Roy’s Sunday Letter for December 8, 2024
** In Paris, Norte Dame has been fully restored from a destructive fire five years ago. Artists and craft persons used historic and new materials throughout the restoration. The language changed from artist/craft persons to Companions, expressing the ownership felt by all committed to returning Norte Dame to France and the world with awe and more awe.
- Golf’s PGA has formed and empowered the “Creator Council.” The members of the Council will recommend approaches to improve Fan Engagement. My thought would be, what if, school districts, churches/worship centers, and local governments convened “Creator Councils” to engage, improve, include, and strengthen common purposes, how we could be a more welcoming, higher performing society?
** Vending machines are common and simple to use. The Church of Latter-Day Saints have placed Giving Machines in public locations around DFW. With your debit or credit card anyone can select shoes, toys, children’s book, clean water, eye exams, food, even chickens or a goat. The Giving Machines are rated well as a true and secure approach to donating to groups and causes worldwide. My training and experience in fund-raising somehow did not include vending machines.
- World-wide companies produce 23 billion pairs of shoes annually which have a terrible environmental impact. Fast Feet Grinding, a Dutch firm, has developed a process of recycling the complex components of a shoe, they recycle 3,000 an hour or 1 million a year. The recycled materials are transformed to yoga mats, playground safe surfaces, and more.
** Local elementary, middle, and high schools have always had their educational purpose and achievements weakened or challenged by student food scarcity, home violence, neglect, disabilities and language barriers to teaching and learning. Disregarding these barriers, there are parent and legislative associations pushing one faith, Christianity, for inclusion by the classroom teacher and in their lesson planning. For a classroom educator to stand before students with the, ever present, complex issues all pushing for space in their words and thoughts, is a role I am not confident I would be successful.
The Sacred and the Relational. This is the season to extend your Candle of Light & Hope to your family, work, place of faith and friends. My hope is to remember those being left out, left behind, or no longer seen or heard. We connect today digitally, by social media, conversations, with perhaps a note or a combination. The “feel good” is being connected, supporting a cause ” to make a difference,” creating your own difference making. Turn on your Light, be the Hope in someone’s world.
Roy, extending my Light and Hope to one and all
If I was still in the classroom I would be teaching to “love your neighbor” as I always did. Religion does not belong in a public school classroom. There are teaching experiences each day that give children a love of their fellow man. Wednesday night, UCC will be having Christmas Angels Wrap Night; 375 bags will be filled with shoes, coat, jeans , sweatshirts, toy, a book and a Bible. They will be distributed by the counselors at 12 chosen schools. That to me is the best that religion has to offer, Hope, for a child that has very little.
I learned the phrase “put legs on your prayers” early on.
You and your UCC peers are showing us your faith truths in real ways.
If “religion” was going to be applied to food scarcity, neglect, hands oout to build up then OK.
If to be used as one more pay attention or else pounding then no.
So, keep your Light of Hope glowing as you always have and will always do so.
RB
Love all these companion building examples all leading to diverse and wonderful communities. Thank You, Roy.
I find the gift of a loving gentle word, a kind gesture, a smile, a word of kindness, compassion, a ear to listen, can move mountains and heal souls now and in all seasons. Thank you Roy for another week of connecting………
What we continue to learn and relearn and relearn again is we are at our best with others, combining hearts, gifts, and even a Thanksgiving dinner.
In life there can be the big stuff,,,,we most remember and then repay the small stuff. Of course, there is no small stuff with real people in real time.
On the patg together, all 5 of us! Roy
Valuing the words, thoughts, and limitations of others will be even more difficult Jan.20.
Communities are being developed in new ways.
The decline in religion participation does not mean the desire for community has declined.
Stay tuned, Nre faces. Different values on the horizon……we cling together, the only way.
RB
Vending machines are a unique idea – but is this outreach? Never have figured out why NGA need to provide the services that a government should provide. Yes, in the short run, it would initially cost taxpayers more, but in the long run, reduction of crime, drug abuse and other disasters which stem from poverty would make this a cost-effective measure. We can no longer proceed as a “Great Nation” if the top 1% of the population has 90% of the wealth.
We are but passengers on the Jan.20 train of shredding government participation in problem solving and services.
So much of what our generation fought as good, is now called bad by incoming faces and agendas.
I thought fund raising in this spin off was unique and seemingly effective.
Stay tuned….our service world is changing under your toes……Roy
You continue to amaze me with your gift of observation and sensitivity to the needs of all. Keep your great heart for the underserved and your voice to articulate how we can all improve our abilities to be of service.
We share the path, distorted though it is, with faces and stories we may know and faces and stories we do not.
There are limits with all of us….time, dollars, gifts, energy, hope.
For me, once “I see” action of small or larger follow.
Not easy to know what is best.
Trust heart and spirit, know what is or is not my role.
We figure it out together……..Roy
YOUR LIGHT and BETH”s LIGHT are beacons of HOPE and provide the space to imagine something different—-more kind, more loving, more up to date. Leaning on past successes of community building and looking forward to creating a future filled with love. I am forever grateful to have you in my life. I shine a light from Santa Fe to Fort Worth. See it?
X/O
LM
We all share the shade and the brightness of Light and Hope.
You do so by visioning future days, connecting resources, those ready for serve and those ready to receive.
Different paths….Same path
Together, however connected.
RB