Honoring the Memories
BOOM!!!
The windows and walls reverberated from the sound of thunder from our quiet cul-de-sac. Less than two seconds earlier, the flash of lightning warned me that a storm was coming.
Aside from the cold air seeping into the house (no matter how hard I tried to block all entry points), the ferocity of the weather pattern caught many people off-guard.
Then a strange sound caught my attention!
Continue reading “A Lesson From The Storm”
As another year winds down, it is a time of reflection on what transpired during the past twelve months. Did our New Years Resolutions get the best of us again? Did we accomplish our BHAG’s (big hairy audacious goals)? How many new friends did we encounter along the way? What new births did we say hello to? How many have we said goodbye to?
It saddens my heart when people tell me that “not much happened to me this year.” How are these people living? Do they really ignore all the little things that happen on a regular basis? We all have our stories to tell each and every year.
This was the reason I chose to use this picture to represent our lives. Hope you will find your own journey in this post.
Ah, it is that time of year again!
The Christmas decorations are unpacked from their cardboard tombs in attics, garage spaces, and storage units. The annual ritual of carefully unrolling the bundled outdoor lights accompanied by hours of troubleshooting the dead bulbs can only be soothed with happy holiday music playing in the background (or a few shots of your favorite beverages).
Every year, we swear that we will pack up the lights and decorations carefully so that NEXT year, we will not have to deal with these holiday headaches. However, eleven months later, we always mumble those words – “Why did I pack away these lights and decorations in this lousy way???”
But alas, after the long hours of labor and love, we stand back to admire the hard work of decorating the outside of our homes (I have visions of Chevy Chase plugging and unplugging his electrical cords).
The nightfall revives these illuminated decorations and the child in us comes alive!
The next morning, lawn ornaments fall and the facade returns to normal (except for the wreaths or other non-electrical ornaments). There is a lesson I see in the day time of the holiday season….
One of the beautiful indicators of change are the colors of leaves all around us. The vividness are a constant reminder that if there is anything consistent, it is change.
Why do we capture pictures of these changing hues year after year? After all, they will reappear this same time next year (assuming the trees survive the environmental changes). We have a fascination for these wonderful displays of coloration but I wonder if there is a deeper meaning that is aroused within us when we are reminded of the changing seasons?
The holiday season brings our own colors within our hearts and minds. What do I mean by this? Let me share my insights with you….
I have accompanied, visited, and dropped off friends and family members at E.R. over the years but never would I have anticipated that one day, yours truly would become a patient as well.
It all began with a staph infection on my hand that irritated my annual eczema outbreak. Normally, my skin would recover with a plant-based lotion used for intensive skin therapy. Other eczema areas were effectively treated with this lotion but my right hand seemed to have a stubborn issue.
Fast forward a few months and having received some effective antibiotics and topical crème, it dried up the area on my hand and was getting rid of the staph that was now embedded into my bloodstream. All was going well until a couple of weeks ago when I noticed that my right eye had a peculiar growth… Continue reading “E.R. Visit – Part One”
Have you ever read the full story of Joseph in the Bible?
A descendant of Jacob, Joseph was sold into slavery at the age of 17. His step-brothers hated him as he revealed his dream that one day, they would all bow down to this younger brother. He was Jacob’s favorite son and was given a coat of many colors. Some of you may remember the stage play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
As a side note for many of my old SF church friends – I have many fond memories of performing Dreamer – What Really Happened to Joseph every weekend for months! In spite of the loss of one of our brothers, we chose to live on.
Joseph’s life endured many twists and turns until he finally became second in command in Egypt – only the Pharaoh had more authority. This was unheard of for a foreigner to rule Egypt. However, God used Joseph to interpret dreams that would one day save Egypt and Israel by storing up a percentage of harvest in the good years and rationing the food in the lean years.
Joseph definitely had the courage to live on in spite of his circumstances. Here is what I have learned from this Bible series. Continue reading “Joseph’s Story”
at least in My mind….
As high school kids are graduating into the next phase of their lives, many will carry life experiences that have transformed them so far in their young lives. Some are just happy to walk the stage or receive their diploma.
Yet there are others who have tried new things in their younger years and may not realize the impact it will have in their future careers, relationships, and thought processes. I feel excited for many of them as their journey is much different these days.
I share similar emotions as teachers of many of the graduating students. While I may not have been a full-time instructor (I commend those who have the tenacity to teach our next generation), I do reflect upon many of the special children that were in my care from a different type of background.
