Inspiration from a palm tree

Sitting in the lanai of our vacation home today, I pondered the beautiful palm tree pictured here and remembered that one year ago it seemed we might never return to Florida. But through the selfless love of many, conditions changed and here we are. This tree reminds me of a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier called The Eternal Goodness. It expresses exactly how I feel this year, and perhaps it will resonate with you, too.

"I know not what the future hath of marvel or surprise, assured alone that life and death His mercy underlies. I know not where His islands lift their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift beyond His love and care. And Thou, O Lord! by whom are seen thy creatures as they be, forgive me if too close I lean my human heart on thee." Whittier

Why not try this today?

She flies through the air with the greatest of ease

Some kids play soccer or lacrosse or basketball. But in Peru, Indiana, children have another choice. They can join the circus. Each spring, 200 students (mostly girls) practice four days a week, four hours a day, for six months before a week of performances in July. Circus families must forgo summer vacation. So why work so hard? "Tiffany Rush, 18, is one of half-a-dozen flying trapeze performers. She says, "It's true you give up everything, but you....fly."

The few boys who perform are often "fly-catchers," hefty guys who powder their hands and hang upside down from a swing to catch female trapeze fliers. This is usually one of last performances each day. Trainers far below on the floor use whistles to signal when the flier and the fly-catcher should start swinging, some distance apart. We all know there's a net to catch anyone who falls, but as they swing back and forth, faster and faster, everyone prays he'll catch her wrists. Finally the whistle blows. She takes one final swing, releases the bar, twists in mid-air and reaches out hopefully. More often than not, he catches her, and the audience goes wild!! After all, these are just local kids who mow lawns and work at McDonalds. If you'd like to see them perform, here's the link. Opt for full-screen, and turn the sound up loud.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjEj6uPRocw

Son forgives mother for discarding him at birth

It happened in November, 1989. Michael Bueina was a police officer in Santa Ana, CA. One night he heard a faint sound coming from a trash bin. Curious, he began sifting through the trash until he found a baby with his umbilical cord still attached. The baby was four hours old and weighed 4 pounds, two ounces. "He still had all that mucus and stuff," Bueina recalls, "and all the trash was sticking to him. I tried to give him a little bit of breath, and he reacted a little bit." Later, Bueina hoped to adopt the baby, but another family adopted him. They named him Robin Barton. "I hoped I would see him again," says Bueina, and recently they had an emotional reunion. Robin is now 25.

After Robin was rescued from the trash bin by Officer Bucina, his 19-year-old mother, Sarina Diaz, was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for child endangerment and attempted murder. She now lives in Mexico and would like to know him. So how does Robin feel about his birth-mother today? He says he was blessed by a great family who raised him, and hopes to meet her. "I'm not angry or upset with her, and I forgive her, because she was a young woman in a very compromising position," he said.

Changing lives one person at a time

Rosie Swale Pope, 68, is running across America. She's jogging from NY to San Francisco and touching the hearts of those she meets along the way. Why? Ten years ago, her husband Clive died. She wanted to do something to make a difference. So she runs ten or more miles a day, and often sleeps in the 9-foot cart she pulls behind her. She calls it the "Icebird." It may look cramped, but after running 10 miles or more, she has no trouble going to sleep. She stops along the way to make speeches, raising money for cancer research.

What is her philosophy of life? "I believe good is stronger than evil and hope is stronger than despair. If your day doesn't work out, make someone else's day. At my age, you can't wait for the world to come to you. You have to come to the world."

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Semper fidelis (always faithful)

Robert and Heather Wood had few funds when they arrived in Eugene, OR, last February from their former home in Alaska. They'd saved money on the Alaska Highway by pulling off at night and sleeping in their car. They decided to try the same thing their first night in Eugene, pulling into a neighborhood park and cuddling their two sons for warmth. Heather was also pregnant with their third child. Police Lt. David Natt found them at 10:30, and told them the park closed at 11:00 p.m. But when he saw how the family huddled together against the cold, he offered Robert two nights at a local hotel. Robert protested, saying he was a former Marine and didn't like to accept charity. Lt. Natt was also a former Marine, and they served in the same unit, ten years apart. When Lt. Natt offered the room for the third time, Robert accepted. He thought a fellow Marine was paying for it from his own pocket, but the money came from a unique source.

Five years ago, members of Eugene's University Fellowship Church decided that, instead of buying gifts for each other, they'd pool their money into a fund to be spent at police discretion. The cash they donated to the Eugene Police Department still has not run out.

"I have tears in my eyes, but they are good tears," Wood said on Facebook. "Tears of hope, gratitude and renewed courage to continue becoming a better man for myself, my family and the world around me."