Finding Your Pinecone

Almost every day after I get home from school I put my little Cavapoo, Sydney, into her harness and we drive to our favorite park to walk the trails.  Sydney is now 7 months old. She is full of energy, attitude, and curiosity.  She is easily distracted and although she has been through puppy kindergarten and basic obedience, she is definitely a work in progress.

Recently on one of our walks, Sydney's attitude and demeanor changed.  At first, I had no idea what happened.  She was walking with a purposeful stride and remained focussed on completing the walk to return to the car. This is simply not her norm. Usually, she is roaming from one side of me to the other, sniffing everywhere, trying to eat every bug or speck she sees. Though she is supposed to be walking solely on my left side and not pulling hard, this usually never happens. On a regular day  I am in constant chatter with her, telling her to walk "with me", "ease up" or "heel".
However, on this particular day, she was doing all she had been taught in class (except for the pulling on the lead). When I had her pause to look up at me I saw she was carrying a pinecone in her mouth that she picked up along the way. Finding that one item, something of extreme interest to her changed everything about how she approached the task of walking.

After that first time of walking Sydney while she found and carried a pinecone in her mouth, she began doing this each day when we go to the park.  She acts distracted until we make it to the pine tree grouping of the path, then she sniffs and tries several pinecones until she finds just the one she wants to carry, after that she happily continues her outing, all the while holding her precious talisman along the way.
Sydney made me think.  Aren't we all on a distracted path in life until we find our pinecone?  Something we can really get our teeth into and carry with us on our journey.

In my life, I think I carry two pinecones, my faith, and my family.  My faith in God moves me forward along this road and keeps me focused on not only life here but eternal life ever after through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  My family provides care, comfort, and joy as I go.  Together these things make my life complete and keep me moving forward on my path.

Every day I work with students at my school.  Some have found their pinecones, they are focussed and happily moving ahead in their education and facing the world head-on with purpose.  Others are searching.  Nothing seems to suit their needs or wants as they rove back and forth along the path.
For those, I pray for peace and discovery.  That one day their special pinecone, the one that suits them best presents itself along the path.

My hope this Thanksgiving is that all might know their purpose in life, how to be their best selves. What motivates and inspires, what sustains and endures throughout the path walked. Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless your paths and your journeys upon them.

I've Seen the End of You

Few books have touched me in the way that  Dr. W. Lee Warren's powerful memoir, I've Seen the End of You has.  His accounts of his journey as a neurosurgeon, treating various forms of cancer, head injuries and other health problems illustrated just how tenuous life is and how important it is to appreciate each day.
I received Dr. Warren's book from Waterbrook & Multnomah as part of the launch team for an honest review.
Warren shares many of his patients' stories throughout his book. Each one touches the heart in a special way.  Some face their diagnosis with anger and denial.  Others with dignity as they teach a lesson in how to die well with faith and grace.  Warren explores his own journey as a physician and a man of God. Through most of his memoir, he stands as an outsider, looking in as he treats his patients.  Deciding with each one how he will approach the relationship as a doctor. Some he remains aloof, with a just the facts demeanor, yet others he is caring and personal.  He lets his years of practice and intuition guide him.  One commonality is his habit of praying before each surgery, asking for God's guidance and care to truly see what the patient needs and not allow himself to feel he knows.  A lesson he was taught as a resident intern and one he never forgot. 
I think the part of the book that moved me most was when personal tragedy hit his family.  When he became part of a club no parent ever wants to be included in, a child's death.  This struck me because as a doctor Warren was always the one delivering bad news, sad prognosis and complicated reports.  He was always the one with the information, not the one on the receiving end.  It reminded me that each of us is the one outside a trauma until something happens to us or our family.  We live in a fantasy of this won't happen to us, until our world comes crashing down and it does.  Warren shows us that no one is outside of tragedy and helps the reader feel his pain as well as his healing.  I strongly recommend Warren's book, I've Seen the End of You.  His story is timeless and placeless and one every reader can relate to through their own life experiences.

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