The 18th Annual Inspirations List: 2024

I begin my hunt for heroes on the first day of the new year.  Tomorrow, I'll create new draft of a blog post. It will contain the title, and nothing else.  Then over the course of the year, as I'm inspired by the people around me, I'll open up the draft and add their names to a growing list.  By the end of the year, I'll have a nice little list of heroes--men and women who have inspired me over the past year.  That's how the names on this years list got here.  Some, I knew within a week or so of the new year, would be on the list. Others were added right at years end.  It's been interesting to look back on those names now, and feel satisfied that, yes, these people really have made a lasting impact on my life.

To take a page from one of my heroes, these people exemplify excellence.  They leave me feeling empowered to live my own life better.  And through their lives, intentionally or not, they are evangelists for their Creator, sharing His love and care through their lives.  They are eight women and three men.  Some I work alongside every day. Others I've never met.  One hero needed only about fifteen minutes on a workday morning to inspire me. Another's entire life was short, but her impact is eternal. Two of the heroes are back for a second time. You can click on their names to link through to their first nominations. For every one of them, my life is better because they've been in it.

Here they are: My heroes and inspirations for 2024!

Jasmine Best

Evelyn Goodman

Jeremy & Brooke Wong

JJ Wong

Tracy Chapman & Bebo Norman

Tanya at McDonalds

Ebisa Roba

Josephine Serwaah

Cindi Moore

 Jasmine Best

I'm inspired by her cheerful helpfulness

There are lots of people who get the job done.  Fewer that get it done right.  And fewer still who do it with joy. Jasmine is among those elite few.  If I ever need anything from the Allegheny West Regional Conference (which is my official employer), I know that Jasmine will handle it--whether it's in her job description or not.   Jasmine returns phone calls and emails. She gets back to you. She takes care of it.  And she's always, genuinely, happy to help.  If I didn't know better, I'd say that Chik Fil A brought her in to help the company develop their culture because that spirit of pleasant competence has Jasmine's name all over it! She always says it's her pleasure to help, but that cheerfulness is infectious, and I feel better, not just because my problem is solved but because of who solved it.  I want to be more like Jasmine in my own workplace, someone who takes joy in serving others and brings joy into their lives in the process.

Evelyn Goodman

I'm inspired by her focused leadership

She helped us find ourselves. For my principal, Evelyn Goodman, vision and mission are more than buzzwords.  They are the engine that drives her school forward. I've never worked with anyone who has so successfully focused the organization she leads.  Under her guidance, we know who we are as a school--a school that educates children through and for Christ-centered evangelism, empowerment and excellence. Ask any kid in our school what our mission is--and they'll most likely know.  But more important than that, every decision we make as a school is undergirded by these core values.  They inform everything we do and that is entirely due to Mrs. Goodman's vision.  That she has managed to bring this focus, while also creating an environment where every one feels respected, valued and cared for is an incredible bonus.  

Jeremy & Brooke Wong

I'm inspired by their faith

The tsunami wave of tragedy crashed into their family, flattening them with unimaginable grief.  But as the wave receded, something remarkable happened.  Brooke and Jeremy Wong, though battered and in pain, rose to their feet, their faith still intact. Just over a year ago they lost their precious seven year old daughter to a vicious cancer.  Already, stunned by the diagnosis only a few weeks earlier, they were preparing to support their daughter as she did battle with this ugly foe.  And then, almost before it began, the battle was over and JJ was gone.  I know they wept.  I'm sure they raged at God, asked why, struggled with the pressing darkness of grief, and like Job cried that it wasn't fair--that they didn't deserve this. But like Job, somehow their faith though shaken remained unbroken, and they bore witness that "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord." Watching them continue to honor God in their journey of grieving, continually seeking to minister to and bless others, as they always have, I'm inspired that a faith such as theirs can be mine too.

JJ Wong

I'm inspired by her life

If the fullness of one's life is measured by impact, then JJ Wong packed more into her seven years than many ten times her age.  There's no question that there is so much this little girl missed out on when her time on this earth was cruelly cut short by cancer.  But with the time she had, what a difference she made!  I knew her parents much better than I knew her, but when I attended her funeral, I was deeply moved by the joy, faith, and love and that filled her years and touched so many around her. I found myself inspired to live as JJ did and aspiring to leave an impact and legacy the way she has. And even though she's gone her influence is still felt whether through her wise-beyond-her years assessment that "the first death is really not a big deal" to the scholarship established in her name.  We mourn what might have been for JJ and look forward to her life continuing in eternity and all that amazing potential being fully realized.  But we also rejoice in what was--a life on this planet, truly well-lived.

Tracy Chapman & Bebo Norman

I'm inspired by their perspective & priorities

Some might call it brave. I call it wise.  Instead of choosing to chase this ephemeral thing called fame, to allow themselves to become addicted the roar of the crowd, these two talented artists, Tracy Chapman and Bebo Norman chose to focus on other things. At least in my view, these were not artists forced into obscurity as their talents waned or the interest of world wandered.  Tracy Chapman who shot to stardom in 1988 on the back of her song "Fast Car" and Bebo Norman, who became a staple in the Christian music world in the 2000s (here's one of my favorite Bebo tunes) were both well-respected and loved in their genres.  But both artists seem to have made a deliberate decision to decline the stage because they understood that the bright lights of fame and attention are not what life is all about. 

Tracy Chapman first came back across my radar when country singer Luke Combs released a fantastic cover of  "Fast Car."  Tracy stepped back into the limelight briefly earlier this year to perform the song with Combs at the Grammys.  I was just so impressed with the easy grace and humble confidence Chapman carried herself with.  As for Bebo Norman, one day I did a "whatever happened to" Google search and was stunned to find he was now working as a physician's assistant, living a quiet and to all appearances satisfying life far from the stage where he'd made his name (this article was written when Norman made the deliberate decision to retire from music and articulates why he chose to step away).  So many long to have what they achieved, and among the few who have achieved the same heights even fewer have found the perspective these two have. I may never be as famous as Tracy and Bebo have been, but there's nothing stopping me from ordering my priorities in the way they have.  Edit: Now that I've gone back and listened to tunes by both these artists, it comes as no surprise that their music is similar too:  real, unadorned, honest.

Tanya at McDonalds

I'm inspired by her excellence

You don't need an audience to produce excellence. The best of the best simply do what they do, and sometimes you get lucky enough to see it. I was so fortunate last May when I rolled into the McDonalds on South Kirkman Road in Orlando, not too far from Universal Studios.  With me were close to thirty students and chaperones on their 8th grade class trip and hungry for breakfast before a day at the theme park.  Tanya, the general manager was on the clock, and didn't bat an eye when we came crowding in to her restaurant that morning.  I watched in awe as she moved with efficiency and speed, tracking all our orders and making sure her crew got it all done right. And she was cheerful and professional to boot.  We tend to view jobs in the service industry, like McDonald's, as low-end and undesirable.  And many, whether customers or employees, behave accordingly. But Tanya was someone I could point my students to and say: "That's what you want to be in life."  

Ebisa Roba

I'm inspired by his gratitude

Most of us only realize our blessings in hindsight. I've thanked a few teachers in my life--but that was typically years after I'd been in their classroom.  Ebisa is grateful after every lesson. I'm truly amazed and inspired by this young man who always seemed to recognize and appreciate the effort my colleagues and I put into teaching him.  When he was in my 8th grade class, it was commonplace for Ebisa to finish an assignment and sign off on his submission with a "thank you for the lesson" or "Thank you for teaching me. I learned a lot."  Those words of gratitude brightened my day so many times.  Of course, it's no surprise that Ebisa always earned top grades.  The quality and effort he put into his work mirrored his gratitude for receiving it.  Ebisa has inspired me to be grateful for every opportunity I have to teach--and to learn.

Josephine Serwaah

I'm inspired by her passion

There are those who enjoy their work and there are those who have a passion for their work. Josephine belongs squarely in the second category.  Last year as we were conducting interviews for the first member of of our high school faculty, I was looking for--longing for--someone who would be passionate about the incoming members of our fledging freshman class. I prayed for someone who would invest in making the experience of our 9th graders special, someone who would ensure the students felt cared for and seen. I know what I try to do for my 8th graders:  I wanted someone like that.  Josephine Serwaah was the answer to those prayers.  On top of being an excellent teacher, with high standards and expectations, she is a teacher who passionately cares for her students.  Whether it's ordering them all class of 2028 sweatshirts or planning special parties or outings she's always looking for ways to make  their experience as the first high school students at Columbus Adventist Academy feel special and meaningful. Now, this year, as we look to hire our next round of staff for our growing school, I'm looking for someone like Josephine!

Cindi Moore

I'm inspired by her generous care

Imagine bringing 9 dogs into your home.  Now imagine 8 of those dogs are two-week old puppies. If that sounds like only a superhero could handle that, you'd be right.  Lucky for us, we found one such wonder woman in Cindi Moore.  When we discovered, to our shock and dismay, that our new dog was pregnant, Rico (the rescue organization that led us to our dogs) put us in touch with Cindi, a seasoned puppy whisperer with lots of experiencing caring for puppies and their mamas until the puppies are old enough to be placed in homes of their own.  I don't know what we we have done without Cindi.  Even before she took the dogs out to her farm she was so generous with her time and expertise.  She drove across town several times to help us out as we were waiting for the pups to be born,  she was there on the day of their birth.  And since Luna, the mother, and her litter moved out to Cindi's farm she's welcomed us for weekly visits with our dogs. To me she's gone above and beyond anything we could have asked for or expected, and we are so grateful! Everybody loves puppies, but the love Cindi has for our canine friends is extraordinary. (Pictured: Cindi weighing Amora on the day of her birth, October 29, 2024)

The Puppies at 8 Weeks

 These puppies just keep on growing.  And as they grow, one of our past times is trying to figure out their heritage.  Big Brody, the largest of the litter is now over ten pounds but he has short legs and a chunky, long body--almost reminiscent of a dachshund or a basset hound.  We are truly mystified!

But we love visiting them and their mama each week.  Soon they'll be old enough to be adopted, and I've been told that the word will be out officially, perhaps next week.  They're not ready leave their mom yet but we want to start generating interest now.

We've been bringing Nova with us now for our visits and it is so beautiful to see the sisters reunited.  The foster, Cindi has a lovely farm with huge fenced in areas.  We let both dogs off the leash and they run as hard as they can together.  The unbridled joy Luna and Nova have in each other's presence gets me a little misty eyed every time I see them racing across the grass together.

The latest pics from this past Sunday, December 22, 2024:

Amora

Tidalwave

Brody

Snowpaw

Danica

Darling

Song

Phoenix

The Puppies at 5 Weeks

 It's been  about three and a half weeks since Luna and the pups moved out to the farm and we got to visit them for the first time last Sunday.  It was so nice.  Luna barked at us at first but she remembered us and quickly warmed up.  The puppies have grown so much!  Their eyes are open, their little teeth have starting coming in, and they are full of cuddly, cute energy. Here's their latest photos!

Amora

Tidalwave

Brody

Snowpaw

Danica

Darling

Song

Phoenix

Luna & Nova at 6 Weeks: A Temporary Farewell

 The family room feels empty.  Luna's pen sits with gate ajar, the puppy bowl gone from inside and with it Luna and her pups. It's quiet, without the mewling of puppies.  After 10 days with 10 dogs, poor Nova is just rattling around in this room.  Luna has gone off to the farm to raise and wean her pups and will be back with us in maybe two month or so.  Right now it feels like an eternity.  I miss her so much!

Luna gave birth on Tuesday, October 29, with first puppies making their arrival around 7:15 AM and the last puppy coming on the scene around 10:20 AM. Since then the puppies were as easy as we'd been promised. Blind, deaf, and barely mobile they stayed in their bowl and Luna did all the work of caring for them. In order to protect their sensitive immune systems, only Kai and Barbara handled them, during our nightly puppy weighing.  I held one of the puppies for the first time today, just before they were shipped off.  Luna was hormonal--mercurial and cranky at times, but I found that since giving birth she was less fearful of me.  And in the last few days she's actively come to me.  I found the connection I'd first sensed with her when I met her returning.  So it's hard that she's gone.  I'm sad too, to miss watching the puppies grow up.  I always looked forward to the nightly weighing sessions to see how each were coming along.

Nova misses her sister too I think. She's been quiet and subdued and seemed more spooked when I took her outside for her evening walk.

I would like to introduce you to each of the puppies.  We would love for them to find homes with people we know so that we can continue to stay in touch with them throughout their lives.  Please let us know if you are interested so we can let the rescue organization we work with know.  Rico Pet Recovery has been amazing; we couldn't have done any of this without their support.

Here's the whole gang--all 8 of them

First up is Amora Fluttershy.  She is the darkest of the puppies and lacks the prominent brown features that many of the others have. I love the little brown beauty mark above her right eye. So cute!

Amora

Next is Tidalwave Kai, one of two male puppies and one of two merle dogs, noted for their distinctive spotted pattern. Tidalwave is my oldest son's favorite dog as you may have guessed.

Tidalwave

Brody Brake Johnson is our big boy.  He's been the biggest fella on the block since birth and was well over two pounds as of yesterday.

Brody

Snowpaw Twilight is the smallest pup, though she wasn't the runt at birth.  I love her cute little white paws. For some reason these little ones seem to be opening their eyes sooner.  Snowpaw has one eye open and the former runt has both eyes open as you'll see.

Snowpaw

Our other merle is a girl. Her name is Danica Rainbow.

Danica

This is Darling Rarity.  She's always very sweet and demure and sits quietly on the scale for weighing without any fuss.

Darling

And then there's Song Pinkie, who is always noisy at weighing with a lot of mewling and crying each time.  She's the "brownest" of the puppies, and has a white stripe on her chest. She is Barbara's favorite.

Song

Finally, last and no longer least is Phoenix AJ, who was the original runt of the litter though there are now other puppies that weigh less. She and Song are probably the hardest to tell apart since Song's yellow collar and Phoenix's white collar fell off.  We usually have to check their chests to see which is which.  Phoenix has a white diamond shape on her chest.

Phoenix

Oh and here's one more photo:  The deadbeat dad.  This is who we believe is the father of Luna's litter. This photo was taken by Luna's foster and you can see Luna in the background.

Bear the baby daddy. Is he the father? I guess we'll have to go on Maury Povich to know for sure

Both mom and dad have found forever homes. Please let us know if you would like to provide one for their precious children.  The foster we've been working with who is caring for Luna and the puppies at her farm will let us know when Luna is settled in and comfortable and then we'll go out to visit regularly, so we'll have more pictures in the days and weeks to come.

Welcome Luna and Nova: One Month: Pregnant with Puppies!

 

Nova in her donut collar, needed to protect her incision after getting spayed

Luna, our mama-to-be

It’s been almost a month since we brought Luna and Nova home and what a month it’s been.  For the first two and a half weeks the main stress was getting Luna housetrained.  It seemed like she was actively waiting until we got back inside so that she could relieve herself indoors like any civilized person. 

The girls out for their walk in the days before we knew Luna was pregnant

But then on October 15, Barbara took the dogs in to get spayed and suddenly poop piles and pee puddles were the least of our concerns. Luna was found to be with puppies--seven at least, possibly as many as nine, according to the X-ray.  The vets said we should expect the birth within the next ten days--which brings us to yesterday.  And still no puppies.  The little ones haven’t even arrived yet and we’ve already been in a heightened state of anxiety, getting little sleep, worrying over how we’ll handle all of this.  Our family room has been taken over by the dogs, with a big pen set up to keep Luna separate from her sister when the puppies arrive.  Our TV doesn’t even work anymore after Nova got a hold of the cord and chewed through it earlier this week.  Once they are born, we’ll keep Luna and the kids for up to two weeks and then transfer them out to the farm of a wonderful lady affiliated with the rescue group we got the dogs from.  She’ll take care of them until the puppies are weaned and then Luna will come back to us. We just don’t have the space or the schedule to handle a close to a dozen dogs once those puppies become mobile.

Luna's "birthing pen" in what was once our family room

How did this happen, you ask?  Well it appears that Luna was knocked up by one of the other dogs in the foster home she was staying in before we adopted her. The foster didn’t realize it happened, and of course neither did we, until that fateful vet visit.

Despite the stress, we love our dogs.  They are both especially close with Barbara, and Kai has a special bond with Nova.  Ezra also loves the dogs and they love him back, though he seems to spend less time with them. I’m the only one they still fear.  If I walk into the room they’ll immediately scoot to the other side of the room.  If I crouch down low so I’m not looming over them, they won’t run away and will let me approach.  Once I’m there they’ll let me pet them--Nova in particular is greedy for petting and if I stop petting her to put my attention on Luna, she’ll paw at me to bring me back to her.  They are still skittish in general and Barbara is the only one who can get them to go outside for their walks. I’m sure these things will change with time and love.

Welcome Home Luna & Nova: The First 24 Hours

 

Waiting and watching

On Friday, September 27, we welcomed two new additions to our home--Luna and Nova, sisters that were rescued from a really bad situation earlier this year. They are about a year old and just the sweetest dogs and we've all fallen in love.  But, the first 24 hours have been challenging.  For me especially, I've gone through a lot of emotions--mostly negative ones.  I feel overwhelmed and despairing.  I'm honestly not sure at all that I can do this.

Probably the single biggest--and really the only challenge we've had so far, is house training Luna.  at 1:57 PM, she's been here for less than 24 hours and she's pooped once and peed three times.  The poop was last night, not long after she got here.  The foster hadn't even left yet.  The first two urinations were last night--the first being mostly out of fear and anxiety, when we were getting ready to take her outside for the first time.  Getting the dogs outside is always tricky--more on that later.  The second was a more regular urination after we'd come in from our first trip outside.

The third was this morning after we'd been outside for about 40 minutes.  We came in, and she went to her water bowl and drank quite a bit and then about five to ten minutes later she had a major elimination--a big old pool in what we fear is becoming her favorite spot, near the piano in the living room.  We cleaned it up, using the enzyme cleaner to neutralize the odor.  Since then it's a waiting game. We've taken her out a few times and nothing.  The last two times were after she'd taken a big old drink of water from her bowl. So we know she must have to go.  We just need it to not be inside.  So right now, it's constant supervision. I sit in the living room where I can watch them.  By the end of the first 24 hours there'd been no more peeing in the house-but none outside either.

We always called Kimo the perfect dog, but we had no idea.  It's like we've never had dogs before.  Because with Kimo, we never had to house train her.  She just arrived in our lives with no desire to pee or poop inside.  Not one accident in 9 years! We never had to be concerned with things like crates. She had the run of the house from day one and we never had any kinds of problems with her.  We love our new additions but they broke the mold with Kimo--there's just no other dog like her.

Convictions: Jesus

 "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."

                                                                             --Edward Mote "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less"

Yet it's amazing, how often we keep trying to stand on other ground.  We try to stand on the church, but it's Jesus that's the head of the church.  Then there's the Bible. Now that looks very stable--how firm a foundation is found in His excellent Word, right?  But it's Jesus who is our Rock, our Cornerstone.  The Bible exists for Jesus and not the other way around. The Bible has value because it testifies of Him.  The church has value because though I am a child of God, I'm not an only child.  To be a follower of Jesus is by definition to be part of a family, and that family is called the church.  These first three posts of my Convictions blog series are called Foundations where I reflected on the three aspects of our faith that we treat as foundational--the church, the Bible, and Jesus.  But in the end there is but one foundation and it's Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our faith is ultimately about a person--about Jesus, who is God with us. God who has come near and who we can relate to because He became one of us.  Jesus is the resolution to the thorniest problem that underlies all pain, suffering and death in this world--the problem of sin. Every philosophical struggle will ultimately be resolved through His sacrifice on the cross--his defeat of death and his eradication of sin.  Jesus also represents God's desire to be connected to us as He had always intended.  Jesus reveals in ways that we can understand who God really is and what His character is like.  This week's Sabbath School lesson says that the law of God reveals God's character and I had a hard time seeing that. But I think it's Jesus that reveals God's character, and shows us what God's law perfectly fulfilled looks like. 

You can't place too much emphasis on Jesus. And yet often times I find that we tend to underemphasize Him in favor of other things.  A "relationship with Jesus" seems soft, hazy, in line with harping on grace, love, and mercy--those less severe qualities in comparison to the sterner, clearer, harder virtues of obedience, righteousness, and the law.  But I think our preference for the those more "demanding"  virtues reveals our tendency towards idolatry, towards a faith that we manage and control. The thing about following Jesus is that He is in control, and we don't always know what He's going to do (ask His disciples!).  

 I think we'd prefer to take the playbook out of his hands, and just do what it says as best we can. It's easier to focus on tasks and check lists. It feels safer.  But that's idolatry.  

It's more appealing to have a vending machine God that spits out whatever we want. It feels more certain to believe that if I follow the formula I will get exactly what I want.   But that's idolatry. 

 It's more comfortable to demand that God "just tell me what to do so I can have eternal life" rather than be bothered with the complications of actually following Him.  But Jesus tells us that our faith is not about a to-do list. He does not offer us the option of a Jesus-free Christian package. 

My most fervent prayer for my children is very simple:  that they would know Jesus.  That's all.  I don't pray that they'll "stay in the church" because they could do that and still not know Jesus.  While, I do pray that they'll make decisions and live good lives, I still pray that would be the outgrowth of knowing Jesus.  Because they can make the "right" decisions and still not know Him. 

The only reason I'm a Christian is because of Jesus. It's His story that moves me, His message that convicts me.  And most importantly, it's His continual activity in my life that keeps me faithful.  It's that He's real to me, that I feel His presence every day, that His character inspires me to believe in what a good world can really be. This is why I believe.  I find a Christianity devoid of Jesus doesn't really have much to recommend it above any other religious belief.  We don't have the market cornered on a code of moral conduct.  We're not the only ones proffering an all-powerful, all-knowing God. We're not alone in providing a path out of suffering and death.  But we are the only ones who have Jesus. And He makes all the difference.

"For I resolved to know nothing.  . .except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

                                                                        -1 Corinthians 2:2

*A note on the images I selected for this post. The portrait of Jesus was a tough one. Images of Jesus are so fraught.  I think there's a strong argument for taking the Muslim approach of refusing to depict God in visual form.  Many of the traditional pictures of Jesus are of a European man that is most likely inaccurate.  There are a host of Black Jesus options available too, but I have my doubts about Jesus being African either.  There a contemporary portrayals as well such as Jonathan Roumie's portrayal of Jesus in The Chosen, but while that might ring true to fans of the show, others will see a popular TV star not Christ.  My favorite portrait of Jesus can be found here, but I've noticed people find nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance in this portrait, nothing to attract us to him and they object to that.  (Did you see what I did there?)  So even though that picture might be perhaps the most Biblically accurate I didn't use that one.  In the end I settled on this drawing of ethnically vague Jesus as, if not ideal, at least satisfactory.

The last image is actually of Rich Mullins, one of my favorite Christian musicians.  He said he wanted to be simply be an arrow pointing up.  This is the heart of Christian faith in Jesus, to be arrow pointing to the uplifted Christ who draws everyone to Him.