(Belated) Song for Sunday: Sister Suffragettes

I almost forgot to write this blog post and I haven't written in so long I am not sure I have any readers left, but anyway, here goes.


We watched Mary Poppins as a family not too long ago and I was struck by this song. It hopefully sings out:

"Our daughter's daughters will adore us
as they sing in grateful chorus
'Well done, Sister Suffragettes'"

Alas, I think in general it's wrong. Not about women voting, about their granddaughters being thankful...or even remembering.

It's election day here in the US and many women are wearing white as a sign of thankfulness for women's right to vote and run for political office. We have, for the first time, a female candidate from a major political party running for president. (We have actually had women candidates for years and, by the way, this doesn't indicate how I voted. I am not going there here.)  But most of the time I think we forget that gaining the right to vote was the hard won struggle of women who worked for nearly century to gain suffrage. And it hasn't even been a century since they succeeded.

This is a fun song. It's also humorous, contrasting a wife's progressive views with her husband's staunchly traditional ones.

The women's suffrage movement had a bit of a checkered history, making alliances with racists and advocating violent action. I don't condone either of those tactics.

I am, however, grateful to be able to vote...and enjoy Mary Poppins.

Check out this link on the history of the Suffragette Movement in the US.
http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage
And in England:
http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/overview/startsuffragette-/



Did you vote?

Song for Sunday: Five Pieces for a String Quartet.

Erwin Schuloff was poised to become one of the premier composers of the 20th century. He was prolific. His music was varied. He was acclaimed.

But, his life was cut short in August 1942. when he died in a Nazi concentration camp. His full potential was never realised.

Many lives were cut short by those concentration camps. Also in the Khmer Rouge, the Armenian genocide, the slaughter of Tutsis in Rwanda.

And the shooting of nine students at a community college in Oregon.

Here, we lost a future pediatric nurse, a prayer warrior, an assistant professor of English and many others. We lost a lot of promise, a lot of potential.

As we did in all cases of violence against people.


I heard Schulofff's story at a concert by the Aeolus Quartet which featured Schuloff's Five Pieces for a String Quartet. It was inspiring to hear them, to view them and to speak with them afterwards. They are a group that formed in music school and is dedicated to reaching out to the community with music. They spend a lot of time in schools.

The composition is formed of five dances, including a  Viennese Waltz, a serenade, a Czech folk dance, and a tango. The last movement is a tarantella, a "dance against death." I have made it this week's "Song for Sunday."

This is a link to a perfomance of the fifth movement of the composition, played by the Kontras Quartet. 

Let's "dance" against death, working to end violence in all it's forms. Amen?

Song for Sunday: 2000 Years

Billy Joel is an athiest. Reportedly, he woke up one morning with this song in his head and tried not to write it. He said to Howard Stern, "Who the hell was I to write this gospel song?"

It includes some biblical imagery and is overall a lament that we haven't improved much since the year 0 -- the time of Christ.

To my mind, this song echos Christ's frustration with the disciples: "He said to them, 'Do you still not understand?'"  

We humans have a tendency to need to be taught the same things over and over. So we still go to war, we endure mass shootings, we forget to love our neighbor. 


Billy Joel is an athiest, but he seems to speak for Christ here. 




Today's "Song for Sunday"  -- 2000 years -- by Billy Joel. Here's the link:

Post #3 for the October 2015 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

What is there to say?

What is there to say?

President Obama says we have become numb to mass shootings, that it has become routine.

I think he's right. No one is talking about. I have had exactly one conversation about the shootings in Oregon, with my son. There is no real horror, it's barely on the edges of awareness.

People, really this is war. A spiritual war. A battle against apathy and indifference. And a battle against violence itself.

We need to pray. We need to teach our children non-violent solutions. We need to fix the mental health system. We need to watch out for our neighbors. We need to stand up to rampaging gunmen. And, yes, we need to do something about guns.

We need to talk. We need to have real conversation about this in our homes, our churches, our communities.

There is no one answer. No one possible path. Our first solutions may not work, but it's easier to adjust the course of a moving ship than to get one off the dock in the first place.

So let's get to work.

I am going to have two conversations this week with different people about this topic. Don't know with who or how they will go, but that's my commitment.

I also challenge every church to pray about this situation at worship tomorrow.

Let's get something done. Even if it's just a baby step.


What's your commitment?


Post #2 for the October 2015 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Heroes: No Greater Love

Greater Love has no Man than this: that He Lay Down His Life for His Friends.

Sgt. 1st Class Danny Ferguson, Sgt. Timothy Owens, and Carlos Lazaney were already heroes when the woke up on Wednesday, April 2. They were members of the military, serving at a time when deployment to an area conflict was possible. They were heroes just for that.




But these three did not get to go to bed that night. They went instead, too soon, to the morgue.


They all died heroes, going about the business of defending their country, in a place that should have been safe.


Danny Ferguson died protecting others. He placed himself in front of unlockable door and held it shut. He died when bullets fired by the gunman penetrated the door. He saved a roomful of other military personnel. He gave his life for his friends.


I never met Danny, but his fiancé attended CYC, the ministry I volunteer with, several years ago as a camper. Though I haven't been in touch with Kristen really, except a little via Facebook, I still feel a connection through our camp sisterhood. My heart goes out to her and her family. I will be praying for her and for all the families as the memorial program happens today.


I pray for peace and comfort for the families. I pray for healing for the injured. I pray that our military bases will be safe places, that soldiers suffering from mental illness will get the help they need, that all mass shootings --all shootings-- will stop. I don't know what the answers are, I just pray.

God grant us peace -- all kinds of peace. 

Getting Going Again

I seem to have taken an unintentional break from blogging. For the last three weeks my only posts have been my weekly "Song for Sunday" ones. I am not quite sure how that happened. Too busy, I guess. Other things took priorty.

Actually, I have been too busy. I have been perpetually behind or just in time with things. Not everything gets done and writing has been one of the things pushed of the end. Better that than things that are more important. Busyness has made me rather stressed and at times, irritable, too. I need to pare back. One of the things I haven't had time for is figuring out what to give up. I have a bit of a breather this week, I think, so maybe then.

I have thought of blogs over the past few weeks and  things have been going on in the world, so I'll hit a few highlights.

I sold at my first Craft Fair. Just about broke even and have inventory leftover. Found out what sells. It was a good experience.

Hallowe'en has come and gone. It was one of those times that I wish I could split in two. I would have liked to have taken Jordan around while also greeting neighborhood kids at the door. Oh well. We had the light on when we weren't out trick or treating. Hopefully we didn't seem unfriendly for too long...

A 13 year old boy was shot because his toy guns looked real. My son was 13 when that happened. I get it. The cops were scared. We live in a world in which kids kill. Still, tragic beyond words. This is why we never allowed guns that looked too real at our house. I think it's one of those things where no one was really to blame. Just unimaginably painful.

A teacher was shot by a fourteen year old student. Horrifyingly sad. My son turned 14 yesterday. He seems so young. How does a 14 year old get to the point of planning a murder? Unfathomable.


Sigh.

As I said, my son turned 14 yesterday. We celebrated with family and friends and had a good time. He's growing up. On to new adventures.


So what's been happening with you?

Song for Sunday: You May Be Right!

This song popped into my head  a week or so ago. I have no idea why. 

Then, yesterday, it was played at the reception at an absolutely beautiful wedding for two wonderful people that I had the privilege to attend.

Oh, and yeah, I love Billy Joel songs. 

So today's song for Sunday:

You May Be Right

Friday night I crashed your party
Saturday I said I'm sorry
Sunday came and trashed me out again
I was only having fun
Wasn't hurting any one
And we all enjoyed the weekend for a change

I've been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Stuy alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain
And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I'm insane

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

Remember how I found you there
Alone in your electric chair
I told you dirty jokes until you smiled
You were lonely for a man
I said take me as I am

Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while

Now think of all the years you tried to
Find someone to satisfy you
I might be as crazy as you say
If i'm crazy then it's true
That it's all because of you
And you wouldn't want me any other way

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

It's too late to fight
It's too late to change me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You may be right

I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right

                           ~Billy Joel

What songs have popped into your head recently?

I am participating in the October 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge but I am way  behind. This is only post seven. Of 31. Oh well.

In the wake of it all...

Last night, ending our vacation, my family went to a local sub shop and then to an ice cream parlor.

I noticed in each place, a Muslim family was there. (One of them had this gorgeous baby... but I digress.)

A few things came to mind as I enjoyed the time with my family.

First, I was very proud of these Muslim neighbors, who were not giving into fear but were out and about as "the manhunt" was on and the media was announcing that the suspect was an Islamic extremist on a jihad.

Secondly, I was proud of everyone else who was there. No one glared or behaved rudely. As the young children in the families ran about and behaved energetically, as children do, people smiled at them. These were the types of places such antics are expected and tolerated.

Then it hit me. It was Friday night. In the normal course of events, wouldn't these people be at worship? It turned out that most local mosques had closed. Some were in the "lock-down" area and could not have conducted services. Others closed as a precaution against both further bombings and unjustified retaliation.

In the middle of the events, I posted this on Facebook:

"As the media tells us that the suspect on the loose is a "jihadist" (which he may be) and Islamic Centers around Boston close (a sensible precaution) lets remember that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, law-abiding people who will need their neighbors to stand by them in the coming days. Say a prayer for them and reach out to your Muslim neighbors with support and compassion."

Thankfully, many agreed. I hope that Christians can reach out to those around us who may (God forbid it!) become the targets of hate.  Jesus commanded us to "love our neighbors as ourselves." Let's do it!!

And a prayer of thanks that the suspect was captured! We should certainly keep him in prayer, too. Assuming that he really is guilty, which has yet to be proven in court, he is surely a lost soul who needs all the prayer he can get.


What are your thoughts on the manhunt and its aftermath? 

Guns at School

I can't stay silent on this one.

The Newtown tragedy has ignited a debate about whether teachers should be allowed to carry guns at school.

I am a former school teacher. I taught severe special needs in public schools, collaborative schools and private schools for which tuition was paid by school districts. My students had cognitive impairments and serious difficulties with communication. Those difficulties often lead to frustration. Many simply cried, screamed or curled up when they became frustrated but others acted  out. Some students had emotional disorders that contributed to agrressive behaviors. My aides and I (and all the staff in the private settings) were trained in methods to safely restrain and contain students, in de-escalating situations and not becoming aggressive ourselves. In public school situations, other teachers would often not know how to react and could be afraid of my students. They weren't trained to handle them.**

In a public shool classroom, I once had a girl who was taller and stronger than me get in my face and threaten me loudly, dropping the f-bomb a few times. As I firmly directed her to a safe space, the school resource officer came racing down the hall, grabbed her, cuffed her and arrested her for disrupting a school assembly.

It was an overreaction on his part, but he never pulled his gun or looked like he had even thought of it. As an officer, he had received training in threat assessment. He knew she couldn't do real harm.

But...

What if the threat had been stronger and involved her trying to hit me with a chair?
What if it had been a teacher from down the hall with a new gun license rather than a trained officer?
What if instead of a student it had been an angry parent yelling at me and then reaching in his pocket for a cellphone?
What if I had a gun in the classroom and the student had grabbed it?

In my state, to obtain a license to carry a gun, you must attend a firearms safety course which covers safely storing, carrying, firing, handling and cleaning the weapon and an overview of current gun laws. People are not taught to assess threats. Police officers receive that training. Teachers are not police officers. I do not think they should carry guns at work.

I don't think it would help much anyway. In most situations, would one of the teachers with a gun be close enough to act? Who would hide that teacher's students while he or she went to look for the bad guy? If the gun were locked up separately from it's ammunition to keep if safe from inquitive students would there be time to retrieve and load it? Wouldn't that time be better spent getting kids under cover?

As for armed guards at schools, I think that is something that should be decided at the local level. Conditions and opinions vary too much to make a national policy. I would harbor the same concerns about volunteers as I do about teachers carrying guns, though.


Right, my views.


What do you think?




**Please note: These were not students with Asperger's or diagnosed mental health issues. The majority of children and adults with Asperger's syndrome and mental illnesses are not violent or aggressive. When those who have conditions that make them more likely to be violent are properly assessed and treated, and if necessary hospitalized, they are ususally not a threat.

Garden

I planted a vegetable garden for the first time this year. Some of the plants are doing well, others not so well. Good thing we like green beans.

My garden also has some plants I can't identify. Most likely, many of them are weeds, but I can't tell them apart from some of the plants I direct sowed into the garden. Every time someone who knows about gardening comes over, I ask them to look at my beds and tell me what they think are weeds. But I am afraid to pull too much up, in case I remove something that might produce good food.

It reminds me of the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13. Somewhat. Of course, an enemy didn't sow in my garden. And the farmer in the parable didn't pull the weeds because he didn't want to uproot the wheat, not because he didn't know which plants were weeds.

God knows who the good and evil people are. This parable seems to tell us that, at least in some cases, he is letting evil people be so as not to uproot or harm good people. It's an interesting idea to get our heads around, especially when we hear of shootings and dictators.

It makes me wonder, and meditate and pray.

God has said "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." So when we face evil we are to return it with good. God assures us that in the end the "wheat" will be gathered in and the "weeds" cast out. Of course, the analogy only goes so far. Weeds can't turn into wheat, but through Christ evil people can be turned to the good. I pray that it will be so.



This is my 21st post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Tragedy in Norway

85 teenagers were killed at camp in Norway.

It seems so...senseless, horrible. What are the words?

I work at a youth camp, so this hits close to home. I feel really stricken.
I just cannot imagine what it would be like to be a leader at the camp and have to make those calls. My heart goes out to everyone who was there and to every family member.

At first, Muslim terrorists were blamed. And, then, come to find out the man arrested for the shootings identified himself as a conservative Christian on his Facebook page. Apparently had right-wing political leanings, too.

First off, that shows us we shouldn't just jump at our favorite targets. Wait for the facts.

Secondly, I think it's pretty clear this man wasn't really a Christian. Christ would not condone such behavior.

But back to my main point. I am sickened by this.

Please join me in praying for all the victim's, their families, their friends and the organization that was attacked (which I know nothing about.)

God, grant us peace.