Resources and Reflections
Grandparents . . . Culture . . . Morning ritual . . . Mental clutter . . . A teacher's inspiration
(Unsplash - Shaylyn)
Ann Patchett tells the story of a conversation she had with her friend, writer Ann Slater. They began talking about the things they do when they can’t sleep. Patchett said her friend told her that when she can’t sleep, she goes to her grandmother’s house in her memory. She walks in the door, enters every room, and looks at all the objects, remembering them again.
Later, Patchett tried doing the same thing one night when she couldn’t sleep. In her mind, she went to her grandmother’s house. Now, each time she practices this, she remembers even more specific detail than what she could remember the first time.
After reading this, I began to re-imagine my grandparent’s house. First, my grandparents in Monticello, Arkansas. I remembered smells, the sound of the screen door slamming, and even the particular furnishings. The same was true when I remembered the house of my other grandparents in Searcy, Arkansas.
These are such good memories that remind me of simpler, but joyful times. They also remind me of good people who made a significant difference in my childhood.
Are there people whom you might remember and be blessed again by what they brought to your life?
This video lasts only 1 minute and 13 seconds, but is well worth watching. John Dickerson reflects on the importance of reading. See “Reporters Notebook: Morning reading ritual.”
There are two newsletters I subscribe to which might be helpful to any parent. See Jonathan Haidt’s wonderful newsletter and Jean M. Twenge’s newsletter, Generation Tech. Each of these newsletters can be very helpful to any parent who is trying to navigate some of the challenges with today’s smart phones, social media, etc.
From Everyday Pilgrim, see this excellent article by Trevor Hudson. The article is entitled: “Five Sentences that Have Shaped My Life.” Each sentence is outstanding and made me think!
From Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism). Note the value of writing things down. I love these images. Mental clutter can be exhausting!
See this powerful four minute video about Ian Wright’s teacher Sydney Pigden. (Wright is British, and a former European soccer player who later became a television personality.)
Wright described his school teacher Sydney Pigden, who taught him to read and write, as "the first positive male figure" in his life.[19] Having been incorrectly told that Pigden had died and believing it for many years, Wright and his former mentor were reunited in a 2005 episode of the BBC series With a Little Help From My Friends,[20] with the clip of Wright crying and hugging Pigden often going viral years later.[
Wright had mistakenly been told that Pigden had died years earlier. One of the most touching moments in the video is when Wright removes his cap, out of respect for his teacher. (Thanks to Alan Jacobs).
I formerly served as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to this, I served as a minister in various congregations for 36 years.
Much of my time is spent in conversation with ministers and other church leaders. I do mentor/coaching each week. I continue to teach and preach in various congregations by request.
I am a husband, father, and grandfather. One of my favorite things to do is to come alongside another person and encourage her or him.
My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging. — Jim Martin
