Recapitulation of Original Event

 Good Morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I have a friend that goes back a long way.  In fact, he was my associate pastor in charge of families and counseling when I was inside the walls of the church, pestering my congregation. His wife ran our education department for both adults and youth. 

We had an incredible church, and we were an incredible team. In fact, students from the seminary would come to watch and see how we did church; it was a special time.

My Associate Pastor held a Master of Divinity along with a PsyD. His wife held a doctor of Education degree.  

When we had staff meetings, I was the idiot in the room and was very ok with that. 

Like I said, we were a good team. 

Time passed, and I was called out in front of the church into chaplaincy; Sigmond was working as a clinical psychologist, and Dana, Sigmond's wife, was a professor at a local college. 

A few years went by, and Dana was diagnosed with Breast Cancer; she fought hard and had the best attitude; eventually, she lost the fight and is home now. I presided over the memorial.  

Sigmond ended up in Texas, working as a university psychologist. I moved to Washington state with the YMCA.

Sigmond and I still call every week. 

We talk about all sorts of things; we talk about systems theory; we talk about depression and anxiety and how to help those with it. Actually, Sigmond does most of the talking, and I do most of the learning. 

Lately, we have been focusing on the Recapitulation of original event. Basically, recreating the original event in one's life. When this surrounds a trauma event, this can be a bad thing, and if someone does not do the hard work to free themselves of this, it won't go away; no, it will just get worse.

An example of this is a person who repeatedly ends up in a physically abusive relationship.

Another example is a person who had an angry parent growing up and then caused those in their life to be angry with them. The subconscious feels at home with this behavior. 

As we discussed recapitulation of original event, I began to wonder, then perseverate, and finally, ponder, how have caused the same thing in my life? while I may not be clinical, an observation that Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor and Frederick will disagree with, I pondered my life. I looked for times when I might have caused the behavior in others just so I might feel more comfortable in their presence. 

I will continue to look at this and try to change my behavior when I see it. 

As I  ponder this, I wonder if I am the only one who thinks about this stuff.

Do you think about this stuff too?

Let me know.

Something to think about.

Blessings,

Roger

I don't know how Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor can eat Limburger Cheese

 Good Morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I finally got a bread out yesterday, and Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor responded, "My platter is full; where is the cheese?" that got me thinking.

When I get to thinking, I start to perseverate, and when I begin to perseverate, ponding is sure to follow.

I started to ponder cheese.

I like cheese.

I like some cheeses over others. In fact, there are some cheeses that I just can't eat.  

Some Cheese I like with food.

I like American cheese on a grilled cheese sandwich.

I like parmesan cheese on my spaghetti; my granddaughter likes the parmesan cheese that comes in the green container best. 

She says, "That is the good cheese."

Some cheese I like all by itself.

• Tillamook Sharp cheddar cheese.
• Tillamook Swiss Cheese.
• Tillamook Pepper Jack cheese.

Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor likes to eat his cheese with wine. 

I get awfully tired of him eating Limburger cheese and whining about having to do something. 

I don't know how Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor can eat Limburger Cheese; I can't get past the smell. 

When I think of Limberger cheese and cheese that I just can't eat because of the smell, I ponder how smelly cheese is a lot like smelly conversations. You know the ones I am talking about. those are the conversations that you feel like you need to shower when you are done.

I have often been the recipient of smelly conversations 3rd party. Someone has a conversation with someone, and they get judged, shamed...and then they end up in my office, and I have work to do. 

I often wonder why people feel the need to do this to people. Oh, I know the easy answer; they do it to make themselves feel better. My thoughts go to what happened in their life that they felt the need to be this way. 

Have you ever been the recipient of a smelly conversation?

Have you ever had someone you love come to you after having a smelly conversation?

Have you ever been the initiator of a smelly conversation? 

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger 

  

Did you burn the Bakery down?

 Good Morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Yes, I know I haven't been around.

I have been getting messages like:

• Did the Bakery close?
• Did you burn the Bakery down?
• Did the oven break?
• Did you run out of yeast?
• Do you need help paying your electric bill? I actually said yes to that one. The response was, "Good luck finding someone to help you! Thanks, Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor!
• Did you sell to Flower Foods? Flower Foods that threw me. I responded, "Flower Foods; why Flower Foods?" I was met with, "Flower Foods makes Wonder Bread. I wonder where your breads went." Somebody told Frederick he was funny once; he has been living off that comment for years. 

The fact is I have been kept very busy doing Chappy work. 

The thing about Chappy work is that most of it is confidential, so I can't talk about it; well I could, but that would make me a terrible chaplain, don't say it, Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor. 

Some stuff I can talk about, like this really cool homeless ministry that is way out in front of other homeless ministries and actually fits nicely into what we do with our "Y" on the Fly program. They are actually pretty darn successful at getting people off the streets. 

I want to work with them, so I will.

When I was talking with them, their Executive Director asked me how do you hug Jesus? 

I gave him my best blank stare; I am good at giving a blank stare, just ask Padme. I always give her one when she asks me for help. 

He said Matthew 25. 

That is when I knew we were a great fit. 

Remember Matthew 25?

When I was hungry, you fed me.

When I was naked, you clothed me.

When I was sick and in prison, you visited me.

When asked when they had ever seen Him hungry, naked, sick, or in prison, He responded, When you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me. 

That is how you give Jesus a hug!

Have you hugged Jesus lately?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

I think I am getting a refresher course in patience from God.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I am currently on hold with the scheduling department; I am attempting to schedule an MRI for my shoulder. This process started in August of 2021. My insurance company, well, it isn't mine, just the one that I have been given from the organization that I am employed has refused the request from my doctor to get a picture of my shoulder so we can see why it doesn't work. Now that my shoulder has become asymmetrical, the insurance company finally gave the ok for an MRI. 

I called the hospital where the MRI is to be performed; more specifically, I called the scheduling department to schedule the MRI. 

After waiting on hold for 30-minutes, a scheduler came on the line. After the perfunctory HIPPA questions, we started the process of scheduling my appointment. In the middle of the process, I was disconnected. 

I waited about 5-minutes to see if she would call back, but she didn't, so I did.

I have now been on hold for 17-minutes. I am listening to some really invigorating music, only to be interrupted every 30-seconds with, "We are currently experiencing a high number of calls; please hold while we care for others."

While I am waiting on hold, bobbing my head to the invigorating instrumental coming from my phone, I thought I would talk with you.  

Oh, she just answered. 

Ok, I am back; she took my HIPPA information again and placed me back on hold. I wonder what the over and under is for me getting disconnected again?

I went to Camp Collins yesterday; I go to Camp Collins every Wednesday just to meet with staff and be there for those that want to talk. 

I was talking with Kaiulani and Hemlock in the conference room... 

Oh, she came back on the phone. She said, "I am looking up some days and times for you and will be right with you." 

Now I am bobbing my head again; in fact, I am now bouncing a bit on my bounce ball chair.

Back to Kaiulani and Hemlock, obviously, these are not their real names, but as you know, every story goes better with a name attached.

We were talking about life at camp, struggles, the blessings. 

I said, "I may just be a short, fat, balding old man, but" that is when hemlock said, "You're not that short." Kaiulani just shook her head in agreement with all of it.

I looked at hemlock and said, "Of the stuff to pick to make me feel better, you picked, "Your not that short."

We all had a good laugh.

By the way, I am still on hold. I am thinking about turning scheduling a procedure into a program, maybe calling it a Scheduling a Procedure Zumba class!

While Kaiulani and Hemlock have had quite the summer, they are in a very good place right now. 

It isn't always easy to get out to camp every week; it is a 45-minute drive from the Clark YMCA on a good day. 2-hours on a bad traffic day. I often don't get back until well after 7:30pm; since I tend to start my day around 6am, it makes for a longer day. 

Yes, I am still on hold. I have a time investment now. If I get disconnected now, I may have to go to camp and have Kaiulani and Hemlock give me words of wisdom. 

My job description reads, "Other Duties as Assigned." 

I am humbled and honored to be of service and help our staff be their best selves as they work diligently to create good humans out of little humans.

Just wanted to share.

I think I am getting a refresher course in patience from God.

The lady just returned on the phone and said I can do august 22.

I said, "You picked the one day of the month I am unavailable. Our Association golf tournament is that day, and it is mandatory attendance. I missed one once, and Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor made me sit in Frederick the Great office for a whole day, and he subjected me to his humor." 

I will never miss a mandatory meeting/event again.

She didn't know Frederick the Great, "I said I can introduce you."

she said, "No thanks."

Frederick, I tried. 

Well, I am scheduled for the 26th of August for my MRI! 

Have you ever had a time when your patience was tested? How did you handle it?

I have a saying, "It is not the challenge that defines you; it is your response.

Something to ponder,

Blessings,

Roger

   

I am poopy tired this morning!

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I drove our Mobile "Y on the Fly" bus to Ridgefield yesterday.

Last night was "National Night Out."

What is "National Night Out"? I am so glad you asked; in fact, I am glad for two reasons:

1. If you hadn't, I would have nothing more to write about.
2. I get to tell you about my yesterday!

"National Night Out" Is a community police awareness-raising event held on the first Tuesday of August every year; it is a big event in Ridgefield. 

Darryl, Padme, and I went to the event for two reasons:

1. To support the community of Ridgefield.
2. To raise awareness that we are building a brand new "Y" in Ridgefield.

We took our bus.

We took our "Y On The Fly" Canopy

We took our snow cone machine

We took our popcorn machine.

We took games.

We took giveaways.

We took staff to actually do the work.

Darryl was busy talking to dignitaries (Mostly Flo, he is still trying to get her to realize his name is not Bigfoot).

Padme was talking with community stakeholders and spent a considerable amount of time talking to a guy named Anikan, who was running a booth of his own.

I spent a considerable amount of time talking to myself; Have I mentioned it is loud in my head?

The people loved the snow cones.

People loved the popcorn.

People loved the giveaways.

Mostly, People loved that we were building a brand new "Y" in Ridgefield. 

They talked about how awesome the "Y" is. 

They talked about how they can't wait to get their kids into our programs.

They talked about how the "Y" will make their community, which is already great, even greater.

I am so proud of my family in the "Y." They truly are doing good in the communities that we are in.

I got home late.

I am tired this morning.

In the words of my sister, when she would say she was tired, and I would ask, "How tired are you?"

She would say, "I am poopy tired."

I am tired this morning but happy.

I love what I do!

Do you love what you do, and if not, why are you doing it?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

 

I am sweating in a interview

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I was sitting in my office just minding my own business when out of nowhere, one of the staff came in and said, "I am afraid of working out upstairs on the workout floor."

My chappy senses went into high gear. 

I know I might not be the brightest horse near the water, but the fact that she came into my office and said she was afraid to workout upstairs could be code for, "I need to talk."

I said, "Why are you scared to work out upstairs?"

She responded, "Body dysmorphia."

I pretended I knew what dysmorphia was and said, "Why are you afraid of ice cream even if you were? We don't have ice cream upstairs on the workout floor."

She said, "No, you idiot; I have bad body image." 

Still trying to cover my tracks, I said, "I know, I was just testing you."

I don't think she bought it.

I said, "Would it help if I went upstairs with you and we walked the track together?"

She said, "That would be nice."

We walked the track.

We walked and talked.

We talked and walked.

We walked for over 30-minutes. 

In the end, she said she felt much better and asked if we could walk and talk again sometime.

I said, "absolutely!"

I walked back down to my office to get ready for an interview. 

I am sure the other people in the room will be happy that I am sweaty from walking and talking. 

I love what I do.

Being there for people is very rewarding.

Have there been people in your life that would drop what they are doing to spend time with you?

Have you dropped what you are doing to spend time with someone in need?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

"Y on the fly".

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

It has been a few days since I talked with you.

I had a busy week, but a good one. 

A week full of hard things.

A week full of fun things.

A week full of signs and wonders.

During the midst of my week, the snow cone machine came in.

Archibald had requested a snow cone machine for the Mobile Swim Lesson program.

For so many years, we had been proud that we had such a successful summer lunch program and gave away free swim lessons to those who did not have the financial means to do a "Pay for Play" program. 

We serve thousands of meals and teach hundreds of kids to swim every summer at our YMCA.

Then God nudged me; God can be annoying sometimes.

God said, "Roger, why are you making people cross a food desert to get to a food oasis? Why are you asking people to cross a swim desert to get to a swimming oasis?"

God caused me to take a good hard look around and at myself. 

I got a bus and created the Mobile food and mobile swim lesson program. 

I called it "The 'Y' without walls."

When the entire association adopted the program, marketing got involved; the name changed to "Y on the fly." 

There is a reason I am not in marketing. 

We now take meals and swim lessons across the desert and create an oasis where those in need are!

All I need is a spot to park a short bus. 

All I need is a bit of water. 

The aquatics team and I have created a relationship with a properties management group with 14 properties across Vancouver. 

I asked him, "How many of those properties have a pool?"

He replied, "All of them."

We are in Ridgefield. 

We now have more pool space and participants than we have instructors. 

We are training like crazy.

The Mobile Food bus has grown into a true oasis.

We bring our Youth Development program; we bring our Healthy Living and Aquatics program across the desert and create an oasis where people in need are in the midst of the desert.

Moses crossed a desert.

Jesus spent time in a desert.

We are in good company being in the desert.

Do you have a desert where you live?

Is there someone that can help you in the midst of your desert?

Are you that someone?

Something to Ponder.

Blessings,

Roger