Flooded Fridays and Lazy Haikus

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It's really been a long week with its end as its own reward. Sometimes you can keep your nose to the stone too long and miss the world passing by. It's certainly no secret that the world is full of hard times and tightening belts. Everywhere you look, there's something new or old closed. With such despair and lowness on so many hearts, you might easily forget all the wonderful things that STILL go on everyday right under your nose. This is NOT the end. The beginning of something far more begins at the end of this but is being birthed in the midst of what some would deem chaos and ruin, a hopeless plummet. I say NO; it's not that, not yet.


Yes, it has rained far more than most are comfortable with receiving; but the guy with the ark hasn't floated by yet. So we are a long way from too much. However; some have been unfortunate and it's up to the rest of us to help out where we can. In such times, it is easy to shy away from additional commitments or even acts of kindness; but I say it is the very time to strike. When we can't; that is the moment we absolutely must! It is not only for those we are helping but also ourselves and the things inside us that get activated and released to multiply into the ever-changing world...like glowing points of light in a dim day. Spread smiles and dim the despair. I am reminded of my father being upset when my bed-ridden grandmother doesn't remember him; to which I respond, Pop, she has good days and bad days — its not personal. Yes, bad things happen to good people and sometimes bad people win — that doesn't change our responsibility to respond or empower.


No matter what washes your home, hope, smiles, illusions or peace away; joy ALWAYS comes in the morning. Don't sell yourself short. You are strong. You are great. You are marvelously made and fashioned individually unique. The rain passes. Trouble doesn't last always. Hang on and fight. When you can't fight, cry and scream for more strength; then knock that sucker into next week. You can, you will and you are a survivor. Doom and gloom are for those who lay down and surrender with eyes closed to hope.

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Alas, however you spend your weekend, here's a couple of short, sweet lines to chuckle at along the way.


Rain and Paperboats
Falling rain, so much
Flooding things but not my hope
Paper boats love it.

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Seeking Flight
Birds, clouds, breeze, aloft
Gliding above tall green trees
As leaves flee to flight

The UP to All the Downs

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A great deal of life is about perspective. It is defined as follows:

n. per·spec·tive  (pr-spktv)

1. a. A view or vista.
b. A mental view or outlook: "It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present" Fabian Linden.
2. The appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision.
3. a. The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole: a perspective of history; a need to view the problem in the proper perspective.
b. Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker.
c. The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.
4. The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.

We can easily find ourselves very stressed or worried if we dare watch the evening news for more than three minutes. There might be a thin slice of good news in a $5 footlong news segment; but they are way over-shadowed by the doom and gloom of the current state of affairs. I could only imagine walking into a job knowing before I got there it was in a mess and probably not going to be better for some time. I would never want to be president. Anywho, the heat of the moment can often enview the deepest of our darknesses. Whether its the heat of an arguement or heat of the game; things can happen pretty quick.


Pastor Rice Brooks did this sermon about perspective once that was very picturesque. He held up an ordinary penny between his thumb and forefinger tips. Look at it. Its nothing big or special, just an ordiary penny barely worth a cent. Then he began moving it toward his face. If I stare at this penny moving closer to me, it seems bigger. He continued moving the penny until it was right in front of his eyesocket. As small and insignificant as this penny is, when focused on only can seem pretty big. In fact, its so big that I cant see anything or anyone in this whole room. Most of our fears arent worth a cent if we could ever get a glimpse of them with the right perspective. Point made I thought. I continued scribbling down notes from his sermon. I couldnt help but think about the times I thought I was really in deep “gumdrops” for something I had done, overlooked, mishandled or worse time and again. I remember how many times I’ve laughed at myself on the other side of things I thought were impassable and the end of life as I knew it; but here I am.


We have just gotten our first snow in the new home since leaving Murfreesboro. The main benefit that sold us was the view, aside from the master bathroom. Stunning! As great as it is, to see it again from another perspective — draped in the softest white snow changes or maybe enhances the experience even more. It was more than difficult leaving for the office but perspective also said I must, so I did. Its not hard for us to become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. Dont panic! Check your perspective and find reliable measures to recheck your perspective against.

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Happy 60th Birthday, Steve!
It only gets better.

Imagine having a 230lb man on your back. To say the least, the weight might be intrusive, perhaps even laboring. I doubt many of us would enjoy carrying around another 230lbs. Perspective says, “hey, this weight is pretty light since I’m falling down. He's got my back......what a view!”