Reflections From the Home Team

Friday, August 21, 2020

Reflections from the Home Team - August 21, 2020

“What kids naturally embrace is being in the moment and not having another care in the world when they are engaged. We as adults on the other hand, have a difficult time focusing on the present. If we, as adults, can incorporate this child-like behavior into our daily lives, we can surely learn to live more from the heart… especially during challenging times. When the heart softens, we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity…”

Greetings from Cedar Falls,

Have you ever noticed that at a certain age we stop playing and become more attuned to responsibilities and to things that need to get done? I’ve certainly been there! If you have the chance to watch or be with a child, you will notice the authenticity, vulnerability, laughter, tears and pure joy that they indulge in. Being in the presence of a child you have the ability to be more present; watching their moves, conversations, questions, humor and most of all play. That really struck home with me recently as my wife Tricia and my granddaughter Lucy were spending some quality time together on the farm. Trish commented it looks like we will be getting some rain soon, and Lucy asked the question “How do you know?” `Tricia shared that the weatherman (meteorologist) says there is some rain in the forecast… Lucy of course asked the next logical question; “How does he know? Do you think God sends him a note?” Trish said, I know a meteorologist, I’ll check with him. She checked in with a good friend who actually is a meteorologist and he replied… “Well, I haven’t received any notes from God recently about the weather, but He has provided me with some clues that help me with my forecasts. But we always have to be ready for surprises!” Now that’s a true weatherman’s answer!

I couldn’t have described my time at Mayo Clinic this past week any better… My team of doctors spent some quality time with me examining the “clues” as to the source of my ongoing concerns, and I don’t think God had sent them any notes prior to their “forecast”, but they have come up with some answers and a plan to help me “manage” the concerns. They also noted that “we always have to be ready for any surprises that may pop up along the way!” What a caring, knowledgeable and compassionate group of folks I was blessed to work with at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

I tie these thoughts together because as I’ve so often done when experiencing challenges, I become more analytical and often stop feeling, while at times starting to feel a bit disconnected. Being in an analytical mindset (one of the “side effects” of being a principal) can often suppress emotional feelings. Those emotional feelings, sharing laughter and tears gives us a sense of heart to heart connection that are so very important in any recovery process.

What kids naturally embrace is being in the moment and not having another care in the world when they are engaged. We as adults on the other hand, often have a difficult time focusing on the present. If we, as adults, can incorporate this child-like behavior into our daily lives: we can surely learn to live more from the heart… especially during challenging times. When the heart softens, we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity…

That brings me to this reflection. As my team of doctors at Mayo shared, before anything can be managed, it must first be recognized for what it is. This is especially important for complicated medical situations. I recall my last visit to the Mayo Clinic after being hit in the head with a baseball back in the early 90’s. It was then that I became familiar with the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. It reads, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” After this week’s visit, I may modify that prayer to read “God grant me the serenity to accept the things that cannot be solved, but rather that can be managed; and the courage to manage the things that cannot be solved along with the wisdom to know the difference.”

Manage, not solve are difficult words to accept when in an analytical mindset. It can also be an unsettling strategy to use as it implies that you may have to rely on your in-the-moment thinking which can lead to uncertainty and in turn, stress and anxiety. The Mayo team discussed that true answers to complicated medical issues often require extra planning in order to help understand as many of the possible outcomes as possible. It brings to mind a quote I recall from General Dwight Eisenhower in WWII. General Eisenhower said; “When preparing for battle, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable!” In my ongoing battle with cancer and its treatment side effects, the planning helps give me peace of mind as I contemplate how things might unfold but cannot always anticipate exactly how things will unfold.

Something else that gives me peace of mind, which is much needed during times of challenge and adversity is enjoying time with my grandkids and remembering what it’s like to be a child. It’s fascinating to watch, but you don’t just have to be a spectator. Viewing the world through a child’s eyes and participating with them on their journeys can help us through times of stress and anxiety in so many ways.

Children are fascinated because everything is new to them and full of possibilities. Instead of dreading whatever challenges we may face each day, we need to clear our minds and “pretend” we don’t know what to expect. By doing that we can make each day feel like a clean slate in which anything can happen. Make everything a learning experience!

Something I definitely need to be better at is just letting go, and not being busy. When’s the last time you sat outside in the sun and just let your mind wander? Or played on a swing set, or went down a slide? You don’t have to play to let things go, but too often as adults think we always need to be doing something. If we are not at work, we need to be reading or taking care of the house or some other mundane thing. It’s great to make good use of your time, but we don’t always have to be doing something. Why not take time out to enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, sitting outside with friends or family? Our tasks will still be there when we’re ready to get to them, I know mine always are. I’m planning to make this a definitive part of my management plan!

Let’s be honest –one of the best parts of being a kid is you don’t care what other people may think. I watch my grandkids dress themselves in a polka dot shirt and striped pants with different colored socks because that’s what they want to wear, and then strutting their stuff in public, just proud that they dressed themselves. Asking questions because they want to know the answer, not vowing to look it up later because they don’t want someone to laugh at them… Imagine how free we would feel if we didn’t care what people thought about us? Not to the extent you totally let yourself go, or become the office clown, but just enough so that you do things you want to do without worrying what others will think – because, honestly, you never know what other people are thinking. Maybe everyone would love your stripes, polka dots and mismatched socks!

In the Bible, God tells us that children are a blessing and a gift! Their spirits are filled with innocence, joy, and laughter. Jesus actually tells us to be like children and to come to Him full of faith and trust. The popular children's song "Jesus Loves the Little Children" reminds me that "all are precious in His sight" and no matter your race, gender or nationality, God wants to see all children come to Him. Jesus died on the cross for all people!

In Matthew, Jesus called a little child to Him and placed the child among those he was speaking to and said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:2-5

Let’s become more like children as we take on the daily challenges in our lives, learning to live more from the heart so we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity. I like to think that life is a blessing not given to us by choice, but rather by grace. As a good friend recently shared… “It is a wonder-filled life if we just have the eyes to behold it.” Let’s be sure to have the eyes to behold it!

Wishing many of life's blessings your way!

Dave

– Soon to be Released –

My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to its release. I will let you know once it is released and when I have completed work on the book’s website. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️

Book Overview

Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.

Since writing Reflections from the Home Team… Go the Distance, and surviving cancer, the author has continued to share encouragement and inspiration for others who may be facing not only serious health issues such as cancer, but other life challenges as well. By processing his cancer journey through writing reflections based on his experiences and the experiences of those he has come into contact with, David Welter has provided hope and comfort for others who may be experiencing similar challenges in their life’s journey.

As this book is released, our world has been hit with the “curve ball” of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected millions, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, ground travel to a standstill, and threatened the global economy unlike anything experienced in generations. It is a liminal moment where the world teeters on the threshold of hope or despair, winning or losing, great pain or great gain. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!

Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.

Pastor Brian King writes:

“Dave is a teacher and coach at heart who knows the power of a well-spoken and well-timed word. A voracious reader and lifelong learner, his insights and musings are frequently spiced with the wisdom of theologians like Richard Rohr, pastors like Max Lucado, best-selling authors like Jon Gordon and, of course, baseball greats like Mariano Rivera. Dave is someone wired by God to look for the teachable moment in every situation, the winning approach to every challenge, and the deeper meaning in every experience. People are looking for good coaching, sound advice, faithful counsel, and time-tested insights as they approach challenges they’ve never encountered before. For this reason, I am thankful that my friend, Dave Welter, has been given “the tongue of a teacher”. Even in this changing, turning, and challenging world, Dave has a word to sustain the weary; a message for “STAYING POSITIVE when life throws you a curve!”

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Reflections from the Home Team - August 8, 2020

“One thing that has remained a constant for me throughout is that our human fragility always has a powerful effect upon our relationships. When we lose people who we love and care about, or when we lose certain physical traits due to illness of injury, we learn to value and cherish those people and traits we are blessed to retain. Human fragility reminds me that our time in communion with others is precious, and that our relationships with others are treasures to be cherished!”

Greetings from Cedar Falls!

Lots of thoughts rolling around I my mind this past week and I always enjoy taking a break from “thinking” by watching baseball. This past week, my Atlanta Braves suffered a huge blow when their young pitching ace, Mike Soroka was lost for the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon while pitching against the Mets. Mike was injured in the third inning after delivering a pitch when the Met’s J.D. Davis grounded a ball toward first baseman Freddie Freeman. Soroka broke toward first base to cover the bag only to go down on his first step off the mound. He let out a scream, knowing it was a serious injury that fully ensures he won’t be back on the mound until 2021.

Well, so much for taking a break from “thinking” by watching baseball… This devastating injury to Mike got me thinking of many things as I await my appointment at Mayo next week.

Atlanta is now faced with the daunting task of replacing one of baseball's brightest young stars, a pitcher who turns just 23 this week but already displayed enormous poise and command of his pitches during his first full season in the big leagues last season. What stood out to me was the compassion by Braves manager Brian Snitker as he helped Mike off the field and in his post-game comments following the incident. Brian has spent many years in the Braves organization managing at a variety of levels gaining wisdom and experience while waiting his turn to get that opportunity at the Big-League level. Most importantly, Brian has always treated his players at all levels with dignity, respect and a caring approach while also holding them accountable for their actions, a combination not often found in today’s professional sports.

In my work with high school, college and professional athletes over the years, I have so often run across a sense of “invincibility” when dealing with them. Might this be a standard attitude that prevails among strong, young athletes who are at the top of their game? Perhaps, but in reality, frailty is a condition of our existence; our beliefs about our toughness tend to draw on myth more than objective truth. Full disclosure, I have fit into that category throughout most of my life. My cancer journey and most recently the pandemic we are all struggling with have led me to a different thought process regarding my “invincibility”.

One thing that has remained a constant for me throughout is that our human fragility always has a powerful effect upon our relationships. When we lose people who we love and care about, or when we lose certain physical traits due to illness of injury, we learn to value and cherish those people and traits we are blessed to retain. Human fragility reminds me that our time in communion with others is precious, and that our relationships with others are treasures to be cherished!

This thought brings to mind a poem I was blessed to have shared with me during treatments by one of my favorite nurses in Iowa City. It’s titled “The Guest House” by Jellaludin Rumi. It reads:

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

— Jellaludin Rumi

The first time I read “The Guest House,” I felt certain that it had been written just for me, as if Rumi had been reading my thoughts. I’ve not only been visited by the feelings he names — “a depression, a meanness,” “the dark thought, the shame, the malice” — I’ve said and done things that brought those feelings my way.

Rumi tells us to open the door to these “unexpected visitors.” In my experience, that’s not necessary. If the door’s not open, they’ll blow it off its hinges, or break in through the windows. Once they’re in, I don’t want to “welcome and entertain them all” as Rumi advises. Instead, I want to give them the boot like I might tell any annoying guest, “You must come again when you have less time❣️”

Honestly, we should not only welcome these troublesome guests but rather be grateful for whoever comes. For a long time, I thought Rumi meant, “These hard feelings will pass, and happier ones will take their place.” Then it dawned on me that even when the visiting vandals are trashing my guest house, their very presence is a sign that I’m human. That’s a fact that unites me with everyone who acknowledges and accepts their human condition. For me, the true delight is in knowing that we have company on this endless and sometimes perilous journey toward becoming more fully human.

Another thought that came to mind was a comment made by my oncologist, Dr. Claman, a wise and skillful doctor while sitting in his office in Iowa City. Halfway through treatments, when the pain and suffering was nearing its peak, he told me when dealing with cancer, you just have to have faith...

I sat there and thought about how the burden of healing sickness is never really on the patient, how it is never really even on a doctor, but how it is always, always, on God.

A verse from Jeremiah recently comforted me at a time when I had doubts about some of those “Guest House” visitors who had taken up some rental space in my mind.

“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.“ – Jeremiah 17:14

The burden of healing truly rests on the shoulders of my big, gracious God!

The burden of healing falls on my God who knows the plans he has for me even when my own hopes may at times collapse around me. The burden of healing doesn’t lie in saying just the right words or praying something that sounds beautiful. And I don’t know about you, but that frees me up to pray a little more boldly for God to heal the trials I am experiencing now.

But no matter what I might be facing or feeling, when I’m willing to stand dependent on God for the Spirit’s fresh filling of power and love, all other things tend to lose their hold on me. God’s love truly encompasses all. It reaches to every dark crevice and fills every need or longing that I feel. It gives me the power to let go of the pains and sufferings of the past. It gives peace to the hurt that I may be experiencing. It is powerful and surely surpasses my own knowledge and understanding, because His love never fails... I can come to my heavenly Father and ask him to heal me because He wants me to be whole. He wants me to be whole, not just in my spirit and soul, but also in my body.

I don't always know what the Lord’s will for me is... especially in times like now, when I seek His help in healing me. I certainly offer Him no promises, no bargains, no deals to exchange for my health. I simply bow my heart before Him to tell Him the desire of my heart... that I want to spend as many years as I can loving Him here, loving others, and wanting to become more like Him.

However He chooses to accomplish that is up to Him—and that’s okay with me. If He uses doctors to provide healing for me, I pray He gives them wisdom to know what to do. Regardless of how He may choose to accomplish it, the healing He gives is always miraculous. And He deserves all the praise!

Thanks to all of you who are part of my Home Team for listening to my ramblings... It helps me to process the thoughts rolling around in my head, which are spoken from my heart as I tackle the challenges and surprises each day brings. As one of my favorite authors shares:

“You'll get through this. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use this mess for good. Don't be foolish or naïve. But don't despair either. With God’s help, you will get through this."

Max Lucado

Whatever each of us may be dealing with on our daily journeys, be it loss, illness or injury, take a deep breath and then… remember nothing is too great, too terrible, too large, or too heavy for Him. Embrace that truth as Satan weaves and God reweaves.

God’s richest blessings your way!

Dave

– Soon to be Released –

Book Overview

Pastor Brian King writes:

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Reflections from the Home Team - August 1, 2020

Challenges are what make life interesting…and overcoming them is what makes them meaningful. Challenges are also made to make us stronger, and I’ve learned not to run away from them, but rather to run over them!

Greetings from Cedar Falls,

The past six months have been difficult for all of us…whether challenged with Covid 19, other serious health issues, job security, family issues or countless other challenges, you probably would agree that even the most enthusiastic person you know needs some encouragement from time to time. Perhaps that person is you! I know it definitely includes me!! Even with a sound plan and promising outlook, sometimes, life has a way of throwing us curveballs that seem to knock us off balance. Given that, we should all take comfort in something author Jon Gordon recently shared. “So, if you aren’t okay, it’s okay. It’s okay to be scared, frustrated and feel down. You just don’t want to stay there too long and allow these feelings to take you down a spiral staircase of depression and despair. The key is to find the optimism, hope and faith to keep going and create a better future.”

Life certainly has its ups and downs. I think challenges are bred so that you will appreciate the outcome even more. Challenges are what make life interesting…and overcoming them is what makes them meaningful. Challenges are also made to make us stronger, and I’ve learned not to run away from them, but rather to run over them! As a farm guy, I know the harvest is always 100 times more than the seed sown, so I’ve learned to get excited and take action when the “seeds” of life’s challenges come my way.

That brings me to this reflection. Those of you who have followed me know that I have been dealing with some ongoing side effect issues since my radiation and chemo treatments for cancer back in 2009. Those issues continue and have escalated in recent months. I will be traveling to Mayo Clinic to attempt to get some resolution to these ongoing issues. This will become my new challenge, and I look forward to overcoming it with the help of my medical team. As always, when my mind kicks into action during these times I turn to reading and came across a verse in Romans 8:28.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

That Scripture verse brought me some comfort and hope. It says to me that those who love God and are doing their best to obey his commands, even though bad/sad/evil/wicked things will touch our lives, God will use them to ultimately bring about good, both in our life and in the world.

I recently read a story about Joni Eareckson Tada, an inspirational speaker, author, and singer, who is a quadriplegic who has been confined to a wheelchair for more than 40 years. (kind of puts my struggles into perspective...) When people ask her why God allows suffering, she often says, “God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” I love this❣️And what does God love? For people to enter into a relationship with himself and become more like Him!

Romans 8:28 certainly doesn't mean all things will be good... No matter how rose-colored our glasses are, there’s nothing good about cancer, pandemics, suffering or death. Until Jesus returns and conquers Satan once and for all, sin will continue to drag its poisonous tentacles across our world, damaging and destroying everything in its wake.

The truth of Romans 8:28 reminds me that although sin and Satan are powerful, God is more powerful; He is able to redeem and restore anything for our good and his glory. All things may not be good, but God can and will use all things for good.

I recall a discussion I had during treatments at Hope Lodge in Iowa City with a group of fellow cancer patients. One of them told me, “God allows everything into our lives for one of two purposes—either to bring us into a relationship with himself or, if we already know him, to make us more like His Son.” He was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 35 and he had played college baseball, married his high school sweetheart, and fathered two handsome sons. I really related to him.

Convinced of the truth of Romans 8:28, he chose to believe God had a good plan for his bad cancer. Because he believed God could use even something as destructive as a brain tumor, he responded in faith and trust. “Even though this is not what I planned for my life,” he told us, “I trust God to use it for good.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t survive his battle with cancer, but because he chose to respond in faith and trust, many people, including his younger brother, came to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. His cancer wasn’t good, but God used it for good to make him more like Christ and to draw others into a faith relationship with himself.

I think that as long as we live in this world, people will attempt to reconcile God’s sovereignty with humanity’s suffering... Verses like Romans 8:28 assure us that no suffering is wasted, and God is always at work for our good and his glory. When we cannot comprehend why trials come and struggle to imagine that anything good can come from them, we can rest in the security that God is in control and because of this, we can have hope!

Sometimes, I find it difficult to understand how God can bring beauty from the trials of my life. At times I struggle to trust Him with the broken pieces. I know that without faith it is impossible to please Him, and I want to please Him. I want to trust Him. I want Him to make me more like His Son and to use my trials for not only my good, but for His glory. May “God allow what he hates to accomplish what he loves” as I continue my journey.

Wishing you each a joy filled day believing in the promise of Romans: 8:28!

Dave

– Soon to be Released –

My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to it’s release. I will let you know once it is released and when I have completed work on the book’s website. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️

Book Overview

Pastor Brian King writes:

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Reflections from the Home Team - July 19, 2020

“Just as many of us have been waiting patiently for the baseball season to start, we can take hope in the fact that we have “been there” before… As we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact it has had on our daily lives, we need to employ both patience and faith which will allow us to be strengthened and to endure. Simply put, patience and faith can be our hope in these challenging times.”

Greetings from Cedar Falls!

A good friend who also scouts baseball recently sent me an email with the above photo attached to remind me “we have been there before” as we finally get ready to open the 2020 baseball season this coming Thursday. Gleaned from the archives of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the image showed an exhibition game played in Pasadena, California, in January 1919. The scene shows the batter, catcher and umpire all wearing surgical masks, as are those watching from the grandstand. The image was captured just a few months before the third and final wave of the devastating influenza pandemic that emerged in 1918. One hundred years later, we are all wearing masks again as we prepare to finally open the Major League baseball season this week.

When Major League Baseball begins its 2020 season Thursday in Washington D.C., players will not need wool hats and coats in the dugout. It should be about 80 degrees. A season opener on July 23 will certainly be unusual. In early April, the Nationals would have seen the thermometer dip into the 40s. This year, fans won’t have to be worried about the weather … they won’t be there. And, no matter the outcome, the losing team can’t just shrug it off as one loss in 162 games. The 2020 schedule is a 60-game sprint.

It is a cruel twist of biology that the social distancing required in response to the COVID-19 epidemic has robbed us of baseball’s normal spring start, something that might help to heal our souls. But wait we must — for a sport that has previously proved nearly impervious to both war and pestilence.

I remember as a kid imitating my favorite players batting stance, (which changed often depending on how well I was hitting) somehow believing this would miraculously transfer my heroes’ skill into my performance. That is the special relationship we have with baseball and indeed all sports. As the world now takes on the challenge of COVID-19, those on the medical front lines too have to be hailed as heroes. Baseball may be considered by many as a medicine for the masses, but for each individual fan, it can also provide a personal prescription that may be “used as needed.” The topic of baseball is nearly always welcome, especially in the most difficult moments.

If you’re like me, your life has been most likely been turned upside down by the Covid 19 outbreak. Work is different. Any social life has ground to a halt. “Social Distancing” is suddenly a word that we know and hear daily. Fear and uncertainty are rampant. Anxiety thrives on the unknown. By and large, despite all the ups and downs, we’ve all become accustomed to relative stability and predictability. Now, however, our changing world all but ensures waking up to a new set of rules, limitations, and changes. Despite our anxious brain’s effort to often highlight the terrible, and despite what we often hear being reported around us sucking any sense of optimism from the day, there is HOPE!

A couple of things come to mind as I try my best to frame what is going on around me into a positive mindset, which brings me to this reflection, setting the table for some hope and optimism in these challenging times.

For those of you who know me, you know that I have been a longtime advocate for Afterschool programming for kids. I recall hearing a story at a conference I was presenting at in Dallas back in 2016 about a program called Hope Center located in the Houston area. Hope Center was simply a trailer in the middle of a trailer park started as a non-profit by its founder, Ray Hughes. Ray and several members of his church asked themselves how they could make a difference in their neighborhood and help the children who lived there. They determined that an Afterschool program for the neighborhood kids was the answer, so they bought a trailer, built the Hope Center and now the neighborhood kids go there to learn, play and engage in healthy activities after school. The kid’s grades have improved dramatically all because a few of the locals asked what their community needed and then proceeded to “build” the answer together.

Interestingly, there is another church about 100 feet from this neighborhood, basically right next door, with a big iron fence around it to keep the kids in the neighborhood out. Yet, the founders of Hope Center chose to move into the neighborhood and welcome the children with an open heart. The kids are thriving because someone gave them HOPE and took action to show them what it looks like.

I believe this is symbolic of the choices we all now have in this time of challenge. We can choose hope and faith or imprison ourselves with fear. We can choose to give hope to others or build an iron fence around our lives and heart. When we live with hope and take action to give hope to others, we become all we are meant to be. Even though we might not have to buy a trailer and build a Hope Center, we can each turn our life, our work and our homes into a center of HOPE!

Another thought that popped into my mind about positivity and hope came as a result of dealing with an infestation of ants out here on the farm. Can you believe that?? I’m sure many of you can, because many of you have shared with me you have had a similar problem this year. How does that tie into positivity and hope you may ask? Well, let me share an article I ran across back in 2016 by Dr. Daniel Amen titled “The Number One Habit to Develop in Order to Become More Positive.” Given all the negativity going on around us in today’s world, it provided me some practical mental exercises I could use to fend off that negativity. It reads:

Would you like to reverse depression, anxiety, or negativity in your life? Would you like to experience peace of mind and joy? Then you need to become an expert about “ANTs.”

Dr. Daniel Amen coined this term in the early 1990’s after a hard day at the office, during which he had several very difficult sessions with suicidal patients, teenagers in turmoil, and a married couple who hated each other.

When he got home that evening, he found thousands of ants in his kitchen. As he started to clean them up, an acronym developed in his mind. He thought of his patients from that day – just like the infested kitchen, his patients’ brains were also infested by Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) that were robbing them of their joy and stealing their happiness.

He started teaching patients how to eliminate all of the ANTs because they are what drive depression, what stoke anxiety, and what fuel negativity. Every single time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals.

Every time you have a sad, hopeless, mad, cranky, unkind, judgmental, or helpless thought, your brain immediately releases chemicals that make your body feel awful. Your hands get cold and wet, your muscles get tense, your heart beats faster, and your breathing becomes shallower. Additionally, the activity in your frontal and temporal lobes decreases which negatively affects your judgment, learning, memory.

The opposite is also true – whenever you have a happy, hopeful, loving, kind or positive thought, your brain releases a completely different set of chemicals. Your hands get warmer and dryer, your breathing becomes deeper and more regular, your muscles relax, your blood pressure decreases, and your brain works better.

So, if you want to eradicate depression, anxiety, and negativity from your life, you need to work on disciplining your mind to get rid of the ANTs and developing an ANTeater to patrol the streets of your mind.

Just as there are a many species of ants in the world, there are different kinds of negative thought patterns (ANTs).

Here are a few you need to learn to identify:

FORTUNE TELLING

This is the ANT of almost anyone who has a panic disorder. They are masterful at predicting the worst, even though they don’t have any evidence.

MIND READING

Where you arbitrarily believe that you know what someone else is thinking, even though they didn’t tell you. Many people do this, and more often than not it gets them into trouble. It’s a major reason why people have trouble in relationships.

GUILT BEATINGS

Thinking with words like should, must, ought and have to. The words we use to talk to ourselves are very important. Guilt is not a very good motivator for change. Telling yourself “I should go see my grandmother” rather than “I want to spend time with my grandmother” only serves to make you feel negative.

BLAME

Whenever you blame someone else for the problems in your life, you are a victim and you can’t do anything to change it. Many of us play the blame game, but it rarely helps us. Stay away from blaming thoughts and take personal responsibility for changing the problems you have.

LABELING

Calling yourself or someone else a derogatory name. This diminishes your ability to see situations clearly and labels are very harmful.

So now that you have met some of the ANTs that rob you of your happiness and peace of mind, what do you do about them?

Whenever you find yourself feeling mad, sad, nervous, or out-of-control, write down what you are thinking. Then identify which ANT species is infesting your mind and talk back to it. Challenging negative thoughts (killing the ANTs) takes away their power and gives YOU control over your thoughts, moods, and behaviors.

Some good practical advice when confronted with those pesky ANTs!

This morning, I felt a sense of hope as I attended one of our first “in-person” services at Nazareth since shutting those down back in March due to Covid 19. Pastor Dennis Hanson shared this morning’s message focusing on the 8^th Chapter in the Book of Romans talking about “Gospel Induced Hope”. A thought he shared has stuck with me throughout the day… “Hope is the promise of a future worth the trouble it takes to get out of bed in the morning.” That really resonated with me as I know the feeling of doing my best to literally “roll out of bed” in the morning these days… sometimes I even land on my feet!
As Romans 8:24-25 says: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Just as many of us have been waiting patiently for the baseball season to start, we can take hope in the fact that we have “been there” before. As we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact it has had on our daily lives, we need to employ both patience and faith which will allow us to be strengthened and to endure. Simply put, patience and faith can be our hope in these challenging times.

Blessings your way and take time to enjoy OPENING DAY this Thursday!

Dave

Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!

Be an encourager in someone else’s life!

To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:

www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/