Holding Faith

Recently, I encountered a new idea (new to me, at least) twice in the same week. When that happens, I take notice and this occurred during the week of Christmas, so the idea found me in an especially contemplative state.

The first time I heard it was from the pastor at Greenfield Presbyterian, during one of the most child-friendly services I have ever encountered (dinosaurs and Spiderman were part of the nativity scene. True story.). We had joined our close friends and their church community for a holiday potluck and then ended up staying around for the service, since I can never say no to singing Christmas carols and lighting candles.

Give Thanks for Your Gifts: Inspiration from Temple Grandin

Rain Man's Rainbow by jurvetson, cc license

Jason and I like to listen to podcasts when we wash dishes and clean up the house every evening after Cadence goes to sleep (an exciting existence, I know). One of my favorite shows is Science Friday and, while catching up on post-Thanksgiving cleaning and a backlog of podcasts, I heard a segment they recorded with Temple Grandin. Among many other things, Temple Grandin is a teacher, a scientist, an engineer, a geek, an activist, and a person with autism. I find her to be an inspiration.

Temple Grandin has a uniquely objective empathetic ability and a keen sense of perception when it comes to understanding the world from another's perspective - be it human or animal. She is probably best known for using her unique gifts to design more humane slaughter houses.