Pastor — The Jazz Man
The weather is changing in Carbondale. Storms are on the horizon and the temperature is supposed to fall. Yesterday I saw the most magnificent duck family and was able to take a few photos. The weather is in a state of unrest…much as our country… The decision is before child care facilities and churches and […]
The Best Seat in the House
A wonderful blog by Jonathon Brooks!
Do you have a favorite room or perhaps a favorite chair in your home? Do you sometimes discover a new favorite place to hang out around your house? I recently discovered a new reading room at my place. It is a wonderful room full of old photographs and collectibles. Years ago it was my grandmother’s bedroom.
In this room there are two golden colored chairs that match. I’ve adopted one of them as my new cool reading spot. The lights in this golden chair room are fantastic. I find it hard to concentrate on paying attention or reading in a dimly lit room. So this is a great room for me and my love of literature.
Take time to appreciate your favorite places or your favorite people or your favorite pastimes. The old saying goes, Live each day like it is your last. This is a pretty good statement. Although…
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‘There Is a Balm in Gilead’
I just came from another wonderful zoom church worship service! Pastor Kerry delivered a lovely message…and I pondered what a pleasant manner of sermon delivery, he has. After I attend Sunday morning church service…I feel at peace. There is a centering effect that the uniting of our church, has on me.
Carbondale has been having peaceful protests regarding the murder of Mr. George Floyd in Minnesota. I again emphasis…peaceful protests… I am not aware of as large of protests, in our town since the latter 1960s. These have been multi-racial protests and many white people walking alongside their African American brothers and Sisters! My good friend, Jamie Sheffer, created a wonderful video of one of the events. It brought tears to my eyes…it was inspiring! As one of the speakers said in the film…’We are one race!’
This morning a member of our choir sang the old hymn, ‘There Is a Balm in Gilead.’
‘There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.’
‘Sometimes I feel discouraged,
and think my works in vain,
but then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.’
‘Don’t ever feel discouraged,
for Jesus is your friend,
who, if you ask for knowledge,
Will never fail to lend.’
‘If you can not preach like Peter,
if you can not pray like Paul,
you can tell the love of Jesus,
Who died to save us all.’
The young man who sang this morning…blessed me! Jamie’s documentation of a profound event in our town…captivated my imagination…
We are experiencing the Balm of Gilead…in the midst of our suffering…and it is a good and precious medicine…
Dutch Baby! — The Jazz Man
Saturday has become, Dutch Baby Breakfast at the Brooks Ranch! The Baby is composed of; eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and vanilla. It is baked in the oven @ 425 degrees for 25 minutes…and it is heavenly! I am not a fan of pancakes…but Dutch Baby…is a different story! So, after a lovely breakfast comes a […]
Friday Fun! — The Jazz Man
So, we are venturing out! An al fresco lunch at one of our favorite restaurants is in our immediate future. They have a terrific assortment of burgers. It is a lovely day to contemplate the future. Two and 1/2 million jobs were created in May…to the surprise of everyone! There is good news out there…and […]
Calm In The Storm — The Jazz Man
MJ order us some tall porch chairs. When I say tall, I mean that I have to stretch a little to sit in them. I love them! I am accustomed to being compelled to fold my legs under me…in short chairs. I customarily seek the tallest chair in the room! It is raining…once again. Our […]
First Haircut
Summer has arrived in Little Egypt. Today promises to be the hottest day of the year. Along with the heat has come increased social activity. People are enjoying al fresco dining with social distancing and a law was passed, yesterday, that permits bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks to-go. The drinks are placed into a plastic container and sealed and must be housed in the trunk of your automobile…until you arrive at your destination. I bet you thought that we Southern Illinoisans would be imbibing as we leisurely walked the sidewalks of Carbondale? Remember this is Illinois…not New Orleans, Louisiana! When we visited New Orleans, a few years ago, we did enjoy an adult beverage as we toured Bourbon Street…and drank in the freedom…and the abundance of excess!
I felt like a child as I waited for my first haircut…in a long time. I first drove past my regular barber shop and observed several people standing outside the building awaiting their turn. I did not relish the idea of a couple of hours of standing. So, I drove by another shop, that I attend periodically, and they had provided outside chairs for the waiting customers. There were more stylist that I had ever seen in the shop. I noticed that when those that were in front of me, in the queue, went in…they were not there long. To receive a haircut you had to have a face-mask on, as did your barber. The young woman who cut my hair, stood several feet behind me until I was prepared for the event. Then the clippers did fly! It was almost like being surrounded by one of those cartoon whirlwinds that I used to watch when I was a boy. Soon it was over and it looked good. I paid and exited…straightaway!
I marvel as I read social media postings that make light of the fact that the news is currently covering the protests surrounding the murder of Mr. George Floyd, and not talking about the pandemic…. The protests and outrage are occurring simultaneously with the devastation of the Coronavirus.
Now that some restrictions have been lifted, it is not the time to gather in large groups without face masks. There is no solution for the virus until we have a vaccine. We are in the beginning stages of living with a virus that has killed more than 105 thousand people in the United States….And it has not taken a holiday!
The opening back up of facilities is complex. For business owners or those who are responsible for the safety and welfare of those who use their facilities…the burden is heavy. To say that we are in a new world…is an understatement! When a facility is reopened…the management is implicitly stating that they have done all that is possible to ensure the safety of their users or customers. To believe that a good faith effort or take comfort in the fact that your insurance agent tells you that you are covered…would be naive if you have not personally verified that the health and safety requirements are fulfilled…and that being on a daily…and perhaps hourly basis. Nothing about our 2020 pandemic is easy!
During my carer at Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale we maintained 4 child care facilities. I was either the assistant superintendent or superintendent of the operation for the majority of my time with the university. Although we maintained over 200 buildings…I considered the 4 childcare facilities that we were responsible for…at the top of my list for my personal attention. We had detailed plans for pandemic custodial maintenance in preparation for SARS. We regularly had all PPE equipment including HEPA vacuums for the purpose of the cleaning that is required for a university setting and the crucial care of our children…
I am happy to see our region beginning to return to some sense of normalcy. We have to start somewhere. But, we must not forget where we have been…and where we could return!
As We All Journey Joyfully Together
Here is a wonderful Jonathon Brooks Blog!
I finished reading a great book the other day titled The Hilarious World of Depression. The author of this book, John Moe, also hosts a popular podcast by the same title. The book was released earlier this month and I ordered my copy about four days after its publication date. It’s one of my favorite books read so far this year.
The book is a memoir with stories from guests on the podcast also. The podcast and the memoir are about talking about mental health issues that are difficult to talk about. I love books that address mental illness with hope and optimism and humor. I’ve known I have bipolar disorder (manic depression) since I was age 19. Since that age and revelation I’ve studied up on bipolar and I’ve continued to fight hard to have a happy life and share this joy with other fellow life travelers. Oh…
View original post 189 more words
As We All Journey Joyfully Together
Here is a wonderful Jonathon Brooks Blog!
I finished reading a great book the other day titled The Hilarious World of Depression. The author of this book, John Moe, also hosts a popular podcast by the same title. The book was released earlier this month and I ordered my copy about four days after its publication date. It’s one of my favorite books read so far this year.
The book is a memoir with stories from guests on the podcast also. The podcast and the memoir are about talking about mental health issues that are difficult to talk about. I love books that address mental illness with hope and optimism and humor. I’ve known I have bipolar disorder (manic depression) since I was age 19. Since that age and revelation I’ve studied up on bipolar and I’ve continued to fight hard to have a happy life and share this joy with other fellow life travelers. Oh…
View original post 189 more words
We Will Never Understand Each Other…If We Do Not Listen To Each Other… — The Jazz Man
It is another pristine day on the back porch. Zoom church was especially enriching this morning. I am proud that I am still batting 1000 in zoom church attendance, as I open my computer and join the meeting! We walked on campus earlier today and I, once again, enjoyed seeing families out…and some with lawn […]
via We Will Never Understand Each Other…If We Do Not Listen To Each Other… — The Jazz Man
The Happy Traveler 