Thoughts From Daniel's Den

His name was Dale Turner. I got to know Dale through his weekly articles in The Seattle Times religious section. Dale was a United Church of Christ minister in Seattle’s university district.  The articles were thought-provoking, humorous, and inspiring.

Thinking over what I would like my blog to be, I kept thinking about Dale. Then it dawned on me, why not do the same with the Livingston Patch blog. We all need a dose of inspiration these days, or a little Will Rogers. So, I invite to read, comment, and breath – just breath. Here goes a thought on our community and the colors of Fall.   

Fall is a time for many wonderful activities. To name a few, there is apple picking, Fall festivals, changing from daylight savings time to standard time, packing the summer clothes away and bringing out the winter coats and sweaters, and nippy evenings with the first whiff of fires in the fireplace. Of course, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful array of fall colors. With all the brilliance and majestic hues of red, yellow, and orange our area turns into a world of color.

In the human family there is also a brilliance of color.  This color is seen in what we do as we pull together as a community here in Livingston. If you think about it, each one of us is as colorful as the leaves on the trees and we live out our color in so many ways. Some will work tirelessly to make sure that our town is well maintained – thank you to the road crew -- while others give through serving on the many wonderful committees that our community has to offer.

Just as beauty happens when the fall colors arrive, our citizens can be just as colorful. The colors come in by not what is said, but by what we do. From my pew view, I see people spreading their color by being involved in people’s lives. When we stop to appreciate the beauty of a flower, or the fall foliage, we are sharing a moment with our Creator. When we offer a helping hand to a neighbor, friend, co-worker, we are sharing a blessing.  

How might we pull together as a community so that no person is left behind, or God forbid, bullied because of their race, cultural, sexual orientation, or religious belief.?  Maybe the best way is to get to know who our neighbors are and to experience their brilliance of color.