Good Reporting

Well, it’s the first real spring storm of the year to hit Wichita…you’d think from listening to the radio it was the end of the world. Yes, I know some people got hail, and some even got rather large hail. And there was rain and lighting. But it’s a spring thunderstorm, folks. There isn’t much danger of a tornado (although I also know that one can form any time out of a thunderstorm), and we have people driving around in this stuff talking on their cell phones to the radio station about how bad (or not) it is.
I don’t know what possesses people to go off the deep end when they see a few raindrops or some marble to golf-ball size hail. Now, if it would hail as it did a couple of years ago and the stones made dents in the ground I could put my size 12’s into completely, now THAT’S a storm. That one really made the news as it happened in October instead of the spring of the year. And there really was a LOT of damage.
I will give a pass to those folks who get nervous when the lightning and thunder come that have gone through the throes of a tornado first hand. There’s nothing quite like it, I’m told, and you’re forever changed after you’ve huddled with the dog and kids with a blanket or mattress over your head in the bathtub or a closet while your home and everything you own is blown to kingdom come. Kind of brings life and everything related to it into a more proper perspective.
In any event, I guess we’re in for another season of the weather guys and girls trying to out do one-another for ratings and advertising. I know the weather centers in these television markets are high-tech and high-expense. Do you have any idea what it costs to have at least three meteorologists on staff full time and a suite in the studio packed full of computers, monitors, radar, and all the other? Three to five hundred thousand a year is probably somewhat in the ballpark. That’s a lot of car commercials. I know they have to get their money back somehow. And I do appreciate good reporting on these events.
But let’s hear GOOD reporting this year. I’m not holding my breath, though…

Saving The World

My cousin, who lives in Arizona, has posted a link on Facebook to a blog written by someone else that talks about the Gulf oil spill, conservation, and how we utilize the natural resources available to us. Now, I know that some of these folks are pretty much out in left field when it comes to this topic, and many are just plain hypocritical, using the very resources they rail against in a way that is neither productive or conserving.
Others consume, consume, consume, never giving second thought to the ramifications of that kind of lifestyle. They poo poo any idea that we should conserve and use our resources wisely, and discredit any notion that we may be running short of this resource or that resource. There really is a middle road. And there is a spiritual principle to apply as well. And that’s where I’m going with this writing.
Judicious use of resources is not only wise insofar as conservation, environmental change, and cost are concerned. Wise and prudent use of resources is being a good steward of what we have been given, and that’s as much a spiritual principle as it is economic, environmental, and practical.
For those of us who believe the Bible is God’s communication to mankind, we know that God expects us to use the things He has freely given us; that He expects us to use moderation in all things; that we are to be good stewards; and that we are to not be covetous, selfish, or greedy.
My personal opinion (and that’s about all it’s worth) is those principles apply even in such mundane arenas of life as driving habits (gas mileage, wear and tear, etc), thermostat settings, dealing with trash and garbage (no illegal dumping, littering, or polluting), purchases, saving, and consumption. We’d better at least think before we mash the pedal to the floor to jerk around some guy going two miles an hour slower than we are on the road. Do we really need our house to be 68 degrees in 100 degree heat? Won’t 74 work just as well? Why not throw away that Wendys sack properly instead of letting it float out the window on the road? Do we really need the latest and greatest TV, pickup truck, shoes, or electronic device? Shouldn’t we be saving at least a few percent of our income?
I know those things in and by themselves won’t save the world. However, nowhere in scripture does it say we need to do that. It just tells us to be modest, moderate, and good stewards. If we’d only take the Bible at its word and not try to read too much into it or rationalize it away…but that’s fodder for another blog another time.

A Couple of Eyes

It’s a great day outside! Well, maybe not for most of the human population in this part of Gods’ creation, but certainly for some of the living plants and creatures out there, the rain, drizzle, fog, and cool temperatures are just what the veterinarian ordered (so to speak). And even the humans can rejoice that the earth is being washed, spring growth is being watered, and we are back to more realistic temperatures for this time of the year.
Speaking of the living creatures out there, a few evenings ago I was sitting on the back patio and noticed something floating in our little fish pond in the back yard. It looked like a pair of eyes floating just above the water line. At first I thought it might be a frog, but the eyes were fairly far apart for it to be a frog. It was about dark, so I moved in for a closer look and the eyes disappeared into the water.
Not wanting to confront whatever it was until I had daylight on my side, I went on into the house. I kept looking for those eyes every time I went near the pond, but never found them floating on the water again.
Last night as I was watching night fall on the back patio, I looked at a rock that was partially submerged in the pond water. Somewhat submerged as well, but on top of the rock was the biggest frog I think I have ever seen. I’m thinking that if he was stretched out all the way, he would easily beat a 12 inch ruler for length. His eyes were about as far apart as the eyes I saw in the water, so I’m comfortable that I saw him a few nights before.
American bullfrogs, which is what this guy is, I think, will hibernate under water during the winter, partially submerged in the muddy bottom. They don’t burrow all the way down in order to maintain contact with water and thus a source of oxygen, which they can absorb directly through their skin. My guess is this one wintered on the bottom of the fish pond, as I don’t clean it out and there is a layer of muck on the bottom of the pond. He probably relatively recently became active again as the weather warmed up.
We usually can hear the call of frogs, not all of which are bullfrogs, in the spring and summer. I wonder if this dude will attract a mate or two and use the pond for a hatchery later this spring and summer. If so, we may well have tadpoles in our pond sometime this summer. That would be kind of cool.
I’ll keep you up to date on the frog situation, if there’s anything additional to report. Happy frog-watching!

I Feel Much Better Now

So I’m driving down Kellogg Ave. in Wichita. It’s s six lane road all the way through town. I’m driving the speed limit, or close to it (really). I see someone toodling along behind me (is toodling a word?) not tailgating, seemingly content to follow along behind me at a comfortable distance. Because I’m only driving the speed limit, there is usually a rather considerable empty space in the lane ahead of me, as everyone else is rushing off to something important.
I change lanes getting ready to exit the road down the way a piece. Almost immediately, the driver behind me who was content to follow me at a comfortable distance going the speed limit accelerates by several miles an hour in an effort to close the gap between him and the driver now in front of him a quarter mile or more. This happens with such regularity I could bet on it and make money.
I don’t get it. Why is it a bad thing to have empty lane in front of you? What’s wrong with continuing to drive the speed limit?
Another thing I don’t get is when I’m in the middle lane and another driver comes up from behind. He signals (maybe) to change lanes to the left, passes me, then changes lanes again to the right all the way to the exit lane and exits the freeway. Couldn’t he have just gone to the right and gotten off at the ramp? Couldn’t he have just followed me for, oh, maybe an eighth of a mile, then get off at the ramp? No, he has to go around me, then drive in front of me as he exits, I suppose to show me that I’m not going fast enough.
No, I don’t drive “just the speed limit” all the time. If traffic is very heavy, I’ll go along with the flow. It can be dangerous to drive the speed limit if everyone else on the road is going ten miles over and the lanes are all full. I do try much of the time to give myself a decent following distance between me and the person ahead. That doesn’t always work, however, and my wife sometimes will hit the floor with her brake foot in a vain effort to slow down the car. (At least she doesn’t suck in her breath audibly any more.) Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I’m not the best driver in the world. I make mistakes. I mistakenly pulled into a lane from a parking lot this morning in front of another car that was closer to me that I like…no real danger and he saw me coming and slowed down. But it’s not what I like to do, and in addition, I didn’t know he was there until I got into the lane. That’s what I don’t like…I missed seeing him all together until it was too late.
So I’m not perfect, and know it. And I really do turn my head and look, twice if possible, and turn my head to check my blind spot when changing lanes. I also look both ways before driving across an intersection on a green light. Some things are just practical, no-nonsense things to do. And still I miss things. I need others to be defensive drivers sometimes. And I appreciate them doing that.
And I don’t mind being a defensive driver most of the time. But if a knothead is going to go around me at 20 over the limit, then a half mile later ask me to be a nice guy defensive driver for him, I’ll do it to avoid having to farkel an accident, but won’t like it.
By the way, farkel (or farkle, no one knows for sure how it’s spelled) is defined in the Urban Dictionary as follows:

The term is well known in the sport motorcycle touring community.
An enthusiast may be in the process of "farkling". The completed motorcycle would be all "farkled up". Radar detectors, Global Positioning System receivers, heated grips, and satellite radios are some of those farkles. Other accessories could be aftermarket seats, side and/or top cases or bar risers, which make the motorcycle more suitable for long miles.

F.A.R.K.L.E. -- Fancy Accessory Really Kool Likely Expensive

So I’ve said my piece in this blog, defined a term, and feel much better. There ya’ go (this term is the topic of yet another blog wherein a sales clerk, upon completing a sale, instead of saying “Thank you, come again,” will say “There ya’ go.” Sheesh!)

I Don't Even Know What to Pray For

You look at that headline and you think, “OK, this is a religious blog that is filled with scripture and high-sounding words…I don’t think I’m ready for this right now.” That’s OK for you to think that, but this blog really isn’t going to be that way. Instead, it will be more about frustration and dissatisfaction than anything else. Are you still with me?
What do you do when it seems that one family you know and love has more than their share of heartache, illness, trouble, and problems? When that family is doing the very best it can to be Godly and live life appropriately, but still suffers? When that family seems to always be coming apart at the seams? How do you encourage when this has been going on for years? How do you respond when the next crisis arrives? How do you pray when you’ve run out of ways to pray and things to say?
This isn’t the first time I’ve had the helpless feeling that I really don’t even know what to pray for in this situation. When our niece was going through critical stages in her battle with anorexia, I truly had no clue what to pray for, knowing there really was no cure and she would pretty much always have to fight this fight. And now another family I know just seems to have on-going issues that never end. One crisis on top of another; multiple crises at the same time. Single mother (who adopted, by the way, relatives of hers that had no place else to go) who has to juggle work, school issues, kids with emotional disorders, a mother who is not healthy, a home that needs constant repair, and all under the same roof.
My thought this morning was, “If God is merciful, he wouldn’t let this happen to her.” Then I thought, “Maybe God IS being merciful.” He’s provided a loving home environment for several teens and pre-teens who would have been separated and in “the system” long ago if not for her. He’s provided a mother (Grandma) who can stay with the kids while she works. He’s given her a job where she can take off most of the time when needed. He’s kept her from being laid off or terminated. He’s given them a church home where people love on them and encourage and help them. I could continue, but you get the idea.
So maybe we look at these things in a way that is a little selfish at times. Maybe we need to start looking at life through a different lens. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to be frustrated at times, dissatisfied at times, and feeling thoroughly incompetent at times as I go through this adventure called life with you all.
By the way, I now have another blog. It’s on the church website and the posts are different from those on this site. You can go to www.riverwalkchurchofchrist.org and click on “Blog” to see all posts by all ministers, or you can scan the left side of the page under “Ministers Blogs” to see the titles of the individual blogs. As of right now, there is no way to get just my blog, but I’ll ask the webmaster to provide one under “Leadership”, then “Ministers” and have a link under my picture and name.

They Believed in Me (Part III)

I am continuing my blog talking about people in my life who believed in me in some way or another and helping me on my way. I may conclude with this blog…I don’t know just yet.
I recall the chief engineer at the radio station where I worked in Goodland who thought enough of me to assign me the responsibility for maintaining the equipment and transmission facilities for the station. During this time I also coordinated a move to new facilities overnight, with the station being off the air only a few hours. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and the work I did…some of the best working years I’ve ever experienced in part due to the confidence Wayne had in me.
I remember very well a woman in Ardmore, Oklahoma who, after a very difficult two-year tenure at a church there (I should never have taken that position), quietly and with no fanfare picked my wife and I out of the ditch, washed and dressed us, and got us going again in life. She graciously offered to pay all tuition and any other expenses I could put onto my account at either of two universities where she was sitting on the Board of Trustees. Of all of the people I will have mentioned in these blogs, she stands out as one of two of my heroes. Thank you, Carrie Lou.
After we moved back to Kansas, due to illness striking my mother, there continued to be those people who believed, encouraged, and mentored. The church we attended helped us with financial aid at a time when we couldn’t find a dime and a nickel to put together. Those who made that decision to help us are special people, and I thank them.
My mentor in health care was also my administrator. Somehow, he saw in me the makings of a white collar worker while I was doing a blue collar job. He took chances on me, mentored me, taught me, frustrated me, and took blows for me in allowing me to do some things others only dream about. Vern is the second of my two heroes. I haven’t a clue where I would be or what I would be doing were it not for him.
The editor of the Hays Daily News took an interest in my writing and encouraged me by giving me space in his newspaper twice a month. I’m indebted to him for letting me express myself and get immersed into that world.
And the mentoring and encouraging doesn’t stop with more advanced age. Even past age 55, I continue to find people who encourage and teach me. Chris in Topeka was one such person. Although I didn’t work with him long, I learned much from him and continue to maintain contact with him and in turn encourage him in his work.
And so it goes (to borrow a phrase from Linda Ellerbee) and so it continues, even to this day. Those I work with now are much, much more astute in the work than I. I have a lot to learn and trust I can fulfill my responsibilities while leaning on them. May God bless all who have had a part in my development and education in life and living.

They Believed in Me (Part II)

I will continue my theme of telling of those who have helped me in some way develop myself, encouraged me to do better, or provided some kind of assistance to me in some aspect of life. We tend to think we can do things ourselves, but if we stop and think, we know that others have given to our success…sometimes given a lot.
It’s the same with our Christian faith. We can’t do it on our own. It’s only by the choosing of God to bestow grace and mercy, and provide other people to help and encourage us that make us what we are.
I think of the man who hired me in my first job out of tech school. My first day at work at the TV station where I was hired on as an engineer, Keith (the head engineer) met me in the early morning hours, and we went through the opening of the station and the sign-on process. We were the only ones there, and were responsible for getting the station on the air and operating for the day. The second day, I showed up when I was supposed to, but Keith wasn’t there. I waited a little bit, but determined that he probably wasn’t going to be there in time to get the station up and running. So I did my best to recall everything we did the day before. And the list was a long one. Turning on switches here, punching on the transmitter to warm up in a certain sequence, loading the sign-on slides and film (this was back in the late 1960’s, folks), and pushing the right buttons to get things on the air was no small task. I was nervous as all get-out.
I succeeded in signing on and getting things rolling, and Keith showed up about 30 minutes after sign-on. I can’t recall if he said anything about being late, and whether he knew it or not (or whether his lateness was intentional or not), but by his being late, he made me realize that I could take instruction; I could do things that I had to do; I could function in the world. I’ve never forgotten that morning.
I think of a young woman I met back then who saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. She encouraged me, loved me, and believed in me. We’re still married after all these years. I couldn’t be where I am without her.
I think of Bob out in Goodland when we moved out that way who took me under his wing, so to speak, and taught me a lot about how to work with people, and how NOT to work with people. We also discussed God, faith, and all that goes with that. He was one of the hardest-working preachers I have known. We produced a local weekly fifteen minute television religious television show (I mean we did it all, as I was now an engineer at the TV station in Goodland and we taped the show after hours. I was the engineer/director and Bob was the producer/on-air talent.), and he produced a daily radio announcement in addition to everything else.
That’s enough for now. I’ve only begun. More next time.

They Believed in Me (Part I)

I was thinking today (yeah, that’s dangerous) as I was riding back from Hutchinson where a friend and I went to a meeting. We had been talking at the meeting (a meeting of ministers) about the grace and love of God. As I pondered the comments made at the meeting, my mind wandered just a bit. I began thinking about times in my life when someone believed in me and helped me in some way. Many times we think that we make our own successes, and we certainly have a lot to do with it; but my guess is that most of us can not say that we have made our success without help from someone, somewhere, some time.
When I think about those times, I think about Mr. Nixon, who invited me to play my tuba solo as a high school junior at a recital at Emporia State University (then it was Kansas State Teachers College). My older brothers attended there as music majors, and I’m sure Mr. Nixon was trying to recruit me. I didn’t attend there, but he gave me a much-needed boost in my self-esteem at the time and prompted me to make some decisions after that I probably would not have made otherwise.
I think about Mr. Davis, the Vice Principal of the high school I attended, who would sign me back into school as excused after an illness or being away helping Dad on the farm just on my word…not requiring a signed note or phone call from my parents (which was the policy to avoid an unexcused absence). I quickly learned what truth, reputation, and dealing straight meant, and carry that lesson with me even today.
I think about Mrs. Groves, my vocal music teacher in grade school, who would place me beside other kids who couldn’t sing quite as well, or in a section that wasn’t doing so well because she knew I could help those around me learn the music and sing the notes correctly. I didn’t understand what she was doing until I was well into the sixth grade (I was rather dense then as well as now). But when I understood what she had been doing for several years, I worked even harder for her.
I think about my Dad the first time he asked me to drive the pickup from one place to another on the farm, and the first time he asked me to take the tractor out to the field and disk about a 20 acre patch. He was taking a chance…and didn’t say anything to me about it…just told me to go do it. But we both knew those events were a milestone in my development.
I also remember when Dad told me to go to the pasture and bring the cattle into the lot. I had never done it by myself before, but had been with him many times when he did it or we did it together. It took me awhile to get ‘em all going the same direction, but I knew that there was one or two “leaders” in the herd, and that I needed to get those leaders going the right direction and find the cattle path they and other herds used to go to the corral. I was successful at that, and when the lead steer found the cattle path, he settled in and led them all to the corral…my taking up the rear. I was so pleased (and relieved).
There were others in my younger years…these are just some. More in a later post.

Happy LIstening!

Sometimes, I get online and go to YouTube. Many times my reason for going is to hear a song that has been in my mind for awhile, and I’d like to hear it on the speakers in our home. I have my computer audio connected to our audio system, so it’s easy to do. While I sometimes listen to an older song out of the 1960’s or some such, often I turn to the masterpieces such as the Hallelujah Chorus or The Heavens are Telling (the Glory of God). When I do, I often peruse the comments that YouTube allows on the page.
I am struck by the passion with which many of those who are anti-religion talk of a non-god or doing just fine without a god, or some such. And the passion is equal on the other side, with folks glorifying God and giving praise to His glory.
I never enter into such conversations. It’s OK if others want to do so, but those kinds of interactions, it seems, never really accomplish anything and just get folks worked up. I’d much rather people saw a changed life (mine) and made the decision that it was a result of God living in me and my desire to be like Jesus.
And to me, that is much more difficult to do than writing something on YouTube. Living that changed life is impossible without God and difficult at best, at least for me, even with God. As a sort of perfectionist and as one who holds myself to high standards (impossibly high, many would say), I find the concept of grace, acceptance, and forgiveness rather difficult for me to accept when it comes to my own failings.
I’m getting there, however. It’s better than it was. As I mature in years, I think I’m maturing some in other ways as well. And the very idea of grace and forgiveness is such a freeing concept. I wonder why it wasn’t taught with more clarity and with greater emphasis in my earlier years. But the past can’t be relived. The future is uncertain. Only the present can be lived.
So, if you’re in the mood sometime, go to YouTube and take in the Hallelujah Chorus done by a flash mob at Macy’s. Or one of many other gems to be found on that site. I’ve included two or three URL’s here that you can use if you like. Happy listening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN5BaOGTmGs&feature=related

http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2010/11/awesome-pop-up-hallelujah-chorus-at.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PMMBIPXEY

Hope

One of the members of our church passed away yesterday. Jim had been chronically ill most of the time we have been here, and we didn’t have the chance to get to know him really well. I did have him in my classes from time to time and know that he appreciated in-depth study in the Bible and enjoyed being with his church family.
Jim passed from this life in peace, with those who loved him and those he loved around and near. The journey was made difficult by his illness, but was anticipated and embraced due to his love of God and Jesus Christ.
I have witnessed many deaths over the years I worked in EMS and in hospitals. Some were young; many were older. Death didn’t seem to care. Some were friends. Some were relatives. Some were folks I didn’t know. Many times I witnessed heroic efforts to save that person’s life. Often, I participated in that effort. Sometimes I was just there as there was no point in taking heroic action, or the person or family asked that it not be done.
Sometimes I arrived on scene after someone already had died. Perhaps it was old age; maybe it was an accident of some kind. More than once it was self-inflicted. Again, it seemed that death wasn’t partial to any one group of humans; young, old, male, female—all were equally touched.
For some folks, an old M.A.S.H. episode may describe their view of death. Major Margaret Houlihan, head nurse on the old television series M.A.S.H., is in the operating room in one episode. Someone she has been caring for has just died. She says, “It never fails to astonish me. You’re alive. You’re dead. No drums. No flashing lights. No fanfare. You’re just dead.”
For others, death is a spiritual experience on the highest order. I am one of those people. There is something about the process, about the emotion, about the finality, about the reality of the experience that is unmatched in any other venue. Something beyond what we can see or know is happening, and we know one day it will happen to us. No matter how often we witness death or how often we comfort and serve, we know no more about the process itself than we did before.
I am grateful beyond words for the hope I have that is in Jesus Christ. And I pray when my time comes I will embrace and hold to that hope as I too make the journey.

More Tidbits

More tidbits on the universe we live in from the “Instant Egghead Guide…The Universe.”

Fusion in stars is the source of all elements heavier than lithium, number three on the periodic table, they say.

The large, super-cooled magnets in an MRI machine make hydrogen atoms in the body wobble, and consequently emit radio waves which the machine can detect.

A light year is the distance light can travel in one year…5.9 trillion miles. Our national debt is about three light-years-worth of miles.

An attosecond is a billionth of a billionth of a second.

Due to the quantum uncertainty principle, alpha particles are able to tunnel out of the nucleus of an atom due to radioactive decay even though they shouldn’t have the energy to break out.

According to quantum physics, a particle behaving in a certain way on one side of the universe determines the behavior of an “entangled” particle on the other side of the universe, with no communication link between them.

In a 2008 experiment, researchers found that if the entanglement principle doesn’t work instantaneously on the two entangled particles, it operates at at least 10,000 times the speed of light.

The human body can withstand inertia of about 16 g forces for about a minute.

Light has momentum. Solar sails are not science fiction.

If you could travel to the earth’s core, you would find zero gravity at the very center of the earth.

The More I See

A week or so ago I ran across the name of a woman we knew while we worked at the girls’ home several years ago. She was the director of the counseling center on campus and did a good job at her profession. I was looking at something on the Internet and happened upon her name. Curious, I Googled her to see if I could find out where she was now and what she was doing, as I knew she was no longer at the girls’ home. (My spellchecker says “Googled” is not a word. I just now added it to the dictionary.)
I quickly found her. She was in the Wichita area and was the director of a maternity home not far from our church. I called the number and left a message. She returned the call a couple of days later and we made arrangements to meet.
A couple of days ago I went to the maternity home and we re-acquanted and visited for an hour or more about her work and the home. I was struck by some things she said.
Many women who come to the home are homeless. Many women who come to the home have some kind of addiction. Many women who come to the home already have one or more children. Many women who come to the home are part of a multi-generational string of such women. Many women who come to the home have no familial, church, or friend support system of any kind.
I quickly determined as I listened that I had absolutely no concept of living in the world that most of these women live in. I cannot fathom being homeless, pregnant, alone, on meth, with few positive societal life skills, and with three kids under the age of six. I found myself in much the same situation as I did several years ago when I confronted the reality of my niece’s eating disorder. I couldn’t relate to that…I cannot relate to this in any meaningful way.
As men are wont to do, I was running through my mind possible ways to “fix” the problem and immediately zoned in on breaking the cycle. I also quickly found out that the “fix” (or any fix, for that matter) isn’t nearly as easy or as black-and-white as it at first appears to be. I was, as I increasingly find myself, dumbfounded, stunned, and stumped. My friend, on the other hand said something to the effect that, “We love ‘em, provide for ‘em and model for them what life should be, and hope something sticks.” Bless you, Julie, for your love and perception.
We constantly hear thirty second sound bytes from presidential candidates, legislators, mayors, religious folks and others who spout fixes for problems such as this as if it’s blatantly obvious and simple to do. The truth is that women in the situation I’ve described above may well be in an intractable position and will never be released from it until they die regardless of the money, counseling, programs, and effort thrown their way.. And they have already assured society that it will have to deal with the situation for at least one more generation by having kids who are now growing up in this same world and will, in all likelihood, end up the same way.
The women who come to this home must agree to adopt the newborn out. The one saving grace in all of this is that the newborn will probably have the best chance possible to break out of the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and despair. Even those babies who have deficits due to Mom having smoked crack or used meth will have a better chance to succeed by being connected to a family who goes into the relationship with that baby with eyes open and decides still to love unconditionally.
The more I see, the less certain I am that I have answers. The more I see, the less I tend to believe anyone who says THEY have answers. The more I see, the more I perceive the brokenness of the creation and the desire of God to redeem it. The more I see, the more I understand that He expects me to be a part of that redemption process. The more I see, the more I can appreciate the overwhelming and all-encompassing work of the Eternal Son of God…redeeming even these pregnant moms…desiring the abundant life for both them and their offspring. Soli Deo Gloria

Universe Tidbits

Interesting (at least to me) information about the universe we live in (Credit Instant Egghead Guide to the Universe by J.R. Minkel). I’ll have more of these tidbits as time goes on.

Electrons are elementary particles. They cannot be broken down into smaller particles. Protons and neutrons, on the other hand, are made up of smaller particles called quarks.

The most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and helium.

You can actually buy samples of most of the elements on line, even some radioactive ones. http://www.elementsales.com is just one place they can be obtained.

A single air molecule at room temperature collides with other molecules more than a billion times per second.

When helium is chilled to nearly -459 degrees F, it loses all viscosity and becomes a superfluid, capable (among other things) of climbing up the sides of a container.

When you stretch a rubber band, it heats up. You convert mechanical energy into heat, which warms the rubber band. Sometimes you can feel the heat by touching the band to your lips after you stretch it.

No one violates the second law of thermodynamics, which is the law of entropy. Simply stated, it says that entropy can never be reversed…that disorder in the universe continues to increase. Even living things don’t violate the law. They (we) are highly-ordered, but we derive our order by creating more disorder around us than we contain within us. (Right now, I’m thinking of Pigpen in the Peanuts comic strips.)

If a hydrogen atom nucleus were the size of a common marble, it’s corresponding electron (hydrogen atoms have only one electron) would lie about 100 yards away. All the rest is empty space.

Neutrons are unstable outside of the nucleus of an atom. Left to themselves, they would decay into protons in about 15 minutes average.

In nuclear fusion (that’s what powers stars), the helium atom created from the fusion of two hydrogen atoms weighs 0.7% less than the original two hydrogen atoms. The missing mass was converted into energy. Einstein was right. Mass does equal energy and energy does equal mass (E = mc2).

You probably don’t know Katie Davis. If you don’t, you need to find out about her. You can find her and what she does at http://www.amazima.org/katiesstory.html
Katie is a 23 year old woman who cares for orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. She has created an organization, staffed it, and actively works in Uganda with those she cares for. She has adopted thirteen children of her own. She tells this story about one of her girls, an 11 year old.

“I just want to remember,” she says matter-of-factly, and she pulls the covers right back up over her head.
It is well after our 8 o’clock bed time. I have been sunk deep in the couch and in the Word knowing that 13 pairs of feet were tucked snugly in 13 beds. But as I make my way from the couch to my room, something catches my eye and I peek my head in the girls’ bedroom.
There flat on the cold, hard tile floor is my 11 year old with her blanket pulled tightly around herself. It doesn’t look as if she has rolled out of bed; it looks intentional. I nudge her awake. “Honey, what are you doing on the floor?” Why would anyone ever choose to sleep on this, the hardest of surfaces, with a comfortable bed just inches away?
“Remember,” she mumbles sleepily, “I just want to remember. Some people don’t have a bed, mom. I didn’t have a bed, mom. God gave me a bed. And I wanted to remember what it was like to not have one.”

This young girl is wise beyond her years. She has much to teach those of us who have always had a bed; always had food; always had shoes; always had clean water.
I don’t know what it will take for you to remember those who have no bed; no food; no shelter; no shoes; no clean water. Maybe it will take you sleeping on the floor. Maybe you will have to spend a night under a bridge. Or maybe you can just remember and do your part without all of that. I don’t know.
What I do know is that we can’t do everything, but we can do something. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. What will I do? What will you do?

Toys and Games

Saturday we had our grandson’s fourth birthday. Of course, we had the cake, the ice cream, the candles, and the gifts. And since he’s a huge Thomas the Tank Engine fan, pretty much all of the gifts were things having to do with that toy series. He has track, cars, engines…you name it, he’s probably got it right now.
They’ve been doing toy series for many, many years. The big ones I can recall are Barbie and Tonka trucks. You might say that Tinkertoys and Erector sets were series as well since you could buy more pieces for the sets or put sets together. Later on when our boys were small, it was Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
As a kid, I remember Lincoln Logs and something called American Bricks. Both were sets one could build structures with. Lincoln Logs are with us today in some form or another, but I believe the American Bricks became Legos. I don’t know that these were toy series, but the idea is the same as Tinkertoys.
Since I’m in the reminiscing mood, I’ll remember board games…Monopoly, Sorry, and others. Many of those games are still with us in some version or another; others have disappeared. There are a slew of newer games, many of which have the participants answer questions or demonstrate some skill. Some I don’t mind; others I could never play and never miss it.
Games have been part of cultures the world over and in all times and eras. We enjoy being with each other and engaging in diversions to the mundane and routine of life. Some take games more seriously than others, but if taken in context and good spirit, games can be a source of fellowship and community.
I don’t know if you like cards, board games, games of strategy and skill, or games that are more on the mindless side. My bet is that you like something, though, and would miss it if it wasn’t available. Try something new down the road. New games can be fun and who knows? You might just find the next game you just can’t live without.

The New Year Rut

The holidays are over and the grind of short daylight hours, cold weather, and holiday bills begins. Some of us will recover nicely from the holidays; some never will. For some the holidays were everything they thought they would be and more; for others, they were yet another time of unfulfilled expectations.
The year-end holiday season is a mixed blessing, it seems. Yes, I know that Christians who celebrate the birth of Jesus during this part of the year truly enjoy this time and deepen their faith and relationship with God. It’s the other part of the holiday season, though, that can be a mixed blessing. Family get-togethers and the expectations of gifting are the mixed blessings, at least in my mind.
Many families can come together and enjoy the company, the visiting and re-connecting, and the fellowship. Other families come together and fuss, fight and fly the fur. Many people give and receive gifts with thanksgiving and gratitude. Others indulge their more greedy and selfish side.
In any event, for those of us who live life in a comfortable rut, we are shaken out of that rut for a couple of weeks and now are only too happy to get back into it as soon as possible. There’s an indescribable comfort in a rut. It’s predictable. It’s satisfying. And it enables folks to tackle the things in life that come unannounced without having to also worry about the routine.
So, 2012 is here and the world gets back to work today. In many ways, things will continue as they always have. The sun will rise; the sun will set. It will rain; it will snow; it will be warm; it will be cold. Spring will come and nature will burst out in bloom and life. There is a continuity in the creation that is predictable and satisfies just as a person’s rut is predictable and is satisfying. Enjoy the year and enjoy your days.
Have a blessed new year.

The New Year

I suppose it’s fitting to again write something for the end of one year and the beginning of another. On the one hand, there’s nothing magical about January 1. Our year could just as easily start on October 10 or May 22. We have chosen (or rather someone has chosen for us, and we have not changed it) the stroke of midnight between December 31 and January 1 as the beginning of the New Year.
There is something to be said for the length of the year, however. It approximates the time it takes to travel around the sun on planet earth. And the length of our day is also something that probably should remain as it is as it approximates the time it takes the earth to make one rotation on its axis. But the notion that January 1 should be the start of the new year is an entirely man-made idea.
Not that there’s something bad about that. I suppose the year has to begin some time. I’m not sure it deserves all of the attention it gets, however. It seems to me it’s an excuse for us to spend money, stay up late, and over-indulge.
I’m not really a Grinch, although I am wearing my Oscar the Grouch shirt today. And I’ll gladly be part of the Plank gathering here later tonight. There will be food and drink, games and talk. And we’ll celebrate the New Year, clean up, say good-bye, and head for bed, wondering what this next year has in store for us.
If I can be serious for a moment, I’d like to say what you already know. We haven’t a clue what the new year holds for us, or if we’ll even be around for the entire year. We don’t know what funerals will take place, who will get married, who will have a child. We don’t know the state of the economy, nor do we know what various people in power in the world will do militarily or through terrorism.
What we do know is that there will be enough evil and mayhem in the world this coming year, that we would do well to live at peace with all men insofar as it lies within us; to offer a cup of cold water; to visit those who are sick and in prison; to give a coat, a meal, and a safe place to sleep. We would do well to offer a kind word, encourage a child, pick up someone else’s trash, slow down and drive more civilly, and hold a door or an elevator for someone. We would do well to remember the God who made us; to visit the teachings of Jesus and absorb and practice them. We would do very, very well to love our neighbor as ourselves.
We can’t fix everything; neither do we have to contribute to the mayhem. We can do our part to civilize our sphere of influence. And we can work to make the lives of others better even as we ponder our own frailty and mortality. Have a blessed 2012.

End of Year Musing

Today is Tuesday. Two days after Christmas Day. Hopefully, things “out there” will at least begin to become somewhat more normal so I will feel like I can venture out to the store to pick up a few things we need. I don’t participate in the frenzy of buying and shopping this time of the year, and don’t even like to go pick up the ordinary things (milk, fresh fruit, canned goods, etc) that we need from the supermarket this time of the year. However, it appears I’ll have to go shortly as we’re running low.
I did get several books for Christmas that I’ll enjoy. Also a sweater, portable clip-on light, and the unusual gift of a personal geo-cache. Haven’t found it yet, but am planning to do so later this week. I have an idea where it generally is located and am looking forward to finding it.
The weather promises to be mild and sunny for the next several days, so I’m thinking about taking down the outdoor display on Friday or maybe Saturday of this week. It was kind of fun to put up and enjoy from night to night, but even with good things, there comes a time to put it back into the boxes.
The train is up and running in the garage. Hopefully, there will be some who stop by during the mild weather and run it. The garage tends to heat up in the afternoons when the sun shines on the west doors and it’s downright pleasant in there during that time. I have a propane heater that takes the chill off, but often don’t have to run it because of the solar heating.
These days after Christmas and before the New Year seem to be similar, in many ways, to what we used to call the slow days of summer. Of course it’s cool out and not hot, but these days for those of us who don’t work over the holiday break are gifts of time that at once stretch for a couple of weeks, yet all too quickly seem to come to an end.
I hope your remaining days of 2011 are pleasant and 2012 will be kind and gentle to you and yours.

Renewal & Hope

The winter solstice is hard upon us. On December 21 at 11:30pm Central Standard Time, the earth will be tilted at the maximum away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere. That means that the days will generally become longer after that date.
I always enjoy it when the winter solstice comes because I know that there is an end to winter, cold, ice and snow. I know that spring is coming and things will again turn green and start growing. I also know that it will be a long haul from the winter solstice to the warm days of late April. There will be plenty more ice and snow storms…times of zero degrees or lower, and almost endless cloudy, dreary days and nights. But the solstice brings hope. Hope of renewal, refreshment, and the beauty of the creation as it grows and flourishes.
And isn’t that really what the hope that Peter describes in his first letter, chapter 3 and verse 15…isn’t that really kind of what that hope is? Not some kind of wishful thinking, but rather a longing and looking forward to, with the assurance of things present that what is hoped for will come to pass.
When the solstice comes this year, rejoice in the hope that is within you as you hope for the warmth and renewal of the spring to come.

Ten Reasons

I’m going to share with you something written on Facebook by one of our young women at our church. She is a freshman in high school and has given me permission to use what she wrote.
I’m sharing this because all too often we look at teenagers as lazy, insolent, undisciplined, uncaring, and selfish. We know they don’t have a clue how real life is lived and have had everything handed to them on a platter. We abhor their driving habits, knowing they are out to intentionally kill and maim. We see them sag in some places and show too much everywhere. We think all they do is thumb texts all day and hook up at night. They eat too much, don’t eat vegetables, live in garbage dump rooms, and leave the bathroom such that we have to don gloves and a mask to enter.
We miss the reality…a lot. Listen to what she has to say about her day. (By the way, I know both this young woman as well as her friend Carrie (name changed), who she mentions in her writing.)


Not a very good day (or week)...at all. But here are ten reasons I'm smiling and thanking God for the blessed life I have:

1) Spanish, Literature, Music Appreciation, and Math finals are DONE. Only the first three went well though ;)

2) I got a Steelers Terrible Towel today. This alone gave me hope that maybe my week will end better than it started.

3) Yesterday I got to volunteer at Botanica!

4) After I volunteered, my girl scouts and I got to see Botanica's lights for free then grabbed some ice cream at Braums! Yum

5) I talked to one of my ex best friends earlier this week and we agreed to be friends again and out the past behind us. It feels good not to have so much tension!

6) Music. It has kept me awake when I started falling asleep doing homework

7) Kids. They make me smile in every way possible

8) My bestest friend ever (Carrie Austin) came to Wichita this past weekend!!

9) Carrie gave me "12 days before Christmas presents", so each day I open a thoughtful gift and a handwritten note reminding me why I love her and why we are best friends! ♥ you sister!

10) And my final reason I am smiling is because I know all of these things couldn't have been possible without my ever forgiving God. Thank you, God for my wonderful Terrible Towel.

Wisdom beyond her years, and far beyond anything most people may think in general about teenagers today. I’m tearing up as I write this hoping that some day I will have the maturity to write ten reasons why I should smile and thank God for the blessed life I have, even in the face of a not very good day.

A Greater Appeal

I got to thinking this morning about life several years ago when our boys were still in school. We lived in a small community to the southwest of here then, in the home where I grew up. Life was certainly different from my growing-up years in many ways. We had the Internet, cell phones, and many modern conveniences that we did not have in the 1950’s and 1960’s. But some things didn’t change.
The one thing I was thinking of that hadn’t changed between the 1960’s and the 1990’s was that we never pulled the keys from our vehicles. And we left them parked outside in the drive. We never pulled the keys when we went somewhere, unless it was to Wichita or some other “foreign” place. We never were stung with a stolen vehicle, and to my knowledge, none of our vehicles was ever bothered in any way. Now the keys are pulled religiously.
As a corollary, when we lived in western Kansas a few years ago, we never locked the front door to our house, except at night when we had retired for the night. Even if we left town for a week or more, we wouldn’t lock the front door. And as far as I know, that was never a problem. Now, we keep the doors locked even in the daytime, whether we are home or not. And we live in a “safe” neighborhood in the Wichita area.
So what makes the difference? Is it that as we grow older, we grow more cautious? Is it the environment? Do larger cities mean more danger? Maybe it’s because we have more invested in our vehicles and homes than we used to have. Or maybe it’s because we don’t know our neighbors like we used to. Or is there something else at work here? I don’t really know the answer to that, but suspect it has something to do with all of the above.
Is it better? Well, in many ways it is. There is an element of risk in leaving something unlocked, whether in a small or large town, whether in the 1950’s or the 2000’s. There is an inherent safety factor that’s at play here. But in other ways, it’s a little sad that it has to come to this. It’s sad that I have to mentally note whether I’ve locked a door or not and check it to be sure. It’s unsettling to think that I feel like I have to have a loaded weapon at the ready in my home. It’s unnerving to know that not everyone who comes to the door will be coming for an innocent purpose. And although it was unthinkable some years ago, with the new concealed carry laws on the books, I’ve told more than one person who has visited with me about the subject, “If I had a concealed carry permit and a weapon on me, I wouldn’t tell you.”
I know that this blog may be troubling to some, especially for those who know this Mennonite boy who wants nothing more than to live at peace with everyone. It’s unsettling to know that I have even thought such things, let alone have written them. But that’s the world we seem to live in. And it only makes the new heavens and the new earth even more appealing.

When?

A few days ago, we again celebrated Pearl Harbor Day. The number of veterans who were there, and the number of WWII veterans in general, are declining at a great rate. In a few short years, there will be no WWII veterans around anymore. It won’t be many more years until the Korean War veterans are gone…then Vietnam…and so on. When that happens, we tend to lose some perspective on what happened in those eras, and we also tend to forget any lessons those experiences may have tried to teach our society and the human race.
I know that all wars are messy, miserable, and result in many people being killed, societies disappearing or forever changing, and other consequences that we may or may not always see right away. The Second World War, however, seems to be a kind of watershed event for the United States, the free world, and the way we see and fight war. Hopefully, we will not as a race of people (human race) rush to forget the horrid, horrid atrocities and the extraordinary sacrifices of ordinary men and women who literally made the world safe for humanity again in WWII. And hopefully, we won't rush to forget the rebuilding of Japan, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Air Lift, and everything else too numerous to mention here.
We didn’t deal with everything perfectly. We committed our share of atrocities and had those in our military who were not the paragons of virtue we’d like to think they were. However, we acquitted ourselves well in the 1940’s and were an example to all nations on many, many fronts. We have nothing to be ashamed of in the great scheme of things when it comes to our collective behavior in the War.
We sacrificed. We worked. We got involved. We learned. And we prevailed. We did what we had to do, and many did more than they thought they were capable of doing. We survived and thrived, and we brought the world back from the brink of total despair and destruction through our rebuilding efforts and our leadership in forming the United Nations, NATO, and other efforts.
As I look at this post, I have to wonder if Washington politics would call the nation to great and lofty expectations, we would positively respond as we did then. Instead of a call to serve, it now seems we're being relegated by Washington to the lowest common denominator of malaise and parasitic living. And that relegating has been going on for much longer than the current administration. On July 9, 2004, President Bush said, “I want the American people to live a normal life. It’s my job to worry about it. It’s your job to go about your business.” That was his call from the very beginning of the war on terror. We didn’t sacrifice as a society. We didn’t pay for the war (All major expenditures were “off-budget” and therefore we borrowed the entire amount). We didn’t have to do anything except continue about our business.
Who is bold enough to issue the call and provide the leadership? Who is brave enough to be honest with the American people? When will we be asked to give, support, and encourage? When will we be part of the solution?

Those Who Don't Know Better

Richard C. Hottelet. Marvin Kalb. Robert Trout. Winston Burdett. Eric Sevareid. Charles Collingwood. Howard K. Smith. Douglas Edwards. Robert Pierpoint. Daniel Schorr. Do any of these names sound familiar? No? What about Walter Cronkite? OK, now you have an idea.
These men (yes, they’re all men) are former news correspondents who worked during television’s golden age of news reporting. Most of them worked for CBS News, but not all. Several of them were Murrow’s boys, a phrase that described those who worked for the legendary Edward R. Murrow.
There were more than these, of course. Most of these men were World War II correspondents, and stayed with news reporting into the age of television, and on through the 1960’s and 1970’s. They worked at a time when the news was expected to be a money-loser. They worked when it was thought that the news needed to be independent of the politics of the organization. They worked when news was indeed news and not someone’s opinion masquerading as legitimate news. All have passed on except, as of this writing, Hottelet, who is still active in life.
Sometimes these reporters would give a commentary. When they did, it was clearly labeled as such. Sevareid and Cronkite immediately come to mind as two whose commentary I clearly remember. I’m sure others did the same. We didn’t always agree, but I respected their opinions, and knew they came from a deep and abiding knowledge of the events of the day and a great respect for the journalism profession and the code of ethics that guided them.
It saddens me to think that the likes of some of these men may never be seen again, or that the independence of a news organization from its owner/company may never again be known. It saddens me that it takes great effort to find anything in any kind of news reporting that even comes close to pure news reporting, and not pandering to profit or politics. Those of us who have experienced the golden age of media journalism are understandably turned off by Fox, CNN and the others who have hijacked something that served well the American people and the world and have created a faux world that is nothing at all like it should be.
And what is even sadder is that those who don’t know better think this is the way it should be.

The Right Thing

You’ve probably seen the ad, or seen one like it. State Farm Insurance this evening, during the OU/OSU game had a commercial where the only sound was a musical score where the singers sang “You wanna go where everybody knows your name,” several times during the 30 second spot. Of course, the song is from the TV show “Cheers.” And the theme of the commercial was that people like to do business where they are called by name.
I’ve noticed many commercials in the last couple of years that have this theme. Not the song from “Cheers” necessarily, but the general theme of the commercial is that you will be somebody besides a number if you do business with us.
It’s sad in a way that commercials even have to have this theme. I know that in this modern world, it’s a little arcane to think that the mom and pop grocery store, the local banker, the hardware store guy, the clothing store women, and the meat market butcher would all be friends and neighbors who know you and you know not only them, but also their spouses, kids, and grandkids.
However, there are ways that we can meet the need for recognition without having to patronize a particular insurance company, supermarket, or bank. A couple of ways that I can think of immediately are to volunteer your time to a worthy organization and to become connected with a loving church community.
Think about it before you dismiss these suggestions out of hand. Someone who volunteers is appreciated just for their willingness to serve. These folks fill needs, provide additional support, and generally make life better and easier for those they serve. And that service is noticed and appreciated, making the volunteer a sort of celebrity, if you will.
And to attach oneself to a loving church community is to inherit a “whole ‘nuther family,’ as it were. Folks are generally glad you are a part of the group and enjoy the time they spend with you. You have additional opportunity to volunteer through the church as well.
You don’t have to attach to a church, if that’s not your thing. Civic groups, non-profit organizations and the like many times are formed around a community structure and would welcome you to the fellowship. I would ask, though, that you seriously consider your Creator, His continuing love for you and your response to that. No, not all churches are loving. No, not all people in the church are committed to the cause. Yes, some are hypocrites. You’ll find that, however, wherever you go because people are imperfect by nature, and so are you. Don’t let those lame excuses keep you from doing the right thing.

No Easy Solution

I helped our teens (church youth group) last night as they served an overflow homeless shelter by serving a hot meal to the men that came in for the night. We served sloppy joes, fruit, mac & cheese, cookies, and drinks. The men were grateful and several came to the window to thank us for what we provided for them.
As I looked over the men who were eating during a lull in the serving, I had to wonder about some of them. One of them said he had been a Marine. Another was rather young…looked like age 30 or less. Some looked as if they had been homeless for years; others looked like they came on hard times in just the last few days or weeks. I don’t know if I can rely on looks and brief conversations to draw any particular conclusions, however.
What I did think about was how these men would get out of the situation they were in. How were they going to find jobs, get to and from work, obtain a vocational education, etc?
Think about it. To get a job today requires (usually) a mailing address or permanent address, email, access to a computer, a telephone number, transportation, clean clothing, neat appearance, a way to create a resume, adequate identification, and decent health. Many employers also check one’s credit report, driver records and other such records. Enrolling in and attending school requires much the same resources in addition to a method of paying for the schooling.
So how are these guys going to make the arrangements for these things? How will they get (and pay for) transportation? Where will they wash their clothes? Where are they going to type out a decent resume? What do they do first? Where do they look? Who do they ask?
Now, I’m not turning into a flaming liberal. I know some of these guys have mental and emotional issues that may preclude them from holding down a job. But that begs the question of how they will obtain treatment for their condition, or will they just continue being unbalanced? Other guys have made poor choices in the past that have worked against them to result in their being in the overflow shelter. I get that. We’ve all made poor choices in life. But that also begs the question of how they are going to get out of the hole they’re in, and the truth that “But for the grace of God go I.”
Maybe I also look at this a little differently than some because my wife and I were homeless for a time not that long ago. Except for the generosity of family who took us in and gave us basic support (computer access, an address, washer and dryer, bathroom, warmth & comfort, and would have provided food, transportation, and clothing if needed), and for a church family who helped with continuing medical insurance and provided other support, we too would have had to go to the overflow shelter for an evening meal and place to sleep.
I am not one who thinks government has the solution to all problems of society. Nor do I think that throwing money at a problem necessarily fixes it or makes it better. I do believe, however, that in general we are woefully ignorant of not only these kinds of societal issues, but we are also woefully ignorant of the complexity of many of these issues and the difficulty in finding an adequate solution or solutions.
I don’t pretend to know the answers. I don’t even know what questions to ask. I do know that I’ll be much more cognizant of some of these issues as I go forward in life, and will continue to “do something” even if I can’t “do everything”. I hope you will too.

Thanksgiving

I got up this morning feeling OK, but not “normal”. My gut was growling and my throat was a little ticklish. I wondered if I was coming down with something after this holiday period when I rubbed shoulders with lots of people I don’t normally see very often. Turns out I feel fine now. Maybe it was just something I ate that didn’t quite agree with me and wanted me and my gut wanted me to know it wasn’t happy.
But as I was sitting this morning before church, thinking about my situation, I heard the furnace come on. I didn’t think much about it except to think that I was glad I didn’t have to head out back to the woodpile in this wind and cold to fetch wood for the stove or fireplace…especially feeling the way I was at the time.
A few minutes later, I went into the bathroom and had the occasion to run the water there. Again, I thought that I sure was glad I didn’t have to go out to the well and lower a bucket or pump the pump jack, or walk a mile or so to the nearest stream and carry water back to the house. The thought came to me again regarding hot water. I was glad I didn’t have to heat water over the stove or fireplace to get hot water for a bath.
Then I thought, “How did people survive in the olden days when they got the flu or a serious illness, and didn’t have automatic furnaces, running water, or hot water, or had animals that needed tending to?” Can you imagine yourself with a bad case of the stomach flu and having to chop wood, pump water, or milk the cow anyway? People in those days didn’t always have other family members to help, and had no way to contact someone else (neighbor or friend) to come help them.
And I can certainly imagine someone living by himself who gets really sick, cannot do those daily things that meant survival, and died of cold or dehydration. People of not many generations ago had to do things every day to assure survival for that day.
Nowadays, we don’t have to worry that much about it. The furnace will cycle on and off without our constant attention. The water faucet will run without our having to make it do so. Our waste will be flushed down the sewer and out of sight and mind. And we probably have enough food in the house to last for many, many days. If all else fails, we can call, email, or contact someone to come help us until we can get on our feet. If we have no one else, 911 is always available.
Do we understand the blessings we enjoy and the comfort, security, and safety that comes just by having potable water come out of a faucet whenever we want it? Little House on the Prairie was a feel-good show, and in some ways we’d like to reclaim some of that innocence. But those times were also tough and hard, unforgiving and even merciless toward those who were weak, infirm, or incapacitated in some way. I don’t think we want to go back there.
You don’t have to feel guilty because you have these blessings, and you don’t have to sell everything you have and go live under a bridge somewhere. But I would ask that you stop for just a moment and look around you, and breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for those things that are so routine and part of your life; yet are so vital to your well-being and health. And then I’d like for you to consider sharing this year with some of our number who may not have running water, automatic heat, or weeks worth of groceries. You might just find that you come to appreciate these things even more.

Forever Changed

Normally this time of year, I’d blog about being thankful and the family get-togethers and the food and all the blessings we enjoy each day. And that’s all true, of course, and the traditions continue this year as they have for many years past and gone. This year, however, is a little different as far as my internal thinking process goes. Now, that may sound a little strange to some, but for some reason I seem to have to process things that are internal to me, especially as they may relate to external circumstances, and especially as they may relate to things like holidays, trips, etc.
This year, while I attend family get-togethers, listen to the wife in the kitchen, hear Christmas songs on the CD player, and put the finishing touches on the outdoor display, I am thinking especially about those I’ve had in my life that are in more trying circumstances. I think especially about some of the children I see in latchkey each day (I volunteer as a tutor in an after-school latchkey program). I think especially of those in our church who have gone through and are going through tough times right now. I think of family that are having medical issues and are having to make adjustments to their lives and living because of it. And I think especially of a pastor who was at our church when I was a teen, who now is in Via Christi with cancer and may be in his last days and weeks.
I suppose I could think about the good things that are external…good health, as far as we know, with our grandkids, our kids, and most of our family. Plenty to eat and wear, and a place for everyone to be under a roof with comfortable surroundings. Good friends and neighbors who would do for me if needed, without question. But somehow, this year, I am more contemplative, more thoughtful, more reflective.
Even as I praise my God for His wonderful love, care, and compassion, I am somewhat restive knowing that there is a lot of pain and suffering in this world, and there’s not much I can do about a lot of it. I know, I know, I can’t fix everything, but I can do something. And I’m glad that I am doing something, and am looking for more somethings that I can do. Somehow, I think I won’t have to look very long or hard before another something plops into my lap.
So, as you continue to enjoy the holidays, know that I will enjoy them too. Just be aware that there are those in the world that aren’t having the same enjoyment as you, and if you’re not doing something to help, look around a little. Something will fall into your life and you’ll be forever changed and grateful for the opportunity.

Make Someone's Day

We went to Pratt today to see my cousin. She’s in her 80’s and in an adult care home. She has only a son in her close family, who does not visit her or seem to care for her. So we make the trip from Wichita, my sister and I, about once a month usually on a Saturday to see her, visit a few minutes, play and sing some hymns, and come back to Wichita.
Today we took my niece with us…a nice addition and a very welcome visitor. The folks who live at the home know us by now and several gather in the sitting room when we start to play and sing and sing along with us. We enjoy these folks and would like to visit there about once a month if we can.
We visit during travel, and usually stop in Kingman for a bite to eat at about noon. Today, we stopped at the Kingman cemetery to check on the grave site for a friend of my niece. We found it after a few minutes of looking. Getting back to Wichita about 2pm, I then put the Christmas lights up outside. That took me until about dark.
As I think back to our visit in Pratt, I am reminded that there are many, many people in facilities like that, or home bound for some reason who would love to hear from someone. You may well know someone who is shut in in some way. Maybe all you can do it phone. But probably, you could visit if you really wanted to do so. Think about it, then act. You’ll be blessed, and you’ll lift the spirits of someone who may go day after day without social contact.

That Old Feeling

A day or two ago, I decided to clean out the storage space we have in our basement…you know, the place with the pipes, electrical panels, etc. That’s the space where everyone stores Christmas decorations, old photos, boxes of assorted “stuff”, and whatever else that doesn’t otherwise have a place.
I came across a box that had cassette tapes in it. Now, I’m not that modern, as I have a cassette deck in my pickup (1998 model), and our stereo in the basement has a cassette deck in it, along with a CD player/changer. So cassettes are still fine with me. I looked through the tapes and threw away a lot of them, but came to a few that weren’t labeled and were homemade. So I put them into the player to see what they were, so I would know whether I wanted to save them or not.
One tape, when I hit the “play” button, sounded like some kind of “911” conversation. Not knowing what it was, I listened some more. Turns out it was a copy of the tape (they had tapes at that time, not e-storage) of an auto accident in Harper County that resulted in three injuries, one serious. Dispatch recorded (and still does) all conversations, radio traffic, etc. at all times, and this was a copy of about two hours of that traffic in the 911 center. I haven't a clue how or why I have the recording.
I happened to be on duty for EMS that day and took the first-out ambulance to the scene. I drove. I don’t recall who my crew mate was…probably someone who also worked at the hospital. We had a one-vehicle accident and three victims. We had plenty of help as the fire department’s Rescue Squad 3 and Engine 8 responded along with several bystanders, including an RN who was also an EMT.
We ended up calling for two more ambulances to help transport the wounded and called a helicopter to the hospital from Wichita to transport the serious victim. Everything is caught on the recording, and I can be clearly heard several times on the EMS radio frequency. Another man I worked with, now deceased, was on the second-out ambulance and can be heard as well.
The thing that struck me was how easily I was transported back some fifteen years ago to that time. Suddenly, Bill was our EMS director, I was on the ambulance, Terry was the sheriff, Pam was the nurse on duty, and Guy (the now-deceased) could be absolutely relied on, as usual, to fill any of a multitude of roles…this time as the second-out unit driver. The adrenaline started up again, just as it did those years ago. My 60-some year old body was again about 45 and more able to run, lift, and carry. And, that old feeling came back for a short time as I listened to the tape. There’s a certain feeling…some describe it as a rush; others as a satisfaction. Still others describe a sense of well-being and camaraderie that happens when diverse people with different abilities work together under pressure for the common good. Thinking I had gotten rid of it long ago, surprisingly, now I know I didn’t, and probably never will.
It was also good to hear, for the first time, the EMS director tell the 911 dispatcher at the conclusion of the incident that things went well; that he did not feel the need to personally go to the scene, and that it was handled well by competent volunteers and staff. As I was part of that staff, it made me feel good to receive validation, even at this late date, for a job where I know we had done our best.
There are things I’ve done in the past for which I wish I had tapes. I could easily have made a tape of my last DJ (disk jockey) broadcast back in 1981, but didn’t. I could have made a tape of one of my weathercasts on television during that same era, but didn’t. And until now, I had only some EMS pins, a nametag, and my old EMT state certification card to remind me of some of the best moments of my life…those times when I was able to make a difference in the life of someone else. I probably won’t play that tape more than one or two more times in my lifetime, assuming I live to a normal age. But it’s satisfying just to know it’s there, and to know also that our work then was truly appreciated by the Director.
I continue to try to make a difference in someone’s life, I think. My EMS and probably my healthcare days are over. In a way, I mourn that because I enjoyed it so. But I can help out in other ways. I don’t always succeed, and sometimes fail miserably, at least in my view. But as long as I’m given breath and life, it seems like it’s my responsibility to use what few abilities I have to help make someone’s corner of the world just a little better.

A Special Time

Yesterday, we had the first of several sermons on thanksgiving and giving thanks. The sermon was not a sermon; rather, it was the preacher sitting on the platform with a couple from our church who had been through a healthcare issue this past year and have so far come out on the other side.
At one point, Vernon was given a 2% chance of survival and had received something like six surgeries in about as many days. He’s been fighting cancer. He’s had most of his digestive system removed and has suffered mightily from the chemo and radiation. Yet he survives. He and his wife sat down with our preacher and talked about that time and about the things that happened, things they thought, things that have changed for them.
Without hesitation and many times through the interview, they talked about the power of prayer and the effect that prayer, encouragement, and support from the congregation had on them and their family. They are a changed family, and have changed for the better, even though Vernon walks slowly and with a cane, and is still in rehab.
They are a thankful family, and seem to appreciate every day as a gift from God. The world looks different now, and things taken for granted are given new meaning and purpose. It’s a whole new day.
I don’t know about you. I don’t know if you’ve been through the fires of trial and trouble or not. Nor do I know how you reacted or how you would react should something like that happen to you. I would hope, however, that you would rejoice with thanksgiving regardless of the circumstance because you know you are a child of the living God and that you know that regardless of the outcome, you will never be forsaken by Him, nor will you be forgotten or tossed aside.
Should God give me the breath of life these next several weeks, this promises to be a wonderful time of the year, and an even more wonderful opportunity to give thanks and rejoice in my salvation and deliverance. To God alone be the glory!

Here and There

Things I’ve experienced recently:

Driving along McLean Blvd. along the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita, I noticed an older man in the riverbed, sitting on a lawn chair, with a fishing line thrown into the stream portion of the river. They’ve lowered the river’s water level in order to work on a bridge, so there are portions of the normally covered riverbed that are dry. Whether he caught anything or not was probably not his biggest issue. I rather imagine he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.
I went to a new supermarket a few days ago (Wal Mart Neighborhood Market). When I checked out, I had about a dozen items, so went to the self-checkout. I got through about three items when the checkout machine told me I had an “unknown item” in the bagging area and refused to continue. A woman came by and reset the machine. I continued and got a couple more items scanned when the machine did the same thing. This time, no one came by and I had no way to call anyone over. I threw everything I had checked out back into the cart, backed out, and went to a checkout with a person manning it. I looked at the non-working checkout as I left the store. On the screen was, “Please wait for a manager.” I didn’t bother.
At a local store today, as I completed my purchases, both clerks I dealt with said, “Thank You,” after we completed our business. My, that was refreshing…sure beats a, “There ya’ go,” or the “stare” which says, “You can leave now.” What ever happened to, “Thank you, we appreciate your business?”
The Texas Roadhouse was giving veterans a break on the noon meal today. At 11am, the line went out the door, down the sidewalk, and around the back of the building. At 12:30 it was shorter, but still out the door and down the walk. Good for Texas Roadhouse and all the others who provided some kind of “kindness” for veterans today.
I recently saw a dog being walked by a man who had his canine friend on what must have been a 40 foot leash. The dog was happy to have that much room to run around in, but I wonder what the man would do when he came near someone else.
In going to a large supermarket (Dillons) a few days ago to get a large can of ground decaf coffee, I discovered that they had none. And there was no place on the shelf for any. Dillons has lots of “stuff”, but not that much “variety” in some departments unless you’re wanting sushi, organic soy milk, or tomatoes that bounce on the floor when dropped. There are several other items Dillons does not carry, which other stores do have. I guess I’ll go to the other stores.
How difficult is it to look and see what direction everyone is walking on the walking track at the “Y”, then walk in the same direction? Besides, there is a sign on the wall that has arrows which point the right way to walk. Sheesh.
I woke up this morning, was able to get out of bed, and have enjoyed the day relatively pain free and comfortable. Thank you, Lord.

One thing in this very uncertain world that is not at all uncertain is the following: Public school certainly is not the way it used to be.
I signed up to volunteer at a local public school in a lower-middle class neighborhood in Wichita. Our church partners with this school in many ways, and volunteering there is one of those ways. I was placed in the afternoon latchkey program as a tutor for any students that needed help with homework.
I knew from having family who works and has worked in the school system that things are different. And they indeed are different. My teachers of years ago wouldn’t have a clue what to do and how to teach today. Mrs. Pearl, Mrs. Drouhard, Mr. Mayberry, and all the others would have a difficult time recognizing the school of today.
When I went to school, not that many years ago:

• There was no latchkey program. We were all sent home after school and a parent or older sibling was expected to be there.
• Teachers did not hand students off to parents at the end of the day to be certain that no one “unseemly” picked up the student. We were just all sent out the door and left to fend for ourselves, so to speak.
• We had no prepared lunches. Those who ate lunch at school brought their own.
• We did not eat snacks, except for milk in Kindergarten.
• Those who ate lunches when I was in school prayed, “God is great; God is good. Let us thank Him for this food. Amen.”
• Students didn’t ask “Why?” when asked to do something by a teacher. To do so would result in an immediate punishment, followed by added unpleasantness at home that evening.
• Students didn’t have to have a “pass” to go to the bathroom when I went to school. We just went down the hall.
• When I was in school, the school doors were not locked with only one entrance open. All doors were unlocked (except those few that specifically were fire escape doors).
• When I attended school, parents or other adults could come in the building any time. They did not have to stop by the office first and register.
• Teachers ran their classrooms without much “help” from the office, administration, or “downtown” many years ago. They often had upwards of 30 kids in their classes, and managed to teach even at that. A para was unheard-of.

No, I don’t want to go back to the “good old days”. There’s much to be said for computers in the classroom, brightly-lit and pleasant rooms, and today’s teachers are some of the best. However, I wonder if there is any way we could take some of the best of the past that may still be useful and apply it today. Wouldn’t that be a novel idea!

Interesting Things

I’ve come across some interesting (at least to me) facts about the universe in which we live. I’ve compiled several having to do with space and the elements. I’ve tried to verify the truth of what I’ve presented, not relying on Wikipedia as a sole source (although I’ve credited Wikipedia a time or two). I’ve not sourced all of what follows, as some are compilations from several sources.

Enjoy.

How much plutonium in the Fat Man bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki was converted into energy? About a gram, or a piece of plutonium about 1/3 the size of a penny, says Wikipedia.

How much hydrogen does the sun burn? According to NASA, about 600 million tons a second. Of that, 596 million tons of helium is produced, leaving 4 million tons a second that is converted to energy.

According to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, there are over 10 million distinct compounds of carbon, more than any other element.

Argon, on the other hand, along with several other gasses, is quite inert, not reacting with any other known substances and having no compounds.

A parsec is an astronomical unit of distance equal to about 19 trillion miles (3.26 lightyears). Wikipedia.

Helium is the only substance known that cannot be in solid form. Liquid helium cannot be made cold enough to solidify.

Under standard conditions, Lithium is considered to be the lightest metallic element, and is one of only two that can float on water.

When the moon is directly overhead, a person weighs slightly less on earth than when the moon is elsewhere, due to the gravitational “tug” of the moon on the human body. Moral: Always weigh yourself with an overhead moon.

Astatine is the rarest of the naturally-occurring elements, with only about an ounce naturally occurring in the entirety of the earth’s crust at any given time. It is continuously formed by the decay of heavier elements and itself decays into lighter elements, having a half-life of a little over 8 hours.

According to Roger Penrose, English physicist and Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, the total number of atoms in the known universe is about 10 80 (10 to the 80th power).

According to the Astrophysical Journal, about 65 billion neutrinos pass through a square centimeter of space on the surface of the earth every second. Most of these particles are generated by the sun.

The coldest place in the universe is on Earth. In Wolfgang Ketterle’s lab in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). 0.000000000001 degrees Kelvin.

In 1999, NASA estimated that it would cost 62.5 trillion dollars to produce one gram (about .03 ounce) of anti-matter hydrogen, making it the most costly substance known at the time.

Osmium is generally considered to be the heaviest metallic element with a density about twice that of lead.

Light coming from the sun is actually about 30,000 years old. It takes that long for it to work its way from the core, where it is formed, to the surface.

One teaspoon of matter from a neutron star would weigh more on earth than the entire human population together.

Make a Difference

We had Halloween yesterday, and today is November 1. The days, it seems, just seem to be hurtling by, and with them go the last vestiges of summer warmth and color. The leaves are coming down in torrents and the out-of-doors is becoming more drab and gray. It’s time to earnestly plan for long winter nights, indoor activities, and the cold that bites.
It’s also time to remember that there will be some for whom the long winter nights are exercises in survival; that there will be no indoor activities except what can be accomplished inside a cardboard box or dumpster, and that the cold does more than bite. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is something to this “politically conservative-socially liberal” philosophy that we are hearing more and more about as the months and years go by. I don’t know if I can classify myself in that “box”, or if I want to classify myself as anything. And that is not the topic of this blog. It is, however, a sort of paradox to see such opposite terms said about one individual and tends to mess up our neat labels we put on folks.
I would ask, though, regardless of any labeling or self-assessments that may be yours politically or socially, that you consider this year how you might be able to make a difference somehow, somewhere, in some way. You won’t be able to fix the world. You may not be able to do much more than donate a coat or a few dollars to the homeless shelter. But you can, if you yourself can look forward to a roof, warm room, and clean food and toilet facilities, make someone’s struggle to survive this winter a little easier.

Dig a Ditch

Yesterday our minister told us the story of the King of Israel and the King of Judah going to war together against the King of Moab. That’s found in II Kings chapter 3. Jehoram, King of Israel and Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, band together and march toward Moab. On the way they run out of water for their troops and animals.
The King of Judah asks if there is a prophet of God anywhere around who might invoke the Almighty’s help in solving this dilemma. The story is rather intricate and has the possibility of many points and lessons; however, the sum is that God tells Elisha the prophet to tell the kings that the water will come…if they dig ditches in the valley.
Our minister’s point was that God is often willing to do for us, but we must do our part as well. We must dig the ditches, so to speak. My guess is that had the kings not had the ditches dug, the water would not have appeared.
He and the story in the Bible are correct, of course. How often do we get ourselves into some kind of pickle, then ask God to magically fix it all for us? One of the examples he used to illustrate this is our getting into a financial mess through overspending, over borrowing, and greedy selfishness, then when the chickens come home to roost we ask God for a magic fix, like winning the lottery. God is more than willing to help; we must, however, dig some ditches. That is, we might develop a workable budget, find extra work, sell some things we don’t need, start giving to God’s work, start saving, etc. We then often find that God was right there all along, just waiting for us to come to our senses.
I’m not certain what your issues are for which you’ve asked God for help. I do know that most of the time He expects you to do something…to dig a ditch…in faith that deliverance will come.
Speaking of digging ditches and the example of giving to God’s work, I heard recently that the Barna Group discovered some time ago that overall church giving is about 2% of American income. And that giving to missions efforts are about 2% of that 2%, or 0.04% of total church giving. I’ll not comment on those numbers except to ask that you take them in and examine your own church giving in light of the command found in Judaism to tithe of the gross, and additional opportunities for offerings on top of that. The New Testament does not give any certain percentage for Christians to follow; however, it does talk a lot about being generous and giving joyfully. Is 2% generous in your opinion? Just asking. Would you answer with just a “yes” or “no” and not couch your answer in excuses and convoluted reasoning? Then perhaps it’s time you started digging a ditch.

Some Thoughts on Spiders and the Creation

Each fall, I look forward to the orb spiders spinning great webs over a span of several feet across some opening. They catch insects in those webs, lay their eggs and die, having provided for the continuation of a cycle that has gone on for millennia.
I’ve blogged before about the engineering that goes into these webs and the massive undertaking that it is for the spider to create these marvels of nature. I even blogged one year about a spider that created a horizontal web across our little fish pond in our back yard just inches above the water…I would have given my eye teeth (one of which has a crown on it anyway) to see her do that. I still wonder how it got done.
But this year the spiders weren’t that plentiful. The wife didn’t have to leave the garage door open (or closed) in order to not disturb a web. No sidewalk was taken up with a web across it. I only saw a single web in my yard…at the southeast corner. And it was there only one day as far as I know.
I don’t know if the harsh dry summer had anything to do with the dearth of spiders, or if it was something else that kept their numbers down. I do know that I missed seeing them this year, and usually have three or four webs at any given time in the fall, even in my smallish yard.
The cycles of nature, reproduction, population, weather, and so on are continuing miracles to watch and track. Many people, I suppose, don’t care for such observations, preferring the television, the I Pad, or something else to occupy their time. And I must admit I spend my share of time on the computer and watch some TV. But there’s just something about seeing the intricacy and fragility of the natural world, right alongside the toughness and resilience of the same that causes a sort of worshipful attitude in my soul. I am at once humbled and amazed at what I see, even in today’s modern world, of the beauty and spectacular wisdom that is a part of this universe and a part of my present tense experience.

An Idiotic Response

Let’s say you worked at a job where you weren’t offered health insurance as a benefit, or your portion of the monthly premium was too much for you to afford, and you went to the doctor one day because of an ache in your side. You had some cash money, so you let the doctor order a scan and some other tests. He tells you that you have cancer in one of your internal organs (just choose one…it doesn’t matter). He tells you that he wants you to schedule a consult with a cancer specialist and that you’ll have to have surgery, radiation, chemo, blood transfusions, special medications for at least a year or more, follow-ups, more scans, and many, many doctor visits.
The costs associated with these things are well into the six figures, just for the next three months of treatment. Scans are $2,000 each. Each consult or office visit is $150 or more, and there are far more office visits and consults than one can count on both hands, both feet, and using all teeth. Radiation and chemo therapy are well into the four figures each time (and there are many such therapies). Surgery costs around $1,000 a minute. Transfusions, even using Red Cross blood, are four figures each. Medications cost from $1,000 to $10,000 dollars a month or more depending on what they are.
You’ve managed to save up four or five thousand dollars for health concerns. You see the potential two to five hundred thousand dollar bill. You’re an intelligent person, worked all your life, paid your taxes, and happen to have a job that doesn’t help you with health insurance (there are millions of jobs out there like this).

To which charity or charities do you go to obtain the means to pay for the services you need for your cancer?

What, you haven’t a clue? Neither do I. Yet that is the answer given by some people running for and in national and state political office regarding health care in this nation and the fact that some people are uninsured. One former office-holder even said that they could go to the emergency room and get care. Yeah, emergency rooms are equipped to handle cancer therapy…right. They’d escort you right back out where you came from, and legally, too, I might add. All emergency rooms have to do is provide life-saving treatment for an immediate life-threatening event and an exam to determine whether or not you need immediate, life-threatening treatment.
Can your church afford a half-million dollar bill? Can your family? What about the Salvation Army? Or maybe the local United Way. Probably not.
Listen to one lady as she responds, No "charitable organization" would have helped pay for my mastectomy and the unexpected additional surgery thirteen days later, three and a half days in the hospital attached to a morphine drip, my reconstructive surgery or the Tamoxifen prescription that I need to take every day for the next five years. Nor will they pay for my follow up mammograms, Oncologist appointments, or any other necessary treatment and preventative measures. I am lucky - I have a good job and am able to afford to pay for my health insurance.
I don’t know what the answer is. I do know what it isn’t. It isn’t what it currently is, and it isn’t the idiotic response given by some in public office, and running for public office. Nuff said.

Short and Succinct

I was out running some errands today and had occasion to have to cross the railroad in north Wichita. I got to the stop light on 29st Street Eastbound at Broadway and the railroad cross arms come down. Long train coming, it looks much like the one pictured, and it’s moving about 20 miles an hour.
Smugly, I make a right turn on to Broadway and head South down to 21st Street. By the time I get within about ¼ mile of that intersection, the train clears and the arms go up at 21st Street. I head on to the intersection and manage to make a left turn from Broadway onto 21st Street just as the light turns yellow. I no sooner take my first look onto 21st Street eastbound when I see the lights on and the arms about half way down again. Mindful that the police sometimes ride the rails or sit so they can see, I decide not to gun it across the tracks with the arms on their way down. I slide to a stop just before the arm comes down in front of me. As I peer to the south, I see the lights of another engine coming rather slowly, but deliberately.
Waiting what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the train finally gets to the intersection…another mile and a half long train speeds by at about 15 miles an hour, not more than a mile or so behind the last one that came through. I would have been better off waiting at 29th Street to cross!
OK, what’s the lesson here? Is it “Smugness comes back to haunt you?” What about “Those who don’t want to wait end up waiting longer?” OK, how about “Be sure your attempts to beat the system will find you out…and get back at you.” Could it have been, “If you hadn’t run that yellow light to make the turn, you could have gone down to 13th Street.” Or maybe if I’m super-spiritual, it could be, “You didn’t listen to the Spirit tell you to just wait at 29th Street.”
Would someone just let me know what I need to learn so I don’t have to go through this exercise yet again? I’m getting old enough that I may not have time for the extended lessons and need the short and succinct.