Footprints Washed away in the Sand

Found this awesome new take on the old poem Footprints. Please go visit this guy Sean who rewrote the poem. Just to give you a little taste, here are my favorite lines:

Footprints guy to Jesus:And I gripe, “But I thought you were the nice guy that would never make me struggle if I didn’t want to!”

And Jesus would reply, “Seriously, if you want someone to carry you, first you’re going to have to lay off the donuts. And second, find a god that doesn’t care so much about you.

Rain Down

When I was a junior in college I read a novel called Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins for my American history 1945-the present class.
One particular passage stuck with me. I think about it on a regular basis, even now some 16 years later. I had occasion to read this passage again this summer. This time it was presented to me as an example of choosing a good attitude. Here is the passage:

As was my custom in such elements I hunkered down against the rain, drew my head into my collar, turned my eyes to the street, tensed my footsteps and proceeded in misery. But my hosts, I noticed, reacted in a quite a another way. They strolled calmly and smoothly, their bodies perfectly relaxed. They did not hunch away from the rain but rather glided through it. They directed faces to it and did not flinch as it drummed their cheeks. They almost reveled in it. Somehow I found this significant. They accepted the rain. They were not at odds with it, they did not deny it or combat it; they accepted it and went with it in harmony and ease. I tried it myself. I relaxed my neck and shoulders and turned my gaze into the wet. I let it do to me what it would. Of course, it was not trying to do anything to me. What a silly notion. It was simply falling as rain should, and I another phenomenon of nature, was sharing the space in which it fell. It was much better regarding it that way. I got no wetter than I would otherwise, and if I did not actually enjoy the wetting, at least I was free of my tension. I could even smile.

So tonight, as I stepped out into the pouring rain, the words of Tom Robbins again ran through my head, as drops of water ran down my face. I relaxed and let my shoulders droop into their normal position. I set out on my somewhat long walk to the car. I smiled.

How about you, ready to be at ease in the rain?

R & R

I had full intentions of getting back into regular posting when I returned from the last trip with our students. Alas, twas not to be. Scrambling to get caught up on 3 weeks worth of work due to trips and getting ready to be away for another two of R & R with the Fam didn't leave a moment to breathe.

It's been great so far. It kicked off with my cousin's wedding in Boston. The event was top shelf the whole way through. The rehearsal dinner in the north end was amazing, my cousin looked beautiful at the wedding, ( I would post a photo but my digital camera took a swim on the canoe trip but that is another post) the reception was a great time of eating, drinking , dancing and catching up family I haven't seen in way too long. The brunch the next morning was a great ending to a great weekend. The icing on the cake was that Kayos looked like perfect little gentlemen in their suits and ties (again insert picture here) and pretty much acted like perfect gentlemen. And yes Jake and I lost the mohawks before the wedding.

The quote of the weekend goes to my cousin-in-law Derek. He was supposed to lead everyone in some response type prayers. The whole thing was scripted for him, including phonetic spelling of family names. At one point, before he was supposed to go up front I heard mumbling coming from my right. I looked over and he was practicing what he was supposed to say out loud. Needless to say, he was really nervous about the whole thing. The service ends and he was never called up to do the prayers. We all stand and applaud my cousin and her new husband as they recess down the aisle. Derek looks at me and says, " F---in' A, What the hell? He forgot to call me, the priest forgot to call me up to pray." We both laughed and followed the bride groom down the aisle.

I met a guy named Mark who was in the army and served in Iraq for 13 months. He finished his commitment and signed up to go back as a civilian contractor building military installations. He works 13 hour days in 115 degree heat for 4 months at a time. He then gets 10 days of unpaid leave: R & R. Man, I thought I needed a vacation....

Posting will be sporadic until September. I hope everyone is having a great Summer.

peace and prayers.