Substitute Teaching

Each day is a day that God has given us, and each person we meet during that day and the places we go- each moment of that day is in His hands. The joy of discovering the world He has given us and the beauty of each day is further evidenced in the lives of children. As a substitute teacher within the public school system from time to time, my life intersects with many different students in a diverse backdrop of educational learning experiences- and I marvel at the simple yet complex nature of each person, the uniqueness of each moment and the adventure of each day.

Mother, the Generic Pain Antidote

Everyone experiences pain, especially individuals with a disability. My earliest memory in life, unfortunately, was a pain experience followed by the loving consolation and comfort of my mother diminishing that pain and then her smile and gentle touch. Without my mother, my childhood, ravaged with degenerative crippling arthritis would have been unbearable. She introduced me to faith in God. She encouraged the medicine of laughter and fashioned times to share and play with my father. His presence assured security. My mother's presence assured belongingness. They loved each other and me. Of this I was certain. But when it came to pain, it was the expertise of my mother. She was my nurse, doctor, and medical team. She was my medication and therapy. There was no cure for my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis but there was relief from severe pain. How do you spell relief? M-O-T-H-E-R
Mother I love you. This expression alone reduces pain. Thank you mother.

Logic

Friends can certainly make you think. Two statements pertaining to the age old question of What is truth? One profers that "Truth is a pathless land." Another that "Jesus is the truth." In my own experience, I have found that the veracity of a proposition is subject to proof upon a triable set of conditions. Within the set of these two propositons then there must be some reasonable logical intersection. In the absence of a mutual set, it is up to the individual to take their "leap of faith". First, let's explore for potential logic. In mathematical logic =existence is a quantifier, the "existential quantifier", symbolized by ∃, a backwards capital E. We must first agree that we exist.

To symbolize "four leaf clovers exist," mathematicians would first define predicates, P(x) = "x is a clover" and Q(x) = "x has four leaves", and then form the well-formed formula (∃x)(P(x) and Q(x)). The existential quantifier for truth would be the union of the sets P(x) "Jesus is truth" and Q(x) truth is a pathless journey (∃x)(P(x) and Q(x).

The path is not one that we can know of ourselves but does that contradict that Jesus may have found and provided a pathway for us? Truth is - the bearer of a concept lends to its meaningfulness. For Jesus to advocate that : "I am the way, the truth and the life " does not negate that apart from a guide - we may be confused and lost and the logical concession is that another may be our key to a life of hope, peace, love and truth. For me, that person is Jesus.

Jesus does provide a logical response to the truth inquiry.

The pondering - of this time - the blessings from God and the direction of the future have been on my mind. From the joys of priceless photo moments, family times, travels to Ohio, Connecticut and holidays, Christmas, New Years, Weddings, to the sadness of hard times - sorrows of funerals from personal loss of loved ones to financial loss is a reality of many, life is full. A courageous walk with God leads to life beyond my limitations, opportunities for service to others and tasks at hand. A courageous walk with God also fills my life with wonderful people. The collaborative support of my church family, my wife and sons, my mother, sisters and brother and their families, my friends, and colleagues edify and strengthen my resolve. People to see, places to go, things to do... life is full. Courage I am beginning to see involves appreciation of our God - and courage as a muscles of the heart re-charges as we rest up in His presence - a Sabbath day of rest - so that we may be renewed, ready, willing and able to get up and go. I do not want to miss out so for now I am resting and pondering.