The Ride

This is a story about my community. Click the link for some background:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/wood_sara.html

It tells the details.  Twenty years later, I still can feel the terror that took over the hearts of our community. Though I didn't know her or the family, my brother and his family lives one house away from the church where her father was Pastor and  this occurred about a half mile from his house.  My younger sisters were visiting at the time, one also 13, looked a lot like Sara.  It could so easily have been her.  But it was Sara. 

Right now we live about seven minutes away from the site.  

For her family and friends, it is beyond heartbreaking.  It is beyond cruel...and it is beyond our understanding.

But this story is about my community.

Today is the Ride for Missing Children where members of the larger community ride just under 100 miles in one day (today) to spread awareness about abduction prevention and those who are still missing. Each biker wears a picture of someone who is missing and they ride for them.

 They make stops along the way and pass silent tributes.





One stop is at the school that Sara went to, also my nephews school.  Balloons are sent up in remembrance and hope while playing "Somewhere Out There"

Silent Tribute:
Not Forgotten



 

What happened 20 years ago was nothing short of tragic.  But, instead of living in bitterness, the people of this community redefined what it would be. It propelled them forward to help others by opening what eventually grew to be the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  To not let another child be a victim. Sara could not be saved, but it is unknown how many have been saved because of their efforts. 

We went down to cheer them in, I am proud to say I know several of the riders and some I call friends. 

I told my daughter's to say "thank you"

my youngest asked, why?

...it was simple,

"because they do this with you in mind."

Making our children safe....ONE CHILD AT A TIME

God Bless all those who protect our children.

Bovine Baptism

 

 

 

 

This was on the WKTV local news FB page  .  A cow got loose from somewhere and ended up in  a local pond.  To gain some perspective of how odd this is, this pond is surrounded by a highway and off ramp to a couple communities.  Up the street is a road saturated by restaurants.  I think ole Bessie here got more than she bargained for when she sought adventure...I believe she is taking a precaution baptizing herself so as to be saved! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and the women who give mother- love to those around them. The world needs more self-giving love!  I am so grateful for my children and for the gift of mothering.  I am grateful for my own mother, my sister's and my mother-in-law and friends who love me unconditionally. I am grateful to other mother's who support me, inspire me, encourage me and help me be a better mother too.

But mostly, I am grateful for the guidance of the Mother of all Mother's, Mary. She has been with me since the very beginning, and without her...I would be lost.

I dedicate this post to them and to you with a beautiful song by one of my favorite artists, Sarah Hart.

A Blessing on Your Head....

A very dear friend of mine has a brain tumor.  She is beautiful, no one knows except a very few people.  For some reason I am not worried about her.  It appears to be slow growing and though she experiences intense headaches, I think she is going to be ok.  This doesn't stop me, however, from laying hands on her head when ever I am with her.  It is getting a little humorous since it looks like we are in an intimate embrace, (which we are, but you know what I mean).  I love her...and the back of her head. So I pray as we hug and I have my hand placed over location of the tumor.  We were laughing about it, how we must look...but I am a fool anyway so...meh. As long as she is well what does it matter?   I will continue to lay hands...but here is what she and I have been singing, it will be easy to see why she is my dear friend!  Such spirit!

 

It is so self-indulgent to post this...one of my favorite musicals of all time.

Being People of Yes!

Pope Francis asks that Church be joyful and positive community



A friend posted this video on Facebook. I can't help but think how God is answering prayers with this simple approach of love.  "When we become a community of who says yes instead of no..." imagine what can flow out of that.

Today is First Communion at our church, parents and children have said "yes" to accepting Jesus as their guide in life.  May our hearts be as open to loving as when were children.  May we trust that Jesus will guide us through.


(Footnote:  Notice some of the faces as he is speaking...I can't help wondering if what Papa F is saying is making them uncomfortable.  What do you think and why?)

Misplaced Refuse

 I decided it would be a good time to take some pictures when the compost is raw and being dumped into.

Bin #1...otherwise known as "What did we eat yesterday?" and bunny bedding.
 



Bin #2  You could learn a lot from my compost.

Here is the problem, bin number two should be emptier and have some good soil in it.  But my kids forgot we were rotating, and the walk is shorter...and it gets rainy and muddy. In other words, it is easier. So here we are with two bins of fresh composting.  No dirt to access this Spring from my own backyard.  Time to rely on someone else for good dirt.

That happens sometimes, doesn't it?  We put our "garbage" in the wrong place.  We empty our refuse onto the wrong person or the wrong cause or idea; what have you.  It is misplaced garbage.  It slows down our ability to be useful, or the ability of another to be useful. It sucks out our joy.   Maybe it is a meeting that gets off topic because of weak facilitating, or a relationship that gets bogged down because of someone else's history...but it happens, and happens often. The hardest thing for any of us to separate ourselves from our own garbage all of the time.  We bring the refuse of the past to the present and we allow it to inform us in our daily life.

I had a conversation yesterday with two wonderful people who had been the recipients of "misplaced refuse".  Things were said to them and about them that were untrue, unkind and unnecessary. It was just "easier" for the people involved to dump on them.  They reminded me of my compost bins.  Someone came along and dumped garbage into them. But underneath that, as the sun shines on them there is beautiful new dirt taking form. They are already in the process of forgiveness and acceptance, they are not interested in retaliation.  They are only interested in justice, because justice bears fruit. 

 My role, or the role of any one who loves, is to help them turn it over...so it just doesn't lay there but so it can be transformed. Love can do that.  They have strong faith and they know Who to rely on. 

Happy Earth Day!

Tomorrow the ecology club at the elementary school is sponsoring a zero-waste lunch day, which means that there should not be any container that cannot be recycled or reused.  It's a small thing indeed but for these kids who are in this club it is big...and quite serious. 

 

 

 

If only more adults had the same kind of conviction that these kids have when they are thinking about our environment. I am appalled at the amount of people who still don't recycle.  I have a physical reaction to things being thrown out when they could be composted or recycled or somehow reused...and I recognize that I can be a bit militant about it at times.  But our earth is so precious and we are so arrogant in our approach to how it should serve us.  I have had good Christians "remind" me (in the "need I remind you" kind of way) that God gave man dominion over the earth so in other words we can do what we want to it.  I am so disturbed by this perspective.  God also gave us responsibility in the form of good stewardship...and I am pretty sure we have screwed it up handily. 

I pray for a day when our humility takes over.  I pray for a day when we see everything around us as a gift.  For a day when we are able to get over ourselves and accept that we are only one part of God's creation.  Matthew tells us that God looks after the sparrow intently, why then would we think that all of creation is not loved with a deeper purpose? 

So today that is my prayer; that God open our eyes to the sanctity of all creation.  That he open our hearts to the love he placed in all of his world. 

Let It Be - The Beatles - Lyrics

Just felt the need to hang with the Mother for a bit.  Let it Be.

Rant

I will be honest, like most everyone else in the northeast corridor, I am mentally exhausted this week from everything that has been going on. I don't know if it is because there is a special place in my heart for runners, (my husband is one as are many family members and friends) or if it is because of our city being the host of the Boilermaker whose finish line was almost outside my front door, I don't know if it is because I found out that  a very dear friend has a brain tumor, not long after another was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Or if it is that all of this was in addition to the explosion in Texas and the crazy storms that are ripping across the east coast right now.  I just feel like yelling, "UNCLE!"  I mean UNCLE already!

I am so sad that these boys not only wasted their lives but other's lives as well.  I am so sad that there is are families without their children tonight.  I keep hearing "terrorist" but this mom can only see a stupid, weak- minded kid.  Destructive and dangerous yes, but stupid and weak- minded too.  And for what? He had a future...

I am livid that our ridiculous senate can't represent it's people who elected them as well as they represent those who line their wallets. 

I am annoyed that our state is testing our kids in the most ridiculous way and that 8 year olds are losing sleep over it. That my accelerated daughter is nervous about the 8th grade math test because even though she is in 9th grade math she has to take the test, without the review built into the curriculum.  Not happy at all.

I think I am just done. I think all I ask is for people to be sensible and it seems as though we have lost our ability. 

So there is my rant.  Please pray.

Article

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/spt--boston-marathon-explosions-attract-an-outpouring-of-help-from-city-s-residents-022321905.html

Read the article and remember who we really are outside all of the bickering on the left and the right, this is who we are.  Notice no one qualified political party, nationality, sexual orientation, or even gender.  This is who we really are and it is a beautiful thing. It's called human.

Angels Rush In

Can you hear it now?  Where was God?   Well, this was where I saw God...

In the midst of the smoke, in the danger and uncertainty, people don't always run away...sometimes they run toward it.  Always, the first responders...always they are an image of Angels who rush in.  Handy are doctors and nurses, EMT's, National Guardsmen and people who have already finished the run...but offer their skills.  Stories of veterans whose instinct is to run toward the scene to help.  Runners who supported each other.  People who are opening their homes to perfect strangers.  Foreigners finding hospitality in a strange land.  Everyone working toward the same goal...peace. 

The courage displayed today in Boston is incredibly humbling to witness.  Having our own big hometown race, The Boilermaker Road Race I can only imagine what is going on in the hearts and minds of the people of Boston.  Runners, are the gentlest people, they are so giving in so many ways.  Their running is a spiritual connection to something divine so when something like this happens, (which is so completely cruel and crazy!) those of us who love them feel it immensely. 

I am so sorry this happened to them.  I am so sorry that someone listened to some deranged thought pattern and decided to follow it through.  I am sorry that so many, who simply went to watch a great event are dead or hospitalized, many missing limbs and in critical condition. 

But there is something that I didn't hear in the voices of the people who were in charge in Boston, and that was fear.  I heard resolve, I heard caution and I heard sadness...but I didn't hear fear.  And that is where I heard God. 

"For though I walk through the valley of death, I feel no evil for Thou art with me."  Psalm 23:4

God bless and keep Boston and the rest of us safe.  God help the poor, sick soul(s) who perpetrated such a cowardly crime. Healing prayers to all involved.
 

Please, Sit Me Down....

Jonathan Merritt of the RNS tweeted this essay which should be named,   "How To Snare A Worthy Woman"   from Reformed Singles.com. It gave me certain pause but only after a pretty good laugh.  I am sure he doesn't support any of this and his twitter feed was pretty funny in light of it, but I thought it fit in well with some of what Richard Rohr said in his video. Because, if I think of it too long, it can be terrifying. 

One thing Fr. Rohr noted was how we fit Christianity to suit ourselves...to serve ourselves instead of the mission.  I won't go on, but will say that after knowing my husband for 32 years, being married for him for almost 18 years and having 3 children together...I was laughing while reading it to him.  As much as I love him...that would be THE day!  More like the image below. Anyway, I hope you get a bit of a chuckle out of it. 

 

Embrace it Mr. Wilson.

Richard Rohr Limiting God

Richard Rohr Limiting God

You must take a moment and click the link. 

Nostalgia

Time it was
and what a time it was
It was
A time of innocence
a time of confidences.
Long ago,
It must be
I have a photograph
preserve your memories
they're all that's left you.
S & G

 

Talking Dirt

I spent the day outside tending the gardens and getting some seeds sewn for indoors.  It was a glorious day spent with the young'uns and seeing them free and basking in the sun and warm air!  As we worked our way around our large swatches of land, I was reminding my daughter to be careful of the tiny buds that were just breaking through.  A hyacinth here, a tulip there, a daffodil on the other side, they were still so tender so we gingerly cleaned all the yuck around them.  We were cleaning out the day lilies and trying to give the new peony buds a place to breath. In the middle was a rose bush that hasn't ever bloomed...but maybe will this year.  Maybe if I tend it a little.  But just a little, I hope.

In the vegetable patch there was some garlic breaking through and some parsley taking shape.  The strawberries had spread some more and the raspberry bush was horning in as it does if not curbed.  I so wanted to plant the snap peas and the spinach and lettuce but the ground needs more working first.  So, in hope, I sowed my basil and tomatoes...and some Shasta daisies to sit on my sills and wait until they are ready to be planted amidst the things that can handle the harsh and unpredictable Spring weather of the Northeast.

I enjoy the time I get to do this.  To see each of these plants at their beginning, much like when I see a newborn, it is such a promise and such a reassurance. I love the variety, the greatness of God reflected in every detail of creation.  I love how I have to think about how to train the thorny raspberries to obey and how I have to coax the tender daisies to be brave. In each of these I see God communicating with me. I know that I can be thorny but that in order to be useful and bring joy to others I have to be curbed in my own thorniness.  I also know I can be afraid, uncertain if I am ready for a task but then God works with me, cleaning out the junk; the old leaves from a dying fall or the garbage that the wind blew my way so that I again have my strength to grow.

I am beginning to feel his hothouse effect....something is taking root.

Orange Pride

It was a scrappy and sometimes promising game but in the end Michigan won.  (And yes, I am a little put out by the refs who seemed to ignore several fouls in favor of  Michigan but I won't press too many sour grapes). 

My saddest moment was when Triche fouled out...I was so sad for him and when CJ Fair looked so dejected.  But in the end they did do us proud over the long season.

As an aside, as I watched part of it with my youngest when it occurred to me that 10 years prior was when they won the NCAA Tournament and I was pregnant with said child!  I was due in May and a friend of mine, (and occasional reader of the blog and ginormous SU fan) thought I would go into labor as I recounted the game. It was awesome.  Back in the days of Carmelo Anthony, (I miss him!) and McNamara who is so adult now. 

Like my friend Nina stated below...mostly I just can't watch.

Time to put March Madness to bed...well....almost.

Go 'Cuse

Where I live the weather can't decide what it wants to do. We have been having a tug o' war with between Winter and Spring and it is taking it's toll on our collective psyche.  Last night, it snowed again, not enough for accumulation, just enough for Old Man Winter to stick his tongue out at us! You know, like ringing the doorbell and running away when we were kids.  The sun still shines regardless of his mischievousness. 

For us, it is also Spring break and several of my friends are scattered all over the world...literally. I, in the meantime, am cleaning out my cellar and my attic in a very unsentimental German way.
"Clean! Throw!" 
"But I like that Mom,"
 "Nicht!"

 I think I would do my forbears proud.

But I am clinging to the forecast and the fact that the Orangemen of Syracuse are battling tonight in the final four of the NCAA Championships.  Maybe if they win tonight, it will feel like Spring either way tomorrow. 

John 20

Instructions for Mary Magdeline

by: A.C. Knauth


Be there
Be honest
Don't worry about what they'll say
They will say what they want
You know who you are,
You know who He is.
Be there.
Be honest.

Be comforted
knowing you are in the presence of true
Love
What had been shown you thus far
has not seemed enough,
But now your demons are gone for good.
So...

Be comforting
He will need it,
you can sense it.
His mother too.
Stay with her
She will need you more. 

Be strong
Stay until the end
you have it in you to do it for a friend,
right now be a friend.
Let the faces that love him be the last he sees
Let your weeping, because it is genuine,
be the last thing he hears
the angels are weeping too,
you are like an angel now,
he can hear that.

Be ready,
because on that dark Friday it is only the end of the chapter.
Unlike the others, you will seek him out,
you will look to tend to him,
Yours will be the name he speaks.
You will be the one to deliver the message,
the words that change the course of history,
Despite what is said later.

In time,
They will call you "Apostle to the Apostles"
I simply call you the most important word; friend.

Be ready.
Be there.

"Mary"

John:20

Click the link to see a wonderful painting with a reflection by James Martin SJ on Mary of Magdela

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151316756636496&set=a.139618381495.120357.46899546495&type=1&theater


 

Easter Traditions

Yesterday was Easter which in this house is everything. My world exists because of the promise of Easter.

As a girl growing up in a predominantly Catholic community, I remember how involved I was with all of our traditions and rituals at my church and how they helped form my identity.  While the Easter bunny is a fun and happy part of Easter, I, (probably like you) knew that there was so much more.  I knew that something happened on that Sunday morning that changed the world.  I didn't know the extent of it but I knew it affected me. As a mother I wanted to be sure my own kids were exposed to that.  So, we bless our Easter basket, we pray before the guarded tomb, we take part in Stations of the Cross to help keep our faith vibrant and relevant in a chaotic world.  When we see a suffering person in the Sudan or here in our own community, we can relate that to how our Savior suffered....the innocent of this world are often the ones to suffer.

We can also see that we have a choice, there are so many people pivotal to the Christian narrative that it can help us navigate our own "living out" of our faith.

 Here are some of the things that matter to us, beginning with Palm Sunday.



Several girls from our parish, (including my own), wave the palms at each mass as we commemorate the journey into Jerusalem.  My youngest said of her first year, "One of my life dreams came true today, waving the palms on Palm Sunday".
 Our rituals matter.

 

A cross made by one of our college students for Palm Sunday.
Our symbols matter.

 

A local flower shop brings in little chickies and the Easter Bunny on
Palm Sunday.  A special memory for many in my area.
Our community matters.

Coloring Easter eggs...a family tradition.  This year my middle daughter took the lead
 and also carved our butter lamb which usually looks more like a butter dog...
Fun matters.
 

We spend a lot of time at church during Holy Week, like many people do.  Re-creating the scenes of that final week in Jesus's life with other people who believe in our collective story gives a particular depth.  On my own, I can only be challenged so much...but with others, I am opened up in unexpected ways.
Faith matters.



Preparing for our Easter guests which includes members of both families as well as a couple friends (and a stranger)  has become a family affair.  Everyone has their job to do and everyone does it with a reasonably happy heart.  Having our loving family on the happiest of days is all the blessing we need.  Even when there is a wrinkle or two in the family linen.
Family matters.

Since the kids were very little we have done an Easter egg hunt with their cousins.  It is a favorite memory for me, we have had many pranks played over the years as I do it with my brother-in- law and my sister.  That we have the 21 year old still taking part is most of the fun!
Traditions matter.

Traditions and rituals are part of the gift of faith I want to bequeath my children, they help the seasons turn and they lend to our identity.  However, every year things are subject to change...lest we get so bogged down in tradition and ritual we lose sight of the Holy Spirit at work... which is just our way of keeping an eye out for what matters.

Alleluia! Alleluia!  Alleluia!  

 

He is Risen!!! 

 

Happy Easter!!!



The Upper Room

""On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciple said to him "Where do you want us to go to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He sent his two disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water.  Follow him. Wherever he enters say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat my Passover supper with my disciples?" Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.  Make the preparations there."  Mark 14: 12-15

It is time to go to our own Upper Rooms and prepare.