The 12th Man

Posted on January 31, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

12thManFirst, let me make a disclaimer.  I’m the farthest thing from an ESPN addict or hardcore sports fan that you’ll ever find.   I do tend to follow Major League Baseball a little bit, but not enough to be able to name many of the players or memorize their stats.   I just like the game; I like the color, the characters, the sounds and the food.  I like the slow, relaxing pace of a baseball game and appreciate the requirement to only keep track of 10 guys at a time.  Basketball has 10 guys on the court, but they’re running all over the place.  Hockey has 12 guys on the ice, but watching it makes me dizzy.  Soccer has two teams of 11, or 22 on the field, but I don’t pretend to understand a single thing about soccer even though I grew up playing it with my Cuban friends in LA.  I tried being one of the 11 guys on a Pop Warner football team once.  Although I was very fast, I was also very skinny which made the game quite painful so I opted to hang up my jersey and become part of the “12th Man”.

The “Twelfth Man” is a term referring to the fans at a football game.  It was created in 1922 at a Texas A&M game when a basketball player, who had previously been on the football team, was asked by the football coach if he would suit-up, stand on the sidelines and be available to go in if needed.  E. King Gill did just that.  He never ran a play, but stood on the sidelines for the entire game and supported his team.  The student body was moved by his devotion and has taken up Gill’s mantle.  Texas A&M is now known as the “Home of the 12th Man” and the fans stand for the duration of the entire game.

The Seattle Seahawks’ fans have also become known as ‘The 12th Man”.  They are notorious for the amount of noise they can generate in support of their beloved team.  In fact, their noisy enthusiasm has registered on the seismometer at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network offices a block away from the stadium.  When the Seahawks beat Green Bay for the NFC championship on January 18th, the “Dance Quake” produced by the jumping, stomping and roaring fans registered between 2.0 and 3.0 on the seismometer at Seismic Network offices.  If you’re the visiting team, this has to have an effect on your morale, concentration and performance.  If the “12th Man” is taken out of the game – if the fans get quiet – the home team feels it.

Are you someone’s “12th Man”?  Everyone can benefit from having a cheerleader – an encourager – a motivator.  When you’re down, it’s far better to be hanging by a rope of many stands, than by one single strand from that rope.  The saying “there’s safety in numbers” simply means we feel safer when we have several others around us supporting us.  There doesn’t need to be a legion, or stadium full, of supporters.  In 1922, there was only Gill, but the Aggies had the right “12th Man” for the job.  They had the coaches, the team and the “12th Man”.  There might be an application for Ecclesiastes 4:12 here; “And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him.   A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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Water,Water Everywhere

Posted on January 23, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Fountain 2 with watermarkAn event at church last weekend got me thinking about water.  I listened as those who discovered and dealt with a waterline leak described the aqueous scenario.  Each of us listening related with our own plumbing mishap stories.  It was amazing how far the water had traveled by the time the leak was discovered.  The water was virtually everywhere.  Everyone was thankful the leak was found, and repaired, by church members coming to work at Glory Grille on Saturday, and not encountered two days later when the office staff came to work on Monday

The incident made me think of the quote “Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink” from the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” published in 1798 by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  If you’re into heavy metal music, the English band Iron Maiden has a nearly fourteen minute jam titled “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” on their “Powerslave” album.

The residents of California apparently share the Ancient Mariner’s water problem; the entire Pacific Ocean on their doorstep, but not enough to drink.  To remedy this, California draws enough water from the Colorado River annually to cover the entire state of New Jersey with one foot of water.  That’s a lot of water.  I know I can cover the entire kitchen floor with water just by tapping my dog’s 16 ounce water bowl with my toe.  Spilling a 12 ounce cup of coffee can pretty much completely cover the dining room table as well.  Why doesn’t the same thing happen when I’m trying to paint the house?  “The can says this gallon should cover 400 square feet….right.”

Have you heard the rumor that turkeys will look up at the sky during a rainstorm and drown?  This just isn’t true.  However, rescue school taught me a person can drown in a half an inch of water.  I know that’s right – I almost drowned from inhaling a mouthful of water while body surfing at Huntington Beach, CA. when I was 16.  I didn’t know I also nearly became a victim of “Secondary” or “Dry Drowning”.  This can happen if a person inhales a couple of ounces of water or survives a near drowning experience.  The lungs get infected and can’t get oxygen to the rest of the body.  Did you know you can also drown by drinking too much water?  That’s called water intoxication or hyper hydration.

Why is it that water seldom stays where we try to put it or does what we want it to do?   If we try to contain it, water evaporates.  If we evaporate water, it condenses and turns back into water.  If we push it up, it falls back down.  If we mix it with things, the water eventually somehow separates itself from whatever we mix it with.  We chill water and it warms up again by itself.  If we warm water it will quickly cool down.  Water can cut a canyon through stone and it can dissolve metal.  Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, but if we try to inhale the stuff it almost kills us!   Jesus changed water into wine, but we have yet to learn how to keep it from leaking out of pipes.  Given the persistence of water, I’d advise we stay close to a plumber and keep our lifejackets and paper towels handy!

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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I Choose Life

Posted on January 16, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

IMG_6168Do you remember the U.K. pop group “Wham!”?  George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley fronted the group.  I really enjoyed the video for their 1984 hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”  Maybe it was the light-hearted tone of the song or seeing everyone in the video wearing those huge t-shirts designed by English fashion designer Katherine Hamnett.  The shirts were screen printed with the words “CHOOSE LIFE” and “GO GO” in large, black, block letters.  I think there may still be one of those shirts in one of our dresser drawers.

In 1984, Hamnett’s “CHOOSE LIFE” design was directed as a statement against drug abuse and suicide but it was immediately embraced by Christians and the Pro-Life movement as a statement against abortion.  This may be in part because of the Bible verse in Deuteronomy 30:19 stating “ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”.  There are currently over two dozen states offering “Choose Life” license plates with more states grappling with legal challenges over offering them in their states.

On this 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I’m still stunned by how contentious the whole “pro-life” / “pro-choice” debate has become.  When a video gets posted on a social media site about someone saving the life of wounded puppy or someone blocking traffic so a mallard hen and her string of ducklings can get safely across the street without getting killed, the video instantly goes viral.  People donate organs to save lives, give blood to save lives and run into burning buildings and fly helicopters through storms to save lives.  We “Choose Life” countless times every day.  Even when life “chooses us” – like a tiny kitten showing up on our porch; a kitten we will have to feed, care for and live with for 15 to 20 years – we accept the choice.  I just don’t understand the disconnect which causes some to disrespect and reject the value and sanctity of the tiniest human lives.

Then on the other side of this issue are the lives of those who have consciously or unconsciously made the decision to end a life, be it the life of an unborn child, the life of a loved one, the life of an unsuspecting motorist or pedestrian or the life of an adversary.  In all of these cases, there is a need for understanding, compassion, love and even forgiveness.  The lives of those who have committed these acts have value and are sacred as well.  Unfortunately, often, all that is offered to them is judgment and condemnation.  Any chance for healing is lost and more lives are destroyed because of the imperfect righteousness of the self-righteous.

My hope is that we could all agree to “Choose Life”.  By that, I mean valuing, protecting and pouring love into the lives of those we disagree with, the lives of those who have made decisions resulting in the loss of a life and the lives of those vulnerable individuals who are unable to speak or act in defense of their own lives, be they of any age.  The Bible says “Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).  I find this especially true of my own sins.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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Where Are We?

Posted on January 15, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

you-are-here2Do you ever lose your sense of direction while shopping in an unfamiliar mall?  I find myself searching for one of those kiosks with the big map showing the layout of the entire place including a red “X” with the words “You are here”.  Sometimes though, I’m so lost I can’t even find one of those maps.  It’s at those times I have to find a security guard or go into one of the stores and ask for assistance to find my way.

Getting lost or not knowing exactly where we are can be stressful and even frightening.  That’s why those personal location and navigation devices like “Garmin” and “TomTom” products are such hot sellers.  If you have a newer vehicle with OnStar service or a GPS enabled smart phone, it’s very likely someone somewhere knows exactly where you are at all times.  When I was a navigator and working aboard ships, I was surprised how often the guys who worked down in the belly of the ship would ask me where we were.  I took for granted that I had windows and radar scopes and maps where I worked high up on the ship’s bridge.  I was the one who laid out our track lines.  I monitored our progress toward our destination and could recommend course changes to get us back “on track”.  To save the engineering gang unnecessary stress, I kept a large chart on the wall down on the mess deck where the crew ate.  I would mark our location on the chart a couple of times a day.  It seemed to make everyone feel better knowing where they were.

By using some trigonometry and geometry, I could use processes such as triangulation and trilateration to determine where our ship was on a navigational chart.  I needed more than just math to do this though.  I also had a desk full of plotting tools as well as equipment such as radars, sextants, alidades, compasses, etc.  All that stuff enabled me to produce a collection of pencil lines, or “lines of position” on a paper map – or – a “You are here” or “X marks the spot”.  Notice I said “lines”; plural.  One line of position is the same as being somewhere on a long highway.  A second, perpendicular line forms an intersection and places you at a particular point, one of four corners at an intersection on that highway.  Add one more line crossing the other two and now you have something nearly exact as an address, so to speak.  If an additional “line of position” didn’t confirm the other two or three, I’d throw it out as unreliable – or “off the mark”.

Sometimes we can feel like our position in life is somewhere along a long line and we yearn to know exactly where.  We ask others “Where are we?” and seek directions.  Depending on who we ask, the answer can take us toward our desired intersection or send us immediately off on a tangent angle away from where we were supposed to be going and may even run us aground.  Remember the Sirens from Greek Mythology?    No one knows your track as well as you do.  If you feel you need to adjust your course to get “back on track”, and go looking for recommendations, be sure to get confirmation from different angles.  Without confirmation, all you’ve got is just a line.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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An Epiphany

Posted on January 12, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

752px-Gerard_van_Honthorst_001I’m not sure what just happened; it all went by so fast.  We went to bed on Christmas Eve with gifts wrapped and neatly placed beneath the tree.   By noon the following day, our living room looked like it was hit by a wrapping paper tornado.  Most of the festively lighted houses went dark at exactly 12:01am December 26th.  Sunrise on the same day gave light to a scene of deflated Rudolphs, Frostys and Santas lying in yards up and down the street.  Radio stations even abruptly “Shook it Off” and switched format from Andy Williams & Bing Crosby back to AC/DC thus ripping us from the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and dropping us back in the middle of the “Highway to Hell”.

50% off “holiday” items and armfuls of gifts to return to the stores for refunds make me wonder – did anyone really get what they wanted if we need to return things for refunds so we can buy more things at half price?  Why do we put ourselves through it?  Shouldn’t the repeated annual post-holiday shock cause some kind of light bulb to come on in our heads?  Shouldn’t the pile of trash bags at the curb, the “String-along” black out and the deflated holiday figures bring us to some kind of realization or “epiphany”?  Maybe the whole 55 days from October 31st to December 25th isn’t about buying all the stuff we can add to the stuff we already keep in those red and green totes in the attic.  Could it instead be about the story portrayed in that Nativity scene on the porch of that church on the corner of North Jefferson and West State Street?  The Nativity display is easy to see if you’re walking past, but drivers hurrying on their way to someplace else might miss it.

Turns out that Nativity diorama has something to do with the other meaning of “epiphany” – the presentation of Christ to those who were led to him by heavenly signs.  Maybe that’s what will bring us to our own epiphanies; slowing down so we can see the signs we normally race past.  Most of us spend more time driving or riding at 35mph than we spend walking at 3mph.  I never walked much before I took my current job, but now I look forward to my daily 10K hike.  The people portrayed in the creche were going on much longer walks back when we flipped our calendars from “B.C.” to “A.D.”.  The shepherds in the fields walked only about two miles to Bethlehem after angels told them about the birth of Christ.  However, Mary and Joseph walked about 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  The ancient astronomers from Persia walked at least 800 miles to Bethlehem as they followed a new star.  I think the pace of their walks allowed them to absorb the significance of what they would discover at the end of their journeys.

What are we running after anyway?  To where are we walking in such a hurry?  This Epiphany is an opportunity to understand why the Magi would follow a star; an opportunity to slow down and discover what we’ve been missing; an opportunity to stop running and to finally arrive.  Arrive where?  At a place that’s always been inside of us; a place that calls us home no matter how far away we’ve been; a place where the King knows our names.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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Regifting

Posted on December 29, 2014 by curtsavagemedia

inflatable_fruitcake_tin

Regifting; I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know that I’ve ever done it.  Apparently, there are rules of etiquette one should follow when regifting.  The Emily Post Institute says regifting is alright in the right context.  They advise an item should be regifted only if it’s brand new and in its original packaging.  The gift shouldn’t create an awkward situation when given; it should be something that the recipient would actually want.

Protocol expert Louise Fox says gift givers should be very cautious when regifting; that we should never regift heirlooms or handcrafted items.  Again, Fox agrees with other etiquette experts in saying only regift if the item is something you would have bought the recipient because of their tastes or likes.

So – name the gift that immediately comes to your mind as a regifting candidate.  Fruitcake, right?  The poor fruitcake receives the brunt of most Christmas gift jokes.  Next would have to be that awesome sweater with the tags still on it that lies in the bottom of your bottom wardrobe drawer.  Third place would go to the personal fragrance gift that caused your cat to run away when you opened the package last year.  Last place would go to the objet d’art given by one of your youngest relatives; that nice, life-size piece that won’t stand up by its self and is too heavy to hang on a wall.

There.  I think we just broke every regifting taboo spoken of by the Emily Post Institute and Louise Fox.  Sometimes though, I think it’s appropriate – even important – to break the regifting rules, especially with reference to heirlooms, handcrafted items and yes – those objets d’art.  Friends have given me gifts that were given to them by others who were known by both of us.  These things are some of my most treasured possessions because of their sentimental history.    I had a neighbor who received a 1955 Ford pick-up truck as a Christmas gift from his father and then gave that same truck to his own son one Christmas.  How wonderful to pass along a gift while still alive to enjoy the act of giving!

This might be where regifting becomes a little confusing; maybe even counterintuitive.  Why would you want to give away something you really wanted to keep?  Come on; admit it.  Haven’t you, at least once, bought something to give as a gift and ended up liking it so much that you decided to keep it for yourself?  I’ll ‘fess up.  I bought an R/C car for someone’s gift, got home from the store and took the car out for a spin – strictly a “test drive”, then put it back in the box and wrapped it.  Guilty.

Then, there was this unique gift I was given.  I didn’t ask for it.  I thought about refusing the gift because I just didn’t think it was me.  I put it aside without even opening it.  I didn’t try to regift it because it would just be too awkward to give to someone else if I didn’t like it myself.  After a few years, some life events provoked me to find the gift and open it.  The gift was a bible.  What I found inside was everything I ever needed but couldn’t find elsewhere.  I can give The One I found in this gift to others but never lose Him.  He always remains with me.  That’s why Jesus is known as “The Gift That Keeps on Giving”.  Merry Christ-mas.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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Oh-Oh Christmas Tree

Posted on December 18, 2014 by curtsavagemedia

Christmas Tree On CarWhenever I cut a live Christmas tree, I remember an escapade from over 30 years ago when I was in the service.  We were all away from home and feeling a bit bummed-out.  Spray can snow and Christmas lights taped-up around the barracks windows just weren’t making it the “most wonderful time of the year”.  Bah-humbug was beginning to take hold.  My friend Mark & I were sitting in our room listening to music when there was a knock on the door.  A couple of the gals from upstairs wanted to know if we would get our guitars and play some carols to cheer them up and get them in the Christmas spirit.

Pat was missing her family’s Christmas traditions.  She told us about how she and her dad used to trudge through the woods, cut down the perfect tree and then pull the tree on a sled through the snow back to the house.    Dianne was a city kid like the rest of us and recalled how fun it was when tree lots turned parking lots into mini forests in the middle of the city.  We always chose a tree that was so big it would almost cover our little car when we tied it to the roof!  We all thought having a Christmas tree would improve our moods, but the four of us didn’t have enough money to put together for a tree lot tree.  Just then, Mark and I looked at each other and the “light bulb” came on.

We jumped in my old pick-up truck and headed for the woods.  It didn’t take long to find some nice trees that were close to the roadside.  We cut a third tree to put in the OPCEN, but I took a corner a little too fast on the way back and the extra tree flew out of the back of the truck, rolled all the way up a driveway and bumped hard against the front door of a house;  I smiled and felt like Santa Clause for just a moment – “Merry Christmas random tree recipients!”  Back at the base, we left our tree in the truck and dragged the biggest tree upstairs and into Pat and Dianne’s room.  After a little trimming and adjusting, their tree looked beautiful in its stand.  We left the girls to their decorating and went back downstairs to make space in our room for our tree.

I don’t think 5 minutes had passed when we heard blood curdling screaming coming from upstairs!  Mark and I nearly fell over each other as we raced from our room and up the stairs.  The commotion was coming from Pat & Dianne’s room.  We burst through the door to find them holding onto each other while screaming and jumping up and down on a bed.  We quickly located the source of their terror.  There were dozens of spiders descending from the pine and crawling on the carpet in every direction!  Mark stomped spiders while I took the tree onto the balcony and threw it over the rail.  After spraying for spiders and then hosing the insecticide off, the trees were finally free of their Halloween ornaments.  To this day, every time I hear the song “O Christmas Tree” I can’t help but think about the time I unintentionally delivered a “pre-decorated” Christmas tree that brought a whole lot more than just “joy and glee”.  We had our own nightmare before Christmas 10 years before Tim Burton’s movie premiered!

© 2014 Curt Savage Media

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Candlelight

Posted on December 11, 2014 by curtsavagemedia
candlelighting

Photo Courtesy of Emmanuel Church, Boston

Have you ever been in complete darkness; that pitch black, unable to see your hand in front of your face kind of darkness?  It’s a weird sensation; probably similar to blindness.  I’m not afraid of the dark, but I must admit I don’t like the sensation of being blind.  Before the advent of tiny flashlights, I used to carry an old Zippo lighter that came in very handy if I found myself in a dark place.  There was just something beautiful about the little flame that chased the darkness away and restored my vision.  Nowadays, there’s a smart-phone app for that.

It’s amazing how much darkness a small, solitary flame can displace.  I guess that’s why they called it “candlepower” in the late 1800’s (candela since the late 1940’s; one candela is the luminous intensity emitted by one common candle).  A candle doesn’t produce a glaring, bright light; just a flickering, but persistent, warm glow.  I purchased interior paint for our home and had it tinted in a color called “candlelight” because the color was so “warm” compared to the standard bright white hues.  Candlelight is like “comfort food” for the eyes.  Candles create a sacred and comforting atmosphere.  A single candle burning nearby on a cold night also provides a surprising amount of heat.

I think that’s why I love the Advent Season more than other holidays; because of all the candles used at Christmastime.  There’s more to candles than just physical beauty.  Candles are symbols of faith, hope and perseverance.  Their light commands the darkness to flee from every dark corner.  At this time of year, when there’s more night time than daylight, any extra light restores my spirit.  Imagine the first Christmas.  Israel was experiencing a very long night: 400 years of silence since the last prophecies illuminated the coming of the promised Messiah.  Suddenly, a new, unusually bright star appeared for the first time.  That heavenly light pointed the way for royal travelers to find the infant king their seers had told them about.  This baby was the candle that pierced the darkness and grew up to become the light of salvation for all mankind as is written in Matthew 4:16 “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

There’s a story about a father who gives each of his three sons an equal amount of money and instructs them to find a way to fill the family barn completely.  The son who can fill the barn will inherit the homestead.  The eldest brother buys straw, but his money only buys enough straw to reach the rafters.  The middle brother uses his money to buy sacks of feed, but he can only buy enough to reach the tops of the stalls.  The youngest brother buys a candle and, after cleaning out the barn, places that candle in the middle of the feed trough and lights it.  The light from the candle fills the entire barn and pours out of the windows, illuminating the night.  If you’re stumbling in the dark or feeling empty, reach out for the light spoken of in Matthew 4:16.  Let Jesus be the light for your path; the light that fills and saves your soul and the light that chases the darkness away.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media                                                                                          notwordsalone.wordpress.com

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“Show Me” Thanksgiving

Posted on December 8, 2014 by curtsavagemedia

Service AreaI hope you were able to spend Thanksgiving eating delicious food with family or friends and recounting and reflecting on how blessed you are.  A great deal of work goes into preparing the traditions that families observe at their gatherings.  But what about when it becomes impossible to prepare and traditions fail?  How can we still show our thankfulness?

Some friends of mine know how to be thankful even in the midst of a disaster.  Missouri is called the “Show Me” state.  In May 2011, Joplin Missouri was struck by a devastating tornado.  They got hit hard, but they showed the world they weren’t down for the count. Within an hour of the twister’s passing, rubble was being cleared and survivors were being rescued and victims recovered.  Within a few days, basic services were being temporarily restored and business that could still operate reoriented themselves into service centers providing assistance to tornado survivors.

My son and I made a disaster assistance trip to Joplin in early June 2011, about two weeks after the tornado.  The level of coordination and cooperation and the sheer amount of clean-up and recovery that had been accomplished by residents and volunteers was astounding!.  The newspaper headlines read “You Are Not Alone”.  The locals I spoke with definitely weren’t defeated.  Yes, there were more than 150 dead – many of them children.  Yes, a large portion of the town had been leveled.  But – these people were not spending any time feeling sorry for themselves.  There was no complaining. Instead, my early mornings at the local pancake shop were filled with people telling me how blessed and thankful they were.  The only ones who seemed concerned about what the future held were the children.  They wondered if there would be a Christmas now that their houses were gone.

Communities in and around Lawrence and Mercer Counties, and from even farther away, took on the mission to guarantee that Christmas would indeed come to Joplin, Missouri that year.  The rental of a large truck was donated and that truck was filled with donations of all sorts of gifts, Christmas decorations, storage containers and even a few surprise items.  My friends Chad and Kevin joined me and we drove that truck to Joplin, Missouri.  We were there at Thanksgiving, giving gifts and decorations from the back of the truck while residents observed the six month anniversary of the terrible tornado.  I still heard no complaining, no blaming, no hopelessness.  Of course there was grief over the devastating loss, but there was also unquenchable hope – even thanksgiving for Divine providence.

A makeshift dining tent was set-up over the site where a church had been destroyed – the pastor and worshippers had died there.  The place was called “God’s Kitchen”.  A local electrician donated the electrical service panel needed to power the lights and the dozen crock-pots and warmers filled with food donated by and served by area volunteers; they did this for several months.  A Navajo friend of mine made a giant turkey smoker from several barbecue grills and duct work recovered from the wreckage.  I played guitar and sang encouraging songs to the scores of recovery workers and tornado survivors who poured in every day.  It was difficult to tell exactly when Thanksgiving day was.  We were busy working every day from sunrise until long past sundown and all we ever heard was thanksgiving.  My friends in Missouri really showed me what Thanksgiving was all about.

© 2014 Curt Savage Media                                                                                          notwordsalone.wordpress.com

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Giving Thanks

Posted on November 30, 2014 by curtsavagemedia

Snow PlowWith Thanksgiving Day upon us, Christmas shopping is just around the corner.  My wife and I were talking about how her mom used to take her to Heggy’s Nut Shop in Canton to pick-up boxes of chocolates to give as gifts to various individuals who made their lives easier – like their letter carrier, news paper carrier and garbage man for example.  Evelyn also used to make trays of cookies or brownies for people who helped them with things like plowing their garden or clearing their snow.

Our parents taught us to show thankfulness by their example, but it seems they were much better at remembering to do so than I am.  I must admit I take way too much, and way too many people, for granted.  I enjoy the benefits of what they bring to my life without my giving much thought to showing them any appreciation.  This thanklessness becomes more common with each successive generation.  During winter, we try to keep an eye on the walkways and steps around the home of a neighbor lady.  To show her appreciation, she makes gallons of soup, home-style pizzas and huge boxes of Italian cookies for us.  It’s a good thing my uniform pants have stretchy waistbands!  Just like my mother-in-law, my wife tries to make sure our family remembers to say “Thank you” to those who bless us – and there are SO many to remember!

Our public servants, such as our emergency services and waste and recycling workers, do their jobs – usually while most of us are sleeping – day in and day out.  Along with them, I can think of many other folks who deserve appreciation for improving the quality of our lives, even though they’re “just doing their jobs’.  Without their services, our lives could get very complicated or very bland very quickly.  While watching my daughter practice for the Christmas play at First Presbyterian Church tonight, I thought about those who teach us and our children.  I also thought about those who play the beautiful music we enjoy.  My pastor suggested thanking school bus drivers.  Good idea. I thought about the city’s “Flower Bomb” crew who water all of those beautiful flower baskets that hang from light poles all over downtown in the summertime.  With the recent snowy weather, I thought about the city and PENNDOT snow plow drivers.  And of course, a certain librarian is near and dear to my heart.  There are so many more whom we should be thankful for.

Giving thanks is a habit that can be learned over time if we are intentional about it.  Giving thanks doesn’t need to be done only at Thanksgiving either.  Try this challenge; keep a note pad handy and write a note with a name or vocation every time someone does something that helps you or makes your life better.  Buy a box of blank thank you notes and intentionally go down your list, writing and giving someone a note every time you’re blessed or helped whether it’s the person who filled the pot hole at the end of your street, the person who cleans the bathrooms where you work or go to school or church, or even a family member who has been kind or helpful.  Giving thanks to so many others will actually cause us to realize how richly blessed we really are!

© 2014 Curt Savage Media                                                                                 notwordsalone.wordpress.com

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