American Legion Posts

Normally, I do not loiter outside of buildings, but last night I loitered.  I never felt safer than I did waiting outside the American Legion Post here in Brownsburg.  Quite a collection of memorials, flags and other patriotic signage!

My host welcomed me and we wandered through the bar, er canteen?!  Until we wound are way into the large dining hall that I had visited during a wedding feast years ago.

Fascinating to meet our local vets.  Share their stories and learn about what they do for others.  I was intrigued by the empty chair upon which the colors of the MIA flag were laid throughout their meeting in recognition of their on-going passion to bring the last soldiers home.

Thank you vets!  For who you are, what you have done, and what you continue to do for our country and our local communities!

The Paradoxical Commandments

While working on my sermon on forgiveness for this coming weekend, I stumbled upon a treasure that perhaps many folks already know.

I found Kent M. Keith's "Paradoxical Commandments" from 1968 from The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council.  Apparently, he wrote these as part of a booklet for student leaders.  

They have been used by business leaders, military commanders, government officials, religious leaders, university presidents, social workers, teachers, rock stars, parents, coaches, and students. Mother Teresa thought the Paradoxical Commandments were important enough to put up on the wall of her children's home in Calcutta. 

“People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. 

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.” 

A Decade as a Parent

Ten is the age my kidlet arrived at this past Monday.  She is now in the double digits and quite proud.

A decade of living on the earth and I still remember the smell of her baby soft black hair the day she was born. Weird that my nose has a ten year old memory? And very cool at the same time as well.

Happy Decade to my babe, who isn't a babe, anymore.  The next big birthday you will have, my dear, is when you transition into being a teen.

Egads, as a Momma, I am not ready for that.  Let's soak in 10 for as long as possible!

Devotion and Blog at Upper Room

After years of attempts, near-misses, fails, and rejects; last year The Upper Room Daily Devotion accepted one of my devotions.  It was written about my mother in law regarding her long journey with cancer.

I received word from the editorial staff about 4 weeks after her death.  The moment was bittersweet. My excitement over publishing something was diminished by my sense of loss and grief.  But then, God is always good.

When the staff from Upper Room asked me to write a follow up blog and include a picture, I jumped at the chance to finish my mother in law's story.  Or at least finish my story of her.

Here is the link to that blog for you to enjoy.

Be blessed... even in bittersweetness.

http://devotional.upperroom.org/blog/2014/08/knight083114

Joy!

In spite of a deluge of rain on Saturday night, our ladies had a terrific retreat on JOY this past weekend.  There was a Euchre tournament, too many snacks, and strange gnats, but over all it was a lovely time for prayer, praise and renewed purpose!



Several of the ladies found it very difficult to tolerate our side-ways Y!  Even after we explained the emphasis on choosing JOY no matter our circumstances (as represented in our sideways Y)... many were still unable to resist straightening the Y.  Got to be a joke.

Of course, what retreat would be a retreat without an opportunity for a prayer walk on a Labyrinth!  Here is Calvary's own Renewal Labyrinth perfectly set in our worship room for the weekend.

Several ladies enjoyed some quiet, personal time in this lovely space.

With the heat and humidity, this quiet, cool space was lovely for prayer.

Our cross become a focal point during our worship services... here you can barely see the tissue papers that are pinned to it.

Each woman wrote of what busts or blocks her joy and we left that on the cross for Christ to restore, heal. and redeem Friday night.

After a day of teaching, Saturday evening we draped our cross with the beautiful, colorful ribbon circle of "Remember When".

Retreatants scribbled a time in their past when God was there for her on the ribbon... these were then tied together to help one another remember.  After a beautiful group dance of blessing and singing of how God holds us, we together adorned our cross!

Indeed joy burst forth from us in celebration, thanksgiving and praise!

Joy- Women's Retreat

 Less than a week from now my bags will be packed for yet another retreat.  Hard to fathom that I have been leading and facilitating retreat ministry for almost two decades now.  Geez- what does that mean?  Probably not much.  Still something to learn.

Here we go again... taking over two dozen women on retreat in the woods. We're not ready... shopping to do, sessions to write, bread to bake, snacks to make, gift bags to create, and setting to embellish!  While I avoid my retreat preparations nostalgia blooms. 

Because I am feeling nostalgic about retreats with Calvary UMC ladies... here are my set of unique memories.  Remember when:

• the carpet caught on fire at the retreat center because our sparkler activity well, caught on fire.
• ladies (not to be named) stayed up all night to talk, talk and talk!
• Orpah made an appearance!
• we drove hours and hours up north to Lindenwood...and there was nothing nearby to eat!
• we had a volleyball game and cheerleaders?
• multiple microwaves were put to use for the creation of our scarves (and we burned one up).
• the year we had to call 911 because one of our ladies fell down the stairs?
• retreat that we hired a massage therapist for everyone?
• the retreat leader (me) sent terrible directions and got half the women lost in Tipton!?
• one of you walked a labyrinth for the first time and fell in love with God more deeply?
• we laughed and laughed and laughed so hard our cheeks hurt and our abs got a workout?
• the baby pool for Sara's first baby that a certain pastor did not know how to organize because she knows so little about gambling?
• we had to beg the retreat center kitchen to bake our communion bread.
• Clari Bel, Dodie and Laurel would anchor our retreats in wisdom... not to mention other amazing women like Lodoscia.
• our last year at Tipton- St. Joseph's Retreat and Conference Center. so sad.

You may have your favorite memories...share one with a friend.  Or make a new one with us.

Rejected Poems!

Earlier this year I sent several poems into a publication which I humbly thought met their thematic requirements.

Both were rejected!  "Boo", said my husband.

In the interest of sharing and also the risk of rejection or at least dislike, here are my poems; Am I and Prism of Self In Prayer.  Enjoy. Or Not.

Am I

I am a woman.

gifted

balanced

insightful

compassionate

loving

hardworking

funny

inquisitive

playful

passionate

sexual

uncertain

afraid

impatient

lonely.

I am a woman.

            Sister

Granddaughter

Leader

Pastor

Daughter

Cousin

Friend

Mother

Confidant

Teacher

Preacher

Shepherd

Spiritual director

Prophet

Prayer

I am a woman.

and it isn’t easy

being me.  

Prism of Self-In-Prayer

Who am I before God? In prayer?

I am yellow

            light - surrounded by.

I am purple

                        bowed -bent low to.

I am deep blue

                        poor – in spirit with.

I am pink

                        finite – graced upon.

I am magenta 

                        small – magnitude of glory.

I am burgundy

                        Human – loved by Divine.

I am in the sight of God

Who is.

I am me- before God.

Search me and know my heart.