Inspirational – Page 8 – Beatitudes Community

What Makes A Community?

Fri, April 1, 2016 Published by Rev. David Ragan, Sr. VP Resident Services

“Game On” Welcome Desk

Many of you know that when I first came to Beatitudes Campus, I had no intention of staying here beyond the one year agreement I made as Interim Vice President for Spiritual Life. I made it clear that this is not the type of community I am about when it came to my understanding of my purpose in life – I was a preacher type – but felt I could help during the year I would be here.

Two weeks after I started I was being lured into one of the most beautiful experiences and communities that I ever thought was possible. If I saw my life as trying to help create a community in the larger world where all are valued, empowered and treated equally, it suddenly became apparent to me it was happening here. Seven years later I am still here because I just could not let go of what I witnessed then and still do today.

The Light Rail commencement gathering

Just look at the last few weeks and see all of the connecting that is taking place in our community. If you attended the weekly meetings of the Design Studio, you saw the discussions evolve around bringing down the silos between Independent Living, Plaza View and all other venues. They also were celebrating there being no distinction between those with walkers, scooters, canes or using none of those – all are whole and valued just as they are.

If you walked through the Agelink building, you saw your neighbors serving as instructors for senior aged immigrants and teaching English to willing leaners while bringing down this time between cultures. If you went to the new Light Rail Celebration opening, you saw your neighbors with a booth telling the rest of the world all about us– and having the best time there. Stroll through Plaza View and you might catch “Game On”, an evolving Game Day/Night bringing neighbors from all over the Campus together for good laughs.

St. Patrick’s Day Theme Dinner Event

On St. Patrick’s Day, if you were in the Luther Life Center, you saw it filled with to the brim with green neighbors looking for that pot of gold and maybe a green beer. Head back over to Agelink, where Beatitudes Center for Life Long Learners has over a dozen classes in session and brought hundreds of our residents together to learn new insights, as well as learn about each other. Watch a Diamondback game and you might see your next door neighbor in the crowd rooting for the team.

English Learning Courses at the Agelink building

I love it whenever I take a visitor on a little tour of the campus and by half-way, after a couple dozen greetings from each of you as we enjoy our walk, they tell me this has to be one of the happiest and friendliest places on earth. It never fails to happen. And I think they are right.

Want a glimpse of our community at it warmest? Come to the Welcome Coffee where new residents are celebrated, and just listen to why they wanted to come to Beatitudes Campus and how excited they are to be here (it will make you proud all over again that you are here) and feel the radical hospitality in return as they are welcomed.

All of this makes what a community is all about, and thank you for making it one of the most special.

Peace always,

David

The Easter Laugh

Tue, March 29, 2016 Published by Peggy Roberts

One of my favorite pictures is of Jesus throwing his head back in a glorious laugh so I love the old Easter custom begun by the Greeks in the early centuries of Christianity – “Holy Humor Sunday.” For centuries in Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant countries, the week following Easter Sunday, including “Bright Sunday” (the Sunday after Easter), was observed by the faithful as “days of joy and laughter” with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Churchgoers and pastors played practical jokes on each other, drenched each other with water, told jokes, sang, and danced. The custom was rooted in the musings of early church theologians (like Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom) that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. “Risus paschalis – the Easter laugh,” the early theologians called it.

In 1988 the Fellowship of Merry Christians began encouraging churches and prayer groups to resurrect Bright Sunday celebrations and called it “Holy Humor Sunday,” with the theme: “Jesus is the LIFE of the party.” Many times, I believe our worship and faith would benefit from a bit of levity and joy for we are often too straight-faced and straight-laced! The Lord’s Supper ought to be more like a celebration than a funeral service. When “Family Circus” cartoonist Bil Keane first began putting religion into his work in the 1960s, some religious conservatives took offense at the irreverence of mentioning God in the funny pages. Later, when one of his young characters reinterpreted a commandment as “Humor thy father and thy mother” or threatened to tell his mother that a sibling at prayer is “goin’ over her head,” he got accolades from the same group. The English writer G.K. Chesterton once said, “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. Never forget that Satan fell by force of gravity.”

The Fellowship of Merry Christians publishes a Joyful Noiseletter and here are some samples from it. * A paramedic said his most unusual 911 call came from a church, where an usher was concerned that an elderly man had passed out in a pew and appeared to be dead. What was so unusual about that? “Well,” the paramedic said, “we carried out four guys before we found the one who was dead.” * A good sermon should have a good beginning and a good ending, and they should be as close together as possible. A few years back, North Bay Community Church in Clearwater, FL, celebrated Holy Humor Sunday. The Rev. Daniel McDonald said, “Laughter releases tension, and we have enough of that these days. I think we all need to stop taking ourselves so seriously. We need to recognize that this is really God’s world, and He has so much in store for us. We put too much emphasis on what’s wrong and what’s bad with it.” That Sunday Rev. McDonald “gave one of the world’s shortest sermons. He announced that the focus of his talk would be on sin. ‘Don’t do it,’ he said from the pulpit. ‘Amen.’ Then he sat down.” I think I’ve got my sermon for this Sunday! Rejoice and be glad this week, my friends, and be sure to have some fun and laugh! *

A Dog Named Angel

Mon, February 15, 2016 Published by Beatitudes Campus

Last month, on my way to work each day, I would see a homeless man and his dog on the corner of Thunderbird and 7th Street with a sign saying “Social Security is not enough”. After seeing him each day I decided to stop and talk with him to find out his story.

He told me his name is Richard and his dog is Angel. I, being a rescue dog owner of three dogs, was drawn to him by Angel. He told me he has advanced neuropathy in his legs, loss of teeth and memory lapse all due to exposure to mercury vapor while at his place of employment for the past decade.

I brought food for both him and his dog. After talking with him I sensed that he was a good guy and not a scammer. He just fell on hard times and needs someone to give him a helping hand. Both he and Angel looked miserable since it was very cold. They both were dirty and in need of a shower. I found him a hotel room for the night and drove him there. He cried when I got him to the hotel room. I told him all was good, to get a shower, bathe the dog and be ready for the next day.

I picked Richard and Angel up the next morning to visit social services to get shelter. We went downtown to Jackson Street where the homeless center is located. It was shocking to see hundreds of homeless people and pets camped out around the facility. We found our way there and got into the office only to be turned away due to the fact that Angel did not have proof of all her shots. We left there and headed back to central Phoenix. We tried a weekly apartment complex. He had money to pay but the manager turned us away saying his dog was not allowed. She was too big. This was not true since we heard a large dog barking in one of the apartments. She just did not like the way he looked, homeless.

I took him to his medical appointments and then back to Sunnyslope where he camps out, back on the street once again. I told him I would continue to help him and Angel get back on their feet.

I contacted my veterinarian, Dr. Cook, at Lookout Mountain Vet Clinic in Moon Valley. I asked if he could donate spay and shots for Angel. He offered to do microchip ID, all shots, and spay for just $100, his cost. I then needed to find a place for Angel to recover from her surgery. I contacted Second Home Pet Resort also in Moon Valley. Jordan, the director, offered a week stay and bath for free. Both places deserve a big thank you for their kindness.

During my weekly visits with Richard at his “work corner” I was amazed and pleased by the outpouring of support from drivers stopping to help. Angel was supplied with bags of food, treats and doggie vests to keep warm. Richard got money, food, gift cards and clothes. It was nice to see that there still is some compassion in our world these days.

Halo Animal Rescue Thrift store had a customer buy a brand new dog vest from PetSmart. Angel loved wearing it. Michelle, at the Halo store, has offered to help furnish a place once Richard is settled. The outpouring continues. Everyone to whom I tell the story offers to help.

I am now working on finding Richard a new home, either an affordable guest house, trailer park home, or apartment so that he can once again feel good about himself and look forward to each day once again. So you see, angels come to us in the most unexpected ways. Angel, his dog and companion for her three years of life, beckoned me to approach them. Her eyes said please help us. She truly is his guardian angel.
I have learned a lot from my befriending Richard and Angel. I found parts of me that were buried deep inside. The joy I feel in helping them is so rewarding. The fact that I can make someone’s or an animal’s life better makes it all worth doing.

I now am so thankful that I have our home, my partner David of 17 years and my career at the Gift Shop at Beatitudes Campus to support us. God has blessed my life. He has given me the means to help others. Giving and sharing is what life is all about. So, thank you to a very special dog named Angel. *

Great Romances and Great Love

Wed, February 10, 2016 Published by Peggy Roberts

He first saw her in Sunday school when he was six years old and she was just five. “She had golden curls and beautiful blue eyes,” he recalled. They graduated from high school together in 1901, but went their separate ways — he moved to Kansas City and she to Colorado for a year — until becoming reacquainted nine years later. It was then that Truman, who once wrote of Bess, “I thought she was the most beautiful and the sweetest person on earth,” began his first and longest campaign — to win the heart of Bess Wallace.

On January 10, 1845, Robert Browning wrote to Elizabeth Barrett for the first time, after reading her volume of poetry, Poems. He was a little-known thirty-two-year-old poet and playwright, she was an internationally renowned poet, an invalid, and a thirty-nine-year-old spinster. “I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett — I do, as I say, love these verses with all my heart,” the letter said. Over the course of the next twenty months, they would write each other close to six hundred letters — one of the greatest literary correspondences of all time. The pair’s last letter was exchanged on September 18, 1846, the night before the two left for a trip to Italy, and two weeks after their secret marriage. Their romance, which she would eventually credit with saving her life, lasted for fifteen years and spawned some of the world’s most beautiful poetry.

The world has seen many great romances and as we look to another Valentine’s Day this week we celebrate all the things that bring us together in loving relationships. I would contend, however, that it is even more important to celebrate those things that keep us together year after year, for 50, 60, 70 plus years. St. Paul spoke of loving another patiently, attentively, unconditionally—moment by moment, day by day. Love encourages, it builds up, it comes alongside and affirms the other. Love is much more than the chemistry of our feelings at any given moment–sometimes love is taking out the garbage and working that second job to pay the bills. Dostoevsky said, “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed and in sight of all…But active love is labour and fortitude.” Let us celebrate the many couples on our campus who have lived out that active love of labour and fortitude together for many decades. Let us celebrate love in all of its marvelous manifestations! Roses and chocolates, candy hearts and valentine’s cards are important but let us celebrate labour and fortitude, patience and forbearance, forgiveness and compassion, trust and hope, and all the things which make up the stout fabric of which a lasting love is made. *

Opportunities Created

Mon, January 11, 2016 Published by Michelle Just

As I sat down to write this week’s article, I found myself thinking about the amazing energy a new year brings. There is something very special about it- it’s a blank page, a new chapter, some even consider it a new book. Whether you set resolutions, goals, or simply an intention for the coming 365 days, the new year brings motivation and creates new opportunities. Below is an article that was shared with me by Valerie Cantrell, my executive assistant, and I share it with you today. We, as a community and as individuals, have many opportunities in 2016 and I look forward to the journey with all of you.

Excerpts from Inspiring Success Blog

Opportunities Created

A new year always brings new opportunities. The beginning of the year brings a special atmosphere that motivates action, and that’s – an opportunity!

Here are some opportunities that I strongly recommend:

Self-examination

This is one of the major tools that will allow you to grow and develop. The best way to make a new year better than the previous year is through self-examination.

What did you do better? Where did you failed?

Who do you have to thank? Who do you need to forgive and to whom should you apologize?

Where you stand in terms of realizing your goals and dreams?

Try new things

Who doesn’t want to “collect” new experiences? The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to make a change and gain new experiences with which you build the history of your life. Such experiences can be spiritual or material, they can be large or small. These experiences are of the things that make a new year, a great year.

Try old things once more

Sometimes the difference between success and failure is just trying one more time. A new year brings a different perspective. A new year can bring a new approach. “If something is not working for you, leave it, relax, rest and then come back to it.” A new year is a good opportunity to “attack” a stubborn difficulty; a new year is a great opportunity to change your approach and turn the difficulty into a challenge.

Keep in touch

We all have a family member, friend, colleague, or mentor we haven’t been in touch with for a long time.

I’m sure there are many reasons…Routine and a busy schedule. The end of one stage in life and the beginning of another. The New Year is a special period of time in which you leave the reasons a side and move into action.

Set new goals

Setting goals is as important as breathing oxygen. Setting goals focuses you and gives you the strength to continue in spite of the uncertainties and difficulties. Many successful people say that setting goals “is one of the main reasons that allow you to get up in the morning with a smile on your face, even when the situation is not that good.” The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to set new goals.

For the full article go to: http://inspiring-success.info/index.php/articles-section/110-new-year-new-beginning#.Vo7IMnop1uM.email

Taizè Worship

Mon, June 15, 2015 Published by Andrew Moore

Though we are many, we are of one body in the one Lord.

As war was raging across Europe, Roger Schütz crossed over the border from Switzerland to France and settled in the small community of Taizè, nestled in the hills of Burgundy.

Sixty years later I also travelled to Taizè, but rather than finding a sleepy village, I was following in the footsteps of many others who had been drawn to what this place had become in the intervening years.

Gradually over time, from its founding in 1940, an ecumenical Christian community begun by Br. Roger has blossomed in that place, now comprising more than one hundred brothers from both Protestant and Catholic traditions, who originate from about thirty countries across the world. This community has become one of the world’s most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Each year over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizè for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. Through the community’s ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation. Unity and diversity have become synonymous in this remarkable place, which truly exemplifies that ‘though we are many, we are of one body in the one Lord’.

Some of my most abiding memories of Taizè are of its distinct style of worship. Since its beginnings, the Taizè community has been known for its reflective and contemplative style of worship, allowing for people of any faith background to dwell within the presence God. The simple Taizè practice of prayerful silence accompanied by music with words taken from scripture doesn’t belong to any one denomination or group, and so the distinctions and differences of history are left at the door of the church. The differences between those worshiping is not what is important, for that place shows that there is far more that unifies rather than divides us.

Here on this campus, we live amongst a colorful spectrum of faith. We have residents and staff who worship in communities and denominations across the Valley, as well as residents who worship alongside each other here on the campus. So wouldn’t it be a wonderful expression of our faith and love for one another to gather all of that diversity into a special act of worship! For that reason, the campus will be hosting a Taizè style prayer service on Saturday, August 1st, at 6PM in the Life Center. We are inviting members of our surrounding faith communities as well as all of our residents and staff to join together for this act of worship, where each and every person will be ‘at home’ in the presence of God. For many it will be something new, but for all, there will be an opportunity to abide in the love of God together as one family. I look forward to seeing you there.

Australia’s oldest man likes to knit mini sweaters for injured penguins

Thu, May 21, 2015 Published by Beatitudes Campus

Australia’s oldest man has spent a lot of his days knitting sweaters for penguins.

Alfred ‘Alfie’ Date spoke to 9 Stories about how his inability to say ‘no’ to favors got him into making the miniature animal clothes. Mashable touches on this inspirational story of Alfie, who, at age 109 (!), is still making an amazing impact on the world.

For the full story, read on…

Source: Australia’s oldest man likes to knit mini sweaters for injured penguins

Category: Inspirational