Let There Be Peace On Earth, Let It Begin With Me

I love Christmas, the lights, the music, children's laughter, all these make for a wondrous season. A theme in my own life has been that the Christmas season often brings challenges and changes for me personally. I can look back on my life and remember several occasions where life was tumultuous during the holidays. I think that it is interesting as I look back and track these changes.

In my type of ministry setting I see people everyday who are coping with how they are going to deal with the Christmas season. For many this will most likely be their last Christmas on this earth. Families are not only feeling the stress of the holiday season but on top of that they are dealing with anticipatory grief and hoping to make this Christmas special for their loved one who is dying. Patients and families continue to be my best teachers. I marvel everyday at the life lessons that I am taught by the people I serve.

Although I have never faced the changes and stress of the holidays that I am seeing in patients and families, I am dealing with my own struggles. Nevertheless they are my challenges and my questions. There may be several reasons why this time of year has brought change in my life. Perhaps I am more introspective? After all Christmas is celebrating the Advent of the Christ child, God breaking into this world bringing about the changes to fulfill the plan of redemption for us all. I am coming to understand that the chnages, the feelings, the struggles, and the questions that I have may be the very work of God fulfilling something in me. Perhaps for me winter is not the only season that changes in December.

Holiday Humor

I had to share this holiday humor with you all. I was introduced to this site by a coworker of mine. I found it absolutely hilarious. I hope you get a laugh out of this. I guess this is my animated Christmas card from my family to yours. Follow this link and enjoy.

Tribute to another King

Yes what would a pilgrimage to Memphis be with out a stop at the holiest of rock and roll shrines, Graceland? Besides the fact that I am a huge Elvis fan, Graceland is a beautiful attraction and is worth the money just to see the influence that one man had on music history. The house and grounds were decorated magnificently for the holidays. There were so many highlights to the Graceland tour but the two that stand out for me would have to be the formal living room and the meditation garden. I have included these two pictures in this post. The formal living room is decorated in white and stained glass and the meditation garden is a quiet reverent place that houses Elvis' and his family's graves. Everyday there are fresh flowers that arrive from all parts of the world to be placed on Elvis' grave. It is amazing how much one man's life and music has touched the world for generations.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

My Thanksgiving consists of visiting family in Memphis and I am seeing some of the sites in the delta town. Today's entry is a tribute to Dr. King. I spent this afternoon at the Lorraine motel, which now is the Civil Rights Museum where Dr. King was assassinated in April of 1968. This was a somber experience. I have posted some pics from today. I was glad I could pay tribute to a hero, a man who knew what it meant to integrate his faith into his life.

It's Election Time!!

No matter your political stripe, or lack there of, we all have to admit that being given the opportunity to vote is a powerful and wonderful privilege. This is just one of the many freedoms that we are given in this great nation. Despite all the annoying TV ads and the countless posters that dot the highway, I am excited about the upcoming presidential election. In just under one year we will elect a new president and I am thankful that I will have the opportunity to make my vote count. Until next November we will have to wade through the primaries and most likely a scandal or two but have no fear I have a new pre election attraction. Now you can participate in the old straw poll but with a new twist. I have decided to make my own precinct and provide a place for you and me to place our votes via the web. So, to the three or four of you who look at this blog please take the time to vote each week in the presidential poll. If you look to the left on my blog page you will see the link for your vote to count. No cumbersome registrations or deadlines here, just click the link and vote each week. I guess you can say that I have thrown my hat into the political ring, all be it is an ambiguous hat.

The Writer's Strike

I admit I have limited to no knowledge about the inside network of Hollywood. Having said that I am very upset that my favorite show, "The Office" has now stopped production due to the strike. Many who star on this show also write for this show and do an awesome job! From my understanding the issue is whether these writers are given their fair share of royalties for the DVD and Web downloads of the show. Writers like those from The Office are extremely talented and deserve the respect and compensation for their hard work and talent. I have included the video below as it includes many of these actors/writers telling their side of the story from the picket line.

Faithfulness

I was reminded today of what faithfulness means. During my visits as chaplain I see a lot of people and their families. Many people I see are in the last stages of their battle with illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, Aids, and Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a disease that I see a lot, it is a terrible illness as I am sure that you are aware. It can be heartbreaking to speak with families that detail how their loved one slipped into death one memory at a time. I can’t even imagine how painful it must be to look at your loved one and that person has no recollection of who you are or your relationship with them. As many of the Alzheimer’s patients progress in their illness and need 24 hour nursing care many family members visit less and some stop coming at all. I say that without judgment, people handle their grief in a variety of ways.

It is rare that I see a family member visit a nursing home patient daily much less if that patient has Alzheimer’s. Indeed today was a rare day. I had the pleasure of meeting someone who we will call Bob. I had come to visit a new patient in a nursing facility a patient who had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and when I arrived I was surprised to see that she had a visitor. That visitor turned out to be her husband Bob. As I was walking in the door Bob was pushing his wife out the door in her wheel chair. Bob looked to be in his early 80's and his wife was about the same age. I told Bob that I did not want to disturb them if they were off to an appointment, it is not unusual for patients to leave the facility for doctor appointments or other needs. Bob said no that they were just on their afternoon stroll and that I was welcome to join them. As we walked Bob told me that he and his wife had been married 60 years and that they had run a local market together for most all of their career. I heard about the pain of seeing his wife slip away as her disease progressed and the struggle that he had when he knew it was time that she leave their home and move to a facility where she could receive constant care.

As we walked the patient looked ahead and around as if she was taking in her surroundings for the first time. She was content taking her afternoon stroll. I found out that this was one of many afternoon strolls; in fact it is a daily event. Bob gets up every morning comes to the nursing facility and sits with his wife that can’t even speak his name. He sits with her all day he helps feed her puree meals since she can no longer eat solid foods. He sits and watches her as she reaches in front of her for something that is not there because the reaching reflex is one of the few functions that she has left. He sits with her and he takes her for her afternoon stroll. As the stroll continued we turned a corner and headed for the dinning room. The dining room was empty except for a few of the workers who were preparing for dinner. They all greeted Bob as we rounded the corner and they scurried to gather a few items from the cabinet. They knew that Bob would need them because a part of the afternoon stroll was the patient's afternoon snack. Bob told me that he always brought his wife a snack as he pulled a folded brown lunch bag from his back pocket. He said she loves chocolate pudding and sweet tea. He went on to explain that the tea was actually pureed thick because she could not tolerate thin liquids due the fact that she can’t swallow very good and that the thin liquids would aspirate in her lungs. She could tolerate pudding and the thickened sweet tea. I was amazed as I watched Bob with such tenderness place the cloth bib around her neck and secure it behind her head. He prepared the tea and pudding with such efficiency and care that it resembled the art of a fine chef. Then Bob began to feed his wife. The patient continued to reach into the air at nothing and Bob waited. Bob had such patience as he fed his wife; he never once was flustered by her reaching he never once tired as she struggled.

She did not know Bob from anyone else but Bob knew her and that was what mattered. He knew their story and he told me that story as he fed his wife. A story about how they had worked side by side everyday in their market. How they had raised their daughter and the joy they shared in their grandchildren. He shared the story about how their faith had sustained and nurtured them. As he relayed their story to me the large empty room filled with warmth and the feeling of God's presence. I was moved to tears as I witnessed such faithfulness and love in Bob's care for his wife.

I remember that passage in the gospel of Luke where the two downtrodden followers of Jesus were on their way to Emmaus after Jesus' crucifixion. On this journey they encountered a stranger who asked them why they were so sad. You know the story, the stranger continues on the journey with them and it is not until they break bread together at the table that it is revealed to them that indeed the stranger is the risen Lord.

I had my own revelation today. I saw today a living walking example of faithfulness and the power of God, the power of God that was represented in unwavering love. I was a long way away from Emmaus and there was no bread to break but I will never be the same after having had the afternoon stroll and the pudding and the puree thick tea. Sitting in the empty dinning room watching Bob fed his wife felt like the holiest communion. Indeed Christ was revealed to me, reminding me that faithfulness and love come from on high and indeed the risen Lord is faithful to us.

Bobcats Fever!!!!!

Yes I know that it is still 4 months until I can see my beloved Bobcats tip off at the Charlotte Bobcats arena but I am already getting stoked about this season. Because Michael Jordon is (Michael Jordon enough said) freaking brilliant we now have added Jason Richardson to the team. Yes this is good news kids. The Bobcats have added a very good player to their team that will bring maturity and skill. The Bobcats may have traded a great player in the long run by trading Brandon Wright (8th pick in draft) to Golden State but they gained a lot in the short term which is what the Bobcats need most right now. I believe by adding the skill and power of Jason Richardson the Bobcats have a good shot at the playoffs if they resign Gerald Wallace. Vincent, Bickerstaff, Higgins, and Jordon have done great by resigning Matt Carroll and adding Richardson but it is a must that they resign Wallace. All signs point to this being the case; I will cross my fingers until then. If this falls into place the Bobcats will have a well rounded team that may not have a shot at the divisional title but could get to the playoffs. That makes one Bobcats fan very happy. I can't wait until November, too bad I hate WNBA that could have held me over till fall.

A Day out With The Smiths

It was a good day! I had the best Saturday; I started it all out with the best Breakfast ever!!!! We went to The Daniel Boone Inn in Boone, NC. Next we stopped off by the Mast General Store in beautiful Valle Crucis, where we sampled the candy barrel and all the delights that the old store so hospitably offers. This was great family time and provided some much needed relaxation. Just thought I would include you all in the fun.

Sometime life has a way of coming back around

You never know when you come in contact with some one when that relationship will become even more meaningful. Almost 10 years ago when I started college I needed a job to help with some expenses and provide some cash for my weekend escapades. I got a job at the local Wal-Mart; I was the proud pet department clerk. I was the go to guy for everything that pertained to your pet's needs. You need a cure for heart worms for your dog, I got you covered. Your kid wants that one particular fish in that huge aquarium, I got you covered. You are looking for an alternative to that shampoo that keeps making your cat's skin dry, hey I got you covered. Yes I was the connoisseur of pet products. Aside from knowing my pet supplies I knew my coworkers. I knew their stories, their kids, the fact that they were working two jobs to make ends meet and to provide a better life for their kids. I listened as they talked about their lives their successes and failures. I had some of my most pastoral conversations while serving as the sales clerk in the pet department. One of those employees was a young woman who worked in the toy department, we will call her Cindy. Cindy was one of the evening clerks who came to work at Wal-Mart everyday after she had already put in 8+ hours at a local manufacturing plant. Cindy was always quiet but we struck a friendship up. I listened to Cindy and she would talk about her life and her struggles in life. After my sophomore year in college I hung up my fish catching net and took a position with a local church as their youth pastor. Leaving behind a store that grieved the loss of my expertise :) and many friends.

A couple of months ago I was out doing my chaplain duties for Hospice when I rang the doorbell of the new patient's home and imagine my surprise when Cindy opened the door! Her mother was the new patient. Cindy had taken her mother into her home to help care for her as her health began to decline. Cindy seemed so relieved that I was the Chaplain that had come to visit her mother. In the months that followed I had some wonderful conversations with Cindy and her mother. We talked about faith and what her mother hoped for in her impending death. Dying with dignity is so important.

About a week ago I got the word from the nurse that Cindy's mother was declining fast. Over the past week I made many visits to Cindy's home offering whatever support I could give. Cindy's mother died Thursday morning. I was honored to be asked to help officiate her funeral yesterday afternoon. She had a wonderful service that brought honor to the life she led. She died with dignity and her funeral was almost as dignified as the life that she lived.

Isn’t it strange how life has a way of coming back around? A causal friendship from 10 years ago came back to my life and honored me by being able spend some of the most sacred time with Cindy and her mother. Standing by a dying person and their family is some of the most sacred space in this world. I am reminded that what can seem like causal acquaintances may be so much more in another time and another place. In one of Cindy's darkest hours filled with all these new faces that had come to give her mother care, I was the one face of familiarity a face who could offer comfort. I am the better for having this opportunity and I hope and pray that Cindy and her mother's experience was better by having me there.

Every One is excited that I am back Blogging!!

This is a recent celebration that was thrown at the White House in honor of my reentry into blogging. The Bushes were unaware that Cinco De Mayo was a Mexican holiday not African, but hey they tried. I am thankful just the same. Thought you might want to join in on the celebration.

Happy Sinco De Mayo Everyone!!!!!!!

I thought that there was no better holiday to celebrate by reentering the blogging world than Cinco De Mayo. Yes many of you know the significance of this day as it relates to me, so I am sure that many of you had a suspicion that I may choose this holiday season to reappear. I want to go on record by saying that I received the petitions with countless names begging me to blog again. I have heard your voices loud and clear, I AM BACK!!! I will attempt to catch you all up in small doses. God bless till I block again, which may very well be on Canadian Thanksgiving.