Good Vibrations

As I've gotten older I've become more sensitive to the energies that people put out. There are some people that I just like being around. They have a good, attractive energy. 
There are others that are more like magnets that repel one another. I won't say that it is bad energy, more like incompatible energy.
And I think there are even energy suckers - those people that drain the energy and life from those around them.
And then there is everything in between.

I think if we could see the vibrations that people put out, we would find that we either like or don't like each other based on the compatibility of our frequencies - kind of like musical notes that either blend into harmony or make a discordant noise.
And maybe I shouldn't say that we dislike people with incompatible frequencies. We just aren't as attracted to them in ways that make us want to be around them as much as others.

I think that more sensitive people can see or sense the harmony between friends or couples. I think family units can make great harmony and be very close or be dispersed because of the disharmony of their energies. Could understanding frequency differences and bringing in a third person or energy help to bring harmony in our relationships with others?

I don't know.
These are just thoughts I've had for a while.

I'm thinking about them this morning because I was reflecting on the time I spent with friends over the weekend. These were a couple of my childhood buddies that I grew up with but lost connection to as time, distance, and life paths separated us. I have really enjoyed getting together with these old friends over the past couple of years.
It was fun. There was a great energy from everyone. I came away from the night feeling enegized and good. I can still sense the good energy from our get-together even though it has been a few days.

I'm no expert on auras or energies of people. I cannot see the auras that surround us, but I can usually sense when people are closed off or more open. I think there are lots of people that try to disguise themselves (at least their true selves) - some from shame, some out of deceit and bad motivations. Over the years I think I've found the most fake people in churches that I've gone to. I'm not saying that they are bad people. I just feel like they are uncomfortable being themselves in those environments.
Who can blame them?

Just some weird stuff that floats around in my head.

It's November 1st and the first day of what has traditionally been National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). I don't know if it still is or not. Nor do I know if I'll be posting every day of the month or not. 
I'll try posting more often - just because I enjoy it most of the time, but I'm not going to pressure myself into posting every day and I'm not going to freak out over missing a day or two.

Happy November!

John

Monday Morning

I'm spending this Monday morning getting ready to get on the road for home.  I have several thoughts from the weekend that I want to write about, but think I'll wait until I can sit on the deck and gather my thoughts into a coherent post.
I had an enjoyable dinner out with my cousins, spent an evening with a couple of old friends, took my mom to Mass at The Community of St. John, and prepared a good dinner for Mom on Sunday evening.
The weekend was pretty full and I'm sure the drive home will be a relaxing one and helpful in organizing my thoughts.

In addition to my weekend recap, we are now just a week away from the midterm elections and I am torn between avoiding political posts and speaking out on the issues at hand and the distractions that are being advertised and made into news. I am greatly dismayed at the level of willful ignorance and cognative dissonance surrounding the dismissal of the democratic process that is at risk. And I am concerned that the turnout among young voters (18-30) will be traditionally low, and I think those votes and voices are necessary.

Be well.
Happy Halloween
Happy Reformation Day
Go Vote in the US

John

No More Barchurch

It's kind of sad.
Tonight seems like a sort of farewell to barchurch.
Maybe it is time.

It has certainly changed quite a bit over the few years that it existed.
Its location has changed.
Its leadership has changed.
Its format has changed.
Its audience has changed.

Maybe the time for a downtown presence of The Venues has also changed.
The new format will be a monthly community connection with various movers and shakers in the Springfield area - I think.

There was a time when I really felt that our barchurch gathering was more spiritually beneficial to me than the regular Sunday gathering. It just felt like Jesus visiting with people in town instead of going to church or synagogue.
A little live music. A brief message. A beer with friends.
And it was all pretty low-tech.
It seemed very organic and natural.
It felt connected to each other and to God.
It felt safe. 

I feel like such an old guy to say that I miss that.
I am not opposed to change and I am very much in favor of adapting so that others can find their connection to God. My own faith and connection to God has undergone some changes over the past decade or so and I'm comfortable working that out on my own, but there is still a part of me that wants to help others make their own connection with God.
Somehow I think that the original intent of bringing the presence of God to the downtown community changed into just another trendy place for a small group of our larger church community to gather.

I'm not saying that the changes are either good or bad. Change happens.
I don't speak for The Venues, nor do I have any input into how it is managed or presented to the community. These are just my own thoughts and observations.
Tonight I will meet with a few friends at Mothers Brewery and raise a parting glass to my old friend, Barchurch.
And also to whatever is ahead for Downtown Venues.

John

To magic or not to magic?

As a part of cleaning up and organizing our basement storage area, I started going through my stuff to determine what to keep and store and what to get rid of. Admittedly, the magic is tough. It's a pretty limited market when it comes to selling the stuff and I really don't have any contacts in the field any more. I'm sure that I can do a little research and find an internet market for magic stuff, if that's what I decide to do.

Performing again would be fun, but it would have to be a whole new act and new audiences since my previous show was geared toward church groups and I've pretty much burned those bridges. Also, performing magic takes a lot of practice, not just in performing the effects, but also in the flow of the show. It's way too much to undertake if you don't have the gigs lined up and I've never really worked on marketing magic since I had a lock on that market in evangelical churches. Between preaching and magic I stayed as busy as I wanted to be with holding down the full-time ATC gig.

That said, it was fun going through stuff today and I really only made it through a small portion of my stuff. Maybe I could begin with working on a few pocket effects that I've used in small walk-around gigs. It might be nice just to have a few things to perform--just for fun. Maybe I could build towards a stand-up show or look for walk-around gigs. I could book a two-fer - Marrying and Magic! You get a preacher to perform the ceremony and a magician to entertain the guests while waiting for the couple to arrive at the reception!

Or I could book resort shows and work during future trips to Mexico.
Maybe I can sell some of it, keep some of it that I might be able to use, and either play for free or book a few shows every now and then.
What will probably happen is I'll get it somewhat organized and safely stored so the kids can throw it all out when I finally kick the proverbial bucket.

sigh

John

I was with people and it was okay

 Yeah, I went to the city wide training for the Crisis Cold Weather Shelters tonight and it was actually a good time. I got to see a number of the people that worked at the same shelter as I did last year and look forward to working with them again. It looks like we have added a couple of faith communities into the fold and will be able to offer more beds and warm sleeping areas on the coldest of nights this winter.

The shelter where I will be working will have an orientation and set-up night prior to opening for the cold weather season. I know that we still need a number of volunteers to help each night the shelters are open.
Our shelter uses two people that stay overnight. A split shift is available if you want to share the night with somebody. Plus we need an additional two people from 7 to 10 for set-up and check-in, and a couple of people in the morning from 6-8 for clean-up.
We also need 1 person to pick-up dirty linens and deliver them to the laundry and return with the clean linens from the previous day.
Our shelter also takes pets, but the city buses don't, so we need pet transporters in both the evening and the morning. It takes a team of 10-12 volunteers to make it work every night the shelters are open. It works out really well if there is a large volunteer pool and each worker only has to work one or two nights per week.

I really can't begin to tell you how much you will gain by giving of yourself as a volunteer. It has really been one of the best things I've ever done.
I showed up at The Connecting Grounds a couple of years ago and Pastor Christie and Bob put me to work. Then I showed up a second night and it was like I just belonged there. The third night Pastor Christie just smiled and said, "I've got you, don't I?"

There is so much to be done and I volunteered in a lot of places before really finding my spot at the overnight shelters. This year I'll actually be working as one of the paid staff, but I don't think it will change much of what I do or the attitude that I bring to the job. You should come work with me some night.

If you'd like to help at any of the shelters (ours is really the best) let me know and I'll get you the info you need. We also need coffee, tea, hot chocolate mix, sugar, creamer, breakfast bars, oatmeal packets, snacks and food. 
Winter clothing like gloves, hats, coats, leggings, socks, etc., are also big need items. If you want to make donations I can direct you on that as well.

I wish there wasn't this huge need, but there is.
I am so grateful for the faith communities and the volunteers that make themselves available to serve.
Come join us!
You'll be glad you did.

John

I'm Tired - Here's how I re-energize

It happens.
It's not burnout. It's not exhaustion or fatigue. And it's not something physical.
I'm just tired
...of people.

I know I probably sound like a broken record (how's that for a boomer phrase?), but people really do wear me out. Sure, there are people that I genuinely like and like being around, but why are there so few of them? And sometimes I wonder (suspect) that others might feel the same way about me. Is it supposed to be this difficult to find a community of people that you enjoy spending time with?

I'm going to venture out into the public arena tomorrow night for a community training session for volunteers that will be working at the various shelters and services for the Crisis Cold Weather Shelters (CCWS) this winter. I expect to see some familiar faces and I expect to meet some new people, too. It's rare that being with other people energizes my spirit, but I have a feeling this might be one of those occasions. The people that attend these kinds of events tend to have an abundance of energy (and knowledge) and are willing to share it with people that have the same goals and purposes.

If you are in the local Springfield MO area and would like to attend, check out this link. 
It's a long cold weather season and we need plenty of volunteers.

Come check it out.
You may find and area that you'd like to serve the unsheltered community through the CCWS or other services. And even if you don't, you'll come away feeling better about people and you may have a little more energy than you had going in. 

John

About that job...

For the past two cold weather seasons, I have served as a volunteer at a Springfield Crisis Cold Weather Shelter (CCWS). There are several in the area that are staffed and primarily funded by local churches. The majority of the staffing is done by volunteers, but there are a few paid positions. Though I was primarily a volunteer last year, I did fill in for a paid staffer on a couple of occasions. The city's part of the CCWS program runs from November 1st through March 31st. They provide bus transportation to and from the shelters and (perhaps) help with some funding. I'm not really certain about the funding part. The shelter where I've served will have one paid overnight position for the entire time and two from Dec 1st through the end of February when there are more cold nights. 

They still had some people to interview when I left, but I think I'm in for the shorter (Dec-Feb) part. Although it means staying in the Midwest through the coldest months, it does have its benefits. 
The people that I've worked with at the shelters are the best. 
And the churches that give their space and resources are doing the things Jesus talked about--giving shelter to the homeless, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor. It is a blessing to be a part of faith communities that honor their teachings of loving your neighbors.

Yeah, I do hope they hire me for the paid gig, but the truth of the matter is that even if they decided to hire somebody else, I'll still be there most weeks as a volunteer. 

Now you know...

John

Friends

I'm not a very good one.
At least not in the way of a friend that goes out of his way to check on others or one that always wants to be around others. It is an extremely rare occasion that I might be sitting alone on the deck, smoking a cigar, listening to music or reading a book and then have the thought that I should contact someone and see how they're doing or want to get together.
It's just not me. I'm very comfortable by myself.

That said--I saw a couple of people last night that I hadn't seen in some time and was really lifted up by their presence and the few words that we were able to share. It wasn't anything profound or out of the ordinary. It was just a feeling of - this person is of my tribe, one of my people. 
What makes it more weird is that it doesn't appear that we really have a lot in common. It's just that underlying feeling you get when you sense that this is a good person and I like them.
And I know that the feeling is mutual. 

It was a good reminder that sometimes it's okay (maybe even healthy) to be around other people. 
It feels weird to type that, even a little scary or uncomfortable.

So maybe there is someone that you need to reach out to. Just drop them a text or dm to say hi. It may brighten their day a bit--yours, too.

John

Watching vs Reading

Watching a TV drama series isn't really that much different from reading, is it?
Sure, reading takes a little more imagination since you have to come up with your own mental imagery, but is it really that different?

I've started watching a few series shows every now and then. I do find them enjoyable, but they seem to be more of a mental break than I get from reading a book. I find that books (even sort of boring ones) are much more engaging than watching movies or shows. I feel like our society in general would rather be entertained than engaged in thought or simply learn something. 
It could be that I haven't been conditioned to learn through video as much as it is used today. 

I am back to enjoying fiction books. For a while I was only reading to learn, not reading to escape or be entertained. I am enjoying them. They are good entertainment and I often wonder about the characters and how the authors develop them. Movies and TV dramas move along quite a bit faster and I never really think about the character development. 

Maybe easy is just our thing. It's easier to watch than it is to read just like it's easier to watch an athletic event than it is to be...you know, athletic. Listening to music is okay, but watching a band is entertaining.
Maybe it isn't about easy. Maybe it's about being entertained.
It's weird that I feel a little lazy after watching a couple of hour long shows, but I feel like I've accomplished something after reading for the same amount of time.

Are you more of a watcher or reader?
Maybe a little of each?
Maybe neither?

John

Brrrrrr... (and what you can do about it)

I have a few words for all of you fall lovers,
...but it is best if I don't post them!

It's in the 30s this morning (that's just above freezing for the rest of the world) and will dip well below the freezing point for the next two nights! The high temperatures for the next few days may mean having to turn on the effing heat already, or at the very least--lighting the fireplace. 
It's only mid-October for crying outloud!

This morning I'm sitting inside for my coffee and quiet time because I'd have to dress in sweats and a jacket if I went out onto the deck!
sigh

As if winter isn't bad enough on its own, over the past few years I have found additional reasons to dislike the cold weather. According to data collected by The Connecting Grounds, there are around 2400 people in Springfield MO without regular or permanent shelter. This includes people that often stay in small motels, couch surf with friends or relatives, sleep in their cars or vehicles, and nearly 800 that are simply living (and sleeping) on the streets.
The Springfield area crisis cold weather shelters open from November 1st until the end of April whenever the temperature is forecast to be below freezing, so they aren't even open yet for the coming below freezing nights. The number of available beds in the crisis cold weather shelters is around 125. That leaves over a thousand people sleeping outside or in their cars!

I don't know what the statistics are in your area. I don't think that ours are unusually high for cities the size of Springfield (I may be wrong on that). I do believe that Springfield ignores the problem and does far less than other cities when it comes to care for the unsheltered community. Most of the work that is done is provided by (and often is opposed by the city) the faith community of several local churches. 
I might add that it is a pretty small number of churches that participate from this bible belt community. The large, evangelical churches are virtually invisible when it comes to caring for the hungry and homeless in our area.
If only Jesus would have said something about this!

What can you do?
First - you can volunteer. Find a place in your local area that needs volunteers to feed and shelter people during the winter. Sign up for one night per week or a couple of nights per month.
Second - contribute. Shelters are in need of blankets, food, medical supplies, hothands, socks, coats, gloves, etc. Contact providers in your area and see what they need. Many have Amazon shopping lists so you can order online and your purchases will be delivered directly to the shelters or service providers.

And just find a way to show you care.  

It's going to be a long winter. I'm a little depressed about it. I should make plans to go back to Mexico, but instead I'm making plans to be here and working with others in the cold weather shelters. If you live in the area and want to volunteer or contribute in some way, drop me a message and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction.

John