Great things are still happening

Thank you to everyone who is choosing joy, and choosing to spread joy!  

As we are finishing up Day #11 of the stay-at-home order in Kansas City, I am still seeing great things. 

For example: The University of Kansas Medical School is allowing more than fifty students to graduate early to participate in the Kansas Pandemic Volunteer Health Care Workforce.  This is a new program that will deploy them throughout Kansas as part of the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residencies for medical schools begin July 1.  These students already had to have their "match day", which is a hugely exciting day for those who have worked so hard to find out where they will serve their residency, at home.  And now, those who choose will be allowed to serve in areas around the country that are desperately in need of help until their residency begins.  

The kids have started their online schooling in our school district, along with many others this week.  The teachers and administrators have worked so hard in a very short period of time to make this happen.  At my house at least, it is going relatively smoothly.  Zach gets done what he needs to, attends his online zoom meetings for classes, is even tutoring a kiddo in algebra, and then spends as much time out at the soccer net in the backyard (by himself or with Anna) as possible. Arrangements have been made for his AP exam, and this is just the new normal, at least for now.

Sarah has done her assigned assignments, had a couple of zoom classes, and spends a lot of time drawing and creating.  She has made pictures and cards for people celebrating their birthdays during this time (mainly kids), and has enjoyed being outside while the weather is gorgeous. 

I made lesson plans for Anna loosely based on the "Choice Board" provided by the district for each day.  Other than an occasional question about where to find something, she just gets her work done.  Beyond that, she spends time every day out with Zach and the soccer ball, plays games online with her friends, and also has been in charge of drawing cards and pictures for birthdays.  One of her lessons this week was to read about acrostic poems and then write her own.  Here is hers:

I know it is hard on the kids to not be with their friends.  Heck, this week it has been hard on me to not be with mine.  It was fun on Sunday when we walked that we got to visit with some friends in the neighborhood (from a very responsible distance).   Until then, I didn't realize how much zoom and texts and phone calls just weren't cutting it.  I cannot wait until we are past this and I'm able to see and hug people again.  But, even in this, I have noticed great things.  Teenagers are out walking and talking with their parents. People are getting fresh air and exercise way more than before (granted, they could usually work out at a gym, but the Vitamin D is good!).   People are waving at their neighbors.  People are offering help and to pick up supplies when they are out for people that shouldn't go out at all.  

I encourage you to not get caught up in the negativity that is going around.  Yes, things are different, and hard right now.  People are very ill and dying.  Allow yourself to mourn...not just the illness and loss of people, but the loss of graduations, concerts, trips, job uncertainty or changes, loss of sports seasons, and everything else that goes along with it.  But don't allow yourself to get stuck there. Remember the positives and the good things still happening.

Finally, this Sunday is Palm Sunday.  It is the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  The people shouted "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!"  Not to spoil the story, but these are the same people who 5 days later would shout "Crucify Him!" when asked by Pilate what he should do with Jesus.  But don't worry...that isn't the end of the story either!  In case you don't know, 3 days after that, Jesus was risen from the dead!  But, these words from Luke 9:51 touch me every time.  "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51, NIV).  Jesus knew what was waiting for Him.  He knew He was going to be put to death.  And yet, He didn't grumble or complain or try and bargain with God.  Resolutely means in an admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering manner."  It does not mean begrudgingly or accidentally.   The words in the original Greek say "he steadfastly set his face".  

These stories can be found in the following verses  
Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44
The Last Supper: Matthew 26: 17-30, Luke 22:7-34
Jesus' Death: Matthew 27:11-66, Luke 23:1-56
Jesus' Resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12

If you need a Bible, please let me know.  If you want to read online, Biblegateway.com is a great site as you can read in different translations.  And there are also Bible Apps on your phone.  If you need help with any of this, please reach out.

So, as you prepare for Palm Sunday, Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, reflect on each peace.  And remember, Jesus purposefully chose to go to Jerusalem for you and me, in spite of knowing what was going to happen there.  I urge you to not skip over the days leading up to the resurrection, but to study each part. 

And, as always, I ask you to choose joy, spread joy, and continue to do great things. 

Don't just choose joy...a new challenge

For those of us in the Kansas City area (and now many other areas of the country as well, and I recognize other parts of the world have been going through this for even longer), today marks the end of day #4 of our stay-at-home order.  I feel like there has been a big shift in the population.  When I went to the store today for a few things, I washed my hands, wiped down my cart, got my stuff, paid for it from behind the plexiglass set up to distance the cashier from me, took my receipt, put my bags in my car, and washed my hands again.  I also took time to wave to a friend I saw in the checkout line, keep my cart to the very side of the aisle so people could pass as far on the other side as possible, thanked my cashier, the sacker, and the gentleman collecting carts from the parking lot.  Many people in the store look completely terrified.  They forget to thank and smile at their cashier and the people serving them, even though these people are risking their health to be there and continue to take care of our needs.  They glare at you if you try to share their aisle, even from a fair distance away.  There were very few smiles.  And yes, there is still no toilet paper, antibacterial soap, disinfectant wipes, and very few paper towels to be found on the shelf.  So please be sure we are still smiling at our neighbors and the workers still serving us in essential businesses, from a responsible distance. 

This week, we have been the recipients of some amazing things.  Wednesday, a friend brought us a momento of this year that he 3-D printed :)  Thanks Steve for making us laugh this week!

Another friend of ours brought us a box of magazines he thought Jason would enjoy reading and dropped them on the porch.

Anna's sweet teacher set up a zoom meeting for these 3rd graders to be able to talk to and see each other for the first time since they left for spring break on the 12th.

Today is Sarah's 14th Birthday.  She had been bummed.  14 is a tough age anyway, and to not get to celebrate with her friends, plus finding out two major events she was looking forward to have been canceled, and that our Disney trip might not happen (though we are still holding out hope), she was feeling down about her day.  But, our community stepped up.  One lovely friend brought her a vase of flowers and beautiful homemade card.  So many of her old teachers and friends of ours made videos of themselves wishing her a happy birthday, singing to her, or dancing for her.  She received literally hundreds of facebook messages and texts and calls from family and friends.   She has not stopped smiling all day.  Thank you for everyone who reached out during the week to make sure that her day was extra special!  (And she did chose Cracker Barrel for dinner, and a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert).

 Sarah at birth

Sarah today on her 14th Birthday

My college, where I attend nursing school, is also stepping up.  They are sending unused supplies (since they are closed and the nursing programs, respiratory therapy programs, and the like, have needed supplies like ventilators and PPE that aren't being used) to local hospitals to use.  https://www.jccc.edu/media-resources/press-releases/2020/03/college-donates-medical-supplies.html

These are examples of people not only choosing joy in this uncertain time.  They are choosing to help spread joy in spite of the fact that many of them are struggling with very real feelings of anxiety and fear.

So, my friends... that is your challenge today.  Don't just choose joy.  Spread joy to others.  Trust me...it will make a difference in your heart too. 

The Season of Lent

In the Christian Faith, Lent is the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. It is 40 days long and represents the 40 days of Jesus’ temptation and fasting in the desert.  Lent is meant to be a time of reflection and preparation for Easter.  It is a time for us to intentionally be reminded about our need for Jesus.

In much of the country, including Kansas City,  we are ordered to stay-at-home to help slow the spread of COVID 19.  People were already frightened and hoarding more toilet paper, paper towels and pasta than they could use in 6 months.  I am looking at this order as a way to intentionally reflect on my need for Jesus.  I am looking to Him for peace in the unknown.  I am looking to Him for some quiet in a normally busy life.  I am looking to Him to continue to change my heart so that when this season of Lent, and this season of uncertainty is past, I will remain changed.

This morning, Church looked different for my family.  We sat in our family room with the iPad hooked up through the TV.  Zachary was in his robe and pajamas and holding the rabbit.  Jason sat on the couch with his feet up with Odo in his lap.  Anna sat on the other side with Kira in her lap.   And Sarah sat on the love seat with one of the cats.  I am grateful for the Church staff and volunteers who made it possible to have service this way.  I feel like it is a good way to get out of the complacency that can come with going and sitting in a pew each week.

We went out to drop a first birthday gift at a friend’s doorstep for her son whose birthday party is going to look different this week too.  We got  the kids GraviTrax to play with, and the girls spent an hour and a half with Jason building today.  It is a fun way to spend some time, work on some problem-solving and physics.

And we also invested in a new goal for the backyard.  The goal we have is 12 ft wide by 6 feet tall (Zach’s goals are 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall).  Unfortunately, when playing, the ball often hits the neighbor’s fence, the house, goes over the fence into the daycare, or into the street.  This goal is 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall, but it also extends to 10 feet high and 29 feet wide as a backstop/rebounder.  It has been raining quite.a bit, but as soon as the ground is a bit more dry, Zach will put it up in the backyard.

We still choose joy.  We refuse to live our lives in fear and worry.  Or anger.  Or disappointment.  In the uncertainty, we chose joy.  In the disappointment, we chose joy.  God is big enough to handle those emotions too, and it is ok to feel them.  But, we still chose to live in joy.

Choose Joy, friends.

Joy doesn't simply happen

In this time of uncertainty, I wanted to be able to reach out and offer hope and ideas of ways to spend the time.  I am choosing to enjoy the fact that we will be forced to spend time together as a family.  With 4 kids (3 in the house), we are often on the go.  I'm in nursing school, my husband travels most weeks for work, my 17 year old plays soccer, my 13 (almost 14) year old does voice lessons and is often involved in theater at school, and my 9 year old also plays competitive soccer.  SO, while Zachary is bummed about not being able to play soccer at the fields with his teammates, attend goalkeeper training, and is worried his whole spring season will be cancelled, AND while he and Sarah both are sad about missing out on having birthday parties since they both celebrate this month, we are choosing to have joy.  We are exploring parks most days and taking walks.  (NOTE: we are not playing on playgrounds...just walking paths together.)  We are having movie nights.  We are playing board games.  We are purging closets and rooms and getting the house together.  Heck, we might even take down our Christmas Tree finally - or maybe not since is it already almost April.  I am having my kids journal each day about their thoughts and emotions, and how we spent our time.  We will be taking some "virtual field trips" as many places have opened these up including The Palace of Versailles, working on some cooking skills, and getting some good physical activity in. We will get more creative with maintaining relationships, though we are grateful that in this age, it is really easy to do.  We will get to know each other better.  And we will pray that when this all passes, we will remember how the communities bound together to support each other, and we won't take a hug for granted again.  In Psalm 16:11, David proclaimed "in THY presence is fullness of joy."  So we, as a family, are choosing joy in God, and through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

So friends, I ask you to Choose Joy with us.