Friendship “A FRIEND is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.” George Eliot Mary Anne Evans (November 22 1819 to December 22 1880) was known by her “pen name” George Eliot.   She was an English writer and poet.   Unlike other women writers of the Victorian era, Mary decided to use a pen name to move from the stereotype of women limited to writing romance novels; having her fictional writing judged separately from being a well-known editor and critic; and, shields her private life from possible scandal seeing a married man. I am a collector of little plaques that have quotes about friendships written on them.   The quote above was inscribed on a tiny wooden one that hung from a wall in my living room.   I bought the plaque a long time ago at a flea market spons...

PENTECOST I am wearing red today and there is a reason as to why I do.   I wonder how many are aware of what today, Sunday represents. If you are Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, American Baptist, Methodist, or African Methodist Episcopalian you might be familiar with the Church Calendar and know what today is - Pentecost Sunday.   Pentecost Sunday is a “memorial,” a significant reminder to the people of faith that on this day, over two thousand years ago the gift of the Holy Spirit descended like “tongues of fire” upon the disciples gathered in Jerusalem in an upper room and they began speaking in tongues (other languages).   The writer of the book of the Acts of the Apostles tells of this event in chapter 2: 1-12.   The writer, Luke describes this event and the reaction of the people present on that day.   The people of Jerusalem including Jews from other countries that made their pilgrim journey to Jerusalem for Pentecost heard the d...

Paul & Timothy Today’s message at Grace Community Church brought forth memories for me. Both the message and my memory were “preparations” for a new experience. Both the message and my memory were based on Paul’s life lessons to Timothy and Paul’s charge to Timothy to “Preach the Word...correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience (long suffering) and careful instruction. In reading the Second Letter to Timothy you can feel the strong bonds and affection between Paul and Timothy. In fact, Paul once called Timothy his “son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). This bond I witnessed today as Pastor Doug Weygand gave his message. Yes, this message was for the congregation, encouraging us to be ready “in and out of season” to preach (be witnesses); this was for Pastor Isaac Ketner. I could hear “Paul” speaking to “Timothy;” a charge was being given. And I was remembering a dear Sunday School teacher, my “Paul.”  From 1981 to 1987, I was watching a man, George Faul who was t...

Digital Technology On my way to work this morning, almost everyone was looking at or texting on their cell phones, including yours truly.   There is really nothing wrong with this but, it can be quite irritating.   I got off the train this morning walking up the stairs behind one texting on his cell phone; watch where you are going, please .   I am walking the corridor trying to catch my next train and most of the people walking in front of me, behind me or beside me are looking into their cell phone scrolling through emails, texting or commenting on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram ; watch where you are going, please .   I am walking up the street to or from my office; people are on their cell phones.   Do not be staring into your cell phone or texting and then suddenly stop in front of me and I bump into you and then you turn around and give me “the look,” as if it is my fault; watch where you are going, please .  Most of us are habitual users of cell...

I am Skeptical On my way home from work, I take the Q train from Brooklyn into Manhattan.   A woman gets on the train wearing a white blouse, denim jacket and jeans.   This woman says in a loud voice, “I’m hungry.   I don’t’ have a job and I’m three months pregnant.   Can someone please help me?”   A few months later, wearing a pink blouse, the same woman gets on the train and says in a loud voice, “I’m hungry.   I don’t’ have a job and I’m three months pregnant.   Can someone please help me?”   I notice that her stomach looks flat and still she claims she is three months pregnant.   Yes, I am skeptical. This woman is only one of three that I usually see on the train ride home.   The other two are men; one will be in a wheel chair saying “I live in a shelter.   Any spare change, even a penny will help so I can pay for my bed tonight.”   I notice that he is able to get around using his legs and feet to “walk the chair”...

Walking Sticks I love walking sticks; especially those that are uniquely made.   I made my first walking stick in the late 1970’s out of a used mop I had.   I took the mop off, cut down the handle to size and used black bicycle handlebar tape to wrap around the mop stick.   I attached a bicycle handle grip to the top and a rubber tip for chair legs on the bottom; a nice walking stick, which today is a bit shorter than I am.   I used to show this stick to my dog, LeRay as reminder to “behave.”   I still have this walking stick. Just last week, I presented to a good friend John, my Ahijado (God Son) a walking stick which he requested I get for him during my “antique” browsing days with my Aunt.   John loves to go hiking but never had a walking stick to call his own.   John’s walking stick would make the second one purchased for someone other than myself during my antique browsing.   The other walking stick was purchased for my former s...

Faith is Required Among the four Gospel’s of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke is my favorite.   Although we call the Book of Luke a Gospel, it’s actually an account, a report written that validates what was heard by one named Theophilus.   The Acts of the Apostles, which continues where the Book of Luke ends is also written to Theophilus.   Biblical scholars do not actually know the identity of Theophilus but the name means, “friend of God.”   I am more readily inclined to accept that Luke’s writings were written to believers as a collective identifying them as Theophilus, “friends of God” (John 15:15; James 2:23).   Luke was not an Apostle but a physician who traveled with the Apostle Paul when he met him in Troas (Acts 16:6-12).   For me, Luke’s Gospel is “A Social Workers’ Gospel” because of stories highlighting people with whom many did not associate.   Every time I read the Gospel of Luke; I am reminded of my own experi...