Guest Post: Better One Day

by Nicki Salcedo

Nicki is a writer friend of Leanne Shawler's from Georgia (editing to put in correct state, sorry Nicki!). Leanne caught one of her blog posts recently and invited her to come share her story with us.

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Sometimes the words of encouragement that we give others are the words we most need to hear.

I go to church every week day. It is not that I'm overly pious, but my children's daycare happens to be attached to my place of worship. It is a blessing and a curse.

You can imagine the blessings. They are numerous. Loving teachers, caring environment, and happy children.

But the curse is a strange thing. When I haven't gone to church on Sunday, I still have to show up on Monday to drop off my kids. On Monday I am ashamed.

One particular Monday, I was loading three kids into the mini-van when my pastor approached. Before he could speak, I began to apologize by saying, "I know, I know." I wanted to add that I would be at church next Sunday, but instead my pastor put an arm around my shoulder and said, "One day it will be better." With that and a half hug he moved on.

I drove home that day feeling defeated. He was trying to be encouraging, but all I could think was "Which day? Which day will it be better? Work, kids, family, life, laundry, dishes, everything is killing me. When will it be better? August 27? December 1? Which day exactly would things get better?" 

With each question I asked, I kept hearing, "It will be better one day" because it sounded different that Monday. More like a promise. So I decided I would be patient. I would wait for better.

A few weeks later, my pastor stepped down from his position. I was profoundly sad at the news, and my mind returned to our last brief conversation. "One day it will get better." Those words were given to me after a busy day at work. My kids were tired and restless in the hot car. Those words were said to me like a promise, and I suddenly wanted to give those words back to my pastor.

My favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9. It was my favorite when I was a child, and it's still my favorite today. Probably because I am most prone to feeling discouraged that I cling to it. But recently I think about it differently. I have decided two things: 

One, I am finished waiting for better. Better is now even with the meowing cat, crying kids, dirty dishes in the sink, and so much to do.

Two, the words of encouragement that we say to others one day might be the words we most need to hear on another. They might be reflected back on us, even subconsciously, so that we can make tough decisions and allow "better" to happen.

While it is easy to give encouragement sometimes it is difficult to hear the words back when we need them. People of faith aren't "believers," but "knowers" and we shouldn’t be "waiters," but "doers."

Are you waiting for a better day? Maybe it is today.

Nicki Salcedo is a writer, who tries to balance a professional career and family life. She is working on her fourth novel and is a two  time recipient of the Maggie Award of Excellence. In her spare time, she has a husband, four kids, and a cat! She can be found online at http://www.8headedhydra.com or her parenting column on the Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch. 

Rev. Rebecca's Sermon Extras

by Rebecca Edwards

In my first few sermons at Good Sam, I have referred to a number of articles, Hebrew/Greek words, and other bits of information that you might want to check out for yourself.

references from sermon on July 24:

"Secret Fears of the Super-Rich" from The Atlantic: 

If you've ever dreamed of being a billionaire, you might think again after reading this article…

"Are You Happy?" flowchart

references from sermon on August 14:

"Runaway Money: A children's classic, a 9-year-old boy, and a fateful bequest" 

cool Greek phrase: μη γενοιτο/"me genito" (pronounced "may GEN-ih-taw")

NRSV translation = "By no means!"

better translation = "#(*!@*&$ no!" (pardon Paul's French)

Paul uses this phrase 13 times in his letters to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians. His signature use of this rhetorical device is one of the ways scholars have been able to figure out which epistles were genuinely written by Paul. Check out other examples in Romans 6:15, 1 Corinthians 6:15, and Galatians 2:17. In the process, you can become acquainted with one of my very favorite web sites for exploring biblical texts and translations.

references from sermon on August 21:

"How to Eat Supper" podcasts: 

There are only a few episodes, but each one is less than 10 minutes long. You can also access them through the iTunes music store under Podcasts. I also recommend all of the "Splendid Table" podcasts – you may have heard their show on public radio on the weekends.

"How to Eat Supper" in book form

cool Hebrew words (look to the far right for the word!):

טןב

"tov"/good or beautiful

-used in Genesis 1 to describe what God sees in looking at the new creation

-used in Exodus 2:2 when Moses' mother looks at her new baby and sees that he is "goodly," "beautiful," "fine," "special" 

תבת

te-bhat"/ark or basket

-used numerous times Genesis 6 and beyond to describe the vessel God commands Noah to build

-used in Exodus 2:3 to describe the vessel Moses' mother uses to place him in the Nile

How's Your Summer Going?

by Leanne Shawler


The following video is from a friend in Vienna. I thought it was too cute not to share:

So what have you been doing this summer?

(Edited to add link to Natalie's website.)

Discovering My Ministry

by Leanne Shawler

The following is a partial transcript/summary of the “witness” part on my talk about Education for Ministry (EfM)  on June 12, 2011. For more information, follow this link.

Download and listen along if you like:

The common lesson in EfM that gave me the most trouble was “Discovering Your Ministry”, which is like a “what are you doing?”/”what are your next steps?” kind of thing. I had no clue, no clue, what my ministry was. Dan, my husband, took the tools that EfM gave us that first year, and said: “I’m in cancer research and healing is my ministry!”

I’m like “Good for you, honey!” 

At the start of EfM, I was working part-time as an Administrative Assistant at Good Sam and I was a published author of historical romances. I wasn’t sure either one was my ministry. My writing and my favorite book (Jane Eyre) revealed that a common theme in my writing was redemption and second chances. I decided I was a subversive Christian writing about redemption and second chances, even though Christ never made it into them, but love did. But I wasn’t convinced.

Over the four years of EfM, I “tried on” different ministries: helping illegal Mexican farmworkers, listening to seniors ... but though I was passionate about it, I didn’t actually do anything for either ministry.

By the third year, I had stopped writing fiction (a long painful process of stopping and starting) and was wondering where my drive to write had gone. I’d been writing fiction since the age of 8. My first story was the school bully getting eaten by a giant monster. (I wasn’t into redemption then.)

Approaching the end of four years of EfM, I still hadn’t discovered my ministry. A month out from the end, I attended a church communications conference (my title at Good Sam is now Communications Director--no pay raise!). And there, one of the speakers said: “Most of you are here because church communications is your ministry, and not your job.” The hair stood up on the back of my neck and I thought, yes, this is my ministry! 

But -- I’m already doing it. Isn’t this a copout? Where’s the challenge, the step out of the comfort zone that I thought ministry was all about?

Part of my development through the four years of EfM was that my prayer life deepened, so days out from EfM graduation, I was received as an Associate of Holy Cross (Chris likes to say I’ve become a monk), which I’ve already blogged about (link).  I was going through the liturgy piece of being received with Br. Tom and this prayer popped right out at me:

“... strengthen her in her vocation to witness
and service to the world in the name of Christ”

That’s when I realized, that’s what I’m here to do. I am like the witness in a witness box in a courthouse. 

I am a witness to what you guys (Good Sammers) do. I am your witness to your growth in Christ. 

I am your witness to how we come here every Sunday and are revived by the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we take that gift of love and how we let ourselves be loved by God and each other, and we take that and we go out and we give it to somebody else.

We give it to the poor. We give it to the homeless, we feed them, we create these beautiful blankets of prayer that we give to those who are ill.

That’s why I’m here. I’m here as a witness to you. It’s a great honor and a great privilege -- and yay! I found my ministry!

I don’t need to make up stories of redemption any more. I have the truth right here. You’re the redemptive truth that I can now go out and tell using my writing skills.

Do you have a ministry, a way to serve others? Was it easy to discover?

Being an Associate

by Leanne Shawler

When I tell people that I’ve become an Associate of Holy Cross, I get asked what exactly that is, and for some reason its difficult to explain. So here’s another crack at it.

The Mt. Calvary community defines an Associate of Holy Cross as someone who is “associated with the Order of the Holy Cross. Membership in the Associates involves both the observance of a rule of life and a relationship with our community”.

I decided to become an associate after going on retreat with the Order’s Mt. Calvary community in Santa Barbara in June 2010.  I’d been to Mt. Calvary once before on a Good Sam vestry retreat, when they were situated in the hills of Santa Barbara. Since their monastery was destroyed by fire a few years ago, they are now at the St. Mary’s Retreat House right next to Mission Santa Barbara.

The first time, I was completely confused by the way they chanted morning and evening prayer. This time though, chanting the psalms was weirdly like coming home. Not only that, but a peace descended over me that lingered throughout the day.

I loved evening prayer, and in a very unProtestant way, I loved the Marian hymn (song to Mary) sung at the end of Vespers even more. Compline and the Great Silence was just a beautiful way to end the day.  

Being on retreat there made me realize the importance of silence, and making that time to be present to God, and I’m trying (but not succeeding very well) to incorporate that into my daily life.

I wanted more of the chanting, and I wanted to live a life that is closer to God without having to constantly go on retreat. (Confessions of a Retreat Addict: 4 times in 6 months last year!)   

So I do what I often do -- read about it -- and decided that becoming an associate would be the way to achieve some of what I treasured while on retreat with the monks.

After a six month postulancy of living the rule I created based on the Order’s guidelines, I was received as an Associate in Santa Barbara at the end of May. It felt right, very very right and things fell into place in ways I did not expect. But more of that in my next post. 

Pre-Becoming an Associate Celebration on the St. Mary's Retreat House Patio

And if that's still not making sense, here's an article at the Huffington Post from another associate that may help.

What are ways you try to get closer to God?

My Friend Linda Went to Heaven

by Barbara Theiss, Parish Nurse

I have gotten to know and love Linda K. this past year and three quarters.  I remember going to visit her in the hospital right after her diagnosis of lung cancer was made.  We didn’t know each other then.  The Hospital Intensivist told her she had 3 months left to live.   Linda didn’t believe him and was set to prove him wrong.  She lived 1 ½ years longer than he predicted and she did it her way!!!  

Linda was an independent, sensitive, strong willed woman who loved life.  She told me she had enjoyed her life and wouldn’t have changed a thing.  She made good and long lasting friends.  Linda loved birds.  The first time I went to her home she had 49 and had previously cared for more.  Her apartment was small and sometimes the noise of the birds made talking difficult.  If I remember correctly, she had finches, love birds, canaries and a beautiful cockatiel named Merlin who she loved the most.  She taught me so much about birds and I was even able to see the love birds lay eggs, see them hatch and grow into lovely adult birds.  

Other little unknown facts about Linda I gleaned from our conversations and reminiscing are:

• Linda loved sports cars and actually owned a few.
• Linda was an avid jitterbugger.  She used to have all different colored panties to match her skirts because she loved to get flipped and twirled while dancing.  
• Linda loved to get really tan in the summers and said she looked pretty hot!  She stopped tanning when she was in her 50’s because she didn’t want wrinkles. 
• One of her favorite things to do while she watched TV was crayoning.  Linda had elaborate coloring books designed for adults and a big box of Crayola crayons with every crayon in line.  

Gosh, I can’t remember all the things we talked about, but I know Linda loved the Lord and all of the people at Good Sam.  She really missed seeing all of you when she wasn’t able to go to church anymore and would ask me how people were doing.  It was important to Linda that she get Communion weekly and enjoyed going to the Healing Service when she was able to attend.  She was an individual with set boundaries that couldn’t be crossed.  Linda was a private person and never wanted to be treated like an invalid or someone who was sick.  It was difficult for her to ask for or accept help.  

I’m going to miss Linda.  She was a neat lady and I’ve been so blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know her.  I know she’s partying now with all of her friends and family who have preceded her and she’s not suffering anymore!  

Celebration. Hope. Life.

by Leanne Shawler

Back in the beginning of May, two services, book-ending the week, really brought home to me how we celebrate life and have a solid hope for the future.

“Hope” used to be a wishy-washy word for me, dreaming of something not quite real, but that isn’t the case any more.

The first service was on the Monday and it was a celebration of Diane’s life. Diane, a Good Sammer, had died suddenly in April. I heard again and again, and found myself saying, that she was singing with the Lord in heaven. And I believed it. The hope of a life hereafter became, solid, real. In part because we at Good Sam often talk about the community of saints gathering with us each Sunday, and partly because I couldn’t imagine Diane anywhere else.

I think most people at the service on Monday believed it too, because we sang joyously and loud enough for her to hear us.  The San Diego Cursillo community came in force and their exuberant singing and clapping just lifted the place.

Which isn’t to say there were no tears or a feeling of bittersweetness. There were, of course, because we don’t get to see Diane anymore in this life.

At the end of the week, Saturday, I attended the wedding of our interim music director Tom, and his beautiful bride, Jennie. It was at Good Sam too, but as they’re members of the UCSD Newman Center, who share our space, it was a Catholic service. 

(c) 2011 Kristin Grinnell Photography

Both have the gift of music, but I didn’t expect the wedding couple to be so involved with the singing at the wedding. Jennie stood at the lectern and sang a beautiful piece from Song of Songs, to which there was a choral response. She has a gorgeous voice, but when Tom started singing back to her from the piano, I completely lost it and shed tears at the beauty and amazing love they expressed to each other.

click here to see the photo slideshow from their wedding (it takes quite a while to load, but if you click the little grey button bottom right that looks like a magnifying glass it will show you a lower resolution and thus faster). Jennie and Tom perform "This Little Light of Mine" (a different version from the traditional one) over the photos.

The joy just continued: the choir and musicians from the Newman Center, Tom and Jennie’s incredibly talented friends, all had a chance to share through song the joy and hope and promise of this wedding.

Made w/ Love Wedding Videography

And there were many tears shed too. My tears were tears were from the sheer beauty of the moment and of bittersweet joy, because Jennie has cancer, and so they’ve started their married life in one of the toughest situations a couple ever has to face. And they are doing it with such strength and joy, that I think they share the same solid hope as I do: that their marriage will last for many, many years.

Have you ever found joy in a bittersweet situation? Has hope ever become a real thing for you?