Friday, October 7, 2016

The Seed



This is the weekend Kim and I will fix up our yard. It’s going to take some time and some work for sure. We’re not sure why we have so many brown spots and bare patches, but our backyard has a case of the uglies.

So tomorrow morning, I will run out to the hardware store and pick up an extra rake and some grass seed. Probably a lot because I’m one of those guys who sorta kinda over does it. But just sorta kinda. Not!

Kim and I will roll up our sleeves and rake and then I will run the spreader over the yard in hopes that The Seed will take root and grow before the birds and rabbits feast on it and before our dogs dig it up. Hopefully! That’s the plan, anyway.

Seems like we put a lot of faith in The Seed.

Something so small that will take root and grow into something beautiful, something we can admire and enjoy. Doesn’t matter if The Seed is a grass seed or a flower seed. The seed is tiny, a speck, and we put a lot of faith in it that at some point . . . days, weeks, months, years . . . something beautiful and useful will grow from it.

That’s Faith, folks! No better example I can think of. To look at The Seed and imagine the flower! Yes, that’s faith!

We, each of us, work with kids. Doesn’t matter if we’re teachers or parents. Doesn’t matter if we’re coaches or custodians. Doesn’t matter if we’re cafeteria workers or administrative assistants. We work with kids. What we plant within them will grow. It might take days or weeks or months or years, but something will grow within them.

We might never see the outcome, the product of our labor. We might never see the flower that comes about from The Seed we plant.

But . . .

We plant The Seed “in hopes” of something good that might result, something good that might happen- for them, for us, for the world.

Because it isn’t calculus or government or anatomy or a free throw or how to cut a board or set a brick that we teach. Those are only the means by which we teach.

No, we plant Seeds of kindness. We plant Seeds of patience. We plant Seeds of humbleness. We plant Seeds of discovery and inquiry and curiosity. Those are the best Seeds to plant.

And again, we might never see the results of The Seeds we plant. We can only imagine and hold tight to the belief that what we plant, The Seed we plant, will give fruit to that kid, our kid, those kids . . . each other. We hold tightly to the belief, the faith, in The Seed we plant will bring forth kindness and gentleness and humbleness. And The Seed will make that kid, those kids, our kids, and ultimately each of us and our world a better place. So . . . what Seeds will you plant today? What Seeds have you already planted today? Or tomorrow? Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:
Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor


Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI/            

If you like to read thriller/mystery, check out:
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis           

Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis           

Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
The FBI knows a 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t. With no leads and with nothing to go on, the FBI gambles and sets up the boy and his family as bait in order to catch three dangerous and desperate men with absolutely nothing to lose.

The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis  

Friday, September 30, 2016

A Smile



There are several versions of a commercial playing every so often on TV for a dental establishment. In each of the commercials, the speaker and main character is a fire fighter, perhaps a station chief, who talks about his teeth. In one version, he sort of chokes up as he describes his feelings that at one time, he was afraid to smile because he had such poor teeth. In the end, he smiles because his teeth have been fixed. He talks about how confident he is and how much better he feels about himself because of his smile.

When I meet someone for the first time, I notice one’s eyes. Not sure why, but that’s what I notice first. Then I move to one’s smile. I think you can tell a lot by one’s smile, but especially so if there is a connection between one’s eyes and one’s smile.

I think you know what I mean.

There are times when someone smiles that it isn’t a happy smile. Rather, there is sadness. I think the difference between a genuine, happy smile and a sad smile lies in one’s eyes.

Zak Brown has a lyric in one of his songs: “Sometimes I feel like a clown, who can’t wash off his makeup.”

Smokey Robinson sang a song titled, Tears Of A Clown. Later in the song, the lyrics are:
“I'm hurt and I want you to know
But for others I put on a show . . .”

Lonestar sang a song titled, Smile. The chorus has these lyrics:
“I'm gonna smile
'Cause I want to make you happy
Laugh, so you can't see me cry
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile.”

Each of these songs seem to say the same thing. A Smile can be a disguise for what we truly feel. A Smile can end up being a mask for what we actually feel.

I know that there are times when I move through the day with A Smile but if someone really knows me, he or she would know that the smile masks what is going on inside of me. Because I work with others, because I am in a public position, there are times when I have to put on a happy face. An act, if you will.

And I know from watching my wife, Kim, and my girls, that they do the same from time to time. We have a dear friend, Jennifer, who lost her father a year or so ago, and while I see pictures of her smiling and because I know her, I know it is makeup, a disguise, a mask. I have colleagues who lost loved ones- spouses, parents, sons or daughters, and when I see them smile, I know.

Got me thinking . . .

How many times does someone walk into our lives wearing makeup, a disguise, a mask? Because I work in a field with kids, I wonder how many of them hide what they are truly feeling: Fear? Sadness? Despair? Loneliness?

It makes it all the more necessary, all the more important to tread lightly when dealing with others, in choosing our words, in watching what we do and how we do it. Because unless we really know who it is we’re dealing with, we might never know if A Smile is a disguise and a mask or if A Smile is real and genuine. Kids . . . and adults . . . can be crafty when it comes to sharing and showing their feelings, their vulnerability. We might never, ever really know. Something to think about . . .

To My Readers:
Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor


Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI/           

If you like to read thriller/mystery, check out:
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis          

Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis          

Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
The FBI knows a 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t. With no leads and with nothing to go on, the FBI gambles and sets up the boy and his family as bait in order to catch three dangerous and desperate men with absolutely nothing to lose.

The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis

Friday, September 23, 2016

Words And Actions



Twenty-three years ago, my daughter, Hannah, was one month and one day old the day I flew to Guatemala to pick up our son. Kim and I had hoped to travel together, but with Hannah just being born, we thought it better that I go alone.

There are many events that I remember clearly as if it were yesterday. One of the most significant was the day after our consulate gave us the final approval for Wil’s adoption. We traveled to Casa Shalom, Wil’s orphanage, in order for me to see it and for Wil to say goodbye to Tom and Elizabeth, the orphanage “parents” and for him to say goodbye to the kids with whom he had lived for the better part of a year.

Two things happened that day. We stood in the living room, which was sparse and devoid of much of the trappings we would find in our own living rooms. There were two boys standing off to the side. The taller boy had his arm around the smaller boy who was crying. The taller boy whispered something to the smaller boy in Spanish and the smaller boy nodded, but kept on weeping. I turned to Elizabeth, who had overheard the statement, and she, too, was weeping. I asked what was said, and she told me that the two boys were brothers. The older boy told his younger brother, “It’s okay. Someday we’ll have a daddy, too.”

It broke my heart. I wanted to take them home with me then and there, but I couldn’t. Deep down, I knew that, but at some level, it touched me. I can still picture that whole scene and those two boys clearly today.

The other event that took place happened as we walked out to the car, got in and started our slow drive down the dirt track to the road. The kids, along with Tom and Elizabeth, lined up on either side of the road and waved goodbye. Some cried. Others smiled. In all, there was a sadness that I saw and felt.

The car we were in was a small Datsun hatchback. Wil pushed himself towards the front and held my hand. He started to wave at the kids, but couldn’t. He bowed his head and wept. I have to admit, I did, too. Saying “Goodbye” is hard. And, there have been a lot of “goodbyes” in my life. Yours, too, I suppose.

I ran across a story on Facebook and then on the ABC Nightly News. It was a beautiful story about the team manager or water boy with Down Syndrome. His name is Robby Heil. His team and the opposing team conspired together to get this boy into the game so he could score a touchdown and surprise his mother who has terminal cancer.

If you care to watch it, you can view it and the story at:

This nice thing is that this was a close game. I believe the score at the time was 7 to 7, so the touchdown had significance. A lot of significance, actually. For the two teams, for Robby, and for his mother. Probably a heck of a lot of other people, too.
And then there is a letter from six year old, Alex, who wrote a letter to President Obama, about a little five year old Syrian boy, Omran, who sat in the back of an ambulance by himself. He was covered in blood and dirt. A bomb blast had just killed his entire family, leaving Omran by himself.

Alex wanted his family to adopt Omran and even had a plan to share his bike and play with him. The story, and it is heartwarming and moving, can be found at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/boy-6-writes-obama-syrian-183600994.html

I think there is a direct correlation between one’s Words And Actions . . . if there is truth and sincerity. I believe one’s Words And Actions come from the heart. What the heart nurtures gives birth to one’s Words And Actions. In each of these stories, there is beauty, so much so, my words are inadequate. Woefully so. So today, I ask each of you to listen to your Words and to watch your Actions. They bear the fruit of what is in your heart. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:
Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor



If you like to read thriller/mystery, check out:
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis         

Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis         

Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
The FBI knows a 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t. With no leads and with nothing to go on, the FBI gambles and sets up the boy and his family as bait in order to catch three dangerous and desperate men with absolutely nothing to lose.
http://tinyurl.com/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis       

The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis

Friday, September 9, 2016

Connections



I watched an interview several years ago with Garth Brooks. He is a "hands on" performer, often working with the roadies setting up the stage. There was one story where the lighting guy was working with a new sound guy setting up spots on mics. The sound guy asked the lighting guy, "How do I know how high to set the mic? How tall is he?" The lighting guy laughed and said, "Why don't you ask him? He's setting up the drum kit."

Brooks talked about what he wanted to do on stage during his performance. He said it was his goal to "connect with the guy sitting up in the highest seat furthest away from the stage." Lofty goal, pun intended. For that particular concert, he had himself strapped up and a boom lifted him above the crowd to the outer reaches of the top balcony. Up close and personal.

Kenny Chesney said something similar about connecting to his audience, both collectively and individually, and making it a memorable experience that would be felt as much as it was heard. I’ve watched Chesney, Keith Urban and Ryan Tedder of One Republic often change positions on stage, using preset mic stands so they can get closer to the fans. At one awards show, Darius Rucker climbed off stage and walked up into the wings to get closer to the fans- all while singing.

When I was in eighth grade, my school had a science fair and the top three were chosen to take part in the Marquette University science fair. My project was on Old Faithful. My dad and I made a replica out of it using an old coffee pot and Plaster of Paris. I did the research and found that Old Faithful wasn’t all that faithful.

What I remember most was that my dad worked alongside of me, with me. He didn’t do the work for me. I did it with his guidance and suggestions. He did the same with my Cub Scout projects and Pinewood Derby race cars.

Honestly, that was how I remember my dad best. He wasn’t all that talkative. He wasn’t all that demonstrative. He liked to laugh and he liked to work with his hands as much as with his heart.

And what I remember best was that his heart was for each of us, all of us. That was his gift to us . . . his heart. His patience. His kindness. His laugh.

As I write this, it is Friday of the first week of school. And I wonder as adults, as teachers and coaches and staff members and administrators . . . as parents . . . how are we connecting with the kids? How are we connecting with each other? Are we working on developing relationships with our kids, with each other?

Kids learn when they perceive their teacher as caring about them. So I wonder . . . do our kids know that we love them?

I learned a long time ago that kids who are loved at home come to school to learn. Kids who aren't loved at home, come to school to be loved. I think there are a whole lot of kids whose homes are sometimes inadequate, and I hope each of us are reaching out to them and connecting with them.

Do we find some way of reaching out to the kid sitting up in the highest seat furthest away from us as Garth Brooks did? Do we climb off stage and walked up into the wings to get closer to the kids as Darius Rucker did? That’s often where we find the kids trying to hide, trying so hard to not be noticed, while at the same time, trying so desperately to be noticed.

We might not be able to find and catch them all, but I think we cannot stop trying to do so. We simply must try. We cannot ever give up trying. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

To My Readers:
Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor



If you like to read thriller/mystery, check out:
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis        

Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis        

Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
The FBI knows a 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t. With no leads and with nothing to go on, the FBI gambles and sets up the boy and his family as bait in order to catch three dangerous and desperate men with absolutely nothing to lose.

The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis