Celebration of Life

Posted on February 7, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

Nobody likes funerals. But they have changed from the days of my youth. While wakes and funerals still are a time of grieving, the emphasis of late has been more of a celebration … a celebration of life.

I attended just a gathering this week in New Jersey as family and friends said goodbye to 94 year old Grace Siccardi, my uncle’s wife for the past 26 years. There were some tears, but only a few. It was more of a time to celebrate Grace’s life and, more important, her elevation to the realm of saints. As I visited her casket, I asked her to look up those who went before, just to say Hi.

After the services at the Church of the Epiphany and Madonna Cemetery, family and friends gathered to swap stories and show what love is all about. I sat with my Uncle Gerry — who will turn 99 next month and still is sharp as a tack — and my cousins Judy, Louise and Jerry and their families. We shared our lives on Virginia Avenue — my grandmother and her three sons shared a quadplex until the state bought the house to create an entrance to Route 80 off Madison Avenue — and how our lives evolved. Mom, Dad and I moved to Totowa; Uncle Gerry’s family moved to Sandy Hill; and Uncle Frank’s family migrated to East Paterson (now Elmwood Park). Grandma bought a home on East 23rd Street, a few blocks away, where we always seemed to gather on Sundays and holidays. Even though we “scattered,” we remained close and remain so today, although “life” has a way of stretching days to weeks, months and years. That’s why I didn’t blink when I received the news of Grace’s death. I had to attend the funeral in Cliffside Park, NJ, despite the 436 mile trip. Judy — my age — cut a California vacation short to pick up my uncle in Phoenix (where he lived) and settle him in at her home in Connecticut. Louise and family also cut a vacation short and drove up from Pennsylvania. Jerry and Michelle played host and hostess at their home in New Jersey.

Over the years, it has been these post-funeral gatherings where family and love come together. It’s a shame we only see each other at weddings and funerals, but it’s a celebration of just how far the family web stretches. It was a time to remember those who went before us with pride and smiles. We heard new stories. We shared old stories. We reconnected … albeit a little older, a little more fragile, a little grayer.

Undoubtedly, we’ll gather for another funeral … er, celebration of life. May it be exactly that!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Peace begins with a smile. — Mother Teresa

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Midweek Mirth

Posted on February 6, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

One of the misconceptions about being a Christian is we don’t know how to have fun or have a sense of humor. Trust me, if the Big Guy can have a sense of humor when it comes to dealing with us mere mortals, so can we.

The difference for Christians is we don’t have to debase ourselves or others to generate a smile. Laughter at life or ourselves is a gift from God.

So, let’s smile a little!

Career Change

There were two men in the hospital. For conversation, one asked the other patient — with bandages from head to toe — “What do you do for a living?”

He said, “I’m a former window washer.”

The first patient asked, “When did you give it up?”

He replied, “Halfway down.”

And now for the bonus …

The Value of a Brief Sermon

The best illustration of the value of brevity in preaching was given by Mark Twain. He said when he had listened for five minutes to the preacher telling of the heathen, he wept, and was going to contribute $50. After 10 minutes more of the sermon, he reduced the amount of his prospective contribution to $25. After a half-hour more of eloquence, he cut the sum to $5. At the end of an hour of oratory, when the plate was passed he stole $2.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. — Roald Dahl

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Buried Treasure

Posted on February 5, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

A couple of weeks ago — actually a couple of months ago, now — I facilitated a writing class at The Commons at Central Hall here in Dover-Foxcroft. Part of that class included creating a continuing “story” members of the class could work on {that sounds familiar}. For the next few weeks I’ll chronicle three of the stories they came up with and wrap it up with how we blended them together. Despite the common beginning — which some tweaked — the stories veered off in different directions … proving we all have a story to tell.

I started them off with a paragraph and instructed them to add to it … give the story a direction … find the characters … place it on a timeline. I told them together, we would flesh out the story line, develop characters and possibly throw in some curves or red herrings.

They did great with the lead paragraph …

We were walking down the path, something we did every morning. The sun started its ascent spotlighting the morning mist rising off the river. The dew glistened in the meadow and the birds serenaded us with their morning song.

Suddenly …

That was it. Suddenly what? Who are “we”? Why were we walking? Were they holding hands or walking independently?

I told them to use their imagination! Let the scene unfold in your mind and translate through your fingers. Have fun!

They had imagination! They painted mind pictures with their fingers. They had fun.

Here is the first from Gloria Powell

Buried Treasure

By Gloria Powell

We were walking down the path, something we did every morning, Molly and I. My silent companion, a Labrador-Irish setter mix.  Occasionally Kerri, my wife, and Peter, my 10 year old, would accompany us but most mornings they chose to sleep in or had to be up for job and school. Luckily my schedule started a little later.

The sun started its ascent spotlighting the morning mist rising off the river. The dew glistened in the meadow and the birds serenaded us with their morning song.

Suddenly the sound of metal digging in earth reached both our ears. At once Molly’s floppy ears stood up. I found cover behind an outlying group of bushes pushing Molly to the ground with the whispered command “stay.” As I glanced from my vantage point, a young girl, not more than 20 years of age, placed a small bundle wrapped in a light blue blanket gently into the freshly dug hole. Other than the steady sound of the dirt rhythmically falling by shovelfuls back to the earth filling the gap, her muffled weeping filled the air that had just moments earlier been filled with bird songs. She stopped briefly, leaned on the shovel breathlessly, and seemed to mutter a quiet prayer.  In the space of a few minutes she slipped the shovel under her arm and hurriedly walked down the well-worn path out of sight.

My imagination went wild as I contemplated what it was this young girl could have buried. An infant perhaps, not fully developed, perhaps miscarried, a favorite cat, or dog, or even a box of love letters abandoned after he broke her heart.

This land was a public park, the trails well maintained by volunteers who made sure fallen trees and debris were cleared frequently for the safety of those who enjoyed hiking in the wood. Fortunately my own property abutted this nature preserve, but I wondered, did she live nearby? Or had she driven here to complete this deed and parked her car in the nearby lot? It was too late to find out as she was well gone before Molly and I could emerge from our cover.

“Well Molly,” I said aloud, “we’ve become a part of a mystery I’m not sure I want to try to solve. In a way I want to respect that young woman’s privacy, something I’m sure I’d desire for myself if were me.”

James and Molly had been gone longer than usual for their daily morning hike.  Kerrie had woken up late and when she reached over to touch James the empty space indicated she’d overslept. She never set the alarm on weekends just for that reason, to get some extra well-needed sleep. She never had set an alarm until she’d married James as she disliked being so abruptly awoken. They both had to be up for work and he insisted on the alarm as he couldn’t wake up naturally as she had taught herself to do.  Peter was at a sleep over at his friend Ben’s and she would be picking him up shortly, as a matter of fact it was 9:30 and she was due there at 10. She’d dress, grab a quick cup of coffee and go.

Upon reaching the house, James made note of the missing car in the driveway, but then remembered Peter’s sleepover. Kerrie had volunteered to pick up Peter so that answered that question.  He and Molly were just entering the kitchen when he heard his son’s voice, “Hi Dad!”

“Hey kiddo,” he slapped his son on the back and said, “So how was the sleepover?”

“The usual, Peter replied, “Popcorn, a movie, and then we played video games until about 11 when we both hit the sack. We had fun, though.” Oh, mom went to get the mozzarella you need for tonight’s supper. She should be home soon.

Peter grabbed his overnight bag and headed up the stairs as he heard his mom enter the kitchen talking with his dad.

“Did you get in a good hike? You were gone longer than usual?” Kerrie inquired.

“Yes, but I saw something unusual, a young woman burying something wrapped in a blue blanket. She didn’t see us as we were behind some nearby bushes.”

“Really, what do you think it was?”

“I have no idea, but I think we should respect her privacy. It was probably a pet of some kind. It was a small bundle not more than a foot or so long. She was crying, seemed really sad.”

“If you think so, but it may be something we need to report to the police. What if it were a baby? What if there’s more to the story that could implicate the woman in foul play?”

“Let’s think about it,” cautioned James. “My gut feeling is that we should stay out of it respect the woman’s privacy. Hey, thanks for remembering the cheese. I can’t believe I forgot it. I even had the recipe with me!”

“Yes, no problem,” answered Kerri. “I wrote myself a note and left it on the counter. Luckily I spotted it before heading out to get Peter.

Meanwhile, as Peter was coming down the stairs, he overheard the conversation. Within minutes he was on the phone to his friend Ben. “Hi, Ben, listen, I just heard my parents talking about something my Dad saw this morning while hiking on the nature trail. I don’t want to say much now ‘cause I’m afraid they might hear me. How about if we meet at Griffin’s Store and bike over there. It might be buried treasure … I’m just saying. I’ll fill you in when we meet. I have the fold up shovel from Scout camp that I can bungee cable to my bike. See you at 11, o.k?

“Sure, sounds like an adventure!” Ben replied.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the disregard of it.

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Cheating

Posted on February 4, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

It’s time to share this week’s Words for the Week.

This comes from an an older (2007) story in the Chicago Tribune as discovered in the newsletter, Preaching Now, via Wit and Wisdom and Acts International. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten any better.

So, here’s today’s Words for the Week.

Cheating is certainly not new on campus, but the prevalence may be at an all-time high. Seventy-four percent of business school undergraduates admit to having cheated at some point in college, compared with the 68% of the general student population. Students recognize cell cheat sheets, phone texts and writing answers on the insides of water bottle labels are obviously wrong.

Cheating has become so common some students do not even recognize it. In 2002, 40% of college students did not think “cut and paste” plagiarism from the Internet was even moderate cheating, and 47% of high school students do not think it is wrong to try to find out answers from others who may have taken a test previously.

While students become more creative, many researchers say the problem lies beyond the classroom with students simply emulating what they see work in the “real” world.

Isn’t that sad!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: There is no pit so deep but God’s love is deeper still, — Corrie ten Bloom

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We are His

Posted on February 3, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl Him off the cliff. But He passed through the midst of them and went on his way.  — Luke 4:28-30

This is how it ends, the story that began last Sunday: it is Jesus’ first sermon in His hometown synagogue. Word had spread of all the amazing things He had been doing all over the place. We can imagine the headlines, “Hometown Boy Makes Good!”

But how quickly things can turn — and turn bad. Ugly and very bad. They want to hurl Him over a cliff and be done with Him. And why? All because they wanted a piece of Him and His power — which seems fair enough. They wanted to see water turned into wine, the lame healed, recovery of sight to the blind, the whole nine yards. They wanted to see it and experience it right here in Nazareth and right now, thank you very much.

And so do we. That is all they wanted. That is all we want. We are members of His community. We are His people. We are faithful. We want a piece of the action right here, right now, just like the good people of Nazareth.

They felt they deserved at least that much. Didn’t they contribute to His upbringing? Didn’t they put up with His unusual parentage? Didn’t they go to synagogue faithfully every week? Didn’t they study God’s word every day? And pray morning, noon and night? Didn’t they feel proud when hearing accounts of His marvelous deeds that He had come from Nazareth? He’s one of us, they say! He is ours, they say! Isn’t that why we keep coming back Sunday after Sunday ourselves to eat His body and drink His blood? To claim Him as our own? Isn’t He ours?

But listen to His unsympathetic response. He knows what they are thinking before they even say it. He goes to great pains to remind them our God works in mysterious ways. That God’s power is often focused on strangers far outside the friendly confines of our cozy little communities of faith. He reminds them Elijah was sent to a foreign widow in Zarephath; Elisha cleansed a dreaded Syrian. A Syrian! There were people in need right here in our own community. Yet, He reminds them, God has always looked out for those in need beyond the community of faith, beyond the boundaries of our towns, our countries. God’s power is not ours. God is not ours. Rather, we are His.

They don’t want to be reminded of the biblical story, the story of the community of faith. They want to run Him out of town on the proverbial rail, tarred and feathered, and leave Him for dead at the bottom of the cliff — just as the people had done when they heard the young prophet Jeremiah, hurling him to the bottom of a well so they could be done with his constant proclaiming of the Word of the Lord!

And you should see the bottom of those town cliffs in Israel. Often, they are garbage dumps. They want to hurl Jesus into the garbage dump, amongst the fires and the ashes that are always burning down there. Yet somehow, He manages to get away. He escapes like His people had escaped from Egypt so long, long ago in that first Exodus, after that first Passover.

All this because they really did not hear Jesus in the first place. Our lectionary suspects we have missed it as well. This must be why we get this story two weeks in a row. He says, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

“This scripture” is the 61st chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet proclaims God’s care and reversals of fortune for all those in need. The operant word, as always, is “all.” They did not want to share God or God’s care with “all.” God’s care is ours. This Jesus is ours. They do not want to hear about a God who cares about Syrians and Zarephathians and all those foreigners. We want God’s power and care right here in Nazareth and in Nazareth only. He is one of us. He is ours. They miss what He says. This scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

Our hearing ought to result in our participating in welcoming strangers, even Syrians and Zarephatians and gentiles of all kinds from all over the world. Our hearing this Word ought to result in our doing the work Jesus does, and, He will tell them later at his Last Supper, those who hear God’s Word will do even greater things than these — greater things than Jesus did (John 14:12).

Jesus reminds them, as covenant partners with God going all the way back to the wilderness, the Exodus and the Ten Commandments, they were the people appointed and anointed by God to live their lives in such a way so as to be God’s demonstration community of faith, hope and charity for all people — or, as Paul would have it, God’s community of Love (cf. 1 Corinthians 13).

What Jesus is saying with all these stories and proverbs is, in effect, “Get with it. Turn water into wine yourselves. Bind up the brokenhearted. Give hope to those without vision. Liberate the oppressed. Release people from their debts. God has given you the vision of the Year of the Lord’s Favor. Live that kind of life. You don’t need Me around here. You are already God’s people called to do God’s work, just like Me.”

He is also saying, “Do not think just because you are faithful and in covenant with God you have some kind of lock on God’s power. You do only in the sense that you give that power to others. Real others. Really other others, like Syrians and Zarephathians and all manner of strange other people outside of Nazareth — outside of our little demonstration community.”

That is, our God is not a God who lives only in Israel (their country), the Christian tradition, the Church, our denomination, our parish, or whatever boundaries we wish to set. God is not ours. Jesus is not ours. We are His. And we are to go beyond the boundaries we set just as Elijah, Elisha and Jeremiah did. Jesus, Paul and all those who have truly heard the Word of God in their hearing, in their hearts and in their lives, know this and live this.

God calls us to work where and when God pleases. If the scripture is to be fulfilled, it must be in our hearing it, our embodying it, our acting upon it — literally, our being it. And to become the fulfillment of the Word of God, we need to let go of all notions Jesus, the hometown kid, is ours, and begin to figure out what “we are His” really means. He has a special claim on us, not we on Him.

What Jesus said that day in Nazareth is just as true today. Live the life Isaiah proclaimed and God will see to it all your water is wine — and not just any wine, but good wine, wonderfully good wine that will warm your hearts and make you glad the Spirit of the Lord has anointed you to do these things and more. All these things and more. Our cups will be filled to overflowing, and all the world will see the Good News of Christ shines through all we say and all we do. This is how we will become a community of Love, a people of Faith, Hope and Charity — a people who know we are His people and the sheep of his pasture.

Amen.

Written by the Rev. Kirk Alan Kubicek. Ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago in 1983, he served as a parish priest in the dioceses of Chicago, Connecticut and Maryland. After nearly 18 years as rector of St. Peter’s in Ellicott City, MD, he spent six years as chaplain and teacher at St. Timothy’s School for Girls, an Episcopal and international boarding and day school in Stevenson, MM. In the mid-1980s, he was trained to work as a stewardship consultant through the Office of Stewardship at the Episcopal Church Center. He also helped lead retreats for the Ministry of Money, a ministry of the Church of the Saviour, Washington, DC. Recently retired from full time parish ministry, he does interim and supply work throughout the Diocese of Maryland. He also continues a lifetime as a drummer in various rock and jazz bands, currently playing with On The Bus, a Grateful Dead tribute band centered in the greater DC Metro region. He uses guitar and writes music to supplement worship and preaching eventS. Some of these songs can be seen on Youtube at youtube.com/user/SoundsDivine1. His sermons are archived at www.perechief.blogspot.com, and he has been writing for Sermons that Work, the Episcopal Church resource from where this was borrowed, “for as long as I can remember!” He can be contacted at kkub@aol.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Stop looking for permission to be yourself.

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Our Father

Posted on February 2, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

I hope this becomes a Saturday fixture. I know the requests are on my prayer list and I hope you consider putting them on yours as you place your petitions before the Lord Sunday.

Specifically, we heard Billy needs prayers to get through his addictions. He’s caught up in the dope trap shooting meth. His family needs prayer as well, who are always fearing that call — either he’s in jail again or he’s dead.

Stacia asked for prayers. While she is getting better, she has been battling blurry vision, racing heart, shortness of breath and weakness.

Amanda asked for prayers for her co-worker and her family who lost everything in a house fire.

Julianne asked prayer warriors to gather for Jay, who is battling late stage colon cancer and in high pain.!

Elsie asked for prayer for her grandson Brice. He is gravely ill and almost died last week before being diagnoses with Addison Disease. He is under treatment, but there have been complications from ongoing juvenile diabetes.

Sue is placing her best friend Barbara before the Lord. Barbara is suffering from severe depression. Sue added, Barbara rescues dogs and is the kindest person she knows.

Babies Marcus and Joseph are battling the stomach bug and a cold, respectively, both with fevers.

Andrew will lead us into prayer time.

I love this father’s wisdom,
such a blessing of warm grace
that points me to the Kingdom
where I can touch God’s face.
Not mere words, this inspiration
that lifts my eyes unto the Light;
I take the hand, the invitation
to rise again into the fight.
This place of wrath and tears
is my holy destiny,
and the answer to my fears
is the God who died for me.
Cancer may yet win this game,
but on my dying lips, God’s name.

We come to You, Lord, because You reign and we trust You! We may be broken and battered but know You heal and quiet the soul. You are the source for all that happens in our lives. We thank You for the many blessings we have received this week — some we unfortunately didn’t notice. Nonetheless, those blessings are ever-present in our lives. We thank You for healing. We thank You for slowing us down. We thank You for providing us our daily needs — no more and no less. We thank You for being with us, listening to us, walking with us on this journey. We thank You for the support of our family and friends … for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary — sunrises, sunsets, flowers, kids laughing, adventures, good news amid the bad news from Billy, Jay and Brice. We also know we can come to You with our concerns and they will be heard. We lift up those family members and friends who are battling various physical, emotional, financial, career or spiritual issues and ask not for Your guidance and healing (although that would be welcomed) but to keep reminding us we are not alone in our battles. Specifically we lift up Stacia, Amanda’s friend, Barbara, Marcus, Joseph, Andrew and the family and friends of Grace and all those You have called home. We grieve … You celebrate. We pray for obedience to Your Will so Your Light shines through us. And we come to You in the confidence of the words taught by Your Son Jesus. Amen.

Keep your joys and concerns coming. They have been and will be included during my prayer time and I trust they will be on the lips of my followers as well as they approach the altar. All it takes is a couple of keystrokes under the “Contact Me” button on the top bar {or to the right if you’re not a follower yet}. I hope it becomes your best friend as you navigate around the site so we can all be viable prayer warriors. You can also comment or reach me at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: He who keeps a cool head stays out of hot water… — Vern McLellan, Proverbs for People

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Five Minute Friday — Where

Posted on February 1, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

Five Minute Friday is designed for Friday writing, specifically five minutes of uninterrupted patter of the fingers representing the thoughts of the heart, soul and mind. Our fearless moderator Kate Motaung  — with help from her Twitter friends — supplies us with the one word prompt and off we go! When done, we link up at fiveminutefriday.com/, then settle in to gently critique and soak in our neighbors’ work. I can’t wait to find new friends each week!

I invite you to join us in reading the wide interpretations and multi-genre presentations of the prompt. Or, better yet, try your hand! It’s five minutes (more or less) with few rules and no obligations. It’s fun (albeit sometimes challenging). It’s networking at its finest.

To help inspire you to join our group, I’ve included testimonials from writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Rachel’s heart.

“Five Minute Friday community has been a blessing to me. I first found this  community through Sara Frankl, who wrote a Five Minute Friday post each week on her blog. For a long time I simply read Sara’s posts, but eventually mustered up the courage tojoin in the writing myself. The Five Minute Friday challenge is good for me. It gets me out of my comfort zone and forces me to write on topics I might not consider otherwise. The Five Minute Friday writers are encouraging and welcoming.They inspire me to be a better writer, to be more creative, and to persevere in writing. I am grateful for this community that comes together each week to write bravely and to encourage one another.”

There you go. This week, Kate came up with WHERE as the prompt. The timer is set, so it’s time to GO…

I’ve spent a good part of last night and today thinking about the prompt and wondering where the Spirit would lead me on this one. Nothing. Nada. Quiet. Blank.

And then it hit me. The answer is right in front of me. Where am I supposed to be? Right here. Right now.

The prompt wasn’t about where I was or even where I’m going. It’s about where I’m at right now, in my apartment in mid-Maine, sharing words {I’d like to say of wisdom, but that’s up for debate}, hoping to encourage those who stumble upon them.

All the yesterdays have been leading up to this moment. All the preparation — whether I was paying attention or not — was for this station in my life today. I’ve been commissioned to share the Light of Christ in whatever way I can … right here, right now.

The past is important. You have to know where you’ve been to appreciate where you are. And the future? Well, that’s not for us to determine, although I know where I will be following my last gasp of air … STOP

… on earth.

And so, my job right now is to share my thoughts right where I am and take advantage of the gift of today I’ve been given. I hope you do so as well.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: He who knows everything has a lot to learn… — Vern McLellan, Proverbs for People

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The Peacemaker

Posted on January 31, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

I’ve been reading a lot about enneagrams lately. I don’t think I’ve ever consciously taken the enneagram test, although over the years, I probably did in one form or another.

It seems I’m a Type 9 personality … The Peacemaker. And it wasn’t even close — three points higher than the closest trait, a Type 2. After reading the traits, I can see that, although, like all personal testing, the results are generalizations. Personalities are unique.

According to the analysis, people of this personality type essentially feel a need for peace and harmony. They tend to avoid conflict at all costs, whether it be internal or interpersonal. As the potential for conflict in life is virtually ubiquitous, the Nine’s desire to avoid it generally results in some degree of withdrawal from life, and many Nines are, in fact, introverted. Other Nines lead more active, social lives, but nevertheless remain to some to degree “checked out,” or not fully involved, as if to insulate themselves from threats to their peace of mind. Most Nines are fairly easy going; they adopt a strategy of “going with the flow.” They are generally reliable, sturdy, self-effacing, tolerant and likable individuals.

Check. I can agree. I call myself an extroverted introvert and go with the flow.

Nines tend to adopt an optimistic approach to life; they are, for the most part, trusting people who see the best in others; they frequently have a deep seated faith that things will somehow work out. They desire to feel connected, both to other people and to the world at large. They frequently feel most at home in nature and generally make warm and attentive parents.

Check. I can agree. I am optimistic, try to see the best in everyone and know things will work out. I’m certainly comfortable near water and trees.

The Nine’s inability to tolerate conflict sometimes translates into an overall conservative approach to change. Change can provoke unpleasant feelings and disrupt the Nine’s desire for comfort. Less healthy Nines seem incapable of motivating themselves to move into action and bring about effective change. When change does come however, as it generally will, Nines find they are usually well able to adapt. They tend to be more resilient than they give themselves credit for. In fact, Nines tend not to give themselves enough credit in general, and their self-effacing attitude often seems to invite others to take them for granted or to overlook their often significant contributions. This can cause a subterranean anger to build inside the Nine’s psyche, which can erupt into consciousness in occasional fits of temper which quickly blow over, but which more often manifests itself in passive agressive footdragging. Being overlooked is often a source of a deep sadness in Nines, a sadness they scarcely ever give voice to.

Okay. I don’t think I’m adverse to change. I don’t look for change for change sake, but  I think I adapt to it well. I admit to occasional fits of temper, but it does quickly blow over. So, I guess, check.

Nines frequently mistype themselves as they have a rather diffuse sense of their own identities. This is exacerbated by the fact Nines often merge with their loved ones and through a process of identification take on the characteristics of those closest to them. Female Nines frequently mistype as Twos, the Helper, especially if they are the mothers of small children. Nines, however, are self-effacing whereas Twos are quite aware of their own self worth. Nines also mistake themselves for Fours, the Individualist, but Nines tend to avoid negative emotions whereas Fours often exacerbate them. Intellectual Nines, especially males, frequently mistype as Fives, the Investigator, but Fives are intellectually contentious whereas Nines are conciliatory and conflict avoidant.

Just to recap, the nine types are (from 1-9) 1. The Reformer. Ones are essentially looking to make things better, as they think nothing is ever quite good enough. This makes them perfectionists who want to reform and improve, who desire to make order out of the omnipresent chaos. 2. The Helper. Twos essentially feel that they are worthy insofar as they are helpful to others. Love is their highest ideal. Selflessness is their duty. Giving to others is their reason for being. Involved, socially aware, usually extroverted, Twos are the type of people who remember everyone’s birthday and who go the extra mile to help out a co-worker, spouse or friend in need. 3. The Achiever. Threes need to be validated in order to feel worthy; they pursue success and want to be admired. They are frequently hard working, competitive and are highly focused in the pursuit of their goals, whether their goal is to be the most successful salesman in the company or the “sexiest” woman in their social circle. 4. The Individualist. Fours build their identities around their perception of themselves as being somehow different or unique; they are thus self-consciously individualistic. They tend to see their difference from others as being both a gift and a curse — a gift, because it sets them apart from those they perceive as being somehow “common,” and a curse, as it so often seems to separate them from the simpler forms of happiness that others so readily seem to enjoy. 5. The Investigator. Fives essentially fear that they don’t have enough inner strength to face life, so they tend to withdraw, to retreat into the safety and security of the mind where they can mentally prepare for their emergence into the world. Fives feel comfortable and at home in the realm of thought. They are generally intelligent, well read and thoughtful and they frequently become experts in the areas that capture their interest. 6. The Loyalist. Sixes essentially feel insecure, as though there is nothing quite steady enough to hold onto. At the core of the type Six personality is a kind of fear or anxiety. Sixes don’t trust easily; they are often ambivalent about others, until the person has absolutely proven herself, at which point they are likely to respond with steadfast loyalty. 7. The Enthusiast. Sevens are essentially concerned their lives be an exciting adventure. They are future oriented, restless people who are generally convinced something better is just around the corner. They are quick thinkers who have a great deal of energy and who make lots of plans. They tend to be extroverted, multi-talented, creative and open minded. 8. The Challenger. Eights are essentially unwilling to be controlled, either by others or by their circumstances; they fully intend to be masters of their fate. Eights are strong willed, decisive, practical, tough minded and energetic. They also tend to be domineering; their unwillingness to be controlled by others frequently manifests in the need to control others instead. 9. The Peacemaker. Nines essentially feel a need for peace and harmony. They tend to avoid conflict at all costs, whether it be internal or interpersonal. As the potential for conflict in life is virtually ubiquitous, the Nine’s desire to avoid it generally results in some degree of withdrawal from life, and many Nines are, in fact, introverted. Other Nines lead more active, social lives, but nevertheless remain to some to degree “checked out,” or not fully involved, as if to insulate themselves from threats to their peace of mind.

I actually see some of each in my personality. I wonder how others see me.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: He who jumps at conclusions cannot always expect a happy landing. — Vern McLellan, Proverbs for People

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Midweek Mirth

Posted on January 30, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

One of the misconceptions about being a Christian is we don’t know how to have fun or have a sense of humor. Trust me, if the Big Guy can have a sense of humor when it comes to dealing with us mere mortals, so can we.

The difference for Christians is we don’t have to debase ourselves or others to generate a smile. Laughter at life or ourselves is a gift from God.

So, let’s smile a little!

Just My Type

The boys had been up in the attic helping mom with some cleaning. The kids uncovered an old manual typewriter and asked her, “Hey Mom, what’s this?”

“Oh, that’s an old typewriter,” she answered, thinking that would satisfy their curiosity.

“Well, what does it do?” they queried.

“I’ll show you,” she said and returned with a blank piece of paper. She rolled the paper into the typewriter and began striking the keys, leaving black letters of print on the page.

“WOW!” they exclaimed, “That’s really cool. But how does it work like that? Where do you plug it in?”

“There is no plug,” she answered. “It doesn’t need a plug.”

“Then where do you put the batteries?” they persisted.

“It doesn’t need batteries either,” she continued.

“Wow! This is so cool!” they exclaimed. “Someone should have invented this a long time ago!”

And now for the bonus …

The Falcon and the Branch

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed the king, though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly.

He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window the bird had still not moved from its perch.

Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.”

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.”

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Logic will get you from A to Z, but imagination will get you everywhere. — Albert Einstein

 

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Mark Your Calendars

Posted on January 29, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

Mark your calendars!

I will be doing not one, but three live Facebook feeds this week at facebook.com/wisdomfromafather/ . The first will be Thursday (Jan. 31), at 7 p.m. (eastern) where I’ll talk about my newest book, Wisdom From a Father. Friday (Feb. 1) at 2 p.m. (eastern) I will discuss the status of Heaven Shining Through. Saturday morning (Feb. 2) at 10 a.m. (eastern) I’ll share my publishing journey.

I’ll be reading and responding to your questions live as well at all three sessions. Pick at time (or visit all three) and let’s chat!

A couple of weeks ago — actually a couple of months ago, now — I facilitated a writing class at The Commons at Central Hall here in Dover-Foxcroft. Part of that class included creating a continuing “story” members of the class could work on {that sounds familiar}. For the next few weeks I’ll chronicle three of the stories they came up with and wrap it up with how we blended them together. Despite the common beginning — which some tweaked — the stories veered off in different directions … proving we all have a story to tell.

I started them off with a paragraph and instructed them to add to it … give the story a direction … find the characters … place it on a timeline. I told them together, we would flesh out the story line, develop characters and possibly throw in some curves or red herrings.

They did great with the lead paragraph …

We were walking down the path, something we did every morning. The sun started its ascent spotlighting the morning mist rising off the river. The dew glistened in the meadow and the birds serenaded us with their morning song.

Suddenly …

That was it. Suddenly what? Who are “we”? Why were we walking? Were they holding hands or walking independently?

I told them to use their imagination! Let the scene unfold in your mind and translate through your fingers. Have fun!

They had imagination! They painted mind pictures with their fingers. They had fun. And I’ll start sharing them with you next week!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Life is like a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving. — Albert Einstein

 

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