. Then I will rejoice with the "CLICKS". T.L.Eastman May 2010

Image from K.tok Blog. The gospel reading for this coming Sunday is John 17:20-26 and it deals with the themes of belief and unity in the lives of the believers in Jesus. When I think of when I've been most impressed with Christians, it's been when they take what they believe, are united by what they share and take action to serve others. It might sound trite, but the song "They will know we are Christians by our love.", comes to mind. One thing essential for such a miraculous thing as unity to occur is prayer. Without prayer we all just float along on good intentions and unattainable ideals. Prayer is the spiritual practice that keeps us together in unity. Prayer could be described as spiritual rubber cement. Or in this case...a high five for unity. Let me explain. Image from Catholicchalifax.org If prayer is so important, why is it so difficult to practice at times? I think some feel they don't have the right words to say or the plan of how to go about it. Year...

Sorry I've been mia this week, but I had a visitor of a flu bug that is just now starting to make a exit. I have a post for Friday - I've missed you!