The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

Would THEY Blacken Your Face OUT?

By Leave a Comment

Unknown

Would they blacken out your face if you left?

Do we matter THAT much?

We all want to be accepted, liked, LOVED!

It’s the innate yearning that’s more a part of us than the very first time we let out a cry.

For the second time in four years, LaBron James made a DECISION that literally has effected thousand of lives, not to mention his own and his family’s. Not just Cleveland, not just Miami, but the Country, the World was waiting for where LaBron was going to play basketball next. He made his decision last Friday and reactions were fierce everywhere. Anger in Miami. Pure Party-in-the-streets hysteria in Cleveland.

Why would LaBron be cause for such craziness? For such opposing reactions? LaBron stirs up the pot of emotions so much because he’s the best basketball player in the world. People love him and others just love to hate him. Psssst…that means he matters. He’s doing relevant, amazing things.

[Read more…]

In Line

By Leave a Comment

Unknown

Monday mornings are like that–BUSY–Especially In Line at Starbucks.

They came in right after me. Chase was looked like he was 3 or 4 and Estella looked like she was 6. She was quiet but Chase made Expresso nervous.

It looked like mom just wanted to get in and out of there. I ordered my drink and I was paying for it I saw her trying to shuffle through her purse and then her wallet and I added, “And whatever they want.”

Mom was a little stunned.

I said, “No, really. Is it ok if I buy the kids a couple of cake pops and your drink?”

She wasn’t a good Receiver. She tried to jam some money into my side pocket and I said, “Hey, let me be a little selfish. It’s really good doing nice things….”

She thanked me and then Chase piped up, “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Chuck. What’s yours?”

“Chase. You know, I have a truck named, Chuck,” he added.

[Read more…]

Bless the Beasts and. . . .

By Leave a Comment

images

Bless the Beasts and the Children…great song, an even better idea and an absolutely fantastic feeling.

It’s a simple question that has usually gotten me into a lot of trouble and sometimes much hurt:

CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET A LONG?

Seriously, it’s a question I ask with an immense amount of Compassion and apparently a lot more naivety.

I never could never understand as a child and now a past-middle-aged adult why we could just not get a long, why there were wars, fights, arguments? I guess I still can’t.

I have learned it many times as a Church Pastor, a Hospice Chaplain, a Team-Leader, a Speaker, an Author, a Husband, a Father, a Grandfather, a Friend, a Neighbor, a Person.

Listen, I’m not ripping the Pope. I have only heard what he said about Pets…but I still ask the same question as a dad and a pet owner of cats and dogs, and one time of lizards, geckos, a feeder rat, fish, hamsters, hermit crabs and yeah, even spiders.

I know, as studies have said, they’ve all made my blood pressure go lower and I believe, absolutely, higher at times.

I know I’ve told my dogs and cats things I’ve never told another human being.

I know I’ve cried when I have dug their graves in my back yard and laid them to rest.

I know. . . .

. . .and so do you!

So instead of some scathing attack of HOW DARE YOU’s or I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT’s or something(S) much worse and stronger…I’m going to emulate Molly, the dog I have laying beside me right now as I type this: I’m going to be loving, accepting, forgiving, cuddling, appreciative,

U N C O N D I T I O N A L L Y

I conducted a memorial service of a young hospice patient recently. She was a brilliant, caring, loving daughter, friend, lawyer, dog-owner. Shortly after she died, her dog died as well. Her vet said it was a broken heart. When the patient’s grieving mother asked me, hesitantly, embarrassingly, if I could hold a service for both of them this past weekend, I never paused when I said assuredly, “Absolutely.” Their ashes were mixed together in the urn, NEVER TO BE SEPARATED AGAIN….

I think when I grow up I want to be a little kid and/or his dog.

I want to believe, to accept, to love, to trust to love UNCONDITIONALLY just like THEM.

I want the Beast and the child in me to be Blessed…and I want to bless accordingly.

Uhhh, yeah. . .I have the naivety, the audacity, the compassion to think that could actually change the world…one pet, one child, one person at a time.

Join me!

Taking Back TRUST a DVD at a Time

By Leave a Comment

Unknown

It was suppose to be a simple trip.

A favor that turned into a furor!

Why do things go all ka-fluey when there’s just no reason for them NOT to go smoothly?

Don’t tell me: “JUST BECAUSE!”

Don’t tell me: “It’s a fate thing?”

Don’t tell me: “Mr. Murphy has moved next door and wants to be intimately close to you.”

Don’t tell me that sometimes when I look at something square on without blinking that I still can’t see if for the very life of me.

I went to the Redbox kiosk as the rain beat down on me like a war drum gone amok. I tried pressing the RIGHT buttons but, oh, no, Mr Murphy on a Christmas morn with an Easter sunrise, the Redbox machine was more frozen than an iceberg in January.

As I was ‘praying’ an unheard sanctuary prayer, a couple came running from their car to return their DVD and when I told them of the problem, they too joined me in this unholy litany to the Redbox gods.

And then, then it happened. I told them that I was going to go to another Redbox a few miles a way and if they wanted, I would be glad to return their two DVD’s.

They didn’t pause. They said, “Would you? That would be so nice of you.”

They shoved the DVD’s in my hand quicker than they could have ever done to that Redbox machine. And they ran back to the car faster than the next raindrop and were gone.

They trusted me. They trusted me with about $100.00 worth of their DVD movies. They trusted ME!

On the way to the next Redbox kiosk (about three miles) away, I was no longer mad at a favor turned bad. I was a little more humbled, a little more encouraged and validated.

What, what made them trust me? Was it the rain? Was it the baby crying in the back seat and wanting to get home NO MATTER WHAT THE COST? Was it my face? A kind offer that surprised/shocked them? Was it the frustration of a frozen Redbox machine? What?

What do we show people? How are we ultimately seen? Kind? Sincere? Compassionate? Trustworthy?

I can’t pass THAT or any other Redbox kiosk now and not ask myself those kind of questions.

Come on, there’s day’s when I do everything I can NOT to look my way for any reason.

Maybe this is a kind, a compassionate reason for all of us to be reminded, “It’s no longer enough just ‘not to be so bad,” but to be kind, compassionate, giving TO BE KIND, COMPASSIONATE and GIVING.

Maybe the “T” in Trust actually begins with an “I?”

Maybe we can actually ‘take back’ TRUST one DVD at a time. . . ?

Maybe THAT’S the special feature we all need to do more than just renting out or simply viewing…?

Maybe. . . .

Karma-Rific

By 4 Comments

photo

It was a simple gift from out daughter. Tickets to see Billy Joel in concert. They were “Cheap Seats.”
We didn’t care…it was nice to be out and see a guy I’ve followed since his first album to his latest work–including his only classical album, which most don’t even know exists.

I had to conduct a funeral. They went to the casino for a buffet dinner and a little gambling before the concert. We took two cars. I arrived first to the concert and went to our seats in the thin air section and within moments received their call that we had been granted FRONT ROW SEATS by a stage hand who was wandering the corridor giving out tickets to ‘ladies who look nice and aren’t afraid to dance.’

They told him about me, and even threw down the MINISTER card, (HOW COULD HE REFUSE, NOW) and he granted them three front row seats.

WOW!

WHY? Why them? Why Us?

[Read more…]

Through the Wringer

By Leave a Comment

images

A long, hard Winter will have you not only actively wishing, but dreaming about Summer.

You don’t always need a Winter, though, do you?

Growing up was always one of the greatest times of the year wasn’t it? For me, it meant that we could spend a whole week at my grandparents WITHOUT my brothers and sister.

I was King for a week during that time. I always got to pick the menu for the week, and lima beans wasn’t on it. I could pick out the flavor of ice-cream I liked the best and if I wanted to, I could stay up and watch Johnny Carson.

I always took the opportunity to tell my grandmother what terrible people my parents were; why they made me take out garbage, put my clothes in the hamper, make my bad and even had the audacity to make me do the dishes from time to time.

I remember asking my grandmother what terrible things her parents made her do, and she would tell me it was many, many tasks too horrible to describe, but one in particular, doing the family wash, was the worst because they didn’t have a wash machine. My grandmother would have to haul the family laundry into town, wait while it was being done, and then have to come home afterwards; an all day event, she bemoaned.

She told me she’d remembered very vividly when their neighbor was drafted into the war and he boarded up the house and moved his family in with the in-laws and asked my great-grandparents if they’d be so kind as to take care of some of the things they were leaving behind. Wouldn’t you know, one of them was their wash machine. It’s the kind you actually find out on the back porch of an antique store, the one with the tumbler and wringer. She even proudly displayed a nasty scar on her hand where she’d actually got it caught in the wringer.

She said, chasing that old wash machine across their dirt basement floor as it would shake, shimmy, spit, and spew suds all over the place was a kind of peace on earth–besides she could now do the family wash at her convenience and not for a whole Saturday.

[Read more…]

Smudges

By Leave a Comment

Unknown

W H A A A A A T?

You may be wondering why people have marked up foreheads today…some, you might be able to see as an actual sign of a cross and others are going to look like smudges that have been unnoticed and unattended.

Before you go with a, “Ummmm, there’s a big black smudge on your forehead,” card, just know that it’s Ash Wednesday, the official day of the 40 days of Lent.

Most liturgical churches celebrate the occasion, but it’s not ever found in the Bible as one of the “OTHER” Silent Commandments. There are some peculiar settings for the ritual, though.

Smudged Cross Wearers are not trying to show off today and or pronounce, “HEY LOOK AT ME, I’M A REAL CHRISTIAN!”

The Smudge is worn to remind the Wearer and the See-er of the Smudge, “FROM DUST YOU WERE CREATED AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN.”

Hmmmm, a nice way of saying, “DEAD-SINNER WALKING!”

But and it’s a rather Big, B U T, sporting the Smudge is actually meaningless unless there are some inner change that shows up outwardly much greater than the Smudge itself…and of the the two, this one hopefully is more noticeable and longer-lasting than the Smudge.

. . .For this, there is a Biblical Mandate from the book of Isaiah 58:5-7 and truly it transcends all Religions and becomes Universal because each Religion actually embraces:

“IS THIS THE KIND OF FAST I’VE CHOSEN FOR YOU, ONLY A DAY TO HUMBLE YOURSELF? IS IT ONLY THE BOWING OF ONE’S HEAD LIKE A REED AND FOR LYING ON SACKCLOTH AND ASHES? IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL A FAST, A DAY ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD? IS THIS REALLY NOT THE KIND OF FASTING I HAVE CHOSEN FOR ALL: TO LOOSE THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE AND UNTIE THE CORDS OF YOKE, TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE AND BREAK EVERY YOKE? IS IT NOT TO SHARE YOUR FOOD WITH THE HUNGRY AND TO PROVIDE THE POOR WANDERER WITH SHELTER–WHEN YOU SEE THE NAKED, TO CLOTHE HIM AND NOT TO TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?”

. . .So, getting Smudged may not be of utmost importance, wearing the smudge for a day, even less, but literally S M U D G I N G others with your kindness, compassion, care, UN-CONDITIONAL LOVE, acceptance, and assistance (FOR MORE THAN A DAY OR A SEASON OR A MERE OBSERVANCE). . .well now. . .

May I be the first in line to not so much offer my broad forehead, but my Open Heart!

Join me!

GET SMUDGED and SMUDGE UNCEASINGLY!

SMILE–You’re on Camera (ALWAYS)

By Leave a Comment

images

“SMILE, YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA!”

Sounds simple enough doesn’t it?

If you’re old enough, it was great entertainment, this show, Candid Camera with Alan Funt which ran from 1960-1967. It always caught unsuspecting people who were usually placed in confusing, impossible, embarrassing, ridiculous and hilarious situations, while their reactions were caught on a hidden camera.

Funny, what made for great entertaining, not-to-hurt-anyone-TV that ran for some seven years, once a week, is now a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 days a year event.

With Social Media and everyone having a Smart Phone, and NSA being accused of the modern day nightmare come to reality, Big Brother…we’re all movie stars…willing or unwilling and unsuspecting, aren’t we?

[Read more…]

A Gift

By 2 Comments

Dare I take up the next 6:19 minutes of your Life?

Dare you squander it?

Dare you Miss It?

Michael Pollack. You certainly know the name, right?

I didn’t know of him…never heard of him before 10 minutes ago.

Billy Joel.

I’ve liked his music since his very first song, “Piano Man” in the early 70’s.

I remember one story, because of his busy concert schedule, he was going to miss his only child’s, his daughter’s Birthday and she was devastated by the news…he was more so.

[Read more…]

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man