Nuclear Threat

If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things — praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts — not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They might break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

                                                         ~C. S. Lewis, On Living in an Atomic Age (1948)

We are hearing a lot about North Korea and possible nuclear strikes. I pray they don't happen. I pray for cooler heads, saner minds, and better people to prevail all around.

But I agree with C.S. Lewis. Let's get on with our lives and not worry. Thankfully, I haven't yet heard of any equivalent to "duck and cover" drills starting up. I expect they'd be pretty useless anyway, I don't live near a targeted area, but I assume nowhere is safe and that, at any rate, a nuclear strike anywhere will have consequences everywhere.


Get outdoors, raise funds for earthquake victims, read the Bible, play a game, help your neighbors, fight forest fires, take a hike, watch a movie, study, work,  feed the hungry. Do what you are called to do today. Worrying doesn't change anything anyway. So, go an live.

Blessings on your day!

Song for Sunday: Seasons in the Sun

I always thought of this as a nostalgic song. It sort of is, but I guess my knowledge of the lyrics didn't go beyond the chorus.I always thought of it as a happy song.

Yesterday, I heard this played by a band at an Out of the Darkness Rally/Fundraiser to prevent suicide. The lyrics really are sad. I did some research, and learned that Terry Jacks actually wrote this about a friend dying of cancer and saying good-bye to a friend, his father, and his daughter. However, it was based on a French song, le Moribund, which was basically a suicide note, though not from the author, rather from a charchter.

The French song:

Jacques Brels version .. le Moriband.. the original of Seasons in the Sun Translated from French into English

Good-bye, my wife, I loved you well
Good-bye, my wife, I loved you well, you know,
But I'm taking the train for the Good Lord,
I'm taking the train before yours
But you take whatever train you can;
Goodbye, my wife, I'm going to die,
It's hard to die in springtime, you know,
But I'm leaving for the flowers with my eyes closed, my wife,
Because I closed them so often,
I know you will take care of my soul. 


Even though Seasons in the Sun is not about suicide, it has a tone that fits with suicide prevention. A few facts a gathered from my brief stop at the rally. 

• 90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental illness at the time of their death. Five to 10% of suicides take place in mental hospitals.
• First responders have a suicide rate four times that of the general population, but there is no funding for programs to help
•  Older adults have the highest suicide rates, more than 50% higher than young people

 Good mental health care would be the best suicide prevention. Something to work for. 

Here's today's Song for Sunday. May it lead you to prayer for the suicidal and the dying. 

 

Blessings.

The End of the World

So it is supposed to end today. The world, that is. A rather drastic interruption to a month of  blog posts about beginnings.

Or it would be. But really, it's not happening.

Be ready. Always be ready. Because Jesus is coming.

But there is no particular indication that he is coming today. Could be today, could be tomorrow. Could be 40 years. Could be a thousand.

We don't know and Jesus said we wouldn't know. He also said not to be deceived. So I like this meme. Memes used to be for Monday's on this blog and maybe I'll get back to that. But this one is for today. Jesus does have feelings, being real and all. I suppose that false predictions of the end would bother him.

Are you ready for the end of the world? Whenever it might come?

More Beginnings

Well, today is the beginning of Fall. A new season - my favorite actually because of the colors and temperatures. For me that is all it is. A turn of the calendar, a change of season. But each new beginning, each change of season, makes me consider time and how precious it is.


I also took a step on what may be a new journey today. I sent in my resume for a job. A temporary, part-time ministry job. I don't know if I will be offered the position, but I felt God encouraging me to knock on the door. I am seeing it as part of the discernment process for my future work. With the homeschooling journey ending, I'll be starting something new this time next year. Hoping to figure out what it is. So I begin and try to trust God for the journey.

So, what's new with you?

Song for Sunday: Gotta Serve Somebody

I heard this old Bob Dylan song while listening to a local jazz band on the steps of our library. Summer jazz on the library plaza is a great feature of my town.

It's message is a good one.

Who am I serving? A good thing to keep a check on.

Do I really want it to be God?  Attitude plays a big role in service (and worship!)

How can I serve God best? Examining my life and working to improve.


But it is also a good song. So be inspired by it or just enjoy it.


And have a blessed Sunday!

Song for Sunday (A day late): Peace Be Still

Seem to be a lot of storms about lately. Hurricanes, monsoons, forest fires fueled by wind. And on and on.

Also, metaphorical storms involving medical emergencies, family trauma, spiritual crises, and feuds.

So this song for Sunday, based on Mark 4: 35-41, seems apropos. It is my prayer.

Reflections on Natural Disasters (From Afar)

I was about to send off a donation of hair to a charity when I realized that there only office is in West Palm Beach, Florida. Right in the path of Irma.  I put it aside to send after the hurricane, when things are settled. But it makes wonder. How will nonprofits ride out the storm? What will become of their work if their facilities are devastated? How can we help?

A friend commented that she will need a rain plan for her wedding next weekend because that is when the rain from Irma will hit New England. I began to wonder about all the people in Florida and Texas and Mexico and Montana whose weddings and funerals and baptisms had to be postponed because of natural disasters. Or maybe they won't happen because bride or groom perished. How can we help?

I am not in the path of storm or a wildfire. There has been no earthquake or tornado here. From my position of safety, I feel the need to help, but I don't know what to do.

We used this prayer, published by Xavier University, at youth group tonight. Prayer, of course, is real and effective. But part of my prayer is to figure what actions I should take.

Let Our Cries Come Unto You

Most merciful and compassionate God,
Giver of Life and Love,
hear our prayers
and let our cries come unto you.

We weep with your people 
We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents
We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones
We behold the silence of vanished villages.

We see the devastation.
We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.
Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.

God of the universe,
Open our hearts to feel your compassion
Galvanize in us the act of continued giving
Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need
Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost
Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel
Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help
Open through this tragedy pathways to partnerships and peace
In Your Name of mercy and healing and compassion we pray

Brothers and sisters in danger -- let me know how I can help. And God keep you safe!!

Bittersweet Beginning

Today was another beginning for our family.

A bittersweet one, because it is also the beginning of the end.

Today is the first day of my son's senior year of high school. So it is the beginning of the end of his school years. The last first day of school he will ever have as a student.

It is also the beginning of the end of our homeschooling journey as we have no younger children.

And the beginning of the end of our parenting journey, as when this boy leaves for college or wherever he might go, we will encounter the beginning of the college years and the start of empty nesting all at once. This is how it is for parents of singletons. We have moved through the other stages and now need to move toward becoming consultants to our child.

I want to be conscious of savoring this year, of enjoying this final year of our learning adventure and the transition of my son to adulthood.  We will have senior pictures and final fairs and, ultimately, a graduation ceremony. The rituals that mark endings that are also beginnings. Today has been both joyous and sad and I am sure that other events will be also. There are also the routine endings. It struck me this morning that I will never again assign summer reading to Jordan. I'd forgotten that at the start of the summer.

Letting go can be sad and that is what this season is for. I hope that it doesn't become to overshadowed by college applications and FAFSA forms. Or my need to complete what I see as unfinished.

I pray that this final year cements us as a family and allows for the final forming of both roots and wings.

God bless your journey my boy, both this year and after. I love you and am proud of who you are becoming.

Prayer for Those Affected by Natural Disasters.

With Harvey having devastated parts of Texas, Irma threatening the Caribbean, drought causing famine in Uganda and other parts of Africa, and wildfires blazing in the Pacific Northwest of the US, it seems time for a prayer for those affected by natural disaster.

This one comes from jesuitresource.org.

May we who are in Christ pray it sincerely.

Compassionate Lord

Compassionate Lord, we pray for those who have been devastated by recent natural disasters. We remember those who have lost their lives so suddenly. We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss. Bring them consolation and comfort. Surround them with our prayer for strength. Bless those who have survived and heal their memories of trauma and devastation. May they have the courage to face the long road of rebuilding ahead.
We ask your blessing on all those who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their security and their hope. Bless the work of relief agencies and those proving emergency assistance. May their work be guided by the grace and strength that comes from You alone.
Help us to respond with generosity in prayer, in assistance, in aid to the best of our abilities. Keep our hearts focused on the needs of those affected, even after the crisis is over. We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.


Have a blessed day. 

Labor Day Hike

I have always felt that forest trails have an elvish quality. Perhaps, because I have a Tolkeinian view of elves.

The leaf patterns dancing in beautiful patches of light, the wind murmuring in the branches overhead. It all makes for a lovely feel to things in the woods.

Today, my family tried a new hiking spot in a nearby town. Another beginning. It was fun to be explore somewhere we hadn't been before.  It was good exercise and a good time together.

I encourage you to get out in the woods. Who knows, you might even catch a glimpse of an elf.



Have a blessed day!

Song for Sunday: Movin' Out

Today's Song for Sunday is just for fun. I am posting it because it's Billy Joel.

The other day, Billy Joel was local and I didn't get to go. A friend had two extra tickets for sale, but I didn't bite at his post -- figured it would be too expensive and I wouldn't have anyone to go with me. Maybe I should have gone for it anyway. I've never been to a live Billy Joel concert. 

Also -- and this has only to do with the title. My goddaughter started college (more beginnings) and moved out of her house yesterday. My son's turn will be coming soon. *sigh*

But, still. Billy Joel. Awesome music. Enjoy!

Drive Carefully

Labor Day weekend is one of the most dangerous on the roads, because of an increase in drunk driving. So be careful out there.

And please remember to drive responsibly. There are no excuses for:

Driving Drunk
Driving after smoking pot
Driving on drugs or medications that make you drowsy or affect motor coordination and reaction time
Driving exhausted
Texting and Driving
Calling and Driving
Speeding and being reckless on the road.

Just don't do it!! Your life and the lives of others are at stake.

In 2010, I lost a friend to a drunk, drugged, wrong-way driver. Tom was just 24 years old and left behind a wife and two very young sons. Gone far too soon, because someone was irresponsible.

Another friend lost her husband to a drunk driver over Labor Day two years ago.


Please be careful. And please, bystanders, take those keys or that phone if the need arises!

Love you all and like you alive!!

Learn more about Tom and how to end drunk driving here:

Drunk Driving
Ending Drunk Driving
Drunk Driving
Celebrating a Life
Drunk Driving: In Memory of Tom Serewicz

The Thomas J. Serewicz, Sr. Foundation for Kind &Responsible Living remembers Tom’s loving and generous spirit by supporting a variety of charities and hosting an annual memorial picnic.

I met Tom and his wife, Cherise, at the Christian YouthConference at Ocean Park (CYC), when they were teenagers. It was where they met and decided to marry. (I looked after Cherise’s engagement ring once while she was out on a service project doing physical labor.) CYC meets for two weeks every August in Maine and is open to all high schoolers. The 2018 Conference will be August 5-18.


Usually I post a blog about Tom on July 17, the anniversary of the accident. But my blog was on hiatus this year on that date. Hopefully, I am back now for a good run!

Beginnings

As far as calendars go, I am most attuned to the academic one. I suppose because I was a student for 17 years and then a teacher for more than 18.  So September always feels like a time of beginnings to me.

Perhaps even more so because my family of origin had it's beginning then. My parents were married on September 1, 1962. Today would have been their 55th wedding anniversary. Sadly, they both died young. My father of ALS in 1995, my mother of a virulent form of cancer in 2011. They were a blessing and I miss them. And I am grateful to them as will. So there is no celebration today. Just a quiet acknowledgement.

Still beginnings resonate.

So today feels like a good day for a beginning.

I am beginning anew with this blog.


I will be posting about youth ministry, escape rooms, family stuff. The sort of thing I posted about before. Just trying to restart.


Hope you'll come along with me!

Have a blessed day!