Mother's Day brings the AVON Walk 'home' to me

Today is May 1st. It is going to be in the 70s here in Chicago, and the sun will be out for most of the day. We think of May in terms of flowers blooming, gardens being planted, senior proms, school graduations, and the celebration of loving mothers on Mother's Day. And we end the month in remembrance of loved ones who have passed on.

Suffice to say that there is a lot going on in May. What does May mean for you? Is it your 'gateway' that leads towards summer fun and freedom from school? Does it signal a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejoicing?

This year, May feels a bit different to me. Sure, I am happy that my son will be 'graduating' from middle school and heading to high school this Fall. Yes, I am happy to be celebrating another Mother's Day with my wife. And yes, I will take time on Memorial Day, as I always do, to pay my respects to my grandfather.

But perhaps more than in previous years, I am reminded of the role mothers play in our lives. I am very thankful that my mother is alive and very active in her ministry. I am very thankful that my children are blessed to have mothers who love them unconditionally. I am very thankful that my sister, the mother of my nephew Chris, is healthy and strong.

It is painful for me to think about how Mother's Day affects my wife, who lost her mother to breast cancer over 20 years ago. I know that she misses her mothsr a lot, and while we know she is watching over us in heaven, it does not always alleviate the sense of loss.

When I decided to participate in the AVON Walk for Breast Cancer, the main reason for doing so was because of my mother-in-law. Barbara was very supportive of us when I dated Christi during high school. She was very loving and kind. She had a lot of love to give when her life was short due to this terrible disease, which runs through generations of women in her family history.

As the date for the AVON Walk quickly approaches -- June 2-3, 2012 -- I think more and more about Barbara, friends who are fighting today, friends who have survived, and friends who have not. I think about those, like Christi, who have lost loved ones to cancer. I have been doing a lot of praying about this.

I am walking because I needed to find a way to make a difference. Praying tends to lead to action, and I feel that I need to do this. I need to take a positive step to do something that will have a positive impact towards ending this disease.

If you feel like I do, then I encourage you to pray about what you can do to help this fight so that there WILL be a time when cancer is not the scourge that it is today.

If you wish, you can join me in the AVON Walk by making a donation to the AVON Foundation. Any amount will help, from $5.00 to $500.00, as all the monies collected will add up to help those get the treatment they need and to fund the research necessary to find the cure. Just go to my AVON Fundrasing web site and make an online donation. it is totally secure.

Make May a month of action -- a time to celebrate things new, a time to celebrate relationships, and a time to honor those who have gone before us.

Prayer -- God's "Wireless"

Prayer and Music are two ways that I communicate with God. Finding ways to stay in contact with the Holy is important. It gives me a way to share my joys and concerns; it helps me feel close to the Creator; and it helps me create a space where the Creator can speak to me.

So how does it work? Well, I think it works differently for each person. Some people are very verbal, others are very movement oriented, while others are very visual. I think personal Prayer is just that -- personal -- and you have to find the approach that puts you in touch with the Holy Spirit living within your heart and the Creator.

How do you start?

There are as many ways to pray as there are ways to communicate. One might even call prayer "God's own Wireless Network" that connects all humanity to Him. Hmmm, does that mean "4G" could mean "For God"?

I have a friend in a "Christian Journey" discussion group who shared that his prayer life is anchored by the phrase "Thank You, Lord". He has experienced some tough situations in his life and has come to a profound sense of gratitude for the life he has been given, and the gifts that each new day brings. He wakes up giving thanks, he gives thanks throughout the day, and at the end of the day, he gives thanks again.

Another friend shared that for her, music plays a huge role in her connectedness with God. Singing hymns and listening to Christian music open a window into her soul and lets God's Love shine in. Singing the words of those songs is a prayer offering for her.

Tolstoy has a great story about prayer. It is about a Bishop who meets with three Hermits isolated on a small island. He asks them how they pray and they responded by raising their faces to the sky and saying "Three are ye, three are we, have mercy upon us." The Bishop, determined to teach them the right way to pray, spent all day teaching the three old men The Lord's Prayer. I won't tell you the ending, but suffice to say that the Bishop realized that the three old men were already praying the 'right way' -- the way that was meaningful to them.

For me, I just start talking. Many times, I pray out loud, especially during my long commute to/from work. There is something concrete and 'real' when I speak my thoughts to God. I feel like I am making commitments, taking my sharing seriously, putting feelings and thoughts 'out there' for Him to fully digest. And music is huge for me -- whether I am singing or listening -- I feel like I am in the midst of 'holy space' between me and my Lord.

Some examples of Prayer

There is no formula to praying. You just say what is on your heart. But like lyrics to a song, there are many sources of prayers that can help you form the thoughts you wish to express. There are several prayers that are meaningful to me, for various reasons. I will share a few of them here.

Prayer of Humble Access (humility before God)
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.

The Doxology (praising)
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (focusing on my mission)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The Serenity Prayer (to help me cope with life)
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

So.......

So take some time during this Lenten season, to take time for prayer. Lent is a particularly appropriate time to be a bit more thoughtful and contemplative. Maybe you can start off each morning with the following prayer called The Morning Resolve:

I will try this day to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.

And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Find your special way of connecting with The Holy One and strike up a conversation. God is like the switchboard operator who is always on the other end of the line, just waiting for you to pick up the phone on the other end. He is patient; he never hangs up.

And His Wireless Network never drops a call.

Living out your Passion

I have been a Youth Leader in parishes for over 20 years and have served as a Youth Minister in my current Diocese for at least 10 of those years. Working with middle and high school youth is my passion and a calling to which I have tried to be faithful throughout my life. It is fulfilling and heartwarming in a way that I cannot even begin to explain. But when I am in the midst of it, my soul rejoices and I know I am doing what God wants for my life.

In the 1970s, I was encouraged to be active in my church by my mother: participating in youth group events, serving at the Altar, working at the church's Well Child Clinic on Saturdays, and attending youth rallies. As a Junior, I served on a 'Program Group on Youth" in my Diocese as a Youth Deanery Representative, where we planned all the diocesan-level youth events (retreats, summer programs, dances) and coordinated youth participation during the annual Diocesan Convention in Los Angeles. I was also doing Basic Catechism for youth at a Los Angeles Juvenile Detention facility.

It was an exciting, amazing time for me. I was filled with a sense of God's presence and was developing a strong personal relationship with my Savior. I was also struggling with discernment over what my purpose and future would look like. I discussed feelings about pursuing ordination with my priest and friends but I wasn't sure how that would fit in with my other interests and skills (like computer science, foreign languages, photography, music, etc.). But it was clear even as a high schooler, that my faith would always play a major role in my life and that God had a plan for me -- even if I did not really understand what it was yet.

And I am still on that faith journey. I have served in many capacities over the years, working as a youth leader in various Christian churches/denominations, serving in soup kitchens, being a camp counselor at a Christian Camp, and serving on any number of commissions and committees at both local and diocesan levels. But the one consistent thread in my life has been working with young people of all ages, hopefully helping them to experience God in a meaningful way.

This past weekend, I just spent last Friday through Sunday serving on a ministry team for a high school youth retreat called Happening whose theme was "Joy" (Isaiah 12:3). The leader of a Happening is a high school student (usually a senior) we call the 'rector'. The 'rector' builds a team made up of an 'observing rector', two adult mentors, two spiritual directors (priests/deacons), and a staff of other high school students and adults serving in various capacities necessary to make the retreat a success. I served as one of the mentors.

The retreat gathered over 50 youth and adults together to take a journey of discovery, looking for Christ and how He works in our lives. We remove the 'masks' we usually wear during the day to reveal the beauty of our true selves -- the 'self' that Jesus knows and loves. We took time to Embrace the Joy of Smiling.

Experiencing God in a real, tangible way is a powerful thing. This weekend was fabulous and I got to share it with youth who are gifted, joyful, and amazing. It was truly a blessed event for everyone there and concluded with a worship service celebrated by one of our Bishops. My heart was soaring!

I share all of this just to say that for each of us, God has a plan for our lives. That plan will be revealed through prayer, listening, and discernment -- usually through the witness and insights from friends, family, and others that God puts in your path. And when you find your call, your passion, you have to go for it! You have to respond. I found mine. You can find yours.

Go Live your Passion!

God is our Help. But are you doing 'your' part?

Life can be a struggle at times.  God gave us life but nowhere in the Bible does it say life will be easy.  We have to work at it.  He just promises to be there for us every step of the way.  I have been reflecting on this quite a bit over the last few weeks.  And today I received the following reflection from a good friend of mine named Rick Moyer from the "Take Him With You" podcast.  He said it better than I could so here it is:

We have all probably heard the story about the man that was in a flood and as the waters rose he got up on his roof. He prayed to God "Oh Lord save me from this mess!" Just then a boat came by and offered to give him a ride. He said, "No thanks, the Lord will save me!" So the boat moved on. A little while later a helicopter hovered over the roof and offered to throw a lifeline to him. He again shouted at the copter "No thanks, The Lord will save me!" Finally the waters rose and the man drown. He died and went to heaven where he met the Lord. He said, "Lord, what in the world? How come you didn't save me?" Jesus answered "What else did you want me to do? I heard your cry and I sent a boat and a helicpoter, but you refused them!"

My friend Jeff and I were chatting this last week about life and how sometimes it doesn't seem like God answers our prayers. We both faced some challenges and were discussing them when he said something that made me think. He said "I pray to God at times, on why things don't happen, but if I look at it, I have not done enough to put myself in a spot for him to help."

Immediately I thought of that joke and about the self serve soda dispensers in some of our local fast food restaurants. We have the drink all paid for, and we can even go back for refills, but if we simply sit on our butt and never walk over to the dispenser we will go thirsty. So we need to do our part.

We can't expect that if we pray and ask God for something that he will just have it fall in our laps. We need to, first of all, make sure our prayer isn't self serving and then ask ourselves where we need to be to receive the blessings of God. If we need a job, then have we applied at places? Have we filled out the paperwork? Have we made it a point to go around and talk with the folks that we need too? We can't just sit and home and wait for a phone call.

Or maybe it's a health struggle. Changes need to be made, but we are unwilling to make them. How can God heal us if we ignore our responsibility? He is not a big candy man in the sky. He gave us a brain and the ability to do his will, so it goes without saying that we should probably be obedient to at least attempt to position ourselves in a place to receive his blessings.

This applies in about all areas of life. We should be asking for God's help with life, but we need to be willing to do our part as well. A lot of times we will blame God for bad things that happen in life, when He never wanted that for us. The question is, are we under the dispenser? Or are we still sitting at the table hoping that somehow magically our drink will show up?

So don't just sit around wondering when God is going to make something happen.  Perhaps He already has but in order for you to receive the blessing, you need to do your part.  So get moving!

A Lesson learned

Laura and I are both working on the Christian Youth Theater production of West Side Story -- one of my favorite musicals of all time (mostly because I was in my high school production of it way back when). Laura, who was hoping to land a principal role in the show, auditioned. But because of her schedule conflicts (working at camp, mostly), that was not going to be possible. She got a role as one of the Shark girls and is one of the quartet of singers in the famous 'America' scene/song.

I remember telling Laura that no one gets a lead role every time they audition. It just doesn't happen. There are a lot of talented people out there so the competition is very tough. So she needs to get comfortable with the idea of being an ensemble cast member sometimes, finding the joy in those roles, and using them to learn more about her craft and widen her versatility as an actor.

Good words I thought. Little did I know I was going share her experience as well.

Just a few weeks ago, I got asked to be the 'backup sound tech' for the show. I agreed, thinking that I could contribute to the show by running the sound board and making sure it all sounded great. Lil ole me, jumping to the rescue!

I have to say that I had to take my own words to heart. I figured I would walk in there and they would be happy that my 'skills' were part of the team. But what I realized was that they really did not need me at all (other than to be the backup in case their main sound tech could not make a performance). And they also had a professional sound engineer there to set up all the gear, balance everything, and ensure the quality of the sound production.

So I have to admit, I was feeling like a 'third wheel'. But then I realized that, like Laura, my role was not to be 'the sound guy'. My role was a supporting one and I needed to 'lose the ego' and figure out how I could best fulfill that support role. So I listened to Dan and Wes. I did what I was told. I determined one thing I could do was to define and write up all the sound cues in the script since I knew the show so well. So I did that. And it wsa appreciated. I figured out how to contribute. I also learned a lot more about sound design from Dan which is a real bonus!

So my job in the show is to call the sound cues that I wrote for Wes. (And I will get one day where I will actually run the board because Wes has to miss one performance.)

It is good to be reminded that in the grand scheme of things, you are just another cog in the big wheel and it is best to keep your ego 'in check' so that you have a chance to learn something new, improve yourself, support others, and enjoy life.

Humble Pie! Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Good!