Doc Meek

Posts Tagged ‘self-involvement in learning’

DANIEL’S GLOVES, by Richard Ryan, Assistant Pastor, Old Capitol United Methodist Church

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street.  There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’ My heart sank.

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor.

I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car. [See the rest of the story in the P.S. below.]

Thank you, Pastor Richard Ryan, for being forthright and diligent!

Doc Meek, Fri, Apr 8, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me:  ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor.

‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked.

‘Not really,’ he replied, ‘just resting.’

‘Have you eaten today?’

‘Oh, I ate something early this morning.’

‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’

‘Do you have some work I could do for you?’

‘No work,’ I replied ‘I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.’

‘Sure,’ he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions.  Where you headed?’

‘   St. Louis  ‘

‘Where you from?’

‘Oh, all over; mostly Florida .’

‘How long you been walking?’

‘Fourteen years,’ came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet  clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that  was startling He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red  T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending  Story.’

Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona.  He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God

‘Nothing’s been the same since,’ he said, ‘I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.’

‘Ever think of stopping?’ I asked.

‘Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles That’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.’

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: ‘What’s it like?’

‘What?’

‘To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?’

‘Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.’

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, ‘Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.’

I felt as if we were on holy ground. ‘Could you use another Bible?’ I asked

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. ‘I’ve read through it 14 times,’ he said.

‘I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see’ I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

‘Where are you headed from here?’ I asked.

‘Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.’

‘Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?’

‘No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.’

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

‘Would you sign my autograph book?’ he asked. ‘I like to keep messages from folks I meet.’

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I  left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, ‘I know the  plans I have for you, declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you  and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a  hope.’

Thanks, man,’ he said. ‘I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.’

‘I know,’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ ‘The Lord is good!’

‘Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?’ I asked.

A  long time,’ he replied

And  so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new  friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been  changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, ‘See you in the New Jerusalem.’

‘I’ll be there!’ was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, ‘When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’

‘You bet,’ I shouted back, ‘God bless.’

‘God bless.’ And that was the last I saw of him.

Later that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them… a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: ‘If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two h ours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. ‘See you in the New Jerusalem,’ he said.  Yes, Daniel, I know I will…

‘I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I  shall not pass this way again.’

– Richard Ryan, Assistant Pastor, Old Capitol United Methodist Church, Corydon, Indiana, USA

Thursday, April 7, 2011. Today I am so grateful for parents who teach in small ways and children who learn in small ways. Both end up big in my eyes, and the result is big in lifelong benefits!

Re-shingling image from: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/roof/maintenance/reshingle/prep/tear_off.htm Skateboarding image from: http://media.photobucket.com/image/skateboarding%20driveway/silas_romig/Skateboarding/driveway_gap.jpg?o=1#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fmedia.photobucket.com%2Fimage%2Fskateboarding%20driveway%2Fpyrosk8erboy%2FMe%20Skateboarding%2Fe2aa466d.jpg%3Fo%3D3

My Mom is having her roof re-shingled.

This reminds my older sister Anita of the couple who had their own small business re-shingling roofs [rooves? :o].

(One of the big problems when the old shingles are being removed, is the small bits of asphalt shingle and roofing nails that fall into the gardens and lawns and flowerbeds surrounding the house.)

In the summer, when school is out, this couple bring their young child with them (8 or 9 years old).

Anita asks the child, “What are you doing?”

He says: “I am working; my job is to take this can and go all around the house all day and pick up any bits of old shingle or nails that fall from the roof.”

Anita: “That’s good. I can see that is an important job! I am glad you are able to help your Mom and Dad!”

Child: “I have to make sure that I get everything. See? [Shows Anita a bit of tar paper and an “invisible” nail in the lawn.]

Anita: “Wow, you must have really good eyes, eh?”

Child: “Yah . . .  and I have to remember to work below the side of the roof where my Dad and Mom are not working.”

Anita: “Why?”

Child: “So nothing falls on my head and hurts me.”

[CAUTION NOTE: THE DAD WOULD CALL DOWN FROM THE ROOF TO HIS CHILD FREQUENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILD WAS PICKING UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROOF OPPOSITE TO WHERE THE COUPLE WAS WORKING, SO THAT THE CHILD WOULD BE SAFE FROM FALLING OBJECTS!]

Child: “When I am all caught up picking up stuff off the ground, I go skateboarding on the front driveway.” [Kids know how to combine work and play in a way many adults have forgotten.]

Thank you, Anita, for sharing this story of the young worker with us! And thanks to the parents on the roof who know how to help their children learn the value of work in small ways at a young age!

Doc Meek, Thurs, Apr 7, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

From the dust jacket:

“Thirty inspiring women share the enduring lessons they have learned from the defining moments of their lives.

“Life rarely works out exactly as we plan. Rejection by a cherished friend, the onset of an unexpected illness, struggle with body image and self-perception–these experiences may challenge us, but our triumphs come to define us.

“We find comfort, joy, tears, and laughter in the wisdom, insight, and empathy we gain.”

————————–

Thank you, Andrea Buchanan, for teaching all of us the agony and joy of overcoming obstacles, including ourselves!

Doc Meek, Wed, Apr 6, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Recently I was grateful (and shocked!) to learn that I did not know how to breathe! Surely we all learned this at birth!? Yes, and our over-scheduled lives can take away that basic infant learning.  Even babies, if they have overly-traumatic births, can fail to learn to breathe for health. ~ Doc Meek

Image above and text below from: http://www.amazon.com/Breathwalk-Breathing-Your-Revitalized-Spirit/dp/0767904931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302019787&sr=8-1

Breathwalk: Breathing Your Way to a Revitalized Body, Mind and Spirit

Gurucharan Singh Khalsa (Author), Yogi Bhajan (Author); 12 customer reviews

Reader J. Roberts comments:

“I bought the book because it incorporated elements from two of my favorite exercises, yoga and walking. After reading the book front to back, I took a walk. I was amazed. It opens your senses, quiets your mind and changes your mood in a quick 15-30 minutes. It’s something you can do anywhere (your neighborhood, parks, malls, airports, work and even on a treadmill), no special clothes or equipment required, and it’s soooo easy! Read the book, get your friends to get one and read it too, then go for a walk together.”

Reader D. Kemper comments:

“What a terrific book! Despite the fact that it’s an exercise book, it is extremely engaging, and the concepts easy to follow. The challenge is to have the patience to read the book through completely so that you understand fully what Breathwalk is all about, before trying it out haphazardly.

“One reviewer felt the book was disorganized, and there should have been a brief overview chapter so the reader could quickly dive into Breathwalking.

“My good judgment tells me that the presentation of the material was quite deliberately thought through so that the reader would have a firm foundation of what to do before striking out. A Breathwalk – though its basic components are as simple as breathing and walking – requires a certain level of precision and, as importantly, consciousness of what you’re doing at any given moment, so just getting a vague idea of it wouldn’t be useful at all.

“I see a close similarity, in that respect, to yoga. Carefully learn and consciously practice a few yoga basics and you’ll immediately feel some rewards (just like learning one Breathwalk program). But you can very satisfactorily spend a whole lifetime enhancing your practice of yoga (or Breathwalk) and, in turn, continuously reap more and more benefits.

“I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exercise program that addresses physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, is easy to do but provides you with lots of opportunity for real mastery.”

……………………………………….

Thank you, Dr. Khalsa (not the medical Dr. Khalsa), and your co-author, Yogi Bhajan, for this enlightening book about learning to really do for health what we all thought we already knew how to do–breathe!

Doc Meek, Tuesday, April 5, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Video (“Spread Your Wings”) of above image at: http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/108-Breakaway

Monday, April 4, 2011. Today I am grateful for Moms and all courageous women who help make our world a much much better place for all of us. – Doc Meek

Video Transcript below of above video at: http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/108-Breakaway

“Spread your wings” (Music in video and lyrics below):

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I’d just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I’d end up happy
I would pray
I could break away
I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly
I’ll do what it takes, till I touch the sky
I gotta
Take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And break away
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get on board a fast train
Travel on a jet plane far away
And break away
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won’t forget the place I come from

.
Super: “Spread your wings. Pass it on. A message from The Foundation for a Better Life.”

Images above from: http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/108-Breakaway

Thank you, Values.com, for inspiring all of us to live a better life!

Doc Meek, Mon, Apr 4, 2011, Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA

We Took Dr. Dharma’s
“Free Memory Test”
You Can Too

Image and text from: http://www.drdharma.com/Public/Home/index.

Friday, April 1, 2011. Today I am grateful for those who help us help our brains to work better. Such a one is Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD.

Image above and text below from: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Longevity-Breakthrough-Medical-Improves/product-reviews/0446673730/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

BRAIN LONGEVITY: THE BREAKTHROUGH MEDICAL PROGRAM THAT IMPROVES YOUR MIND AND MEMORY

By Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, with Cameron Stauth; (30 customer reviews)

5 out of 5 stars Exciting book, readable, full of information
While most of us are losing our minds (literally cell by cell), some people are razor sharp well into their nineties. Is this just heredity or good luck, or is there something we can do to keep our mind and memory from going the way of Alzheimer’s? Dr. Khalsa thinks so. In fact he presents quite a program for rejuvenation. The question is, does he have the goods in this book to help YOU?

THE AGE OF AUTISM: MERCURY, MEDICINE AND A MAN-MADE EPIDEMIC

Dan Olmsted (Author), Mark Blaxill (Author)

(33 customer reviews)

Image and text above from: http://www.amazon.com/Age-Autism-Medicine-Man-made-Epidemic/dp/0312545622/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301461231&sr=1-1

Wednesday, March 30, 2011. Today I am grateful for those who have the courage to warn us we are “fouling our own nest,” as they say of careless birds, eh? Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill are among the number warning us. ~ Doc Meek

Here is what one reader has to say about Olmsted’s and Blaxill’s book (review from amazon.com):

Image by somenametoforget

Image from: http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/04/14/what-is-in-a-fieldtrip/

Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Today I am grateful for those who labor to bring teachers ideas they can use to increase their effectiveness. ~ Doc Meek

Melissa Kelly

Image above and text below from: http://712educators.about.com/b/?nl=1

Here is the email message I received from Melissa Kelly recently:

Secondary Education

From Melissa Kelly, your Guide to Secondary Education Creating Effective Field Trips While field trips aren’t normally a required part of your curriculum, they can be extremely effective if planned and used correctly. This article discusses the pros and cons of field… Read more Top 10 Concerns of Social Studies Teachers In the last post, I focused on concerns that many science teachers share. This post focuses on the specific concerns of social studies teachers. Top Ten Concerns of Social Studies… Read more Creating an Effective Tardy Policy Dealing with tardy students is an important part of any teacher’s job. Finding a tardy policy that works for you is extremely important. If you allow students to be tardy… Read more Curriculum and Lesson Plans Curriculum is at the heart of education. This category provides a wealth of information, resources, and lesson plans for each subject area across the curriculum. Secondary Education Ads Field Trips Secondary Education Effective Leadership Middle School Teacher Education More about Secondary Education Assessments and Tests Technology and Education Learning Theories and Pedagogy Teacher Education and Enrichment Teaching Tips and Strategies Issues in Education This newsletter is written by: Melissa Kelly Secondary Education Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics Thank you, Melissa Kelly, for helping teachers to help their students! Doc Meek, Tuesday, March 29, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

MASSA

I’m 16 years old. She’s 14. My name is Karina. Her name is Massa. I live in Carpinteria, California. She lives in Todee, Liberia. We’re half a world away and our lives are dramatically different, but we’re both girls who have our entire futures before us. READ MORE

Image and text from: http://www. GirlUp.org

Monday, March 28, 2011. Today I am grateful for the Girl Up campaign by the United Nations Foundation. – Doc Meek

“UNITING GIRLS TO CHANGE THE WORLD”

See “Girl Up” video by Gina Reiss-Wilchins, Director of “Girl Up,” on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcp_FbVF1JU

…………………………………………………………………..

I did send Gina Reiss-Wilchins an email:

“Gina Reiss-Wilchins, Director of Girl Up” <greiss-wilchins@unfoundation.org>

Dear Gina,

I am delighted that you are promoting the “Girl Up”program.

I am delighted to be putting up “Girl Up” information on my blog website: https://docmeek.com

You can click on the specific post by title hereunder:

“Learn about GIRL UP from Gina.” ~ Doc Meek

This is the second posting of Girl Up on THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE blog. Here is the first posting by title:

“Learn ‘Girl Up’ by the UN Foundation.” ~ Doc Meek

Blessings and Gratitudes,

Doc Meek

P.S. We all love seeing your 4-year old daughter Dylan on YouTube with you!

Doc Meek, Mon, Mar 28, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Friday, March 24, 2011. Today I am grateful for the distinction between “behavior” and “the condition.” This has proven to be controversial so all the more worthy of presentation here.

When a child has some kind of “condition” such that his/her behavior is problematic or unpredictable, there is a tendency to not be able to make the distinction between “the behavior” and “the condition.”

For example, the emotionally unstable child (or the autistic child) may have an “emotional outburst” or a “temper tantrum” and scatter their basket of crayons/coloring books (whatever) all over the floor by throwing them off the table or desk.

There is a tendency for responsible adults (parents, teachers, teacher aides, caregivers) to “excuse” the behavior because they feel the behavior is is “caused” by “the condition” from which the child is suffering. And it well may be.

And love, care and concern for the child in relation to his/her condition often causes hesitation as to the appropriate response.

Regardless of what the “cause” is though, the child needs some realistic feedback, usually immediately. (Some advocate waiting until the child “cools off” a little and is not so “emotional” and their is merit in this in some cases.) To “excuse” the behavior out of love, care or concern is not usually helpful to the child long-term. Immediate feedback is usually the most helpful to the child long-term.

Almost always, the need is for the child to receive immediate feedback about his/her behavior, irrespective of his/her “condition.”

So in the case of the emotional scattering of crayons, books, toys, whatever, the adult should say to the child authoritatively, “Pick them up and put them back.” If the child is too young and or emotional to respond promptly, the adult takes the child’s hands in his/her own hands, and helps the child pick up the scattered items, much like the operator of a crane might make the machinery “do the right thing” by direct handling of the controls. Or perhaps it is more like a puppet show operator moving the puppets by direct action.

This is the way that the child moves most rapidly and appropriately towards more “responsible behavior” even if the child is not at the moment capable of responding appropriately on his/her own.

Here’s the catch though. The adult has to be calm. No angry yelling and grabbing of the child in anger will do the job. (This is because, obviously, the adult is now out of control and not behaving appropriately and the negative example is no help at all to the child, regardless of how the adult feels about the situation emotionally.)

If the adult calmly and dispassionately takes the child’s hands in his/her own and moves the child’s hands in such a way that the child’s hands grasp the scattered objects one by one, however awkwardly, and restores them to their place, the adult has “won the day,” regardless of how upset the child is.

It is easier (and far quicker) for adult and child to “behave” their way to a new set of behaviors, than it is for them to “discuss” or “believe” or “theorize” their way to a new set of behaviors.

What do you think?

Doc Meek, Fri, Mar 25, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA