The Church Calendar tells us that for the next four weeks we are in the Season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation and a time of waiting for Christ to come into our lives in new and fresh ways.
We do not like to wait, and we really do not like to prepare for things. We like to show up and stuff happen. We like for stuff to happen now. But, there are times we have to wait. There are times whatever it is we are waiting for has to happen sometime in the future. While we don’t like to prepare for things, more often than not, it is better for us to prepare ourselves than to just show up.
Sometimes in waiting and preparing it feels like “it” will never get here. But then we begin to see movement, or glimmers of hope. Finally things are beginning to happen. Things might not be the way we hope for them to be, but there is some excitement, there is some movement, possibly even some momentum is being built…
I think our community has experienced a sort of Advent of its own. I know that there have been some in our community waiting, maybe even preparing for things to “happen” here. They have waited and waited and waited. Some gave up hope and moved away thinking nothing will ever happen here. But there were those that remained hopeful, those that continued to wait…
There are changes taking place in our community. Some have been longing for these changes, others have been dreading them. There is talk of new homes being built, new businesses that might come to town, a health clinic. There is a new Elementary School; there is a new Fine Arts Center at the High School. Different churches and organizations have joined together in conversation to prepare to assist those that the CCRC assisted before it closed.
For some things are not changing fast enough, for others change is happening to quickly. However, if we as a community can condition ourselves to wait and prepare we may be surprised with the way we experience our community in new and fresh ways, much like those in the church wait and prepare and experience Christ in new and fresh ways during the holiday season.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thanksgiving
I started seeing ads for Black Friday this morning. But they were not really for this Friday, these discounts and holiday specials begin today, or some begin on Thursday to save me money on those hot gifts of the season.
When I lived in Kentucky with my wife, a store in a neighboring community would take down their Back to School decorations in September and put up their Christmas decorations. That bothered me a bit. What I felt they were telling me was that the weeks in September, the weeks leading up to Halloween/All Hallows Eve/All Saints day, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and the weeks of Advent really didn’t matter, let’s skip all that and go directly to Christmas.
Each year it seems like events and holidays during the fall are not ways to prepare for Christmas but speed bumps before Christmas. Let’s just skip all this other stuff and go directly to Christmas. This might not be so bad, but for most people they pack up Christmas just as its getting started. The Season of Christmas begins on Christmas day lasting 12 days (The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just a song) and ending on January 5, the following day being the beginning of Epiphany.
These holidays are not just speed bumps but were put in place by those who have gone before us to help us all pause and to all focus on something that should be important. What if we forgot the Black Friday deals and focused on spending time with our families to share about what we have to be thankful for in our lives. Might that change the way we spend the rest of our Thanksgiving holiday? Might it change what we do in the weeks leading up to the Christmas season?
My hope for my family is that as family begins to arrive at our house on Wednesday and Thursday we can enjoy the time we have together. As we sit down together to share a meal, watch a movie, or a football game, that we can remember the numerous things we have to be thankful for. That is my hope for your family as well.
I am very thankful for this community. Because of your efforts 80+ families are being fed through food boxes this thanksgiving season. Because of your donations Backpacks for Kids received additional funds to continue giving hope to kids and families. Because 40+ people from our community gave up their own Christmas’s last year the Clyde First United Methodist Church was able to provide a warm place to wait out the ice on I-20, several meals were eaten with strangers, music was shared, and lives were touched as our community extended hospitality to those passing through.
Thank you Clyde for making a difference in the lives of those in our community and in the lives of those we may never see again.
When I lived in Kentucky with my wife, a store in a neighboring community would take down their Back to School decorations in September and put up their Christmas decorations. That bothered me a bit. What I felt they were telling me was that the weeks in September, the weeks leading up to Halloween/All Hallows Eve/All Saints day, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and the weeks of Advent really didn’t matter, let’s skip all that and go directly to Christmas.
Each year it seems like events and holidays during the fall are not ways to prepare for Christmas but speed bumps before Christmas. Let’s just skip all this other stuff and go directly to Christmas. This might not be so bad, but for most people they pack up Christmas just as its getting started. The Season of Christmas begins on Christmas day lasting 12 days (The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just a song) and ending on January 5, the following day being the beginning of Epiphany.
These holidays are not just speed bumps but were put in place by those who have gone before us to help us all pause and to all focus on something that should be important. What if we forgot the Black Friday deals and focused on spending time with our families to share about what we have to be thankful for in our lives. Might that change the way we spend the rest of our Thanksgiving holiday? Might it change what we do in the weeks leading up to the Christmas season?
My hope for my family is that as family begins to arrive at our house on Wednesday and Thursday we can enjoy the time we have together. As we sit down together to share a meal, watch a movie, or a football game, that we can remember the numerous things we have to be thankful for. That is my hope for your family as well.
I am very thankful for this community. Because of your efforts 80+ families are being fed through food boxes this thanksgiving season. Because of your donations Backpacks for Kids received additional funds to continue giving hope to kids and families. Because 40+ people from our community gave up their own Christmas’s last year the Clyde First United Methodist Church was able to provide a warm place to wait out the ice on I-20, several meals were eaten with strangers, music was shared, and lives were touched as our community extended hospitality to those passing through.
Thank you Clyde for making a difference in the lives of those in our community and in the lives of those we may never see again.
Holiday Seasons
It seems that each year Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier. It received an e-mail this morning (11-22-10) that Black Friday specials begin today. Watching the Today show this morning I caught several commercials stating that you can begin receiving huge discounts in store beginning Thanksgiving Day.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
Holiday Seasons
It seems that each year Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier. It received an e-mail this morning (11-22-10) that Black Friday specials begin today. Watching the Today show this morning I caught several commercials stating that you can begin receiving huge discounts in store beginning Thanksgiving Day.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
It seems that each year Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier. It received an e-mail this morning (11-22-10) that Black Friday specials begin today. Watching the Today show this morning I caught several commercials stating that you can begin receiving huge discounts in store beginning Thanksgiving Day.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
The world around us wants to rush to Christmas. The world can’t prepare early enough. The world can’t get there quick enough. Buy now pay later. Stand in line for exclusive early morning deals (it doesn’t matter that you weren’t planning on buying a new computer, or TV, etc… but at this price you’ve gotta pick one up). Rush to school Christmas parties, community Christmas parties, office Christmas parties.
So much to do and not enough time….
BUT WAIT….. That’s not what this season is about! This is a season of giving thanks for all that God has done in our lives. This season leads into a season of expectant waiting, and that season leads into the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We give thanks to God for the blessings He has given us, and for providing so much and so frequently for us. As we give thanks, this should help us to see how much we have, and how much we can actually do without. Then we enter into a time of expectant waiting, and a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ. This time of preparation gives meaning to the time of celebrating the birth of Christ.
If we do not give thanks, how can we really prepare? If we do not prepare, how can we really celebrate?
Too often this is a time we prepare for ourselves, forgetting what these seasons are really about. It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. We must stop acting like it’s ours and let it be Jesus’!
The early Christians gave gifts to show others they love them and that God loved them. My family really doesn’t need more gifts (of stuff), but I still have that urge to get something for those that I love. I believe what Jesus wants more for his birthday is for His followers to impact the lives of others. We are impacting families in our community as we make donations of time, money and food items through Common Ground Mission and Backpack for Kids. We are impacting families and individuals in our county, our area, our region, our state, our nation, and our world through our contributions to our shared ministries (monies each United Methodist Church pools together to do ministries we could not do on our own).
We have another opportunity to impact individuals, families, and a community this holiday season. People are dying from a lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water borne illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. This Christmas Eve, we will be taking an offering to help drill a well for a community on the continent of Africa.
But this isn’t just about drilling a well. It’s about a community organizing; it’s about the formation of a water committee to ensure the longevity of the project and local ownership, and the training of a technician to maintain the water system and health and hygiene education. Drilling a well for a community is also about freeing women to help their families and communities in other ways. It is typically women who collect water, some spending 15 – 20 hours per week and walking up to 7 miles during the dry season. A local well gives these women time and energy for child care, education, or for providing an additional income for the family.
May this season of Thanksgiving, of Advent, and of Christmas be different and may we be different because we have chosen to seek gifts that honor Jesus; that impact lives, families and communities. Gifts that give hope, help, and show God’s love through our actions.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Boynton & Cronin
How quickly and easily we forget things. Our staff recently rearranged two offices in our building. We have been talking about making a few changes but the arrival of a new printer necessitated a much bigger change than we anticipated.
We were in the midst of moving furniture and equipment around when a staff member and I looked at each other and said to each other, “We had the office arranged like this before, but for some reason we changed it.” I think we both had this sinking feeling, and wondered if we were about to have to undo several hours of work. We discussed, and thought and tried to remember why we had made the change. During our discussion, we began to remember pieces of furniture that used to be in the offices and where they had been moved. We had become so accustomed to seeing those pieces of furniture in their new places that we had forgotten they had not always been there. We know there was a reason changed the configuration but could not remember why. So we took the chance that this time, we will like the arrangement and not have to move furniture and equipment (for awhile).
Recently I have started reading “bigger” books to our youngest child before he goes to bed. We had been “reading” picture books to our youngest before tucking him into bed. But now, I am reading books that I have come to enjoy probably more than the kids. I have come to enjoy reading to our children the writings of Sandra Boynton and Doreen Cronin. As I have pulled out books that have been on the shelf for awhile, I begin to remember reading these books to my other children. I also remember their faces as we got closer to a part in the book that they are eagerly awaiting. It might have been the part where we say together “Click Clack Moo, Click Clack Moo, Clickety Clack Moo” as we read Click Clack Moo Cows That Type, or they wait for me to tickle them as we said “Scrub, Scrub, Scrub” while reading The Going-To-Bed Book, or maybe it was the silly dance we did as we read Pajama Time or Barnyard Dance.
I enjoy reading to my youngest son, but wouldn’t want my older children to be back at this stage. I enjoy the sparkle in my youngest child’s eyes as we read, but I also enjoy the way my older children are able to now read a story to me.
Moments can take us back to remember things we may have forgotten. Sometimes we remember so we “don’t do that again,” other times we remember so we will. There are times we remember and have to think really hard as to why things changed or remember things have not always been like this. There are other times we remember exactly why things changed and are grateful they have.
The offices are just about put back together in their new arrangement, and we hope we won’t have to rearrange any time soon. For now we will “enjoy” trying to remember where this and that has been moved to.
We were in the midst of moving furniture and equipment around when a staff member and I looked at each other and said to each other, “We had the office arranged like this before, but for some reason we changed it.” I think we both had this sinking feeling, and wondered if we were about to have to undo several hours of work. We discussed, and thought and tried to remember why we had made the change. During our discussion, we began to remember pieces of furniture that used to be in the offices and where they had been moved. We had become so accustomed to seeing those pieces of furniture in their new places that we had forgotten they had not always been there. We know there was a reason changed the configuration but could not remember why. So we took the chance that this time, we will like the arrangement and not have to move furniture and equipment (for awhile).
Recently I have started reading “bigger” books to our youngest child before he goes to bed. We had been “reading” picture books to our youngest before tucking him into bed. But now, I am reading books that I have come to enjoy probably more than the kids. I have come to enjoy reading to our children the writings of Sandra Boynton and Doreen Cronin. As I have pulled out books that have been on the shelf for awhile, I begin to remember reading these books to my other children. I also remember their faces as we got closer to a part in the book that they are eagerly awaiting. It might have been the part where we say together “Click Clack Moo, Click Clack Moo, Clickety Clack Moo” as we read Click Clack Moo Cows That Type, or they wait for me to tickle them as we said “Scrub, Scrub, Scrub” while reading The Going-To-Bed Book, or maybe it was the silly dance we did as we read Pajama Time or Barnyard Dance.
I enjoy reading to my youngest son, but wouldn’t want my older children to be back at this stage. I enjoy the sparkle in my youngest child’s eyes as we read, but I also enjoy the way my older children are able to now read a story to me.
Moments can take us back to remember things we may have forgotten. Sometimes we remember so we “don’t do that again,” other times we remember so we will. There are times we remember and have to think really hard as to why things changed or remember things have not always been like this. There are other times we remember exactly why things changed and are grateful they have.
The offices are just about put back together in their new arrangement, and we hope we won’t have to rearrange any time soon. For now we will “enjoy” trying to remember where this and that has been moved to.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Good Guys...
My oldest son really got into Major League Baseball’s post season this year. He would ask almost every day if the Rangers were going to play that day. He got into showing his claw and antlers. He was almost giddy when they would make a good play, and he would be almost in tears when their opponents made a good play.
There were several times he would run around the room saying “We’re gonna beat those Yankees (or Giants)…” It took him a few moments to understand and realize that there were people out there that were not cheering for the Rangers; they preferred to cheer for the other team. We had to remind him of this a few times when he asked “why are those people cheering for the Giants (or Yankees)?” In his little world, the Rangers are the good guys and their opponents are the bad guys. He could not understand why anyone would want to cheer for the bad guys. Too often, we lump those people who root for different teams, or live in a certain part of our community, etc. as the “good guys” or “bad guys.”
Who the good guys or bad guys are is sometimes a matter of geography, sometimes a matter of perspective, sometimes a matter of time. On Friday nights the “bad guys” are the people sitting in the bleachers on the other side of the field. But on Saturday afternoons we may be sitting next to them cheering on our College team, or on Sunday cheering on our professional team.
Being a “good guy” or a “bad guy” does not depend on what team we root for, or where we do our shopping, or who we voted for. Being a “good guy” or a “bad guy” is determined by our actions. Do we help to make our community a better place, or do we help to keep it segmented? Are we selfish with our time or do we freely give it to those who need it? Do we seek to help those in need or do we assume someone else will offer help?
I may not like the New York Yankees, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Lakers, the UT Longhorns, the TAMU Aggies, etc. Yet there are those in my life and in our community that do. Instead of labeling these people as good or bad, can we label them as co-laborers as we work together to make our community something more than it is?
There were several times he would run around the room saying “We’re gonna beat those Yankees (or Giants)…” It took him a few moments to understand and realize that there were people out there that were not cheering for the Rangers; they preferred to cheer for the other team. We had to remind him of this a few times when he asked “why are those people cheering for the Giants (or Yankees)?” In his little world, the Rangers are the good guys and their opponents are the bad guys. He could not understand why anyone would want to cheer for the bad guys. Too often, we lump those people who root for different teams, or live in a certain part of our community, etc. as the “good guys” or “bad guys.”
Who the good guys or bad guys are is sometimes a matter of geography, sometimes a matter of perspective, sometimes a matter of time. On Friday nights the “bad guys” are the people sitting in the bleachers on the other side of the field. But on Saturday afternoons we may be sitting next to them cheering on our College team, or on Sunday cheering on our professional team.
Being a “good guy” or a “bad guy” does not depend on what team we root for, or where we do our shopping, or who we voted for. Being a “good guy” or a “bad guy” is determined by our actions. Do we help to make our community a better place, or do we help to keep it segmented? Are we selfish with our time or do we freely give it to those who need it? Do we seek to help those in need or do we assume someone else will offer help?
I may not like the New York Yankees, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Lakers, the UT Longhorns, the TAMU Aggies, etc. Yet there are those in my life and in our community that do. Instead of labeling these people as good or bad, can we label them as co-laborers as we work together to make our community something more than it is?
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