During the month of October a half dozen or so persons met and talked about Happiness. The idea is that God created us to be happy, happy through at relationship with God. We were invited to challenge ourselves to take some steps to becoming happier. Among the ideas tossed around was removing oneself from temptations of materialism and strive for a simpler life.
That led to the question "What is a simple life?" We agreed that everyone probably had a slightly different idea of how to live life simply. I was motivated to review my own version of a simple life.
In ways I think I have chosen and in part successfully led a simple life. I find joy in the little bird that hums over a feeder sipping up sugar water. Through my childhood I only read about and saw pictures of humming birds. In Alaska never did I see one, even on trips to other parts of the globe. But when we settled in Oregon, they came to the window and ever since then they come daily. In recent years for some reason some have even graced our lives through the winter.
In May of 2014 just a month before our 45th anniversary of our wedding, we had a gathering in our yard inviting anyone and everyone who had a birthday that year. Ninety came. It was one of the happiest days of my life. One of the simple but lasting and most enjoyable gifts was a bird feeder. It was wood with plexiglass walls with a wide overhanging roof. Now I fill the feeder regularly as the birds, and an occasional chipmunk, empty by eating and spilling seeds. Many larger birds so appreciate the spillage as they feed off the ground when they don't fit on the feeder. Chickadees, juncos, jays, starlings feed the doves, quails and turkeys.
I believe that God led us to this home, a place where we labor to keep the weeds down and the flowers blooming. This home is a blessing with trees that touch the sky while others cool the ground with far-reaching branches. While the lawn is level and is the labyrinth moved into the native grasses, a hillside rises to one side and drops to the other. The dry ground nurtures fruit and nut trees and gardens of vegetables and flowers, while an unvisited space is filled with flowing water. After responding to God's call to reach out to the people of the world, this place energizes and relaxes our bodies, minds and souls.
God created this place and I have the privilege of sharing it. I hope that the house and other works of my hands don't overwhelm God's work but facilitates his calling to me. Now I return to using my hands with simple tools and God's materials to create joy for others.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Homeless Issues Coming This Way
If I have a dream of a quiet week, this was not a successful week. Ten days ago I was involved in a conversation about helping persons who have no homes or are sleeping no the streets. After several followup moving forward actions were suggested I recommended that the person in the county who heads up this type of service be informed and I offered to do that. The resulting meeting included a county commissioner with a brief update on the current situation, some pending plans and dreams, and other possible avenues to explore. No unique and definite solutions were outlined.
That evening at an event at the college I thanked the university president for his support of DACA students and mentioned the need for housing in Monmouth during cold snaps. We discussed several uses of the now vacant buildings on campus and he said, "Give me a call."
The next day a gentleman who lives our direction from town stopped by the church and wondered about assistance for a man sleeping in his car along side the road. A couple days later that homeless man showed up at church while we were serving homeless families a evening meal. We offered him the meal and I said I'd go with him to the county resource center the next day which I did. After helping him migrate some of the system I left him in the hands of the county with hopes that he would find some way to move forward. This morning his car was back alongside the road in his safe spot.
While I was at the resource center one of the staff told me that several ministers may be contacting me about setting up warming shelters for this winter. I only wondered how all this could happen in less than a week with no preparation or preplanning. It wasn't and isn't on my bucket list or my to-do list but with the rapidity of the events, this was no coincident; it was guided as if part of a much larger master plan.
Oh, yes, and we are helping a lady move out of her apartment but with no specific place to go.
Where will this stop so I can go back to my bucket list?
That evening at an event at the college I thanked the university president for his support of DACA students and mentioned the need for housing in Monmouth during cold snaps. We discussed several uses of the now vacant buildings on campus and he said, "Give me a call."
The next day a gentleman who lives our direction from town stopped by the church and wondered about assistance for a man sleeping in his car along side the road. A couple days later that homeless man showed up at church while we were serving homeless families a evening meal. We offered him the meal and I said I'd go with him to the county resource center the next day which I did. After helping him migrate some of the system I left him in the hands of the county with hopes that he would find some way to move forward. This morning his car was back alongside the road in his safe spot.
While I was at the resource center one of the staff told me that several ministers may be contacting me about setting up warming shelters for this winter. I only wondered how all this could happen in less than a week with no preparation or preplanning. It wasn't and isn't on my bucket list or my to-do list but with the rapidity of the events, this was no coincident; it was guided as if part of a much larger master plan.
Oh, yes, and we are helping a lady move out of her apartment but with no specific place to go.
Where will this stop so I can go back to my bucket list?
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