Terri's ramblings

Catching up

2009-04-23T12:50:00.002-04:00

On Sunday mornings we are still in conversations about forgiveness and the many levels that it has. We branched out and viewed several programs on the topic and have used them as well to delve deeper into the study.

Several questions have come up of particular interest; Can one person provide forgiveness for and entire group? Should a group be asked to provide forgiveness for the actions of a few? These questions came out of the conversations promoted by the book The Sunflower, but also from the programs watched which presented issues involving Native Americans, African Americans and the history that is involved with White Americans and the treatment these groups received. These are difficult question to pose and discuss with an all white middle class Sunday School class. Who do not have the same experiences as those who have presented the subject. We try but I feel that we have much to discover in regards to being able to comprehend the complexity of emotions that individuals and groups feel when discussing forgiveness.

So until the end of May we will be in conversation on this topic.

How do we approach the topic?

2009-02-18T06:16:00.005-05:00

We had a very lively discussion Sunday morning in class. Several of the members we surprised by the tone that several of the authors of the responses took in regards to forgiving Karl. It was suggested that unless you have survived a horror like Simon and some of the essay writers, then you could not have any way to understand the attitudes and thoughts shared. My question was if we can not “understand” how will we be able to prevent such things from happening again?

Jacques Derrida(1) suggests in “On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness, that “ In order to approach now the very concept of forgiveness, logic and common sense agree for once with the paradox: it is necessary, it seems to me, to begin from the fact that , yes, there is the unforgivable. Is this not, in truth, the only thing to forgive? If one is only prepared to forgive what appears forgivable, what the church calls “venial sin’, then the very idea of forgiveness would disappear. If there is something to forgive, it would be what in religious language is called mortal sin, the worst, the unforgivable crime or harm. From which comes the aporia, which can be described in its dry and implacable formality, without mercy: forgiveness forgives only the unforgivable. One cannot, or should not, forgive; there is only forgiveness, if there is any, where there is the unforgivable.”(2)

I propose that in his own way, Derrida was also struggling with the aftermath of the crimes committed during WWI. The world had been turned upside-down and endured one of the worst chapters in modern history and philosophers and theologians alike were searching for a way to come to terms with the horrors of the times. It was world where little made sense and pain and brokenness were everywhere in Europe. We, in the United States did not suffer in the same way, little or no fighting took place in the continental US so that the vast majority of our population were shielded from the destruction, murder and horror inflicted during the way. Which leads me to question if I as an American born after WWI has the right to comment or judge the thoughts and feelings of those who survived? I may be putting to much thought into this, but I can not help but ponder the “why” the essayists took the position that they did in regards to the idea of forgiving Karl the dying SS officer in Wiesenthal’s book.

I suppose in relation to the larger topic of forgiveness understanding why people took the stand they did is not as important as the conversation that revolves around the concept of forgiveness.

(1) Britannica Concise Encyclopedia., Jacques Derrida, (born July 15, 1930, El Biar, Alg. — died Oct. 8, 2004, Paris, France) Algerian-born French philosopher. Derrida taught principally at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris (1964 – 84). His critique of Western philosophy encompasses literature, linguistics, and psychoanalysis. His thought is based on his disapproval of the search for an ultimate metaphysical certainty or source of meaning that has characterized most of Western philosophy. Instead, he offers deconstruction, which is in part a way of reading philosophic texts intended to make explicit the underlying metaphysical suppositions and assumptions through a close analysis of the language that attempts to convey them. His works on deconstructive theory and method include Speech and Phenomena (1967), Writing and Difference (1967), and Of Grammatology (1967). Among his other works are Psyche: Invention of the Other (1987) and Resistances of Psychoanalysis (1996). at Britannica.com

2 Derrida, Jacques, “On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness” ,English translation printed 2001 London, Routledge,., pgs. 32, 33.

Begining the conversation

2009-02-10T08:55:00.002-05:00

Our first week of discussion centering on the topic of forgiveness and the story presented in “The Sunflower” was very interesting. We found that we had barely scratched the surface of meaningful conversation. The class grappled with a definition of forgiveness and what the act would look like. Many questions were posed; Is it necessary to forgive? Do we have a right to forgive an individual for the deeds against others? How do we forgive acts of murder and other crimes against persons?

Some members of the class found reading the story that Wiesenthal shares about an experience he had while in a Nazi prison camp to be especially difficult to read. Several others struggled with the realization that for them the story was less personal, but more historical. As you might guess that was a topic that was rather unexpected in our discussion. We do have several different generations that participate in our Sunday school class and often we do have very different perceptions on topics. For the people who lived through World War II the reality was still present for them and for those of us who are of the post-war generation we have grown up with the stories and the visual images of what took place in the camps.

Yet for some of us the realization that the acts of violence against the Jews, still take place in many regions of the world today against many different people. Darfur, Bosnia, Congo, and yes the Middle East countries of Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine and Israel all have wars, violence against women and children; genocide still happens, but we tend to find words that soften the reality of the atrocities. How can we forgive those who commit such brutal acts against other human beings? Do we have a right to forgive them if they ask for our forgiveness? We have many questions and very few answers.

These are just some of the topics we are discussing in our morning together. Yes, religion does play a role in this discussion, but it is not simply an act that is based in any one religion. We have a number of weeks of conversation a head of us. I know I have been challenged to search myself as I read the book. It is a large and important subject to tackle. I’ll let you know some of the thoughts that others have on the subject as we proceed.

Conversations on Forgiveness

2009-02-05T06:32:00.002-05:00

The adult Sunday school class that I lead is beginning a study on forgiveness. While this is a very large topic, and one that I think most of us have some difficulty with at times, I believe it is an important thing to discuss. We have been looking at different materials and settled on the book, The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal., to uses as a basis for study and conversation.

I find that this subject is always one that elicits many reactions and thoughts. It is a concept that is driven by emotions as well as intellectual processes. It is a topic that all religions, philosophies and cultures seem to incorporate.

I hope to be able to share some of the conversations we have over the next few weeks in regards to the topic. It is a relevant topic in light of the political and social events these days.

A Glorious Day

2009-01-21T08:12:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was an exciting day for me. I watched as the new President took the oath of office and was moved and overwhelmed at the historical significance of the day. Having an interest in history I could not help but reflect upon the meaning of Barack Obama’s presidency for so many Americans as well as people all around the world.

I was also reflective upon the gift that my parents gave my brothers and myself as we were growing up of believing that all people were equal in every aspect. Living in a small town in Ohio, with nearly no minorities during the sixties and seventies, I did not have many opportunities to meet people who where of different ethnic backgrounds but that did not stop my parents from instilling in me the importance of the messages that Dr. King and the civil rights movement were bringing forth during that time.

I remember watching the marches, the speeches, the riots and wondering what it was all about. I was taught that there were many people who did not have the same rights and privileges that “white” Americans did and that they were struggling to gain these freedoms and to be treated the same as those people with whom I grew up with and attended church with. My dad borrowed from the library the documentary “Eyes on the Prize” at a time when you hade to have a projector to see it to teach us about the Civil Rights movement and the events and hardships that those active in the struggle had to endure. (Yes, there was a time before DVD’s and Videos that made it more difficult to see movies!”) That made an impression on me then and it continues to guide my actions and believes today.

I will always be grateful that I was able to see such change in attitudes and people in my life time. I am glad to see someone from my generation leading the country. It is a bit strange for me to realize that the new President is the same age as one of my brothers and that for the first time I am older then the President!

Tuesday was an important day for me and my family as well as so many people in the United States. Where we go from here is, as it has been suggested, up to the people to do our part in making our country and our world a better place to raise our children and our grandchildren. Politics aside, I know I will continue to hold the leaders of this country Republican and Democrat alike in to the light, praying for honesty, compassion and wisdom for all as they do the work that needs to be done.

Getting ready for change

2009-01-16T05:14:00.005-05:00

Here in the States the big news is of course the changing of the governing powers. I am glad to be seeing a change in the administration. The excitement is building as we get nearer to the Inauguration next week. I must admit I am pretty excited about the new President and am hopeful that his words will be followed by actions that confirm the rhetoric from his campaign. I will pray for the President and the members of his administration, much like I prayed for the Bush administration.

Now I do not feel much sadness at the change, in fact I am glad that the Bush administration is “out” of power, but I do feel great sadness at the opportunities that were lost over the last eight years for real positive change to have taken place. I have to ask is the world safer then it was? Are we more secure then we were do to any of the actions taken? Are people in this country and around the world closer to achieving peace and understanding? My answer is unfortunately a big NO.

Do I think that one person can make that much of a difference in the lives of so many? Yes is my answer! I am hopeful that my new President will be able to bridge many of the gulfs that surround us here in the US but also those around the world. I am hopeful that people will find a renewed commitment to making a difference in the lives of those around them, in a positive way and yes I am hoping for a kinder, gentler world in which to live.

Will all of this be done by the actions of one man? No, it takes all of us to commit to change and to be willing to work harder and longer to make change happen. I am. For the first time in a very long time, hopeful that people will be able to work together a bit better, listen actively, and keep an open mind to what others are saying. We do not have to agree, but we do need to be willing to find common ground in which we can live, work, and play. I pray that we can find those places and that our actions, thoughts, words and deeds can reflect a new sense of purpose and that the Spirit will move among us, guiding us as we work for peace.

2009-01-12T13:33:00.001-05:00

It snowed here over night, not a lot, but enough to make a nice covering. Something I have always appreciated about snowfall it the quiet it brings. As I sit and ponder what to write today, I can not help but think about how in many parts of the world the noise is overwhelming; bombs exploding, gun fire, screams of the wounded and dying, the cries of the hungry and homeless. I am grateful for the quiet I am privileged to experience day in and day out for I have not had to “hear” the world in the ways that so many others have had to endure. Yet many times the quiet of my home is broken by the laughter of family, the racing of our cats up and down the stairs, birds in the tree outside my window, the occasional car that drives by. I am humbled enough by the silence I experience to ask for forgiveness for any complaining I might do under these circumstances when so many would relish that type of noise.

Following the blog of the Christian Peacemaker Team currently in the Middle East, I am reminded that just hoping for peace and wanting peace does little to achieve peace. I know that my role is limited; I can only do what I can for today to achieve peace in my home, community and country. However, I can pray with the conviction that if there is an overwhelming cry from everyday people around the world that a small amount of peace may be achieved and from that the “mustard seed” a mighty movement in the Spirit will convince people that Peace can be attained for all people.

Renewed intrest in poetry

2009-01-11T09:21:00.004-05:00

In the last few weeks I have realized that I need to do some additional reading. Now, I do read a lot, novels, history, science fiction and lots of other things, but one area thathas been lacking in attention is poetry. I have always enjoyed reading poetry and I guess that goes back to my childhood. My mother is a big fan of poetry and as kids she was always reading or writing her own poems and reading them to us.

I’m not sure when I lost sight of poetry in my everyday life. I have a number of collections that I enjoy. I am always listening to the Poet’s Corner on or local Public Radio Station, but I cannot remember when I last read a poem. Actually that is not quite right; I have read a number of the poetic verses found in Psalms on a fairly regular basis. But to read a poem by Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson, I can’t remember when I last opened a book to take in the prose and poetry they offer.

It is funny that all of a sudden I find that I have a great need to delve into the world of poetry once again. I wonder if I am searching for words to describe my feelings in a way that only poetry can do? There is something in the very nature of poetry that touches the soul, I can’t really explain it, but I do feel it.

So if I was going to make a resolution for 2009 I would have to say that it is “to read more poetry”. What about you?

Here is a poem I would like to share:

Peace Everywhere

Peace, everywhere, peace today!
Peace in lands of scruffy trees and pine,
Peace in lands of olives and wine,
Peace in lands where peaks are white,
Peace in lands where fields are bright.
Peace in lands of oasis and sand,
Peace in lands where people band,
Peace in lands where children play,
Peace in lands where people pray,
Peace in lands in the thick of the fight,
Peace in lands ruled by force and might.

Everywhere, everywhere, peace this day!
Pray that all world leaders lead the way,
Encouraging moral people to stand proud and tall,
No government too great, no nation too small.

Joseph T. Renaldi

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/peace-everywhere/

2009-01-08T08:29:00.010-05:00

Well we are a wild and wacky group! We had this photo taken when we celebrated mom & Dad’s 50th Anniversary in 2007. Clarence and I, my brother & Sister in law Tom and Patti, and of course our brother Tim. I have a photo of the three of us when Tom was still in high school and we were goofy even then. Some things just don’t change! Poor, Patti & Clarence to have married into such a family. Ah well, at least we are able to have a good time, laugh and not take ourselves too seriously (well…except Tom maybe).

I have been thinking a lot about my family the last 6 months or so. Mom & Dad really have had a difficult time with numerous medical issues. So many in fact that Tim moved back to Ohio after almost 30 years of living in the Southwest, Texas & New Mexico. Tom, Patti and the kids will be leaving for Germany in June, so we won’t be seeing them for quite a while. Usually Tom is stationed at his assignment for at least three years. While that does not sound like a very long time at first, when you think about how much the kids will change during that time, it takes on a new meaning.

Balance in research

2009-01-08T03:07:00.003-05:00

I visited a new web site today and found it to be interesting. http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

I try to research different sites when I am learning about an area of interest. Often here in the US we are unable to really obtain a "whole" view of an issue covered by the media outlets. I would not go so far to say that our media is controlled (but I do wonder about that) however I do feel that I have a responsibility to find other sources. I find the BBC to be pretty good in it's coverage and explanations on topics, but as with many things it too has a bias.

I know the excitement I often feel when I begin to research information on an event or topic on the web is due to the realization that there is a large number of places I can go. I can seek out places beyond the bounds of my life, to discover people and ideas that are vastly different from what I am in contact with in my daily experiences. Yet there is a hesitation that creeps in as I do "surf". I want to believe what I am reading, I want to embrace the ideas of others but that doubt of what is true under lies my quest. I guess being cautious in accepting everything as being"true" is not a bad thing, but it does bother me.

So I will continue to tread carefully and attempt to obtain a balanced perspective of events and issues as I venture out into the world.

Prayers for Peace

2009-01-07T00:13:00.010-05:00

I do not make any claims to understand the dynamics of the conflict in the Middle East, all I know is innocent men women and children are dying on all sides. All I have are questions that never seem to be answered. How is this accomplishing anything; bombing each other taking military action, or cutting off the resources for the people in the area? Where is this leading the region? Will anyone win?

In the face of all the wars going on in the area-Iran, Iraq-Afghanistan- Israel- Palestine-Darfur- Congo as well as too many other places to even count, what is being accomplished? Is there anyone who can tell me what good will come from all the conflicts, murder and horror that people are inflicting on others? How does this provide any security for either side? Why do so many have to suffer for what seems to be an endless trail of violence that is fed by hate, greed and history?

As someone to d deeply believes that non-violence is the only way to accomplish peace in the world, I struggle to remember to pray for those inflicting such pain on others. I do pray for the victims, especially the innocent, but those who carry out the bombings, the attacks, the political maneuvering, it’s harder for me to pray for them. I want someone to blame for the suffering of so many, and it would be much easier to fall into the trap of creating “devils” out of certain groups or individuals, but I am reminded that I am to pray for everyone.

Matthew 5:43
The Message (MSG)

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of
prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created
selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to
nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all
you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you
simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any
run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

Matthew 5:42-44 (in Context) Matthew 5 (Whole Chapter)

So today and every day I will pray for all sides; victims and aggressors, soldiers and politicians, terrorists and freedom fighters, children, women and men caught up in the violence around them. My prayer is for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts, for justice for all people and an end to the greed that spurs humans to engage in war.

Searching

2009-01-05T22:22:00.003-05:00

2009- Hard to believe it has begun. Of course I think this every year at this time and for some reason I am surprised at just how quickly a year has gone by. Perhaps it is because I am too aware of time. If I paid less attention to the amount of time and more attention to the quality of the time it might not bother me so much. Now, I don’t think that I am obsessed with the passing of time exactly, but I do tend to focus more on what I have missed, what I did not get done or what I think I should have accomplished. I have realized that this is less productive and prevents me from seeing the positive things in my life.

Friends often tell me how surprised they are at all the things I do, volunteer work at the theater, family, ministry, working 40 hours a week, tending to the house hold chores; reading, relaxing, gardening, and from time to time taking classes. I tend to shrug off the idea that I am doing much. I have to remember that it is often in the smallest things that a real impact can be made. Sure, I wish I could accomplish something that would make a big difference in the world-bring peace to the world; write the greatest novel that would impact generations to come but I don’t see that happening.

How did I get this idea that there is no meaning in the everyday, small choices? What is it that I am really looking for and why is it that I think I need to have more? Sometimes I think being a history major has gotten in my way. It is pretty egocentric to think that I could/should be leaving a mark on history in some way, or is it? Maybe it is the history of a individual that I will leave a mark on-my children, nephews and niece, perhaps someday even grandchildren.

I think I will be spending some time this year looking at this, contemplating my role in the lives of those around me and searching for meaning in all areas of my life. I might just be surprised at what I discover!

2008-10-27T16:39:00.005-04:00

I am always surprised at just how quickly time passes. It feels like only yesterday that I posted but in reality it was March. I find that my life is too busy these days, work, family obligations, church and ministry, and volunteer positions. I hope to be a better steward of my time and talents, it will take some work on my part. Perhaps even saying no to things in order to be able to follow up on my daily responsibilities. I will attempt to post weekly, so I can keep things on schedule.

OBSERVATIONS

2008-03-12T06:58:00.003-04:00

The older I get the more I find myself sitting back and just observing the events that are taking place around me. I still find that I have strong opinions about events and topics, but I am slower to offer them up to those I am in contact with. It is difficult at times, especially in this turbulent time of war and elections. Politics....I almost hate the word any more.

As much as I do believe in the importance of being involved in the political process, it does wear on my nerves. I keep asking why does it have to be so ugly? Why do politicians have to go to the darkside to put themselves at odds with their rivals? I looked up the word in the dictionary and got these entries:

Main Entry: pol·i·ti·cian
Function: noun
Pronunciation: "pä-l&-'ti-sh&n
1 : a person experienced in the art or science of government ; especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government
2 a : a person engaged in party politics as a profession b : a person primarily interested in political office for selfish or other narrow usually short-sighted reasons

Entry number two is very discriptive and speaks volumes as to how politicians are viewed today. Nothing noble here.

It does give one pause, especially as we endure the Presidential campaign for the next nine months!

Politics

2007-11-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else tired of the media coverage of the Presidential political race? We have not even gotten to the primaries and all ready the constant "information" over load is at an all time record high. I have no idea who I will eventually vote for, but at this rate I'm willing to say it will most likely be someone who has not "attacked" the other candidates or has been sending me e-mails every day!

I find it obscene the amount of money that is being spent on this campaign. With so many people needing so much more just to keep a roof over their heads to have millions of dollars spent on running a campaign that will not really get anywhere is, well, stupid in my mind. It severely limits the quality of the people who are entering politics to the elite and wealthy. What ever happened to "a government of the people"?

What we need is a grass roots campaign to push through campaign finance reform at all levels. Let's level the playing field for all campaigns, everyone must spend a fixed dollar amount and no more. This would require the candidates to really put their ideas out there and allow anyone to run for office.

I realize I am venting a bit here. I am just so tired of the way the politics of the US is being corrupted by money. And they wonder why people fail to vote when we have been given such a gift to be able to participate in our governmental system. Where are the servants of the people? Where are the people who feel a calling to improve our country and world and why are they not able to have a voice in the process any more? Money...it all comes down to that.

2007-10-27T06:47:00.000-04:00

Time has really flown by: August, September and now October! I have been kept pretty busy with the family and all that goes with tending to parents and children.
We celebrated my parents 50th Wedding anniversay on September 1 with a reception for family and friends. All of the family was able to make it back home for the event. It was the first time we have all been together at the same time for a number of years!
The photo is of Mom & Dad on their wedding day in 1957. They look so young, and really I guess they were. Funny how we don't always see our parents as they really are young and full of life, only as "parents". I realized the other day I am almost as old as my mom was when she became a grandmother for the first time. UGH!

Well I hope to have more time to write.

A project

2007-07-18T06:50:00.000-04:00

CREATION
(The Word Present in Creation)

I am currently working on a project at the church that is revising the booklet on our stained glass windows. This is one of my favorites what is called the Creation Window. Below is a brief description of the symbols found in the window.

By the word of God…..the visible came forth from the invisible
Hebrews 11:3

Symbols found in this window and their meaning

The hand of God Dividing -“In the beginning, God….”
the Waters-

Stars -“The heavens declared the
Glory of God…”

Fish and Growing Plants -“The earth is the Lord’s”

Atomic Symbol -The physical unity of the
universe

I do enjoy looking at the windows when ever I am in the sanctuary. It is one of the things I miss about the summer move to the fellowship hall. It is cooler in there, but the atmosphere, well it leaves something to the imagination. Well summer is half over and soon we will migrate back to the upper sections of the building.

Church of the Brethren History

2007-07-12T06:56:00.000-04:00

The Church of the Brethren, together with sister churches, will celebrate three hundred years of existence in 2008. To celebrate worthily, we intend:

to illuminate the rich past;

to examine the crucial present;

to project the challenging future.

Rather than focusing on nostalgia, we intend to discover and use the resources of past achievements to encourage present activities and to stimulate future gains.

About the Logo

The logo illustrates the anniversary theme: Surrendered to God, Transformed by Christ,
Empowered by the Spirit.

The central symbol represents both wheat and flame. As is suggested by John 12:24-26a, the scriptural text on which the theme is based, the grains of wheat emphasize surrender as they fall to the ground and die,

transformation as they sprout with new life, and empowerment as they bear fruit in new heads of grain. The wheat whiskers point to Christ as they form a cross. Flame expresses surrender in burning and transformation in refining. It also testifies to the power of the Spirit.

Water connotes surrender, transformation, and empowerment through baptism into Christ's death and resurrection along with being "born of water and the Spirit."

The circle conveys the concepts of wholeness and unity as well as the world in which we are empowered to minister. The openness of the circle suggests that we not only need but welcome continued surrender, transformation, and empowerment.

Becky Goldstein from Boise, Idaho, designed the logo.

2007-07-12T06:44:00.000-04:00

I've returned from Conference and am very excited to be working on my congregations 300 Anniversary celebrations. These events will work together with other local congregations as well as other groups accross the country.

I enjoyed the time in Cleveland and am really looking forward to going next year to Richmond, VA to AC since we will be having the big celebration.

From time to time I will post more information on the history of the Church of the Brethren in my blog.

Garden Path

2007-06-15T07:11:00.000-04:00

As I continue to work in the back garden, I am still finding things that are new and exciting. Recently I discovered that there is a stone pathway that has been covered over by dirt and grass. It is taking quite an effort to uncover and I find myself wondering about the person who put it in so many years ago. I am fairly sure it was there long before the deck was built (it does not line up with the steps)and since the house was built in the early 1940's I'd guess it had been there at least 25 years.

How did the path become so covered? Neglect perhaps? Maybe it was covered on purpose, because it was easier then taking it out when the deck was built? Why am I so excited about finding this path? Just where does it lead? Perhaps these questions will never be answered.

It is possible that the path does no longer lead to any specific place in the garden. I wonder what I can do to bring this work of beauty back into use in this space. I wonder what else I will find as I explore and dig a little deeper into my backyard. Will I be able to develop the space into something peaceful and beautiful that all the family can enjoy?

Stay tuned!

Bamboo

2007-06-04T06:51:00.001-04:00

While I enjoy the look of the bamboo that is envading my yard I have been spending a lot of time trying to contain it. It is an on goning issue and one that has kept me in the yard for some time.

My neighbor's yard has been sharing with my yard for some time. It has managed to move at least eight feet into the yard in some places. Digging it up and putting in barriers is just about the only way to prevent it from spreading! Needless to say it is a lot of work and a project that will take me most of the summer to do. In the mean time there are muddy sections of the yard and less grass. I hope to be able to put grass seed down in some spots soon. Not that the husband wants to mow any more then necessary, but it is rather un sightly. Thank goodness it is in the back yard!

Thoughts on my garden

2007-05-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm finding that my garden in the front of the house is really starting to look good! The plants I put in last year are doing really well and filling in nicely. I have several hanging baskets with flowers around the yard and on the steps of the house that are looking good!

I do plan on plotting out the back yard this summer and working on getting it in shape. I have made some progress and I find that the things I planted on the hill are doing well and spreading. Ther is still a lot of work to do, but I am making progress!I have more optons in the back yard due to a bit more sunny spots and lots of shade!
I need to put in plants that do not need a lot of care and will come in year after year. So planning and working in the garden will be my summer vaction!

Gardens

2007-05-06T09:58:00.000-04:00

I do enjoy this time of year when I can spend time in my garden. While I'm not an experienced gardener, I am learning. (Mostly from my mistakes!) Because of the trees in the yard I find that I have to really work at keeping plants that work well in the shade. Some of my favorite plants are Hostas. I do think they add a lot to the landscape around the house.

I plan to blog about my experiences in the garden this year and will add photos of the garden as the summer goes along. I'm going to expand my container garden as well on the deck. It should be a fun summer!

Pushing for peace in Darfur

2007-04-19T23:46:00.000-04:00

There are a number of different groups working on bringing awareness to the crisis in Darfur. I have been looking over a number of the web sites and looking for more information myself so that I can feel as if I have a better understanding of the issues involved.

Clearly there is a lot I don't understand. How can I? Life in the US is so very different in many ways from the life that the people of the Sudan live. Yet there is a common factor that draws me into the conversations about what is happening to the masses in this area. No human should have to live in the kind of fear and poverty that exists in Darfur or in any other part of the world for that matter.

The next few days will provide a focus around the world for support of the people of Darfur. Take some time to investigate the issue and do what you can to help stop the violence.

Links on Darfur

Information & Analysis For a list of books on Sudan and the Sudanese, visit www.sudanbooks.com Genocide Intervention Fund Save Darfur Coalition Int'l Crisis Group Passion of the Present SudanReeves Protect Darfur (UK)

Humanitarian Relief Oxfam The International Rescue Commitee Medecines Sans Frontiers

Violence is not a way of life

2007-04-17T01:44:00.000-04:00

Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 - 1964)

Events of such tragic and senseless violence occur everyday around the world, yet when they happen closer to home we tend to take a closer look and feel the pain more directly. From the mass killings in Virginia to the genocide in Darfur humans kill each other for what reasons we may never fully understand.

Prayer can and does unite us in a more positive and healing way. Regardless of your religious beliefs I urge you to draw upon the source of your positive healing energy for healing of the violence in our world.

Remember in Prayer

2007-03-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

Bluffton University Category: Life
As an alumnus of Bluffton, I am especially struck by the tragic events of the last week to the core. It is hard to understand the effect that the Baseball teams accident will have on the campus, students, faculty, staff and alumni. Clearly the outreach of compassion from people around the world has been overwhelming, and I hope that in some way it has been a source of comfort to the families of the team and coaching staff, as well as the driver and his wife's family and friends.
We all know that bad things do happen to good people, to coin the phrase from the book by Harold S. Kushner (When Bad Things Happen to Good People). I would highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with tragic event.
The prayers of many are with the Bluffton University community as they wade through the waters of grief to reach dry ground and rebuild. The team will be held up in prayer as they recover from their injuries and learn how to respond to those questions that will come to them, including "Why and What now"? The emotional aftermath of the accident will take time to surface for many, but it is no less important for those suffering then the physical injuries.
God will be with you as you recover and grieve the loss of friends, family and in many ways innocence.
"This is a sad tragedy for the students, families, friends and Bluffton University campus community. We are asking for prayers of support during this time."- Bluffton President James M. Harder.
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Remembering

2007-02-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

Every year on the Fourteenth of February I find myself remembering, not that it is Valentine’s Day here in the states, but my Grandmother Grant. I grew up living next door to her until I went off to college. My Dad grew up in the same house that she grew up in and when I was around five we moved back to the same town and house in Ohio.

February 14 was her birthday. She was born in 1898, 60 years before me. She was and continues to be a very important person in my life. She was a registered nurse and spent her life taking care of other people. This was something she felt was her mission in life. Her love of gardening has been passed on to me and I don’t think there is a day when I am out in the yard pulling weeds that she is not there with me.

When I consider the changes that she experienced in her lifetime I am amazed. She lived through the First World War, the Flue pandemic, World War II, the explosion in technology, the Civil Rights movement, the first moon landing, and I could go on. She passed away in January of 1981. Up until the last tow years of her life she had been strong and healthy, but Cancer caught her and lead her down a difficult path towards the end. I was away at college and really did not comprehend the seriousness of her illness. I was a typical young woman very self absorbed as most of us were at age 21. I realize this now especially as my own daughter is twenty one. I see much of my self in my daughter and can only hope that there is more of my grandmother in me now and that I can reflect all the good things about her to her great granddaughter.

So as the 14th rolls around again I will be keeping this very special woman in my life close, and give thanks that she was and is perhaps the best Valentine I could every have been given.

Grandmother Grant at her retirement party

My family today.

WEATHER

2007-02-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

I LOVE HAVING SNOW! I realize that it can be a difficult thing to cope with at times, getting to work or school, traffic, digging out is hard work. I enjoy having the change of seasons to experience. It makes me appreciate the spring and then summer a bit more!

Right now we are in the midst of a very large storm that is moving into our area. Most of the schools are closed, and I am at work, more then likely I’ll have to stay over waiting for other employees to dig out and make their way in. Oh well, at least I’m inside!

2007-01-25T01:20:00.000-05:00

Al Gore presents a topic, Global warming” that we all should be paying attention to. I know as a youth, I was very influenced by the “Earth Day” events and have tried to pay attention to different aspects of stewardship of our resources.

It is a spiritual aspect of my faith that I, like many, tend to place to the side. While I realize I should be holding it up more in practice and in education of my family. I will attempt to do better, as we all should, to care for the natural resources that have been in trusted to us to care for and preserve.

With the nomination of this film for Best documentary feature “ An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)A Lawrence Bender/Laurie David ProductionDavis Guggenheim, and it's release on DVD hopefully more people will begin to view it.

Here are the other films nominated in this catagory:

“Deliver Us from Evil” (Lionsgate)A Disarming Films Production Amy Berg and Frank Donner

“Iraq in Fragments” (Typecast Releasing)A Typecast Pictures/Daylight Factory Production James Longley and John Sinno

“Jesus Camp” (Magnolia Pictures)A Loki Films ProductionHeidi Ewing and Rachel Grady

“My Country, My Country” (Zeitgeist Films)A Praxis Films Production Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer

Peace is possible

2007-01-22T05:37:00.000-05:00

I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower34th president of US 1953-1961 (1890 - 1969)

Time is a fleeting thing and as it appears so is the reality of a peaceful solution to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are so many places that are engaged in such violent actions. When will it all end? What can we do to put a stop to this ridiculous waste of human resources?

Greater minds then mine have asked these questions and few answers have been found. There is a deep relationship to these questions and the way we approach the concept of evil in the world, I believe.

These and the associated ideals transcend religion and politics. There is a deep fear of facing this quest for most of us. It is a looming presence, evil that is, and it is the thing we seem to feel we have no control over. These are complicated times and the web of greed, stretches into all aspects of our lives.

This week the US President will be giving his “State of the Union” address, I doubt that there will be any great revolution shared, more of the same misguided rhetoric towards the war abroad and at home.

Pray for positive out comes, regardless of your religion. If you have no religious beliefs then hold on to positive energy and thoughts. Join those in the March on Washington

January 27, 2007: March on Washington to End Iraq War
Join fellow members of the Church of the Brethren on January 27th along with thousands of others from across the United States to send a message to Congress and the current administration that now is the time to act. Now is the time to withdrawal our troops from Iraq. In the November 7th elections Americans made clear to Congress that they want change when it comes to Iraq. On January 27th, Americans will take action to call Congress into accountability by demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
Church of the Brethren Members and Friends are invited to meet at the Washington City Church of the Brethren, home of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, (337 North Carolina Ave. SE) at 10:00 am to gather for the March. At 11:00 we will assemble at the Mall to organize with all march participants. The march kicks off at 1:00. Please join Brethren Witness/Washington Office on January 27, 2007 for the March on Washington. For more information please contact Brethren Witness/Washington Office or go to http://www.unitedforpeace.org/
"The Church of the Brethren has called on its members to pray and give witness to the sin of violence, and has petitioned the federal government of the United States, the United Nations, and other nations and groups to seek peace by taking action to bring troops home from Iraq."
--Annual Conferece 2006 Iraq Resolution quoted by Stan Noffsinger, General Secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board

A New Year

2007-01-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

Well, the Christmas holidays are finally over and life is returning to normal. okay, I don't really know what normal is, but at least the excitment of December and the New Year has passed.There is a different routine that takes over duirng the holidays that, while I enjoy, I am glad to leave behind. The good thing about begining a new year is that it gives you a chance to evaluate what you need to do in your life and what changes you might want to make.

2006-12-22T00:47:00.000-05:00

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. Aristotle

I finally got my Holiday Cards done and mailed out. Yes, I do still use snail mail, if fact I made the majority of my cards this year. I enjoy having the chance to make my cards; it gives me a real sense of being connected to the person to whom I send the card.
This is not one of the cards I made but an example of the kind of cards I make.www.stampzia.com/.../thumbs/holiday-mg-t.jpg142 x 200 pixels - 14k

I have been thinking some about how I connect to people. I enjoy blogging and sending e-mails to people, but I must admit I prefer at times to have a more personal type of contact.

I also must admit that I do have a need to feel as if I have created something. I don’t have talent in an artistic way, at least not in a traditional sense but making cards, using the rubber stamps and choosing the colors of paper, ink and the style and format of the card does seem to satisfy this need to create for me.

It is fun for me to create then give a set of cards to someone. I have the chance to share a piece of myself in a way. Perhaps that is what those who pursue art in various media feel when they create a work. I find it a bit difficult to consider myself an artist, but there is a deep need for me to attempt to share in a tactile way.

Art is not a thing; it is a way. Elbert Hubbard

Holiday

2006-12-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

I find myself cleaning house, getting ready for the holidays and in many ways trying to get things in order to enter the New Year. It seems almost cliché but I do find, in spit of myself, reviewing the events of the year and try to figure out what I want to change as the New Year begins. I have found a few quotes that seem to fit the process as I look at the start of a New Year.

Those who refuse to make New Year's resolutions because they always break them anyway miss the point. Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self-assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle. Eric Zorn

People have times in their lives when they are forced to examine themselves. Cat Stevens

Perhaps this qoute sums it up for me best!

Each year is a new year. Tim Buckley

Getting ready for the holiday

2006-12-13T00:25:00.000-05:00

December 25, 1818 in History

Event:1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night") sung (Austria)

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens

Christmas! 'Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of charity in the heart. Washington Irving

ENTER THE LIGHT OF LIFE

THE CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
Airing on the Hallmark Channel!
Tune in December 24, 2006,at 7 a.m. ET / PT.

ABOUT THE Christmas Eve Service

The Luke 2 account of the birth of Jesus is the text for this Church of the Brethren Christmas Eve service, created for national broadcast on CBS. Christopher Bowman, pastor of the Oakton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, is speaker.

Music is coordinated by Shawn Kirchner, minister of music at the La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, and features soloists Kim Simmons and Ryan Harrison, the Juniata College Concert Choir, a children’s ensemble from congregations in Indiana, and instrumentalists and readers from across the denomination.
Order the music soundtrack or DVD from BrethrenPress.com
ENTER THE LIGHT OF LIFEChurch of the Brethren Christmas Eve Service
Music

Working at relationships

2006-12-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here are some thoughts that focus on relationships.

Everyone has them: family, friends, co-workers, children and many other, yet they can be the most wonderful or the most painful part of a person’s life.

It can be defined as: The state of being related by kindred, affinity, or other alliance.

I've included a few quotes that I found interesting on the subject.

On a level of simple personal survival, understanding and forgiveness are crucial... whether in an intimate personal relationship or on a global level. Edward Albert

The greatest gift you and your partner can give your children is the example of an intimate, healthy, and loving relationship. Barbara de Angelis
The one who loves the least, controls the relationship. Robert Anthony

We cannot have that relationship if we only dictate or threaten and condemn those who disagree. Zbigniew Brzezinski

Christians were instructed to serve others, and the thanksgiving was for the grace of God and the fact that God offered a way for man to return to a positive relationship with Him. John Clayton

World Aids Day

2006-11-30T02:46:00.000-05:00

One of the most profound experiences I have had was in viewing a section of the quilt when it was touring Ohio a few years ago. My daughter at the time was around 11 and I took her to see and to experience the power of the Quilt.

About The Quilt
Founded in 1987, The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a poignant memorial, a powerful tool for use in preventing new HIV infections, and the largest ongoing community arts project in the world.

I have know people who have died from Aids and I have friends who are currently living with HIV, yet I too have been guilty of not paying as much attention as I should have to the on going crisis. There are many people and groups that are working to conquer the Aids pandemic, and yet people are still dying. Women and children are infected as well as many men. It is not a gay disease but a killer of all people.

Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 is World Aids Day.

Here are some stats from the CDC:

HIV/AIDS among Women
April 2006
Early in the epidemic, HIV infection and AIDS were diagnosed for relatively few women and female adolescents (in this fact sheet, referred to as women). Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Women of color are especially affected by HIV infection and AIDS.

In 2002 (the most recent year for which data are available), HIV infection was the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25–34 years
the 3rd leading cause of death for African American women aged 35–44 years
the 4th leading cause of death for African American women aged 45–54 years and for Hispanic women aged 35–44. In the same year, HIV infection was the 5th leading cause of death among all women aged 35–44 years and the 6th leading cause of death among all women aged 25–34 years. The only diseases causing more deaths of women were cancer and heart disease [1].

Kicosehp NGO, Kibera Community Self Help programme, Kenya, Africa. This is the largest slum area in Africa with over 1 million people. HIV/AIDS incidence is very high. Support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. Materials prepared by the youth for the youth. Credit: UNAIDS/G. Pirozzi

An NGO-led HIV and AIDS information session among young people in Costa Rica, Latin AmericaCredit: WHO/UNAIDS

Remember to Keep the Promise!

Let us all work for an end to this killer!

“Once every generation, history brings us to an important crossroads. Sometimes in life, there is that moment when it’s possible to make a change for the better. This is one of those moments.” – Elizabeth Glaser

Elizabeth Glaser showed us all what a difference one person can make. Founder of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation

More thoughts on laughter and what is funny.

2006-11-30T01:11:00.000-05:00

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road. Henry Ward Beecher

Elmer & DaffyComedy is unusual people in real situations; farce is real people in
unusual situations. Chuck Jones

Humor is something that thrives between man's aspirations and his limitations. There is more logic in humor than in anything else. Because, you see, humor is truth. Victor Borge

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an
event, deal with it and then move on. Bob Newhart

Harvey Korman, with Mel Brooks, in BLAZING SADDLES

Humor is just another defense against the universe. Mel Brooks

Humor is a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad spots. Steve Allen
Steve Allen on the Simpsons
Monty Python
I guess I owe my odd sense of humor to my parents, especially my Dad. I grew up watching shows by Mel Brooks, Bob Newheart many of the other great comedy writers.I also watched many of the British comedy shows like Benny Hill and of course my all time favorite, Monty Python.
It goes without saying that I try to find humor in as many situations each day as I can. It really does help a person get over those bumps in the road that we all find.
So have a good laugh and enjoy life!

Just for laughs

2006-11-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Curiouser and curiouser! Lewis Carroll

Once you come and see Kiss, you either love us or you hate us.
Ace Frehley

When was the last time you had a good laugh? I think we tend to take life too seriously and we forget to find the humor in everyday events.

Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.

Norman Cousins

"The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter." Mark Twain

Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors. Norman Cousins

Thoughts and sights of peacemakers

2006-11-24T00:51:00.000-05:00

I was browsing some images and found several that I wanted to share along with some thought provoking words on the subject of peace.

Christian Peacemaker Teams

We CHOOSE to be peacemakers
because we believe it to be
the faithful response to our DECISION
to f o l l o w Jesus.

We have DECIDED
to reject the option of violence,
believing that PEACE is not
only possible, but often practical.

We choose LOVE.

We choose LIFE.

We believe in MIRACLE
because we CHOOSE
Christ.
—Mennonite Church Peace and Justice Committee

Giving Thanks

2006-11-23T04:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I get ready to start our holiday meal I have much to be thankful for. I try to spend time every day remembering to be grateful for all the things I have been graced with in my life.

Here is a short list of the things I am grateful for:

My husband and my children

The beauty of nature-and those who work to protect it

my extended family and that both of my parents are still with us as they move toward their 50th wedding anniversary-together!

our pets: three cats and two goldfish along with a dog that sometimes comes for a visit.

I am also grateful for people who are willing to take a risk to speak out for those who do not have a voice in the world; like George and his father Nick on behalf of the people of the Sudan, the people at On Earth Peace.

And yes, while one could over do it with holiday excesses, we try to be reasonable. We tend to focus more on enjoying our family, having a good time and being kind to each other.

A woman of greatness

2006-11-17T01:04:00.000-05:00

Many despair at all the evil and unrest and disorder in the world today, but I see a new social order and I see the dawn of a new day.
- Coretta Scott King, 1969

I think on many points she educated me," King once said of the woman who accompanied him on the whirlwind journey from an Alabama ministry to the center of a global civil rights movement, and who, after his death, would carry on his work through a variety of educational, political and philanthropic activities.

The widow of Nobel laureate was force for social justice

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace and a soul generated by love. - Coretta Scott King
King became a symbol, in her own right, of her husband's struggle for peace and brotherhood, presiding with a quiet, steady, stoic presence over seminars and conferences on global issues. "She was truly the first lady of the human rights movement," the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. "The only thing worse than losing her is if we never had her."
King also wrote a book, "My Life With Martin Luther King Jr.," and, in 1969 founded the multimillion-dollar Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. She saw to it that the center became deeply involved with the issues she said breed violence - hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism.

"The center enables us to go out and struggle against the evils in our society," she often said. She became increasingly outspoken against businesses such as film and television companies, video arcades, gun manufacturers and toy makers she accused of promoting violence. She called for regulation of their advertising. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org

I was thinking about some of the great women of the last century and Mrs. King was one of the best. She spent her life working in the areas of peace and social justice and as much as I admire her late husband, I think I admire her even more. She picked up the torch and carried it farther and longer then a lot of the activists from the same time period. She is a great role model for all people and especially for women around the world.

2006-11-14T00:34:00.000-05:00

I have been working on an report that I must give at the end of the quarter in my Spanish class. Now this is going to be really difficult for me. I am taking a language for the first time and I am feeling really unsure of myself. The content is not the problem, it is having to give it in Spanish!

I have enjoyed the class especially when we touch on the cultural aspic and history of the spanish speaking countries. I guess the "Humanities" major in me is always pretty close to the surface for me. Anyway, I think I will give a brief report on the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. He is one of my favorite artists and I have been especially moved by his painting titled Guernica (below).

It was painted as a reaction to the bombing of the Spanish town of Gernika at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The whole town was decimated and the reaction to this massacre was huge. (The Nazi's had a hand in the event since the Condor Legion of the German Luftwaffe did the actual bombing ). There is an excellent book on the subject, Picasso's War by Russell Martin. Visit the web site below for more information.

http://www.picassoswar.com/index.html

I highly recommend this book, both from an art history point of view, but also as a discussion of how culture is effected by an artist making a statement., in this case, the horror of the violence of war.

What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who has only eyes, if
he is a painter, or ears if he is a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his
heart if he is a poet, or even, if he is a boxer, just his muscles?
Far from it:
at the same time, he is also a political being, constantly aware of the
heartbreaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world,
shaping himself completely in their image. How could it be possible to feel no
interest in other people, and with a cool indifference to detach yourself from
the very life which they bring to you so abundantly? No, painting is not done to
decorate apartments.
It is an instrument of war.
PABLO
PICASSO

Art in all forms connect people of different cultures.

Which is the best medicine?

2006-11-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

Edward Munch, The Scream

I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream. Temple Grandin

Some days I feel like screaming! Maybe it is the weather, maybe it is work, kids, family, $, the list could go on and on. Regardless of why, I have often felt that by giving a good holler every now and then I am given a good release of the emotions that are pent up inside.

I've always felt a connection to Munch's painting. It certainly has been a powerful visual icon. Here is a bit in info on him.

(b. Dec. 12, 1863, LÃ¶ten, Nor.--d. Jan. 23, 1944, Ekely, near Oslo) Norwegian painter and printmaker whose intense, evocative treatment of psychological and emotional themes was a major influence on the development of German Expressionism in the early 20th century. His painting The Cry (1893) is regarded as an icon of existential anguish. http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/munch/

I hate whiners. I understand that the pressure can be a lot, and I
have days where I just want to scream, but it comes with the territory. Eliza Dushku

The other great form of release for me has been laughter! There are lots of studys that say "laughter is the best medicine". I wonder how Munch would feel about the parodiess of his painting?

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on. Bob Newhart

Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations. Norman Cousins

You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it. Bill Cosby

Reflections on 21

2006-11-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some thoughts on my daughter turning twenty-one.

Words to live by:

I have no regrets. I wouldn't have lived my life the way I did if I was going to worry about what people were going to say. Ingrid Bergman

First and for most is where has the time gone?

I can't believe she has grown up so quickly! She is a beautiful and talented young woman and I am so proud of her. Like many she has had to face many challenges and I am sure she will have many more to face: after all that is what life is all about in the end. Taking what comes your way and learning how to handle the ups and the downs that we all are faced with.

I had certain physical limitations that made me change the choreography for myself or made me more interested in choreography only rather than dancing. I have never been a person who wanted to just dance. I have always been interested in developing for other
people. Katherine Dunham

She has been involved in dance and theatre her whole life and of course I feel she is very talented! It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there for the world to see and to entertain.

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. Judy Garland

I wish her a very Happy 21st Birthday today!

OTHERS IN GOOD COMPANY WITH MY GIRL

Today's Birthdays

1974 - Leonardo DiCaprio

1964 - Calista Flockhart

1962 - Demi Moore

Thinking about communication

2006-11-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

Being true to yourself really means
being true to all the complexities of
the human spirit.

-Rita
Dove
I often think about how complex life can be. How do we simplify the daily routine? I feel overwhelmed by the constant barge of information that pierces my life. I listen to the radio and have some kind of “noise” in the background almost all of the time.

Arthur Rubinstein pictured

Actually more often then not, the music actually helps me to focus. I usually listen to classical or jazz so much of it is instrumental, which makes it a bit easier to place it in
my subconscious. I do get
tired of words being spoken to me and long to have a different type of communication practice.

Perhaps that is why I value my cats so much right now. We do communicate, but it is in a different way. It is non-verbal and centers on a more physical way of communication. People today do not value the non-verbal forms of communication the way that perhaps, it had been in the past.

I guess it gets back to being true to your self. Taking the time to discover the inner voice that leads you on your journey.

Also: I wanted to share with you an article that was sent to me from Matt see
http://www.nonviolencenews.blogspot.com/ for more information.

November 9, 2006

Dear friends, In the midst of heartbreaking news of violence, there are seeds and signs of another possible reality.

Enjoy this story from yesterday's Christian Science Monitor!

Blessings, Matt GuynnOn Earth Peace

HELENA COBBAN: Nonviolence can work wonders - even in the Middle
EastThe Christian Science Monitor(Published: November 8, 2006)

AMMAN, Jordan (CSM) - It was an extraordinary gathering. For four days at the end of October, 60 people, most from the Middle East, came together here to discuss how concerted nonviolent action might defuse tensions and help bring peace to this war-blighted part of the world.A distinguished scholar from India helped us engage closely with the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, and a veteran
African-American participant in the U.S. civil rights movement helped us explore the work of Martin Luther King Jr. We heard from Israeli and Palestinian
activists about projects to restore wholeness and hope to communities burdened heavily with fear, violence, and foreign occupation. We learned about the quiet
transformational work that Christian Peacemaker Teams have done in Iraq and the West Bank, and explored theories and practices of nonviolent action from around
the world.This assembly - a U.N.-sponsored leadership conference on nonviolence - brought together Israelis, Palestinians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Egyptians, and
others from the Middle East. One-third of the participants came from farther afield - from Nepal, Uganda, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Russia, South Africa, and elsewhere - and added a valuable global and comparative perspective to the
mix.We saw very secular Israeli activists engaging passionately with socially conservative (and very articulate) veiled women from Jordan and the Palestinian
territories. Pro-peace Israeli rabbis in yarmulkes worked with Muslim teachers in flowing robes. There were Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and secular peace
activists, and veterans of nonviolent struggles in South Africa, Northern Ireland, and elsewhere.On the final night, an Israeli rabbi and a young Arab woman sang a poem composed two hours earlier by a South African. It told of the
dream of coexistence along the Jordan River.How did this happen - at a time of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and deadly civil strife in Iraq?It was a combination of hard work and serendipity (you could say grace).Back in
April, Jairam Reddy, the head of the Amman-based United Nations University International Leadership Institute (UNU-ILI) planned this course to coincide
with the centennial of Gandhi's first nonviolent demonstration, undertaken in Dr. Reddy's native South Africa in September 1906. Then, the punishing 34-day
war between Israel and Lebanon this July dealt a huge setback to Israel's already fragile peace movement. And between April and October, the violence in Iraq escalated.But throughout that violence-racked summer, small groups in all those countries continued to believe in and practice the principles of nonviolence. Annemie De Winter, the regional representative of Germany's
Friedrich Naumann Foundation, stayed in touch with many of them. She helped UNU-ILI to assemble the rich roster of in-region course participants. Reddy and his staff did the rest of the work. (Disclosure: I gave Reddy a small amount of consulting help on the project.) The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington made a small but welcome financial donation. Then, given the talent, commitment, and flexibility of the group that assembled in Amman, the four days of work and
learning flowed remarkably well.I have supported many nongovernmental efforts for reconciliation and justice between Arabs and Israelis since the late 1980s,
and I've seen this movement traverse times of hope and times of great setbacks. Considering the difficult conditions it had to confront, I was truly amazed at how successful the UNU-ILI gathering was.Our gathering thrived because of the
great human qualities and rich experience of the participants. It helped, too, that so many Middle Easterners can now see that violence - whether direct physical violence or the violence of oppressive systems - simply does not
"work." So in key places, people have become more eager to seek alternatives.The achievements of Gandhi's movement in India and of the (largely nonviolent) African National Congress in South Africa last century are solid examples of the effectiveness of nonviolent mass action that today's peacemakers embrace as instructive models. The teachings of Gandhi, Dr. King, and others do not try to avoid the big political problems that conflict- ridden or oppressed societies face. Instead, they seek to mobilize new, nonviolent human energies in order to resolve them.Obviously, this movement toward nonviolent action in the Middle
East is still in its infancy. In every country in the region, it is still vulnerable to the forces of violence. But in Amman in October, vital seeds were sown, and vital connections made. Now, we all need to work hard to nurture and
strengthen this hopeful movement.Helena Cobban is the author of "Amnesty after Atrocity? Healing Nations after Genocide and War Crimes."

2006-11-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

Beauty is all around us, if we just take the time to look.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

2006-11-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Day
There are as many opinions as there are experts.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

People tend to have an opinion on just about every subject you can imagine. The problems comes, as I see it, is when our self inflating ego expands the importance of said opinion! So how do we listen to what others have to say and discern if what they express is of value to us? I believe that regardless of what we have to say there is some value in what everyone conveys. Even the most vile opinion is of some value, if nothing more then to spur discussions that might not have taken place otherwise.

What do you think?

Random Thoughts

2006-11-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

-Mahatma Gandhi

What do we really want to change in this world? Can we really live out the "ideal" in order to make a difference? What would the world be like if we each lived our lives according to the quote that Gandhi challenged us with?

If we complain that our society is too materialistic, then perhaps we should look to our usage of resources. Being a good steward of what we have been given is more then a financial challenge, it is using our time wisely, developing positive relationships and working for the "good" of all people.

As I see it that is one of the reasons I have been drawn to the Church of the Brethren, for the church does focus on a different way of looking at the world. Having attended a Mennonite college, I have been very influenced by the Anabaptist traditions. Groups like CPT and On Earth Peace are working to hold up another way of being in the world.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks to enlist the whole church in organized, nonviolent alternatives to war and places teams of trained peacemakers in regions of lethal conflict. Originally a violence-reduction initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonite, Church of the Brethrenand Quaker), CPT now enjoys support and membership from a wide range of Christian denominations.www.cpt.org

On Earth Peace is an agency rooted in the Church of the Brethren, helping people faithfully discern "the things that make for peace" (Luke 19). http://www.nonviolencenews.blogspot.com/

Remember to be "Continuing the work of Jesus. Peacefully, Simply. Together"

http://www.brethren.org/logos/COB/PSTlogo.html

Just thinking

2006-11-05T23:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

It never stops suprising me when something of beauty appears to me. It can be something I see all the time, then suddenly one day I am able to see it with new eyes.

As I was sitting in church today, I took some time to really look at the stained glass windows in the sanctuary. I've looked at them hundreds of times over the years and yet for some reason today I seemed to see them almost as if for the first time. The colors were bright and clear, as were the images in the windows. They were truly spectacular and I was filled with such awe of the crafting of such beauty.

It made me wonder about the artists that made these windows over fifty years ago for this church building. Who were they and how long did it take for them to master their craft? How did they discover this gift of design and the ability to create such works of art?

I felt blessed to be able to "see" in a different way today! Yes, I did pay attention to the service and the message that was shared with the congregation. After all I did serve as Worship leader today.

People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle
and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Some thoughts on mid term elections

2006-11-03T23:14:00.000-05:00

The trouble is not in our institutions, imperfect as they doubtless are. The crying necessity for reform springs from the fact that while our institutions are representative theoretically, our public officials are not so, actually.

- Fulton McMahon
American politician(1863 - 1934)

As we get closer to the mid term elections in the US, I am saddened and angered by the election system. Not that I have any concrete ideas on how to change the system, but I am dishearten by the way those who are running for office campaign, how the elected officials are prone to corruption and how little interest from the public there is in selecting good people to run the government. I tend to still hold on to the belief that there are good solid people out there who can make a positive difference in the world, but it is clearly harder to find them. Money is a big part of the problem, you have to have a lot of it to run, which often means that a person has to compromise ideals in order to get the backing of those with the open purse. Once you have taken that step on to the slope, well it tends to shift one down rather quickly.

Having children, I am even more distressed by the way our politicians behave. As for my 21 year old, all she sees is the corruption and hypocrisy of those in office, I have tried to express the importance of her being involved regardless, to vote and to express her opinions on issues and to ask questions of those running for office and for those in office. I believe I have been able to teacher her the importance of being part of the process, not excepting it as it is but the worthiness of working to improve the system. It is truly an never ending process! I fear that it will be much harder to instill these values in the youngest of my children. The media is playing it's part as I see it in keeping the masses uninvolved. People become jaded and disgusted, and too often refuse to participate in the process because they truly feel it does no good.

How do we then fight back? What values can we instill in our youth and how do we keep from just giving in/up to those in power?

Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country
are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent
that get all the publicity. But then we elected
them. - Lily Tomlin

A busy day!

2006-11-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

As many days go, it has been especially busy today. I got off work at 6 am the had the Bible study group at my house from 7:30-9; left for my Spanish class was there from 9:30-1:30pm; came home and took a nap until 6pm then had the Worship Team meeting at the house from 7-9pm the off to work again. I LOOK FORWARD TO FRIDAY! I hope to be able to get some sleep while my son is at school and I have no meetings or classes to attend.

Now, not everyday is this busy, but some weeks the whole week ends up like that. Just the price one has to pay, I guess for being a working woman, committed to learning and feeling a calling to ministry. The family gets a bit grumbly on days like today, but the husband understands my need to "be" who and what I am. The kids, they have a bit more of a challenge to understand me, but to them I'm just MOM.

Just wanted to highlight some good links that you might check out :
http://www.cpt.org/
http://www.nonviolencenews.blogspot.com/

Both of these will put you in touch with groups working in areas of great importance.

Shalom

Thoughts

2006-11-02T01:46:00.000-05:00

Save Darfur! These are the faces of those suffering in the Sudan today! http://http://www.myspace.com/savedarfurcoalition

So here I am attempting to communicate in the world of Cyberspace! It is a whole different world these days and I find it a challenge to embrace. However I am going to make the attempt!

Having a 21 year old and a 10 year old I feel some responsibility to keep up on the world they live in. I could be quite happy sticking to my limited computer usage, but it is important for me to at least be aware of what is going on, especially for the younger of the two. He will, no doubt be even more tied to the computer then his sister is.

Actually, I am intrigued with the idea of putting my thoughts and ideas out in the world. Not that I have anything so terrible important to say, but it is interesting to have the ability to communicate in this way. I have also arrived at the Myspace.com site and have set up a blog there as well.

http://blog.myspace.com/tlgsesmag