The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

JUST BEING THANKFUL

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Listen, I’m always good for a full turkey dinner with all of the fixings and often get it at one of our local diner favorites, MY FRIENDS.
 (uhhhh yeah, I’m grateful for THAT, too)

D       E       L       I       S       H

So why not a little gratefulness with all of it’s fixings just because it gives more than it promises when you’re feeling it the most.          .          .

DO YOU KNOW THE GREATEST THING ABOUT BEING
THANKFUL.     .     .     ?
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THANKSGIVING TO BE
T          H          A         N          K        F          U          L
.            .            .SO WHAT ARE YOU
WAITING FOR?

Every once in a while, this song, Nilly Willy pops up on my playlist. It always stops me in my tracks. It usually guts me in such way that I don’t even know I’ve been filleted, but I also know I’m different because of hearing it.  I’ve posted this before but maybe it’s gonna pop up right now on this blog post today at a time where you need gutted or filleted  and you didn’t even know that you needed it but you’re so grateful that it happened anyway.

ENJOY.          .          .

From one grateful Caring Catalyst to another now grateful Caring Catalyst.

Enjoy, indeed.            .            .

Things I’m Thankful For By JJ Heller, David Heller and Melanie Penn

Morning light Starry nights There’s so much good in the world Happy songs Sing along These are the things I’m thankful for

Skipping stones Feeling known The click of my key in the door Summer rain On window panes These are the things I’m thankful for I would know just what to say if you asked me What my favorite is Of all of the wonder in all of the world You’re at the top of my list

Holding hands Weekend plans And finding out what love is for Open spaces Fireplaces These are the things I’m thankful for

I would know just what to say if you asked me What my favorite is Of all of the wonder in all of the world You’re at the top of my list

It’s how you keep Showing me Everything that I missed before But I see ‘em now Too many to count All of the things I’m thankful for These are the things I’m thankful for

LOVE IT HERE

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What a great song
WHAT A BETTER CONCEPT:
WE ARE ALL ADOPTED
in one way or another
traveling through this world as
one big family
each of us a member
trying to not only find our way
but be included in
A WAY
that’s far bigger than any
ONE OF US
but includes each and every one of us.                 .               .
What are you doing right now
purposely
intently
intimately
to include Others
.             .             .to show them
.             .             .to make Another
feel like they belong and that they are going to
L     O     V     E
I  T
H     E     R     E

 

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

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.          .          .And JUST LIKE THAT
it’s 2024
A NEW YEAR
Whether a new year fills you with excitement or dread (or maybe a mix of both!), the hope is that when you look back on 2023
there are too many wonderful moments to count
which serve has the greatest foundation
for new memories to be
m a d e.     .     .
ALL WAYS Remembering that

which are gentle reminders
between old and new years of

Letting us each know in between all of the Seasons
Past
Present
Prospective
“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
And may you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young.”
And may you stay forever young.”
Photo in New York, by John Cohen (1962)

Here’s hoping
the New Year exceeds your expectations
and a tad past your
i M a G i N a T i O n

 

A LETTER TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SELF

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With Proms mostly over and High School Graduations very much on the the horizon, somehow this song, these words seem very appropriate.          .         .

Letter To My High School Self (Be Kind) By JJ Heller, David Heller, and Ginny Owens

I’m writing you this letter ‘Cause I’ve walked in your shoes I hope that you will read this When you’re feeling confused

The hardest part of high school Is living in between The person you’re becoming And the kid you used to be

Dizzy from highs and lows You can’t see which way to go I’ve been there too Here’s what you do

Be kind Be strong Believe You belong Love God Work hard Just be who you are

You want to feel important But don’t be fooled by fame ‘Cause everyone who loves you Already knows your name

And when you have a house someday There won’t be trophies on display There’s so much more Worth living for

Be kind Be strong Believe You belong Love God Work hard Just be who you are

Let go of the last times Celebrate the first times And keep your heart wide open

Be kind Be strong Believe You belong Forgive Yourself Don’t be afraid to ask for help Love God Work hard Just be who you are.     .      .
AND JUST WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SELF
Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst.     .     .
THAT HIGH SCHOOL SELF
IS STILL HERE
Hopefully
L I S T E N I N G
L E A R N I N G
L O V I N G
(always loving, hoping for a little love in return and finding, having, keeping it)

ONLY TIME WILL TELL (TISSUES MAY BE REQUIRED)

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Only Time Will Tell By JJ Heller, David Heller and Andy Gullahorn

There’s not enough paper in this world There’s not enough ink to write it down No melody is sweet enough No metaphor is deep enough To describe the treasure I have found

I keep trying to tell you how I feel But I always come up short How beautiful you are to me But there aren’t enough words I keep trying to write a love song But it’s hard to say it well Love is a story that only time will tell

It’s one thing to say “for better or worse” And another when you find out what that means So much happens over time Some dreams come true and some will die How do you describe that kind of thing

I keep trying to tell you how I feel But I always come up short How beautiful you are to me But there aren’t enough words I keep trying to write a love song But it’s hard to say it well Love is a story that only time will tell

I’ve searched libraries And dictionaries Studied poets Still all I know is

I keep trying to tell you how I feel But I always come up short How beautiful you are to me But there aren’t enough words I keep trying to write a love song But it’s hard to say it well Love is a story that only time will tell Love is a story that only time will tell

PRETTY POWERFUL, STUFFS, huh, but not quite as powerful as the LOVE that’s shown here.  J J Heller, is an artist I’ve loved for a long time because the music that she and her husband, Dave create often create something in us, or at least shines a light on what’s been created and now needs some special noticing.

J J goes on to share, even more personally:

This video gets me every single time.

When we’re young we make vows imagining an easy and wonderful future. We say “for better or worse” even though we don’t know what lies ahead. We promise to be faithful, supportive and true no matter what. 

Making these promises is indeed an act of love, but living out this love in hospitals, worse-case diagnoses and late-night bouts with pain.. that’s a love on another level. A deeper, expanded love.

With that said, this beautiful video is dedicated to those fighting through intense physical challenges, and to those who love them fiercely and relentlessly.

A huge thank you to this brave couple who has allowed us to share part of their story with the world in hopes it will bring healing and encouragement.

And another giant thank you to Joy Prouty for capturing this sacred footage, both of their labor and delivery several years ago, and also of the recovery from a double mastectomy mere weeks ago. 

And thanks to Dave Heller and Andy Gullahorn for writing this beautiful song with me.

Love is a story that only time will tell. 🧡

Just one Question:

WHAT
OF 
YOUR 
L O V E.          .          .          ?

NEIGHBOR

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Neighbor By JJ Heller, David Heller, and Andy Gullahorn

Sometimes it’s easier to jump to conclusions Than walk across the street It’s like I’d rather fill the blanks with illusions Than take the time to see

You are trying to close the back door of your car You are balancing the groceries and a baby in your arms You are more than just a sign in your front yard You are my neighbor

I can get so lost in the mission Of defending what I think I’ve been surfing on a sea of opinions But just behind the screen

You are grateful that the work day’s finally done You are stuck in miles of traffic, looking at your phone You are tryin’ to feel a little less alone You are my neighbor

When the chasm between us feels so wide That it’s hard to imagine the other side But we don’t have to see things eye to eye For me to love you like you are my neighbor My neighbor

Oh, to fear the unfamiliar Is the easy way to go But I believe we are connected more than we might ever know

There’s a light that shines on both the rich and poor Looks beyond where we came from and who we voted for ‘Till I can’t see a stranger anymore I see my neighbor May my heart be an open door to my neighbor You are my neighbor

S O M E T I M E S
Music is more than MUSIC
and Words are more than
W          O           R           D          S

From the beginning of time the question has rung out,
sometimes louder than softer:
JUST WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
No matter what you say, You
SHOW THE ANSWER,
Person by Person,
Neighbor by Neighbor…
with this certainty:
It  just isn’t the person next door or across the street…
SO JUST WHO IS
YOUR NEIGHBOR.          .          .          ?

S E E I N G

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I See You By JJ Heller, David Heller, and Andy Gullahorn

I see you The summer sun reflecting off the stream The cardinal is shaking off its wings Near the water Where I wander

I see you The leaves gently lifting in the breeze A little girl with grass stains on her knees Runs to her mother Just to hug her

Every sunset is a stained glass window Every park bench is a pew There’s a sanctuary everywhere that I go When my eyes are open I see you

Standing in a crowded subway train Somehow when I look in every face It feels like family I’m thinking maybe I see you In the people who are begging for their food And the ones who pass them by in business suits Everybody Has your heartbeat

Every sunset is a stained glass window Every park bench is a pew There’s a sanctuary everywhere that I go When my eyes are open

I see the glory of the works Your hands have made I see the beauty in the sinner and the saint

Every sunset is a stained glass window Every park bench is a pew There’s a sanctuary everywhere that I go When my eyes are open When my heart is open I see you, I see you

Uhhhhhhhhhh
Songs are always more than just notes and lyrics
and no matter how hard they try
they usually make you feel
what goes way beyond what you
see or hear.            .             .
THEY CAN’T BE DIRECTED
on really experienced.          .          .
What I find utterly
A M A Z I N G
is not so much what I see
when I look at
SOMETHING
but what Others see
when we’re looking at the
SAME THING.          .          .
LOOKING AT THE SAME THING
ISN’T THE MIRACLE.     .     .
THE MANY THINGS SEEN IN ONE THING
IS.         .         .

 

 

 

NEIGHBOR (WON’T YOU BE MINE?)

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I grew up in Washington, PA just about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh in an age where you had 3 channels on the TV and the PBS Channel.          .          .and that’s the one that Mr Rogers owned; I usually would be ‘watching’ my two younger brothers before dinner as my mom and sister were setting the table and putting the finishing touches on our meal.

Just say the word, NEIGHBOR and the first thing that comes to my mind, is Mr. Rogers and his little jingle as he was changing into his sweater and getting into the meat of his show.

When I watched this new video by J J Heller it took me right back to our living room with the smell of meatloaf and mashed potatoes battling the warm smell of a cake my mom had baked and just freshly applied her whipped icing.

J J reminisces too:

“I watched a Mr. Rogers clip the other day that made me cry.

He said, “You know the toughest thing is to love somebody who has done something mean to you… it’s very important to look inside yourself and find that loving part of you. That’s the part that you must take good care of and never be mean to, because that’s the part of you that allows you to love your neighbor. And your neighbor is anyone you happen to be with any time of your life.”

I’m sure I won’t get it right every time, but I don’t want to stop trying.
I hope you don’t stop trying either.

“When the chasm between us feels so wide
That it’s hard to imagine the other side
But we don’t have to see things eye to eye
For me to love you like
You are my neighbor”

 

TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
sometimes scares a lot of
N    E    I    G    H    B    O   R   S
.            .         well,
because sometimes
we just don’t love ourselves all that good.     .     .
but here, now,
may we love ourselves and our neighbors better;
may we tune in
and hear a humble, sincere invitation:

GROWING OLDER

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T          H          I          S
quote by Mr Palahniuk,
Author of the FIGHT CLUB
isn’t the nicest or classiest way
to open up
A Caring Catalyst
Monday Morning Blog
about growing older
which some equate to
d e c a y i n g
d y i n g.            .            .

It’s like choosing:
YOU LOOK LIKE THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING
or
THE LAST DAY OF WINTER
and sometimes
we’re not doing the choosing.          .          .
So kick back
breathe deep
and exhale loudly
as you
W               A                T               C                 H
(I think you’ll agree, not just in this blog…but often THE ENDING is better than
THE BEGINNING)

THE ME IN ME

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It’s not the first time I have shared a J J Heller song/video on
MONDAY VIDEO BLOG DAYS
and no, it most likely won’t be the last. . .
I loved this for the same reasons
J J herself liked it:

“So I’ll sing a song that only I can sing – A melody nobody knows but me 
A million things I could pretend to be – Maybe the best thing I can be is me.”

When I saw  the film “Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable,” I cried. Her story stirred something in my heart. Her tenacity and courage in the face of all sorts of adversity is inspiring (to say the least). But I think what moved me most was her decision to keep surfing even after her accident. 

She loves surfing. She comes alive when she’s in the water. It’s who she is. 

So she made the brave choice to keep chasing what she loves. Even though it’s harder to surf with one arm. Even though there might be sharks in the water. 

Maybe you’re facing adversity right now, and it’s tempting to change who you are… to take the path of least resistance and pretend to be someone you’re not. 

But please don’t. The world needs who God made you to be. 


YOU HAVE A SONG TO SING!
 

Very special thanks to Bethany Hamilton, her team and Unstoppable – The Film for partnering with us on this music video. Thanks also to the lovely Joy Prouty for the footage of me singing my heart out on the porch and to Jilian Linklater for helping us write this special song.

. . .and so the only true thing that really matters right now
isn’t so much whether or not you like the video or even the song
so much as
YOUR RESPONSE

YOU ARE NOT ONE IN A MILLION. . .
there’s only ONE YOU
and it’s not only
E N O U G H;
but The World is in desperate need of
THE ONLY YOU
y o u
BRING–
THE YOU IN YOU!

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man