I'll Grant You That

All my adult life, people have been helping me

Stephen Hawking

 I have had the privilege of reviewing grant applications 

Grant applications are more than just piles of paper, you know

These are the hopes and dreams of people

who want to help

From dancing lessons for kids who could not afford them

To transportation for seniors who were housebound

Someone said:

"Hey- I want to do something to help-

will you help me?"

And foundations kick in to gear

and committees are formed

and decisions are made

and people who want to help people

are helped

that is a good thing

and that's poetiquejustis

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, 

truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Matthew 10:42

Patience Unleashed

Endurance is patience concentrated

Thomas Carlyle

It has been a busy day around my desk

Phone calls, emails, meetings

The usual

And through it all

My dog has been looking out the window

An occasional sigh slipping out

but never losing her patience

you see

I keep promising a walk

But I keep getting busy

 and the leash remains in the closet

All day...she waited
and waited
and waited

And still gave me a friendly wag when I looked her way

I learned a lot from her today

When the phone would not stop ringing
and the emails kept buzzing
and the meetings never seemed to end

I would look at her

waiting....just waiting....
and I learned to have
just a little more

.

So, if you'll excuse me

I have an appointment

with a paragon of patience

and my very good friend

and that's poetiquejustis

But let patience have her perfect work, 
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:4

Deeper Pockets

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other

not in pity or patronizingly

but as human beings who have learnt to turn how to turn our common suffering

into hope for the future

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other - not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/compassion.html#w0Jq4osSxWkS8KgG.99

Nelson Mandela

Deep pockets

filled with money

soon gone

Deep pockets of the soul

filled with compassion

there for eternity

Places in your soul from which you can draw

Deep pockets carved from moments of your own pain and loss

Deep pockets of compassion

that refill with every outpouring

and that's poetiquejustis

 God has given each of you some special abilities; 

be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others

 God’s many kinds of blessings. 

1 Peter 4:10

Spooning out life

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons

T S Eliot

I gave up caffeine recently

Don't as me why

I just did

Statistics say that there are 100,000,000 coffee drinkers every day
 

so....

I doubt Starbucks is going to worry about my defection

The interesting thing for me is having to start my day

all by myself

No help from a friend

I have to actually get up

get out

and get moving


without - dare I say it?

 I got three invitations to 

"go out for coffee"

just today.

It's a conspiracy!

Jackie Chan said:

Coffee is a language in itself

I am beginning to think I am going to need an interpreter

So, as you sidle up to the espresso machine in the morning...

Think of me

I will be somewhere dozing in a corner

and that's poetiquejustis

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;

 in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 5:3
 

Do You Know What You Are Looking For?

What we see depends on what we look for.

John Lubbock

The world is full of paradigms

What you see is what there is

or is it?

Is it real because you see it, or do you see it because it is real?

Today-
Give people you have been judging a second look

Give your idea a second chance

You never know what you are going to see

and that's poetiquejustis

The eye is the lamp of the body. 

So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light

Matthew 6:22

Frustration Fatigue

Our fatigue is caused often not by work

but by worry, frustration, and resentment

Dale Carnegie

I hear the word "frustrated" a lot

It could be because I'm a professor

and my students are all juggling

work and school and home

at least....

I think it is coming out of my students mouth

 but it could be mine

I hear it so often 

that I did some research

Did you know that frustrate comes from the Latin word for disappointment?

So the next time you are frustrated

Take the time to figure out what's disappointing you

                                                                     and fix it
                                                        I mean- who needs the frustration?

and that's poetiquejustis

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me

Philippians 6:13

Improvements Heeded

To improve is to change

To perfect is to change often

Winston Churchill

To change a life

To make it better

To make it sing

To make it shine

today -

Make one life change for the better

Start with your own

And then reach out
and change another

That is real change

And that's poetiquejustis

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, 

and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18:15