Prune Away

This image is not the kind of pruning I am talking about but read on.

My previous residents and staff asked me what they should give up for Lent a few years ago. I encouraged them not to give something up but to give something back. This year Lent has been a pruning for me with the possibility for new growth and to give gratitude as fruitfulness appears in my life.

I have pruned away a long time dream of being a pastor over a church in my eventual retirement, which is a ways down the road. It has been pruned away.

I have pruned away my longtime dream of eventually working on my doctorate. It has been pruned away.

I have pruned away my time with Living Stones Ministries Rock On! The website will remain. I will make hats and soaps at the moment to provide to a 96-year old at my church until the yarn and soap making materials run out. Her name is Gracie. She sells them someplace, and I do not need the details because the proceeds go to our church. Living Stones will resurface because I have tested the programs and they work.  It has been pruned away.

I have pruned away picking up donations to provide for other organizations.  I want to say, “Thank you” to each of you who offer me wonderful donations. I instead of picking up donations, I would like to spend time with you. It has been pruned away.

I have pruned away the people, who volunteer me for projects or who gossip. You have been pruned away. I will continue to prune away these individuals plus any energy vampires – especially all of you who swear and use the F-word.  I find you and your language disrespectful.  You will be pruned away.

I have pruned away my dream of working as an Executive Director for an assisted living or to become a nursing home administrator. This has been pruned away.

Some of you will say, “Wow, that’s harsh!” Yes it may seem harsh to you because you see yourself as pruned. It has been time for me to prune away for a long time. Please prune me if you believe I am dead weight to you.  Somethings and some people will grow back in a better way because there is a time and season for that.

I will take pause and sit in reflection and see what else needs to be pruned away during Holy Week besides planting new seeds without weeds.

The ASK

The rain fell and soaked me to the bone. I noticed the people, who live on the streets, sitting up against buildings with blue tarps draped around them or hats pulled down tightly over their heads with little protection.

I have watched two men and their neighborhood men’s group serve others in the neighborhood. Living Stones Ministries Rock On! is partnering with this men’s group to provide hats, gloves, scarves and socks.

This year I am going to learn the ASK when I need help with a project. We can accomplish more together. I have two ASKs.

ASK #1: I am asking for donations of hats, gloves, scarves and socks for this men’s group, where actions speak louder than words.

ASK#2: I am in need of help writing and putting together the 501 C paperwork for Living Stones. Who has the time and the experience? HELP! (I understand my weaknesses in this area.)

A Man Named Jugbeer - Belated December 21, 2017

After the cantata at United Christian Church this past Sunday, I treated myself to lunch at the Spice King in the DK Market, where diversity internationally abounds through people, food and languages but mostly their unspoken words with smiles and nods.

It was a gift at Spice King that a young man from Ethiopia, who was impeccably dressed and came from worship. He helped me select my lunch, (Apparently, he is a Sunday regular.)

Jugbeer took my order. (Yes, Jugbeer is his name. It was funny because I did not doubt him yet my facial expression said something else. Jugbeer in an instant had me card him.) His family owns the restaurant.

I sat next to the television and begun to watch the Indian programming as I imagined myself in their dance sequence. Jugbeer brought me back to reality when he started talking with me from the counter. He told me about starting college in 2018 and a few more things.

Our selfie speaks volumes and Jugbeer spoke one more time after our photo. He smiled and said, “You have a jolly face.”

Jugbeer, move forth and hold onto the joy in your life. You will do well.

A Christmas Eve 2017 Worship story - Belated

The greatest journey of the birth of an immigrant...a refugee happens tonight with three kings, who probably would be considered homeless.

The story touched my heart in a different way tonight. A number of homeless or those in need wonder into the services at All Pilgrims Church. Tonight was different. A homeless man walked in with the largest backpack. I am guessing all of his earthly possessions. He removed the backpack and left it at the back of the church.

He wanted to write a prayer and place it in the prayer wall at the front of the church. He walked up to the pastor during the music and scripture. He wanted something to write his prayer. He wrote his prayer and placed in in the wall.

He stopped and looked into my eyes through his Coke bottled, yellowing glasses covered in tape. He held his hand out. I held his hand and squeezed it. I Iooked into his eyes and said, "Merry Christmas." He offered a toothless grin.

I reflected on the footprints as I slowly walked home in the snow. The footprints will melt away, and I won't see them in the same way as I did tonight a journey of a man. You can see Christ in others.

Merry Christmas!

The Good, The Bad and The Gross in One Evening

The Good: I was near South Center Mall this evening, and I stopped by the Value Village. I met a lovely couple also purusing the Religion/Spirituality books. He is planting a church.

The Bad: I needed batteries so I stopped by the Dollar Store, and I will admit it: "I like the Dollar Store." The parking lot was bursting at the seems. Two youngish woman with a young child zoomed in front of my vehicle and the elderly couple slowly attempted to park in the the handicapped space. Somehow the women in the dented car drove around me and in front of the elderly couple. They parked turned the hazard lights. exited the car with a small child. I looked in the car. There was a child maybe 2-years of age of younger in the driver's seat trying to turn the steering wheel. I could ID them in a lineup.

I found parking a ways out. I walked in and there the culprits stood with sugary food and drinks. I looked at them and said that they prevented the disabled/elderly from parking. "Sorry." I said that the police were being called. I allowed my voice to rise and stated that they left a young child in the car alone in the front seat. They dropped their items and ran to their car.

As I drove away, the culprits no longer had a visible car but enter the store with their hoodies tied securely. The one wore sunglasses in the darkness, and they had one child with them.

The Gross. I sat down to take a load off and enjoy an iced tea at the Wendy's. A young couple sat down near me. He started coughing. He then cleared his throat and spit a loogie about 6-inches from me. His friend said that he needed to clean it up. He shrugged his shoulders. I walked over and said that he needed to clean his phlegm up. He quietly cleaned it up.

Shame. Shame. Shame. I do not like shaming people; instead, I will take pause.

Practice the Pause

Sometimes a household item holds an answer on how to change when you are focused on something else and a WOW moment happens.

I picked up my remote and pushed the pause button. (Was it the  tactile experience?  Was it the visual experience? Was it an auditory experience?) That was it. I want to make a lasting change so I need to pause.

Instead of saying something that you could regret, take pause and push play. Then you do not need to be kind and rewind. You can move forward and in some cases fast forward, if the situation warrants.

I thought about what I would like to change about or within me for the New Year.  I had no idea when 2018 was ushered in. I took pause.

I am not sure what will happen when I push other buttons – especially stop.  Darkness?  I will take pause because change will stop.  I cannot play or move forward.

“Practice the pause. When in doubt, pause. When angry, pause. When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause, pray.” – Unknown

I am... I said

I leaned up against the wall near the furthest dumpster in this alley as I journeyed home a night last week and sang these words over and over:

"’I am’... I said
To no one there
And no one heard at all
No even the chair.”

Acoording to Neil Diamond, who penned the song, “I am…I said,” “It was consciously an attempt on my part to express what my dreams were about, what my aspirations were about and what I was about.”

“There is a time for everything…” and it is the time for me to take pause and write down and use my power of concentration focus on 2018.

Happy New Year!