A Good Person

How will you be remembered?
And does it really matter?

I mean -- the past is the past, right?
Isn't it really more significant how people perceive you (me) now -- in the present?

He is a good person vs. He was a good person

I don't know why I'm thinking about this on this particular Monday morning. Maybe it has to do with watching the movie After Death on Saturday night. Maybe it has to do with something I read last week and have been thinking about. It was about people that come and go in our lives. 

The weird thing is that I haven't been wondering about those people. I've been wondering if I was that person to somebody -- someone that betrayed them, someone that used them, someone that let them down.

sigh

But...
The past is the past, right.
How will I face today?
What kind of person will I be -- today?
When the sunsets on this day, how will the people that I've encountered today remember me?

John

After Death

Last night we went to see Angel Studio's newly released film, After Death.
You can watch a trailer here.

Typically, I view near death (or after death) experiences with some skepticism. That probably sounds weird coming from a former preacher/evangelist. Maybe it's that the few books I've read on the subject seem to have an ulterior motive from capitalizing to make money to proselytizing. If that's you, too -- you will still find the movie interesting, though probably not life changing.
I went because Chris wanted to see it.

To be fair, I am an after-life believer.
I don't know what it will be like, but I do not believe that the end of life is just the big dirt nap. I doubt that our thoughts of heaven and hell are accurate and even tales from these near-death experiences are just glimpses into what lies behind the curtain. Nevertheless, I believe that we are more souls with a body than we are bodies with a soul.

I don't think that these stories are fake.
I believe they are real experiences and I believe that there are similar experiences that multitudes of people have had. Unfortunately, I don't think that we are very good at learning from the experiences of others. And even as we suck at learning from other people's experiences, we fully expect them to learn from ours.

I can't really give this an enthusiastic -- You've got to see this! -- kind of recommendation, but I would say that it is worth seeing. Watch it and consider what it offers. I think the producers are wanting to start conversations more than making converts. 
And that's always a good place to start.

John

Thursday Theology

Hmmm...

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

I think about this.
Would these be our markers of success if we lived more in community and less in capitalistic competition?

John

Tuesday

How about that creative title for today's post?
That's okay. Creativity has never been my thing.

I have a different perspective this morning. I'm sitting on the downstairs patio (below the deck) instead of on the deck. Because of how quickly the back slopes away from the house, there is much of the backyard that disappears from view when you lose just 8 ft (2.4 m) in elevation. 
Changing perspective every now and then is probably a good idea. Maybe I'll have my morning coffee on the front porch later in the week.

It's a grey day and it is difficult to get a realistic image of the treeline colors as fall sets in. I'll try to get a better pic on a sunny morning.

I'm going to miss the leaves when they drop. During the winter I can see the streetlights and houses that are directly behind us. Maybe being reminded that I'm not as isolated as I'd like to believe is a good thing.

I think that I will look forward to November's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) with the idea of posting a daily picture. I don't have a good digital camera, though. The best I can do is the camera on my cheap smart phone. 
I enjoy seeing daily (or regular) pics on a couple of friends' blogs or other social media posts. I'm sure they have nice rigs for taking pics. I'll make what I have work for me. That's just another way of sharing life from my (cheap-ass) perspective.

 * * * * *

Traditionally, October is Clergy Appreciation Month. It used to be Pastor Appreciation Month, but apparently needed to be more inclusive. 
Today, I get to have lunch with my pastor. 
Although, I haven't been very active at The Venues in some time, I do recognize and appreciate the work that goes into pastoring a church of any size. Pastor Phillip has made incredible adaptations to his core theology as well as adapting to the truly astounding technological changes and social constructs of the past decade or so.
I'm looking forward to spending some time with him today.

If we don't restrict today's appreciation to just pastors or clergy -- Who do you appreciate?
Why not drop them a text, email, or maybe even call them?
Tell them that you appreciate them being a part of your life.
Pick somebody and make it a good day for both of you.

John

Mountains, Meadows, and Beaches

Our son lives in the beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico.
Our daughter lives near the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, CO.
We're here in the rural Midwest of Southwest, MO.

There is some real beauty around the mountains. Their grandeur is truly awesome. I can see how people can feel almost reverent about their hikes and journeys into the areas around these majestic cathedrals of earth. I have enjoyed our visits to mountain country in the past couple of years, but I don't get the same sense of home or belonging that our daughter does.

I feel that my soul is more of an ocean guy. 
There is both a peace and a power that emanates from these large bodies of water. The land and the people around the oceans seem to reflect the peace of the water. The sound of the waves -- even the loud, crashing waves -- is a constant reminder of the ever consistent flow of life. Even in the rage of a storm, there is a hope and a promise to return to the peace of the rising and falling tides.
Yeah, that's more my vibe.

And here we are in rural SWMO.
The land behind our house is really more of a pasture than meadow, but I have plans to change that. I hope to slowly convert more of it to a meadow full of native wildflowers and grasses. I am making my peace with the rural landscape and enjoying the birds that come to my feeders, and the butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that come to our flowerbeds. While the politics of SWMO is not to my liking, I realize that it is not the land's fault. I so much enjoy the pretty moderate climate and the tranquility of meditating or just sitting and enjoying the peaceful beauty of our home and the surrounding area.
Perhaps a more rural beach community, not far from the mountains, would be my ideal place to find peace and comfort.

It may be true that there are places where we feel more at home; more at peace than other places. It is also true that we need to be able to find that peace within us -- no matter where we are.
Find a park.
Find a lake, a river, a small stream. 
Find a place to walk in the woods.
Go barefoot in the grass.
Or put in some noise cancelling earbuds with the sounds of the ocean or forest. 

However you do it -- find your peace everyday.
Connect to nature..
Experience the grandeur of the mountains.
Sense the peace of the ocean.
Listen to the sounds of the trees.
Feel the pulse of the earth.
Connecting with creation is how I connect to God.
This is my religion.

John

Sunday morning reflections...

Just a few things I'm thinking about in this morning's quiet time...

*It's good to be home. 
I slept very well last night and am enjoying the calm and quiet of coffee on the deck. I did miss this time over the past few days of travel and visiting. 

*What I didn't miss was the time spent scrolling news and knowing about the ever growing dysfunction in our federal government. Sure, I kept up with some of the news, but not nearly as much as I usually do. I might need to consider that as I move forward.

*I'm also thinking that I really need a reset when it comes to diet. I have been consuming way too much crap food lately. I need to eliminate (or at least moderate) the junk food and increase the wholesome stuff. I know that we have gone back to eating out more often and our choice for dinner out often is for something quick and easy just because it's dinner time and we don't feel like cooking. Even planned meals out would help with making healthier choices.
*I also really need to do some daily exercise -- even if it's just getting back to a daily 2-3 mile walk.

*I've got a pretty neat little world that I live in. It's not too big and I probably need to work on expanding my exposure to the rest of the world a little more. I'm not sure why I feel that way, but I do sometimes get the sense that I should have more people interactions than I normally do.
Even as I write that my head is screaming -- bullshit!
It's pretty counter-intuitive to my usual behavior and I'm not sure what is behind this crazy thought. I just know that it's there.

Just a few random things in my head this morning.

John

Tuesday Travels

Good morning from somewhere in Kansas!

Actually, we overnighted in Salina on our way to Colorado Springs. It's around halfway of the nearly 12 hour drive.

Hannah is working today and will be off Wednesday and Thursday. We'll complete the drive today and have a couple of days to spend with her and her pups. It will be an early birthday visit for Hannah and a late birthday for Chris; pretty much right between the two.

I don't have plans to do anything special. If I make it to the little country store at Manitou Springs I may cave in and buy the old black powder 1858 Army Remington revolver. I used to have a Navy Colt that came as a kit that I put together. It was ruined in a misfire.

I really don't need the '58, but it is a pretty cool weapon and would be interesting to shoot. I do own a 50 caliber Hawkin black powder rifle that I haven't fired since moving to MO. A coworker at the tower took it out a shot it a few times back in the day. I could set up a shooting range on the back acreage to shoot both the rifle and a new pistol.

Hmmm...

We'll be heading towards the mountains today. It will be a good day for a drive. The Maverick is a good highway vehicle. It's comfortable and a smooth ride. I used music from my phone and we switched drivers about halfway. It was comfortable both riding as a passenger and driving.

Have a grand day.

John

How is your journey?

I saw this posted on Facebook this past week and saved it.

I thought it would be useful for a Monday Meditation post.

I have many pleasant memories from the past, but I rarely dwell there.
I know there are apologies to be made, and I don't mind going back to address those things.
But in contemplating where I am on life's journey (and where I appear to be going), I have to say that I have few regrets about life to this point. Even those regrets are best addressed by moving forward to make changes rather than looking backwards and dwelling where nothing can be undone.

I don't see life looping back around to re-embrace religion. I feel like I'm in a good place spiritually and enjoy the occasional "church" interaction with folks at The Venues. Although I am not deeply involved in the ongoing work of The Venues, I do feel connected to the community and (like in the rest of my life) will continue as a kind of non-productive member.
I also have service and spiritual connections with members of other faith communities in the area. I do value these connections.

My self-imposed isolation is teaching me where and when I can be more effective in people interactions. Being more selective has greatly enhanced my inner peace. 
The alone time allows me to store energy to willingly give away for people interactions. 
There are a few people that share their energy and they are the ones that feel like my tribe. My alone time has helped me to recognize those people in the crowds and make those connections, however brief and infrequent they might be.

How is your journey?
Maybe a meditative pause to look around would be beneficial. 
Are you where you want to be?
Are you on the right road to get you there?
Do you need to recalculate?

Pause
Take a breath
Look around
Reset your sights
Move along

John

Good Friday!

Hey! Let's make it a Good Friday!
Tell me something good!

I am going to meet a friend for lunch today. I am looking forward to this. Time spent with this guy is always so energizing and informative. We will each bring a sandwich or lunch to a local brewery (that doesn't serve food) and then spend a couple of hours visiting and catching up on life or sharing thoughts. 

It's my third lunch meeting of the week, which is highly unusual.
Monday was a long overdue lunch with another friend (yes, I have two), and yesterday was a volunteer chaplain lunch meeting at Mercy Hospital in Aurora.
Last night was barchurch, so I'm pretty maxed out on people exposure, but today is different. Time with this friend is more energizing and uplifting than time spent with most people.
As I said -- I am looking forward to this.

What's good in your world?

John

Mid-day Meetings vs. Stay-at-home Gardening

Mid-day meetings and lunches kind of upset my rhythm. 
Normally I am a slow starter and so I don't usually get to work until around 10:30 or 11 am. 
On lunch meeting days (like today) that means I'm not working when I'm ready to work and I happen to have stuff that needs to be done.
And it's Thursday, so I typically would be going to More Than at The Venues at 425 in the evening. 
All-in-all, it's a setup for getting very little work accomplished today.
I may have to pass on the evening gig. That fence isn't going to paint itself. 

I need to finish the fence this week/weekend. We'll be visiting our daughter for a few days next week, then it's a load of topsoil to fill the flower bed, plant bulbs, and mulch everything for the winter. As you can see, I have plenty to do and working in the yard/garden is generally preferable to going out and being with people. There is just something organic and natural about working in the garden that even the hard part of building the garden feels rewarding and reminds me that we are connected to something other than just people; we are one with the earth.

Oh!
The crows have found the peanuts I left for them!
As I'm typing on the deck, I have a good view of the large rock where I've placed the raw, unsalted peanuts and several crows have found them! 
I'm pretty excited right now. My plan is to place a few peanuts in the same place each morning and establish a pattern for doing so. I hope that they will eventually be waiting for their morning treats.
I've seen bluebirds and one cardinal at the seed filled feeders, and continue to see finches and other small birds plucking the seeds from the flowers in the downspout flowerbeds.
Yeah, we are connected to nature, one with the earth. 

Maybe just one people meeting today, and then back to work.
How do you connect with the world around you?


John

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Wednesday Wisdom

I am not certain this is a good post for shared wisdom. I guess if you are looking for a place to hide from God it could be beneficial. Or maybe you are hiding from God but don't realize that is what religion is providing to you.

John

The Circle of Life ... ?

I've been wondering...

In the movie Lion King there is a scene where Mufasa is teaching a young Simba about the circle of life and the way of the world. He says that even though they (lions) eat the antelope while living, when they die their bodies become the grass and the antelope eat the grass, and such is the great circle of life.

But when we die, our remains are filled with chemicals, placed in a metal coffin, and buried in a concrete vault. We never really return to the earth from which we came.
Have we broken the circle of life?
How would our environment be different if we allowed dead bodies to return to the earth?
What if burials didn't include all of the packaging and bodies were just wrapped in a blanket and placed six feet under and buried simply?
Or we were all cremated and the ash returned to the earth?

I know it's a weird thought, but my brain wonders about such things.
I think we tend to upset nature by doing things in very unnatural ways.

What weird things work into your thoughts?

John

Monday Meditation

Last week I picked up my long awaited Ford Maverick hybrid pickup truck. It is the first new vehicle I've had in quite some time. I'm still getting used to it and it might be a little while before I have a good grasp on how everything works. It is probably a good thing that Ford has left off some features in order to keep the price point lower. I'm still a pretty low tech kind of guy.

The thing that I have most been looking forward to is the energy saving of the hybrid engine. It would certainly be more beneficial if we lived in a more urban setting. While driving around Central Illinois (where I took delivery) I was getting around 40-45 mpg. The 400+ mile drive home brought the average for the first full tank of gas down to just under 35 mpg.
The short drive to the convenience store (2 miles) on Saturday didn't use any gas at all as the electric motor managed the entire short, slower speed trip.

One of the interesting dash features shows when the truck is functioning as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and when the battery is charging (like going downhill, slowing, or braking).

I'm writing this today because I am contemplating ways to give back to the earth -- or at the very least, to take less. 
More flowers, more plants, and more trees are ways to give back to nature. 
I'll convert some of the 5 acres we own (and mow) to restored meadow land next spring. I'll begin at the treeline and move toward the house. 
I buried some apple cores in the soft, rich, leaf covered soil at the edge of the treeline a week or so ago. Perhaps there will be apples for the deer to enjoy in a few years. I may do that with more seeds and pits in the spring. 

It is impossible to separate myself from nature during my morning meditation time. The birds are chirping and flying around the house and back field. I can hear the neighbors chickens and roosters. The sun is warm and shining into the deck as it makes its way further south each passing day. It won't be long before I'll need to bring the deck plants in and find a place indoors to winter them.

How are you interacting with nature today?
How much are you taking?
How much are you giving back?
Think about the environment around you.
How are we living in harmony with nature?
How are we destroying it?
What can you do -- today -- to help the earth and her creatures have a better environment?

Think about it.

John 

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Monday Meditation

Some people come and go and are forgotten.
But there are other people that share a part in our destinies.
They come, they go, but even after they go ... they're still here.
They never really went anywhere.
--C. JoyBell C.

That was one of the thoughts shared on one of the blogs I follow. It's a great place to see beautiful pictures and read positive thoughts each day. Check it out. Tell her John sent you. Comfort Spiral

It seemed like a good thought to grab onto for my morning meditation. Thinking about people that have influenced my past and are still a part of who I am is a comforting way to spend a few moments. But I also wonder if I get to be that person in someone else's memory. 
There is also the realization that it's not too late to be that person for someone that I encounter today, or tomorrow, or anywhere along the way as life and encounters with others continue.

Who are your people?
...the ones that were a part of your past and yet are still a part of who you are?

Just something to ponder.

John

October

And so begins the final quarter of 2023.
Here in SWMO it will be another 90f (32c) degree day. It may be the last of the year, but it wouldn't surprise me to see another in the coming weeks. 
Fall makes me kind of sad. 

I do get some hope from the fall flowers that cling to summer and show off their colors for as long as they can. I feel that. I'll be wearing shorts and sandals well into winter. 

Each of the past few days I have seen an occasional hummingbird at the feeder, including one this morning. I don't recall seeing any this late last year. While the hummingbirds and Monarch butterflies are pretty much gone, the Canadian geese and other migratory water fowl are just beginning their journeys southward. I've seen a few flocks flying and a few that have stopped (sometimes in odd areas) for the evening. I wish I knew how to attract them. It would be cool to look out at a field full of geese for the night and watch them takeoff in the morning. 

Although I am not a fall/winter fan, I am a fan of beauty and will be looking to appreciate the cycle of things as the leaves turn colors and fall, the plants drop their blooms and go dormant for the season, and the nights get longer and show off the beauty of the winter stars. 
I'm going to try my hand at some indoor gardening to prepare for spring. I have the grow lights, but need to set up a space and decide what to start during the early winter months so that I am ready in late winter/early spring. I need a greenhouse, but don't think I'm ready for that project just yet.

One thing I'm thinking of for next year is to have a little pumpkin patch. I think it would be cool to grow enough pumpkins that every house and every kid on our street could have a pumpkin next October. 
Just a thought.

In the coming months I am counting on plant therapy and your good thoughts to keep me from falling prey to the dreaded Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) feelings.

John