Lessons from Madeline

Recently I have been reading and listening to several different sources that talk about the ideas of presence, mindfulness and wonder.  In our fast-paced busy world, full of screens loaded with distractions, these concepts are not prevalent in our thinking most of the time.  I have long dealt with trying to discipline my mind to pay attention, especially in church, but it is still prone to wander and think about a thousand other things than the things that are going on right in front of me.  Phil would tell you I'm at my worst when I'm supposed to be listening to something he's saying.  I am also trying to be more mindful of my surroundings when I take walks for exercise.  I find myself looking down at the ground too much, and sometimes my distraction is due to the fact that I use this time to pray, which is a good thing.  I often stop now to look around, to listen, and to really see what is going on around me.

All that being said, I am learning to practice mindfulness and being present as I am watching Madeline.  At nearly 16 months old, Madeline is totally present in every moment.  Her mind is never wandering to her future plans or problems she might face.  She looks intently at everything around her, seeing it with her young eyes and letting me see it with new eyes because of her.

Madeline loves being outside and would stay out all day long if we would let her.  During this fall season I have watched her experience some things for the first time.  Today we played in a pile of leaves, and she was totally enthralled with the sounds of the crunching leaves as we stomped on them and sat in the midst of them.

Last week we were outside on the driveway, and Madeline was running around on the pavement.  As she ran, a strong gust of wind came up and blew a bunch of leaves across the driveway.  As she stood there, feeling the force of the wind against her little frame, she became a little freaked out because she didn't know what was happening.  I think she thought that the leaves were some sort of little animals running past her feet.  This was a totally new experience for her, and it was fun to watch her process what was happening to her at that moment.

As I drove her back to her mom in the afternoon, she laughed and squealed the whole way to school.  About halfway there it dawned on me why she was so tickled.  I had given her a sippy cup with a straw that opens and closes when I put her in her seat.  She had opened the spout and was shaking it up and water was flying all over the place.  When we arrived she was totally soaked from head to toe (I'm so glad it was just water).  No wonder she was having such fun!

Madeline is helping me rediscover the childlike wonder in everyday things.  Our children and grandchildren do this for all of us, and it is a huge gift.  If we embrace it, it will relight the flame of wonder in each of us.

Daring Detectives

One of the books I'm reading now is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, thanks to the recommendation of my friend Bea.  This book has been around for a while, and Rubin has some more current books out about happiness.  But this book is an easy read with lots of really practical ideas for growing and cultivating happiness in your life.  As I've stepped into retirement, I've learned that one of the guiding questions you can ask yourself often about how you are going to spend your time is, "Will this make me happy?"

One of the things I knew would make me happy was to go back and do some of the things I used to do when I taught drama at Griffith Elementary.  Those activities I used to do with the kids were some of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.  There's just something special about doing things that so many kids find delightful.  There's nothing like the reception I used to get when I walked into a roomful of students full of anticipation for the fun we were going to have.

At the beginning of the school year I contacted one of the teachers I knew at Griffith and asked if he'd be willing to let me come do some things with his kids once a week.  He was agreeable to the idea, and so I've been going for several weeks.  We are doing my very favorite unit, Daring Detectives.  In this unit I enlist the students to be detectives in my detective agency.  I have the students apply for the job and practice some observation skills before we start our case.

I play Detective Shirley Holmes with these third graders.

Today we began the case which involves a lady who has lost her dog.  I told the kids this lady is coming to talk to them about her case, but I have another case I'm working on so they'll have to get her information without me.  At this point, I went out of the room and dressed as the lady with the lost dog and reentered the room.  The kids were perfectly willing to go along with the ruse, so they began asking me questions about my dog and took notes in their detective notebooks.

Here I am playing the lady who lost her dog.

When I finished my dog story I told the students that I had to leave.  I exited the classroom and changed back into my detective gear.  When I came back into the classroom I asked if they had talked to the lady, and they excitedly began to tell me all about what she said.  Never once did any child ever say, "That was you.  You know all about the lady and her dog."  They spoke to me as if I were not actually in the room.  

It always amazes and delights me to watch this all play out.  There's just something so special about watching children use their imaginations and pretend to be something they are not.

In the coming weeks we will be investigating this "case," and we will have to use some spy gear and some disguises.  It will be lots of fun...for me and for them.  And it will definitely make me happy.  I'm sitting here smiling about it as I write this post.

To My EBC Family

Dear Friends,

As most of you know, Phil and I are beginning a new chapter of our lives at Dunlap United Methodist Church.  I have been given a staff position working with their youth.  I had been feeling called to a leadership position for a few years now, and I am happy to find an open door there.

When I first began to feel God's calling in a new way on my life, I spent a long time praying and contemplating what I should do.  Then I heard a man talk about Peter walking on the water to Jesus.  Peter says to Jesus, "If it's you, Lord, tell me to come to you." Then the man added, "If it's you, Lord, tell me to get out of the boat."  And that became my prayer.  "If this calling is from you, Lord, tell me to get out of the boat."

Obviously, I have felt that God has moved me to get out of the boat.  And part of what that looks like is leaving you.

But I can't leave without saying "Thank you" to all of you at Ewtonville.  It is because of your long-time presence in my life that I have become who I am today.  You gave me a safe place to learn and grow in my faith.  Many of you were important in the life of my own children.  You also gave me the great blessing of a place to practice teaching in so many different settings over the years.  You let be creative in developing programs, and you let me express myself in dramas and in singing.  Most of all, you let me love your kids.

One of my favorite memories at church is taking communion together.  After I had stepped up to receive the bread and juice I would sit down and watch you all file by to receive your portions.  I would look at you and remember how we were connected, history we shared.  I would always feel the swell of the great love and affection I had for you.

Of course, I am not gone from your lives.  I still live just down the road.  I will see you at Wal-Mart, the gas station, El Metate, all around town.  I will keep up with you on Facebook.  So, though our relationship has changed, never doubt my love for you and my gratitude for all you mean to me.

                                                                                 Your sister in Christ,
                                                                                     Pam

                                                                               

My New Job

I am excited to announce that I am taking on a new job.  I have been asked to work as the youth leader at Dunlap United Methodist Church.  We have been attending there for the past few weeks, and as a result, my name was put into consideration for this job.  After thoughtful prayer and consideration I decided take this position.

Now believe me when I say that the irony of this is not lost on me.  I am a 57-year-old taking on working with youth.  I know I don't look like your typical youth leader...

Reverend Tim Tom from ABC's "The Middle"

My personal favorite, Jason Dildine

This being said, I can go back to one of my favorite Bible verses, Ephesians 2:10.  It says, "We are [God's] workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do."  I feel that God has prepared me for this ministry at this time in my life and at this time in the lives of the youth that I will come in contact with.  I am thankful for the opportunity to share what God has been pouring into me recently.  And I am equally excited about what I will learn from the kids and parents who will be a part of my life for this next chapter of my story.

This is a leap of faith for me.  I find it scary and exhilarating.  A few weeks ago I heard Andy Stanley say, "It is the job of the leader to stir and disturb the imaginations of those they lead."  I am praying that I can do that stirring and disturbing.  Who knows what God has in store for all of us!

Strong Women

When I was at Catalyst, in addition to hearing Margaret Feinberg, I heard two other strong women, Dr. Brene Brown and Christine Caine.  They both have several books, and I'm in the middle of reading Dr. Brown's Daring Greatly and enjoying it very much.  Dr. Brown first gained acclaim for her TED talk on vulnerability and shame.  Below is a summary of what each of these women had to say.

Dr. Brene Brown

If we are brave enough, often enough, we are going to fall.

People who dare greatly choose courage over comfort and have a high capacity for disappointment.

The people who are the most resilient after falling or failing practice certain habits that enable them to get back up.  

When we are hurt or face something hard, emotions get the first crack at making sense of it.  Our brain rewards us for creating a story to interpret the event, and we experience this reward whether the story is accurate or not.  People who are resilient recognize when they are reacting with emotion to an event.  They stop and think about this and are curious about what they feel.  They have a tremendous understanding of their emotional landscape.

These people physically write down the story they are creating.  Dr. Brown calls this the "@!$% first draft."  They have then learned to confront people with this story by saying something like, "The story I'm telling myself right now is..."  Many times this leads to a conversation that tells a different story and restores the relationship between the people involved.

In the absence of real data we all make up our own story about what has occurred.  When you own the story, you get to make up the ending.

Christine Caine:  She spoke from Numbers 13, about the 12 spies that went into the promised land.

The people who ended up wandering in the wilderness were the Lost Generation.  They had seen more of the glory and power of the Lord than any other people in all of history.  This means you can be in the midst of a miracle and not know the God of the miracle.

Ten of the twelve leaders kept the people from experiencing the glory of God.  We don't even remember their names.  But how many people even today are named Caleb and Joshua.

Your perspective will determine the destiny of many others.

These leaders couldn't comprehend what God said in verse 2 : “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites."  God said He was GIVING them the land, not seeing if they were able to take it.

Some of you keep asking God for signs, wonders and miracles, and then you refuse to put yourself in any kind of context where you need one. 

The ingredients of a miracle are right there in our midst.

Even though it has been more than a week since I heard these talks, God is still using them to speak to my heart and mind.  I am glad to share them with you here, because maybe you need to hear them too.

Dealing with Regrets

In visiting other churches in Dunlap we have been welcomed at each place by a large number of friends and acquaintances in each congregation.  We are thankful to see so many familiar faces.  But there are other people out there who were part of our lives for a season but have not resurfaced into our lives until now.  Most of these encounters have been very positive with lots of questions about our grown children and our current lives.  A couple of the encounters come with a twinge of guilt.  Even these have been positive, but they take me back to times of failure in my interactions with their children.

I met the mother of three sons, two of whom were students in my classroom in fourth grade.  One of these boys was a very difficult student, whose behavior was challenging.  We both survived the school year, but I encountered this young man again a couple of years later during VBS.  His behavior at church led me to ask him not to return to our class.  I can't tell you how many times I have regretted this decision.  I wish I had been more creative in finding a solution to dealing with his behavior.  I hurt his mother's feelings, and later I felt the need to go and apologize to her for not dealing with her son in a better way.  She was so gracious in accepting my apology, and I have always been grateful for that.  When I encountered her at church last week she was so warm and gracious once again.  I was glad of it, but that decision long ago is still something I regret.

I also had a student long ago who was severely autistic.  I had worked with several handicapped students in my career including a blind student and one with severe epilepsy, but I found myself ill-equipped to deal with autism. (This was in the beginning when autism was just starting to be recognized as a condition).  I encountered this student along with his mother and father this week in the church I attended.  I was able to hear this mother give testimony to what a kind, loving young man he is, and how much she has struggled with being excluded from activities because the behavior of her son is uncomfortable for many people.  She spoke so passionately about his character and their struggles that I was moved.  All these years later I had moved on, but she was there day after day caring for, advocating for, and loving this son.  It made wish very much that I had enlisted her help in dealing with this boy and becoming an ally of hers, instead of keeping my distance and just getting by.

We all have regrets.  We all have failures in our lives.  What I've learned from these encounters is that when you are doing your best and have good intentions, people are mostly gracious when you make mistakes.  I've also learned that involving the parent is a key to having the best shot at having a positive interaction with difficult students.  It doesn't always work, but I still think it is the most important step a teacher can take in these situations.

How to Comfort the Afflicted

Another speaker at the Catalyst conference was Margaret Feinberg.  She has a number of books including Fight Back with Joy and Wonderstruck.  On Wednesday I attended a small group session in which she spoke.  The main idea of her talk in this workshop was to explain to us what we can do for those dealing with cancer, other major illnesses, death of loved ones and other traumatic events.  She speaks with authority as a cancer survivor who is still very much in the battle for her life.  Here are some of the ideas she shared in her talk.

Suffering allows you to see the other side of your soul.  Adversity boils the scum of your life to the top. It gives you a new way to look at joy. You find fellowship in the others who are afflicted.  It changes the way you read the Bible.

What do you do when you read the story of the Good Samaritan and all of the sudden you are the man who was robbed and left for dead?

How can we better care for those who are afflicted?

          1.  Give the gift of your ongoing presence.  Many friends are willing to cook a casserole or send a care package in the beginning, but they don't go the distance.  It is hard for us to want to hear their cry or enter into their affliction.

          2.  Be slow to speak.  People so often say dumb things, things that hurt.  Speak no harm.  Margaret has created a set of cards that say things that are helpful.  You can find them here.  If someone has passed away, don't be afraid to mention the name of the person who has passed.  Their loved ones like to know that person is remembered.

          3.  Be a quiet and consistent learner. (This made me think of all the things i have learned in dealing with my aunt and uncle.) Here she mentioned that you shouldn't ask anyone what stage cancer they have.  It's like saying, "How long do you have?"  

          4.  Be practical and yet imaginative.  Remember that the needs of the afflicted person are always changing.  Ask the person what they need, but don't put the burden of figuring out the answer by themselves.  Give them options like, "Would you rather have a gas card, or babysitting, or your lawn mowed?"

          5.  Ask God how to pray for the person.  Don't assume that you know what they need from God.  Be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit.  "Lord, teach us to pray."

I found lots of good, practical advice from someone who speaks from experience.  Maybe some of you need to know this too.

The Amazing Jeremy Cowart

The most stunning presentation at Catalyst came from Jeremy Cowart.  I had never heard of him before last week, but I'm sure we've all seen some of his work.  He has been called the most influential photographer in America (if not the world).  He had an awesome testimony.

Jeremy told us that as a kid he grew up knowing that he was not smart and not good at school.  He said that often he told his parents "I can't."  His dad told him over and over, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  Jeremy found his way first with art, and later with photography.  Here's a blurb from his website about what he has done:

Jeremy has taken portraits of many familiar names such as Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Tim Tebow, The Kardashians, Sting, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heidi Klum, Gwyneth Paltrow, The Civil Wars, Emma Stone, Courtney Cox, and Ryan Seacrest, just to name a few. His clients, mostly entertainment based, include ABC, FOX, A&E, F/X, Discovery Channel, ESPN, People, US Weekly, VIBE, E!, Universal Records, Sony Records and Warner Brothers Records. His work has been published in Rolling Stone, ESPN Magazine, People Magazine, USA Today, Fast Company, NYTimes, TIME, Nylon and more.

After becoming successful in his field, he became interested, because of his faith in Christ, in exploring what good he could do in the world with his talents.  Here's just one example, again from his website:

Jeremy also spends his time on community projects, brainstorming innovative ways to use his camera to make an impact. In January 2010, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Jeremy responded with his “Voices of Haiti” photo essay, letting the people of Haiti write their own thoughts and prayers on found rubble. This project was displayed prominently at the entrance of a very important gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in March of 2010. They were meeting to discuss the rebuild of Haiti and they ended up pledging ten billion dollars to the effort. On that day, Jeremy’s “Voices of Haiti” project proved that art can help change the world.

Another initiative he founded is called Help Portrait.  In this project photographers are asked to donate time to underprivileged people.  This enables people who otherwise could never afford it to have a self-portrait or family portrait.  Some of these people have been able to use the portrait provided as part of their resume, and it has led to employment for them.  But beyond that, it is a way of showing the value of an individual and gives them a sense of worth and dignity.

His presentation was a slideshow/video which he narrated live.  It was amazing!  Afterwards he introduced his family and including two new children he and his wife recently adopted from Haiti.

 Here's a sample of some of his video work called "Portrait of Christ".

What Andy Had to Say

Andy Stanley was the opening and closing speaker for Catalyst and as usual, his words really resonated with me.  Here are the highlights of what he had to say.

We need to awaken to the fact that what is isn’t all there is.

All of life conspires against wonder… age, experience, the church, parents.

Andy’s mentor was always asking him this question—“What are you working on BIG?”

                Don’t give your life to something small.

** To awaken the wonder within is to stir and disturb the imaginations of the people and organizations that you lead.

                Wonder is as threatening and disruptive as it is inspiring because the 
                essence of wonder requires you to work against the flow of the status quo.

                Some leaders resist giving in to wonder and imagination because they 
                don’t like what they can’t understand or control.

                Often organizations are buckets of water trying to quench the vision
                we have of the future.

To be a leader who awakens wonder in those you lead:

1.  Keep wonder wide awake in you.  If you allow wonder to shut down in you, you will shut it down in others. 

Be a student, not a critic.  Study and learn the wonder that is coming into your life, however it comes to you.

** Wonder lives on the frontiers of your ignorance.  You will learn the most from people who differ from you and those who have different ideas than you.

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”-- Eric Hoffer

2.  Replace “How?”  with “WOW!”   Fear not!  Don't let your first reaction be to "how" an idea to death.

3.  Add the word “imagine” to everything.

 Above all else, the fact that Jesus rose, His resurrection, should keep our wonder wide open!

WOW! Catalyst 2015

What an amazing time I had in Atlanta!  Andy Stanley said it best:  "It's like trying to drink out of a fire hose."  That explains exactly how it feels to have so many talented people pour their thoughts and ideas out before you over the course of two days.

The theme of the conference was "Awaken the Wonder," and they had many creative ideas about how to awaken the wonder in us.  Some of the ideas made us think back to the wonder of childhood.  Outside during the breaks you could blow bubbles, play with Legos, color, and play games that were set up at various stations.  

I guess the most striking thing about all the speakers was how passionate and articulate they were.  These were people whose books I had read and who I may have even heard speak via the internet.  But hearing them in person was so powerful.  David Platt, oh my!  Erwin McManus, oh my!

But the women, oh, the women!  They were so amazing and inspiring to me.  They were allowed to talk, to share, and yes, to preach, and they were great!  Margaret Feinberg spoke on living through the tragedy of cancer.  Dr. Brene Brown told us how to have the courage to own our stories and live better ones.  Christine Caine, founder of A21, with such an tragic life story, really laid out the impact of good leaders and the impact of bad leaders.  Her point was that whether they were good or bad, they were still leaders, and their leadership impacted the destiny of their followers.

How we would have been diminished if we could not have heard the voice of these women.

The music was excellent as you would expect.  My favorite song was a new one called "When Death Was Arrested".  You should check it out.  Thursday night was capped off by a concert from David Crowder.  It was a great time, singing songs I have sung for so long, with this man who created them.  My favorite was "How He Loves."  

I plan to post several quotes from the conference and some posts about my favorite speakers.

It ended up that the roadblock for this leg of the race took care of itself.  It was simply the actual roadblock of Atlanta traffic.  I'm sorry to say that I did not leave Atlanta traffic totally unscathed.  Oh, well.  That 's part of the Amazing Race.   

Another Leg of the Amazing Race

I have been debating about whether to call my trip this week an actual leg of my Amazing Race, but since I'm making it all up myself I can do whatever I want, right?  So tomorrow night I'm heading to Atlanta to participate in the Catalyst Conference.  This event is a leadership conference put on by Andy Stanley.  My brother used to go to this every year, and he would tell me how much I would love it.  I can't tell you how excited I am to be going!

You have to be a kind of audacious person to go to a leadership conference when you have nothing to lead.  And I'm just audacious enough to believe that I have to be out there, looking for whatever God has in mind for me.  One of the draws is just to see and hear Andy Stanley in person after following him online and on video for such a long time.

The theme of the conference is "Awaken the Wonder."  What a unique thing to think about through the lens of leadership!  Here's the description included on the website:

We are hardwired for wonder.

Just as the wonder of the world points to God, a sight unseen, so too should our acts of creation bridge the gap between what is and what could be. We transfer wonder when we awaken it in others. Leadership is about providing a lens through which others can see. A heart awakened to wonder invites others to follow in its path. It connects ultimate existence to daily experience, helping others see the solutions, rewards, treasures, they previously could not see.

Wonder invites potential. Wonder provides vision. Wonder inspires. Wonder leads us to God.

It’s time to awaken the wonder.

I am excited about many of the speakers who will be presenting talks during the three days of the conference.  Some of them include David Platt, Jen Hatmaker, Dr. Brene Brown, Erwin McManus, Margaret Feinberg, Louie Giglio, and David Crowder.  What a line up!

When I told Phil about going he was excited for me.  He and I have the philosophy that we need to do all we can for as long as we can.  So every time we get to do something new, something we've dreamed of doing for a long time, we are very excited!

I'll have to think about what kind of challenge to make for myself on this leg of the race.  I'm open to ideas if anyone has a thought about what I could do.  I also plan to make my first attempt at tweeting from the conference.  We'll see how that goes.

Reacting to Violence

I heard a sermon this morning that really caused me to do a lot of thinking.  The scripture was Luke 10:1-12 where Jesus is sending out the seventy-two disciples to go and spread the word about Him.  In this passage Jesus says,

 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

It made me think about reactions to the shooting in Oregon, the latest in a long line of shootings.  Many of my friends think that being armed themselves is the answer to the problem, but I just can't think that this is the response Jesus would call us to.  I understand the right to bear arms that is guaranteed in our Constitution, but I can't help but believe that my decision to follow Christ often leads me to live and act in ways that are different than my American culture expects or finds acceptable.

How do Jesus' life and teachings lead us to react to violence?  Is there any teaching of Jesus that would lead us to believe that we should arm ourselves against our enemies?  In the passage above He sends out the disciples "as lambs in the midst of wolves."  Lambs are totally defenseless. Wolves want to devour lambs.  That's the relationship of the disciples to their enemy, and Jesus doesn't send them out with a sword.

Jesus' death on the cross certainly shows us that he didn't resist the violence perpetrated against him.  He had the power to blow all his enemies away, but he chose to submit to the violence in order to defeat its power.

God has called to live a life of love, including love for our enemies.  I John 4:18 tells us that "perfect love casts out fear," but I think the corollary of that statement is true too.  Fear casts out perfect love.  These shootings cause us to lash out in hate and fear, and Christ calls us to react in a different way.

There's also the idea that our warfare and weapons should look different from the warfare and weapons of the world.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

And what are our weapons?  The fruit that the Spirit of God grows in our lives... love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.  "Against such there is no law."

Any ideas that call us to be non-violent are counter-intuitive to our culture.  They cause us to bristle and turn away.  But what if they are much closer to the reaction Jesus would want from us?  These thoughts are not new.  They certainly hark back to Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  They weren't popular with people then either, but they proved effective when put into practice by these leaders.

So I put these thoughts out there, knowing that they will be met with scorn from many of my friends.  But I think it's very important for you to know that there are people in your life, in your family, in your community who think that taking up arms is not the answer to the violence we find in our society.

What Retirement Looks Like

After returning from Canada, I've spent the past few weeks trying to figure out what to do with myself.  It's a strange new world when all of your time is your own to do with as you please.  As good as that sounds to you who are working every day, there is an element of challenge to this new situation.  It requires diligence and discipline to make the most of the time that is completely at your discretion now.  So I thought I would give you a taste of what my week has encompassed.

Monday I spent all day at home beginning a project that I've not completed yet.  I am cleaning out closets and trying to rid myself of unnecessary accumulated junk.  It's not for the faint of heart, let me tell you.

Tuesday I volunteered in a third grade class at Griffith doing some of my favorite lessons from when I was working there as a drama teacher.  I have decided to spend time doing things that I enjoy and that make me happy, and this is definitely one of those things.  I also mowed my lawn.

On Wednesday my friend Alyssa, who teaches at SCHS, asked if I could help her put together a lab for her physical science class.  I was very happy to help and spent most of the day setting up the lab, helping to teach the lesson, and then cleaning up.  I even got to eat lunch with some long-time friends in the teachers' lounge.  In the evening I went to my friend Sara's jewelry party.

I had a very interesting day on Thursday.  First, I attended a class on Methodism at Dunlap United Methodist Church.  I'm exploring what the Methodist Church believes.  I had supper with Rachel, who has spent several summers at Camp of the Woods, and is now a nurse at Erlanger.  It was fun to catch up with her.  From there I headed down to the Camp House where I participated in QCommons.  This event is a Christian version of TED Talks.  Some of the talks were simulcast to many locations around the country and world.  Other talks were given by local people including the leader of a pro-life ministry, an advocate for immigrants, and a man involved in dealing with gang relations in our city. Everyone there sits at round tables and there are breaks in the talks for conversations about what we just heard.  It was a very stimulating presentation, and I gave my information to the organizers so that I can volunteer at the next event.

I've been meeting a couple of friends, Bea and Chuck, in sort of a book club. So we met Friday afternoon. We are discussing one of the books I read this past summer, Did God Kill Jesus? by Tony Jones.  The reading has taken us into a variety of topics.  This week we were deep in the doctrine of original sin.  It has been great to have others to talk about these big ideas with.

Friday evening I had the pleasure of having supper with my friend Wanda and her daughter Maureen at Maureen's house.  We had good food and great conversation throughout the evening.  It was such a pleasure catching up with these two.

Phil is out of town, back in Canada for a few weeks.  We normally have lunch at El Metate, and I went today with a different "date," my dear friend Dawn.  We have been friends ever since my days of teaching fourth grade at Griffith.  She taught across the hall.  We had a lot of catching up to do and we had a long leisurely lunch.  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed her company.

I've been making time each day for reading and exercising.  These are disciplines that I hope will always be part of my life.

It's been a great week, full of connections with so many great people. So I've been very intentional in using my time to do things that make me happy and to keep in touch with those I love.

Next week... off to Indianapolis.

Why I'm Leaving My Church

I was sitting in the Wednesday night prayer service the week before we left for Canada.  Brother Brian went to his son Daniel’s baccalaureate service at the high school, and Greg Land was speaking.

 

As he began to talk he said, “Brian asked me if I would preach for him tonight.  I told him, ‘I’m no preacher but I can speak.’”

 

At that moment the thought that had been working its way to the surface over the past two years finally became clear.  That thought was “I’ll never be asked to speak like this in my church.”

That’s when I knew I had to go.

It’s been a long journey, not a snap decision.  I’ve been debating the idea that women need to be allowed into leadership roles in the church with friends and family over the past two years.  I’ve spoken to my pastor on several occasions.  I have shared my thoughts with the women in my Sunday School class, who are so dear to me.  I even presented the idea to the deacons at our church.

In the end, few minds have been changed about the role of women in my church.  But mine has been completely changed.  And so I find myself with no other alternative than to go.

After having a final talk with Brother Brian, we both agreed that it was for the best.  He said he had seen many people leave churches for the wrong reasons, but he felt that my decision to leave was valid.  I assured him that I was not hurt or angry or upset.  I just know there is a better place for me out there somewhere.

I’m saying goodbye to a church that has been a part of my life for more than 35 years.  The people there are like family.  Yet, I have great peace about it.  I know it’s the right decision and the right time.

What We've Been Reading

As the summer comes to an end Phil and I were packing things up and I was loading up all the books we had read this summer.  It's quite an assortment.  Some Phil read.  Some I read.  Some we both read.  Some of them you may want to check out.  Here's a short review of some of them.  I know Phil enjoyed the books he read but I am not including those in this review.

Fiction

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.  We are listening to this on CDs.  It is historical fiction about Trotsky and his assassination in Mexico , the Russian Revolution, Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo all rolled up into one big story.  Neither of us know much about any of these historical figures, so it is new information.  Kingsolver uses the main character, who is a writer, to illuminate the writing process.  Her use of language is beautiful

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.  Kathryn uses this in her classroom and let me borrow it.  I like it better than Phil did.  It is a love story written from the unusual perspective a thirteen-year-old Chinese boy.  The conflict in the story comes from the displacement of his girlfriend to a Japanese internment camp during WWII.  It is a good read.  I really liked the fact that the Quakers worked at the camps to help make the Japanese more comfortable.  I'm sure that wasn't the politically correct position to take at the time, and it really makes me think about parallels we might find in today's society.

Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  This is another book that Kathryn uses in her classroom.  It was a fast, easy read about the difficulty of life in drought-stricken, war-torn Africa.  There is an "aha" moment at the end that is great to see the students react to, which is why she likes it.

Non-Fiction

Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo.  This book outlines 9 secrets to making an effect TED talk.  I enjoyed thinking about this because I'd always like to be better as a speaker.  He discusses the reasons for the 18 minute time-limit on the talks.  It really makes you boil things down to the most important points.  People who give the most-watched talks may practice them up to 200 times before actually taking the TED stage.

Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver.  This is a collection of 23 essays written in the months after the attacks of 9/11.  They cover a wide variety of topics, including an explanation of why she and her family don't watch television, her choices about living a simple life, and thoughts on being a mother and  a daughter.  I liked some of them very much.  I am always impressed with Kingsolver's use of language.

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.  This was my favorite book that I read because it does so much to challenge my thinking.  Gladwell always does.  In this book he examines the idea of the underdog and how we may look at it in the wrong way.  He makes the case that sometimes what looks like an advantage turns out to be a disadvantage.  He also relates stories that reveal that sometimes  things that look like terrible disadvantages, things you would never want in your life like losing a parent at a young age, can turn out to give you advantages that you would never dream of.

Christian Living/Theology

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans.  I'm always interested to see what Rachel has to say ever since Kathryn introduced me to here about five years ago.  Rachel has given me lots to think about in many areas of life.  Each of the sections of this book focuses on a different sacrament of the Church.  I enjoyed this book although I had read many excerpts from it on her blog.

Scary Close by Donald Miller.  Miller is another author I am always learning from.  His blog regularly has posts that I share with others because I think they are very insightful.  This book is about Donald learning about relationships in preparation for his wedding.  He married later in life and felt that he had thought a lot of wrong thoughts and had difficult patterns in his earlier relationships.  I've liked some of his other books much better than this one.

Did God Kill Jesus? by Tony Jones.  This was the most challenging book I read this summer.  The title itself is so provocative that it is difficult to think about.  Jones presents the different ways that Jesus' death has been looked at in different periods of history.  The end of the matter is that Jones focuses on God's self-sacrifice in the person of Jesus.  That's the simple answer, but there's a lot more to think about here, and I'm glad I tackled it.

Treasures of the Summer 2015

Every year I end the summer with a pile of treasure.  It comes in many forms, mostly handwritten notes from dear friends.  All these things are very special and I'm so thankful for each person they represent.

Sara Duban:  Kind, thoughtful, and a good fisherman.

Sara Duban:  She's looking out for me.

Johnnie & Becky Bates:  Every year they give us such nice
gifts for our work here.  I am so thankful for our friendship.

Will Kiper:  A postcard from his trip that meant so much to me.

The Remigers:  Maple syrup produced from trees on their
property.  It can't be as sweet as they are to me.
(Corny, I know.)

One of my favorite notes
Serena loves my positive attitude.
I love this!

Cohen (a camper);  He told me he went to Winnipeg
and saw this and had to get it for me.  I wore it on my hat.

Aubrey Bates:  This sweet girl made this for me
in the shop at the beginning of the summer.

Our Youngest Volunteers

Earlier this summer I wrote a post called “What Makes COTW Different.”  There’s something else that I find pretty unique about Camp of the Woods ministry.  It’s the fact that whole families can serve here, and even the youngest members of the family can make a great contribution to the work that must be done here during camp weeks.

This summer I’ve watched several families come, some local Canadians and others from the states, and we’ve put them all to work.  They have filled in the gaps when our summer staff was short.  Here are some of them at work.

Ethan (age 13) swept, vacuumed, mopped, cleaned wash houses
and worked in the kitchen. 

Luke (age 12) took out trash and is training to be a life guard when he
is old enough.  He did many of his jobs with Ethan.

Gracie (age 10) did a lot of work in the kitchen the week her whole
family came to help.

Andrew cleaned with the other boys and, along with
his dad, helped with canoes at the afternoon swim time.

Megan's whole family has come to help many times.
She did lots of work in the kitchen.

This whole crew did the dishes for one of the meals.  Some of
the older ones (age 15 and up) also served as team captains.

Jonathan took care of slop buckets.
He is our "Adam-in-training."

Leah (15) was a team captain and my able assistant
at the archaeological dig.

Payton (15) had many talents and worked in many different
roles, including acting in skits. 

The Reimger family worked with us for 4 weeks this summer.
What a blessing they all are!

Gavin (11) helped his dad replace some of the landscaping logs we
have near the chapel.

Serena (11) was an outstanding scorekeeper.

Gabriel (12) cleaned up in the lodge and that includes windows.

One of Jaren's (12) duties included snake wrangling.

These three, Evan, Emma and Aubrey, did so many jobs I can't
name them all.  This week they were my table setting crew.
They are great help!

I especially want to thank Alex, who assisted me all summer in watering the flowers.  Being outdoors is not one of his favorite things, and the bugs drive him crazy.  He faithfully watered every other day and kept everything alive and beautiful.  He only complained when it got really hot and he had to start watering some of the areas every day.  It was quite a step for him to take on this responsibility, and I am so proud of him.

My able assistant

I want to encourage some of my friends who would like to find a place for your whole family to serve together to get in touch with me.  We are always looking for those who will come along side us and work in a ministry that I think you will love.