A friend forwarded this to me earlier this week. It is attributed to Regina Brett, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. It seemed fitting to pass it on.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is
all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never
blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up
to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an
answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, "In five years, will this
matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or
didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab
ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Daily Bread
There are several references to bread in the Bible. Two of the more familiar deal with sustaining life. While in the wilderness, Jesus is no doubt hungry. The devil suggests that he turn stones into bread--a rather extreme but perhaps practical proposition given that he is the Son of God and would apparently have this kind of power at his disposal. But Jesus' responds, "One does not live by bread alone..." What follows are the words "but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
What exactly is the word that comes from the mouth of God? Is it the Bible? Is it the Spirit that blows upon the faceless void and creates life? Is it the narration of a Great Storyteller? Whatever it is, it would appear that our lives are indeed dependent upon it.
Another common reference to bread comes to us from the Lord's Prayer...Give us this day our daily bread... In light of the story above (Jesus' temptation), the reference to daily bread seems to be twofold. First, it refers to God's sustaining word in our lives. And second, it seems to be a request for food or whatever it is that we need to keep going.
I appreciate that Jesus invites us to ask for the things that we need. Although we may not necessarily know what it is that we need, I like the fact that we seem to have a Lord who wants us to have this.
According to Jesus, our lives are especially dependent upon the word of God. In addition to the more familiar ways in which the Word comes to us (Scripture and Christian Conversation), I suspect that God reaches us in other ways as well. For example, there are times that music has literally breathed life into what has become a very dry spirit within me. Walking in the woods, smelling fresh air, seeing an old friend... I suspect that God not only makes do but indeed enjoys lifting our lives in ways beyond what we put into our mouths.
What exactly is the word that comes from the mouth of God? Is it the Bible? Is it the Spirit that blows upon the faceless void and creates life? Is it the narration of a Great Storyteller? Whatever it is, it would appear that our lives are indeed dependent upon it.
Another common reference to bread comes to us from the Lord's Prayer...Give us this day our daily bread... In light of the story above (Jesus' temptation), the reference to daily bread seems to be twofold. First, it refers to God's sustaining word in our lives. And second, it seems to be a request for food or whatever it is that we need to keep going.
I appreciate that Jesus invites us to ask for the things that we need. Although we may not necessarily know what it is that we need, I like the fact that we seem to have a Lord who wants us to have this.
According to Jesus, our lives are especially dependent upon the word of God. In addition to the more familiar ways in which the Word comes to us (Scripture and Christian Conversation), I suspect that God reaches us in other ways as well. For example, there are times that music has literally breathed life into what has become a very dry spirit within me. Walking in the woods, smelling fresh air, seeing an old friend... I suspect that God not only makes do but indeed enjoys lifting our lives in ways beyond what we put into our mouths.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Blessings
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.’ 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.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matt. 15:22-28)
I have always been drawn to this story. It all seems just about right. The woman is seeking a blessing but the timing and circumstances are working against her: It's the wrong place. The timing is inconvenient. And she's not the right brand... Nevertheless, she is determined. Her daughter needs help and she is convinced that Jesus can do something for her.
According to Matthew, and apparently Jesus, it is precisely this determination that makes the difference. She wants a blessing and she is not going to let the familiar blocks get in the way.
The two pieces here are important I think. First, it is good for us to admit that we are all looking for a blessing. Call it would you will...a break, a surprise, a second chance... There are times when we are really looking for some relief. And we hope that God is the kind of God who is willing to help out.
Right? Because in the scheme of things, our unique challenges probably don't seem like all that much. So we would probably understand if God is simply too busy with things like World Peace and making sure the planets stay in orbit. Yet, at the same time, we are still hoping that our personal problems can somehow find a place on God's radar screen.
This brings us to the second piece. The story of above suggests that sometimes we have to make a little noise. We might have to be a little annoying and ignore the barbs and blocks that might otherwise send us fleeing back to our hovels. The picture, a portrayal of Jacob wrestling with the angel at Peniel, suggests that we might even have to fight for those blessings. Which is really not so bad... If something really matters, we should probably be willing to make something of a scene anyway.
Besides, if we are talking about a real blessing, then it's gotta be worth it. Doesn't it?
I have always been drawn to this story. It all seems just about right. The woman is seeking a blessing but the timing and circumstances are working against her: It's the wrong place. The timing is inconvenient. And she's not the right brand... Nevertheless, she is determined. Her daughter needs help and she is convinced that Jesus can do something for her.
According to Matthew, and apparently Jesus, it is precisely this determination that makes the difference. She wants a blessing and she is not going to let the familiar blocks get in the way.
The two pieces here are important I think. First, it is good for us to admit that we are all looking for a blessing. Call it would you will...a break, a surprise, a second chance... There are times when we are really looking for some relief. And we hope that God is the kind of God who is willing to help out.
Right? Because in the scheme of things, our unique challenges probably don't seem like all that much. So we would probably understand if God is simply too busy with things like World Peace and making sure the planets stay in orbit. Yet, at the same time, we are still hoping that our personal problems can somehow find a place on God's radar screen.
This brings us to the second piece. The story of above suggests that sometimes we have to make a little noise. We might have to be a little annoying and ignore the barbs and blocks that might otherwise send us fleeing back to our hovels. The picture, a portrayal of Jacob wrestling with the angel at Peniel, suggests that we might even have to fight for those blessings. Which is really not so bad... If something really matters, we should probably be willing to make something of a scene anyway.
Besides, if we are talking about a real blessing, then it's gotta be worth it. Doesn't it?
Monday, May 4, 2009
I Remember Joe...and John
"I Remember Joe"
Oh, your golden lights of America
Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo
And the humming of the rails down through Kansas
They brought Joseph in from Baltimore
The Cavalry, the Indians, and an Old Dan were his only friends
Then the Old Dan died and the Indians' plight
Made the Cavalry young Joe's enemy
Oh, the outlaws spilled the blood across the
Kansas plains back in the '70s
Joseph took a badge for America
To defend you from your fantasies
Joseph wore that badge across the Kansas prairies to save the railroads.
But the heroes that we made, well, they were ruthless soldiers who'd kill for gold.
With a broken heart for the frontier plains
Joseph sat a-rocking in his front-porch swing
That old tin badge is tarnished now
You know it was just a young man's dream.
And old man's tales are hard to reach when you
Don't believe in your American Dream.
The Indians, the buffalo and old Joe Mason
They died from memory.
Oh, your golden lights of America,
Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo.
And the humming of the rails down through
Kansas, they brought Joseph in from Baltimore.
The Cavalry, the Indians, and an Old Dan...
Forsaken old man.
Oh, your golden lights of America.
(Nanci Griffith, from the original recording, "There's a Light Beyond These Woods" 1978)
Nanci Griffith is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. She has an exceptional gift of capturing the subtleties of the human experience. "I Remember Joe" is the first song on one of her early albums. It's a sad song but it's a sadness to which I am drawn.
I had a friend in high school who was kind of like this. His name was John. It still is...I just haven't seen him for a while. For a lot of reasons, John was sometimes tough to get along with--but mostly because he wasn't much for pretense. John was the kind of guy who just wouldn't go in for the usual things that people like to do in order to be accepted. He just hated pretense. And because there is so much pretense in people, it sometimes seemed like he actually hated people. He loved animals though. And he was immensely loyal to his friends. I count myself blessed because I was one of them.
It was an ongoing question that I never really understood. How could a guy who could be so compassionate to animals and so loyal to friends be so generally abrasive to most of the world around him? Looking back, I suspect that it has something to do with disappointment or, more aptly, disillusionment. In this world, if our eyes and heart are open, it doesn't take long to get dust and dirt in them. I suspect that John just learned a bit earlier than the rest of us that the worst of the world's dust and dirt comes from the attitudes and actions of people. Of course, it isn't all dust and dirt and there's more than one way to respond to our disillusionment but it's hard to blame the folks that turn their backs on all that pain and cruelty...
We all feel like that sometimes. We see something or run into something, maybe a stream of things that just turns everything sour. It can be hard to find cause to take another look or focus on something else. In this regard, I remember John. And I will never fault somebody for listening to sad music.
At the same time, I want to avoid those pits that don't seem to have an exit. And just like there is plenty of disillusionment around, there are also great signs of hope. There are blessings everywhere. And they will often come to us from the most unlikely places.
For example, did you see the race yesterday? Did you see the spirit of that horse coming from dead-last to win the Kentucky Derby? If you didn't, run a search. There are plenty of videos out there. The best part is the narration. The announcer doesn't even see Mine That Bird. The horse is well in the lead before he even acknowledges that he is coming on. Even the jockey is obviously shocked. He had been runnin' the horse down for being small. A $9500 horse winning the Kentucky Derby...Awesome.
This time of year, I always go back and reread the story of Secretariat. I watch again that amazing run at Belmont and listen to the people who were close to that horse. Of course, Secretariat was never a $9500 horse. But that doesn't matter. Here was one of God's creatures that was just not going to let the world take away his spirit. What a story. Of course, it's easy to like animals--especially the great ones. But even the unsung heroes--the ones living in our homes or trying to survive in the the natural patches still left in our suburbs--they can inspire us as well.
There's people like that too... We probably won't find them on television but they're out there...
Oh, your golden lights of America
Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo
And the humming of the rails down through Kansas
They brought Joseph in from Baltimore
The Cavalry, the Indians, and an Old Dan were his only friends
Then the Old Dan died and the Indians' plight
Made the Cavalry young Joe's enemy
Oh, the outlaws spilled the blood across the
Kansas plains back in the '70s
Joseph took a badge for America
To defend you from your fantasies
Joseph wore that badge across the Kansas prairies to save the railroads.
But the heroes that we made, well, they were ruthless soldiers who'd kill for gold.
With a broken heart for the frontier plains
Joseph sat a-rocking in his front-porch swing
That old tin badge is tarnished now
You know it was just a young man's dream.
And old man's tales are hard to reach when you
Don't believe in your American Dream.
The Indians, the buffalo and old Joe Mason
They died from memory.
Oh, your golden lights of America,
Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo.
And the humming of the rails down through
Kansas, they brought Joseph in from Baltimore.
The Cavalry, the Indians, and an Old Dan...
Forsaken old man.
Oh, your golden lights of America.
(Nanci Griffith, from the original recording, "There's a Light Beyond These Woods" 1978)
Nanci Griffith is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. She has an exceptional gift of capturing the subtleties of the human experience. "I Remember Joe" is the first song on one of her early albums. It's a sad song but it's a sadness to which I am drawn.
I had a friend in high school who was kind of like this. His name was John. It still is...I just haven't seen him for a while. For a lot of reasons, John was sometimes tough to get along with--but mostly because he wasn't much for pretense. John was the kind of guy who just wouldn't go in for the usual things that people like to do in order to be accepted. He just hated pretense. And because there is so much pretense in people, it sometimes seemed like he actually hated people. He loved animals though. And he was immensely loyal to his friends. I count myself blessed because I was one of them.
It was an ongoing question that I never really understood. How could a guy who could be so compassionate to animals and so loyal to friends be so generally abrasive to most of the world around him? Looking back, I suspect that it has something to do with disappointment or, more aptly, disillusionment. In this world, if our eyes and heart are open, it doesn't take long to get dust and dirt in them. I suspect that John just learned a bit earlier than the rest of us that the worst of the world's dust and dirt comes from the attitudes and actions of people. Of course, it isn't all dust and dirt and there's more than one way to respond to our disillusionment but it's hard to blame the folks that turn their backs on all that pain and cruelty...
We all feel like that sometimes. We see something or run into something, maybe a stream of things that just turns everything sour. It can be hard to find cause to take another look or focus on something else. In this regard, I remember John. And I will never fault somebody for listening to sad music.
At the same time, I want to avoid those pits that don't seem to have an exit. And just like there is plenty of disillusionment around, there are also great signs of hope. There are blessings everywhere. And they will often come to us from the most unlikely places.
For example, did you see the race yesterday? Did you see the spirit of that horse coming from dead-last to win the Kentucky Derby? If you didn't, run a search. There are plenty of videos out there. The best part is the narration. The announcer doesn't even see Mine That Bird. The horse is well in the lead before he even acknowledges that he is coming on. Even the jockey is obviously shocked. He had been runnin' the horse down for being small. A $9500 horse winning the Kentucky Derby...Awesome.
This time of year, I always go back and reread the story of Secretariat. I watch again that amazing run at Belmont and listen to the people who were close to that horse. Of course, Secretariat was never a $9500 horse. But that doesn't matter. Here was one of God's creatures that was just not going to let the world take away his spirit. What a story. Of course, it's easy to like animals--especially the great ones. But even the unsung heroes--the ones living in our homes or trying to survive in the the natural patches still left in our suburbs--they can inspire us as well.
There's people like that too... We probably won't find them on television but they're out there...
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