Integrity

“Integrity is the first step to true greatness. Men love to praise, but are slow to practice it. To maintain it in high places costs self-denial; in all places it is liable to opposition, but its end is glorious, and the universe will yet do it homage.”

 ~ Charles Simmons, British Politician and Author

Maintain Your Integrity
  by: Author Unknown, Heart At Work

A while back, there was a story about Reuben Gonzales, who was in the final match of his first professional racquetball tournament. He was playing the perennial champion for his first shot at a victory on the pro circuit. At match point in the fifth and final game, Gonzales made a super "kill shot" into the front corner to win the tournament. The referee called it good, and one of the linemen confirmed the shot was a winner. But after a moment's hesitation, Gonzales turned and declared that his shot had skipped into the wall, hitting the floor first. As a result, the serve went to his opponent, who went on to win the match. Reuben Gonzales walked off the court; everyone was stunned. The next issue of a leading racquetball magazine featured Gonzales on its cover. The lead editorial searched and questioned for an explanation for the first ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit. Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor? Here was a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his grasp, who disqualifies himself at match point and loses. When asked why he did it, Gonzales replied, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity."

Integrity is a word that is not used much in today’s English. One definition of integrity is: “the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity” (www.yourdictionary.com) so we can say that a good synonym for integrity is honesty. There are more than twenty Bible verses that speak to the importance of maintaining one’s integrity. As we walk through a time where a lack of integrity is seen as a necessary survival technique, I offer you just two of these verses:

1 Kings 9:4-5 (ESV) And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ (The LORD speaking to Solomon)

Titus 2:7-8 (ESV) Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

I.N.J.

Cranky Old Man

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM!
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

Very Respectfully,
Scott Sonnon
www.breathinggift.com (My free book and video gift to you.)

I.N.J.

An innocent child teaches a lesson we all need...

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy that is translated through you; and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.” ~Martha Graham

Alexandra "Alex" Scott was born to Liz and Jay Scott in Manchester, Connecticut on January 18, 1996, the second of four children.

Shortly before her first birthday, Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer. On her first birthday, the doctors informed Alex's parents that if she beat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later, Alex slightly moved her leg at her parents' request to kick. This was the first indication of who she would turn out to be - a determined, courageous, confident and inspiring child with big dreams and big accomplishments.

By her second birthday, Alex was crawling and able to stand up with leg braces. She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be beating the odds, until the shattering discovery within the next year that her tumors had started growing again. In the year 2000, the day after her fourth birthday, Alex received a stem cell transplant and informed her mother, "when I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand." She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to "help other kids, like they helped me." True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $2,000 for "her hospital."

While bravely battling her own cancer, Alex and her family continued to hold yearly lemonade stands in her front yard to benefit childhood cancer research. News spread of the remarkable sick child dedicated to helping other sick children. People from all over the world, moved by her story, held their own lemonade stands and donated the proceeds to Alex and her cause. 

In August of 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex's family - including brothers Patrick, Eddie, and Joey - and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring legacy through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. ~http://www.alexslemonade.org/

‎"Tired. Just feeling tired. How often that single little word writes a book about how we feel. Eyes that burn, shoulders that ache, every step made in Frankenstein shoes. Run down, burned up. Over worked, under slept. And all the while circumstances conspire to keep us there, never enough time to get the rest we need. For all who are sleep walkers on the job of life I offer this blessing: be absolved of all reason not to stop, be free of every burden, curl up into healing covers of peace, let renewal of body and spirit lift you up with energy restored, tired no more." ~The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Choctaw

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSA)

It is my prayer that each person who reads this will, by the power of the Spirit, be renewed to recognize and apply that gift of The Spirit within them. I pray that you can invigorate yourself not just to your own benefit but also to the benefit of others.

I.N.J.

Change... have no fear?

“Have no fear, not of all the small things that crowd in around you, hemming you in like insistent weeds, making you feel overwhelmed by the details of life, the endless rounds you make as the watchman of your own world. Have no fear, not of the great things that come upon you unexpected, the life changers, and the avalanche of need in your reality or that of those you love. No thing, great or small, no change, no detail, no power can hold you captive or control your life. Look up. Behold the light coming to you, clearing every shadow before it, and have no fear.”  ~ Steven Charleston

Always Changing
  by:  Joseph Walker, source unknown

Please excuse me if I'm a little pensive today. Mark is leaving, and I'm feeling kind of sad. You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years, combining exemplary professional skills with a sweet nature and gentle disposition. He's never been all that interested in getting credit for the terrific work he does. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well. And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him. But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague. Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to alter the recipe. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage. The family's principle bread-winner is laid off. Our ability to cope with change and disruption determines, to a great degree, our peace, happiness and contentment in life. But how do we do that? Philosophers have considered the question for centuries, and their responses have been varied. According to the author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, comfort can be found in remembering that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Kahlil Gibran urged his listeners to "let today embrace the past with remembrance, and the future with longing." A friend of mine who works for the government is fond of reminding his fellow bureaucrats that "survivability depends upon adaptability." And then there's Chris, the California surf-rat, who once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow." "It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride 'em where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get, like, you know, totally tubular. But mostly you just take 'em the way they come. It's not like you're trying to nail Jell-O to a tree, you know?" I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events -- both good and bad. No matter how deft your organizational skills, there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. The truly successful person expects the unexpected, and is prepared to make adjustments should the need arise -- as it almost always does. That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true. It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them -- and then you move on. Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same. "Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful," said philosopher Thomas Carlyle. "And if memory has its force and worth, so also has hope." We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed. But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future -- for him, and for us. And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen. Until our plans change -- again.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”  ~Isaiah 43:1

I.N.J.

I rather like the idea of church being everywhere... but you draw your own conclusions

The Brass Communion Rail

BY THE REV. DR. BENJAMIN PRATT

Ever present Lord,
I was sitting on a bar stool
At the local Sports Bar,
My feet on the brass rail,
Having a Guinness and a burger.
Keeping an eye on the game,
I opened my laptop, 
Taking notes for an upcoming sermon.

Three young men approached—
Teased me about drinking black, bitter mud.
I said, “Guinness is Gaelic for ‘genius’!
I’m hoping to be one
Since I’m trying to write a sermon.”
We laughed.

They teased me some more:
“Your team’s losing Pastor!”

I loved those guys right away.

They kept me laughing and finally said,
“Maybe we’ll see you Sunday, Pastor!
Hope the Guinness works, 
But if it doesn’t—
A fiver says your Heart and Faith will!”
They were off, their laughter ringing.

Back at my pint and portable,
Sipping and tapping notes,
I noticed a man a few stools over—arise.
He shuffled my way,
“Excuse me, did I hear those guys call you Pastor?”

“You did!”

“I’m surprised to meet a Pastor drinking in a Sports Bar,
But maybe things have changed!
I haven’t been in a church since …
Well, the truth is: I left! They made me so mad!
I couldn’t or wouldn’t ever live up to their standards of perfection. 
Hypocrites! They didn’t live up to them either.
I knew what they did when they weren’t at church.”

“You still have a lot of sadness about that,” I said.

“I thought I was only angry, but—
Maybe I am sad about how it all worked out.”

“You wouldn’t have spoken to me if you were only angry.”

“Where’s your church, Pastor?”

“Lots of places. Sunday mornings on Elm Street.
More often in hospital rooms, funeral parlors, gardens, offices, the jail,
Or at this Brass Communion Rail. 
Looks to me like you’ve already joined us.
Welcome!”

He sat again.
This time on the stool next to me.

My silent prayer:
Ever-present Lord,
Bless us to know that our 
Brass Communion Rail
Is where we join You in tending bar, 
Bringing grace to anyone in need.

Amen

...with wings like eagles

“…Being chosen expresses a special relationship, being known and loved in a unique way, being singled out.  In our society our being chosen always implies that others are not chosen.  But this is not true for God… In the Kingdom of God each person is precious and unique, and each person has been given eyes to see the chosenness of others and rejoice in it.”  ~Henri J. M. Nouwen

• Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four years old, and did not learn to read until he was seven.
• Beethoven’s music teacher said that, “As a composer he is hopeless.”
• When Thomas Edison was a young boy, his teachers said he was so stupid that he could never learn anything.
• When F. W. Woolworth was 21, he got a job in a store, but was not allowed to wait on customers because he “didn’t have enough sense.”
• Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because he was thought to have “no good ideas.”

Sometimes we have to look very hard to see potential in others or ourselves. Each of us is uniquely gifted, though. We all have something to contribute to the world.

Luetta C. Milledge, Head, Department of English, Savannah State College, delivered a commencement address some years ago and began with this classic illustration:

“I wish to speak today of eagles. May I begin by relating the parable of the eagle as told by James Aggrey of West Africa. A certain man went through a forest seeking any bird of interest he might find. He caught a young eagle, brought it home and put it among his fowls and ducks and turkeys, and gave it chicken’s food to eat even though it was an eagle, the king of birds.
“Five years later, a naturalist came to see him and, after passing through his garden said: “That bird is an eagle, not a chicken.’ ‘Yes,’ said the owner, ‘but I have trained it to be a chicken. It is no longer an eagle, it is a chicken, even though it measures fifteen feet from tip to tip of its wings.’
‘“No,’ said the naturalist, ‘it is an eagle still; it has the heart of an eagle, and I will make it soar high up to the heavens.’
‘“No,’ said the owner, ‘it is a chicken, and it will never fly.’
“They agreed to test it. The naturalist picked up the eagle, held it up and said with great intensity: ‘Eagle, Thou art an eagle; thou dost belong to the sky and not to this earth; stretch forth thy wings and fly.’
“The eagle turned this way and that, and then looking down, saw the chickens eating their food, and down he jumped.
“The owner said: ‘I told you it was a chicken.’
‘”No,’ said the naturalist, ‘it is an eagle. Give it another chance tomorrow.’
“So the next day, he took it to the top of the house and said: ‘Eagle, thou art an eagle; stretch forth thy wings and fly.’ But again the eagle, seeing the chickens feeding, jumped down and fed with them.
“Then the owner said: ‘I told you it was a chicken.’ ‘No,’ asserted the naturalist, ‘it is an eagle, and it has the heart of an eagle; only give it one more chance, and I will make it fly tomorrow.’
“The next morning he rose early and took the eagle outside the city away from the house, to the foot of a high mountain. The sun was just rising, gilding the top of the mountain with gold, and every crag was glistening in the joy of the beautiful morning.
“He picked up the eagle and said to it: ‘Eagle, thou art an eagle; thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth; stretch forth thy wings and fly.’
“The eagle looked around and trembled as if new life were coming to it. Yet it did not fly. The naturalist then made it look straight at the sun. Suddenly it stretched out its wings and, with the screech of an eagle, it mounted higher and higher and never returned. It was an eagle, though it had been kept and tamed as a chicken.’
“My people of Africa, we have been created in the image of God, but men have made us think that we are chickens, and so we think we are: But we are eagles, stretch forth your wings and fly. Don’t be content with food of chickens!!”
James Aggrey’s words could be applied to all of us. Many of us have been content to feed with the chickens and have forgotten that God has called us to be eagles.

“He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31

I.N.J.

Even the Squirrels bring the Gospel to Us

Monthly I receive a copy of the ‘New Hope Parish News & Notes' from a friend in McNabb, IL. It is always interesting and informative, giving insight into an active and God loving congregation. July’s letter from Pastor Carol struck me as both unique and timely in the presentation of a truly important message. I urge everyone who reads this letter to take to heart that you are the hands and feet of Jesus. While money can be very helpful, those in need deserve more… the warm loving presence and touch of our Lord, something that can happen only in person. I ask you to give what you can, pray, reach out with your love, support, presence, concern, compassion and be Jesus to those in need.

June 30, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

            Last year the walnut trees in this area produced an abundance of walnuts.  There were so many it was difficult to walk in my back yard.  The squirrels were well fed over the course of the winter and spring.  This year the trees in my yard have very few walnuts.  I recognize that the squirrels will not have an abundant supply of food this winter unless the have a supply saved from last year.

            As I reflect upon their plight I am reminded that there are many who are struggling in so many ways around us. God calls each of us to respond to the needs of individuals. Out of the abundance God has entrusted to our care we are to share with those who are going through a difficult season.  The invitation is to do more than write a check, God calls us out of our comfort zones to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  I invite you to pray about what you might do to make a difference in this world. Truly you will blessed as you serve Almighty god

Blessings,

Pastor Carol

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." Genesis 1:26

"Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'  Matthew 25:35-36

He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  Matthew 22:38-40

I.N.J

Happy 4th of July

“And I’m proud to be an American

Where at least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men (and women) who died,

Who gave that right to me.”

Lee Greenwood

“Let Freedom Never perish in your hands” ~Joseph Addison

“One flag, one land, one hand, One Nation evermore! ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” Abraham Lincoln

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our
heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove
ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.
Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and
pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend
our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes
brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue
with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust
the authority of government, that there may be justice and
peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we
may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.
In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness,
and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail;
all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BCP -820

So, how should a Jew in the United States approach the 4th of July? I think it would be very appropriate to take a little time for introspection, to think about how a Jew should use the freedom which was unavailable to so many of our ancestors. And, after having begun the day in the correct way (praying and studying Torah), it would quite acceptable to celebrate in the traditional fashion -- fly the flag, go on a picnic with family and friends...

~Rabbi Eliya Green

Wishing a very blessed and Happy fourth of July to people of all faiths and nationalities who have come to make this wonderful country their home. Please join us in celebrating the freedom and opportunity that we enjoy and thank all of those who have died to keep us who we are, Americans!