I Am Second: Anne Rice
“I bought that to grow up one has to put aside God.”
Author Anne Rice tells her story of growing up, losing faith and finding it again after 38 years…
Loving Well…
Yet again, I’ve found a very thought-provoking post on Donald Miller’s blog. Have a look at it, then read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3…
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Have you known (without naming names or specifics here) people who professed the name of Christ, yet were not loving people? Have you been one of those people from time to time (oh, yes, I have)? How is it that we who are followers of Christ can carry his name into the world, and yet seem to be so unlike him?
Love well today, friends…
I Am Second…
Through a friend’s Facebook post, I came across this series of videos called “I Am Second.” This one features Tony Dungy. I’ll be posting these for the next little while…
How do you respond to disappointments in life? What is most important to you?
5 Father’s Day gift ideas that make a difference -
In honor of dads, I wanted to post this idea, for any who still need a little last minute inspiration. I’ve been hearing more and more about how people are choosing to give gifts to charities their family members or friends care about, rather than a traditional “gift”…here are a few gift ideas in that vein…
5 Father’s Day gift ideas that make a difference -.
Have a happy Father’s Day! Celebrate well the fathers in your life.
Wendell Berry on the Gulf Oil Spill…
Wendell Berry talks in his endearing, piercing way about the implications of the Gulf oil spill; the questions it raises about our consumption of resources and our very way of life. What are we to do? As Berry says, “the context is beginning to speak back to us.” What is it saying to you?
Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.
Open Spaces Sacred Places | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
I have noticed over the years that in every place I have lived, I have found a sanctuary; a place where I, often without even realizing it, have built an altar of the heart. Whether it was the creek out behind my grandparents’ house in Ohio, Caumsett Park in Long Island, the cathedral cloisters in Durham, England where I went to school, or Wall Lake in South Dakota, I’ve found my own sacred spaces in each place. This article talks about some people who are creating intentional spaces for reflection and introspection in the midst of crowded urban settings.
Open Spaces Sacred Places | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.
Think about it; what have been sacred places for you? Why were they important to you?
Wheelchair-bound musician reinvents the drum – CNN.com
“If people want to know how to build their own triggers, then, by golly, they can just contact me,” he said. “I’ll give them the information for free. Encouragement shouldn’t come at a price.”
via Wheelchair-bound musician reinvents the drum – CNN.com.
Encouragement shouldn’t come at a price. Jason Gerling is an inspirational guy who has found a way to do what he loves. Read about his story, about how he has encouraged others, and discuss! Have you heard a story like this? Have you written a story like this in your own life? Let’s celebrate it!
What do you think of Jim Joyce?
I came across this story from Don Miller’s blog, which I follow regularly, and was so encouraged I wanted to pass it on. It’s a story about humility, loss, and grace in a moment when things could have gotten really ugly. Detroit pitcher Armondo Gallaraga was one out away from a perfect game, when umpire Jim Joyce called the last play of the game safe. Joyce later saw on replays that he was wrong, and he had cost Gallaraga what would have been only the 21st perfect game in baseball history.
What happened next was unheard of in the game of baseball; Joyce apologized. And Gallaraga responded with poise and grace. Have a look at Joyce’s take on it, in an interview on the Today show. It takes about four minutes, and you need to watch it to the end:
What grabs you from this video? What does this story say about the difficult work of building character? What does it cost and what do we gain?
‘Chay La Lou’: The Things Haitian Women Carry – Martha St. Jean – God’s Politics Blog
“She is my mother. She is my aunt. She is my next door neighbor. I recognize her familiar gait; the quick-paced step. Most importantly, I recognize the invisible burden she carries. I know a Haitian woman before I know a Haitian woman. I recognize the unfair share of hardships and sorrows. Her face may be unlined, you may not be able to tell if she is 40 or 60, but her eyes will tell the story.”
via ‘Chay La Lou’: The Things Haitian Women Carry – Martha St. Jean – God’s Politics Blog.
As I read these words, I am reminded of the women I met in Ghana when I visited there six years ago–women of great dignity, warmth and joy. I’ve never been to a more exuberant worship service or seen more generous and hospitable people, in the midst of what, to my biased eyes, seemed like such lack; of food, infrastructure, sanitation, stuff that I grown up so accustomed to. Have you ever experienced something like this? What did you learn?
“Chay la lou,
Chay la pa pou mwoin
Chay la lou
Chay la pa pou mwoinThe burden is heavy
The burden is not for me”
In Remembrance; With Gratitude
In honor of this day, I wanted to post again a blog entry from a couple of years ago; a story told by my grandfather, Francis K. Wisener, who served in the army just after WWII;
“Shortly after the war was over in Europe, I was inducted into the army, took my infantry basic training, and was shipped off to Germany where I was finally assigned to a permanent unit. 
I was awakened one night and was volunteered to help with a fire in one of the stalls in a nearby warehouse. Next to the fire was a stall stacked four-high with upwards of fifty 55 gallon drums of gasoline, separated only by a cement-block wall. I had to help remove the drums from the stall. I ended up working on top of the stack where the heat was intense. Drums were snapping and hissing as they expanded. About the time we had removed most of the drums from next to the partition, the fire was under control on the other side.
I did a lot of praying but didn’t have time to think of much else. We were concentrating on the partition for signs of fire breaking through. However, I did identify with the man who survives the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel–they were probably a bit anxious also.”
I am grateful to him, my father, my uncle, my brother, and all who have served in the military. Do you have a story to tell?
