Monday Morning Quarterback

I've had my morning cup of motivation and I'm transitioning towards a position of mindful consideration.
– D. Wittler

(Unless someone can find another source and blow what I thought was an original expression.)



I am not normally in the habit of using sports analogies to express the weird and crazy ideas that surface in my brain, but this one seemed to fit quite nicely. It is so easy to analyze a situation that occurred in the past and try to “fix it” in the present time. Just like the fumble or miscue that caused our favorite team to lose the big game, we say to ourselves “I cannot believe he threw that pass when he should have handed off the ball.” We can second guess ourselves for doing one thing or experience the regret that resulted from the choices we have made and use that energy of foresight the next time.



The truth is, we are our own quarterback and we must make choices and decisions that will affect the future. If I am guilty of anything it is waiting too long to make the pass or hand off the ball and I get sacked in the back field. Again, I apologize for the analogy. The point is that I must be mindful of my weaknesses and trust that any decision I make is a good one as long as I do not hesitate and miss out on a greater opportunity to grow as a human being. God knows us better than anyone and is mindful not to interfere when our well being is on the line whether for our own good or for some other reason. We have the ability to pick ourselves up and get back in the game as long as we keep the big picture in mind. This does not always mean winning the game but perhaps we can gain some valuable insight into what our direction in life really is.



Sometimes we must fall in order to see the world from the ground up rather than thinking we need a higher vantage point in order to experience true victory. I believe from my own experience that playing hurt can serve two purposes; to teach us what not to do or to teach us how to land on our own two feet. All too often I have carried the hurt around and have used that feeling to keep me from going back out on the field and trying again. I can honestly say I am in that space right now with getting a new job, but I am trying new strategies to avoid the same old results of the past. I do not want to get hurt again, but I also realize that risk is all a part of the game. I trust that faith will keep me focused and that tomorrow will bring a whole new light to my situation. I pray that you will find peace and solace in the words of our Lord: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you always.” With that kind of encouragement, I can look forward to getting back out there and enjoying the game for the thrill of the hunt and to not be gun shy because I might get hurt in the process. Peace- Witt

Fathers and Sons

We have all heard the old question asked: “If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” We could ask the same of our relationships with our fathers: “If we are far apart from each other because of physical or emotional distance, do we still hear the words or lessons that our fathers taught us when we were children?” In these modern times the often joked about comment: “He has Daddy issues” comes to mind.

My Dad grew up in a large family with ten brothers and sisters on a farm in Northwest Ohio. He had to quit school after his ninth grade year to help out on the farm and thus never graduated from high school. It was not uncommon in those days to do such a thing as it was during the Great Depression era as well as World War II. My Dad took it all in stride and did his best to support his family then and did so for me and my brothers and sisters later on down the road. He worked many long hours in a General Motors foundry inspecting automobile castings, sold cars, water softeners and even worked at a clay drainage tile mill when hard times caused him to be off his usual job. For this I am so grateful to my Dad for all the sacrifices he gave for his family and me. I too have experienced some of the hardships he went through in life, but I was fortunate to graduate from high school, serve in the military, get married and have two sons of my own. I believe these commonalities are what bind fathers and sons together.



Today, Dad and Mom live an hour away and my family and I seldom get around to a visit. You know what I mean; school events, work schedules, meetings and the lot can preoccupy our time and can take away from long held relationships. It takes real attention and effort to keep in touch and I admit I have not done a good job of this. But I wonder sometimes about how close I am with my Dad. I know I have “Daddy issues” that get in the way when the phone rings and Dad just wants to talk and I am not receptive because after so many years in a noisy foundry, Dad’s hearing is not the greatest so I have to repeat myself over and over and I sometimes hold a grudge because he and Mom have not come to visit the boys even though we visit on holidays and special events as we are able. I don’t want to let these things get in the way, but at the same time I let old wounds fester from when I was a kid and the “Daddy issues” haunt me and I shy away like the kid I was long ago. Like that old oak tree that falls in the woods, do I acknowledge its former strength and vitality and the cool shade that it once provided to those who once sat beneath its leafy limbs? Do I hear the gentle sounds of wind and bird song that once were propelled through the forest from its lofty heights, or do I choose to simply hear my own grievances and walk away untouched?



There are times when I do choose otherwise and I embrace the moment and my father’s broad shoulders. I take the time to sit and talk to my sons and impart a bit of life experience and “common sense” from my own past mistakes. One thing I know for sure; you cannot make them listen or follow in your footsteps, but you do have to love them, pray for them and acknowledge them as important in your life just as the multi-layered growth rings that make the mighty oak stand so tall and straight. With Father’s Day fast approaching, I owe my Dad a phone call and to just let him know I love him. Dad, I hear you even though I may not be in the same neck of the woods. God bless you!

Sacred Space | Your daily prayer online

Sacred Space | Your daily prayer online

Contemplation

“My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects.” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote these words in his essay on Self Reliance in 1841. And so today I seek the words to describe to you the world in which I see and hear each day. I take to heart the advice of Pope Benedict XVI who commented on the power of silence as a means to experience the loving presence of God. My hands tremble as I place my trust in him who inspired creation and speaks to each of us through nature itself. Thoughts return to last evening as I gazed up into a field of twinkling stars and watched the flashing strobes of passing aircraft overhead and the silent flicker of man made objects orbiting this earth teaming with life. I recall the crescent moon emerging from darkness and how hope filled my soul.


As you can see, colorful images paint the canvass of my mind as letters converge to form the words so many authors, theologians and mystics have used to describe the spirit of things that exist all around us. I invite you to take a few moments out of your busy day to sit in quiet and allow silence to speak to a deeper side of you. Though there is no perfect silence except that of the grave, I suggest filtering out the common sounds you hear by allowing them to melt into the beauty of a back yard scene or one in which you alone conjure with closed eyes and pure imagination. Hear the wind through pine needles or maple leaves and breathe deep to fill the recesses of your body and soul. Allow this to speak to you… Now you know the meaning of contemplation.

Today is the day you become a new creation. With a sense of renewal of purpose, awareness of God’s presence and the power of nature at your disposal, live with integrity and the knowledge that today is all you have in which you can make a difference. Yesterday is past, tomorrow lies yet ahead, but the here and now is all that matters. Live free, pray unceasingly and know the love of God surrounds you. Amen

Enjoy the video!

http://youtu.be/_LnxhDvWjlM

The Nature of Mercy

Let those who have no sin cast the first stone. I know the law is the law and standards of conduct are established to protect the innocent and preserve order, but we are also given a standard to forgive which comes from the highest authority. My hope is that people choose to serve others over the temptation to serve themselves. Lapses in judgment occur just as surely as acts of kindness. Who can weigh the good and bad and judge by how many good deeds are outweighed by one bad? We are not brought up in the Christian faith to keep a balance sheet of our offenses, but to do good deeds and forgive when the situation arises.



A disciple asked Jesus: "Lord, how many times are we to forgive." And his answer was: "Seventy times seven." How else are we to interpret the meaning if we are not prepared to practice what we believe? I know that in reality the law often times is prepared to make an example of those who have chosen a higher calling and fail in some manner, but then I hope prayer counts for something as well and that redemption prevails over punishment when the situation allows for it. I also know that some offenses are not to be tolerated, but humanity has been given the capacity to distinguish the gray areas that often time come about. Zero tolerance policies and an unflinching judicial system that is void of compassion ultimately brings tyranny to the ranks of freedom loving societies. My hope is that love prevails and that second chances are offered as a form of redeeming grace. To follow in our Father’s footsteps through his son Jesus is after all the ultimate act of discipleship.



Go in peace my friends and do not forget to utilize the gifts of the spirit each day of your lives. As Wordsworth noted in his poem Expostulation and Reply:


"The eye—it cannot choose but see;

We cannot bid the ear be still;

Our bodies feel, where'er they be,

Against or with our will.

"Nor less I deem that there are Powers

Which of themselves our minds impress;

That we can feed this mind of ours

In a wise passiveness.


"Think you, 'mid all this mighty sum

Of things for ever speaking,

That nothing of itself will come,

But we must still be seeking?


"—Then ask not wherefore, here, alone,

Conversing as I may,

I sit upon this old grey stone,

And dream my time away,"

And so we learn that not all can be learned in books such as the law provides, but that our better nature speaks to us and let not harsh judgment rid us of our Christian legacy.

Golden Ticket

I remember some years ago when the original film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” came out. There was a song in the film entitled “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” that was sung by the actor who played the grandpa Joe character. Charlie Bucket was a poor kid whose family lived together in a run down old house. One day he found a dollar bill along the street and went in to a candy store to buy a chocolate bar. When a golden ticket appeared inside the wrapper, Charlie was so thrilled that he ran home to tell his family and his grandpa Joe  broke into song because this meant that Charlie was to be one of only a select few children to visit the famed Wonka candy factory. I wonder about this scene and how it is like faith. We place so much value on things that we believe will make our lives better or happier, yet faith is about more than just a chance encounter with luck, it is a life long journey.

Last night I went outside and gazed at a sky full of stars and realized I had to do something that would change my life. Instead of always settling for whatever job came along to just get by in order to pay bills, have a home and raise children; I had to make a bold move. I knew that by standing still and doing nothing or putting my faith in something or someone else’s hands that all I could expect was more of the same old thing I have gotten my whole life, which is struggle and disappointment. In effect, I have to be my own golden ticket! God gives us all the potential we need if we just invest in a little faith that he can bring to us whatever it is that we ask for. I want to be more than the sum of my parts scratching out a living in some low wage job feeling like I will never get ahead. I have too much invested in my marriage and kid’s lives to settle for less when God offers so much more.

All of us can be more, do more and strive for a better life if we put ourselves out there and dare to be a person of faith. A golden ticket is more than a dream or hope that comes by chance; it is within our grasp if we believe that “With God all things are possible.” As the sun now rises high towards the afternoon sky, I pray that you will find your golden ticket within and strive to be more than the image you see staring back in the mirror. And so, enjoy the show below…Witt



http://youtu.be/29_uSlEEPSk

Immersed in the Spirit

We hear so much today about reducing stress and how to manage time, finances, our weight and the bad habits that we as Americans have become known for, but I believe we are at odds with ourselves on  personal, spiritual, political and social levels. Traditionally, the United States was founded on religious and personall freedoms. The term liberty was used to describe every person's right under the watchful eyes of a loving God. Today, this vision has been blurred by the liberalization of morals and values long established throughout our primarily Judeo-Christian history. With the advent of a socially responsible state and federal government, the concept of "anything goes" has replaced these standards. So, how do we get back to basics and deal with the stresses of the twenty first century? Some would say "let go and let God" while others point fingers and blame one side or the other that the world is going down the tubes. I would suggest that we all look inward and then realize that we are not alone unless we choose to be. I would suggest a concept like becoming immersed in the spirit.
Imagine for a moment that you are looking out upon a dry and desolate place where the sun beats down in a relentless barrage of heat and there is no shelter for miles all around. Like a rock you have become hardened over a lifetime of stress; sharp edges and a gritty surface protect you from seeing beneath the reality of the landscape. Now, imagine a stream of water bubbling out from beneath the ground and watch it spread out and begin transforming the desolation into a wooded forest. Trees, plants and animals begin to appear and drink from the stream and the water rises to completely cover you. You can feel the flow of coolness begin to smooth out the rough edges and gritty surface that has defined you through countless years. You now realize a presence that is not new but was lost long ago. Now, picture yourself being lifted out from beneath the stream and realize that you are now smooth and rounded; though still a rock, you have become a new creation. Instead of being a force against the flow, you are now a part of the process that feeds life down stream. At any time you can choose to be a part of this natural process or return to the desert. What will you decide?
Now, take a deep breath and realize that at any time during the day you can immerse yourself in a higher power that replenishes what life seems to steal away through stress and anxiety. Emmanuel, "God is with us" resounds in my mind as I pray that you too will realize the gifts of the spirit. Now, put your thumb, index and middle fingers together and touch your forehead. Move them down towards your chest, across to your right side and then to your left saying to yourself: "I am mind, body and spirit." Congratulations, you have called upon a power that is not only within you, but all around you as well! The trick is to take a moment every day to get in touch with this realization. And as you practice this, bring your cares, concerns and anxiety to him who feeds the stream and let it flow out to those who need the coolness and repose of a loving presence in their lives just like you. God is with you; let him in!