A Norvell Note

On the Edge of the Inside

Vol. 27 No. 19

May 8, 2023

On the Edge of the Inside

Do you ever wonder about your place in the world? Where do you belong? What is your mission? Is there something more than your job or career? I’ve spent much of my life asking those questions. I spent most of my adult years serving in church leadership in one form or another, but that is no longer my role. So instead, I’m learning to be a good church member.

In my workplace, I am part of the team. I’m far from the head of the company and try to do my best to play my role among the many other team players. Some passages in the New Testament highlight the various parts of the Body of Christ, remind us that we can’t all be the “head,” and emphasize how vital all body parts are. The eyes have their place, the feet do their thing, and the hands have their special place. (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12) I’m learning to be a good team player.

I’ve come to appreciate this sentence from Romans 12: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

I also love these words by St. Frances as shared by Richard Rohr in Alternative Orthodoxy, At Home in the World, Friday, June 2, 2017. “Francis wanted us to live a life on the edge of the inside—not at the center or the top, but not outside throwing rocks either. This unique position offers structural freedom and hopefully spiritual freedom, too.”

“Live a life on the edge of the inside—not at the center or the top, but not outside throwing rocks either.”

I’m doing my best to live and enjoy my life on the edge of the inside. It’s an excellent place to live.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Vol. 27 No. 18

May 1, 2023

Family

After attending a reunion of my mother’s side of the family, I am grateful to be a descendant of Floyd and Agnes Mangum. I understand that all families do not enjoy the level of love and joy that ours has and does, but I cannot pass this opportunity to express my deep gratitude for how God has given me “more than we could “ever ask or imagine.”

We all have had our share of heartbreak, sadness, and disappointment, but the heritage of faith our grandparents lived and passed down to their children continues to live in their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and hopefully future generations. This foundation has sustained us through deaths, grief, marital successes and failures, spiritual struggles, and the highs and lows of living in this troubled world.

What is this solid foundation? As one cousin reminded us this past weekend, it is Jesus Christ. I don’t think there are any two of Floyd and Agnes’ successors who practice our faith in Jesus Christ the same way. Some are similar, and some are vastly different. But one common thing to all is the desire to live as much like Jesus as possible.

And when we come together as we did this past weekend, we embrace, enjoy, and celebrate that it is only by the great mercies of God that we are allowed to experience such a wonderful heritage of love. I love our family, and I pray that I can live my life so that my children, their children, and their children will see the same Jesus and do their best to live as much like Him as possible.

I also pray that if you have not experienced family life like l have, someday, God will open a door for you to find it. Maybe God is waiting for you to begin the heritage of faith and love that will last for generations.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Three More Words on Grief

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 17

April 24, 2023

Three More Words on Grief

Grief takes time.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

A Little More on Grief

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 15

April 10, 2023

A Little More on Grief

We will all experience grief at some point. We cannot escape life without it. However, there are unhealthy and healthy ways to deal with grief.

Unhealthy Ways of Processing Grief

Deny it.

Do nothing.

Self-medicate.

Isolate yourself.

Fear it.

Healthy Ways of Processing Grief

Acknowledge it.

Embrace it.

Face it.

Talk about it.

Seek professional help.

Journaling.

Exercise.

When you experience a loss, and you will, whether you acknowledge it or not, grief needs to be processed. I encourage you to choose healthy ways to process your grief. Even if you choose healthy ways to process your grief, it is hard, so please choose the more beneficial methods. Then, you can get through it.

Tom

Grief

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 15

April 10, 2023

Grief

Sometimes you see it coming; sometimes, it comes out of nowhere. Sometimes you know what’s happening; sometimes, you have no idea what’s happening. What is it? Grief.

Grief comes in many forms and for many reasons. We commonly associate grief with the death of a loved one, but there are many other causes.

Grief may surface after losing a job, a pet, loss of health, or a dream. Likewise, grief may appear after a failed relationship, an auto accident, or one of many other losses.

Grief may show up as sadness, moodiness, anger, depression, crying, or feeling blue. A person may feel grief when you hear a particular song, eat at a favorite restaurant, or smell a familiar fragrance.

Why am I writing about grief? Because grief is real and painful and must be allowed to do its work, or you may experience serious health problems. If you are experiencing grief, saying, “I’m fine,” is not the solution. Help is available. You don’t have to go through the agony of your loss alone.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

The Anger and the Pain

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 14

April 3, 2023

The Anger and the Pain

“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, …Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:26, 31, 32 (NIV)

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19, 20 (NIV)

I wish reading these words would be enough to stop the anger and violence in our world.

I wish the words “be kind and compassionate to one another” would be powerful enough to change the hearts and minds of the people who are so angry before they go into elementary schools and start shooting.

I wish we could learn to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”

I wish I could erase the images of parents rushing to Covenant School in Nashville clutching their children. I want to remove the feelings of helplessness. I wish I could stop being sad. And I wish there was something I could do to make things better. I want my wishes to change something.

I know that I cannot change people, I cannot change hearts, and I cannot make the rage and anger disappear. I also cannot take away the pain and suffering of the victims of rage and anger. I cannot make the anger go away.

So, I pray.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

Where there is injury, pardon; 

Where there is doubt, faith; 

Where there is despair, hope; 

Where there is darkness, light; 

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen (The Prayer of St. Francis)

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Last Week

Vol. 27 No. 13 – March 27, 2023

Last Week

Junie’s scan results: ALL CLEAR!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Also, last week a very dear lady from our workplace lost her battle with cancer but won her freedom over pain and discomfort and moved on to her reward of peace and eternal rest.

We celebrate.

We grieve.

We hold on.

We let go.

We love.

We move forward.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Anxious Times

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 12 – March 20, 2023

Anxious Times

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

It makes me anxious to read this passage. It makes me even more anxious to think of how many times I have written about and talked about this passage. It makes me even more nervous than that to think about how many times I have reminded someone that the Apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, said, “Do not be anxious about anything.” And yet, here I am writing about not being anxious again.

Why? Because we live in anxious times.

Relationships create anxiety. If you have children, you will have times of intense stress about their welfare. If your parents are aging, there are times when you are anxious. You have anxiety if you are married, planning to get married, or once married. Finally, you will have tense times if you date or commit to a single life.

Engaging in the world creates anxiety. You stand a good chance of getting anxious by watching the news (local, national, international). You’ll have some stress if you watch sports. If you drive an automobile, there is a real possibility of a few anxious moments in your week.

Anxiety is real. The examples I’ve shared above are the natural consequences of living in an anxiety-filled world. But there are others: sick children, family problems, addiction, accidents, poor decisions, chronic pain, church dysfunction, loneliness, and financial difficulties.

I believe the Holy Spirit guided Paul to write those words because He knew we would live in a world as we do and wants us to know that when anxiety hits, we have a healthy and effective way to deal with it. We have the response. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The promise is not that anxious times will disappear but that God’s peace will protect you as you go through them.

Go in peace.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

A Little Less Like Me

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 11 – March 13, 2023

A Little Less Like Me

Last week I wrote, “Just Be You.” This week I was introduced to the song “More Like Jesus Less Like Me.” (More Like Jesus Less Like Me). I’ve listened to it multiple times. Here’s the chorus.

Lord, help me be
(One, two, three)

… A little more like mercy, a little more like grace
A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith
A little more like patience, a little more like peace
A little more like Jesus, oh, a little less like me

… A little more of living everything I preach
A little more like Jesus, a little less like me
Oh, a little less like me.

The song is a good reminder of how important it is to take who we are and allow Jesus’ nature to be revealed in and through us.

When we do that, we show mercy and grace to those who need it most but feel most unworthy.

Our kindness, goodness, love, and faith become the heritage we leave behind.

Patience and peace become achievable goals.

And living what I preach is the most natural thing I can do.

Let’s be a little more like Jesus.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Be You

A Norvell Note

March 6, 2023 – Vol. 27 No. 10

Be You

You have one life to live. So, why not live like God wants you to live? He created you with specific gifts, qualities, talents, and a unique personality. When He created you, He intended you to be you. So, be you.
Not everyone will like you but be you.
Not everyone will appreciate you but be you.
Not everyone will understand you but be you.
Not everyone will want to be around you but be you.
Not everyone will think you’re cool but be you.
Not everyone will respect you but be you.
Not everyone will want your opinion but be you.
Not everyone will want to be your friend but be you.
Not everyone will agree with you but be you.
Not everyone will say you are pretty or handsome but be you.
Not everyone needs to know your political views. That’s okay. Be you.
Not everyone wants or needs to hear you talk. That’s okay. Be quiet when you need to. Be you.
God created you to be you so be you. Unless you’re a jerk, then be someone else.

Tom Norvell

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

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