There is a thief among us.  I fell victim.  Yes.  Taken!  Before I even knew it.  All I had accumulated over the years.  It didn’t come easily for me.  I struggled with doubt and apprehension for years to get to that point.  And what seemed like the blink of an eye, it was gone!  There I was.  Sitting in my favorite chair, wondering, what happened?  How did this happen to ME?  I was the positive one. (People tell me all the time, “positive Brenda”, “smiling Brenda”-honest!)   So I was not supposed to be victim, but I was.  And there I sat, feeling lifeless and had to look like I still had it all together!  But how?  The thief came without warning. and took it all!  All the dreams I had laid out for myself.  All the dreams my  Mom said she wanted me to do before she died.  All the dreams I promised I would accomplish.  All the dreams I set.  They were specific.  Dates.  Reasons for havin’ em.  Causes connected to ‘em.  Giving back at the core of each of them.   So why?  How could this happen. 

Right about here I’m supposed to say I prayed and then a miracle happened and life was all better again, but that’s not the case.  First, I got pissed!  Oops.  I got angry.  And I was tempted to have it out with God!  After all He said it was okay to dream.  Permission given directly from HIM!  And He added, “Dream BIG!”  And now look what happened!  Okay, think.   What shall I do?  Next, I cried.  Not one of those, nice, cute, tear or two down the cheek kinda’ cries.  This was a sobber!  A pillowcase soaker!  A mascara-completely-off-kinda’ look.  You get the picture.  And then I did what I always come back to and what I could have saved a lot of time by doing in the first place.  I just prayed and asked for help because I didn’t know where to turn to get my dreams back.

Guess what?  They are back.  And they are bigger than ever!  And I found the thief.  And that’s why I want to warn you.  There’s more than one.  They are out there.  They are among us.  They are not getting arrested.  They are the people who don’t look you in the eye but look past you, at work.  They are the neighbors always speaking badly about another neighbor.  They are fellow parishioners always complaining about service or service providers or fellow parishioners.  They are the people who cross your path on a daily basis with complaints always, pains-always, trying to steal your joy always.  And they are so sneaky.  They creep into your subconscious and your very being so easily before you even know it, you have joined in and become part of the conversation of destruction.  I can only say after coming out on the other side…having survived…having my dreams back!…Warning!  You could be next!

Senator Edward M. Kennedy died today at age 77 after battling a brain tumor.  He was at home in Hyannis Port.  A heartbroken President Obama referred to Senator Kennedy as his friend who had the gift of time to say thank you and farewell to his friends and family.  It was a gift his fallen brothers John and Robert, did not get.  They did not get that kind of time, both assasinated, neither getting-that one last thing.   

At the end of each newscast during our new time of 11pm, we have a final story we call, One Last Thing.  I  call it, in typical text style, OLT.  Do you have an OLT?  In your life?  On your daily,”to-do”  list?  On your bucket list (before you kick the bucket, these things you must do)?  Senator Kennedy battled his brain tumor for a about a year.  He got to make some monumental political stands, continue his civil rights battles, help make history, cross partisan aisles in the Senate to legislate and leave a legacy that has a nation mourning his death and flying flags at half staff.   

Do you think you will have the gift of time to have OLT?  Time is not always given.  John F. Kennedy didn’t get it.  Neither did Robert F. Kennedy.  And we all know people in our own lives who are not afforded that gift either.  The next time you watch our newscast and hear us say, One Last Thing before we go tonight, just think about your own OLT you’d like to do before you go to sleep.  It may not be a big thing.  It doesn’t have to be.  It could be a simple kiss on your child’s cheek.  An amends.  A thank you.  An apology.  A phone call to a friend.  Completing a task.  Completing, anything. Time with someone who needs your undivided attention.  Attention to detail, just once.  Thinking, rather than rushing to do, just to do.  Thinking of time, not money.  Pursuing a cause, not just cash.  OLT.  The gift of time is just that-a gift.  Don’t forget that.

Have you ever taken a Faith Walk?  I define it as stepping out or in some cases stepping up to face a situation, not knowing what the outcome may be, but bravely going there.  In some cases it could be a challenge to a request to work when you you know your place is with your child on the first day of school.  You realize in these difficult financial times, with threats of unemployment laying heavily over your head, to stand up could mean a layoff.  But you decide to go boldly toward the best for your family.  Support for your child for a part of life that doesn’t get a second take.  That could be a Faith Walk for you today. 

Have you ever had choices of a, b, and c and just said, “Okay God, help me decide which one You think I should have….which path You think I should take?”  That’s a Faith Walk.  And especially when you have no idea what  outcome will follow in the steps ahead.  But Crystal Lewis sings a song,  “Beauty for Ashes”  in which she says, God gives us…beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for despair.  Within 24 hours of  purchasing that song, listening to the words and embracing the meaning…taking a Faith Walk, believing that God gives us those gifts, I had the best birthday ever! (I know I said that last year, but this year really was the best ever).  In fact it was the best birthday week ever!  I opened my morning meditation book and what do you think I saw?  A story about beauty for ashes and the Bible reference.  Before that day, I confess I had never heard the phrase.  Now the song is part of my “morning music to jog by”.  ‘For me, it’s a reminder that every day is a Faith Walk.  I used to think it was just during the rough times and the best times.  But it’s there for the mediocre times too.  It’s a great way to stay centered and be reminded of what’s really important.  Because when you walk, and not run….when you move gently and listen frequently, rather than move so fast and talk so fast you don’t even know who’s listening or whether what you are saying even matters.  Make each word matter.  Step back.  Slow down.  Pay attention.  Take a Faith Walk.  Try it.  You might like it, one day at a time.

My Father was in the Army.  I’ve mentioned that before.  We often played soldier around the house.  My brother and I would march with our shoulders back and chins tucked, bodies straight, looking forward and listening attentively for which way to turn.  The Army provided my Father with a paying  job and home ownership thanks to Veterans’ benefits awarded to deserving soldiers who served their country during the War.  My brother later joined the Army.  He was injured in service.  He received disability benefits and a college education too, all thanks to the U.S. Army.  Other uncles and cousins were part of the  Air Force and Navy.  We learned a lot and received a lot from Armed Services.  Even my Mother’s education was provided with military benefits.  Thankfully she never had to go to war to repay it. 

I was the exception in terms of serving militarily, but the lessons they learned were handed down to me.  Always walk with your shoulders back.  It helps you to stand tall amid some difficult times that make mere mortals start to bend under the pressure.  When you stand tall, have faith and look forward because as adults (role models) people look up to you.  You become a leader, not always a follower.  Your path is clearer somehow.  When you tuck your chin, your eyes become firmly fixed forward, not backward.  You don’t have to focus on the past.  Afterall the past is done.  There’s nothing you can do about it, except move forward.  With your chin tucked, you can’t see too far forward, because it would be tempting to try and see the future, where you don’t belong, and can’t predict, and again, can do nothing about. 

The Army also taught me to listen attentively so that you know which way to turn.  The wrong turn can mean trouble—tripping, injury, problems, pain.  Listening can avoid problems.  Simple, isn’t it? Not easy.  But simple.  Who would have thought?  A simple game of playing Army had such valuable lessons, like, straighten up.  It’s as important today as it ever was.

First the clean-ups.  You know I like to share with you when I clean up and find words of wisdom I feel are worth sharing.  I read them and say, ummm, this is good.  Why I did I happen to see this today?  I don’t believe anything is accidental.  Here goes.  Use it if you can.  Leave it if it serves no purpose for you today.

From The Dalai Lama:  “Compassion can be put into practice if one recognizes the fact that every human being is a member of humanity and the human family regardless of differences in religion, culture, color and creed.  Deep down there is no difference.”

Amma:  True Love-  “There is Love, and then there is Love.  You love your family, but not your neighbor.  You love your parents, but not others’ parents.  You love your religion, but not all religions.  You love your country, but not all countries.  This is not true but rather limited love.  Transformation of limited love into Divine love is the goal of spirituality.”

So much for clean-ups.  Now to an observation.  It comes from my neighborhood dermatologist.  Remember to protect your skin in summer.  Tanning is tough on the body.  The rays are no joke!  They can be deadly!   And if nothing else scares you into the drug store to stock up on sunscreen, guess what?  They cause WRINKLES!  That’s right.  Future face under the knife, unless you put the skin under the guard of sunscreen today.  Nuff said

Which street do you travel and do you stay awhile or move fast or slow or avoid some and not others or have you never given it a second thought?  How’s that for a run-on sentence?!  And what am I getting at you might ask.  Well, let’s take seven streets.  And as you hear each one, think about whether you have travelled on it or not, ever.  Think about if you have found yourself there, how long it took you to get off the road and find a new path.  Let’s start with the first one, I’ve named,  Anger Avenue.  Been there today?  Find yourself travelling that roadway on a daily, maybe hourly basis.  Ever stayed there and didn’t want to leave?  When you see it for what it is, just meant to be a brief, even avoidable stop, perhaps you’re saying to yourself, maybe I can avoid Anger Avenue.  Okay, moving right along…Criticism Corner.  So you like that one, do you?  After all if you decide to stay there and complain all day, the attention is taken away from your failings and aimed at others.  Go away!  Leave!  Travel elsewwhere, please!  Get off that corner, now!  If not you may find yourself seeing the sign change to Battle Boulevard.  It’s a place you never have enough armor to survive.  You never feel like a winner.  It’s a place for losers.  Trust me.  Battle Boulevard is not the place you want to be.  Looks what’s around the corner, Bad Attitude Alley.  No surprise, it’s next to Selfish Street.  Nothing’s moving on either roadway.  Everything is at a standstill.  It feels like a bad place to be.  And it is.  Could this roadtrip get any worse?  I guess so.  There’s a Dead End sign ahead.  But you don’t have to head that way.  There is an alternative!  You can straighten up and fly right in the right direction.  Rid yourself of poor judegement and negative behavior that led to this.  Peace Place lies just steps away. Remember, all you have to do is, name your street.

This morning my Sister and I took a morning walk together before seven o’clock.  I was in New Jersey.  She was in Tennessee.  Oh the miracle of cell phones.  We talked and walked together.  Different time zones didn’t matter.  We chatted it up, “it” , being the best,  the day was going to offer.  We both believe that if you decide it’s going to be a great day, you have to SPEAK it.  Positive doesn’t just happen.  You have to make it happen.  You have to frame your thoughts.  You have to think about how you can give your best, get the best, and be your best.  It’s not about the bad you hear and see.  You decide what comes in.  You don’t have to listen to all the doomsday prophets, the negative announcers, the interviewers and pundits and anyone who passes your way in the course of the day and  speaks words of hate.  It can ruin a day!  So don’t.  Do not listen!  Don’t start your day with crapola!  Look up instead.  It may seem simple enough.  But share with someone the gifts that are free:  Sunshine, Cool and crisp air.  The smell of summer flowers.  As I ended my walk and neared the house, I saw a deer in my neighbor’s yard.  I stopped just to watch, as did another passerby.  I had just ended the conversation with my Sister about how blessed we were to have another day…to have our jobs…our families…our communities…our freedom.  So this glance at nature was the perfect end to what I planned ahead of time to be a good day, that began with a sisterly walk.

 

It’s summer.  Finally.  Did you forget that?  You might have if you were on the other end of bad weather or bad news recently. 

You should enjoy it.  Did you forget how long we had to wait on it?  It was practically July!  It was cool and rainy for so long.  The cool weather pattern kept us from planting.  The rain might have saved some money and time on garden watering but it probably prohibited tomato plants from flourishing.  The balance of nature hasn’t kept you from finally finding a way to remember the tastes of summer, has it?  If so, let me give you a couple of reminders:

The taste of a first scooped dip of rich, creamy vanilla ice cream scooped atop of a sugar cone on a sunny summer day.  Life ain’t no better than that(I know that’s incorrect English, but it felt good).  It melts so fast you can hardly catch it before it races down your hand between your fingers quickly past the napkin.  But you manage.  Oops, the pet puppy caught the scoop racing from the heat of the day.  Oh well, back to the ice cream line at the beach kiosk.

The only thing almost equal is sweet tea.  (And it doesn’t have equal in it!) The North is just catching on to that traditional Southern delicacy.  Sweet Tea is full of so much sugar it soothes the spirit, hits the right spot, changes your mood.  I’m afraid of what it really does and once you taste it, you won’t care.  The cup(if purchased from a fast food establishment) or glass (if made at home) must be filled with ice to the top.  A straw is preferred.  Yummy, yummy, yummy on the ever expanding summer tummy, tummy, tummy.  It’s a good thing summer is a short season.  Don’t forget to enjoy it.  Fun.  Food.  People.  Something.  Somehow.

When the time comes for people to say their last words over you, what will they say about you?

Have you had an impact on the world?

  Have you been a humanitarian? 

 Will anyone want to pay tribute to you? 

Could anyone use the word, genius to describe your work? 

Will there be lots of close friends? 

 Will their be laughter?

  Tears?

  Someone to lift you up in celebration and regret that you weren’t here long enough? 

 Will you be described as a giver? 

 Will you be described as a person or a personality? 

 Will there be no words quite worthy to describe your gift of life? 

Will people write poetry about you? 

 Will they lift you up in song? 

 Will your kindness to others be remembered as a symbol of joy and love?

  Will people gather to say farewell?

You have time to think about the answers and perhaps enough time to make a difference for others before others have their say.  There may be time left for you to do a lot of good on a day that we reflect on the life of a man who is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the most philanthropic among his peers, Michael Jackson.

Today perhaps one of the highest words of respect came from his eleven year old daughter, Paris who simply called him, “Daddy”.  So, think about it, what will people say about you?  There is time to pre-plan, perhaps.

Had a difficult day lately?  There are certainly enough reasons to relate to negativity.  That’s why I keep a mini-library of  friends I can turn to in my office.  I don’t mind introducing them to you in case you’ve never met them:

First up, Rick Warren, who authored,  The Purpose Driven Life. I wanted to start with a quote from Rick because perhaps like me, some days you just feel weak.  The ups and downs of the day just beat you up and you feel you don’t have the strength you need to fight the good fight.  Rick says, “Everyone has weaknesses.  In fact, you have a bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.  You may also have uncontrollable circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations.  The more important issue is what you do with these.  Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them.  This prevents God from using them the way he desires.”  See.  Sometimes, it just takes a different perspective, to build us up.

Second introduction:  Susan Taylor.  Author of “In the Spirit”.  She reminded me of  a difficult challenge I have that many women face every day.  Balance.  She writes, “Living in balance is vital to our well-being.  Without balance, much of the beauty and grandeur of our existence is lost.  But a balanced life doesn’t  just  happen.  It is a state of grace we create by staying connected with our thoughts and feelings and consciously measuring what we do.  Just  as feeling fit and flexible demands physical exercise,  just as expanding your mind requires intellectual effort, so bringing your life  into balance and maintaining your spiritual equilibrium require focused awareness and daily retreat from the stresses of the world.”  I don’t know about you.  But that’s  a reminder I needed.  When there is balance, the perspective is clearer on life as I see it, and as I experience it, and as I enjoy it rather than complain about any part of it and how it is dished out.

My final introduction: Terrie Williams, author, A Plentiful Harvest, wrote seven living virtues: 1)Calling, 2)Responsibility, 3)Thrift, 4)Love, 5) Community, 6)Spirituality, 7)Creativity.  Terrie said, “each principle was powerful…as a whole…added up to a balanced life.” 

There they are, if you’re down, dragging a bit, here’s a brief way to look up, and some sources I use for finding motivation.  Hope they helped.