Category Archives: Inspiration

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Learning From Loss (Even Losses That Aren’t My Own)

It’s an empty feeling. The Green Bay Packers were 15-1 in 2011’s regular season. They were pretty close to prohibitive favorites to be Super Bowl repeat winners.

But it was not to be.

Those of you who are not sports fans may find it difficult to empathize or understand. But sports are an incredible reflection of life. I have always said that they are the ultimate reality TV:

  • You can’t predict it
  • It happens in real time
  • There is actual (not feigned) emotion
  • Games have a real impact on economy, media, and people’s lives

Subsequently, I probably put way too much stock and emotion into games in which “my teams” are playing. So after this evening’s Packers loss to the Giants I’m feeling sad, down, and empty. I’d like to tell you it will go away, but I still resent the Denver Broncos for defeating the Green Bay Packers in the 1998 Super Bowl. And, yes, I still resent the St. Louis Cardinals for defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series (thus, it was torture for me that the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers once again on their way to winning the 2011 World Series).

As much as I don’t like the outcome of today’s Packers/Giants game, it adds variety, interest, and spice to life.

So I have to cope with the loss. It teaches me that I have to cope with real life disappointments. Life is not perfect. It will not always go as I have planned. It will not always include wins and triumphs. Life has ups and downs.

But just like the Green Bay Packers now have to push forward, set new goals, and look to next year, so I must often do the same. When life’s losses come along in my life it is not the end. There is still tomorrow. There is still next month and next year.

As long as I am given life and breath I know that I have purpose to carry on and fulfill my calling. I have been endowed with gifts, talents, and abilities to do the things set before me…and sometimes even more than I think I can do.

A loss is a learning experience. I have to remember that. It teaches me to avoid things that have caused my failures and losses. It teaches me the things that have brought about failure.

I may not ever actually get over a loss, but it can give me motivation, incentive, and inspiration to improve, progress, and develop. I feel empty because of today’s Packers loss. I can only imagine how the players feel (sometimes I think they don’t care as much as fans do…but that’s another story). But hard as it may be, I will try to move on and be stronger.

How do failures and losses give you motivation and incentive to improve and get better?

 

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TOMS Shoes, Reducir Velocidad, Fast Pace, and Enjoying Life

My generous mother got all her grandchildren TOMS Shoes for Christmas. Every time a pair of TOMS Shoes is purchased another pair is given to a child in a third world country. That means that this Christmas, somewhere in the world, eleven kids who didn’t have shoes are now wearing them.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal. The first name for the company was “Shoes for a Better Tomorrow,” which then became “Tomorrow’s Shoes,” and finally “TOMS Shoes.” In The Wall Street Journal article Mycoskie said:

The best road trip I’ve ever taken was the drive down Chile from Santiago to Patagonia. While passing the most pristine countryside and glaciers, I came across an old rusted sign on the road that read “reducir velocidad” (“slow down”). I pulled over and took a picture because I thought it really meant something prophetic. I made 700 copies of that picture and sent it to my friends and influential people that support TOMS. People still tell me that picture sits on their desks and reminds them to slow down and enjoy life.

January is a very busy month for me…this year more than others. I am teaching a class at Concordia University — Wisconsin every day these first three weeks of the month, writing an Advent Series for Creative Communications for the Parish, and doing my best to stay on top of things with sermons, homebound and hospital visits, and worship planning. It’s very difficult for me to slow down. And enjoy life.

But as I sit here and reflect on this day my mind is slowing down my body and helping me to enjoy life:

  • I’m thankful for the opportunity to teach college students who are respectful and interested;
  • I appreciate their attentiveness and eagerness to learn;
  • I’m incredibly appreciative for the opportunity to be employed to do something I really enjoy: writing;
  • I’m blessed by the 95-year-old woman I visited today who loves the Packers as much as I do;
  • I look forward to worshiping together and sharing God’s Word with the people of Mt. Calvary;
  • I’m thankful for my health;
  • I love how long distance phone calls from my children during the day slow me down and allow me to appreciate them;
  • I look forward to dinner with my wife every evening, where we slow down, talk about our day, and appreciate each other.

Reducir Velocidad. Slow down. As the new year begins it’s so easy to jump right back into the rat race and forget the slow and simple leisure of the Holiday season.

Take at least a few moments to slow down and enjoy the moment each day. Don’t let life pass you by. Count your blessings. In the midst of the whirlwind find the calm.

When you take a moment to slow down, what do you most appreciate?

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How to Be a Hero’s Mother

Today’s post is a guest post from Shelley Tuozzo, the mother of a true hero. And if you ask me, she is a hero herself.

Shelley is both a member of our congregation and a friend. I wrote about her son Joey in this post. Since I wrote that post, Joey has been diagnosed with Costello Syndrome.

It has been a year of ups and downs (to say the least) for Shelley, her husband Joe, and little Joey. Joey recently turned 13-months-old. Last night he had a bit of a scare, so as Shelley waited and watched throughout the night, she wrote.

If you want to know how to be a hero’s mother, read on:

You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now. You see, I let myself believe we were on the upswing…that things were finally settling in…that I could stop holding my breath. And then tonight, while he was smiling and laughing, Joey’s blood sugar read 47. Joe didn’t believe the glucometer so he ran it again. 44. Crap. The crisis mode Shelley kicked in, following the checklist from our Endocrinologist – prepare a bolus feed of 20 ml, call the on-call Endo, and make sure we have the glucagon shot ready in case he crashes. He didn’t…or at least, he hasn’t. We’re in for a long night.

Then I got to thinking…I miss that Shelley – the telecom Shelley. The one who took everything in stride, who was ruled by logic and not emotion, and the one people would go to in a crisis to a) calm them and b) take care of the problem. Oh, that Shelley is still in there. And I still am pretty calm in a crisis and I still lead first with the logical side, methodically breaking down the big picture into small, solvable projects. It’s just that now I have MUCH less control of that emotional side.

I still have a “never let them see you cry” mentality and, with the exception of family, the Genetics counselor who gave me the Costello diagnosis, and my entire church who attended the service I spoke at, I’ve stuck to that. But even those glimpses still make me uncomfortable. Ultimately…because the problem always revolves, in one way or another, around my son…there’s more emotion there than I have ever felt in my life. And it’s funny I mention a lack of control…because I’ve realized how little I, in fact, have. Yes, the girl who could research, document, create a process, measure, and evaluate just about anything, now realizes she can’t control the world around her. And it sucks.

You know what else sucks? That my little boy has had so much to go through in his short little life. That so many pages in his baby book remain blank…he hasn’t rolled, he hasn’t sit up by himself, he hasn’t crawled, he isn’t walking, he isn’t talking. That he’ll likely never go to college, never leave home, never marry. I’ll never be a Grandmother. That he has to be scanned every three months to make sure there isn’t cancer growing inside of him. That I have met other mothers with Costello children who are watching their child suffer through cancer and I cry tears for them.

But then I stop myself and feel ashamed. You see, thinking like that only results in anger or tears and it’s a VERY selfish view. It implies that somehow we’re being punished by having to deal with Joey’s conditions. Yes, they all suck. But at the same time, he has brought us more blessing and more joy and more smiles than have been in our lives combined. I couldn’t be more proud of him, how hard he works at learning new things, and how far he has come over the course of a year.

The boy learns something new every week. And I think having him, with all his issues, makes us more appreciative as parents of what he DOES do and what he HAS learned. I spend more time praising him for things other parents might think are of no importance. I don’t want to miss a second with him because he might astonish me with his will and determination. And that smile…it will make you melt.

You know what’s great? That my little boy has so much more life in front of him to make up for the early suckiness. And that he WILL fill that baby book with dates…eventually. And that Joe & I will have more time to spend with him than the average parent. And that I’ll be the proudest MOTHER ever…and that’s enough. And that we have more opportunities to have serious conversations with God, asking him to take care of our little boy as he’s scanned and as we wait for results. And that I’ve met so many wonderful people who I otherwise would not have met if not for our very special child.

And now it’s morning. We’ve made it through the nighttime feed with perfectly wonderful blood sugar results. I don’t know that I would have expected anything less than this from Joey – to be the man of mystery. We don’t yet know why it happened, or whether it will happen again. If only I could control that.

I don’t usually do it, but maybe I should make some New Year’s resolutions (even if it is a tad late). I resolve to fight every instinct I have to plan everything out and instead take it one day at a time. I resolve to stop mourning things that were never mine in the first place and to appreciate every “little” thing that I do have. I resolve to make sure that I don’t take people for granted and that I have them know how much they mean to me. And I resolve to determine exactly how many kisses a 13 month old boy can stand in one day.

……………………..

If Shelley’s not a hero of courage, faith, and resolve, I don’t know who is.

Is there someone in your life who has shown these qualities?

 

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How God Renews Life with Every Breath

As part of a comparative religions class that I teach, I take my students on a field trip to a Jewish synagogue. I have a friend with whom I have worked in the community who is more than happy to share the basics of his faith and provide a tour. I’ve made this visit probably eleven or twelve times over the years.

This year our tour guide said something that really struck me. He told us Jewish belief is that God renews our life with every breath. It reminds them:

  • that each breath is a gift;
  • that life is fragile;
  • to “live in the moment”;
  • to recognize from where breath comes.

Take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The “good” is taken in and the “bad” is expelled. Every breath is new life. Breathe in. Breathe out. Life is renewed.

God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and human life on this planet began. With His breath, according to the Hebrew word ruach, God breathed into Adam His very Spirit. And on the cross, Jesus breathed His last so that for those who believe in Him, life will never end.

We are only a few thousand breaths into the new year. It’s a good time to remember:

  • that each breath is a gift;
  • that life is fragile;
  • to “live in the moment”;
  • to recognize from where breath comes.

God breathes His Spirit into us, like breath, week in and week out, as He breathes out His breath in public worship. It’s a good time to remember that through the breath of God’s Word public worship:

  • delivers the gifts of forgiveness, hope, and peace;
  • takes fragile lives, adds faith, and provides strength;
  • provides the purpose people need to “live in the moment”;
  • points us to the One who gives us life, breath, and being.

Take a moment right now to notice your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Now thank the One who gives you that breath. Take the time this week to receive a dose of spiritual mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in public worship. Your life will be renewed.

What does it mean to you that God renews your life with every breath?

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The Light That Lights Up the World

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Do you know who wrote those words? It was none other than St. Paul himself…the man who lived and walked in darkness; the man who persecuted Christians to the death; the man who thought that works could save him. He lived in the dark.

But then one day on the road to Damascus, the Light slapped him right in the face and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” His life was never the same. Sins forgiven, grace bestowed, new vocation, and the ancient world was set on fire for the Lord through the ministry of one man.

“Let light shine out of darkness,” said Yahweh, at the beginning of all time. And there was light. And there was life. And there was for Adam and Eve a perfect relationship with God…

…Until the darkness of sin entered their hearts and the deep darkness of death entered the world: Cain killed Abel; the nations built a tower and “babeled”; Abraham and Sarah laughed in the face of God’s promise; Moses murdered; David adulterated; Israel idolized. “Let light shine out of darkness!”

But the world had become so…very…dark. Not just the world…but all human hearts. And dark hearts led to the deepest darkness called death.

So God began to speak hope and light through prophets:

  • The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah)
  • Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
  • Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
  • Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. (Micah)
  • It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. (Zechariah)

“Let light shine out of darkness,” Yahweh said to a virgin named Mary through the bright and shining angel Gabriel. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” “Let light shine out of darkness.”

Then, on a dark Bethlehem night, Light caressed Mary’s face and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” That shining little face was a prelude to words that would later come from that mouth: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Light of the World was born for the express purpose of suffering through the darkness of this world, to suffer the punishment of sin’s darkness, and to suffer the deep darkness of death on a cross. But from the grave Light flooded the world and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”

Every time there is a baptism that very same light shines out of the darkness.  In some churches a baptismal candle is lit. It is given to the baptized, light touches the face, and a pastor says: “Receive this burning light to show that you have received Christ who is the Light of the world. Live always in the light of Christ, and be ever watchful for His coming, that you may meet Him with joy and enter with Him into the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which shall have no end.”

When light shines out of darkness, life is never the same. Sins forgiven, grace bestowed, new vocation, and family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers bask in the light of the Lord. “Let light shine out of darkness” on Christmas and always.

Where do you see Light?

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What a 4-Year-Old Taught Me, Continued

In my last post I recounted how a 4-year-old in my car taught me to appreciate what I have. He also inspired me to do what I can to help others. The boy inspired many readers, as well.

The very next day, along came his seven-year-old brother. The boy read me a story that left me with my mouth wide open. This story is by a young boy who is currently living under very difficult circumstances.

Read the words of a second-grader who is wise beyond his years:

Once upon a time there lived a kid named Jimmy.  He was very excited about Christmas.  It was 3 days until Christmas.  3 days passed already and finally it was Christmas.  Everybody was laughing, smiling, and joking, playing, and eating candy.  Except Jimmy.  Jimmy was very, very, very, mad and sad that he didn’t get any presents.  Then he went into his room, looked under his bed and found his Bible.  He started reading and reading.  By the end of the day, he was finished reading his Bible and then he knew what the true meaning of Christmas was.  Then he was laughing, smiling, joking, and playing.  He was very happy.

Out of the mouths…or pens…of babes.

I’ll ask again: What can you do today to help someone who is in need?

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What a 4-Year-Old in My Car Taught Me About Taking Things for Granted

The four-, seven-, and fourteen-year-old boys crawled into the back of my car. It was time to head to the 4K Christmas program at school. “Nice car, Pastor,” said the youngest. They bounced around and got their seat belts on as their grandmother climbed into the front passenger seat.

I was picking them up in one of Milwaukee’s rougher neighborhoods because they no longer have a car. It was stolen. Grandma and the boys live together with the boys’ parents. More than a year ago they were evicted from their rented home because they had all lost their jobs. Now they live in the house of grandma’s son. Let’s just say that there are less than savory characters around.

It’s been hard for the boys to keep up with homework and concentrate on school. There are too many distractions.

Grandma’s doing all she can to keep the family going. Mom and Dad now have jobs. But it’s difficult to find someone who will rent to them again.

It’s all they can do to keep the faith. Losing a house, a car, and one’s dignity can have that effect.

On this night, the baby Jesus was born at the Christmas play to bring some hope into the midst of frazzled faith.

After the angels twirled around, a shepherd dropped his stuffed sheep, and Christmas cookies were consumed, I took the boys and their grandma home again. When I dropped them off I thought about that one little sentence out of the mouth of a four-year-old: “Nice car, Pastor.”

You see, I’ve haven’t really been appreciating my car lately. Or the fact that I can make my mortgage payment. Or the food that I so easily put on the table. Or the fact that I have a way to pay for the new roof on my house.

I so often take it all for granted and fail to appreciate it. I want to do more to help others. I want to find those boys a decent place to live. I wish I could get them a new car.

I want to do all of those things, but know that I can’t. Most of all, I’d like to repair the faith that is faltering.

Only Bethlehem’s Babe can do that. He came to bring hope, faith, and love even into desperate situations. He came into the midst of poverty to make us rich. He came to experience death to give us life. Only through His cross is there hope when we bear our own crosses.

I pray that He helps them hold on. And I ask for forgiveness for taking my blessings for granted.

In the mean time, I will do what I can, when I can, to the best of my ability, to help make life easier for others.

What can you do today to help someone who really needs the help?

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10 Touching Moments of Christmas

The word “touching,” of course, has two meanings. One can touch a shoulder, or one can be touched emotionally. Let’s face it, this is an emotionally touching time of year. Traditions create memories. Family time is both refreshing and stressful, sometimes at the same time. The memory of Christmases past creates a warm heart, and sometimes a sense of melancholy.

This post is the last in my holiday series focusing on the five senses. We have heard, smelled, seen, and tasted the uniqueness of the Christmas season. It’s time for the fifth sense…as well as its emotional counterpart.

Here are five ways Christmas is enhanced by the fifth sense:

  1. The tacky touch of a hand held candle being lit in church on Christmas Eve.
  2. The poke of pine needles as you’re putting up the tree.
  3. Sitting in the glow of the lights holding a baby who’s wearing “footy” pajamas.
  4. Smoothing the table cloth one last time before the guests come.
  5. Christmas morning’s cool floor under foot as you make your way to the tree.

Here are five ways Christmas is enhanced by emotionally touching moments:

  1. A dark church lit only by candles, sitting closest to those you love, worshiping a newborn King.
  2. Memories flooding your mind as you unpack ornaments to decorate a bare tree.
  3. A father holding a baby in the glow of the lights, cherishing the all-too-short time that this child will be this small.
  4. One special night to sit around the table eating dinner with family  (and without other distractions) …never mind the stains on the table cloth.
  5. Exchanging gifts on Christmas morning that mean so much more than just items and objects.  They are an expression of love for one another, and a reflection of the Love born into the world to bear our flesh and be our Savior.
What is it that touches you during the Holiday season?
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Ten Tastes that Taste Like Christmas

So far in this little “mini-series” we’ve explored great (and not-so-great) sounds of Christmas, the scents of Christmas, and the sights of Christmas. Today it’s time to taste Christmas. This time of year has flavors to savor unlike any other.

It’s the season to ease up a little on diet plans and weight loss strategies. Save those for New Year’s Day. For now, enjoy (in moderation, of course!) the tastes that make this season one of the more palatable times of the year.

When I think of Christmas consumables, these are the ten that first come to mind:

  1. Spritz Cookies (here’s the recipe). Almond, vanilla, buttery, goodness. My mom has made these as long as I can remember. I now make them every Christmastime, in the shapes of Christmas trees and wreaths.
  2. Chai Latte. Non-fat, please.
  3. Sour Cream Cinnamon Coffee Cake (here’s a recipe). It’s our tradition to make it each Christmas Eve Day, and consume it Christmas morning while opening gifts.
  4. Christmas Eve salad with raspberries, walnuts, goat cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette. Delicious.
  5. Grilled Pork Tenderloin, rubbed with herbs and brown mustard, stuffed with mushrooms. One Christmas Eve it was 7 degrees, and I cooked it outside on the grill. It was well worth it.
  6. Brussels Sprouts. Yep, one of our family’s favorites. Make them like this, and I dare you not to enjoy them: Cut off the bottoms; throw them in a bowl; coat them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; salt them; roast them for half an hour at 425°.
  7. Peppermint. It really isn’t my favorite, and I might eat half a candy cane every holiday season, but I can’t help but think about Christmas when I taste it.
  8. Chex Party Mix. It’s not really a Christmas item, but it’s something I like to make around the holidays (and, don’t tell Chex, but I usually make it with Crispix instead). I love to have it around to snack on….and snack on…and snack on…
  9. Frango Mints. Although Marshall Fields no longer exists, these do. Chocolatey, minty, goodness.
  10. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups wrapped in Christmas-colored foil. Billie the Brownie comes to our house every Christmastime and hides these all over the place.

Christmas just tastes good, doesn’t it? 

What tastes like Christmas to you? What would you add to the list?

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Do You See What I See? 10 Sights That Say Christmas

You know as well as I do that it starts way too early. I already saw Christmas decorations in certain department stores well before Halloween. On the one hand, it’s proof of how materialistic holiday Christmas has become. On the other hand, it provides even earlier opportunities to talk about the Baby Savior of the world.

Over the past week we’ve discussed the sounds and scents Christmas. Today it’s time to savor the sights of Christmas.

Here are ten sights that say “Christmas” to me:

  1. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington D.C. (When we lived there it was our tradition to go to the Mall and see the tree every year).
  2. The electric candles that light up the windows of our house.
  3. A Charlie Brown Christmas on the TV.
  4. The Mickey Mouse “Tiny Tim” ornament on our tree (My wife, Tammy, and I bought it when we were on our honeymoon in Disney World).
  5. Makeshift Christmas Tree lots popping up in school and church parking lots.
  6. Hand held candles lighting up our dark church on Christmas Eve.
  7. The ice skating rink opens in downtown Milwaukee at Red Arrow Park.
  8. My mom’s perfectly wrapped presents under her Christmas Tree.
  9. “Star” light’s hanging over Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Avenue.
  10. The abundant collection of créches scattered around our house.

Do you see what I see? Or does your Christmas “look” different?

What are your favorite “sights” of Christmas?