Making the rounds in my small circle of friends and family is an inspiring book, "Heart in the Right Place". It is a story about a successful Washington lawyer who leaves her professional life to help her father and mother run a rural medical clinic in Tennessee. This quote from the book on page 172 is good to remember in these uncertain times.
I stared at Fletcher in hopeless frustration.
He said, "There's another way, you know."
"And what would that be?"
"You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, first thing he always says is, 'Fear not!'"
"Yeah."
"Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he's not trying to comfort us when he says that. He's giving us an order. It's a command given more than 300 times in the Bible. The Lord's telling us not to let ourselves be afraid. We can't afford to be scared. It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is we're supposed to be doing."
Tonight is the start of the Jewish New Year. I am celebrating. Fear not!
Do whatever you are supposed to do to worship the Holy.
Peace.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Mum Sale
Last weekend was the 21st annual Mum Sale - a fundraiser for HopeWorks in partnership with about 20 local communties of faith.
I have to say that with the weather people predicting monsoon-like rains and winds for the time when we would be sorting and then delivering over 2100 mums I did not sleep well the night before.
Well, the rains did not come on Saturday morning. What did come were many many volunteers with an amazing spirit of cooperation and a "happy to do it" attitude. We breezed through the many tasks needed to distribute such a large number of plants and were done in record time. I left that morning full of joy and gratititude - joy with what happens when people come together for a common purpose, and gratitude not only for the weather holding off but more importantly for the folks who worked with such cheer and kindness for one another.
I have to say that with the weather people predicting monsoon-like rains and winds for the time when we would be sorting and then delivering over 2100 mums I did not sleep well the night before.
Well, the rains did not come on Saturday morning. What did come were many many volunteers with an amazing spirit of cooperation and a "happy to do it" attitude. We breezed through the many tasks needed to distribute such a large number of plants and were done in record time. I left that morning full of joy and gratititude - joy with what happens when people come together for a common purpose, and gratitude not only for the weather holding off but more importantly for the folks who worked with such cheer and kindness for one another.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Silence
A month ago I went to Mercy Center in Madison for a week long silent retreat. The fact that I was looking forward to silence did not surprise my family. I was not prepared for just how exquisite the experience would prove to be. It was a week of exhales after holding my breath for far too long. A bone-weary fatigue lifted.
Coming home from a retreat or a vacation, it is always a challenge to bring back and incorporate the healing pace that made the break so refreshing. The lessons of my silent retreat are with me today, reminding me to breathe and rest, whenever possible, in a place of faith and silence.
Peace,
Cruger
Coming home from a retreat or a vacation, it is always a challenge to bring back and incorporate the healing pace that made the break so refreshing. The lessons of my silent retreat are with me today, reminding me to breathe and rest, whenever possible, in a place of faith and silence.
Peace,
Cruger
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)