Uphill idealist

Place - Western New York, in a small post-industrial city continuing to effort of reinventing itself. There are many small towns an cities like this along the northeast. But this is my town. My family and I have lived and worked in this community for over 20 years now. Personally, I've served in three different church denominations during that time here. I don't think it's even possible to count the number of people I've had the honor to get to know over that time, but as my children will tell you it's impossible for me to get groceries without seeing at least five people that I know. But this is not really my story, this is God's story. Over the last twenty years, there are two practices that I feel have been God's gift to me: Creativity and relationships. As suggested before, relationships happen when you are in one place long enough. However authentic relationships require compassion, listening, persistence and grace. For relationships to m...

Ash Wednesday is a holy day that brings reflection and contemplation to the center of life. Perhaps for me it's a day to reflect on spiritual matters that I am too busy to notice. Or maybe it is the meeting of slowing down and preparation with the Lenten season being married to the coldest and bleakest times of year in my region (WNY). Either way I love this slow and sad day. It's a sadness that marks the shadows and valleys of life and instead of diminishing or avoiding them - embraces death wholly and if even so bold to mark its presence with a mark on our foreheads. Ash Wednesday and Lent is a time to be honest about our vulnerability and limits. This marking of who we actually are is important, and good, and sad - and probably why I love this melancholy day. As Lent has begun for 2015 I think it will be a time of relenting for me. Relenting seeking something-anything more. Relenting from being better, seeking perfection and longing for someone to see something special in me...

In the mix and business of life, it’s important to have a space to be yourself and simply be. If you think of this space in your own life, where would it be? While living out who we are at home and work are important and time-consuming parts of daily living, there is something to be said for spending time in a space called “Third Space”. In the book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg spends a great deal of time explaining the differences between: first, second and third spaces. “Oldenburg calls  ones  "first place" the home and those that one lives with. The "second place" is the workplace — where people may actually spend most of their time. Third places, then, are "anchors" of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Oldenburg ) Third space is not something new, but the definition of the places we spend our lives may be a new perspective  to ponder.  Oldenburg’s theory of third space...

In the fall of 2010 I was introduced to TED talks.  I watched an eighteen minute talk by researcher and storyteller - Brene’ Brown. ( brenebrown.com ). If you haven't seen a TED talks they have become an international phenomenon,  where people from various and unlimited backgrounds share short talks that are:  “Ideas worth sharing”. (For more information on TED talks – look online here: www.TED.com ) Brene’ Brown captured my attention in her short talk when she talked about the difference between divided living in contrast with “whole-hearted” living. Through her extensive research, Brene’ discovered an essential ingredient to “whole-hearted” living – vulnerability . She claims that vulnerability is an important key to living out lives in the place of wholeheartedness.  The more I listened to her words, the louder my own heart pounded. The words I heard were making something deep inside me sit up and take notice.  Once my perspective on vul...

This article first appeared in First Lutheran Church's January 2015 newsletter, but I share it here because the message of what "track" we listen to and live by has legs here as well. Thank you for your grace on the context, and may this track be one that is life-giving to you in the days to come. We are on the heels of the Christmas season and there has been some time to pause and reflect on the story of the Christ child and the message of love and forgiveness God brings to us through him. You have heard the story of the Nativity from the Sunday School youth of our church, heard beautiful music proclaiming the gospel from our choir led by Kimberly King, and perhaps have listened to the Jamestown High School A’ Capella Choir sing for the vespers service (the 90 th year anniversary by the way.) There has been a great deal of proclamation as well a much to take in and listen to. Personally, this last week of Advent has been a challenge for me as I’ve been with...

Starting today begins a 14 day challenge to post images that inspire courage. For the next two weeks, I'll be posting one image a day to participate in this visual adventure in courage. If you would like to join in the challenge, just follow the guide for themes and add the hashtag #14DaysofCourage. Have courage! Day one image: Your Inspiration Title: Emmanuel "God with us"

One of my favorite TV shows as a child was Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. You may recall his catchy song, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood”, his cardigan sweaters, and his red toy trolley that traveled to the land of “make believe”. Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister who was unsatisfied with television programming for children and created the well-known TV program that has become an icon in children’s television history. Years after watching the program, I read a memoir by Tim Madigan called, ‘I’m proud of you’ . In this book, I learned how important compassion and thanksgiving inspired Fred Rogers not only to reach out to the children of world, but also to singular individuals. After an interview conducted by Tim, Fred  befriended  him and became an important friend and mentor throughout his life. What could have been a one time meeting turned into life-changing friendship. Fred Rogers seemed to have an amazing ability to connect with people – ...