Article ~ "How Christianity Became Cool Again"

I have only ever posted my own stuff on my blog but this article was so interesting that I had to post it and pass it along.  It's from The Huffington Post and the author is listed below.  I hope you enjoy!

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

Senior Religion Editor, The Huffington Post

How Christianity Became Cool Again

Posted: 07/29/2013 12:23 pm

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Christianity, Christianity, Religion and Politics, Desmond Tutu, Pope Francis, Christian Social Justice, Pope Francis LGBT, Pope Francis Gay, Religion and Sexuality, Religion News

Hallelujah! 2013 may be the year that it became cool again to be a Christian.

Given the last several decades of political domination of Christianity by a coalition that described themselves as 'the religious right', it is hard to remember that there was a time in the 20th century when Christians were cool and spoke with a powerful, prophetic voice to the major issues of our day.

There was a time when Christians like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Berrigan brothers, Thomas Merton, Paul Tillich, Dorothy Day, Henri Nouwen, Howard Thurman, Reinhold Niebuhr and John Paul XXIII offered the basic framework for what Christianity meant to the world.

Collectively, these men and women offered some of the most philosophically deep and socially relevant thought of any kind. They inspired a generation of young people to work in racial reconciliation, environmentalism, economic justice, and anti-war activism. They fed the spirit, while also walking in Jesus' way of justice and peace.

In those days you could say you were a Christian and the above names might come to the mind of the listener -- and they were cool; meaning relevant, compelling, edgy, and forward thinking.

Sadly, that has not been true in recent history. And it has infected the American psyche so much so that when a stranger tells even me, a Christian pastor, that they are a Christian it puts me on edge. Imagine what it must do to a person of another faith or someone who don't subscribe to any religion.

This has been helped by the media who, when they have wanted a 'real Christian' on the show, turned to Jerry Falwell, Tony Perkins or James Dobson resulting in a Christian profile that represented a large, but by no means universal Christian outlook.

The generic Christian profile that has emerged over these last decades has been someone who does not believe in the equality between men and women, degrades LGBT people, is opposed to science, especially in regards to evolution or climate change, is suspicious of people of other faiths and no faith, and is pro-militarism in foreign policy.

In short, it has been a while since it has been cool to be Christian.

Well, 2013 may be the year that changes.

This week has been a particularly cool Christian week. To start with the amazing Pope Francis took advantage of his time in Rio for World Youth Day to make sure he visited the nearby favela (slum), a prison, and a drug addict center. While there, he continued his habit of speaking about the poor and inequality in a powerful, focused way that no world leader of any kind has for a long time:

No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world!. No amount of peace-building will be able to last, nor will harmony and happiness be attained in a society that ignores, pushes to the margins or excludes a part of itself.

In other words: No justice, no peace.

Pope Francis has consistently taken on the injustice in the world's financial systems and the indifference the world has towards the poor and the outcaste. Noticeably absent from the Pope's discourse has been the rights and dignity of gay people -- until Monday when the Pope shocked the world by saying "Who am I to judge gay people" and opened the door to gay priests and a basic softening of the church's hardline stance against LGBT peoples.

Cool.

The Pope was not the only world religious leader to make news this week on gay issues. On Friday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu rocked people's mind when he said that he would rather go to hell than a homophobic heaven. The icon of the anti-Apartheid movement made the comments at the launch of a United Nations gay rights program in South Africa:

I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this. I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level.

Really cool.

But these are just the latest headlines that are bubbling up with cool Christians doing relevant compelling things. The United Church of Christ has voted to divest from fossil fuelcompanies, the Episcopal Church is headed by an amazing woman who is both a scientist and pastor and who is spearheading the conversation between science and religion;

Evangelicals are taking the lead on climate change, the American Bishops are lobbying for immigration reform, the Patriarch Bartholomew is known as the 'Green Patriarch' for his work on the environment, Christians are involved with innovative and crucial dialogue with people of other faiths and no faiths; and pastors and priests across the country and the world are ministering to broken people with love and compassion every day.

Christianity is cool again.

Here is one case in point. On Gay Pride Sunday in New York I invited a couple of my colleagues to a church where a friend of mine is the pastor. They were having a 'disco mass' and I thought my friends might be intrigued enough to go. They were.

We had a great time at the church. My friends fell in love with the pastor whose style was relaxed and hip, and whose sermon was smart and compelling. They loved the community feel of the congregation, and they thought the ideas they heard there a good way to start gay pride.

Mind you, neither of them had been to church of their own volition -- ever. And they may never go back to church. I really don't care -- they are wonderful, spiritual, and ethical people -- I don't need them to become Christian.

However, by being there they understood a little more about why I am Christian, and how Christianity guides the way I view the world and do the things I do. And even with that short glimpse they respected my faith more than they had before.

If more Christians can speak out the way Pope Francis and Archbishop Tutu have this week and so many have been in recent memory -- it will change the way people view Jesus and the faith that he inspires in so many of us.

And that will be so cool.

The Art of Letting Go, And Other Impossible Tasks

Many years ago, the summer after my senior year of high school, my parents took me and my friend Dusti on a trip to a beautiful place in Canada called Prince Edward Island.  (If you haven’t heard of it, look it up.  Go there.   You won’t be disappointed as it is definitely worth the trip.)  Were I to go to this paradise at the age I am now, I would probably have enjoyed the history, buildings, and architecture more.  And even though it wasn't at the top of my list, I do have a lasting memory of how beautiful and peaceful and significantly untouched the island was at the time.  I remember we were driving down to the docks to get some fresh seafood to cook and the driver in front of us pulled over to let us pass.  Not because they were angry, not because we were speeding, and not because of safety issues; but simply because they were happy to be going a certain speed and pulled over with a smile and a cheery wave as if to say, “Good day to you!  I just feel like cruising along here so you go right along around me and enjoy your day!”  That happened several times while we were there, always with a hearty wave and a warm smile.   I look back on that now and think that more often we need to not care about how fast we are going but rather enjoy the “getting there” part.  There is some bumper sticker platitude out there about enjoying the journey and not the destination but I digress terribly as this blog has absolutely nothing to do with what I've talked about so far, other than the first part is something I learned on that trip.

So, like Bill Cosby would so often say, “I told you that story to tell you this one.” 

As I mentioned, while in Prince Edward Island (or PEI, as the cool kids say) Dusti and I were more interested in what the beach and water had to offer than in what the historical buildings had to offer.  One day we were lucky enough to run into a group of possibly unsuitable companions who were friends with the local guy who ran the marina.  I say “possibly unsuitable” because the only thing we knew about them is that they were cute, surfers, Australian and ran a surf-wear business called “Cousin Smoothies Surf Shoppe”.  I know, right?  Impressive.  Anyhow, they managed to arrange a day out on the water for us.  We had access to every possible motorized or sail driven water toy that you could think of and we had a blast.  The last part of the day we attempted (mostly unsuccessfully) to water ski.  The number one rule of water skiing is to learn how to let go when you fall.  Seriously, that is the most difficult part to learn.  They explained to us that the natural instinct is to hold onto the bar when you fall.  I thought, “Well that’s dumb.  Of course you’d let go.”  But sure enough, the first time I fell I clung on for dear life and I imagine that I looked somewhat like a gopher tunneling under the water.  I didn't let go until it registered to me that everyone on the boat was screaming, “LET GO!  LET GO!”  So the second time around I was sure that I would instantly let go.  But no, I didn't.  I clung on to that bar and had to force myself to release my grip.  Time after time, I fell and each time I had to give myself that mental slap and think, “LET GO!”  I learned two things that day: 1. I can’t water ski and 2. They really weren't kidding about that “natural instinct” thing.

Now, I told you THAT story to tell you this one.

One problem that I find myself facing over and over in life is letting go.  It’s kind of a thing for me.  Sometimes it’s a good thing because I hang in there with people when sometimes others have given up and walked away.  Sometimes it’s a bad thing when I can’t let go of hurt or anger.  So the theme of letting go has been on my mind a lot lately.  It’s something that I feel I constantly need to practice.

A few days ago, Savannah and I were having a disagreement.  Shocking right?  A parent and a teen disagreeing?  What we were talking about isn't even significant.   What was significant was the back and forth that we were in.  It went on much longer than it should have and neither one of us would stop.  Two days later neither one of us even remembers what we were going back and forth about.  But this I do remember, when we finally got to the point where we separated, I felt totally exhausted.  As if I’d been swimming for miles.  Frustrated and completely worn out I posted this on Facebook:

“Trying to have a logical conversation with an emotional teen is like trying to save a hysterical person from drowning. You go into it with good intentions but eventually you realize that it is completely futile and eventually you wind up being pulled under along with them.   (I also like the analogy that it's like trying to nail jell-o to a tree but I didn't come up with that one.)”

I still mean what I posted on Facebook and I try to look at most parenting things with humor.  But my comment about drowning made me pull up that memory of my long ago attempt at skiing.  Wow, that could not be any more accurate of my discussion with Savannah although I had no one on the boat yelling, “LET GO!  LET GO!”  And I did feel as if I had been pulled under water for a good mile or two.  And whose fault was that?  One hundred percent mine!  Luckily, I am already fairly self-aware that letting go is not a strong suit for me.  It’s great when it’s done in a positive manner and in that respect it’s one of my best traits.  However, when it comes to letting go of the negative stuff, I could use a few more lessons.  I have come to really believe that one of the real keys to happiness is learning when to let go.

The truth is Happiness isn't something you attain. Happiness is a natural state of being we have forgotten how to nurture and experience. And then when we sometimes experience happiness for no good reason, we are unable to prolong it, to hold on to it and make it stay around.  That’s the difference between knowing when to hang on and when to let go.

I wrote down a few things that I think are pretty important on the “Letting Go” list.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a master of this list.  It’s very much a work in progress.  Some I have mastered and some are a bit more within my reach.  Perhaps one day I’ll be a “Letting Go Master” and create some kind of badge for myself.

Until then here it is, the “Letting Go” list according to Christie: 

1) Let go of the guilt you have been needlessly carrying about. It serves no purpose anyway as the action or inaction you feel guilty for cannot be undone. You can, however, vow to change and not act in a way you think is unwise in the future. Love yourself and do not judge yourself. Forgive yourself.

2) Let go of hatred. Let go of hatred for yourself, for others, for what has been done to you, for what you perceive has been done to you…pretty much anything hate filled needs to go out the window.  Carrying anger and hate will shorten your life.  Don’t believe me?  Google this:  Physical Effects of Stress on Your Body.

3) Let go of jealousy. What can it matter what any other person has if they do not possess happiness (and very few people do)? What does it matter if your lover has left you and is now with another? Let go of the jealousy and rejoice in their new found joy. Find your own joy. Find peace of mind by letting go of YOUR jealousy.

4) Let go of desire for things. Things are not evil. Things are not bad. But telling yourself you cannot be happy without a bigger house, a faster car or a better looking wife or richer husband is a recipe for a lifetime of unhappiness!  Be happy with what you have and where you are.  If you find yourself constantly changing jobs, relationships, friendships, or where you live; chances are the happy you are looking for needs to be found in yourself first before you go trying to find it somewhere else. 

5) Let go of resentment. It is really a form of hatred. No, that mean bully that beat you up every day at school in the 7th grade was not a good person. But hating them or resenting what others have done to you gives a place for hatred to grow within you and that hatred and resentment will keep happiness out.  Bless those who have done you wrong. Pray for them to find freedom from whatever is keeping them from being happy and you will open the door for more joy than you ever knew was possible.

6) Can’t let it go?  Then let that go too.  No one is perfect.  If you are having trouble letting go of something don’t give up, just give it time, look at it from a different angle, or put it on a mental shelf until you are ready to actually let it go.  It’s not always easy and you need to give yourself permission to be a work in progress. 

Most importantly is the one thing that you can NEVER let go of, Hope.  There is always another path or another solution.  It might not be the one you thought you were looking for but part of letting go is learning to live a more relaxed and flexible life.  And if you’re looking around and think that maybe you did let go of your hope, give me a holler on Facebook.  We’ll look for it together. 

Let go of all negative thoughts and attitudes and your life will change. The light will enter and fill your entire being and the root cause of unhappiness will forever be rooted out. Happiness is a flower that must be cultivated and with practice you will learn to... just... let... go.

You ARE Worthy

It has been said that we get our ideas of our own self worth from the people in our lives that mean the most to us. We can also get our beliefs about ourselves from those we meet casually or even just once. Impressions that people make on us can have a profound impact on our self image. In other words, if the people in our lives give us a sense that they love us and we mean something to them, then we feel like we have value and are worth something.

The problem with that thinking is that over the course of time people's feelings change. People's opinions can shift. If you truly base your own self worth on someone else's perspective, what might happen to you (mentally) if those same people turn their backs on you? What might you do if one of those people is your spouse and now they want a divorce? How do you reconcile the fact that the person who promised to love you forever, no longer does? 

How do you judge your self worth if you've been laid off of fired from a job you hard at and meant a great deal to you?  What do you do when even if only subconsciously, the person you have entrusted with your self worth moves away, leaves you, lets you down, or dies?

People also have a bad habit of attributing their sense of worth and self esteem to the material things they have been able to achieve in life, or more to the point; what they have not been able to achieve. People often have a skewed perception that the accumulation of money, wealth and things puts a higher value on their own lives. Things don't make people happy nor do they raise or lower your own value.

Believing that your self worth comes from others or other things can be problematic. You can be trapped in a vicious cycle of never living up to your own potential because you are constantly searching in the wrong direction to get the approval from those that matter in your life. You are not here on Earth to live your life through other people. This is your life and you have the God-given right to live it as you please. If you spend your life trying to always accumulate the next big electronic that hits the market or that new car in the showroom, you will never have the time to sit back and enjoy what you already have. Instead you will be a complainer. Always voicing your opinion about what is not right with the stuff you have. "I wish I had this," and "I need this". You are so worried about what other people have compared to you. You'll wind up a bitter, unhappy person that most people won't even want to be around.

Your self worth should never be determined by what other people think. You are not a commodity whose value changes with the whim of a fickle market. There is nothing wrong with you when people reject you or people hurt you. Have you lost the value that you had yesterday because today someone no longer wants to be your friend? No, I suspect the problem might be with the other person. Are you somehow worth less today than you were yesterday because someone today cursed you out? Of course not. You are the same special person you have always been. Their opinion has changed or their feelings but you haven’t changed.

Never allow what others say about you or what someone does to you to affect the way you feel about yourself. There is not another you anywhere else in existence. When people let you down. When things don’t go your way. When people curse you, bless them. When people reject you, know that you deserve to be loved just the way you are. By putting a stop to the ugliness and bitterness that causes them to act the way they do you prevent their words and actions from dragging you under.  You should never let someone else’s attitude problem or their hatred tear you down. 

Don’t believe me? Have you ever been in a great mood only to lose it when someone in a bad mood enters the room and their mood permeates the room? Now their behavior and attitude has rubbed off on everyone else. You’ve allowed someone else to dictate to you what kind of mood to have. 

Turn the tables on them and don’t allow them to affect you. Ignore them. Concentrate on what is good in life. Instead of letting that person dictate your actions, you be in control and affect their mood for the better.

Don’t allow other people to determine your self worth. Don’t let your circumstances dictate to you your self esteem. Don’t allow Hollywood, the internet, your spouse, your parents, your children or even your own perception of yourself to determine your self worth. You need to know that your inner beauty far out weighs what people see on the outside. Your compassion and empathy towards others far surpass your self loathing or self pity.

Understand that you don’t need permission from someone else to know that you are worthy.  You are worthy simply “because” and not for any other reason.  Don’t wait for someone to bestow that upon you.  Gift yourself with the knowledge that no one can give or take away your worth.  


No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Do We Really “Just Need Love”?

“Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new…, all the time, made new…” 

~ Amy E. Dean

I was watching a romantic movie last night (one I'd seen probably over 20 years ago) and it occurred to me that back then all I thought about watching that movie was the single fact that they were so “in love”.  Now with a few more years on me and a different view of the world I still enjoyed the movie but I thought, “What next?  All they have is love.  Is that really enough?”  Of course I was, as usual, over thinking a basic concept.  It was just a movie and just a story and all the story needed was love.  But in real life that’s not the case is it?  

Driving in to work to supervise an event today the song “All You Need Is Love” came on the radio.  How fitting considering what had been on my mind the night before.  Love really isn't all you need when it comes to a long term relationship.  Love may be the glue that binds at first but it’s not what sustains us.  It’s not what feeds us and keeps us going.  It’s not what makes it in the long term.  

People often say that love conquers all, but what does that really mean? Does it mean that if you love someone, you forgive all their wrongs and stand by their side?  Does it mean if you love someone enough, nothing in life can tear you apart – not even the really bad stuff? If love conquers all, it should mean that two people who love each other can overcome any obstacle, right?  After all, there is no force stronger than love.

Yet, as powerful as I think love is, I just don’t believe that love conquers all.  Sure, love is some pretty good stuff, but to say it conquers all – well, that’s just a bit much. I don’t think love is enough to carry a couple through all the hard times and all the complicated issues in life.  Love can serve as a foundation (a very strong foundation), but if that is all you've got, good luck.

Unfortunately, I think so many people end up in failing marriages because they honestly got into it thinking that love was enough.  It’s understandable since love can give us this sense of being able to conquer anything. Yet, the truth is, love just reminds us of why we are in a relationship.  Love gives us the strength and courage we need to fight for our relationships.  It doesn't, however, give us everything we need to make it work.

So, when all is said and done, love just isn't enough.  If couples took more time to understand each other a little bit better, and nourish the qualities and skills that can make their partnerships stronger, they would go a lot further as a team.  Even something as awesome as love can use a little back up.

So, what else matters if you have love?  A lot.  In addition to loving someone, no matter how much you do, I think there just has to be more.

So what are some key ingredients needed to help feed a relationship?  I think that other elements should include:

You need to be a team.

You need to make sure the other person feels that they can count on you. 

You need to communicate well.

You need to respect each other.

You need to be able to laugh at yourself.

You need to roll with the punches.

You need to appreciate each other.  

You need to be able to compromise.  

And, most importantly, you have to understand that life can get complicated and you want to be with someone who will stand by your side to help you figure it out.  You need to know that the person you are with will carry their share of “the load” whether that’s regarding your relationship, parenting, joys, sorrows, or even just the day to day responsibilities of life.  It’s not always 50/50.  That’s the other thing that people don't get.  Some days it’s 80/20 and one person might have more on their plate.  But then the next day things will shift and the other person takes up a little more of the slack.  The key is to be able to know that you and your partner are going to be there for each other for the long haul.  If only one person is putting in the time, energy, and emotion then that is a recipe for disaster.  With one person plugged in and the other tuned out, no matter how much love is there, a person can only carry on that way for so long before they reach a breaking point.   

Don't get me wrong; I know that loving someone is some pretty powerful stuff.  However, my experience has shown me that just loving each other is not enough to carry you through everything that life will throw your way.  Love is an excellent foundation.  It certainly is needed if your relationship stands a chance.  But, it is just a main ingredient, on a list of ingredients, which will make this recipe for your relationship work.

So what do you all think?  I just came up with a short list of what I think makes a relationship tick and last for the long haul.  But I’d be interested to see what other people have to add.  Everyone has a different angle based on their experience in life.  So what is yours?  

The Geography of Hate

Twitter has the capacity to ignite revolutions and enable small acts of kindness, but there's also a darker side to the microblogging network.

Floating Sheep, a group of geography academics, created the "Geography of Hate," which maps racist, homophobic and ableist tweets in the U.S. After searching for all geotagged tweets in North America between June 2012 and April 2013, students at Humboldt State University manually read and coded the sentiment of each tweet to determine if a specific word was used in a positive, negative or neutral way. In a blog post, Floating Sheep cited "dyke" as an example: While the word is a homophobic slur against lesbian people, it can also be used positively (e.g. "dykes on bikes #SFPride).

In total, over 150,000 geotagged tweets contained a hateful slur that was deemed negative. Using the data, Floating Sheep determined the ratio of hateful tweets to overall tweets in each county.

"Hateful tweets were aggregated to the county level and then normalized by the total number of tweets in each county. This then shows a comparison of places with disproportionately high amounts of a particular hate word relative to all tweeting activity," the group said.

Orange County, Calif., for example, has the highest absolute number of tweets containing slurs, but due to its high level of overall Twitter activity, the hateful tweets are less prominent, and therefore are not that conspicuous on the map.

Floating Sheep has three main categories of hateful tweets — homophobic, racist and disability — under which are subcategories for specific slurs. Click through the detailed map, here. And for in-depth analysis of the results, read the entire blog post, here.

I saw this map earlier this week and I was already planning on studying it more thoroughly to be able to post this blog.  Then today my daughter posted this picture:

At first I thought, "Oh wow, that's great!"  Then it hit me that we shouldn't have to have a day set aside to remind us to treat people with respect and dignity no matter what their race, gender, age, or sexuality.  Shouldn't we just know that?  Shouldn't we be beyond this?  Well, look at the map above and obviously we aren't.  Not by a long shot.  How about we have a "Don't Be Afraid of Someone Just Because They Are Different Than You" Day?  

We need to learn to not be threatened by someone whose opinion is different than our own.  And that falls on all sides of the spectrum.  You have gay folks judging Christians because they automatically assume that they are not an ally.  And then again you have Christians whose hearts might be a little more open if they would stop and listen and understand that the "gay agenda" does not include the overthrow of any of their institutions. Your church will still be your church and no one is going to come in and change it.  You still get to believe what you want to believe.  

So for all those people above Tweeting and hiding behind the anonymity that the internet provides I would ask that you consider the following before you fill the internet with your vitriol and hate:

Stop The Persecution 101 

• Please do not use the bible, hell, or any other religious beliefs to try to prove your argument or to disprove someone else's argument.  We should only impose our religious beliefs on ourselves, not on others.  Plus, no one completely and totally lives the bible as written.  For every verse you can find I can find another that shows your faults, flaws, and sins.  Let's go beyond not throwing the stones and just leave them on the ground in the first place.
  
• Please refrain from using the 'slippery slope argument' (ie. "if we allow gay couples to live freely and give them the same marital rights that heterosexual couples enjoy, we open the door to paedophilia and beastiality". Not only is comparing homosexuality to a sexual perversion totally unacceptable and unfair, it is an erroneous and foolish assumption.
  
• History tells us Black people were enslaved, persecuted and killed due to hate until it became not so fashionable. Gay people are as I write, being persecuted and killed due to hate. So what's the difference?  Stop and think about what you are saying and ask yourself what side of history you want to be on.  There was a time not so long ago that bi-racial marriage was illegal and people fought for change then just as we fight for change now.  

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

To see more MLK Quotes Click Here.  

30 Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times

I sat down to make a list of things that my mother has taught me to use as part of this blog post.  I think I could have made a list of 100 or more things easily.  I thought that making an endless list was too easy.  After all, she has taught me so many things.   So I tried to limit myself to a list of 30 things I have heard (or was supposed to hear) over the years.  

My mother has always been a great source of good solid information.  Things like "If you push up on the bottoms of chocolates you can see what kind they are without anyone knowing."  Don't worry Mom, that didn't make the list.  But still, it's good advice.  And one of so many good memories and bits of humor and wisdom that you have passed down over the years.  See, people always think that humor was Dad's department but this woman has a wicked sense of humor.  She has a dry sense of humor.  A superb British comedy sense of humor.  Dad may have let me watch "Benny Hill" but Mom introduced me to "Mr. Bean".  Don't laugh, that show is deeper than it seems.  

All in all I was able to come up with a list of 30 things that I have heard on more than one occasion.  Now, did I always listen to each and every one?  I have not but the one's that I skipped over I sure do wish that I hadn't.  It took me longer to get the hang of some of them.  But darn her she was right about all of them and quite a few that didn't make the list.  

So here it is.  "30 Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times":

1. Above all else, never be ordinary or say that you are bored.  Only boring people get bored.
2. Always put your husband above your children. Children grow up and leave, but you've got to live with your husband forever.

3. You cannot reason with children.

4. Get a good job and stay there.

5. A good bra is your best friend.

6. Always turn the lights off when you leave a room. It saves electricity and helps keep the house cooler.

7. Old towels make great dishtowels when they get thin and ragged. Old dishtowels make great dishrags when they get thin and full of holes. Old dishrags should be used for working on cars and washing machines when they get too thin for washing dishes. Never throw away old towels.

8. Always eat the parsley they put on your plate in restaurants, it is packed with vitamins, and freshens your breath.

9. Mercurochrome, Calamine Lotion and Vaseline will cure anything.

10. Practice moderation in all things.

11. Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, and keep your chin up.

12. Never buy anything until it goes on sale.

13. Our life is made up of small moments, never be too busy to enjoy them.

14. Understand that you can not spend more money that you make and continue to be happy.

15. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

16. Procrastination robs you of your happiness and the satisfaction of a job well done.

17. No matter how painful a situation you will feel better someday and it is often sooner than you think.

18. Your health matters, never take it for granted.

19. Make good food a priority in your life.

20. People will judge you on how you look so always be aware of how you present yourself.

21.  Be curious, about life and people. Things are not always how they seem.

22. Always be polite and kind to the people that serve you, they take as much pride in their work as you do in yours.

23. You can't do it all by yourself all the time.

24. Keep everything you own in good repair.

25. Keep up to date with what is going on in the world, stay informed.  Today’s news will become tomorrow’s Moments in History.  Pay attention.

26. Successful people learn from other people's successes and admire them instead of envying them.

27. Moisturize.  You can never have too much of a good moisturizer.

28. The most valuable thing you own is your word.  Protect it with all your might because, once you lose it, it’s the most difficult thing to earn back.

29. Don’t be afraid to be a strong woman.  It’s sometimes not easy to live your life as a woman known for being “strong willed” but in the end you will have less regrets.

30. All you ever really have is your family.

I love you Mom.  Happy Mother's Day!  Thank you for being strong and amazing and quirky and beautiful and warm and loving and "strong willed" and competitive and bold and most of all for just being YOU.  

PS.  31.  Tofu is good and good for you. (You were right about that one.)
The jury is still out on okra though.  

Celebrating Teachers

According to the Holiday Insights website, the first Tuesday of the first full week in May is always National Teacher Appreciation Day (sometimes called National Teachers Day). This year, that means that today is the day to celebrate the teachers in your life. From kindergarten teachers to college professors, today is a specific day to appreciate their work. Whether that is because you are a student or maybe you are married to or otherwise related to a teacher or even a friend to one, today is the day that you should take time to celebrate their commitment to a profession that is crucial for the advancement of society and knowledge.

The National Education Association (NEA) website explains the history of National Teacher Day:

“The origins of National Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.  NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only.  NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May.”

Obviously, this day has special importance to me since my sister, Lisa, is a teacher and my mom was on the School Board for many years.  I also have several dear friends who teach in ages ranging from Pre-School on through High School and even Sunday School.   I think that appreciation for educators in all forms was and is highly valued in my family.  We know that teaching doesn't mean that "it's nice to have summers off" or  "it must be great to be off work by 3 every day" or "I wish I got to have all those holidays and snow days".  No, in my family we know the truth.  If you took all the hours that a teacher REALLY puts in and then divided that through 12 months, you'd understand that we are the ones who have it easy.  Teaching is hard, unappreciated, misunderstood, often maligned, and let's not even start talking about having to deal with the parents.  I don't have enough space here for that topic.  But teaching is also rewarding, occasionally miraculous, enriching, and we should all thank the gods above for creating those special people who are called to enter into this profession.

Teaching deserves daily recognition, of course, but sometimes we need a day set aside to remind ourselves to appreciate those who have taught us, are teaching us, or will soon teach us. Teaching is a profession that people should pursue out of a love for their subject and for helping others connect to and learn about that subject. Teaching is a commitment to others. Today is a day to recognize and appreciate that.  Take a moment today to share a story about your favorite teacher.  Tweet about it or Facebook it or just get it out there however you feel inspired to do so.  What is your favorite school memory?  What teacher said or did something that you still carry with you to this day?  

And if you’re related to a teacher, take time today to hug, kiss, and thank them. Without teachers, life would be decidedly more difficult. Learning would take longer, be more frustrating, and be more an individual experience as opposed to a society one. Teachers commit their careers to helping others reach their goals and learn about the past, present, and future.

Teachers do more than just provide us the path to knowledge. They become our counselors, mentors, friends, and family. They help us find our passions while also providing protection and love.

Today, I will be thanking all the teachers I know. Hopefully, so will you.

The pictures below are for my sister, Lisa, who has an almost unnatural obsession with newly packaged office and school supplies.  :)  I knew you would really love these!