A Sad Anniversary

It’s almost that day, January 26, when my thoughts (and the thoughts of many others) turn to one who is missed: Holly Mitchek. Last year on the 10th anniversary of Holly’s death, I wrote this little piece. I didn’t think anyone would find it, but many did…her friends (even Rie in Japan!), her family, one of her coaches. It has reminded me throughout the year that Holly is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of so many. Her life may have been short, but she made a huge influence in her two decades.

A couple of years ago, Southwestern College was beginning a new project to rebuild and renovate the Mound. A couple of her friends decided that it would be appropriate to donate a paver in her memory. The picture of the paving stone above is the result of that donation. Most here on campus at SC don’t know the impact that Holly made on the lives of those who she loved and who loved her, but for those who do remember, we are forever impacted. I pray that those still left to tell her story will love as freely and as generously as Holly did.

Lord, thank you for Holly’s life and the many ways that she demonstrated love, joy, and compassion. I pray that those of us that were blessed to know her would carry on her legacy of joy and touch as many lives as she did. Thank you for the life that she brought to others around her.

A Remarkable Witness

I read this recent article in the UM Reporter and it struck me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's about a man who was formerly a staunch atheist and prominent Chemistry professor, so a dramatic conversion experience is pretty exciting in and of itself. But the thing that really grabs my attention is that he got his call to ministry in an academic community, attended seminary (my alma mater, so I'm sure that he got a fine education!), and then was appointed to pastor the campus UMC at the same university where he was a professor. Great job, Cabinet, for appointing him to a minister to the community that birthed him spiritually. I don't know if it was a no-brainer, or someone had to convince someone else that it would be a good thing, but as one who works with college students, I'm thrilled to see this!

An Experiment and a Plug!

I'm posting this below as an experiment (I guess I'm still a scientist at heart!).

Kevin Watson at http://deeplycommitted.com has started an experiment to see how much social capital Methodist bloggers have. This experiment was prompted by the feeling among some Methodist bloggers that United Methodism does not always do as good of a job as it could at getting the Wesleyan message out there, particularly on-line. So, he wants to see how many views a YouTube video can get if Methodist bloggers work together to promote it. The experiment is to see how many hits the video will receive in two weeks.

If you want to participate you can: First, watch the video below. Second, copy and paste this entire post into a new post on your blog and post it. Third, remind people about this experiment in one week.

Based on the results of the experiment, Kevin will get in touch with the folks at Discipleship Resources and let them know the ways in which Methodist bloggers are often an underused resource.

Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ISKTrScpzQ

Watch the video...the resource is a good one!

Sharing the Secret

Here's a thought for the day, or maybe for the year! It's a good reminder for getting off to a good start...

"Joy, which was the small publicity of the page, is the gigiantic secret of the Christian."

G.K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy (the chapter entitled, "Authority and the Adventurer")

How 'bout we share the secret in the new year? I'm game.