It is January in New England ... and it is snowing! Surprise! Surprise! But sometimes even the planned or expected is still a surprise.
We wonder at growing older. We wonder but yet we still, somewhere in the back of our minds, count our birthdays.
So sometimes we must be simply remembering that even the things surprising are really just the expected seen with wider eyes.
Enjoy your expected and your unexpected surprises today!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Possibility
Several weeks ago, the lesson for the day from Mark talked about the rich young ruler. He seemed to be the model of the positive. He was positive that he had fulfilled the commandments to the letter and done so since he was a child. He seemed certain that he was doing all he could. But there was doubt also ... doubt or arrogance. The young man came to Jesus to ask what he had to do to be saved. Perhaps he was unsure. Or, perhaps, he was so sure that he had done it ALL that he could claim his crown while still here in the flesh.
Jesus saw it differently. Jesus wound up, in the end, talking to the disciples about how hard it is for a rich person to understand the plight of the poor. Marie Antoinette ran into this. Her famous quote was : No Bread? Then let them eat Cake! This quote shows the immense misunderstandings that can happen when your pantry has NEVER been bare.
When we talk about being positive, we have to be very mindful of ourselves. Remember: someone can look at you and say you are Positively Wrong!
Practice being Positive in the best sense of the word. Be the magnet that draws others, in a positive way, to the possibilities that exist for good in this world. Find a way to help one another. You probably won't have to give up everything to do that. But you may have to give up your most prized value: your self-centered nature.
The surprising thing is: real self-value has nothing to do with self at the center!
Jesus saw it differently. Jesus wound up, in the end, talking to the disciples about how hard it is for a rich person to understand the plight of the poor. Marie Antoinette ran into this. Her famous quote was : No Bread? Then let them eat Cake! This quote shows the immense misunderstandings that can happen when your pantry has NEVER been bare.
When we talk about being positive, we have to be very mindful of ourselves. Remember: someone can look at you and say you are Positively Wrong!
Practice being Positive in the best sense of the word. Be the magnet that draws others, in a positive way, to the possibilities that exist for good in this world. Find a way to help one another. You probably won't have to give up everything to do that. But you may have to give up your most prized value: your self-centered nature.
The surprising thing is: real self-value has nothing to do with self at the center!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Spring Cycles
Sometimes we are cycling... not with bikes, although that is fun. Instead, we are cycling in life. We are moving through moments and then find the moment reappearing again.
We all cycle...if nothing more than through the seasons of the year. There are other cycles though. There are life cycles and there are cycles in life. Aging is a life cycle. Caring for an aging relative is a cycle in life. Some of us have done that with caregiving for elderly parents...first one, then the other, than an aunt or uncle. It seems like "same song...second verse" kind of stuff.
Some cylces are simply not fun! At Church, young people get very annoyed with "us" for singing the sixth verse of a song they really didn't like the first verse of .... and I can't blame them. They see those as wasted moments in their lives as the song consistently does not speak to them. It doesn't fit their experience or their spirituality. No amount of repetition will make it "work" for them. It is just not in the least conducive to where they are and where they are going. Things are supposed to conduct us on to the next stop in life, like the conductor on the old time trains. Sometimes things seem to be on a whole different track than we are on. ...And, as such, they just don't connect to us.
It seems I am always cycling.
One and done is NOT a part of my life.
Whatever I do, I get an opportunity to redo and, hopefully, do better.
Whether it is dishes (I like multiple meals per day so there are always dishes)
or children (there are twelve years between my sons),
I seem to be able to find a second cycle on everything I do.
My hope is that I am a better dishwasher, a better mom, and a better pastor each time I cycle back into an event or event stream.
Some see these as clearly lessons I have to learn. Some would say this is Karma in the current life. Some would ask me why I keep stepping into the same situations over and over.
I just think I cycle...and that we all do. I think I do learn something new each time and I do think that "action followed by equal and opposite reaction" applies to personal relationships as well as to science and physics I think I step back into situations because each time it is new again. Since I like clean dishes and not paper plates, I will wash. I love my kids so I still answer the phone when they call. And people still seem to like my sermons.
Repetition is not a bad thing. It can be a learning thing. It can be an enjoyment thing. It can be a sharing and teaching thing. .
The trick is to keep the cycle positive. If I start liking paper plates more than diswashing,I'll probably change. If the kids are really driving me crazy, I do know how to mute my phone (at least for an hour or two). And if misistry ever becomes so old and overbearing that the stress is more than the reward, I bet I could even step away from that. The trick is to find a new positive cycle... paper plates, phone-free moments, or a new outreach.
After all, isn't spring all about the old cycle of new life.
We all cycle...if nothing more than through the seasons of the year. There are other cycles though. There are life cycles and there are cycles in life. Aging is a life cycle. Caring for an aging relative is a cycle in life. Some of us have done that with caregiving for elderly parents...first one, then the other, than an aunt or uncle. It seems like "same song...second verse" kind of stuff.
Some cylces are simply not fun! At Church, young people get very annoyed with "us" for singing the sixth verse of a song they really didn't like the first verse of .... and I can't blame them. They see those as wasted moments in their lives as the song consistently does not speak to them. It doesn't fit their experience or their spirituality. No amount of repetition will make it "work" for them. It is just not in the least conducive to where they are and where they are going. Things are supposed to conduct us on to the next stop in life, like the conductor on the old time trains. Sometimes things seem to be on a whole different track than we are on. ...And, as such, they just don't connect to us.
It seems I am always cycling.
One and done is NOT a part of my life.
Whatever I do, I get an opportunity to redo and, hopefully, do better.
Whether it is dishes (I like multiple meals per day so there are always dishes)
or children (there are twelve years between my sons),
I seem to be able to find a second cycle on everything I do.
My hope is that I am a better dishwasher, a better mom, and a better pastor each time I cycle back into an event or event stream.
Some see these as clearly lessons I have to learn. Some would say this is Karma in the current life. Some would ask me why I keep stepping into the same situations over and over.
I just think I cycle...and that we all do. I think I do learn something new each time and I do think that "action followed by equal and opposite reaction" applies to personal relationships as well as to science and physics I think I step back into situations because each time it is new again. Since I like clean dishes and not paper plates, I will wash. I love my kids so I still answer the phone when they call. And people still seem to like my sermons.
Repetition is not a bad thing. It can be a learning thing. It can be an enjoyment thing. It can be a sharing and teaching thing. .
The trick is to keep the cycle positive. If I start liking paper plates more than diswashing,I'll probably change. If the kids are really driving me crazy, I do know how to mute my phone (at least for an hour or two). And if misistry ever becomes so old and overbearing that the stress is more than the reward, I bet I could even step away from that. The trick is to find a new positive cycle... paper plates, phone-free moments, or a new outreach.
After all, isn't spring all about the old cycle of new life.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Positivity in the Midst of Pain
If you have been following this, you will notice there has been a long break in my writing.
That is because I learned something...when your leg is broken, so is your life!
Finding the positive in the midst of pain and doctor visits is very difficult. Yes, you get to meet new people and you get to be part of a new round of experiences. Yes, you learn why they let people with handicap stickers park close and you learn that feet can go on the back of couches as you put your foot up to drain.
But all in all, positivity and pain do not go together. Instead pain seems to bring out sadness and negativity.
The only upside I have found so far is the renewed joy in life at the accomplishment of simple things like walking up the stairs, even slowly!
So please be patient as I heal ! And check back as summer promises new insights for me to share with you.
Thanks!
That is because I learned something...when your leg is broken, so is your life!
Finding the positive in the midst of pain and doctor visits is very difficult. Yes, you get to meet new people and you get to be part of a new round of experiences. Yes, you learn why they let people with handicap stickers park close and you learn that feet can go on the back of couches as you put your foot up to drain.
But all in all, positivity and pain do not go together. Instead pain seems to bring out sadness and negativity.
The only upside I have found so far is the renewed joy in life at the accomplishment of simple things like walking up the stairs, even slowly!
So please be patient as I heal ! And check back as summer promises new insights for me to share with you.
Thanks!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Niceness...Timid or Aggressive?
Ever watch any sports? I'm thinking of soccer or volleyball or basketball at the moment...even though hockey is really my favorite sport.
Think about how players play those sports. Those who hang back get trampled. Hockey is not bowling. With bowling, you get the whole lane to yourself for your moment in play. Hockey has a different definition of lane.
All those sports, including bowling and some others, require an aggressiveness on the part of the participant. Ever see a timid bowler? They wind up waiting patiently for their ball to ka-chunk its way slowly down to bump the pins and slide to the gutter. They don't score well.
Timid hockey players are left behind as are timid soccer and basketball atheletes. They watch the play move away from them. Wise players follow the play and do so aggressively meaning with intention and speed. It is even worse for the timid volleyball player. You get elbowed, flattened, and trampled...I know ... I am the ultimately timid volleyballer.
Niceness is a good quality. But timid niceness never gets seen. Timid niceness is the internal thought that never has a "thank you" fall out the mouth. Timid niceness is a shy smile at someone in a wheel chair who is having trouble negotiating the cafeteria line. The person knows you understand and appreciate that you aren't pushing them out of the way to get ahead of them in line. But niceness could do more!
I like to teach about "aggressive niceness" which is, simply, a niceness that has enough courage behind it to allow it to be seen. With "aggressive niceness" you actually become a player on the court of life for the niceness team. You are in the game and making plays.
Timidity is a modern curse disguised as "minding your own business" for most of us. We don't want to be pushy or overbearing. We certainly don't want to be aggressive in a negative sense.
Remember The Good Samaritan? Now there was a guy who practiced "aggressive niceness" far better than the other folks in the story. He will always be remembered for that.
Each day, life presents us with an opportunity or two where we could flex our "niceness muscles" but for most of us it would take practice. Put away that timid spirit for just a day or two and you might find there are great rewards for simple "niceness" well exercised.
Think about how players play those sports. Those who hang back get trampled. Hockey is not bowling. With bowling, you get the whole lane to yourself for your moment in play. Hockey has a different definition of lane.
All those sports, including bowling and some others, require an aggressiveness on the part of the participant. Ever see a timid bowler? They wind up waiting patiently for their ball to ka-chunk its way slowly down to bump the pins and slide to the gutter. They don't score well.
Timid hockey players are left behind as are timid soccer and basketball atheletes. They watch the play move away from them. Wise players follow the play and do so aggressively meaning with intention and speed. It is even worse for the timid volleyball player. You get elbowed, flattened, and trampled...I know ... I am the ultimately timid volleyballer.
Niceness is a good quality. But timid niceness never gets seen. Timid niceness is the internal thought that never has a "thank you" fall out the mouth. Timid niceness is a shy smile at someone in a wheel chair who is having trouble negotiating the cafeteria line. The person knows you understand and appreciate that you aren't pushing them out of the way to get ahead of them in line. But niceness could do more!
I like to teach about "aggressive niceness" which is, simply, a niceness that has enough courage behind it to allow it to be seen. With "aggressive niceness" you actually become a player on the court of life for the niceness team. You are in the game and making plays.
Timidity is a modern curse disguised as "minding your own business" for most of us. We don't want to be pushy or overbearing. We certainly don't want to be aggressive in a negative sense.
Remember The Good Samaritan? Now there was a guy who practiced "aggressive niceness" far better than the other folks in the story. He will always be remembered for that.
Each day, life presents us with an opportunity or two where we could flex our "niceness muscles" but for most of us it would take practice. Put away that timid spirit for just a day or two and you might find there are great rewards for simple "niceness" well exercised.
Meek, humble, and never mild
When we talk about being meek... what image comes to mind? My question... is that the style the "faithful" are supposed to have? Is there any other image?
My answer would be certainly and absolutely and necessarily!
The word that throws us off on our faith journey is the word MEEK. Modern folks identify that word with one that sounds like it... weak. But that is not the meaning in the Hebrew traditions.
Meek means humble in many ways...including who gets picked to be the poster child for Meek.... Moses! Now that was a surprise for me! I would never think of Moses as meek. He challenged lots of folks in his day! How can he be meek?
But he was never full of himself. He made mistakes. He was unsure of his speech. He didn't always listen well. He ran away a time or two. He sounds so much like me. And because of that, he doesn't sound like a leader is some ways, many ways.
Still, he was a pivotal leader for the Hebrew people. That basic fact leads us as we consider who he was. And he was, some say, the person to image when we image meek. Humble but dedicated, he was not weak.
When we are told the meek will inherit the earth, it sounds so very much like Moses and the Promised Land. But we miss that reference.
Moses was humble but had strength of character. He had some issues but was willing to work with God to overcome them. Moses made mistakes but prayerfully overcame those too.
If we could all be meek like Moses, I bet the faithful would make a bigger difference on this earth. I bet we'd maybe even turn a few things around politically, socially, economically and I bet then we would find we had indeed inherited the earth.
My answer would be certainly and absolutely and necessarily!
The word that throws us off on our faith journey is the word MEEK. Modern folks identify that word with one that sounds like it... weak. But that is not the meaning in the Hebrew traditions.
Meek means humble in many ways...including who gets picked to be the poster child for Meek.... Moses! Now that was a surprise for me! I would never think of Moses as meek. He challenged lots of folks in his day! How can he be meek?
But he was never full of himself. He made mistakes. He was unsure of his speech. He didn't always listen well. He ran away a time or two. He sounds so much like me. And because of that, he doesn't sound like a leader is some ways, many ways.
Still, he was a pivotal leader for the Hebrew people. That basic fact leads us as we consider who he was. And he was, some say, the person to image when we image meek. Humble but dedicated, he was not weak.
When we are told the meek will inherit the earth, it sounds so very much like Moses and the Promised Land. But we miss that reference.
Moses was humble but had strength of character. He had some issues but was willing to work with God to overcome them. Moses made mistakes but prayerfully overcame those too.
If we could all be meek like Moses, I bet the faithful would make a bigger difference on this earth. I bet we'd maybe even turn a few things around politically, socially, economically and I bet then we would find we had indeed inherited the earth.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Finding the Positive
Did you know that all words are not created equal?? That shouldn't surprise us. The English language has a way of doing things oddly... ask anyone who has learned English as a second language. It is filled with inconsistencies and special cases.
I am leading a workshop on "The Positive in God" and find to do so I have to invent a word. There is no word for the basic on-goings of a positive personality or outlook. We have a word for the negative and it is simply "negativity" ... it even gets dictionary space.
"Positivity" is another matter entirely. The word isn't listed in the dictionary. It even sounds odd to our ears. It just starts the whole debate: can you really invent words?
But I would argue this is no invention. You simply apply the same rules of the English language to the word Postive that you do to the word Negative. Why not? And why hasn't it been done before?
I think the word doesn't exist because it would get so little use. We live in a culture filled with negatives. We live in a news world that features tragedy because people enjoy watching the "tough thing" happen to somebody else. Our television watching includes lots of drama and crime. Even the situation comedy turns on a misfortunate turn of events.
I think there is a way to look at God, and God's world, that is not all gloom and doom. I think there is a way to look at God as a creator who celebrates giraffes and elephants and parrots. That is a Creator with a sense of humor and a sense of wonder. A negative God would have been content to stop at crows!
I don't expect to run into any giraffes today, even though I may walk into a room with a couple of elephants in it (that happens a lot in parish ministry). But I think God would want me looking for the giraffes even as I navigate the elephants.
I think God enjoys a smile. Since it takes fewer muscles to smile than frown, I have to bet that was God's subtle vote for smiles. I think that speaks of positivity.
I am leading a workshop on "The Positive in God" and find to do so I have to invent a word. There is no word for the basic on-goings of a positive personality or outlook. We have a word for the negative and it is simply "negativity" ... it even gets dictionary space.
"Positivity" is another matter entirely. The word isn't listed in the dictionary. It even sounds odd to our ears. It just starts the whole debate: can you really invent words?
But I would argue this is no invention. You simply apply the same rules of the English language to the word Postive that you do to the word Negative. Why not? And why hasn't it been done before?
I think the word doesn't exist because it would get so little use. We live in a culture filled with negatives. We live in a news world that features tragedy because people enjoy watching the "tough thing" happen to somebody else. Our television watching includes lots of drama and crime. Even the situation comedy turns on a misfortunate turn of events.
I think there is a way to look at God, and God's world, that is not all gloom and doom. I think there is a way to look at God as a creator who celebrates giraffes and elephants and parrots. That is a Creator with a sense of humor and a sense of wonder. A negative God would have been content to stop at crows!
I don't expect to run into any giraffes today, even though I may walk into a room with a couple of elephants in it (that happens a lot in parish ministry). But I think God would want me looking for the giraffes even as I navigate the elephants.
I think God enjoys a smile. Since it takes fewer muscles to smile than frown, I have to bet that was God's subtle vote for smiles. I think that speaks of positivity.
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