Posts tagged mml

Man is a knot into which relationships are tied.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Dear Friends,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This week, the Kroc Center sent 35 children to enjoy a residential summer camp experience at The Salvation Army’s Wildwood Ranch in Ramona.  Camp has been an integral part of Salvation Army mission since the 1920’s, exposing kids to God’s love and caring relationships in a rustic, nurturing setting.  We’re grateful to Jessica Sneed and Lynette Baker for all they’ve done to make camp a positive experience for all of our kids.

On July 29, our Family Resource Center is sponsoring another nutrition class designed to help families lead healthy lives.  Over eight sessions, the classes teach something many of us take for granted: exercise plus nutrient rich meals equal healthy living.  I’d like to thank Nahum Mendoza for all he’s doing to coordinate this learning series, and help us fulfill one of our strategic priorities.

Our fourth annual, July 4 Church at the Pool was awesome!  Over 115 people gathered in and around the pool where they were encouraged to discover God’s love and enjoy each other’s friendship.  This year, I’d like to join the ministry team in expressing appreciation to Danny Beers and the Life Guard Crew for keeping watch over us; and to Ross Klareich and the Food & Beverage Team for feeding us.  We appreciate all you do everyday – but we’re especially grateful you provided service to our church family on a holiday.  Thank you!

And finally – drum roll, please – our second annual Heroes With a Campaign has surpassed this year’s goal.  One of our engaged members came forward last, and sent us soaring to a campaign total of $70,427.  Once again, we are indebted to our Heroes; and also to Fran Waller for her service.  Congratulations!

I recently re-read a letter from a member whose story touched the very depth of my soul.  It’s from the 61 year-old mother of an autistic son, both of whom have found a lifeline at the Kroc Center.  We have created “a sense of family they do not otherwise have.”  For her, our facilities provide fitness so she can stay strong – off an invasive medical regimen – and involved in her son’s life. She writes:

“We are regular church members locally and stay involved with our faith.  The Kroc Center membership is certainly an ongoing answer to my prayers for God’s blessing in our lives.  Thank you again for your help and for the wonderful people who greet us each day with warm and welcoming smiles.”

Her letter reminds us of one important thing.  We’re all about people.  Everything we do is subservient to encouraging, equipping and engaging people.  People are our mission, and relationships – genuine, authentic, caring, selfless relationships – are our lifeline.

The Bible’s third guidance for relationships is simple: let’s work together and help each other:

So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other.  Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault.

– Romans 14:19 (The Message)

A better English word for the phrase “encouraging words” is edification. It’s a word resonating with depth and dignity. It’s a word that elevates its recipient, and comes close to articulating the thoughts and intentions of its speaker.

From where I sit this answer is very obvious because the illustrations – the real life examples – abound. We’re at our very best when we come together and do our mission: whether it’s interpersonal moments that touch the soul, or center-wide activities that celebrate our life together. In these moments we not only build each other up, we also edify the people and fabric of our community. We experience the best of who we are, and see – perhaps – a glimpse of who God knows we can become.

So let’s pursue, let’s continue running after these things with open hearts and hot-blooded passion.

In Jesus,

John

Isn’t it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, a book of rules;
And each must make – ere life is flown
A stumbling block or a steppingstone.

~ R. L. Sharpe

Dear Friends,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This past week, our School of the Arts did Rock the Kroc with their summer recital.  Many styles of dance and the beautiful sound of piano filled the theatre as our students celebrated their accomplishments and shared their newly developed skills with family and friends.  We grateful to our instructors Rebecca Bauman-Inglis, Hanan Jammal, Annalisa Lauer-Hansing and Spencer John Powell for their guidance through hours of rehearsal, and to Deidra Davis for her guidance through the recital.

There’s nothing quite like being the new kid at school – especially when a well-intentioned teacher draws unnecessary attention to you through the obligatory, “Class, please welcome our newest student…” which is followed by the thunderous silence of half-hearted applause.  The same holds true for being the newbie at work.  Learning the professional and social norms is  awkward and mildly uncomfortable, and all the while you’re wondering, “Is my best behavior good enough?  When do I let the real me out of the bag?  While they like me?”

Acceptance is one of the most important spiritual needs people have.  It begins with our family – the immediate and extended – expands to our friends and peers, and penetrates all the dimensions of our social interactions with other people.  Failure to feel acceptance can lead to hurts we try to mask and suppress, or can lead to deep wounds from which we never recover.  Inversely, finding acceptance can cause us to soar with wings like eagles, and lead to immense, complete healing.

Our experience along the way of life teaches us there are few places where we can find authentic acceptance, and that there are fewer people with whom we can be ourselves.  We’ve learned to be reticent and untrusting of others, hiding our deep desire to know and be fully known.  But we persist on the pilgrimage for acceptance.  We march onward to its cadence beating in our hearts because we must – not out of duty but out of desire to find what we’re looking for.

We’re a community of princes and kings, clowns and common people – each with a story, each with a need, and each with a unique ability to contribute to eternity.

Acceptance requires humility, a deep awareness of who we are and who we are not.  Humility also acknowledges who other people are, even regarding their needs as more important than our own.  Acceptance also requires grace, paying forward the patience, generosity, gentleness and kindness we’ve received from others.  Acceptance opens the doorway to opportunity because it welcomes all that we are – our strengths, skills and successes equally with our hurts, habits and hang-ups.  It creates safety for who we are, it helps us whisper the dreams of who we want to be, and it opens our eyes to discovering the ever expansive horizon of God’s perfect purpose for our lives.

O Lord, make us not a stumbling block, but rather a stepping stone…

In Jesus,

John

The Bible hints that in some way beyond our imagination our life’s legacy is permanent.

~ R. Paul Stevens

Dear Friends,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t give a dime! You read it right. For the past month I have joined dozens of people within our family who aren’t giving a dime back to vendors. Instead, we are saving all of the dimes we receive as change as an offering for Salvation Army world missions. The Army is now at work in 121 countries, and many of the people in those nations can do more with a dime than we could ever do with a dollar. I’d like to thank Belinda Owens for concentrating our world mission focus, and I’d like to encourage you to give your dimes for others.

On Wednesday afternoon, we received a $1,000 check from the La Mesa Rotary Club to benefit our Family Arts & Literacy Connection. This grant will sustain and expand the support we provide to local partner schools for literacy education (helping reluctant readers become active readers) and arts (exposing children to the world of fine and performing arts). I’m grateful to Deidra Davis for her facilitation of this program, and to Fran Waller for her ability to gather resources.

The top ten list of my favorite movies includes The Shawshank Redemption. Among all of the story lines it contains – friendship, justice, persistence – a golden thread woven throughout its script is the story of hope. Set in a 1940’s Maine prison, the sage lifer, Red warns the newly arrived, Andy, against hope, “Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.”

But Andy doesn’t deposit his hope in some fantasy, or a fictitious future in the far off country of imagination. His hope is invested in something living deep within, “There are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone. There’s something inside… that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. That’s yours. Hope.”

The Kroc H.E.A.R.T. beats with hope. Within each person who graces our walls we see not only who they are, but the potential of who they can become – and we gravitate toward their future for a multitude of reasons. First, there’s the pure satisfaction of enjoying the “a ha” moment – wherein the potential we see, and the reality a person experiences are forever married together in a life-changing experience.

Second, from these moments of satisfaction grow a self-less desire to serve others and share in their lives just because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t look for the moment. We don’t wait for the moment. We don’t anticipate the moment. It’ll come all on its own in due time. We simply enjoy the relationship for what it is – freely giving just as we have freely received. (Matthew 10:8)

Ultimately, we discover we are participants in the divine dance of eternity. We are missionaries – those who are sent – who though our life and labor join force to do something that lasts. Hope, along with faith and love, lasts. (1 Corinthians 13:13) It’s not just something we think about. Hope is something we do:

It is not pure intention alone, nor is it faith, hope and love residing unexercised as virtues in a person that lasts. What lasts is the action taken in these virtues, the praxis that flows from intention, the works the virtues shape. These last!

– John C. Haughey (Converting Nine to Five)

Hope is something inside that can’t be touched. Hope changes people for good. Hope lasts forever.

In Jesus,

John

One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions.

Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Dear Friends,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you haven’t been by the gymnasium in the last week then you’re missing something. This may be the only time I ever encourage anybody to go and check out our locker rooms, but you gotta go and check ‘em out. Really. With thanks to a whole host of people – like our finance and property support teams at Divisional and Territorial Headquarters – we have new lockers that are (dare I say) beautiful. We’re especially grateful to Kevin Forrey and the Facilities Team for their tireless efforts to complete this project with minimum interruption to our members and guests.

On Sunday we again hosted Mayhem @ the Kroc – our 2nd annual competition in the skate park. We had approximately 90 participants. I’m grateful the original Youth Planning Committee insisted on including a skate park during the design phase of the Kroc Center, and also to David Monaco and the Skate Park Team for all they do to keep our skaters safe and engaged.

For the past two weeks we’ve been searching for a new HR Generalist to join our staff family. In the meantime, we’ve relied on Patty Ramsey and Elaine Wade to carry the heavy HR load – all the while fulfilling their regular job responsibilities. Please join me in expressing appreciation to them for their dedicated service.

It’s confession time. I am one of several million Americans who have religiously followed the TV series Lost for the last six years – from the very first episode until the series finale at 11:30 p.m. last night. It’s been a mind-bending journey of unexpected plot twists and shocking turns; and through it all the show ultimately explored a fundamental human question: Why am I here?

This is a deeply personal question resonating into the deep, quiet recesses of our souls. It forces us to confront our wound(s). We have to look at the smudges imprinted through habits, the cracks defined by our hang-ups, and the breaks created by hurts. We can find ourselves staring into the abyss of our insecurities and need for acceptance – only to find it staring back. Yet if we listen carefully beyond the noise and the clamor, we’ll hear the still small voice of God whisper, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I have ordered your days.” Our ears can capture the divine message only hinted at through the poetry of words, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. It saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind but now I see.”

This is also an organizational question – but the “I” is changed to reflect the necessary dimension of our social life. Why are we here? Oh, we cannot help but ponder this question because we find ourselves inexorably drawn – even compelled – into community with others where we share our gifts, reveal our heart, offer our abilities, ignite our passions, and contribute from our experiences. Many things cause us to gather, but only one thing holds us together.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

– St. Paul (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Why am I here? Jesus said our highest aim and purpose is to, “Love God and love others. Nothing else matters.” Why are we here? An old Salvation Army slogan is, “Heart to God. Hand to man.”

Hmm… Is there any real difference between the two? Aren’t the two really one?

In Jesus, John

An unfortunate by-product of our contemporary culture is a strong notion that it’s us against them.

It’s time to replace this old, destructive, counterproductive notion with a not-so-new idea. We need each other.

We are all stakeholders in the great enterprise of humanity. We are enriched by each other. We are interdependent, intercommunicating and in community.

READ MORE…

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On Saturday afternoon the Saints Bible Bowl Team won the Divisional Bible Bowl competition, and earned the privilege to represent the Sierra del Mar Division at the Western Territorial Championships.  (Bible Bowl is akin to Academic Olympics, and the team is quizzed on their memorization of Scripture.)  Captain Lisa is the team’s coach, and the kid’s success is an indication of her dedication and commitment to helping them enjoy meaningful success.  You may think I’m biased, but this one example is indicative of her many, profound contributions to the Kroc Center.

Last Monday I left you with a teaser.  “We are created for community.  We need each other.”  And now I’d like to revisit the reality of our inter-connectedness.

One of the leadership principles by which Lisa and I work is “Tend Your Garden.”  This principle is an affirmation of the gifts, heart, abilities, passions and talents possessed by every person, and a reminder every person is uniquely connected to the Kroc Center as member, volunteer, guest or employee.  It’s also an affirmation of the reality that no one of us has the capacity to do it all.  Or inversely, our personal connection to mission indicates each of us is uniquely placed and qualified to contribute to the whole.

But there’s an inherent danger to this principle, that being we can forget “my” garden is a part of the community garden.  We begin to see life in terms of them and us.  We begin to act as if we’re a series of unrelated venues.  We begin the movement from interdependence to independence.  Let me be less cryptic and more specific.  Several times over the past month I’ve heard this phrase, “I need to cover my back.”  It doesn’t matter with whom or in what situation.  But it does matter this phrase suggests the seeds of distrust have been sown in the garden.

I wish everybody could see what I see: The dedication and professionalism.  The dauntlessness spirit and tireless effort with which people give, and give, and give of themselves so another person can dream, discover and become.  It’s inspiring.  It helps me wake up in the morning, rests in my heart, and compels me to bring my best every day.  And on those days when I’ve brought less than my best, I’ve been the humble recipient of these words, “I’ve got your back.  We’re here for you.”

King Solomon is arguably the wisest man in history, and you know he’s smart because he taught complex ideas in simple terms:

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.  Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps; but if there’s no one to help – tough!
By yourself you’re unprotected.  With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?  A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

-       Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12

Next time you’re feeling alone or isolated – exposed? – I want to ask for your trust.  The people with whom we spend most of our waking, working hours have got your back.  After all, if a three-stranded rope isn’t easily broken, imagine the strength of a rope bound by a community of thousands.

Peace,

John Van Cleef, Captain

Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

You won’t be surprised to read these words: there’s been a lot going on at the Kroc Center, and this Monday Letter will be entirely devoted to sharing the good news – beginning with words of thanks to Lynnette Baker (Youth Outreach Director).  Lynnette is on the frontline of Salvation Army mission, telling kids about God’s love in schools and alleys, in run-down apartment complexes and in our gym.  She always has a smile, and obviously loves the kids she serves.  She recently got to take the children ice skating, and her great joy was not in the adventure of ice skating.  Her joy was watching the kids who’ve been around welcome and help the kids who were new.  This is a snap shot of what we’re all about – transformed people helping transform people.  It’s a pleasure to share her joy with you, and to thank Lynnette for teaching our kids by her authentic example.

It’s also a pleasure to report Mayor Sanders and the City Council have agreed to maintain the current level of funding for the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and to further report that Kroc Kids has been awarded another two-year grant.  But it gets even better: the grant for the next two years is double the grant for the previous two years – over $12,000.  This increase is a credit to the growth of the Kroc Kids program, with thanks to Siobhan Sullivan (Performing Arts Manager), and to the leadership of Sean Cummings (Program Director).

And speaking of theatre… if you missed the Broadway Spectacular, you missed something spectacular.  (I know.  I missed it because of a wedding in Washington D.C., and I longingly listen to stories about how well all the performers did – especially the Boyd brothers.)  As with so many other things that happen at the Kroc Center, what happened on the stage is only half the story.  We have a group of Kroc Kids raising money for a 10-day mission trip to Swaziland this summer, and they were able to raise more than $12,000 toward their goal.  We’re incredibly proud of our kids, and know this trip eternally benefit their lives and those of the children they’re going to help.

You might imagine being a Life Guard is an easy job – sit in a chair, soak in the rays, and instinctively know where there’s good food on campus.  But it’s actually a difficult, tedious, and even monotonous job.    Our Life Guards test the water for chemical levels, receive the front-line comments of our satisfied and dissatisfied swimmers, and always – ALWAYS – have to be ready to save a life.  We’ve had a few of those rescues during the recent days of spring break: when over-confident, zealous kids needed help after they discovered the pool was that deep and they didn’t swim that well.  It’s a pleasure to acknowledge Danny Beers (Aquatics Supervisor) and the Life Guards, and thank them for always keeping our swimmers safe.

This past Thursday, we paused to thank our volunteers during our annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.  The 40 in attendance represented the 1,200+ volunteers who make the Kroc Center run.  The value of their time, expertise and service is incalculable.  And in recognizing our volunteers, I also need to express my gratitude for everything Jean Stein (Volunteer & Life Options Coordinator) does to facilitate the varied work of our volunteers.

And finally, we are 10 days into our Heroes With a Heart annual giving campaign.  We have more than 90 committed volunteers telling the story of The Salvation Army, and singing the benefits of Kroc Center programs.  Our goal is to raise $60,000 in 30 days to benefit our scholarship and program funds.  As of day four we raised $12,500, and I know we’ve received more gifts since then.  We need heroes, and it’s a privilege to see them emerging through this campaign.

I could go on…

…but this is what’s called a “teaser”.  We are created for community (that’s a sound bite), and everything I’ve written about in this Monday Letter is a potent reminder we need each other.  Stay tuned.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain

Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1943, the Marine Corps Fighter Squadron VMA-214, was reformed to help advance the United States’ war in the Pacific. During this campaign, VMA-214 distinguished themselves with an impressive record: 203 air-to-ground planes destroyed, 94 air-to-air combat victories, and the recognition of 8 ace pilots.

The commanding officer was Colonel Pappy Boyington, and he brought together 27 unattached, unequipped, and – some of them – inexperienced men. Perhaps their squadrons had been reassigned or lost in combat. It’s probable their planes had been destroyed in combat. And some of them were fresh from training with all the necessary classroom training, but no practical experience. Feeling “fatherless” they wanted the squadron to be called “Boyington’s Bastards,” but that didn’t quite meet the public relations’ standards for the Marine Corps.

Instead, they were named the “Black Sheep Squadron,” and through their excellence became the most famous Marine Corps Fighter Squadron.

Ever felt like the 27 men of the Black Sheep Squadron? Unattached? Unequipped? Inexperienced? Purposeless? Fatherless? These feelings can permeate any dimension of our lives, but you know it’s especially difficult when they get beyond the superficial layers of our lives into the heart and soul of who we are.

The beauty of Easter is its message of faith, hope and love for the unattached, unequipped and purposeless. Consider these words from the prophet, Isaiah:

The plan was that (Jesus) give himself as an offering for sin
so that he’d see life come from it – life, life and more life;
and God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
(So God said,) “Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly -
the best of everything, the highest honors -

Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.”

- Isaiah 53:10,12

What does that mean in plain English? If Pappy Boyington, being the man he was, can add purpose and meaning to the lives of 27 pilots; then God, being who he is, can add infinitely more life, life and more life (a.k.a. purpose and meaning) to a black sheep like me.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer