The monarch butterfly migration has been in full swing for a few weeks now. It will continue on until about the end of October, or the first freeze, whichever comes first. I was interested in the migration cycle of the butterfly as I knew that most butterflies only live a few weeks at the most in the adult stage. What I found was incredible.
Monarchs winter in either central Mexico or, for those west of the Rockies, in southern California. Those butterflies start northward in the spring, and while on the way lay eggs and die. The eggs hatch and form butterflies in three stages (caterpillar, pupae, and adult) in about a month. Those butterflies continue on their northward migration.
Those adults live just a few weeks (six to eight), mate, lay eggs, and die. That cycle repeats itself at least three times during the summer months. The fourth generation of monarchs is somewhat different from the other three in that the adults of that generation have the ability to live as adults for six to seven months.
They do that because they are the ones that begin the migration south, winter over, and start back north. They lay eggs and die sometime after they start back northward and the generations and the cycle continues.
It is not known how the butterflies that are born in the north know where to migrate to, when to leave, or how the fourth generation knows it is different than the others and will live for several months rather than just a few weeks. It is known that the butterflies can possibly utilize the earth’s magnetic field, although they cannot tell the north magnetic pole from the south. It is also thought that they can utilize ultraviolet light in some way.
I don’t know about you, but this is another one of those “gee whiz” scientific truths that just boggle the mind. Oh, we mostly just shrug off these things, but I think they are in our universe for a reason. You may disagree with me, but it seems that Someone is trying to tell us mortal humans something. I wonder if we are listening?
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Down By the Riverside
I had to take a book and some papers in to our church office today. In case you don’t know, our church abuts the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. They have put walking paths, etc. along the river behind our building and it’s a rather nice place.
After I finished my business, I went back to the river and sat on a rock and just enjoyed the cool breeze. It was a little after the noon hour and there were several folks using the facilities at the river.
There were all kinds of folks there. Some were walking solo. Others were in groups of two or three. Some jogged. One or two were pushing baby carriages as they walked or jogged. One stopped across the river and rested for a short time. Some acknowledged me as they went by with a smile or a turn of the head. Others pretended I didn’t exist.
One old man shuffled very slowly up the walk. He was carrying a bucket in one hand and dragging something on the sidewalk with the other. I thought at first he might be homeless, as we have some of those in that area of town. As he went past, however, I noticed that the bucket had fishing stuff in it and he was dragging a couple of fish behind him. They were 15 or more inches in length, and appeared to be some kind of carp, although they didn’t look quite like the carp I’m familiar with. They weren’t catfish; they were scaly.
I sort of wondered where he was shuffling off to. I watched. In what seemed like an eternity, he got to the end of the walk and went to an old car that was parked in the back corner of our church lot. He put his stuff in the car, but stuck around doing not much of anything.
I enjoyed the time outside. I enjoyed as much (or more) being able to watch people as they exercised on their lunch hour, walked from this place to that, or dragged fish to their car. It didn’t really bother me that some didn’t acknowledge me. That happens in a larger urban area.
As it cools more on into the fall, the number of walkers/joggers will diminish, but not completely go away. The river is used a lot, it seems, and I’m glad I have a place I can easily access it.
After I finished my business, I went back to the river and sat on a rock and just enjoyed the cool breeze. It was a little after the noon hour and there were several folks using the facilities at the river.
There were all kinds of folks there. Some were walking solo. Others were in groups of two or three. Some jogged. One or two were pushing baby carriages as they walked or jogged. One stopped across the river and rested for a short time. Some acknowledged me as they went by with a smile or a turn of the head. Others pretended I didn’t exist.
One old man shuffled very slowly up the walk. He was carrying a bucket in one hand and dragging something on the sidewalk with the other. I thought at first he might be homeless, as we have some of those in that area of town. As he went past, however, I noticed that the bucket had fishing stuff in it and he was dragging a couple of fish behind him. They were 15 or more inches in length, and appeared to be some kind of carp, although they didn’t look quite like the carp I’m familiar with. They weren’t catfish; they were scaly.
I sort of wondered where he was shuffling off to. I watched. In what seemed like an eternity, he got to the end of the walk and went to an old car that was parked in the back corner of our church lot. He put his stuff in the car, but stuck around doing not much of anything.
I enjoyed the time outside. I enjoyed as much (or more) being able to watch people as they exercised on their lunch hour, walked from this place to that, or dragged fish to their car. It didn’t really bother me that some didn’t acknowledge me. That happens in a larger urban area.
As it cools more on into the fall, the number of walkers/joggers will diminish, but not completely go away. The river is used a lot, it seems, and I’m glad I have a place I can easily access it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Do Something
I got tired of not feeling like my voice was being heard when I contacted my congressional representatives (Senators Roberts and Moran, and Rep. Pompeo) with some comment on an issue. I wondered what I could possibly do to at least feel like someone was listening. It seemed that when I sent an email I would get a letter or email back that was canned and not really on topic.
I looked up the local offices of each of the representatives, (they all have offices in Wichita) and decided to make a personal visit to each of them. I had called an office once in a while in the past and knew that there were people there whose job it was to visit with constituents and answer questions and pass along concerns.
My first stop was Senator Roberts’ office downtown. I told the woman at the first desk that I had a question or two and would like to visit with someone. She was that someone. I found her to be engaging, knowledgeable, and interested in what I had to say. She said that they talk with the Washington office a couple times a week and she would summarize our conversation and send it on.
Next, I found Senator Moran’s office on the far east side. It wasn’t nearly as easy to find, and when I asked the young man if I could visit, he was somewhat tentative as if he thought I would yell at him (can’t understand why he would have thought that). We too had an engaging and beneficial conversation regarding the issues I brought up and digressed more than once to other issues.
Today I went to Rep. Pompeo’s office. The young man there was not nearly as knowledgeable regarding the opinions and positions of his employer, but readily visited and hopefully took some notes. He said he appreciated my stopping in and would pass along my comments.
I asked the same questions of all representatives. Responses varied, but I came away from each encounter with the belief (albeit perhaps false belief) that I had at least been heard and that I engaged with someone who had the ear of the representative.
It took some time and energy for me to find the offices, and a little nerve to walk in and ask for an immediate audience. I was well-received, however, and was able to immediately visit with someone. I think it pays to have some factual information (info from Fox News doesn’t count, folks) in mind and a pleasant attitude. It also helps to be able to converse with someone you don’t know well, and listen engagingly to responses. Those I visited with were refreshingly candid and did not often spout the party line or the same tired catch phrases one hears on news sound bites.
I know some are not close to a congressman’s office. I know it would be quite a trip to go to the nearest one. But some day when you are close, stop in and pleasantly engage the person there. You might come away surprised and a little better informed, besides feeling like someone really does listen.
I looked up the local offices of each of the representatives, (they all have offices in Wichita) and decided to make a personal visit to each of them. I had called an office once in a while in the past and knew that there were people there whose job it was to visit with constituents and answer questions and pass along concerns.
My first stop was Senator Roberts’ office downtown. I told the woman at the first desk that I had a question or two and would like to visit with someone. She was that someone. I found her to be engaging, knowledgeable, and interested in what I had to say. She said that they talk with the Washington office a couple times a week and she would summarize our conversation and send it on.
Next, I found Senator Moran’s office on the far east side. It wasn’t nearly as easy to find, and when I asked the young man if I could visit, he was somewhat tentative as if he thought I would yell at him (can’t understand why he would have thought that). We too had an engaging and beneficial conversation regarding the issues I brought up and digressed more than once to other issues.
Today I went to Rep. Pompeo’s office. The young man there was not nearly as knowledgeable regarding the opinions and positions of his employer, but readily visited and hopefully took some notes. He said he appreciated my stopping in and would pass along my comments.
I asked the same questions of all representatives. Responses varied, but I came away from each encounter with the belief (albeit perhaps false belief) that I had at least been heard and that I engaged with someone who had the ear of the representative.
It took some time and energy for me to find the offices, and a little nerve to walk in and ask for an immediate audience. I was well-received, however, and was able to immediately visit with someone. I think it pays to have some factual information (info from Fox News doesn’t count, folks) in mind and a pleasant attitude. It also helps to be able to converse with someone you don’t know well, and listen engagingly to responses. Those I visited with were refreshingly candid and did not often spout the party line or the same tired catch phrases one hears on news sound bites.
I know some are not close to a congressman’s office. I know it would be quite a trip to go to the nearest one. But some day when you are close, stop in and pleasantly engage the person there. You might come away surprised and a little better informed, besides feeling like someone really does listen.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
My Heroes
Major Heather Penney. Colonel Marc Sasseville. Do you know either of these people? You should if you don’t. These were the two fighter pilots who took off from Andrews Air Force Base on September 11, 2001 to find and if necessary take down what later would be known as Flight 93, the other airliner that was still in the air and heading for Washington D.C. that day.
The only thing is, they took off in jets that were unarmed. They didn’t have time to arm them, and didn’t have any that were already armed at the time. So the two pilots made the decision that one would ram the cockpit and the other would ram the tail section in order to assure the flight did not complete its mission.
Major Penney stated that she would essentially be a Kamikaze pilot in order to complete her mission. The interviewer pressed her and asked her specifically if she was prepared to sacrifice her life in order to take down the plane. She looked at him and only said, “Of course.” Nothing else.
She’s not the only hero of that day, or of other days for that matter. The world is filled with heroes that never make it to C Span, MSNBC, or the New York Times. She, however, epitomizes the concept of hero.
There are knuckleheads on the Internet that are downplaying or discounting her story. Let them. Feel sorry for them. They need to get a life and get a grasp on reality. People really do things that are sacrificial and beneficial to society. People really consider others more important than themselves. People really know what it means to be a human being.
Ms. Penney said her daughters do not yet know her story. They are relatively young, and I understand why they don’t fully know yet. But one day, they should know. They should hear of their mother’s sacrifices, her willingness to go all the way, to assure the safety of hundreds of people at the risk of her own life. They need to know what their mother is made of and that they too have within them what it takes to follow in her footsteps.
This is for all of the Heather Penneys and Mark Sassevilles. Thank you so much. You are my heroes.
(By the way, if you want to see the entire interview, go to C Span's website and download it.)
The only thing is, they took off in jets that were unarmed. They didn’t have time to arm them, and didn’t have any that were already armed at the time. So the two pilots made the decision that one would ram the cockpit and the other would ram the tail section in order to assure the flight did not complete its mission.
Major Penney stated that she would essentially be a Kamikaze pilot in order to complete her mission. The interviewer pressed her and asked her specifically if she was prepared to sacrifice her life in order to take down the plane. She looked at him and only said, “Of course.” Nothing else.
She’s not the only hero of that day, or of other days for that matter. The world is filled with heroes that never make it to C Span, MSNBC, or the New York Times. She, however, epitomizes the concept of hero.
There are knuckleheads on the Internet that are downplaying or discounting her story. Let them. Feel sorry for them. They need to get a life and get a grasp on reality. People really do things that are sacrificial and beneficial to society. People really consider others more important than themselves. People really know what it means to be a human being.
Ms. Penney said her daughters do not yet know her story. They are relatively young, and I understand why they don’t fully know yet. But one day, they should know. They should hear of their mother’s sacrifices, her willingness to go all the way, to assure the safety of hundreds of people at the risk of her own life. They need to know what their mother is made of and that they too have within them what it takes to follow in her footsteps.
This is for all of the Heather Penneys and Mark Sassevilles. Thank you so much. You are my heroes.
(By the way, if you want to see the entire interview, go to C Span's website and download it.)
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
The Adventure Continues...(It Never Ends)
Sometimes I wonder why I say “yes”. Let me explain. A few weeks ago, one of the church staff asked if I would be interested in starting a new life group for our church. Now, for those who don’t know, a life group is a small group. Our church has a small group ministry where groups of folks get together regularly, usually Sunday evenings. The agenda can be Bible study, a service project, food and fun, or whatever the group would decide to do. The group usually consists of eight to fifteen people.
Of course, I said yes. I’ve been part of a small group for several years, and we enjoy the time we spend with our groups. This group, however, will be a little different in that it will consist primarily of families with teens. The object will be to involve all members of the family in group activities and study. That is going to be the hard part, I think. And it’s just a little bit scary.
We’ve raised our family. Our boys haven’t been teens for over a decade. Things change. I’m not real certain just what this is going to look like or what we will be doing. We will have to have a lot of help from the rest of the members of the group, and I hope and trust that will come about.
On the one hand, I am somewhat nervous about this; on the other, it is an opportunity to be involved in an aspect of life I am no longer used to, and a chance to stretch a lot of things that have not seen much exercise lately. Being in a rut is comfortable, but tends to lead to isolation, stagnation, and inner rot, in my view. I’m not ready to rot (not just yet), and am looking forward to the possibility of this relationship with the small group to keep me energized and active.
Our first meeting will be this coming Sunday. We’ll have burgers and fixins. I plan to visit with the group to see what they might like for us to look like as we forge ahead with this. Hopefully we all will be able to put something together that glorifies our God and at the same time edify and encourage us.
The Adventure Continues!
Of course, I said yes. I’ve been part of a small group for several years, and we enjoy the time we spend with our groups. This group, however, will be a little different in that it will consist primarily of families with teens. The object will be to involve all members of the family in group activities and study. That is going to be the hard part, I think. And it’s just a little bit scary.
We’ve raised our family. Our boys haven’t been teens for over a decade. Things change. I’m not real certain just what this is going to look like or what we will be doing. We will have to have a lot of help from the rest of the members of the group, and I hope and trust that will come about.
On the one hand, I am somewhat nervous about this; on the other, it is an opportunity to be involved in an aspect of life I am no longer used to, and a chance to stretch a lot of things that have not seen much exercise lately. Being in a rut is comfortable, but tends to lead to isolation, stagnation, and inner rot, in my view. I’m not ready to rot (not just yet), and am looking forward to the possibility of this relationship with the small group to keep me energized and active.
Our first meeting will be this coming Sunday. We’ll have burgers and fixins. I plan to visit with the group to see what they might like for us to look like as we forge ahead with this. Hopefully we all will be able to put something together that glorifies our God and at the same time edify and encourage us.
The Adventure Continues!
Sunday, September 04, 2011
No Complaints
It has been a tough summer. For some, that could mean they were unemployed, lost jobs, or are under-employed. For others, that could mean they lost a friend or loved one. Still others may relate to loss of health, wealth, or some other asset. While I readily agree that these are all relevant to the statement, my intent is to talk about the weather.
Yes, the weather. Many places set records this year for the highest temperatures, the most temperatures above a certain level, the highest average temperature, or some other heat-related record. Air conditioners ran at peak capacities, electric utilities were strained, budgets were strained, and everything seems to be exhausted from battling the heat of the summer.
Trees don’t look good. Grass is dry. Animals are stressed. It seems that the whole creation outside has aged several years in just a few months. Many areas are short of rainfall. What rain that fell was quickly evaporated or absorbed by the thirsty environment.
Humans too had to fight. Yes, many of us have air conditioning nowadays. Many of us spend thirty seconds in the Dillons parking lot walking from our air conditioned auto to the air conditioned store and complain about the heat. I know many of us have it a lot nicer and better than even a generation or two ago. Yet not all people had the advantage of air conditioning. Not all were able to hibernate in cool lower levels of nice homes while the heat raged outside. Not all could avoid excessive sweating and the general wearing-down of the elements. Some had to work outside in the daytime. Others lived outside all hours of the day and night. And some, although they had a home, did not have air conditioning. It happens…regularly.
Today was beautiful. The front came through during the evening past. Today was dry, not a cloud in the sky, and cool. Refreshingly cool. I wasn’t even certain that these kinds of days existed anymore. And it looks as if it will last awhile.
“Thank you, God,” seems to be so little and so trite. Yet that’s all I can think of to express my gratitude that perhaps the 100 degree days are over for this year. Yes, it will get warm again before it gets colder. No, the weather won’t be ideal very often the rest of the year. Yes, I’ll complain again. But today, there are no complaints. Only gratitude.
Yes, the weather. Many places set records this year for the highest temperatures, the most temperatures above a certain level, the highest average temperature, or some other heat-related record. Air conditioners ran at peak capacities, electric utilities were strained, budgets were strained, and everything seems to be exhausted from battling the heat of the summer.
Trees don’t look good. Grass is dry. Animals are stressed. It seems that the whole creation outside has aged several years in just a few months. Many areas are short of rainfall. What rain that fell was quickly evaporated or absorbed by the thirsty environment.
Humans too had to fight. Yes, many of us have air conditioning nowadays. Many of us spend thirty seconds in the Dillons parking lot walking from our air conditioned auto to the air conditioned store and complain about the heat. I know many of us have it a lot nicer and better than even a generation or two ago. Yet not all people had the advantage of air conditioning. Not all were able to hibernate in cool lower levels of nice homes while the heat raged outside. Not all could avoid excessive sweating and the general wearing-down of the elements. Some had to work outside in the daytime. Others lived outside all hours of the day and night. And some, although they had a home, did not have air conditioning. It happens…regularly.
Today was beautiful. The front came through during the evening past. Today was dry, not a cloud in the sky, and cool. Refreshingly cool. I wasn’t even certain that these kinds of days existed anymore. And it looks as if it will last awhile.
“Thank you, God,” seems to be so little and so trite. Yet that’s all I can think of to express my gratitude that perhaps the 100 degree days are over for this year. Yes, it will get warm again before it gets colder. No, the weather won’t be ideal very often the rest of the year. Yes, I’ll complain again. But today, there are no complaints. Only gratitude.
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