Making a Difference

This is going to be a rare post.  Not rare in terms of time between writings - although that seems to be true as well - but rare in terms of content.  There are some topics that I tend to shy away from when I write.  Often, my hesitancy is due to my lack of knowledge on the subject. At times, it has been because of the position I held as part of a church staff.  In this instance, my hesitancy has always been the divisive nature of the topic – politics.

Before you shut your laptop, start a game on your tablet or check the email on your phone, I hope that you will give me a chance.  It’s really not as much about politics as it is about the culture of America.  As one person, I cannot change the political climate. Yes.  I can vote to make my voice heard – and I do.  One voice in nearly 57,600,000.  According to some reports that is approximately 30% of the number of voters who were eligible vote in 2016.  That would make my voice one in 192,000,000 (if my math is correct).  So, how do I make a real difference?  Make people think.  You may agree with me – you may not, but sharing ideas and thoughts are where real change happens.  It is the mindset of 192,000,000 people that makes the difference.

For my international friends who may not know, our President is in the process of nominating a new justice to serve on our Supreme Court.  The candidate he has selected has been accused of sexual misconduct when he was in high school.  Sexual misconduct is wrong. Black and white. No arguments here. My concern is with the timing of the accusation.

Here is a quote from the victim given during the Senate hearing.

“I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.”

…my civic duty… Judge Kavanaugh has been involved in the political arena since the Clinton era. He has served in the district court of DC since 2006, and according to Politico, he brought with him a “a long record of jurisprudence.”  Where was the “civic duty” during his tenure prior to this nomination?

Once again, let me be clear. Sexual assault and sexual misconduct are wrong.  My problem with this issue is that it apparently wasn’t wrong for most people until it was convenient.  If it is wrong now that he is a Supreme Court nominee, it was wrong when he was selected for his first bench. Why was it not brought forth at that time?  We need to be holding our state and local officials to the same standards as our national officials.  If we truly want to get the sludge out of our government – both republican and democrat – we need to stop allowing it to get that far.

All that being said, it comes down to an issue of integrity, both of the candidates and voters.  There is no one without sin, but until we start living our everyday lives as people of integrity, we can only expect more allegations to be made – substantiated and unsubstantiated.  We need to be the difference makers.

Two Stoplights

Perception is everything, or so it seems. We've all seen fabulous photographs on Facebook or social media that we later find out were just a trick of lighting, a well placed camera angle or a beautiful job of PhotoShop. Even in communication, it is not so much what you say as what others perceive you said that matters most.

I was thinking about this today as I drove to my church. I live approximately 12 miles from there, and the time to make the trip ranges from 17-23 minutes (according to Google Maps). I was excited to realize this morning that one of the routes I take only has two stoplights! The distance didn't change. The amount of time it takes me to travel that route didn't change.  My perception changed. That has to be the best route because it has only two stop lights!

I was reminded of a friend. We met in MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). She had moved here from the Washington DC area, and I had moved here from Dayton area. Fort Wayne is a relatively small town. Although it is the second largest city in Indiana, compared to the likes of NYC, or Los Angeles, we are a small town. In fact we are 74th on the list of largest cities in the US.

My friend, who lived "on the other side of Fort Wayne", shared with me that a lot of her friends in MOPS wouldn't do things on her side of town because she lived "so far away." We laughed about it because where we came from it wasn't unusual for it to be a 20-30 minute drive to get to just about anywhere due to distance and traffic.

How often do we miss out on building that great relationship, or attending that party, or going to that concert because it is just too far away? Don't get me wrong. I realize there are times when distance and cost to travel can be a hindrance. I've been there. I also realize, though, that we often are able to do things that we consider a priority, even when it may be a bit more difficult, because of the perceived value.

My friend and I did lose touch after MOPS. It wasn't because she lived too far away. It was because our kids grew up and were involved in different things. Still, I was one of the people her husband called when she passed away a few years ago. She was my friend because I didn't let a few miles keep me from doing life with her while I could.

My challenge for today is take the extra effort to visit that friend. Buy those tickets for Disney on Ice and make a memory with your child. Invest in the lives of those around you, because you never know when you might not have that opportunity. Children grow. Friends truly do move a long way away. Ultimately, people pass away. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow. Please don't let a couple of stop lights keep you from the blessings that are only a few miles away.

sNOw JUST sNOw

This morning I was greeted with snow. What started with just a few flurries soon turned into what looked to be a blizzard in the making.  Thankfully, we only got a light dusting - which would be fun in late NOVEMBER but it's APRIL.

I am a beach girl to the core, but I do like the way the sun sparkles on new snow - in WINTER. I love watching the snow fall sitting next to the fireplace and the lighted tree at CHRISTMAS.  Watching the snow fall outside my window in APRIL - NO JUST NO.

I struggle with a Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I am not sure if it is a coincidence that the abbreviation is SAD, but it is convenient.  I struggle when there is no sun.  I lack motivation and I am ... sad.

Maybe that is why I am a beach girl at heart.  I know there are beaches where they have winter, but I have never been to one.  I associate beaches with sunshine, warmth and the soothing crash of the waves.  (Yes, I know they have hurricanes as well, but not in my fantasy beach world.) 

In fairness, we haven't had a lot of snow this winter.  It has mostly just been cloudy and rainy.  I got through it thinking that Spring would be coming.  I am starting to doubt it.  The forecast for our area is calling for possible snow again on Thursday.

I know that we are blessed when it comes to snow.  I live in Indiana.  Minnesotans scoff at what we call a lot of snow.  I am sure numerous Canadians and Alaskans do as well.  I am aware that Lynchburg, VA, was hit with a tornado this week, and even Hawaii, considered one of the most beautiful places in the world, is dealing with flooding.  I have no right to be sad over a little snow.

Ironically, I will just have to remind myself once again of the words of King Solomon - for everything there is a season.  Hopefully soon, though, I will be thinking about another quote, this time from Song of Solomon:

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11-12.

It's Time

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon tells us that there is a time for everything, yet in today's culture, time seems to be a scarce commodity.  We each have a litany of things for which we wish we had more time, but those items tend to get pushed aside in the tyranny of the urgent.

This has been, and continues to be, a struggle for me as well.  In December of 2016, I resigned from a position I had held for the previous 8 years.  I loved my job, but due to some health reasons and some things going on in our lives, my husband and I felt that this would be the best decision for our family.

I was excited about the prospect of being home again.  My plan was to get my house thoroughly cleaned and organized, spend time with friends that I felt like I had neglected while working, and find some volunteer opportunities where I could use my gifts and passions to make a difference in my little corner of the world.  Great goals, right?

Now, fast forward one year plus.  Things look pretty much like they did in December of 2016.  The tyranny of the urgent, or in some cases the lack of, has left me struggling to find my balance.  I may be better rested, but I have not remotely met the goals I had set for myself when I resigned.

One of the goals that I hoped to attain was to begin writing again. I love to write. I have written devotionals and shared my thoughts here in the past, but for some reason, I stopped.  Honestly, I had go to my Facebook page to find the link to my blog. It was that bad, but like Solomon, I think there is a time and this is it.

So...I can't promise how often I will post, but I can promise that it will be often enough that I won't forget the web address!

Now, if I could just get my house under control...