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Tag: hope

Don’t Worry

Mon, June 12, 2017 Published by

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

– Buddha

Are you a worrier? I know I am. I come from a great line of worry-warts in my family. We are exceptional at putting countless amounts of overthinking into situations and circumstances to which we have little to no control. It’s not good emotionally, mentally or physically. So why do we do it at all? More importantly, how can we stop?

Some scientists theorize that worrying may actually keep us safe. For example, if I’m concerned about being in a car accident, that worry will probably get me to put my seat belt on, which is a good thing.

It’s nice to know that worrying actually suits a purpose, but I still would much rather do without such an excess of it.

In the article, “Seven Awesome Reasons to Be Present and How to Do It,” by Henrick Edberg, I read that being in the moment is an excellent way to stop worrying. When I am focused on what is happening right here and now, I don’t allow time for my brain to worry about what might happen or stress about what has already passed.

Edberg explains there are many ways to keep your mind in the present moment. You can focus on your breathing or even focus on the sights and sounds that are around you. Feeling the sun on your skin or listening to the birds singing can bring you into the present and keep you there. Being aware with your senses can draw you into the moment and away from your anxiety.

Another technique that works for me is prayer. I silently repeat a short prayer over and over until my anxiety goes away. My go-to mantra is, “God has got this.” It’s simple and easy and, most importantly, it works for me.

Sure, I’ve got work to do with controlling my worrying. It is a lifelong challenge for me to work on and find different techniques that help. There is also a comfort in knowing that my worrying is a human condition and I’m not alone. Even people in biblical times were sometimes worrying too much and turned to the scripture for guidance.

 

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

– Psalm 34:4

 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”

– Philippians 4:6

So, let’s work together to go out in this great wide world and live out our hopes and not our fears. Remember, God has got this.

Christmas Traditions

Mon, December 19, 2016 Published by

The holidays; it’s that time of the year that some love and others really struggle with. For me it is a combination of the two. It is a reflective time of year for me as my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer on December 15th of 1993 when I was 20 years old. Christmas was my mother’s favorite holiday and she always made it wonderful for us kids. That year leading up to Christmas, as you can imagine, was tough. Many of our traditions went by the wayside that year as she was so ill.

One tradition that stopped that year for my brother and I, because that was our last Christmas with her as she died in early January of 1994, was the tradition of picking out a “special” ornament each year that had our name and the year on it.  The ornament often reflected something we liked or were interested in that year.  For instance in 1986, my brother Michael got a red truck ornament, as that was the year he received his driver’s license and a red Ford truck.  My mom started this tradition because she always said that when we moved out she wanted us to have ornaments for our own tree.  Michael and I enjoyed each year when we would decorate the Christmas tree with our parents. It was always fun to unwrap each ornament and then discuss why we had chosen that ornament as our “special” ornament that year.  There usually were lots of laughs because, in retrospect, some of the reasons were very silly.  After my mother’s death, every year when I would put a tree up, I would have moments of tears and smiles as I placed my ornaments on the tree.  I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to start a family and begin that tradition with them.

The Christmas of 2002, my husband Jeff and I were able to begin the tradition of the “special” ornament for our daughter, Lauren. Her first ornament, just like my very first ornament, was a brass angel with her name engraved on it. Lauren is now 14 years old and our son Luke is 10 years old and they both enjoy picking out their “special” ornaments, unwrapping them and placing them on the tree each year. This year we had custom ornaments made for each of them.  The front of Lauren’s has a picture of her kicking a soccer ball, along with her name, the year and the name of the 2 soccer teams she is on. The back of the ornament has a picture of her and her team celebrating after a win.  Luke’s ornament has a picture of him with his race truck on the front along with his name, 2016 and that he was the AZ and CA Champ. He also chose a picture of his race truck for the back of the ornament. I love helping the kids pick out their ornaments each year as it is a really neat way to remember what was important to them that year.

About 5 years ago, I began buying a personalized family ornament so that our tree won’t be completely bare when the kids’ ornaments are no longer hanging on to our tree because they have moved out and are hanging on their very own. They both have told me that they love that I have begun doing that and they will carry on the new tradition of a family ornament with their families in the future. It is interesting how something can turn into a tradition.  I hope you still celebrate the holidays with some traditions you grew up with or can think fondly of some traditions that you started. Happy Holidays!

Wandering Generality or Meaningful Specific?

Thu, November 3, 2016 Published by

aMy first call as a minister was as an Associate Pastor at a Presbyterian Church in Sun City.  I remember a couple who had recently retired and moved away from their life as it had been, their children were spread far and wide and they came to Sun City and settled into their new home, found our church and became church members.  For about six months that was great, they enjoyed the leisure time but the day I came to visit they told me they both were restless, they were getting on each other’s nerves being around the house so much and knew they needed to invest themselves in something else.  The best way to describe what they felt was in this intriguing question from salesman Zig Zigler:

“Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific?”

For this couple it wasn’t enough to wander around the house looking for something to do.  He became a handyman and she joined the sewing circle, and they both took the Laubach training to help people learn to read.

The Biblical story tells of the people of Israel who experienced God speaking to them in the wilderness of Sinai.  The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel that if they will hear and obey my voice and keep my commandments, they shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.”  No longer would they be wandering generalities, but those called to a specific purpose—to love and serve God in the world.  Someone has said that a person’s greatness lies in that which has been given him or her to do. I believe God always gives us a purpose in life no matter how old or young we are, no matter what challenges we face—all that doesn’t matter.  We each have something to contribute, some way to make a difference. Love calls us from insignificance into significance, from wandering generality to meaningful specific.

I believe that it is part of our humanity that from the moment we are born we are always seeking to be a meaningful specific.  To love and be loved is to become a meaningful specific to our family and our friends.  We want to be a meaningful specific in our work; we don’t usually like it when we are just another worker bee.  The Beatitudes Campus seeks to be a meaningful specific in the community around us to make a difference in bringing purpose and hope to people.  You don’t have to be a missionary in Africa, or preach like Paul—there are a myriad of wondrous ways to serve your purpose and it can be as simple as being kind and loving.  YOU are a meaningful specific and we are grateful for what you bring to our community.

Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It

Mon, July 18, 2016 Published by

Each Monday afternoon when the campus leadership team gathers for our weekly meeting, we start our time together with a reflection. This past Monday, it was Chaplain Peggy Roberts who shared a story on resilience.

She started by telling the story of a golf course in India. Apparently, once the English had colonized the country and established their businesses, they longed for recreation and decided to build a golf course. Golf in Calcutta presented a unique obstacle. Monkeys would drop out of the trees, scurry across the course and take the golf balls. They would play with the balls tossing them here and there. At first the golfers tried to control the monkeys. Their first strategy was to build high fences around the fairways and greens. Although this approach seemed to be a good idea, it was no problem for the monkeys. The golfers found that the fence is no challenge to an ambitious monkey. Next the golfers tried luring the monkeys away from the course, but the monkeys found nothing as amusing as watching humans go wild whenever their little white balls were disturbed. In desperation, the British began trapping the monkeys, but for every monkey they carted off, another would appear. Finally, the golfers gave in to reality and developed a new ground rule: Play the ball where the monkey drops it.

We found ourselves discussing this concept in the context of the sad events and turmoil that have happened recently in our nation. How do we learn to be resilient and play the ball where the monkey drops it? How do we refuse to lose heart and hold onto hope when terrible things are happening in society or…even in our own personal lives?

The good news is that we are wired with the ability to be resilient. Life entails so many stresses and changes, from loss and aging, to job changes and health challenges. Positive events can even place stresses on us. If we weren’t able to manage the stresses of life, we wouldn’t be able to make it through a day without giving up and losing all hope. We all have some resilience but we can learn to cultivate resilience so that when that monkey drops the ball again, we can hold on, survive and even thrive.

Cultivating resilience in communities is just as important as it is in individuals. Look at the cities of Orlando, Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas. These cities are pulling together to support the families of the lost. Resiliency isn’t about toughing it out on your own. Togetherness brings resiliency.

As Chaplain Peggy’s reflection closed, she reminded us that resiliency at its core is about love. It is about cultivating what God has given us—that spirit of love, power and a sound mind. It is about how we can help each other grow and survive even the deepest wounds, the darkest griefs, and to love, even if our hearts have been broken. ★

The Courage of Hope

Mon, July 11, 2016 Published by

Browsing through a British newspaper the other day, I came across an article online entitled “My Future Self.” Over a dozen young girls were asked what they wanted to do when they grow up. Each had then designed her own photo-shoot, posing in the role that she hoped to one day have. “Ever since we studied the solar system in primary school,” said Haja, “I would imagine myself up in the sky, discovering new things, and so I want to be an astronaut.”

I remember asking one of my nieces that same question “What do you want to do when you are older?” She thought about it for a moment, and couldn’t come up with an answer, but then at 9 she seemingly has all the time in the world to discern her future. She will do so living in a country at peace, with food, clothing and shelter, education and security.

In contrast Haja and her friends have, in the understatement of the article, “directly experienced conflict.” The girls questioned in the article were Syrians living as refugees in the North of Jordan. “Many people told me a girl can’t become an astronaut,” Haja continues, going on to say that she hopes, in the future, she will be able to “tell girls with dreams to not be afraid, to be confident and know where you want to go.”

Architect, surgeon, lawyer, photographer; the list of ambitions springing forth from these young people in such difficult circumstances is inspiring, but what is so very poignant about each of these girls is the vibrancy of their hope. We can barely imagine what trauma these girls have endured and what miseries they still face, and yet their dreams soar.

Hope might sometimes be misunderstood as irrational, or even lazy—merely buying a Lottery ticket and crossing your fingers! Hope might also be maligned and neglected- ‘Be realistic!’ says the sceptic—”Don’t get your hopes up. Manage your expectations.”

Remarking on recent world events, John Kerry said; “it’s all enough to make some people want to climb back into bed, pull the sheets over their head and wish that everything would disappear. But that’s not how you solve anything, folks, except maybe a hangover.” We have all felt the temptation to pull the sheets back over our heads, and for many people, hope in a brighter future seems to be founded on something pretty unlikely.

And how likely is it, on the face of it, that Haja will become an astronaut, and her friends become architects and lawyers and movie stars?

But there are two things we can say for sure about Haja’s aspiration. Firstly, it’s not impossible is it? Who dares say she cannot reach the sky? Secondly, her dream is far more likely to be realized if she puts her trust in the hope that a better day will dawn—just like the rest of us. ★