Bon Ami

Alright, I admit it! I tilt somewhat claustrophobic. I had not realized that until a few years back when I had a MRI after falling off a stepladder and fracturing my collarbone. I still remember lying down in that MRI tube, with it just about touching my nose, hearing the machine groan and clang, and the seemingly never-ending wait time for the test to begin. It all set my heart into an anxiety spiral. I recall yelling out to the technician, "Get me out of this machine."

Over the years my concern of confined spaces have expanded. Elevators (short rides are okay). The Lincoln or Holland Tunnels going into New York (the George Washington Bridge is always an alternate route, but that has its own set of issues). And cold, dank caves, too.

Speaking of caves. Last week we took a fall foliage trip to Little Switzerland, North Carolina located in the Appalachian Mountains. We decided to visit the Bon Ami mine as well. It was the original location where feldspar was mined and turned into Bon Ami cleanser. When French-speaking people first used the cleaning product, they were so impressed they exclaimed "bon ami" which translates as "good friend."

The day we visited the mine was picture perfect until I looked down toward the mine now flooded and not looking like a good friend. There were 35 steps downhill to the entrance, and the guide said the mine itself was hundreds of feet long. It sounded  like a humongous MRI tube to me. I made a sharp U-turn and headed for the gift shop to buy a bag of M&Ms. Somehow candy moderates anxiety.

Days after the trip to the mountains, I reflected on a few things about Bon Ami.

The first thought was on God's ability to overcome our fears. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us: ... for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Bon Ami also speaks of having a friend. John 5:13 speaks of our ultimate friend Christ and his sacrifice on the cross: Greater love has no one than this ... that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Finally, Jesus is the ultimate cleanser of our lives. No matter how much we trip and fall back, the Lord provides us with an opportunity to be cleansed of all unrighteousness and made whole again.

Robert Parlante
October 2015

A Kind Word

Just received a letter from a reader of A Letter from Miss Wingate, book 1 in my Patch Town series. The blank note-card the reader used for the letter had a cover image montage of torn pieces of photos that at first appeared to be unrelated and in conflict with each other. The writer of the letter felt the disjointed images were a symbol of Martin’s life before his transformation began.

Here’s the reader’s letter (slightly edited):

“The montage on the card speaks to Martin’s life at the beginning of the novel. But then, by God’s grace working through others, but most of all the gift of forgiveness, Martin’s life and relationships are healed. A completeness, unfragmented picture is forming.

Loved the book. Brought tears to my eyes especially the ending.

Regarding Bob’s writing … every situation and opportunity was not viewed as a hindrance. I pray I can remember that.

Thank you so much for sharing with me. The story of Martin for me a “down to earth” example of the power of forgiveness Jesus won for all on the cross.”

I am pleased when a story touches a person’s heart and demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. It feels like my goal was accomplished with Patch Town 1.

Proverbs 12:25  reminds us: Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (NLT).

Do something special today. Write, text, e-mail a note to someone. Be an encourager!

Robert Parlante

October 2015

Reading Opens Eyes!

My wife and I recently began volunteering at a Title 1 elementary school with 2^nd grade students. The youngsters select books from the school library and their personal collection, and they read the books to the volunteers. Some students read far above grade level while others are at their reading level. There are also students who are well below reading level. The hope is that these at-risk kids will not fall further behind and will benefit from the reading time with the volunteers. In the few weeks I’ve been volunteering I’ve already seen improvement with some lower level kids.

Beyond the reading, I’ve noted that these second-graders love sharing information about their lives. It’s unsolicited, and I sense when an adult pays attention to them the kids open up, as if the volunteer is a surrogate parent. I’m not sure what is shared is always reality, but that does not matter. The dynamics of sharing between child and adult may be more important than the information communicated. When adults pay attention, kids seem to benefit. Title 1 schools need more volunteers so all students can have a positive dialogue with an adult.

Unfortunately, not every child has a parent or guardian readily available to spend time with them. Trying to make ends meet consumes time and energy, giving parents less time to spend with kids. There are many other socio-economic factors at work that make family life difficult.

I take a different approach with the young readers. I remind them of Dr. Ben Carson’s recent comment. We all have the same brain structure. When the pediatric neurosurgeon operates on a child, he is focused on the task at hand and not on how we look on the outside or how much money we have in the bank.

I remind the 2^nd grade readers of their potential for success. I celebrate every reading accomplishment, no matter how small. I want the kids to know that every person counts, especially them!

To what end does this all matter? Education, especially reading, opens our eyes to the seen and unseen worlds. Psalm 119, verse 18 reminds us of what is ultimately important.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. (NLT)

I pray all of the students will have a wonderful and blessed life journey.

Robert Parlante
October 2015