Blessed By A Beautiful Soul
I don’t even how to tag or categorize this post, much less give it a title. I am sitting at my desk overwhelmed by the grace and power of beautiful a soul with whom I just spoke on the phone. Next Saturday I’m going to DC to hug her, at her husband’s funeral.
Some of you who are locals may have seen the recent story about Cecil Mills, a DC man who died after collapsing across the street from a DC Firehouse. The firefighters at the firehouse seem to have refused to give help and aid. The story is fresh, tragic and on-going. Without leaping to vilify anyone or falsely accuse, let’s just recognize that something went horribly wrong that day at the firehouse. Aid should have been given. In the news footage you can see the “Safe Place” sign on the firehouse. It should have been the perfect place to run to for help when Cecil Mills collapsed.
As I watched he story and the news footage I noticed images of Cecil Mills proudly wearing his Shiners fez. He was a Freemason, as am I. I am a Mason in Maryland under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Maryland. I’ve not been Mason for very long, just a little over two years, but I felt the pull to make sure the family of my brother Mason was being cared for and helped in every way possible. He was a DC Mason and I’m a Maryland Mason, but that doesn’t matter… a Mason is a Mason. I made a call to the bigger Shrine Temple in DC to make sure that someone was looking into things. In case you don’t know, the Shriners (known for their Children’s Hospitals) are Masons. Not every Mason is a Shriner (I’m not), but every Shriner is a Mason.
I also did a quick internet search for Cecil’s daughter, mentioned in the news stories as Marie Mills. I had already found the church and called them to get the time and date for Cecil’s funeral, which I considered attending, but I was compelled to find out if he was still active with his home lodge and if they had been given the chance to support his family. We Masons take care of our brothers and their families in tough times. With a big knot of nervousness in my stomach, I dialed the number I had found for the daughter, Marie Mills.
The Marie Mills who answered the phone was not his daughter, but his widow. As I introduced myself as a local, fellow Mason who saw the news and wanted to reach out to the family, I felt like she became my newest best friend. Her grace and peace reached over the phone lines and held me. and We chatted about his enthusiasm and joy in being a Mason, and the joy he had in being a pastor’s son whose son was now a pastor. We spoke of their 54 years of marriage and the hopes she had had of many more. We spoke of the gracious friends and supporters who have reached out to her family.
Yes, Cecil had remained active in his local Masonic Lodge and yes they had been to the house in support of his family and widow. Yes, the funeral is planned for next Saturday at 11:30am, at the church his father established. Yes, I will be there and I will deliver a big hug to Marie. She said, “If you’re not here, I’m going to come up to Bethesda! I use a walking cane, but I can whip with it, too!”
I’m not sure what this blog post is about except to share the incredible mercy of being allowed to speak with Marie Mills, today. I know it’s scandalous for some of you to think of me being a Mason, and there’s propaganda and scary stuff out there to justify your concern, but it’s simply not accurate. Next time someone says, “I wonder what those Masons are up to?” you can tell them we’re funding hospitals, encouraging one another, meeting in lodge buildings around the world, supporting local charities, checking in on our widows, and sometimes wearing funny hats. That’s pretty muchly it.
As for me, I can’t wait to meet Marie next Saturday and pay my respects for Cecil. I’m sure that any husband of Marie’s for 54 years is well deserving of my respect. From my time talking to Marie I would say that Cecil’s death is a little bit of light going out of the world. I’m so glad hers is still shining and so graciously shared.
AMDG, Todd
Final Week of Advent 2013
Here’s the last installment of the weekly devotional guides!
I pray your are safe, blessed and joyous!
AMDG, Todd
22 Years of Marriage & Why I Love My Wife
Today is my anniversary! I’ve been married to an amazing woman for 22 years. We’ve raised a family, lived around the world and I hope we have many, many more years to go. To celebrate 22 years I’m going to share 22 reasons I love my wife and my life with her.
22 Reasons I Love My Wife & My Life With Her
1. For 22 years she has been my favorite person with whom to laugh. We had to offer many apologies through our college years to professors when we couldn’t hold it together in class, and we still have times when we giggle until the tears roll.
2. She has compassion. Her heart expands to embrace everyone who comes within her sight, reach and radar of life.
3. She is always growing and learning. Her zeal to learn and to grow in all areas of her life has kept her young and will always keep her young.
4. She is a brilliant mother. Hands down, I couldn’t imagine anyone else raising our boys and teaching them the wonder and worth of a woman and the life and actions of young men toward a woman.
5. She’s simply stunning. I know, I know… I married up. But marrying up is the joy and hope of all guys, yeah? One of my favorite things is when people come to me and say, “Your wife is just stunning!” And I’m all like nodding and just say, “Word.”
6. Teresa is fiercely loyal. I need the example. Often she remains so loyal to the people hurting her the most… she is her loyal self on all the best days and the worst. She’s a rock that the waves beat on but never wear away.
7. Her faith carries me when I’m tired. Years down the road, I can honestly say that she’s been at the center of our faith and faithfulness as a couple and a family.
8. I’ve loved our many homes around the world. We’ve never bought a house and we’ve moved a lot, from Texas to Alabama, to Africa and to Maryland… but we’ve never lacked a home. She makes us at home wherever we find ourselves.
9. That girl can cook! She can bake yummy stuff, make Thai curry and float me in the comfort food of chicken and dumplings. Yup.
10. She knows cool stuff… she’s like tech-savvy. She can build a website, design a logo, route RSS feeds and teach you to use a CMS. That’s just rad.
11. Her work ethic is like an A+. She works too much and works too hard. She sits most nights in the living room with her notebook open to either an online source she’s learning from or finishing projects.
12. She’s a smart lady. She’s got a college degree which she received Cum Laude, and she’s kept that sexy brain through the years. I love it!
13. Her nurturing ways with children are a blessing to watch. She’s smart and savvy and all that, but will also cradle a baby or teach a class like a champ. Her heart’s bumper sticker says, “I stop for kids.”
14. Her nurturing is for everyone. She doesn’t just nurture children, but she’s got a heart for all our friends, our homeless friends, friends with homes, and everyone in between.
15. I love to hear her sing. One of my early college memories is of her singing on stage, something about Birdland, I don’t know. But I do know that she blesses me with her voice and so often shares that gift with our church family with humility and joy.
16. She’s a brilliant artist. I love it when she paints, and she has technical skills that put me and many to shame.
17. She makes homemade soap. And I don’t mean melting and pouring stuff. I mean that she cooks lye and oils and makes the real deal, and she makes lotions too!
18. She knits. Do you the advantage we’ll have after the zombie apocalypse with her skills? We’ll be in freshly knit sweaters smelling like cloves and peppermint while the rest of you scrounge for scraps all Book of Eli style! Well, maybe we’ll share… I did mention her compassion, right?
19. Her inspiring tenacity. Teresa doesn’t give up on people, or give up at all. It’s a pinch of compassion with a cup of loyalty and a shake of nurturing spirit that serves up a boundless joy and optimism in her that carries so many of us along through the roughest of patches.
20. She’s my extrovert. If I hadn’t met Teresa I’d have been a desert hermit, without a doubt. She pulls me to parties and takes me out for drinks with friends. Thanks, babe.
21. She keeps me grounded and real. I tend to have some crazy ideas sometimes, and I always have to work hard to make sure I’m not starting a bunch of stuff and finishing little. She holds me to the tasks at hand and holds my hand when I’m angry, upset or depressed.
22. She listens to me. No matter what I want to talk about or how little she cares to know about it, she listens. When I’m right and when I’m wrong, she listens. When she agrees and when she disagrees, she listens. She let’s me share and feel valued.
Teresa, my love… I cannot imagine having lived the last 22 years without you. I refuse to live the next 22 (and more) without you. Love me always, please. I will love you! Tonight we’re going out for dinner with the boys, as we do on our anniversary each year. We’ll also go see the newest Hobbit movie, ’cause I’m just romantic that way. Our first date was Young Guns 2, remember. =)
Teresa, my first Christmas gift every year is this day, the 21st, the sweet reminder of how blessed I am to belong to you. May I be ever more deserving of you in the coming year. This will be my prayer. Amen and amen.
2013 Daily Advent, Week Two
Here’s the second week of the Daily Advent Devotionals. Blessed be your Season!
AMDG, Todd
2013 Daily Advent, Week One
Happy First Sunday of Advent!
Advent Week One 2013 For Web (pdf)
It’s my favorite time of year… I mean I do love me some Lent and Easter, but I LOVE Advent and Christmas! To celebrate the season and help make Advent a little more meaningful I am creating a daily devotional guide that can be used with prayers, or for any kind of creative exercise from poetry to photography, from sketches to prose. Each Sunday of Advent I’ll post the new week’s seven day guide. You’re invited to use it as you’d like; each day has a reading (some person or piece of the Incarnation narrative), a creative focus (a word or short phrase) and a few words for the day (one or two thoughts or questions). That’s the link to the pdf at the top of the blog. =)
You can resonate right off the text of the day, or just use the Creative Focus of each day as a spring board for some kind of an artist endeavor. You can use the guide to keep a personal Advent journal, fill a 25 page sketch book, or inspire us all with cool Facebook posts. It’s yours to enjoy and put to use however you choose. The devotions will cover every day of December right through Christmas Day!
My prayer is that your Advent and Christmas celebrations are rich with all the best blessings of Life: God’s presence, fun times with family, deep prayer, lots of rest and delicious food! May your body and soul be filled by the best!
AMDG, Todd
Nov. 30, 2013 Civility in Xian Scripture
November 30: We are reconcilers.
Matthew 5:21-24, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca, ‘ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.”
Jesus knew all about religious professionals. It was the professionals who were usually questioning him and his disciples about one regulation or the other on ritual purity or his own authority. He knew the game, following certain rules and using the right language could make you very religious, but though he valued those same traditions and valued religiosity, he never let it become elevated over the value of people. So he touched the untouchable. He associated with the social pariah. He told parables like “The Good Samaritan” which seemed to break down ethnic and religious barriers. He repeatedly healed on the sabbath.
Our final passage is a message to the religious professional in each of us. When we begin to value our religion above people, we begin to go through the motions even while our relationships are crumbling all around us. We can go to the altar to leave a gift and bless God, all the while ignoring the lack of blessing happening between us and our sisters and brothers. Jesus says, “Stop! Don’t go to play church when you know you have some rebuilding to do with your brother or your sister. Church just doesn’t work when valued above and outside your relationships.” (That was my paraphrase.)
What is civility to a Christian? Is it the recognition that we speak and act as reconcilers, seeking to break down the barriers and reconnect to one another. Civility is never just an “elective class” we can catch one semester or simply ignore and still graduate without it. It’s not an extracurricular activity. We speak and act to reconcile and remain reconciled. We are not called to be barrier builders. We are not called to giving insults, to humiliating or to tearing others down. We are called to restoration, restoring our broken selves one to another.
This is the way a person of faith goes about civility, recognizing that we’re maintaining some of the most important stuff that Jesus has called us to be and do. Civility is not our religion, but our religion leads us to be civil. God has never called us separate from one another, but together. Let us then see to it that our religion is pure and true to the value of one another. Let us show how people of faith live and breathe a civility that reconciles us to one another, mutually encourages one another, and gives everlasting glory to our great God. We’ll close the month of exploring our Christian scriptures with three final selections from Micah, Jesus and Peter.
AMDG, Todd
From Micah, Micah 6:6-8
“With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”From Jesus, John 13:34&35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”From Peter, 1 Peter 3:8-11
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, ‘Whoever among you would love life and see good days must keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.'”
Nov. 29, 2013 Civility in Xian Scripture
November 29: Never alone.
Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
We began this month of exploring Christian scripture to understand civility with Jesus, and we’ll end with Jesus. This is a very familiar passage to most anyone who grew up in church. Jesus loved to teach in symbols, and this is some of his best… it’s simple, we can relate to the content, and it inspires. We are called to be salt, seasoning the world for the better. We are to be light, a source of illumination and joy for those struggling to see. Amen and amen.
Jesus lays it all on the line for us in these simple words: we are salt, and we are light. No matter what you’re cooking, the salt becomes part of the dish, lost for any other purpose other than favoring and then never being seen again. Oh, it’s flavor is there, we know where the salt has gone… but that’s just it, the salt is gone. The dish remains. The dish is so much better for having been salted.
No matter the light source you choose, it burns up, it gives all it has and it’s gone. A lamp burns away it’s oil. A candle melts. A bulb eventually burns away it’s filament or it’s gases, batteries go dead… all lights on this earth end in their using. This is our calling. We are used up in service to this world. We are sent to make the world better for everyone else, and Jesus evens asks what we’re good for if we reject that calling! If we will not salt and we will not light, then what use do we have?
The word civil at the base of the word civility is a very fun study if you ever feel like digging in and chewing on it a while. It denotes both the meaning of responsible/polite behavior, but it also denotes this aspect of being a common member of society, a citizen. The two concepts are united in the word, both being a citizen and acting a citizen. Jesus does this with salt and light, both being and doing. Salt is our identity and our action. Light is both what we are and what we do. Our place in the world hinges on this calling… we exist in this capacity of purpose.
So what does all that mean? It means that I don’t salt the earth one day a week, or two days a week, or only when I choose to be salty. I must reflect on the needs around me and strive to be salt all the time. I must own the call to saltiness and pursue it with all my heart, mind and soul. It’s not just a thing I do on weekends or when there’s a Bible study. It’s in my walk, my talk, my laughter, my weeping, my falling, my failing, my dancing and my singing.
My light doesn’t have a on/off switch for my convenience. I am not choosing to be light for only those I have deemed worthy of the time or the effort. I am shining, shining on my worst day, my best day, in the rain, in the snow, in the pain and in the green of springtime joys. I am being what I am called to be, to the best of my ability and with all the joy of the call I can muster on any given day. And if we have come together to make a community like the one Jesus has described in the verses preceding this passage, in those amazing words we call “The Beatitudes,” then when my savor lessens and my light dims, it will be renewed in my kingdom fellowship with you. Together, we are called to be salt and light, never alone. Never alone.
I am salt with you. I am not salting the earth alone! I am light with you. I am not lighting anything by myself! Civil is not something I am or do alone. Civil exists within the community of the citizens! If we are to find a singular truth of civility in the teaching of scriptures then let it be the truth of our need for one another! I need you! I need you to myself be salt. I need you to myself be light. I need you, and that is why I am striving to be civil, to keep us in the bonds of love, mutual encouragement, sharing and growth.
Never alone. Thank you, God, I am not alone.
AMDG, Todd
Nov. 28, 2013 Civility in Xian Scripture
November 28: Civility can grow from deep gratitude.
Colossians 3:15, “And be thankful.”
And be thankful. I’ve always liked the way that St. Paul would throw that in here and there, and he does it often. He does in his letter the Colossians in chapter 2 as well, speaking of being rooted and grown up in Christ he adds an “and be thankful” for good measure in verse 7.
When our passage ended with those words yesterday I knew I’d have to come back and use them again. I don’t think St. Paul scatters them around without intention and meaning… I think he sows his letters with the seeds of gratefulness hoping for a nice harvest in the lives of his readers!
I believe that thankfulness, or gratefulness, or gratitude, whichever word we choose, is a seriously underrated theme in scripture and a solid foundation for civility. Ingratitude and being unthankful leads to a lot of harshness in our words and missed opportunities to build one another up. St. Ignatius said, “I think that that ingratitude is at the root of all sinfulness.” Amen. I’m declaring him the patron saint of our Thanksgiving this year and including a painting of him I made a couple of years ago. =)
Be grateful! Be joyous! Love with gusto!
AMDG, Todd
Nov. 27, 2013 Civility in Xian Scripture
November 27: Civility is a bear, and so is incivility.
Colossians 3:13-15, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Bear with each other. What a great twist of language that the word bear gets to be an expression of gracefully putting up with each other and a 400 pound mammal that might pull your head off. Maybe civility can feel that way sometimes, like trying to smile in the face of a raging beast? Maybe.
One of the hardest things about the teaching on forgiveness in scripture is that we are so often told to forgive without any mention of waiting for an apology. It seems that when incivility is done to us, our forgiveness is supposed to kick in without even waiting on that other person’s recognition that they need it. Honestly, that’s tough for me. I’ve managed to rationalize this away at times with arguments about not wanting to “enable” their continued naughtiness, but that wears thin after a while.
Someone might be a real bear towards me, and make it hard for me to bear with them through it, but I have to dig deep and find that needed strength to carry my own responsibility to restoring peace. Let’s be clear, I don’t always want to do that! Sometimes I would much rather respond in kind, making it just as unpleasant for them as it is for me. For a Christian it comes down to relating to Jesus and the way he modeled forgiveness in the biblical narrative. His words “forgive them” from the cross didn’t wait on an apology.
I suppose what I want to say today is that it’s ok to struggle with civility, but not to give up. I wouldn’t want this whole month of blogging to just be a “pie in the sky” dream of what things could be if we were all perfect. Sometimes I’m the bear, and sometimes I’m doing the bearing. Sometimes I fail in the civility realm and move from being a victim of incivility to a co-combatant in a contest of incivility. But I’m trying, and if anything I’ll try harder next time.
I’m going to meditate today what I might call cruciform timing, living a forgiveness that doesn’t wait. If I can do that better, civility has a chance to grow in me. If a peace and thankfulness can be rooted in me, and be bounded by love, as the passage today images for us, then maybe a little more bearishness can be tolerated and forgiven. I’m going to splurge and have two graphics today because I think the passage makes a cool illustration. It’s that mentioned peace and love that can make all this possible. That peace and love are layers that help protect the true me when bears attack.
Easier said than done? Yes it is, but so is everything worth working hard to obtain. It’s the same love and peace that protects me that will be extended to one who attacks me. It’s a hope of mutual assured survival.
AMDG, Todd
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