What's Love...Part 2

What2Say2Day? (Sorry this is late, been one of those days.) - Happy Halloween!

On Saturday I posted my all time favorite story from the bible; the story of Sarah’s death found in Genesis 23. I asked you to think about why this story showed what ultimate love is like. Did you think about it? It might help to explain a few things before I tell you my reasons why this is about love. In the days of Abraham, and in the location this story takes place, it was not possible to own land somewhere other than the place you were born. Abraham, at the request of God, had left his birthplace to go to a new land, one which was promised to be fruitful and where his family would multiply. It’s in this place the story found in Genesis 23 takes place. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, dies at the age of 127 and because they live in a place where they cannot own land she has no place to be buried. Abraham, after mourning for his wife, asks the towns people if he could please bury is wife in a nice cave on someone else’s land. Can you imagine how much courage it took Abraham to ask this, knowing fully well what the laws of his days were? The town’s people reply by telling Abraham he is a great man (having made their land a wealthy place) and he may have any land he wishes. Abraham offers money for the land, which the town refuses. Abraham tells them (paraphrasing here), “too bad, take my money anyway.” So, here’s why I think this shows ultimate love. Abraham loves his wife enough to have the courage to ask the town if he could have some land, just a tiny little cave, to bury his wife; even though he knew asking such a thing would mean going against the laws of that day. The town has enough love for Abraham because of the wonderful things he did for them to give him what he asks for and more. Ponder these things for just another day and tomorrow I’ll summarize it all.

What's Love Like, Anyway

I'm going to simply post my favorite bible story in  its entirety and I want you to tell me why you think this story is, in my opinion, the best example of love. I'll tell you my reasons why on Monday. Read now the story of Sarah's death and burial as described in Genesis 23:

Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years; this was the length of Sarah’s life. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Abraham rose up from beside his dead, and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying-place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.’ The Hittites answered Abraham, ‘Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold from you any burial ground for burying your dead.’ Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. He said to them, ‘If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron son of Zohar, so that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a burying-place.’ Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, ‘No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.’ Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. He said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, ‘If you only will listen to me! I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.’ Ephron answered Abraham, ‘My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.’ Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, passed to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, in the presence of all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying-place.

I can't wait to hear what you think.

Lost & Found

What2Say2Day? Sometimes I get the feeling as though I'm just not connected to the people or situations around me. For instance, yesterday I felt as though I was in a cloudy daze. I had problems thinking of words to finish my sentences, I couldn't remember names, I even forgot to attach an important file to a mass email, prompting over 10 reply emails letting me know I'd forgotten. And you know what, that's just how it is some days. What bothered me most, though, was the spiritual disconnect I was feeling. I know my God is always near, and I know all I need to do is open my heart to let him in; it just was a lot more difficult to do than usual for some reason. Those are the days I wish would never happen. In Matthew 9:36 we read that Jesus “had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” That’s exactly what I felt like, a lost sheep. In the rest of this story from Matthew we also see that Jesus sent out his 12 disciples with power to heal the sick. Later, when the school day was done and my tutoring time began, I was privileged to help a young man who was having difficulty writing a thesis paper (I miss high school; his paper only had to be 2 pages, double spaced – sigh). In the time I spent with him I began to feel a connection; not just to the student, but to my purpose. I had forgotten the reasons my Creator placed me where I am, and this young man’s reaching out for assistance allowed me to remember. God sent me one of his chosen to be with me in my time of need; even if this angel was a person 3 times younger than me. I am thankful to have a God who cares enough for me that when I begin to feel lost he sends a shepherd to bring me back into the fold.

Follow The Rules

What2Say2Day?

Rules are meant to be broken. Well, not all rules, but you know what I mean. In recent conversations with some of my co-workers the topic of how to “best” educate our youth seems to be coming up. “Why is it so difficult to take notes while I lecture?” “How come the simple homework I ask for never get’s done?” “What’s wrong with worksheets followed up by written questions?” Now, these teachers have been in their career for a long time; 20, 25, 30 years for some. The ways they teach are proven to have great results and eventually work, but not without some resistance and conformity from the students. On the other side of this conversation are the teachers who have been doing this for 3, 5 or maybe 7 years. They engage students in conversation, use multi-media, force them to think by giving just enough information to tease, and not enough to write a research paper without them having to look up more information on their own. The teachers in the latter group don’t give out too much homework but do expect a lot of their students while in the class. This style of teaching isn’t as proven but still results in the student learning. So, which way is the right way? I say both. When Jesus began his ministry his teaching style was very similar to how it was done in the many centuries before him. He used the scriptures and interpreted them and invited conversation. What Jesus got into trouble for was how he didn’t conform to the “rules” of that day. He healed on the Sabbath, ate with sinners, touched the sick and even talked to Samaritans. What a rebel! In today’s society we focus too much on “how” we do things instead of “what” we’re doing. In the examples of how the teachers do their job I want to point out that they taught and their students learned. Let’s try to look beyond the things we consider “different” or “outdated” and see that in the end it’s all about the message; and that message needs to be one of hope, peace, joy and love.

I Got Nothin'

What2Say2Day? Some days I feel like I should just crawl back into bed and start over. How many of you feel the same way? (Looking around the world I see about 6 billion hands go up.) OK, wait, I just saw a news story about some towns/cities wanting to change Halloween to the last Saturday of October instead of always being on the 31st. What?!?!? have we forgotten the reason Halloween even exists. It's not a commercial holiday for bars and beer companies to make money. No! It's foundations go deep into the many cultures around this world. Mostly it's a set day when harvests from many countries are celebrated. It's also a day when many cultures celebrate the ancestors who have passed. Yes, the day has pagan beginnings, but Christians also celebrated this day in similar ways. November 1 is All saints day, the day when the Church celebrates all of those who have gone before us. In the early days of the church followers of certain disciples of Christ or "saints" who were martyred in the name of Christ would sit at their burial sights and await the morning. This night became known as All Hallows Eve. In the years that followed the church tried many times and many ways to stop the pagan celebrations, but were not able to because of how deeply set the beliefs of what this night would bring were; good harvests, safety from evil spirits, the moving on into a better world of families and friends who needed to move on. So, the church did what they're so good at and joined their night of vigil with that of the cultures around them and today that night is known as Halloween. I invite you to look up the history of Halloween. It's very interesting and not, as is commonly believed, a night of demons and witches and under-dressed people. this Halloween lets remember to find some time to give freely of ourselves (giving candy to children is the best part of this night to me - the way their faces light up as well as the thankfulness of their parents always makes my heart warm) to make at least a few hours on a single night a happy one for those around us.

The Rule of Non-Interference

What2Say2Day? I'm reading Dancing With a Ghost by Rupert Ross. It tells of the differences in ethics between indigenous and western cultures in the Americas and how these differences are often, if not always, misunderstood by the western's legal organizations. So far the most interesting thing I've learned is the idea of non-interference. In indigenous cultures (and my indigenous friends will already know this) one person does not interfere with the decisions of another, no matter what. The belief is that one needs to grow and become the person they are. The adults and elders in that person's community (in other words, their friends and families) are expected to model the correct behavior of how to contribute to that community. It doesn't matter who or what that person is, as long as her/his personal actions do not endanger the community as a whole. What that person ends up becoming in their personal lives holds no bearing whatsoever, as long as they contribute in a positive way to the survival of the community. An example from the book is a story of an indigenous man who visited the dentist on a regular basis. When the dentist mentioned that he's never seen the man's 10 year old son and asked the man to bring him in for a visit the man simply said, "I'll ask him if he wants to." To us, westerners, this seems like the parent hasn't a care about his son's well being. Nothing could be further from the truth in the indigenous culture. This man was showing ultimate respect for his son by allowing him to make his own decisions. Of course, along with making your own decisions comes living with the natural consequences. It is my opinion (just an opinion) that this may be what is missing from today's western cultures. We don't allow our young people to live through natural consequences. As adults we make many, if not all, decisions for our children. We choose their school, sports, extra curricular activities, how they spend every living minute of each day; we even try to choose their friends.  All of this makes for a society where non-decision making is a norm. Along with that norm is the knowledge that we don't have to worry about making the wrong decision, if we make a decision, because nothing bad will happen anyway. As educators (and teachers, I am one of you, please take this constructively) we give our children chance after chance after chance to do their homework or finish their projects without outright failing them. Non-interference does not equal no punishment. Our children need to be able to make their own decisions and understand their will be consequences, and rewards, to the decisions they make. And, more importantly, we, as the adults, need to start modeling what a world like that looks like. Be the example to our children and youth and they will become exemplary additions to a successful community.

The Most Difficult Thing To Be Is Yourself

What2Say2Day? If you remember I went to a conference on creating a safety net for youth who are in the LGBT community. One of the comments a panelist made is we can never be comfortable with the idea of people being LGBT until we become comfortable with the person we are. How true, right. I mean, if you've read any of my previous entries I've said this many times. You have to - have to - love yourself before you can fully love others. but this "self love" doesn't come easily. The most difficult thing in this world to love is ourselves because a lot of times we don't even know who that self is. We spend the first 11 or so years just being a kid with no real clue as to who we are or want to be. Then for the next, oh let's say, 20 years we try seeking that person out. we're influenced by everything from family and friends to magazines and music. Everyone wants us to be something or someone and in that bombardment of opinions we sort of forget we have a say in the whole matter. Who we are, who we have the potential of being, is up to us - period. The best way to discover this person, the only real advice we should be listening to is from our Creator. Our Creator has given us gifts (check out Isaiah 11:2-3 for a sometimes overlooked list of those gifts or 1 Cor 12 for a better known list). These gifts are then to be nurtured and developed to someday be used to help make this world a better place. We all have these gifts, each and everyone of us. You need to believe that. This is where it all starts - with you. No pressure!

Taking the Day Off

What2Say2Day? Today I'm not saying anything. I've decided to take Sundays off unless there is something so compelling I just need to say something about it. Enjoy your day with family, friends and God.

What A Long Day

What2Say2Day? Okay, seems that today is turning out to be a very long day. Lots to do and running out of time to do it. I woke up at 5 am to go on a 2-Mile walk to bring awareness to hunger in Hawaii followed by trips to the pet store, drug store, big-box store and a haircut. Came home to have a late lunch then went outside to do some much needed yard maintenance. After all that i took a nap until I was awakened by the sound of a vacuum at which time I helped my wife finish cleaning the house and started the laundry. Whew! Now all I have left to do in this day is make a newsletter for the parents of the youth from my church and think of ideas on what we can do for Advent. But, as tired as I am and as sore as my body is I feel absolutely, positively, amazingly wonderful. I feel as though I can stand on the roof of my house and yell, "I got something accomplished today!" Days like these make me wonder if Jesus felt the same way whenever he had a very busy day. I would think for the most part the answer would be yes. The New Testament is filled with stories of a busy Jesus who, at the end of the day, finds some way to remind those around him that God is still working in their lives. I bet there were many a time when, after a hard day's work, he stood on the roof of a house (or maybe a mountain top) and yelled, "God loves you, therefore there is nothing you cannot do!" Let's all take a pledge to get busy and do something for others, or for yourself, or maybe we can find something to do for God.

Safety Net - Too Bad We Need One

What2Say2Day? I'm excited this morning. I've been waiting at least a month for this day. Today I'm attending a conference on How to Create a Safety Net for LGBT Teens. I work with teens who fall into this category of needing a safety net and see first-hand the damage that can be done when a teenager feels as though nobody accepts them AND therefore why should they accept themselves. Drugs, alcohol, self abuse, high drop-out rates, and other risks, including suicide, are highest amongst these teens. I'm not talking about just the LGBT teens but all youth who feel as though nobody, including themselves, care. One of the underlying themes I try to live by is to love others as we love God and ourselves. These three "loves" cannot be separated. It's when they are separated and kept apart that we begin to see the deterioration of the human race's relationship to each other, self and the rest of creation. Okay, before I begin to rant, and because I need to get myself into Honolulu's traffic (sigh) I'll stop here. I'll let you know how the conference went.

It's Not About Me

What2Say2Day? Luke 11:27-28 is an interesting little story about what Jesus says after he's just cast out a demon from a mute person, been accused of being a demon himself, and wonderfully defending his actions and turning the tables on his accuser. Apparently a woman is amazed at what Jesus has just done and praises him saying (and this is an ultra modern-day interpretation), "Your momma is awesome for giving life to you!" Jesus response is simply (again, paraphrasing), It's not about me, it's about you." My mentor teaches me that humility in the bible is not the lowering of yourself to another. Rather it is finding a way to be equal to them. God did not intend for any one of us to be better, or less, than the other. What He did intend is for each one of us to use the gifts given to us by Him to help those around us who need the help. This would mean those who have (stuff) to give some to those who have not, creating a world where everyone has what they need. Sometimes it would mean those who have less to give to those who have more. Everyone sharing whatever they have an abundance of with those who need just a little more. No, not just money, or physical things. We can also give patience, kindness, acceptance, a listening ear, love and more. What a concept!

Mid-week Realization

What2Say2Day? Today's thought may be a short one. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed again. Yesterday, when I signed in to work I actually thought, "Is it really only Tuesday?" So today I went to the one thing that always seems to calm me; Psalm 130. Especially verses 7-8: O Israel hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. This Psalm always reminds me that it's God who we should follow. For me, I find that when I'm feeling overwhelmed it's usually because I'm trying to run ahead of God. So, today and for as long as I remember to, I will do as it says in this Psalm; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning. Happy Wednesday, everyone, and may your day be filled with waiting and the knowledge of steadfast love!

Where does it all go?

What2Say2Day? I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday about how in the last 12 or 15 years it seems as though the price for everything has doubled. Gas (here in Hawaii) is over $4 a gallon, a gallon of milk is close to $8. The cost of a single family home 10 years ago was in the mid $300,000 - it's in the mid $600,000's now. So the price of everything we buy has risen at a rather steady rate. In contrast the wages we get paid have only gone up an average of 10% to 15% in the same time. As a result many of us are forced to take on part time jobs just to make ends meet. So, my question is, where does it all go? Not my income; I know where that goes - mortgage, electricity, water, phone, TV, credit card payments, car payments, food, gasoline, etc. I want to know where the monies we pay for our "necessities" go. I mean, seriously, where. As far as I can tell somewhere between us paying it and it getting paid back to us a lot of it seems to disappear. Jobs are being taken away (or given away) and the items we buy are of a lesser quality so I'm assuming they cost less make. So, please, someone tell me where it's going. Here in Hawaii it's said we pay one of the highest income taxes in the States. Yet our roads are cracked and pot-holed (if that's a word) and our schools are in complete disrepair. So, where does it all go? I hear similar stories from around the Nation; higher taxes, lower qualities of life, higher costs of living, lower qualities of life. If I may offer this as a suggestion - stop worrying about where it all goes. All we really need in this world is trust in our God, good friends, and true love. A while after my wife and I began dating (when I was sure she was "the one") I told her, "If we lose everything in this world, our home, our jobs, even our hair, and have to live under a bridge, as long as I'm with you none of that would matter." Now, before you think, "I don't have that special person on my life", I want to tell you that yes you do. Jesus is the best friend you will ever have, he is the one friend who will never leave you and will love you no matter what. Jesus is the one person who wants - wants - to live with you under a bridge. All you have to do is say ok to his love and begin to build that relationship. So, in answer to my question, where does it all go?, as for the riches of this world - who cares. As for hope, peace, love and joy - it will always be in you and with you for as long as you let it live.

Rested!

What2Say2Day? If I may loosely quote from Genesis 1..."and on the 7th day He rested". Rested. If I may now even more loosely embellish a line from Shakespeare..."Ahh, to rest, to lay down my head and simply do nothing but sleep". We all long for rest. We all like when we rest. We all enjoy an afternoon, no, better yet, an entire day of nothing-to-do-ness. And yet our days are filled with things to do. Turn off the blaring alarm, make breakfast for the kids (and coffee for you), take the kids to school, go to work, run errands on our lunch break, make arrangements for the weekend during down times at work, pick up the kids, take them to soccer (or dance lessons, or gymnastics, or baseball, or football, or piano, or...) go shopping for things you forgot to buy over the weekend, pick up the kids from whatever you dropped them off for, get dinner, go home, eat dinner, make sure the kids bathe (and if you're a kid you still have to do homework), wash dinner dishes, catch up on emails, pay bills, bathe ourselves and, finally, go to bed. And that's just Monday. Tuesday is, well, like the directions on the shampoo bottle says "rinse and repeat". People, please, slow down, find the time to rest and enjoy the things around you. I suggest you start with 15 minutes a day. For 15 minutes turn off all electronics - phones, computer, TV, everything. Find a nice quiet spot, or not quiet if watching people play is your thing, and simply do nothing. It's only 15 minutes, I know you can do it.

Persisitence + Patience = Success

What2Say2Day? This one is inspired by an FB comment from one of my friends this morning. What do you do if your first attempt is an epic fail? Do you stop trying or blame something and/or someone else for the failure? Do you wait for a mentor or person-in-charge to correct it for you? Or, do you (as the adage goes) try and try again? (Raise your hand if you picked the last option.) This goes back to yesterday's thoughts on where it seems our society is headed. We've become accustomed to instant gratification. If we don't know it we Google it instead of using a dictionary or looking for an article or book written about it or using an encyclopedia (who remembers those?). We go to a drive-through and expect our food ready when we get to the window. We want our electronic messages sent to us as soon as they're sent to us. As I pondered the Facebook comment I remembered a fact: it took Thomas Edison over 10,000 tries to get the light bulb to work right. Over 10,000 tries! Imagine if he gave up because it wasn't instant gratification. (Does anyone else see the irony - light bulb vs. instant gratification.) Here's another example for you sports people: a baseball player is considered a successful batter if he doesn't get a hit 7 out of 10 times at bat. Babe Ruth held both the home run and strike out records consecutively. Imagine if he decided all that failure wasn't worth it.  Just one more example - Jesus' ministry took 3 years on earth, and even now, after his death on a cross 2000 years ago, he's still at work. Imagine if Jesus wanted instant gratification and decided to just give up. Now, imagine what you can do if you remain persistent and add a little patience.

Choose Wisely

What2Say2Day? I'm watching a movie called "The Swing Vote" with Kevin Costner. It's a story that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at how the candidates for President have to sway a single voter's mind so he votes for them. It goes over the top with each candidate doing and saying anything just to get that vote. Oh, and by the way, Kevin Costner's character, Bud, hasn't a single clue on what's going on in the country. In one scene he's asked if he's pro-choice or pro-life to which his response is, "well everyone should have a choice, right?". The follow up question was, "So you uphold Roe vs. Wade?" To which he replies, "I dunno". He's then asked, "So you're pro-life"? To which he responds, "Well, who isn't." The candidates then go on an all out effort to say they are against abortion. Watching this movie makes me think about what is really important in our lives, or if we even know what's important in our lives. In general, I think we are getting caught up in a world where we've forgotten what's important. Are any of these on your list of important things: God, family, friends and (as the bible put it) the widows and orphans and outcasts of society. Did you notice the one thing missing from the list - you. I'm not saying you aren't important, please don't get me wrong. What I'm saying is we're quickly putting ourselves to the top of our list, pushing the others to a distant second, or third, or fourth. In the movie the incumbent President has a private moment with Bud and says to him, "In our lives we have to pick what's important to us and fight for it." I guess we just have to choose what's important.

Friday!

What2Say2Day? It's Friday! Even though I just came off a week's break from my educational job plus an extra Monday holiday (of sorts) this week was a very difficult one to get through. I am tired; physically and mentally spent. Last night, as I thought about how drained I am, I noticed that I am not, however, emotionally nor spiritually exhausted. That started me to think about how those can be separated or differentiated from each other. I mean, if you are mentally tired, should you not also be emotionally tired? And your spirit, is it not tied to your physical well being? I guess not. As tired as I was yesterday I still had the "strength" to go out for a nice dinner (don't tell my doctor I had a big bowl of Kim Chee Fried Rice Loco Moco) and enjoy the company of my wife. we talked about our week, our day, what's been going on in our different lives and other things that helped us re-energize one another (for a moment anyway). It felt great to smile, laugh and even cry a little with the one person I can honestly call my lover and best friend. Where is all this going? *shrugs* All I know is even though we think we have nothing left to give, we can always call on the strength of others to get us through whatever it is we need to get through. We all have a best friend, a friend who will never leave us, a friend who will never put us down or abandon us. We all have a friend we can call any time of the day or night to re-energize our soul and spirit, our body and mind. We all - all - share this best friend and his name is Jesus. Next time you need to get that extra burst of something to get you through, let Jesus give it to you.

Bah! Humbug! Already?

What2Say2Day? OK, sorry, but this one won't be all that positive...or maybe it will be. A few weeks ago some of the larger stores in the US began displaying Christmas items; pretend trees, lights, a smattering of gifts and I thought, "it gets earlier and earlier every year." As the weeks went by I noticed more items being added to the Christmas aisles and noticed there were more stores following suit.I thought, "Please, people, at least let Halloween happen first." Then, this morning I saw a news story highlighting a store that specializes in Christmas items. Now my thought is, "I really don't believe it!" Just as I was about to write a nasty letter to someone I paused just long enough to think, "Wait, why is it such a bad thing to remind people that Christmas is about Christ." And, so, here it is. Christmas is that time of year when people change. It seems they become filled with cheer and become more giving of themselves. People say hello to strangers and actually look you in the eye and smile. The stresses seem to lessen, the anger seems to melt away. The things that make us grow apart from each other and our Creator fade away and we reach out in hopes that someone may reach out to us as well. So, if this is what Christmas does to humanity, and if the stores and commercials and news programs want to bring about these feelings sooner each year, I say - Bring It On! Merry Christmas!!!

Frustrated? Find someone to belong to.

What2Say2Day? OK! Last night was one of the more frustrating nights I've had in quite some time. I have a part time job in retail sales and I haven't been doing so well as of late which means commissions are, well, non-existent. A customer came in for, what was supposed to be, a rather routine sale. He and his wife chose their product and off we went - or not. It took me over an hour and a half  (45 minutes of which was after the store had closed) to attempt what should have taken 20 minutes. I say "should have" because it didn't happen...yet. If it wasn't for the patience of this gentleman I was helping - not one negative word, not even after I forgot to give him back his driver's license and had to pull him out of his home to get it - I would have quit my job on the spot! The ride home with my wife helped, as well, with her calming spirit and open heart to listen to my frustrations. This morning, after a night of much needed deep sleep, I realized how much we all need each other. The tag line for my email is a quote from Mother Teresa, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Last night I belonged to a complete stranger and to my wife and they belonged to me. Who will you belong to today?

Occupy (fill in the blank)

It seems these days there are a lot of unhappy people. The first we became aware of recent "uprisings" was in Tunisia back in January. Those uprisings have since spread through the Arab nations, parts of Europe, and now into the US. It would seem to me people feel as though they are being unfairly treated or mistakenly represented by those they've entrusted in running the most basic needs of their lives. Truth is that throughout the history of humankind there have always been uprisings. One of the more well known stories is that of the Hebrew people held captive and oppressed by the Egyptians in the days of Moses. OK, I said it; oppressed. People today are feeling oppressed. They don't feel important, they don't feel like they have self-worth, they don't feel like a welcomed member of the society at large. The fight the Hebrew people fought with Moses was not one of riches, neither is the one people are fighting today. The fight, then and now, is about fairness. Please re-read that - fairness...not equality. Yes, it seems these days there are a lot of unhappy people. To them I say look for the Moses within, stand up for what you know in your heart is the right thing, and do it with goodness of heart and the right intentions.

What's on your "to do" list

What2say2day? Today I want to take a full day off, but I find that not as easy to do as it is to think. I have a yard yelling at me to clean it, a paper continually nudging me to write it, emails, calendars, and other things to check. yes, many things to do, and yet I'm not wanting to do any of it. If you're in the same place I am please raise your hand. I'm reminded of all the times Jesus wanted to rest (the stories within the Gospels are full of them) but was always called to cure the sick or heal the lame, or teach his disciples or the gathered crowds about God's love. One of my favorite stories is the meeting of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus sent his disciples away and wandered over to a well to get a drink of water, and maybe a moment to himself. Wouldn't you know it, though, a woman standing at the well becomes somewhat defiant and Jesus takes that moment, one he may have meant for himself, to talk about God's love and the everlasting rewards of that love. This conversation at the well energized Jesus and he was able to continue on with his ministry. Whenever we put God first we somehow find the energy we need to go on. OK! Now I'm ready to start my "To Do" list...God first - check!

My first blog post

What 2 say? I never know exactly what to say, so I'll just put down what has impacted me so far for the day. I read a devotional this morning that commented on a passage from Mark (yes, the bible). It's the story of the man with the withered hand found in the third chapter. In the story Jesus is entering a synagogue and defies the wisdom of that day by healing on the sabbath (gasp). What intrigued me is that Jesus asked this man with his deformity to stand before everyone just before he was to be healed. I can only imagine what that man was feeling as the one thing that made him an outcast in his society was being shown to all in attendance. Sometimes we have to do that, though, show the world what our faults are, but with God at our side we somehow find the courage to accept who we are and learn to overcome the thing(s) that make us outcasts and failures. The adage goes, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Let me edit this by saying, "what God gives you strength to do, makes you a better person." Don't be afraid to show your weaknesses and let God make you stronger.