One of the things I like about traveling is the diversity. In rural America where I live we kinda all look alike and quite honestly, unless I bring plants from outside the area, most of the flowers are predictable. In Mexico, I found this gorgeous flower that I assumed was another variety of hibiscus. I still think it is, but I don’t speak Spanish and a gardener and I had a difficult conversation trying to ID the plant.

Then I thought, “It doesn’t really matter the name of the flower. I can like it because it is different.” Different is great just because it is different. And diversity is great just because it is diverse. I have an orange hibiscus in my living room. It is in the leaf dropping stage right now, but it is blooming along. This yellow one in Mexico made me think about mine and appreciate it. Diversity is not something to be afraid of but a celebration of all gifts.

When you are out and about this week, look for diversity. Look for diversity in food in the grocery store, cars in the parking lot, people on the bus, plants in yards and so on. Just keep celebrating diversity all week. Celebrating does NOT mean you like something else better or are being disloyal. Celebrating diversity is just acknowledging differences and being glad to be in a place where differences are okay.

Have some fun and celebrate diversity this week

I love waves. They crash and I feel my heart flutter with anxiety about how high they will crest or if the water will come up enough to soak my feet. When the water safely recedes, I calm down expecting that again the waves will come and bring uncertainty. Waves have a rhythm so I know they will alternately excite me and challenge me. Something unseen is pushing the waves and I love the anticipation of what will come.

I wonder why it is that family waves are less exciting. As a young Mom with two little girls and a husband that traveled, waves came looking like laundry baskets full of dirty clothes to wash, too tired kids who couldn’t settle down for bed, bills we barely paid, meals to prepare when I wasn’t hungry and car repairs. Waves now look more like health issues, decisions about retirement, business decisions, travel decisions and how much is too much gardening. These waves of daily existence don’t seem to bring the same anticipation even though, they too are pushed by the unseen.

Possibly, it is the diversity of the many possibilities that daily life waves bring. Life can be creative. Just when you think you have down the best way to decide ahead of time about an ER trip with kids, you are hit with a new wave. And you didn’t see it coming!!!!

When I watch waves, I like to take a deep breath and hold it until the wave crests. Then I breath out the anxiety rides the wave back out to sea. Try using deep breathing when waves hit you in your family. Breath in the “unseen” and breath out to face the next wave.

Remember the unseen is a greater part of life than the seen.

Blessings on your day.

School begins and church programming goes into full swing. It interesting over the years how faith communities try to change a few things each fall as member return from summer. Sometimes everything is new; staff, buildings, programs. Sometimes nothing seems new. And more often a few things have changed.

Old and new pieces work side by side in the faith garden. This is an old pine branch from a dead tree that I laid in the garden under an arbor. The annuals on it climb and sneak under the old branch to make a new creation each day. I have to look carefully for how the blooms have changed.

This fall as you return to full programming at your faith community, ask members to look for changes. Put a poster on your door and ask people to write a short description of all the changes they see. It is good for faith communities to look for subtle changes. It is even better for them to realize that change is a constant.

Well, the robin who is the harbinger of Spring is getting ready to crash this party. It is still warm, but those of us in tune with nature know that Fall is here. This robin knows, too and is thinking about the path to somewhere else.

So what does this mean? For those of us with seasonal allergies, it’s leaf mold. For those of us with children it means backpacks or new supplies. For those of us with church affiliation it means signing up and getting back to the choir or education time.

If you are “falling” today, take a moment to think back to Spring. What are the blessings? What are the excitements? How can you transfer those to fall? I guarantee this little robin is hoping he remembers the previous path!

This is a tiger swallowtail butterfly. I spent hours with my little Identification book and that’s what I decided. If you know better, let me know.It’s such a beautiful butterfly, it reminds me of the grace and beauty of my mother. Mom was what society called “a lady”. As I grew up I had no idea what that meant. Did it means dresses and panty hose at all functions? Does being a lady mean politeness? Well, I wasn’t sure then and I’m still unsure.

For me, some descriptive words like “lady” are so subjective. Being a lady might be a sexist term to some. It isn’t a behavior term. Being a lady is more about service. Not that baking pies for the potluck is being a lady, more that seeing the potluck as a gift to lonely people and inviting those who have nothing to bring.

Recently I tried to get some silver place settings from my Grandmothers appraised for insurance. The guy actually laughed at me. He said, “Lady, nobody uses that stuff. Melt it down and figure out how much it’s worth.” I was being a lady when I saw the bigger picture. Of course, behavior wise I didn’t hit him either!!! I went right home and polished the silver for my Grandmas and for any use they might get or just because I could care for something. Maybe that’s the real definition of “lady” –someone who cares enough to try.

Here’s a little fellow that always makes me smile. This is a humming bird. He is so little it is hard to get perspective in this picture. But doesn’t he just look like he is in heaven.

Grand parenting seems easier to me in the summer. If I do see the kids it is around fun and time together. The school year seems fraught with holiday dos and don’ts and teams and lessons. There is an intensity to all those activities from Aug. to May.

When I was with the kids this summer, it was great. They climbed into bed with me in the morning. We added number three to grandma’s bed. “Me, too” is about to turn three. Although with two older siblings and being a girl I forget she’s not already three. My oldest grand son turns 8 this month.

Perhaps the most important celebration is on the 29th of Aug. It is the anniversary of the death of little Kenna, my granddaughter. It’s a quiet day for me. I have already said “no” to 3 invitations for the day. I’ll call my daughter and I’ll sit in the sun and hope that Kenna and my Mom are going on magic walks. Mom can teach Kenna about fairy paintbrushes and sing songs.

There I am just humming along buying birthday surprises and then it hits me. One of my darlings is missing. I am so glad she is with God.

This is Sweet William. It is so beautiful in it’s clusters of blooms. They come out so perfect and then the color starts to fade in each cluster and the individual blooms drop.

This reminds me of families. We are more beautiful when we cluster. Alone things start to fade. In a cluster we show a beauty that is God’s gift to the world.

As my husband and I learn to live without our kids and grandkids nearby, we recognize that we are still family. The world wants to define family as adults and children, but a widow who lives alone is family as are my husband and I. Families need to self define.

As you think of your sweet family, consider how it will change. It will always be family if you choose to call it such. Maybe that is what God meant by “family of God”.

Advocacy is as integral to discipleship as prayer and worship.

Weaving a Just Future for Children is a fascinating book by Diane C. Olson and Laura Dean F. Friedrich. Written from the perspective of the United Methodist Church, it has something to say to all of us who work with children and families. I know so many children and family workers who are true advocates, but do no see that as part of their role in the church.

This guide uses weaving images to discuss child advocacy from Biblical/Contemporary Stories, Practices /Tools and Discipleship/Vocation. I’m sure this has been brought out somewhere before, but it is the first time I have read this unique combination of the parts of being in service to God by advocacy.

Here’s some questions from each section. I’d love to know what others think.
1. Do you see these characteristics as part of the job description of people working with children in the church? Catalytic Connection, Persistence and Speaking Truth to Power, Initiative and Assertiveness, Courage and Strength

2. What do you think of the SWOT Analyses on page 85? SWOT stand for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. These are forces outside of the church that affect advocacy.

3. Do you consider advocacy for children as a vocation?

Even if you have not read the book. Find a question to comment about and then go buy the book!

This is a hairy woodpecker. He’s sitting in a dead branch checking out the horizon for any enemies. He’s also waiting in line for the suet feeder in our yard. Way up there, he’s seeing lots.

As I sit at the table in our Church Wide Assembly this week, I am amazed at the outlook. We are really unable to see very far into the future of the church. Statistics have changed how we do faith. Economics have changed how we do faith. The expectations of the people of faith for what the institution of the church has NOT changed. Much discussion is around control issues with services, money and beliefs.
We go to worship and let God bring us together. Then we return to tables and disagree. This is the process and it needs to happen.

Because I work with multiple denominations, I know that this push and pull of our wants and God’s work is evident in all denominations. The day-to-day existence of the building called church is dependent on money and there is fear that there will not be enough. It’s a hairy outlook, but it the reality of church today.

So it may be time to quit looking and just fly. We might need to let God send us forth with others and free ourselves from hanging onto dead wood. Hmmm…

This is a picture of a large blue scabiosa. I have mini yellow scabiosa and medium pink scabiosa in my garden. But I love these big blue guys. They give a whole different dimension to my garden both because of their size and because of their color.

Today I begin a weeklong journey called “Church Wide Assembly”. I will gather with others mostly sitting and listening. What makes this different than a church council meeting or a Christian education meeting is the size and the color. Smaller meetings that include Bible study, time with others from our Synod and time with complete strangers, surround the large group plenary sessions. The Church Wide Assembly gives a new dimension to my faith.

I hope there is something really large in your life that brings a new dimension to your faith. Maybe a mission trip overseas or writing a faith based curricula from the start or maybe even standing in front of others and talking about your faith journey. These “big” blooms in our faith life help balance our everyday faith experiences and relationships.