Another Encounter

While at the local Braums with the girls a few days ago (see prior post), we had to wait in line for a period of time. I told you in that earlier post about an encounter with a couple of women who had come in after we did and told you that I’d speak to another encounter in a later post.
The women we let into the line ahead of us were being served, and I was waiting at the end of our line. A man got into line with us and struck up a typical conversation just to pass the time. I had my badge on which identified as a worker at the home.
Two things struck me about the encounter with the man.
First, the conversation with him was entirely a normal one. Now, that may not make much sense to you unless you understand that virtually ALL of the time when someone we meet finds out what we do, the conversation immediately goes toward something like, “How do you do it?” or “You must be really special to work with the girls,” or some such.
I don’t mind those conversations. They help me understand the nature of what my wife and I do. But it truly was pleasant for a change to not hear that and have to respond in some way, and instead, at the end of the conversation just hear a “Have a good evening.”
Second, there was no distancing of himself from either the girls or from us. Many times, probably because folks don’t understand, they tend to both physically and emotionally distance themselves from both the girls and us. Perhaps they think the girls are from a detention facility or in some way are a danger. I don’t know. But it was nice to have a normal encounter with someone who seemed to appreciate the situation and didn’t over react to us.
You might think the man didn’t realize where I worked. He did, and our chit-chat showed that he did. But the “normalcy” of the conversation was refreshing, and his closing “good evening” seemed to me to be more than just some way to disengage from me. I felt good about the interaction and was pleased to have been part of it.
I don’t know. Maybe I see things in life that aren’t really there. Maybe I concentrate too much on the small things. Maybe I read too much into these kinds of interactions. But I’ll remember this pleasant encounter for quite a while in the days to come.

Civility

We took our brood of young women to the local Braums last night to celebrate one of the girls’ birthdays. There are, counting my wife and me, nine of us. Obviously, when we got into the Braums ice cream line, it automatically became a long line as they allow only one at a time to pass through it and prepare whatever treat the customer asks for while they are standing there. Besides, there were three or four people already in line, making it even longer.
This evening there were two young men working the counter. They quickly called a third to be a gopher and man the cash register at the end of the line. My wife headed the line and I brought up the rear so the cashier would have easy reference for what to bill me.
We hadn’t been there but a couple of minutes and two women came in and went to the end of the line. They didn’t look like they needed an ice cream treat any more than any of us did, but were pleasant. After perusing the situation for no more than about 20 seconds, I asked the women to go on ahead of all of us so they wouldn’t have to wait so long.
They at first did not wish to do so, but after some prodding and then the resultant thank-you, they went on ahead. I didn’t think anything more of it until they finished paying for their treats, turned to me and thanked me again two or three times over.
I expected a thank you at the first, but not at the end. And I didn’t expect them to be as pleasant as they were. Life is like that. Sometimes it hands you something totally pleasant from way out in left field, and you encounter it, then sort of marvel at it for a bit. Nothing in the way of miracles happened there, but I do know that civility isn’t dead. Next blog, if I think about it, I’ll tell of another encounter in that Braums the same evening.

Sanitized Religion

(Kathy, you'll recognize this...sorry!!) I recently read an article by David P. Gushee regarding the “requirements” for salvation, which was sent to me by a friend. The article appeared in a recent issue of Christianity Today. I am struck by the idea of Jesus himself teaching what one must do to inherit eternal life. I never really thought of that before, possibly because it has become so ingrained in my mind that salvation and all the attendant scriptures were in the Bible FOLLOWING Acts chapter 1, rather than in the gospels, which we conveniently dismiss by saying that the time of the gospels was under the old covenant.
Jesus, however, was not bound by the constraints of time in his thoughts and mind. He lived under the old covenant and kept the law in a three-dimensional world. But in his mind, he knew of the coming kingdom, the apostles, the church, and all that went with those things. I also think that Jesus knew that his words would be saved for all to read in the future. I can’t imagine that, knowing all of this, he would say something during his ministry that wouldn’t be beneficial for people of the new covenant age.
While I agree that we need to look at the rest of the New Testament and see how the church started and grew, and that we need to emulate the good things we find there, the gospel writings have to have relevance for us today in more areas than just lessons learned from parables. We have ignored the gospel writings in our teaching over the years, in part because we’ve elevated the writings of the apostles above the gospels, and in part because some of the teaching in the gospels is hard for us…too hard for us.

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Obey God in all that he says (moral commands).
Drop everything, leave it behind, and be a disciple of Jesus.

Just look at the above list. Aren’t those things much harder to do than the list of things below that I’ve gleaned from 30-some years in a Restoration church?

If you sing in church, sing acappella.
Take up a collection every Sunday.
Come to church every week.
Don’t speak in tongues or clap.

I fear we have sanitized and “dumbed down” Christianity and discipleship to the point that it bears little resemblance to the radical lifestyle Jesus called his disciples to back in the first century. Christianity isn’t something we do…it’s something we are. Discipleship doesn’t consist of doing this mission trip and making that donation…it consists of a 24-7 continual relationship with the one who called us.
What a change from the Christianity that we know. No wonder the world looks at most of Christendom and wonders why. No wonder the world continues to shrink down Jesus of Nazareth into someone who was maybe a good teacher, but that’s it. No wonder even Christians don’t have a clue what it means to be a disciple. No wonder Christianity has become impotent and irrelevant in many places. It's time for a change. It's time to fish or cut bait. It's time to get off the fence and repeat the message of Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Our Task

I had occasion to take a drive up state highway 15 a few days ago through central Kansas. We went to an away basketball game (the last of the season) in which several of our girls were involved. Although we drove back to Wichita late at night, the trip up to Enterprise (look that up on your Google Maps) was in the daylight, and I had an opportunity to see some of the country in that part of the state.
I noticed two things on my drive up. First, there were several fields where the soil had been turned and was bare. I had forgotten just how rich that soil is in that part of the state. I’m sure those who own the land there, though, never forget that some of the richest soil on the face of the earth is in central Kansas.
I have to wonder just how well our stewardship of that soil is. Oh, I don’t know that there is a problem there…I just want to be sure we are caring properly for the resources that we are given. And from what I saw, we're doing OK in that area. We've developed wildlife sanctuary areas, controlled erosion, and are replacing nutrients in the soil. We've not arrived, but are making progress.
The second thing that I noticed is that in several areas of grassland, the ranchers are cutting the red cedars that are taking over the pastures. Cedars are considered a nuisance in pastures. They deplete the soil of water. They kill the grass under them. They multiply if left unchecked until there is no grass left.
I’m glad to see that this species is finally being controlled, at least to some extent. We’ve robbed the tallgrass prairie of its ability to fend off these intruders on its own. Now we have to step up to the plate and help restore more natural balance. This is one way to do that.
As we learn more and more about God’s creation and our role in it as the species chosen by God to have dominion over it, we also understand that our responsibility is to care for and keep it to the very best of our ability. We are finally beginning to see that and are beginning to fulfill our task.

Larson and Theology

The March 7 Far Side calendar cartoon shows Gary Larson’s usual hell scene, except there’s a snowball whizzing by the heads of a couple of the devil’s helpers as they stand guard over the poor schmucks in hell. One guard turns to the other and says, “Look, Sid! Another snowball!...I tell you, this place is slipping.”
Some of you may think this kind of humor is sacrilegious. Others may think that Larson is nuts. Some may enjoy the humor, and some will never “get it.” I happen to think most of his stuff is exceedingly funny, and still enjoy it years after he quit drawing new cartoons. I have, courtesy of a gift from my son, the two volume set of every cartoon he ever printed, as well as some that never got to print.
Larson is more theologically correct in this cartoon than he knows, I suspect. As time wears on and we come ever closer to the time when Jesus Christ himself appears, the devil’s power and control are ever more slipping away. As folks continue to grow and mature in Christ, the power of Satan continues to ebb. And as the almighty church of the Living God continues to display the power and majesty of the One who created it all, hell itself shrivels and shrinks back into irrelevance and decay.
My guess is that you probably don’t quite believe what I’ve just said about hell. You probably think that it would be nice if…but it really isn’t that way. If you’re one of those folks, I ask you to back up and look at the big picture. Understand truly what the church is and does. Understand without hesitation what God says about his adversary. And know with certainty the victory that is ours through our Lord and Savior.

Resting From Labors

My, this week has been full. We’ve been on the go more so than I think we’ve ever been before. Pat has meetings (nursing) to attend this week. We have a full house of girls with all the attached things that go with it. The final basketball game of the season for the girls who are on the team is today in Enterprise, KS. One girl is on the North High softball team and practices after school. Another is taking advantage of after-school tutoring. One had a pair of glasses break so now we have to go to the Optometrist to fit a new frame. We now have someone in elementary school, and they start and stop at a time different from the middle and high schools. Sigh. It never seems to end.
I’m not sure what I would do if there was just one of me. We don’t seem to quite keep up when there are two of us. I think I spent about three hours in the van yesterday going and coming. I’ll spend more hours in it today. Pat seemed to have enough to do yesterday as well, seeing to the meals, attending two meetings, doing paperwork, and trying to keep things on an even keel at the house.
I am grateful I have the strength, the ability, the health, and the desire to carry out what God has set before me. However, Revelation 14 talks of people who one day will be able to “rest from their labors.” I’m not sure what that passage means, exactly, but am looking forward to any resting from labors.
It’s going to be a great day!!

Miss Crutchfield

Now, I realize that it takes a thousand words to describe one picture, and Mr. Gary Larson’s ability to capture the absurdity of life in a “Far Side” line drawing and a few words is legendary. Also, due to copyright restrictions, it wouldn’t be proper to post the cartoon here. Buy a calendar if you want to see them all. The man has earned his due.
The cartoon of the day on the 2007 calendar shows several workers (Mr. Larson’s usual cast of characters) in a scissors factory. At the back of the room is a chair on a platform 20 or so feet above the floor. An old lady (school teacher type) is sitting in the chair.
One employee says to another, “You must be new here!...That’s Miss Crutchfield, and she’s there to make sure nobody runs with scissors.”
Don’t you feel like life is that way sometimes? Somehow, somewhere, someone is watching our every move to make sure we don’t color outside the lines (or run with a pair of scissors). They’re just waiting for us to mess up so they can point us out and put us in our place. Whether it’s our boss, spouse, co-worker, parent or other relative, or someone else, it seems that some folks enjoy poking around in our business, pointing out our failures (as if we didn’t already all-too-well know what they are).
Don’t let the Miss Crutchfields in your life ruin your day today. Don’t repay by pointing out their failures; rather refuse to play along with their game. You have the choice whether you will allow them to control your thoughts and emotions…or not. Accept genuine constructive criticism, but don’t allow negative comments to ruin your day.
Yes, I know it’s easy for me to say. Why do you think I’m saying it at all? I allow people like this to ruin my day all too often, and this cartoon hit home today. So I have work to do today to make sure that this day is as good as it can be.

Plowing Ground

The weekend is over and we’re facing a full week of school and other activities with the girls. It reminds me of the times long ago when I’d pull up to a field with a “G” Minneapolis Moline and a 3 bottom plow (I know the “G” would pull 4-16’s but Dad always thought it did better on our hardpan with a three-bottom), looking at this expanse of unplowed ground ½ mile square, making the decision to start making rounds, plowing up all of four feet of ground each round with the three-sixteen inch moldboards.
I know with the grace of the Almighty that we’ll do fine this week. It just seems a little daunting on Monday morning at 6am before I’ve had a chance to down any appreciable amount of coffee. Besides, I find that I have some kind of program on my computer that pops up ads for various videos now. I wonder where THAT came from. I’m running a spy program as I type this in the hopes that it will find whatever it is and eliminate it. The spy program says now, before it is finished, that it has found 23 “critical objects”. Let’s hope one of them is this stupid pop-up.
The girls are beginning to come out of their rooms and have some breakfast. Pat has come out of our area and is interacting with them as they come out. I have their morning medications ready and have started distributing them. Doors are closing, water is running, and one girl has already showed me what she’s wearing to school today, saying that she’s debating on what shoes to wear with the faded jeans, tee-shirt and sweat shirt over that. I dunno. I don’t debate what shoes I’m going to wear. I only have one pair that I regularly wear on week days. And the Sunday dress-up debate for me is always “black or brown” and is dictated by what socks I happen to pull out of the drawer.
Maybe some things are more important to some people than to others. In the great scheme of things, I’m not sure how important the shoe debate is. But perhaps that’s Jaqlyn’s way of putting the plow into the ground and starting that first four-foot round. In that case, the debate is vital.

Reality

I wonder about this thing called “reality”. What is it? Where is it? What does it do? Is it unique to each person, or is there a common reality? When someone’s reality is warped somehow, how do we know that? Who or what defines reality? How can I know whether my reality is the “real” reality?
Yeah, yeah, I know this may be heavy stuff for a Saturday, especially in the morning. You haven’t had your coffee yet and have only begun to stir even though it’s 10am here as I type this, and you’re reading it after it’s posted.
The questions remain, though. Our making excuses for our lack of brain power don’t make the questions go away. Our refusing to answer the questions don’t make them go away. Our ignoring them don’t make them go away. Somehow, we all answer the questions about reality in some way. Whether consciously or not, we form opinions about reality. Then we live in accordance with those opinions.
It’s the same with other topics. Jesus, for example, is a good subject for questions that will not go away even though we may ignore them or make excuses for not answering them. The reality is that there was indeed an historical Jesus of Nazareth. The reality is that he claimed to be God (I AM, Jehovah) in the flesh. The reality is that he died from crucifixion at the hand of the Romans. The reality is that his followers gave up their lives, their fortunes, and their “sacred honor” to promote his cause. The reality is that the movement he and his followers began is alive and well on planet earth.
The questions are legion and demand an answer. Is Jesus of Nazareth who he claims to be? If not, is he a crazy man for making such claims? Or is he a charlatan…a liar? If he isn’t who he says he is, he has to be one of the other two. Which one? Why did his followers give all they had for his cause, if he was a lunatic or liar?
If he is who he claims to be, then he also is alive and well today. What will we do with that fact? He calls us to a radical life and total devotion. How will we handle that in today’s world?
Jesus calls us to a reality that is too big for us to grasp. Yet it is a reality that is what we were designed for…created for. I can’t wait.

Oranges and Such

I normally don’t blog or even write in the evening hours. Most evenings, my brain is just too tired and doesn’t have what it takes to put words together in a good way. Something about the rigors of the day take what little energy for writing that there is and channels it to something else. Then when evening comes, I’m at a loss (literally) for words.
Today, however, is a little different. We don’t have the girls today and I didn’t have a lot to do today. So I’m relatively fresh, as it were. The problem is that having done nothing of substance today, I have nothing much to write about even though I’m primed and ready to go. Therefore, I’ll make something out of nothing, so to speak.
Have you ever eaten a fresh mandarin orange? Yes, I know we buy mandarin orange segments in a can and put them in various salads, etc. But have you ever obtained fresh ones and delighted in them?
They peel very easily and have very little of the white stuff that’s on the inside of the rind. They segment readily and taste almost heavenly. Regular orange growers could take a lesson in how to produce a quality product by taking the mandarin orange as an example.
I’ve just eaten two of them and am about to go to the refrigerator for another one or two. I don’t know if they are seasonal or not, but hope that we get them as much and as often as we can. I’ve always enjoyed the canned segments, but the fresh ones are…well…so much better. It’s kind of like the difference between canned and fresh pineapple.
To each his own, I’m sure. But for me, the mandarin is about the best citrus around.

Giving Meaning

I was outdoors last Friday when I heard geese up in the air, honking as they traveled. I normally don’t think much of that kind of thing as Wichita has more geese than we know what to do with. The Arkansas River, lack of natural predators, and various ponds and bodies of water in housing developments make a great environment for them.
But for some reason, I looked up. Turns out these geese weren’t the coddled urban variety, but were very high in the air in the classic “V” shape. These geese were travelers, migrators (my spell checker doesn’t know what to do with that word). And they were traveling north. They were taking advantage of a strong southerly wind, honking as they went. I think this is about the earliest I have ever seen geese migrate back north.
Of course, many folks would attach all kinds of meaning to this sighting, citing global warming or some such. And that may all be true. I, however, was just pleased that I looked up and caught a glimpse of the marvelous nature all around us. These kinds of things sort of make my day.
I hope you find things in your day that make it special, pleasant, and fulfilling. If you don’t regularly do that, maybe you need to expend a little energy to discover those things in your world that give life meaning. Life is indeed worth living no matter what the circumstances. The great writer of first century Christian literature, Paul of Tarsus, said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians chapter 4.

Marvelous Weather

Take a look at the accompanying picture, which I screen-saved from the National Weather Service website. I saved enough of the picture when I cropped it that you know the day and time referred to, and know that it’s the Wichita area.
There are parts of nine different watches and warnings plus an area of “short term forecast” in the Wichita area map. Now, I know that some of these are at the very edge of the map; nevertheless, there is everything from a blizzard warning to a red flag warning and everything in between, including tornado watch in a relatively small area.
Such is the weather in this part of the country. Blizzards are accompanied by tornadoes and flooding in a relatively small geographic area. Severe weather is expected to hit us later tonight after about 10pm. Then rain and later on, snow on Sunday.
This should be an interesting 24 hours in Kansas.

Love

Our deep question forum is talking about love right now. Oh, in case you didn’t know, several of us in my family as well as some hangers-on have a private, on-line forum where we talk about various issues brought up by one of us.
My niece brought up the subject of love and asked some questions to the rest of the group. We’ve been replying over the past few days. Most recently, my brother in law has responded.
Isn’t love one of those most remarkable of things! You can’t see it, but you can feel it. You can’t touch it, but you can hold onto it. You can’t understand it, but you can’t live without it. What a marvelous thing, this love.
And how many manifestations does love have? Let’s see. There’s patriotism (love for country), brotherly (or familial) love, unselfish (agape) love, erotic (eros) love…the list goes on. Then there’s the daddy of them all, according to Christianity, the love of God for humans.
No wonder the great 1st century Jewish writer Paul of Tarsus said that of the big three, faith, hope, and love, “The greatest of these is love,” and that “Love never fails.” Even the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob said, “I will never leave you. I will never fail you.” And John, the writer of great Christian literature and companion and apostle of Jesus said, “God is love.”
How could something so marvelous have come about? By chance? By happenstance? Give me a break. Love is without a doubt one of the greatest apologetics for the existence of God. Today, as you go about your day and see love in action, think just for a moment about where you’d be without it.

Just Things

The weather has been great the past couple of days. Much the opposite of just a few days ago, the temps have warmed up and the ground is actually beginning to thaw. Snow is pretty much gone and one would think it was mid-March. From the deep freeze to the balmy spring in just a day or two is quite a change even for those of us in the mid-section of the country.
Spring weather is always a joy to watch. Yes, I know it isn’t spring yet, but it’s close and the warmer weather patterns in general mean that spring probably will be pushed a little closer toward the first of the year. The clash between air masses peaks about the first of May, and there’s a gradual crescendo up to that time here in this area.
We’re working already to develop ideas for the girls this summer. We’re fleshing out ideas for church camp, outings, trips home, summer tutoring, service projects, part time work, and other things. Some of the girls will spend most of the summer break at home or with relatives. Others will sort of come and go. Yet others will remain here most of the time.
I’m a little apprehensive about summer, but that ‘s just because we’ve never done that here before. I’m sure it will be shorter than ever and before we know it, they’ll be heading back to school.
The adventure truly does continue for us. We’re pleased we can be in this place at this time and look forward to however much continued service we are allowed in the future.

Boundaries

We here at the home are taking in a study on boundaries. We’re using a book called “Boundaries”. On the cover, it says, “When to say YES; When to say NO to take control of your life.” It’s authored by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.
We’ve just started the study, so I don’t know much about it yet. However, one thing I said during the introductory session was that I have been reading and studying the Bible for more years than I can count and have never associated God’s Word with the idea of setting boundaries in real life.
Now, you may think it a bit strange that I never made that association, but I rather imagine that there are a few things in the Bible that haven’t clicked for you. It should prove to be an interesting study, especially since one of the big things we work with our girls on is setting and observing proper boundaries in their behavior and attitudes.
Many times we seem to think of boundaries as being some sort of arbitrary and subjective ideas that exist because others want to make our lives miserable. We even think of that sometimes when it comes to God’s boundaries for us (now admit it…you’ve thought of God as the ultimate mean parent, haven’t you!).
This should prove to be an interesting study. After all, God created boundaries when He created the creation. So they are, when used as He intends, good. I think we’re going to have a ten-session study over the same number of weeks. It may be an enlightening ten weeks.

You Get What You Get

My, my, but isn’t it a mite nippy here (and elsewhere). I would say something funny about where’s global warming when you need it, but I think that’s something we need to take a serious look at. I’m not convinced the doomsday folks are correct; neither do I think those on the other side are necessarily correct when they poo-poo the whole idea. I wish I’d hear from someone who is an authority who doesn’t otherwise have an agenda, political, financial, or philosophical, to peddle. Now, that WOULD be refreshing, wouldn’t it?
I got some comments on the cold showers. By the way, I’ve not had to turn off the hot water…yet. It’s interesting what folks comment on and what they leave alone. I wudda never thunk that showers could push some folks’ buttons. I guess I live and learn.
Arthur (arthritis) has come to visit me rather big-time this week. I can barely move my thumbs at all, and they hurt constantly, even with Aleve in my system. I hope this cold goes away soon. I got out the hot paraffin bath this morning. It’s still warming up after being plugged in for two hours. I can’t wait to bask in its warmth for a few minutes. If you are plagued by stiff hand joints, invest $20 in a paraffin bath. Most drug stores (I got mine at Walgreens) have them. Besides, they help keep skin from drying out and cracking.
I know this is just kind of a potpourri of things. But I feel kind of pot-whatever today. You get what you get.

Holidays and Such

Today is Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure of the origin of the day and don’t really care. To me, it’s not a big deal; just as any other holiday isn’t a big deal. We aren’t doing much here in the cottage either, but one of the girls did volunteer to get up early and fix heart-shaped pancakes. She also cut out a heart shape from the middle of a slice of bread and put an egg into it and cooked it. The effort was laudable, even if not all of the pancakes and eggs were perfect.
Look at the things we celebrate during any given year. The new year. Love. Our honored dead. The independence of our nation. The laborer. God’s providence and goodness. The birth of Jesus. Yes, I know there are many, many others, but these seem to be the big ones.
Why do we choose these things? Why not other things that are also important? I don’t know, but I do know that even though I don’t make much of a to-do about holidays, life would be much more dull and routine without the occasional break.
So, if you’re like me and don’t do much with holidays, at least enjoy the break from the mundane and savor the enjoyment of others as they celebrate. Happy Valentine’s Day.

To Toe the Line

Try as I might, I can’t figure out what people do in the shower for 20, 30, 45 minutes. How long does it take to wash body parts? Now, I know that especially in the winter, a hot shower is soothing and comforting, but there’s only so much soothe and comfort that can be had from a spray of warm (or hot) water. Beyond that, it becomes something to be endured, not savored.
We’re having “issues” with long showers here at the home. I understand that girls maybe might need to be in there a couple minutes longer, due to hair, etc., but I can’t fathom the necessity of a 30 minute trip under the falls, so to speak.
So we’ve made yet another rule (sigh). I know where the hot water cut-off valve is in the basement and will not hesitate to use it when I deem it to be appropriate. I can just imagine the cries of the first one upon whom I impose the “That’s all, folks!” rule. Actually, in a possibly somewhat perverse way I’m looking forward to doing it, because it usually only takes one or two times…then they all get it and toe the line. It’s kind of interesting to see that process take place.
Now, if we can just get parents and caregivers on board and “toe the line” early on in the lives of their children, so I won’t even need to be here….

This Is the Day

I love caring for girls. I had only been out of our room for a minute or two when an “issue” came forth regarding one of the girls hogging the bathroom and taking a tub bath in the morning when three other people needed to use the bathroom. Of course, the tub bath person was totally miffed at having people knock on the bathroom door, and the others were miffed because the tub bath person ran the water heater dry.
I managed to quell the developing revolt and lynching in the hallway and will issue an edict today that henceforth, all bathing in the morning hours will be shower only and only for ten minutes or less. I know where the hot water valve is in the basement and will readily cut off the hot water to the offender who showers longer than 10 minutes. Having to complete the shower in cold water may help deter would-be slackers.
Of course, that won’t be the only consequence. Extra chores, room time, or other consequences will reinforce the lesson.
---30 minutes later---Now I have two girls on thirty minutes chair time for having their bedroom door closed when no one was changing or otherwise needing it closed. One of those in the chair also has the consequence of going to church today without any makeup because she was applying it in her room, yet another infraction.
It’s been an interesting morning so far, and promises to get even better as the day lurches onward. I’ve yet to do room checks, which will come in 10 minutes (I know at least a couple of areas aren’t picked up, and won’t be by the “deadline”. How do I know that? I dunno…I guess a house dad’s intuition). We may have attitude issues in church or later that we’ll need to deal with, ad infinitum.
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Time Off

Today is Friday. For many, it’s the start of a weekend filled with alternate activities. Alternate, that is, to the normal work world of Monday through Friday. Some will go on a day trip somewhere. Others will shop. Some will do chores like clean the garage or change the oil in the car. Yet others will use the weekend to catch up on household and other things that they didn’t have time to do during the week…laundry, bill-paying, cooking, cleaning.
For us, though, the weekend is work just as during the week, except we don’t have time during the day when the girls are off to school. They’re with us all the time and require supervision all the time. There’s no such thing as leaving the girls at the house and our going off for lunch somewhere. We work 24-7 during the time we’re on duty, so this weekend will actually be more intense as far as work is concerned.
The nice thing about this arrangement, though, is that we get a week off every fourth week. We work three weeks on and have a full week off. That takes some getting used to, because we just aren’t familiar with taking that much time off in one chunk, and doing so every four weeks.
Sometimes we go someplace and visit the kids or whoever. Sometimes we just sit at the house and enjoy the quiet. Other times, we’ll take in a concert or theater if something good is playing. Often, we’ll find time during that time to see family, whether hers or mine.
We don’t have our next week off for a couple more weeks. So this week, we’ll enjoy having the girls with us and working with them on things that are of importance to their well-being. Meanwhile, we’ll look forward, in the back of our minds, to a couple of weeks from now when we can relax and take some time to ourselves.

Wise as Serpents

I was just spammed by someone who wants to award me with an honorary doctorate. Just for kicks, I went to the website. Come to find out they say they are in Pennsylvania, and will also offer other degrees. I can get a “real” doctorate for a minimum $2,500 “freewill offering” sent in advance by bank draft.
You know, I should print up my own degree. I can do it for much, much less than $2,500 and don’t have to give anyone any personal information, with which they can steal my identity. Oh, yes, that’s a requirement, too. Personal information sufficient to populate a phony driver’s license, along with two photos, passport size. Guess what they’ll use THAT information for.
I haven’t a clue why anyone would respond to such a come-on. And I myself briefly was taken in on this site, because I wondered if they had a real address or were just a mail drop. The site showed photos of a church and other buildings, saying that it was the location of the university. I caught myself thinking, “Well, at least there is a real location.”
Then I thought, “How do I know that these photos are photos of THEIR buildings, and not just some buildings somewhere that they choose to photograph?” What is it about these things that makes us believe what we see on a screen, even when we know that it’s a scam?
It’s just that kind of gullibility, as demonstrated by Yours Truly, that sucks otherwise intelligent people into these things and causes all kinds of problems. Some would argue that we desire to please and not offend. Others would say that we want to believe the best in others. I don’t disagree with that.
But I turn to Christian Scripture and say that Jesus himself said we were to be “wise as serpents”. That must mean something, even outside of the context in which it was said. A little preventive medicine goes a long way in this arena.

Redeeming the Time

It’s the start of yet another day. I wonder how many days I have seen come and go in my lifetime. Let’s see, 365 ¼ days every year (to account for leap years) times 57 is 20,819, plus another 100 days or so for this current partial year is almost 21,000 mornings that have come my way.
So, what have I done with those 21,000 chances to make a difference? What have I done with the time that has been given to me? Why was I given any chances at life at all?
Yes, I know that some of those chances came when I was a year old and didn’t have a clue what philosophical questions were. But by far, most of those mornings came when and while I was very much aware of my existence and my shot at life.
It’s a rather sobering thought to know that most times I didn’t give it a second thought. I never had an inkling that I should be making the most of the time (How does the Bible say it… “redeeming the time”?) given to me.
Don’t obsess over it today, but just think today for a minute or two about the days you’ve already been given and what you’ve done with them. If you come up short, don’t beat yourself silly; rather start the process of redeeming the time in a manner worthy of the incredible gift you’ve been given.

A Wonderful World

In church today we sang number 180 in the songbook. Oh, you don’t know that one, do you, because you don’t have the same book that we have. OK. It is Jesus Is Lord and goes like this:

Jesus is Lord, my redeemer,
How He loves me, how I love him.
He is risen, He is coming,
Lord come quickly, Hallelujah.

In the singing of the song, the men start out and the women follow with their part. On the last verse, there is a female descant that goes like this:

He was born to die on Calvary’s tree
To redeem a lost humanity.
Conqu’ring death He rose triumphantly;
And He reigns thru all eternity.

Now, these words don’t mean nearly as much seeing them on a page as they did when we sang them this morning. We sing acappella in our church, and the descant was just gorgeous. Female voices joined in song are truly God’s handiwork and a part of God’s design for beauty and grace.
I am blessed to be able to hear voices praising in song, symphonies immersed in music, and crows outside caw-ing in the trees. What a wonderful world this is.

The Eagle

When we left church this morning, one of the men outside pointed over to the river and said there was a bald eagle over there. We looked and sure enough, one was flying over the river, sometimes diving down to the water. He was far enough away we couldn’t see what he was diving for, but presumed it was some kind of fish or food.
Eagles once were an endangered species and still aren’t back in that many numbers. However, it isn’t unusual to see them here in Kansas this time of year around rivers and bodies of water, even in town as we were (our church is in downtown Wichita).
The eagle has managed to become a symbol of everything good about America. Power, strength, grace and beauty are all part of it. Size undoubtedly plays a part in our associating the eagle with our nation. But the part I like best is the way the eagle is depicted on the Great Seal of the United States…with the olive branch in one (the right) talon. It has always been a mark of a great nation to work harder to wage peace as to make war. I pray that we will always be a nation that loves peace.

American Ingenuity

It’s snowing again. We’ve already had a couple of inches, and it looks from the radar image (isn’t the Internet wonderful!) that there’s more on the way. This time, though, we’re prepared.
We (the home) bought a blade to put on the Dixie Chopper mower we bought last year. It’s a stout blade, made of the finest iron available, and welded together by men and women in America (I think so, anyway) that know a good product when they see one.
We got the one with the manual lift on it. We could have gotten an electric lift, but didn’t see the need to spend another two hundred dollars on something we didn’t really need. I was wondering just how this manual lift would work, and found out yesterday when the mower was delivered, complete with blade attached.
The blade is naturally held in the “up” position by a couple of heavy springs. When the operator wants to blade something, he (or she) puts his foot on a pedal that sticks back from the blade and presses forward. That provides a direct link to the blade, overcoming the springs, and the blade does what blades are supposed to do. To raise the blade, just let off of the foot pressure.
American ingenuity is at work here, folks. Who else would of thought of good old-fashioned foot pressure to facilitate a job being done. That being said tongue in cheek, the mower and the blade are indeed hefty pieces of work, not at all like some of the cheap stuff I’ve had in the past made of tin and paint. This thing is built to lastl…sort of like my smaller mower. It too (a Snapper) is made in America and will probably outlast me by many years. It cost more than the cheap ones sold by Sears, Ace and others, but I’ll only ever have to buy this one.
Time to blade the drive.

I Can't Stand It

If you've read this in an email I sent earlier, I'm sorry. However, I thought this was good enough to put on the blog.


Our new resident, Rachel, transferred here at semester break. She's a freshman and attended a private Christian academy in the Newton area the first semester. When she came here, the officials at the school said that some of her credits might not transfer, and that they would check on it.
Not having heard anything in almost a month, I went to see Mr. Jiltman, the counselor and said, "What do I need to do in order to facilitate the transfer of credits from the private school?"
He immediately pointed me to the Registrar. I ask the registrar, "Ma'am, I'm Jay Plank with Maude Carpenter Children's Home. Rachel is a new transfer and resident of the home. She transferred here from a private school in the Newton area, but we've not heard whether or not her credits have transferred. What do I need to do in order to facilitate that decision?"
The nice registrar lady said, "(last name), (last name). I think I've tried to get that transcript. I don't have it"
She riffles around her desk and hauls out a scuzzy sheet of paper with Rachel's name on it. It's a request for records. "I've tried to FAX this to them twice, but someone there always picks up the phone before the FAX answers."
So I say, "Ma'am, is there anything I need to do in order to have them get you the records you need?"
"No, I'll just call them."
She picks up the phone, calls and talks to someone who says that she won't answer the phone when it rings and will let it go to the FAX.
The registrar then hangs up, FAX'es the request, and all is well.
I ask, "When should I check back to see if they sent the records or if there's anything I need to do to get them?"
"You can check back in a couple of days. I'm usually very good about transferring credits as soon as the information comes in."
I thanked her profusely and left. I didn't have a melt-down until I left the building, thankfully.

I guess to answer my question of what do I need to do to facilitate this, I guess I need to go visit the registrar and wait until she makes a phone call. These people are very good at what they do, when you can get 'em motivated to do it. They're friendly, helpful, and competent I'm just not sure why I have to make so many personal visits to the school to get something done. I can't stand it.

Learned Behavior

This is Saturday and we’re getting our Rachel fix. For those who are having thoughts of drugs and needles, you can rest easy. Rachel is our granddaughter, and we’re visiting our son and family for the day.
She’s really grown in the past month or so, and is quite animated. She’s vocal and sassy, and knows who is in charge in THIS household. She can sit up, eats solid (well, pureed) food, and seems to be developing quite nicely.
Nowadays, we just expect this to happen routinely. Babies are born, they grow normally, and they become adults. If there are problems, we have the technology to fix them and we can go on with life. It becomes the expectation that everything will be perfect and that things will be great.
But it isn’t always so. Sometimes there are problems that technology can’t fix. Sometimes babies are aborted, whether naturally or otherwise. Sometime, even when babies are normal, they’re born into families that aren’t, and the problems and issues of the family are transferred to the baby in a kind of continuation that should never happen.
Some things can’t be helped. Some babies develop birth defects. Some babies develop medical problems following birth that can’t be fixed.
But many things can be helped. Elective abortion, dysfunctional families, and access to adequate medical care are the products of the choices that adults make in life…choices that could have been made in another direction.
When are we going to start making good choices for our babies?

An Insidious Logic

I can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s 5:15am and I’ve already showered, shaved, and well, whatever else goes along with that. I’ve made coffee and hear one of the girls in the shower as I start this (It can’t be Paige…has to be Rebecca).
Our niece who is battling an eating disorder is checking into a clinic in the St Louis area today. She’s expecting to stay 60 days on an inpatient, then later an outpatient basis. She’s been fighting this demon for several years now.
There are a lot of things in this world I don’t understand. One of them is anorexia/bulimia. This one just baffles me as being so against logic and reason. Oh yes, I know that it has it’s own logic and it’s own reason. But because it doesn’t fit my norm, I’m not comfortable with it. I can’t relate to it. I can’t even fathom how someone could think that way.
However, what I might think about this doesn’t matter a lot. What matters is that some how, some way she is given the tools (and uses them) to beat back the insidious logic of starvation by not eating and then purging what is eaten.
Some of you who are reading this know about this situation. Some don’t. Many of you are religious. Some aren’t. Whatever your “stripe”, keep Michele in your thoughts and prayers these next few weeks as she continues to battle this devil. You might want to follow her progress on her blog http://decorperpoena.blogspot.com/
Don’t ask why that particular name. I have no earthly clue, but somehow, I think Michele knows.

The Real Deal

For those who were becoming used to my writing every day or so, I purposely did not write for a couple of days. I certainly didn’t want to get you used to checking in every day for something new, even if that something new wasn’t important, had little meaning in life, and was a strain to write (chuckle).
Actually, some days I feel more like writing than not; others just the thought of trying to put something down on paper (figuratively speaking, of course) is almost stomach-turning. The last couple of days just haven’t been conducive to my writing.
I’ve been battling some kind of crud…sore throat, chills, some nausea, general aches and pains (more than the normal from arthritis). Today I feel pretty good except for a sore throat.
I’ve told Pat and others more than once during this time, however, that what I have pales in comparison to what someone like Dennis and Phyllis are going through right now. Dennis is an elder at our church with brain cancer. They’ve done the treatments, etc., but the prognosis doesn’t look really rosy right now.
Dennis has been strong and resilient, singing of the mercies of the Lord his God all during this time. He continues his work as a shepherd of the congregation, visiting, counseling, praying, and leading with the kind of servant leadership I think God expects from His people.
Sore throats can be the pits. Aches and pains are a hassle. Brain cancer, though, is the real deal and is a great separator of the sheep from the goats (to borrow a phrase). Dennis has shown himself a sheep in every good sense of the word. Now if I can just imitate Dennis as he imitates Christ….

Snow Wimps

The snow is over. Nothing, it seems, is open in Wichita. The churches, for the most part, have cancelled services today, including ours. I don’t know. It seems like people any more are being overly cautious when snow falls or there is a significant weather event. They seem to be very quick to cancel school, cancel work, cancel church, etc.
I know it seems like we older folks always hark back to the olden days, but I have to wonder whether we would have cancelled church 40 years ago because of a six inch snowfall with temperatures in the low 30’s and no wind. I hardly think so.
Some of the older folks wouldn’t venture out, but many would be there anyway because someone would come by to get them and see that they arrived safe and sound. They may have then taken them home for lunch and made an afternoon of fellowship out of it.
I was somewhat disappointed that we cancelled church today, even though we had our own services in the cottage, and the girls did very well with an “offering” from the Bible. There’s just something about meeting with others that makes Sundays feel complete and whole.
Out on the High Plains, folks don’t give up unless the wind is blowing 40 miles an hour, it’s 10 below, and the snow is drifting 3 feet or higher. And even then, some guys will get out their tractors or snow runners and plow through the drifts or cruise over them anyway. And there are many out in those parts that have to do that in order to care for livestock, have water to drink, or provide for some other necessity.
Thankfully, we don’t get this kind of snow often in Wichita. I shudder to think what might happen to our economic engine if, every time we had a few flakes (so to speak), we shut down everything until it blew over.

Beating the Band and Reality Checks

Well, as B.L., Ella, and some others of my relatives would say, “It’s snowing to beat the band!” I was never sure what that really meant, so I looked it up in the source and fount of all information: the Internet.
Michael Quinion, on his website, World Wide Words http://www.worldwidewords.org gives several possible explanations, most of which are Irish in origin, then says in summation, “I’m fairly sure that to beat the band originally meant that you sang or played or shouted louder even than an orchestra and so, by later extension, came to refer to anything superlative. Just for once, the common-sense explanation may be the correct one, and there’s no need to invoke Irish towns or Irish storytellers, let alone banshees.”
So, there you have it. In at least this man’s opinion, the phrase has no spectacular beginnings; rather it just means what it means. How novel that idea is!
We like to attach long, exciting explanations to just about anything in order to gussy things up a bit, and are very keen, it seems, on passing along urban legends via email and in face-to-face gossip. Everything from Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo of CBS Television fame in the 50’s and 60’s) to plastic containers (supposedly containing poisons that are released when they are microwaved) is the subject of these urban legends, which seem to continue to have a life of their own even though they’ve been proven false time after time.
When a person’s fantasy of life becomes more realistic and exciting than the reality, that person needs a reality check in the worst way and has issues beyond the norm. Real life is, when properly experienced, so much more than the artificiality of fantasy that there should be no comparison. Try it sometime.

Vicious Circle

I’m not sure why I feel more like writing this week. Perhaps it’s an attempt to outwit the winter blahs. Maybe I’m doing it because I feel “closed in” by the bad weather, ice and another approaching snow storm. Or it could be that I feel very inspired this week…nah.
I wonder why we have to have reasons for the things we do. It seems that I always try to attach some kind of reasoning to my actions (or inactions). That seems to give them validity and meaning of some kind that doesn’t seem to be there those few times when I don’t bother to go through the rationalizing process.
Aahhh, there it is. Rationalizing. “To explain one’s behavior plausibly without recognizing true motives.” Could it possibly be that I am rationalizing when I try to explain in my mind why I am doing or not doing something? Could it be that I’m covering up some kind of behavior that isn’t good for me by telling myself some cockeyed explanation of why I need to do it or avoid doing it? Am I trying to cover up my true motives by engaging in the justification process? Would I be doing myself a favor by not rationalizing and justifying everything? Maybe if I gradually quit....
I think my head’s beginning to hurt. Because, you see, I’m doing it again. I’m trying to justify why I have to justify everything. I'm rationalizing my habit of rationalizing! AAARRRRGGGG!!!

"And So It Goes"

The ice has hung on here in these parts. Yesterday, the sun was behind clouds most of the day, and not much melting occurred. This is kind of unusual for this part of Kansas. Normally, the snow or ice comes, then melts relatively quickly.
Out in Western Kansas and on the Great Plains, the snow and ice can linger for weeks at a time, gradually becoming dirty and trod down. It gets a little old to have to drive on ice and navigate slick sidewalks for that long.
Then there was the year out in Goodland, where we lived for a time, when the water pipes that were buried in the ground up to four or more feet froze. We were told to keep our water running, and that the thaw wouldn’t come anytime soon.
Of course, when the snows melted that winter, the water didn’t soak into the frozen ground, but ran off instead. Out in those parts of the country, that’s like watching gold slip from your fingers into the abyss.
I don’t know if they will suffer the same fate this year as in that year. There’s been a lot of wild weather out in those parts already, and winter isn’t over yet. Thankfully, a lot of that weather has also brought much-needed water and a cover to protect against the cold.
There appears, in this creation, to be good even in things that at first appear to be bad. Snow and ice cause havoc in our society, but bring much-needed water and insulation to the landscape. Cold is hard on people and animals that have to bear it, but brings relief from insects, weeds, and other pests. To borrow a phrase from Linda Ellerbee, “And so it goes.”

I Know the Plans I Have For You

I talked in the last blog about the movie A League of Their Own. I think there may be another lesson in that movie from the rivalry between the sisters. Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) are a big sister-kid sister duo who make it into the women’s league together. Due to continuing rivalry (mostly in Kit’s head), Kit switches to another team.
The inevitable showdown comes in the World Series when Dottie’s team and Kit’s team are in that series together. The action scenes in that part of the movie are almost a side show to what I see as the real emotions that come through when Dottie sees Kit in her dugout, angry, pouting, self-pitying, and crying, yet determined as she copes with the emotions of battling head to head with an older sister that she has always looked up to, yet is jealous of because she believes Dottie is so much better and has had the better breaks in life.
I hear in that scene series an unspoken line Dottie might have said to Kit, “How badly do you want it? How badly do you want to succeed? Are you willing to put aside all of the jealousy and anger and pouting and self-pity and work your heart out to attain the goal?”
Now, friend, look at yourself. Look at your lot in life and then take note of the excuses you use to justify why you are where you are instead of where you want to be. Do you shift the blame for your misfortune to other people or external events? Are you still trying to convince someone (or yourself) that what has happened to you isn’t fair? Are you envious of those who have seemed to have overcome adversity and have risen to the top?
Be honest, now. And be grateful that God has given you yet another chance to allow Him to mold you into what He wants for you. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a

It's Supposed to Be Hard

“It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great." – Manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) talking to catcher Dottie Hinsen (Geena Davis) about quitting the women’s baseball league in the movie “A League of Their Own”.
One of the girls we currently have here at the home will sometimes, in defense of her not completing a project, say “It’s too hard!” I’ve used various comebacks in the past, but I may try to come back in the future with, “It’s supposed to be hard.” What I’ve been saying hasn’t worked too well, and it may be time to change.
On a larger scale, we tend to look at some of the things that life throws to us as being “too hard” for us to do. When the job is too hard, we’ll quit and find an easier one. When the marriage becomes too hard, we’ll quit and find some other relationship. When school becomes too hard, we’ll just quit and do something else.
I think in many respects, life is supposed to be hard. There’s a lot of truth in Jimmy Dugan’s words, and I fear that we’ve lost sight of the truth that doing something that is hard to do is what makes it great.

Growing Pains

It’s cold here today, and as I sit in my office, I hear one of the girls down hall (none have gotten up and around yet) having a rather nasty cough. It’s one of those coughs that you just know hurts when it comes on. I’m hoping that we can get through this winter without a lot of infection and passing around of bugs, but in a setting like this, even with the Lysol and admonitions to wash hands, things still get around.
It’s kind of that way with attitudes as well. It seems that attitudes are contagious. When someone is in a funk, everyone tends to be a little on guard. If someone has an “I don’t care” attitude, that too seems to get around.
It’s especially noticeable when a new girl moves into the home. The first thing she does, whether she or anyone else notices or not, is measures the general attitudes of everyone including cottage parents. She then tailors her actions and responses to what she sees and finds in the others.
Maintaining a positive attitude is hard in a setting like this, for staff and residents alike. It’s so easy to get caught up in negativity or just rotten attitudes in general. It’s a constant battle for me to stay on top of my attitudes, as well as encourage the girls and others to stay on top of theirs. But the payoffs are tremendous when it all works together to create an environment where everyone, staff and residents, can grow and develop.

Communication

We have treatment team meeting in about 45 minutes. That’s where staff and therapists meet weekly to discuss the girls and their progress (or lack thereof) and act on any pass requests or program modifications.
We try to hold the meeting to an hour, but that’s very difficult to do. That’s about 7 minutes per girl, and some of them just need more discussion time than what is allowed. I know people have things to do, but….
However, it’s good that we get together for even the length of time that we do. Good communication is vital to the success of this program. I have been very impressed by the difficulties we’ve encountered in our attempts to foster good communication. We try hard in this Christian environment to do the right thing. I shudder to think what would happen to communication here if the environment would be self-serving rather than others-serving.

Is This Heaven??

It was wonderful. My whole day was made this evening. Oh, you don’t know, do you. OK. Tonight, our church hosted a choir from a university in Texas, which was affiliated with our denomination. They sang all a cappella and had a really nice program. But the really cool part of it was when they invited any who wanted to do so to join them in the singing of their final song, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” with the 7-fold Amen.
I didn’t go to the stage as did some of the others in the group who were better singers than I. But I did sing from my seat, just a few rows from the front. I know the bass line well, having sung it for several years in a quartet.
There’s something magical about voices that blend in song, especially a cappella singing, that just captivates me. I like to sing anyway, and although my voice is not polished, I know notes and can pick up tunes very well. I also do a good job singing on key.
Tonight, however, having the privilege of singing with 50 voices much younger and better than my own, singing a song that stirs me deep within, was just almost too much. All too quickly, it was over. But the memory of that will probably hang with me for a lifetime.
If you don’t understand my joy, you probably don’t sing, and don’t appreciate it as much as I do. That’s OK. We all are different and enjoy different things. But for me, tonight was just about as good as it gets.

Let Freedom Ring

Randy, our director, was talking with the girls last night about times when it seems like "it'll never end." The context was regarding one girl who wants to go back home to live, but wants to do it now instead of waiting and wading through the hoops. We think she's about ready to go home, and will probably go in just a few weeks, but we have things that need to happen in order to make that happen.

I was thinking as he was talking about that, that we too have times in our lives when we think it "will never end." Whether it's kids growing up, interminable work, selling a house, getting ahead financially, or whatever it is, we at times find ourselves slogging through the pits of life in what seems to be an existence with no end in sight and no finish line in view.

I can't imagine what Paul must have been thinking as he sat in dungeon after dungeon, sometimes for years at a time, sometimes without even having seen a judge, all because of the Good News that God loves us.

I'm reminded of the song "Let Freedom Ring" written, I believe by Bill and Gloria Gaither. I repeat the lyrics below and commend them to you.

Deep within, the heart has always known that there was freedom,
Somehow breathed into the very soul alive.
The prisoner, the powerless, the saved have always known it;
There's something that keeps reaching for the sky.

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom,
And songs we love to sing have freedom's theme.
Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom,
And some faced hell itself for freedom's dream.

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain,
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free and we can sing --- let freedom ring,

God built freedom into every fiber of creation,
And He meant for us to all be free and whole.
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption,
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul.

I'll sing it out with every breath, I'll let the whole world hear it,
This hallelujah anthem of the free.
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive,
The Son has made us free and free indeed.

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary,
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain.
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key,
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring.
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key,
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring,
You can be free and you can sing --- let freedom ring --- let freedom ring.

It’s always good to have some time off and away from things. The past week or two has been that time for many of us. I realize that some of us got a long weekend, and that was about it; many others had several days off or took some vacation time during this time of year in order to stretch out the time off.
But now it’s time to get back to the routine of daily living. Get up, shower, shave, go to work, come home, etc. You know the drill. We easily become bored with the same-old same-old and long for the weekends or the three-day holiday break. We then work harder on those weekends catching up with laundry, housework, or recreation than we do in the middle of the week.
I guess one overriding question for those of us who have routine jobs, routine days, and routine weeks is, “Where is God in all of this?” Is He a silent partner, tailing along behind you as you go through your week? Is He there at all? Or have you put God up front and are following His lead, even during the routine and mundane?
One of my relatives has said that he doesn’t believe that God is concerned about the small things of his life. I have always begged to differ with him, but until now haven’t had anything much to back up my “differing”. I saw in a recent article (I believe in Christianity Today) that Jesus himself told us to pray for our daily food. If God expects us to pray for our daily calories and vitamins, why would He not want us to pray for other things that seem to us to be small, ordinary, and routine things?
Yes, I know that for some, daily food was (and is) a big deal. Many didn’t have it. Certainly Jesus knew that, and certainly he also knew that for others, food was (and would be) the least of their worries. Yet he tells us nonetheless to pray for our food and daily provision.
I think God wants to be involved even in our mundane and routine. We would do well to let Him in. Maybe if we did, the routine would suddenly not be so routine any more.

The New

Well, it’s the new year. Officially, we’re only into the year a little over an hour, and the earth hasn’t completed it’s rotation to the point that it’s the new year the world over. But here it is nevertheless.
This is many times the place where I would reflect on the year past, or I would talk about hope for the year to come. I’ll spare you those things this time and just say that for all of the fuss we make about times and seasons, there’s not really much different about today than yesterday. Although we no longer have Saddam Hussein to deal with, we have other, more pressing issues that carried right over to this year from the last…hanging on and quickly becoming the baggage of the new, just as they were the baggage of the old.
The past is gone; the future is not yet here. The present moment is all we really have. Any hope we might have has to be hinged not in a future that may or may not be there, but rather on something immovable…set…permanent…concrete…(you fill in your own adjective). The only thing I know that is like that is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that we see in the Holy Bible. Nothing else compares with the God of the Bible. Nothing else makes the claim to be unchanging and permanent. Nothing else claims to be eternal, both past and future. Nothing else comes even close.

A Troubling Account

I was reading an account of the hanging of Saddam Hussein today from the local newspaper. In the article, it was said that one of the three executioners told Saddam just before he was hanged, “God damn you.” Saddam reportedly looked at the hooded man and said, “God damn you,” back to him.
I don’t know if I’ll come to any kind of conclusion in this blog about this exchange. I just have kind of a rambling of thoughts that will probably come out in some kind of jumbled fashion.
For one who within the next five minutes would find out with certainty if there is life beyond the grave, and if so whether or not Jehovah God is indeed God of the universe, and if so, whether or not Jesus is indeed the Christ and Messiah, this exchange is indeed troubling to me.
If there is no life beyond the grave, no Jehovah, no Jesus Christ the Eternal Son, then Saddam had nothing to worry about and his executioner and he both said something that had no meaning.
If, however, there IS life beyond the grave, and if there IS a god named Jehovah, then both executioner and the executed have said something that may have profound and lasting effects upon each of them. I shudder to think of entering into the presence of Jehovah having just condemned a man to damnation. I also shudder to think of entering into the presence of Jehovah having just been condemned in such a manner.

Just Stuff

We're here at theCentral Kansas in-laws this afternoon. We had a pleasant drive up here and many of the relations were here for hamburgers, potato salad, beans, deviled eggs, angel food cake, etc. A pretty good spread, huh.
The family is growing...in numbers, that is. We continue to add a grandchild here, a great grand-child there, an in-law over there. It's good to see families grow and expand, but it becomes somewhat difficult to keep track of them all, especially if they're only seen once or so a year.
We had friends stop in Wichita earlier today and toured the home, then bought us lunch. We were happy to see them and hope that we'll have more time with them sometime soon.
I told them that my wife and I were "acutely aware" of the thoughts and prayers given on our behalf as we tend to our work at the children's home. I told them that I didn't know how we knew that...we just knew it somehow. We take great comfort in knowing that people are praying for us and we hope that our prayers for them and for others "avail much" as the Good Book says.'
Another 30 hours or so and it will be the new year. I'm not sure what that means, but this may be the last post for 2006. I dunno. Anyway, thanks for seeing us through this year and we look forward to what comes ahead, knowing that the Creator Himself is guiding and directing our steps.

Good News

Today I heard from the grandmother of one of the girls who had gone home for the holidays. She’s still home and I called wanting to know if the new arrival (Mom was expecting a baby) had come yet.
Yes, the baby came on the 24th and everything was fine, except Grandma had broken her leg and wasn’t able to care for the family as she intended to do. She had to keep her leg elevated except for a few minutes at a time.
Grandma was also very gushing in her praise of Mary (not her real name) and how she has pitched in and helped during this time of stress, holiday, and change. She wants to keep her as long as possible in order to help out as much as possible around the house.
We were pleased to hear that. Sometimes it seems like we don’t see many changes in the lives of the girls we keep here, and it takes something like this to bring us back to reality and the notion that God is using us to work His will here.
The days plod on and the troubles and problems just keep coming. We continue to work with them, God working within us to demonstrate just a little of His love and care for His creation. With this kind of report, we have the strength and energy to plod on until some day there will be no more plodding…no more need for what we do. Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.

The 58th Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve, 2006. Tomorrow will mark the 58th Christmas that I’ve witnessed (although I must say that I certainly can’t remember them all). A lot has changed since the 1949 Christmas in my hometown. Of course I don’t recall it since I was only two months old. I would imagine, however, that my older brothers had a good time, got some presents, and we probably went to some relatives for Christmas dinner.
Our son and his family were here for a couple of days. Our granddaughter is cute as ever (of course they are!!) and we are grateful for that family and pleased that our daughter in law chose to be part of our family (and we theirs). We had my brother and sister over last night for cards and games. We opened gifts this evening as well.
We will host my brother and sis tomorrow for lunch (ham, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, etc) and an afternoon of visiting and good times. Then clean up and a couple of days with one or two of the girls before our time is ended and we get a week off.
All in all, a traditional, ordinary holiday for us. But there’s something special about the traditional and ordinary that makes it anything but that. We cherish and relish these times, possibly because they tend to jolt us back, after dealing daily with a crazy and wild world, to what is truly important in our lives…family, relationships, love, and acceptance.
I’m not a doom and gloom prophet. There is good in this world, and I know that our Creator said it was good when He finished His work. But this is also a fallen creation groaning and longing for release from bondage. We need this jolt…this shot…this time of tradition and custom…to bring us some sanity, sense, and purpose as we go into yet another new year seemingly filled with disarray, confusion, insanity, grief, and hate.
And as we in Christendom ponder the miracle of the life and purpose of a baby born in a barn some two thousand years ago in the Bethlehem area of what is now the West Bank, we recall the promise of perfect peace and long for its hastening.

Getting Along

Well, it’s Saturday. It’s the eve of Christmas Eve. All of our girls have gone home for at least the weekend and we’re here with our son and his family from Northeastern Kansas. They’ll be here a day or two, then will go to see the other side of their family out in Western Kansas.
The weather is crisp, but clear. Amy Grant is playing on the DVD (her Tennessee Christmas album…her best) and we’re waiting on friends from the Kansas City area to stop by for awhile to see the campus and go to lunch.
We had “Bean and Bean” at my brother’s place last evening. That’s a tradition where they have some kind of beans as a main dish for a meal, then watch several of the “Mr. Bean” videos, including “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean”. If you don’t know about Mr. Bean, I won’t clutter my blog with an explanation; just Google him or go to the Wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bean .
We’ll host the family on Monday. We’ll have ham, scalloped potatoes, and the trimmings. It’ll be another time of great fun and contentment. Our family is blessed to not have the squabbles, fights, and tensions that sometimes can invade. Some reasons for that?

Our parents and relatives were good examples.
We don’t use alcohol
We were taught as youngsters to get along (or else).
We don’t use alcohol.
We have similar values.
We love each other.
We respect each other’s opinions.
We don’t use alcohol.
We accept each other for who and what they are.

We’re having fun this time of year. What better thing to do than to spend time with a brand new granddaughter and family. I hope, trust, and pray that your holiday goes well.

The Gap

I don’t know if I do my best thinking this time of day or not (6:05am), but I certainly feel more creativity and willingness to sit down at the keyboard right now to have a say at something. I guess there may be something to that old adage, “Early to bed and early to rise, etc. etc.”
I’ve been asked to teach a Joshua survey to the 30’s class at church beginning in January. This might be quite an experience for them as well as for me. First, I don’t know many of the 30’s folks at the church. Second, I haven’t taught Joshua in a long while. And third, there is becoming an obvious gender gap between me and those a generation or so younger than I am.
Do you notice it too? Those of you who are, say, 40 or older…do you notice the gap widening? Language, dress, deportment (look that one up in your Funk & Wagnalls), and culture all seem to be part of this ever-widening gap between “us” and “them”. And that can be a little intimidating at times for both sides.
As one who remembers the “Big John and Sparky” radio show on Saturday mornings on the old Zenith (which I still have) and the advent of television into our neighborhood…one who has seen parts of seven decades and remembers when the polio vaccine first came out, it’s work now to relate at all to those who don’t know life without the computer, vacuum tubes, or the TV remote.
This should be an interesting time for all of us.

Twinges and Tingles

It’s Monday morning. A week before Christmas Day. The weekend went well, but all the time, I had a kind of an uneasy feeling. I’m not sure what it was, and even now have a feeling that something just isn’t quite the way it should be. But there’s nothing concrete I can pin down and there’s nothing even floating “out there” that I can see. So I guess I’ll have to chalk this one up to parental intuition that needs to be sent to the shop for a re-calibration.
Those of you who are parents know what I’m talking about. Your parental antennae begin to twinge just a bit, and if it continues, there’s kind of a tingle that’s just always there, keeping you on the alert. As you continue down the parenting path, you learn to hone the skills of listening to and interpreting the signs and signals. When they say that Mom has eyes in the back of her head, they are more right than not.
The work we do is similar to that of parents in everyday life. The problem here is that we invite girls into our home that are already confused and on the wrong path, and we have very little time to adjust our antennae to their signals. They need help now, and we don’t have the luxury of taking our time to get to know them or having them in our home for several years while we learn all about them.
We also have more than one or two. We’re expecting a sixth right after Christmas Day this year and have room for yet a seventh. So I guess I can understand how occasionally the trouble receptors need to be cleaned and fine-tuned.
And you stay tuned as well. There may yet come something that vindicates the tingling going on even as I write this at 6am and all the girls are yet in bed (with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads). I wonder if any of them has a clue what a sugar plum is.

Home for Christmas

I was walking the compound last night as I usually do, checking doors and making sure things were OK when my mind wandered to a part of the old song “Home for Christmas”…the part that says, “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.” I didn’t get very far with that when I stopped in my tracks and thought about why I might be singing that part and what thoughts were coming into my head because I was singing it.
My thoughts didn’t go back to my childhood. Yes, we had Christmas when I was small, and we had the tree, lights, gifts, and all of that. Rather, my thoughts went to times when we had our own kids at home; when the gifts were transformers, baseball gloves, and toy products for boys out of the 1980’s.
Then I thought about where “home” actually was this year. If I would be “home” for Christmas this year, where is that? Is it here in Wichita? Is it where we lived with our young family for 16 years as they grew up? Topeka? Western Kansas? Central Kansas?
My mind would have none of those places. Home, it turns out, was the place that Jesus told about when He said, “I go and prepare a place for you.” Home was someplace I’ve never been before, but have a taste of what it is like right here and now. They say home is where the heart is. I wonder if that can be true more than anyone can know.

Unprofitable Servants

Last night we went to Wednesday services. On the way into the building, I had two people stop me in the hall and thank me for my remarks the previous Sunday. I was asked to have a meditation or remarks ready to present at the communion service, which we do every Sunday in our church. I was surprised that they stopped me and told me of their appreciation. However, I was also surprised that several last Sunday stopped following services and told me the same thing.
I am no stranger to public speaking. It is something I actually enjoy. It was, however, my first attempt at it at this church, and that could be partly the reason why some visited with me. However, one of the elders (church leaders) stopped me Wednesday for the second time and explained why he was so grateful.
My meditation centered on Mary and her willingness to be God’s servant. She said (and I paraphrase here) “I am the Lord’s servant. Be it unto me according to your will.” I talked about how I was reluctant to do this meditation because I had grown complacent and lazy and was willing to let others do all the work in the church for me. I then said that I thought the better of that attitude, and that if Mary could do what she did, and if Jesus could do what He did in offering Himself as a propitiation (look it up, folks) in my place, surely I could do this little thing.
The elder said that there are many people in the church who have the same attitude as I. They are content to allow someone else to do all of the work. They take but don’t give. He said my remarks really hit home and he appreciated my effort and candor.
How selfish we have become, thinking that we somehow deserve special attention because we do this or that, or because we deal with this or that, or whatever. How selfish we are thinking that others can just wait on us…that we’ve put in our time and deserve to rest and relax while the rest of the world waits on us. How selfish of us to believe somehow that we’re special and that we deserve some kind of special treatment. We are, after all (and I paraphrase again) “just unprofitable servants doing what is required of us.”

Candles

It’s nice to get feedback on what’s written here. I appreciate it when you click on my email address to tell me what you thought of the words I put together.
I’m continuing a little from the last entry where I said that God calls each of us into service in some way. We may not have a high profile job or a name that is known the world over. We may not be endowed with the gifts of wealth or even health. But we all were put here for, perhaps, “such a time as this.”
One reason that I appreciate your comments is that it brings perspective into my service to the Master. You see, when you comment, I am reminded of the service you perform and of your lot in life. I realize yet again that I am not alone.
It’s good for me to remind myself that others, just as I, struggle to pay bills, deal with kids, learn a new job, cope with sometimes frail health, refresh a relationship, tackle employee/employer issues, and a host of other stressors that appear in the lives of every one of us from time to time.
In a real way, we’re all in this together, being lights and salt and leaven in a place that desperately needs what God has to offer by means of our poor, weak efforts. It’s nice to be able to look over to the next hill (whether that hill be Oakley, Kansas City, South Carolina, Nigeria, Michigan, Topeka, or wherever) and see another candle burning there in the darkness, lighting up a small portion of the place we call “this life”.
Don’t let your candle go out.

Morning Routine

It’s been a few days, I know. It’s a little after 6am on a Monday morning and I’ve just completed most of the routine things we do on a school day. Medications are in the cups waiting for the girls, I’ve cleaned up the few dishes left from last night, and the coffee is on. I’ve brought a new box of cereal up from the basement pantry and have juice, cereal, and granola bars out for breakfast. One of the girls (I don’t know which one…I haven’t looked yet) just came out to eat.
I haven’t been outside yet to pick up the Eagle. But I have my coffee in place on the desk right beside the monitor. Pat is stirring, and will be out soon to interact with the girls a little more than I normally would this time of day.
God calls each of us to service. He expects us to use the talents and abilities that are within us to His glory. He will be glorified for the sake of His Name. I don’t know what God has in mind for Pat and me. All I know is that somehow we ended up here, in Wichita, at this place. We are not high-profile ministers in a large church down south. We are not well known business people or politicians. We certainly aren’t entertainers whose names are household words.
But I believe we are serving and are glorifying the Name of God by being here in this place, dispensing medications, opening cereal boxes, and interacting with teenage girls. As a paraphrase of Esther 4:14 might read, “Who knows but that you’ve been placed on this earth and in this place for such a time as this.”

I'm Ready

My wife has gone to be with her family for a few days while they deal with her Dad’s recent illness. She’s been gone overnight and for several days, now. When she’s gone, there are some things that are good and some things that are not so good about the situation.
I don’t sleep as well when she’s not here at night. I don’t know. For some reason, it just isn’t the same. I never thought that it would come to this, but after 32 plus years, one just gets used to having someone else in the bed with them.
The house is quieter. My wife is not a loud person. More often than not, she’s in her chair doing some kind of needle work or reading. But for some reason, there’s a quietness about the house that isn’t here when someone else is here, even though that person isn’t making any noticeable sounds.
On the more positive side, I do some things sometimes that I wouldn’t do when she’s here. I usually eat only two meals a day. That seems to be more normal for me. And I tend to eat things I wouldn’t eat if she was here. I eat more fish, more cereal, and will sometimes fix things that I know she doesn’t like (salmon cakes).
I don’t have to tell anyone where I’m going. I can just get into the pickup and go. And I don’t have to be back at a certain time knowing that someone will worry if I’m not back on time. I can take off on a side trip or do something else without checking in.
I can also do things like eat lunch at the counter of the café down the street, like I did today. The Riverside Café in Wichita is an old place that has a juke box, juke box controllers in the booths, a counter, and a menu that is written on a white board along with the daily lunch specials. I thoroughly enjoyed sauntering up to the counter this morning, ordering chicken strips with hash browns and green beans.
Does the positive outweigh the negative? Hardly. I’m ready for her to come back home.

Tough Decisions

It’s been a slow weekend for me, but for my wife, it’s been anything but that. Her dad had a mild stroke toward the end of last week, and she’s been going up into central Kansas where they live to help out with that. She went there again this morning and intends to spend a couple of days there this time.
He will be getting out of the hospital in a day or so, if everything goes well, and will need at least some temporary home care. He’s an independent sort of a man, wounded veteran of Iwo Jima, and won’t want anyone around to help. And he has his right mind and will be making the final decisions regardless of what his girls want for him.
The boys are here as well, and may be able to visit with him about having someone in to stay, but even that conversation, I suspect, will be a rather delicate time for them. Hopefully they can reach a compromise that all are happy with and will still provide the services that he will need these next several days and weeks.
It’s always tough when our loved ones grow older and begin to need care. My father in law is in his upper 80’s and has lived on his own for about 10 years since his wife died. He’s done well. His home is well-kept and he cares for himself, does his laundry, fixes his meals, etc. So this will be a change for him. We’ll see how this goes.

Humility

I don’t know what you think of Amy Grant. Some of you like her music and her songs. Others of you don’t care for that kind of music. And some of you may be upset yet (it’s time to get over it, folks) at her cross over into popular music or her divorce from Gary Chapman and remarriage to Vince Gill. (Just remember, you have sinned, too. Your sins are every bit as bad and will keep you out of a covenant relationship with God just as much as you believe Ms. Grant’s sins will do to her. And God is willing to forgive you just as much as you are willing to forgive others their trespasses.)
Regardless of what you may think, Ms. Grant has not only survived, but has flourished in the past 25 years in the music industry. Many who know her attribute her longevity and success to her modesty and humility, attributes that seem to be missing from many who share the success that she has enjoyed.
When she was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, she said this about one of her backup singers, “Johnna McElroy really took my five loaves and two fish of a voice and helped me to as much as I could with it.”
That one statement tells volumes about the person Ms. Grant truly is. She’s the genuine article. She’s the real thing. Like her or not, she has her feet firmly on the ground, it seems, and understands that she’s just someone who was incredibly, incredibly blessed n life.

Not Normal

Today it turned cold. Not just cool, but downright cold. The temperatures went from 70 degrees yesterday to about freezing today. And we have something we don’t often experience in November…thunder. A storm is coming through as I write this, and it’s dropping hail/sleet pellets with wind, thunder, and lightning.
Sometimes we have an experience in life that isn’t a normal or routine thing. It could be a thunder-sleet in November, or it could be the sudden realization that someone else doesn’t think just like you do. It could be your having to cope with a death, injury, or other physical problem. Or it could be the nightmare of mental illness suffered either by you or by a loved one.
Whatever life hands you, know that you are loved and cared for in a very, very special way by the Eternal One who brought all of this together and gave you life. No, He’ll not take away all the pain and hurt, because that would be contrary to His justice. However, he will give you peace and strength to cope with, deal with, and handle the situation at hand, no matter what it is.
And that, dear friend, is worth pondering today.

Ready

“Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.” Those of you who know the lyrics of old Christian hymns will recognize that line as one from the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, written by Thomas O. Chisholm in 1923.
I’ve been struggling with that line today. We sang the song this morning in worship, and I went through the lines several times later today. The last time was when I was taking my nightly walk around the compound circle drive. I happened to stick on the words I’ve printed above.
Strength for today. It’s the mature Christian who understands that God gives to each the strength to get through the day, no matter the circumstance. It’s the quiet assurance we have that nothing we face is so bad and so overpowering that we cannot make it through the day.
Bright hope for tomorrow. This has, I think, a double meaning. There’s the tomorrow that is the day after this day; then there’s the tomorrow that Christians sometimes think of as the time after death. For the Christian, both of those times should also carry with them the quiet assurance that God will be there and will continue to be faithful.
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow. I’m now looking forward to another day.

One More Night

Sometimes it seems like nothing you do ever really accomplishes anything. You go to your job, for example, day after day, and things just always end up the same. Progress in anything is very elusive and it seems like you’re just spinning your wheels. You become somewhat disillusioned and wonder what the value is of even trying any more.
Then something off the wall happens. Someone says something, or something happens that shows real progress toward the goal. Then it all seems worthwhile again.
Such was the case yesterday. We’ve been here about four months now, and it seems many days like the day to day rituals are just that. We get up, get the girls off to school, pick them up, feed them, etc. Nothing seems to change much from day to day.
Yesterday, however, one of the parents who was keeping one of the girls overnight called and wanted to know if the daughter could stay over one more night than planned. They explained that the daughter was behaving very well and had been very pleasant and appropriate and they wanted to keep her another night.
That doesn’t sound like much unless you knew this girl when she first came here to the home. If you knew that, you’d appreciate the quantum leap this girl has made in the few months she’s been here
It was a real sense of accomplishment to know that we had a small part in the changes for the better that have come into this young woman’s life. Oh, there will be times coming up when it will again seem like nothing is being accomplished and there’s no purpose to what we all do here. But as we continue down the road and witness even more of these kinds of incidents, they will continue to give us renewed strength to go on.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, they’ve come and they’ve gone. My sister and her family were here for the day today. And, oh what a day it was. We enjoyed each other’s company and caught up on the latest happenings. And we ate, of course.
We have a sort-of tradition that whenever we can, we serve a crown roast. We did that today and it was delicious. We also had ham, spuds, veggies, rolls, salads, etc. enough that we weren’t very hungry when evening came.
We enjoyed playing cards, watching a video or two, and just visiting. Many caught some zzzz’s either on the floor or one of the couches, and then we went for a walk outside after dark.
Nothing was spectacular today, but it doesn’t have to be. The small things, appropriately recognized, are just as important and exciting as the big stuff. And the small things ruled the day today, even down to asking someone not related to us and at least temporarily not having a home, to eat and be with us.
Thanksgiving is a holiday the retailers overlook…perhaps on purpose…perhaps because of the looming Christmas holiday. I don’t know, but I do know that I enjoy the day, the lack of commercialism, and the peace the day brings.
Happy Thanksgiving.

What a Day

“Twas the day before Thanksgiving, and all through the house,”…no, that’s the wrong poem and the wrong time of year. Actually, in our house today, most of the girls (all but one) will be leaving for the weekend. The one who is left will be going tomorrow on day passes each day Thursday through Sunday. She will come back in the evenings to spend the night here.
We are looking forward to having Sis and her tribe here tomorrow, and enjoying their company as we serve crown roast, cranberry salad, and the other things we have developed as tradition over the years. Conversation and catching up are always nice, too. Even though we live in the same community now, we don’t see each other often enough to keep up as we should.
Everyone, it seems, has their “busy-ness”. Jobs, families, volunteer work all consume enormous amounts of time and energy. We run the treadmill of life much faster than we did even 10 to 15 years ago. Cellular technology has kept us connected, informed, and running. Future technology will cause even greater upheaval in our lives as we struggle to keep up and to adapt.
One of these days, it will all be over. Whether our economy and society collapses, or whether we die before that time, we will one day no longer have to worry about annoying ring tones, persistent spam, or unwanted websites.
As the old hymn says, “What a day, glorious day that will be!”

It's That Time of Year

I haven’t written in a few days. Really, there hasn’t been much to write about. It’s sometimes tough to sit down after several days of mundane and routine and write, but the exercise is worthwhile, if for no other reason than the mental exercise that’s involved in looking over the past few days and thinking of something that can be worded concisely, yet is interesting to the readers.
Such is the dilemma today as I think over the past few days, which have been dominated by a rather nasty cold virus in our home. I picked it up a few days ago and have not felt well since. One advantage of getting older is that colds usually are fewer in number and less severe, probably due to immune systems that have once in the past seen the same virus and have developed effective antibodies to that virus. However, this cold must be some kind of new virus or mutation, because the full-blown cold is upon me.
I thought yesterday as I was wheezing that I can surely see why more frail folks have difficulty even surviving a respiratory illness. It takes a certain amount of stamina and body reserve to fight and win the battle with a rhinovirus, and some people just don’t have it anymore. Many of those folks are older people, but some are the very young. And those groups are just the ones we are concerned with during cold and flu season.
That is also a good reason for a reasonably healthy person to maintain a certain level of fitness. One doesn’t have to be a marathon runner to better be able to fight off viruses and illnesses. It does help, though, if there’s a certain lung capacity and reserve of energy.
Colds last about 7 days if treated and about a week if left untreated. I think I’ll choose the seven day variety and take some Tylenol now.