School Outreach

The man in our church (Tom) who is in charge of Mission and Outreach spoke in church yesterday about the "school outreach" project.

A program was envisioned where members of the church would spend time with elementary school children sharing some area of enrichment---art, reading, drama, etc.

Tom said that the idea was really to share the love of God.  He commented that the idea of the love of God is kind of vague--- hard to really identify, describe.  He said he thinks of it simply as kindness.

I was one of the ones who participated in that program at the school  "teaching a class"  "leading a club" offering an opportunity for the children to interact with poetry.   The way that turned out, I did not feel especially successful.  Sometimes there were very few students there.  From week to week, it was different students, making it hard to get to know them well.  Half an hour was not really much time to 'teach poetry'. The location was less than ideal.

After Tom's explanation,  I feel differently about my experience.  I guess I was measuring my "success" by the number of participants.  (Churches do that, too!!).     But if, in fact, the goal, the idea, the intention was kindness,  then I know that my efforts were completely on target.

Maybe I didn't impart valuable information about poetry.  But I know I was always kind.  Therefore, it's good to know that the goal was met, the purpose fulfilled.

(Thanks, Tom, for that reminder!)

Sometimes we simply have to re-frame our thinking!

Upgrades

It is always nice to have a few upgrades once in a while, just to keep one from getting too much in a rut, and not noticing things any more.  

Gerry re-built the platform and steps leading out to the patio.  That landing and stair set was there long before the patio was added, and actually did not match, as the old version was made out of wood, which was old and warped and the paint was peeling.   The new boards, made of some sturdier product, not wood, are long lasting, and do not have to be painted.

It only required a few boards to do the job, but those had to be delivered, as they could not be transported in our vehicles.   They were delivered, all tightly packaged from the manufacturer, and enclosed on top of a long wooden pallet.  So once you got the boards out of the package,  there was this long wooden pallet that required disposal. I thought that was extremely wasteful, and should be somehow re-cycled back to the company.  Not having that option,  Gerry broke it down as much as he could.  Thankfully, we have a son-in-law who lives in the country and was willing to take the wood for their outside fire-pit.

Another upgrade took place inside the house.  For a long time now,  I have been wanting a full size couch.  In our living room, we had two 'loveseat' size couches, plus an older one in the sun room. (from living in various places and moving around a lot).  The problem, for us at least, is being able to get rid of the old thing, in order to bring in the new thing.

I donated the sun room older couch to the Salvation Army.  It was also a sofa bed, and in great condition, so I trust that someone will appreciate it.

After a bit of musical couches,  we are now the proud owners of a new full length couch, which came with five large couch pillows, an unexpected bonus!   The colors in the couch pillows look like they knew exactly which living room they needed to match.  I'm glad they found their way home!

Picnic at the Park

Once a year, it is a very nice experience to have an informal worship service and a church picnic at the park.

  That happened this past Sunday.  The pastor wore shorts and an casual shirt, as I would have expected.    I really teased the singer on the far left of this picture for wearing a tie to a picnic.   Then I remembered---he just came from leading worship at his own church, where he is the pastor.  So of course, he would not have had time to go home and change.  He still participates in both the church he serves, and the one from which he came, whenever that is possible.

Though you cannot see it, the guitar player sitting on the stool also had on a tie.  They were the only two.  This particular quartet is made up of two couples and they provide the music each year at the park on the church-picnic Sunday.  Together, they sing the four choral parts.  What a talented bunch they are!!

It did rain,  but since we were under the pavilion, we simply had both our worship and our meal 'under the roof'.

Unfortunately, some of the baked beans that I put inside the picnic basket managed to spill and make everything inside rather sticky!   Next time, I'll be sure and remember to take a roll of paper towels.

We washed our hands in the rain water dripping from the roof!

Forest System

I saw a fascinating video on Facebook about forest ecology and how there is so much sharing, communicating, interfacing going on beneath the forest floor, unseen and little known.  In the brief video, a forester shared her research.

According to the forester,  the trees are not competing to survive, as Darwin might have suggested,  but in fact are participating in a fascinating below ground community.   A large "mother tree" is networked into all the trees around it, as far as the eye can see.

Trees send down carbon, and just beneath the forest floor fungi connect one plant to another.  There is a constant shuffling of C02 and nitrogen,  sent to where it is needed most, a complex ecology.

But for me, the most fascinating part of forest system is how the trees leave a legacy.   I vividly recall seeing burned forests out west, when we did a National Park tour a decade or so ago.  I was very struck by how the floor of the forest was covered with new growth, despite the destruction of the fire.   I understood then that when the mature trees died,  that let in enough light for the new growth to start a new forest.

But that is not the whole story.  Trees that have been cut down also leave a legacy for the next generation.  The dying trees will move their resources to the living young trees before they go,  passing their legacy from one generation to another.

In many ways,  the tree is like our inverted body, the root system our brains.  Our brain functions very much like a tree root system, sending out complex messages to the limbs and trunk, tending to its life, via veins, arteries, capillaries, not unlike that of the tree and the forest ecosystem.

I am deeply moved to learn of the inter-connected-ness, and the 'consciousness' of the forest.

I've always loved trees,  but I have never seen them in this particular light before.  They,  too, want to share with the community and leave a legacy for the next generation.