Dear Reader:

As I first read the description in the ” Chirp” message I felt like a school child again…. waiting for that last bell to ring and let summer vacation begin! June is here!

The nice thing about being a teacher all my life was getting to experience that same sense of joy on the last day of school-in fact I got to lead the class each year in the final count-down from 10!

(The best kept secret about teachers is that they are probably the most excited ” kid” in the class-no matter the age-on the last day of instruction! Welcome June with time to read all those novels waiting till now!)

So this year…June started off on a fun light note for me… but as we all know the seasons in life present their own personal challenges-and sometimes even when you don’t get a direct hit-you start to feel frustration and sadness over your” target” friends who did!

This is what I am experiencing this month-hoping, wishing, and praying for several friends who are experiencing medical dilemmas, relationship quandaries, moving problems and just overwhelming life/ death conundrums. How to help outside of prayers and talk?.

Then I thought that maybe there should be a faith exchange during trying times. By combining our faith -your faith will help me and my faith will help you.

At a recent conference a discussion began concerning helping ourselves and others when our balance in life falters! One of the leaders, Matt Chambers, said he used to view balance as a tightrope or see-saw but he no longer considered them good metaphors in life …because so much of real life is

beyond our control ! We have no idea what is coming towards us. Matt decided that the game Twister is a much better metaphor.

Balance in life isn’t about just trying to keep things even … it’s about not falling down.

Each of the colored circles represent things that May trip you up and cause you to fall. The key is that we need people in our lives who will cover each space to keep us from falling. People who can carry us through, who can cover the spaces we can’t-and at least break our fall is we do.

So until tomorrow… we can begin reaching out to others by sharing a smile, an encouraging word, a chance to laugh.

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

…And my favorite day to shout out Happy Birthday to Ya Libby! I know you have had a full plate lately friend but today that plate is only allowed to be fully covered with birthday 🎂 cake!

I picked flowers from my garden to make you a birthday bouquet!