lent . . . . just the way it is!

this season of lent is just the way it is . . . time spent waiting and preparing for easter.  so is it any wonder that we pay more attention to things, and mark them as more significant?!

this picture to the left is from last tuesday's storm taken outside my office ... someone asked me if i rushed into the wesley hall (our social hall) to see if there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  no such luck, but it did get me to wondering about what one does during this season on waiting and preparing.

so i began to compile a list of things that i begin to pay attention to; perhaps they will entice you to pay particular attention to what is happening in your life and the world around you during this time.

lent is, after all, a time of inner-reflection; seeing how we ready ourselves for the gift of grace that rises in us at easter.

one of the things to pay attention to is movement.  lent happens 'in-between times'; towards the end of winter and towards the beginning of spring.  while we've been, perhaps, in doors far too much, this is the time to 'get out'.  that's why i love these pictures of rainbows.  besides a reminder of god's covenant with us about the promise of life, i would have missed this experience had i not simply walked outside.

be aware of your surroundings.  pay particular attending ... to everything and everyone!  who might god be placing at your feet, in your way, beside--before--behind you, and for what purpose?  what might you be called to learn during this time?  and for those who are wondering, yes, i am still walking!  in fact, i have met my walking goal this quarter already, and i am walking toward a goal of matching funds for the 'no more malaria' (formally referred to as 'nothing but nets project') campaign.

this is a season about getting your affairs in order; prioritize!  what do you need to be taking care of in your life?  does a relationship need attending to; is your 'house' (literally and figuratively) need attention; how are you caring for your current and future finances?  i've met a goal in the financial part of my life just this last week, and have been able to set another goal that will make a real difference in the way i am able to meet my obligations in the future.  all these things in our lives take focus and dedication; thoughtful prayer and willpower -- the positive aspects this season and the life jesus shared and demonstrated for us.  this is the season in which we learn to love, ourselves and others, more deeply.

one other aspect this season has called to to focus on is reading.  while i love movies and become so involved in them that sometimes i wonder where the time went, i become even more involved in reading.  i've been told that reading is much healthier as well; becoming engaged in reading keeps your mind active for longer periods of time, enriches one's vocabulary -- deep that google word-search handly! -- and you can learn something that may cause you to get out of yourself and make a difference in someone else's life.

for pleasure reading, i've just completed 'the count of monte christo'; i had never read it!  for centering prayer, we are reading 'the untethered soul - the journey beyond yourself' by michael a. singer; for our small group study i am diving into adam hamilton's 'the way - waling in the footsteps of jesus' which will also serve as part of my worship preparation; and for expanding my humanity, i am reading one of the books on the united methodist women's book-list,  'half the sky - turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide' by nicholas d. kristof and sheryl wudunn -- a look at the plight of human trafficking that plagues our world today.

busy and enriching times . . . what is engaging you in these days of reflection?  

not just any tuesday!

i just returned from a gathering of clergy.  so, what else does a group like this talk about on the day before lent begins, but...well, 'church stuff'.

on the drive home, a conversation about the following link (below) left me with a questioning look.  so someone got on his phone, and found this link.  it is well worth taking a few moments to view.  as i now say, 'church shares it all'. 

since this is not just any tuesday, please take a moment to view why it isn't just another tuesday in your life.

feel free to share this with others...and before the sun sets on this day, be sure and enjoy a pancake!  jelly beans are optional, but don't skip the chocolate chips!

blessings and honor in the days ahead before easter.  each day, please make a difference in someone else's life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0O_7_XCtJs

i highly recommend spending time in san francisco during the winter.  many people unfamiliar with the city think that going there in the summer makes sense.  well, it does, if you like fog; and of course the summer is great for a visit out of the valley heat!

but, who could ask for a better time then this in winter?

this is a picture from deloris park and the city in the background.  i had to actually stand in line, as many people were trying to get a picture; people out with their children and their dogs; visiting with loved ones, neighbors and strangers.

what a wonderful experience.  it was during this time away that i achieved my 5 millionth (is that really a word (?) step!  so, it got me to thinking about what one has to do to get results....

one of the things you have to do is be willing to risk.

 and i discovered, particularly in san francisco, and then when i was in berkeley, that climbing the hills gets you where you want to be . . . even thought when you first look up the hill, you're thinking, "i'm not going up there!"  but, imagine!  if you didn't climb the hill, even though it looks way too steep, you wouldn't see this picture . . . and, alas, you wouldn't get to count all those steps!

and, believe it or not, some hills actually have steps to climb.

i didn't really leave my heart in san francisco, but i think i did leave some tread!






and the other thing about walking in the city is that once you get up one hill . . . .there is always another!

 but if i hadn't climbed that hill, i wouldn't have gotten this view . . . . or so many more steps!

and then i wouldn't have appreciated the view of the oakland/berkeley hills, and the bay, and . . . .

with all this walking, one would think i'd be healthy as a horse . . . . i thought i was gonna' die!  merced is flat....we don't have hills in the central valley!  oh my goodness....i believe the bay area people ought to put up a ballot measure that could really do some good . . . . like, perhaps, investing in escalators for the really tough hills!

ok, i'm only half kidding.







the point i am making, really, is that what we invest in can be SO worth it!  this thought got me to thinking about how we live our lives, and what we believe in.  without the effort, our results can be rather frail.  we have to decide what is worth the risk.  what is worth risking for in your life?

this picture (above) is of the bell tower on the u c berkeley campus.  i love to walk around at night, and explore what can be seen in a different light.  in the daylight, we can miss so much, even though we can generally see a great deal more.  so, i invite you to do something this week that you don't usually do . . . .something that will be rewarding to your spirit, and that will feed your soul.  maybe you could invite someone to share the experience with you, and have a meaningful conversation afterwards.

 after a little r and r in the city, i headed to berkeley for a time of continuing education, the emphasis was on family.  this was a powerful reminder that we continue to think of family in a more narrow definition.  but family, biblical families as well as those through the ages on up to today, are vast and complex.

i was able to visit with my mom; well, at least i got to see that she seems content, even happy; and well cared for.

and i got to go to dinner and spend time with kristen and ben; in fact the picture to the right is the view at sunset from pacific school of religion, as i walked to downtown berkeley to meet them.  i hardly ever took my car out once i parked during my time away.  i didn't even take public transportation.....i just walked!  what would i have missed if i hadn't 'pounded the pavement'?  do you ever wonder that? 

and, of course, i did find a flat surface in berkeley; it was difficult, but, alas, i walked up to the stadium, and discovered an adjacent field that was open and available to the public; 12 walks around that puppy, and i made three additional miles!

but if i hadn't gone, i would have missed 'the bear'!  cal is so known for its bear. 

so, there you have it.  a life in the times of a pastor on foot.  and now i am back home, doing my usual routine of walking in the morning.  i had the luxury of walking any time i wished while i was away.  but now i am back into another routine that permits me to move in different ways.

i appreciated the time away, and i'm glad to be back.  but this experience does remind me that i still need to stretch myself and risk, not knowing the results.  but worth the risk, me thinks . . . .