Year End

Today is the last day of 2007. I could, at this point, go on about where the years have gone, lamenting the aging of myself along with the general population, and the seeming flying by of society and technology while I sit on the sidelines. But I’ll spare you those things this year and concentrate on something else.

It is said in some circles that older people don’t learn nearly as well. I don’t know if it is the collective resistance to learning new things, an innate inability to learn due to diminished brain cell function, or something else that makes people say that. I do know, however, that 2007 was one of those years that this late-50’s person learned, and learned a lot. Not that I caught up on technology or learned a new language, but rather that I learned about life and living in a way that made the whole experience worthwhile.

I won’t bore you with the details. You may well already know most of them anyway if you keep up with my blog. Suffice it to say that I am more compassionate, more appreciative, and more grateful now. There’s something about working with teenagers and their families, with those who survive day to day, with unemployment, and with a church family that truly cares that makes all but the most-hardened knot heads take pause. Thankfully, I don’t believe I am one of those in the most-hardened category (although I’ll defer to the wife for a final determination).

What will the new year hold? I haven’t a clue, but I know that whatever it is, I want to be part of it, because The Adventure Continues. Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Why Do We Do That?

When things are routine for us, we have so-called ruts we get into and stay in as we go about our daily lives and living. But when that routine is disrupted, we many times have to get out of those ruts and plow new ground. It’s uncomfortable for us, but sometimes is productive as we try new things and gain new appreciation for others.

Then when the routine returns, we quickly go back into the ruts we’ve plowed long ago. For some reason we become comfortable in them, even if they aren’t best for us. We tend to gravitate back to them, abandoning the newly plowed ground that provided some refreshing change and insight to life and living.

Now, why do you suppose that would be? Why would we prefer the old, established way to the newer, more exciting way? Why would we prefer the familiar to the new? Why would we continue to put up with the same old habits and ways when we’ve already had a taste of doing things differently?

I’m not saying here that everything we do by force of habit is bad. Many of those habitual things are that way because they are good for us and help us in life. But there are some that we could just as easily do without, or replace with something that is markedly better for us. Yet we greatly resist, at times, those changes.

Paul the Apostle said once, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

Even though Paul was talking about the law of sin and his propensity to succumb to its temptation, I think the principle applies. It seems that this practice of doing what we really don’t want to do may well be something that infects humanity in many cultures over many times and epochs.

As I get back into the groove (rut) of having a job and earning a living, I find that I also fall back into the old habits and thoughts that accompany that way of life. I find that I am less compassionate toward those who are homeless or in other dire straits. I find that I become more judgmental toward others, and that I feel somehow superior to them. I find that my communication with those I love becomes more strained as I go back into myself in a kind of protective mode.

Those are the kinds of things I do not want to do, and struggle with even now. I want to retain the lessons I’ve learned over the past few months and allow them to remake me into someone who is more like the God I proclaim to serve. How can I do anything else?

Faithful

It’s been since Christmas Day that I blogged. Since then, much good has happened. The evening of the 26^th, a man called and offered me the position I had been wanting with a new nursing home that was starting up in Wichita. The pay was even more than I had hoped it would be and I readily accepted.

Then the next morning, the Director of Nursing at the same home called my wife and offered her an RN job at the facility. So we are both employed, now, or rather will be shortly.

I would say something like “God is faithful,” thinking that since we have work, He is faithful to us. However, that is the wrong idea. I am grateful we have work. I am thankful that this chapter of our lives is apparently closing and another chapter of the great adventure is beginning. However, God is always faithful, regardless of whether or not we have work, are sick or well, rich or poor, homeless or have a home.

I believe that although there are many coincidences in life, there are also many times when the Hand of God is at work. I don’t know if my seeing the small ad in the newspaper was coincidence or not. I don’t know if my having a second thought about NOT applying for the job was a coincidence or not. Nor do I know if my taking my resume at a time when the man had time to sit down with me for an hour or more was coincidence or not. And I don’t know if having my wife with me (waiting in the vehicle) and the man asking me to get her because they were also looking for nurses was coincidence or not.

I do know that we have work. And the work is something we think we will enjoy and will give value to our employer for what we are paid. We believe we will derive satisfaction in our work, helping those who cannot help themselves.

And so I again say, “God is faithful,” knowing that even if we would not have work yet, I could say that with a straight face and in truth. And I know that whatever happens, we know that we are loved, cared for, and appreciated.

Christmas Day

Today is Christmas day. It’s the 59th Christmas I’ve seen in my life. We are in Emporia today, spending the day with our son Scott, Laura, Rachel, and (unborn) Gabriel. This will be the first Christmas I’ve spent in Emporia. There have been Christmases in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Goodland, Kansas, and many other places, but Emporia is a first.
The world has changed considerably since Dad wrapped up the American Flyer train set in several different packages and gave parts of it to each of the kids. I got track, if I remember right. Brother Max got the engine. I don’t know about any of the rest of it. We set it up in the unfinished, cold west bedroom on a piece of plywood that had an extra foot or so scabbed onto the side of it to accommodate the width of the layout.
It was a wonderful time of aluminum trees, light sets that went out if one bulb went bad, bubble lights, orange marmalade brought back from the once-a-year Wichita shopping trip, homemade ornaments, school vacation, and people coming to the house. Sometimes some of the King family would show up. Sometimes it would be the Planks. Sometimes we’d go somewhere else.
I’ll never forget the meals and fellowship when we went to Mervin’s (my uncle) out west of town. The meals were superb and their place was wonderful for exploring…tree rows, outbuildings, and all the rest. They also had a basement where we could play with Mervin’s homemade foosball, cards, or whatever else (remember stadium checkers?).
Now, we have digital music from a computer, DVD Christmas movies, electronic ornaments, and designer hot chocolate. We can run to the store on Christmas day for a forgotten food item and carry a portal to the world on our hips. We travel hundreds of miles without even thinking about it, and orange marmalade is no big deal.
But some things never change. Family ties and gifts under the tree. Ham, pumpkin pie, and peppermint ice cream. Bean and Bean (some won’t know what this is…ask sister Marianne). Christmas eve traditions. They’re all there just as they were years ago, and just as they’ll be as long as God permits.
One other thing that never changes is what Christmas Is All About. Linus, wise beyond his years, succinctly and clearly tells the world every year in It’s A Charlie Brown Christmas what the season is really about. I’ll close with his speech.
Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about. [shouting in desperation] Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. [moves toward the center of the stage] Lights, please. [a spotlight shines on Linus]
Linus Van Pelt: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'" [Linus picks up his blanket and walks back towards Charlie Brown]
Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

We Are Not Forgotten

I was laying in bed last night waiting for the wife to join me. It always takes me less time to get ready for bed than it does her. As I was laying there, I started to pray. I immediately thought of our situation here, no home, no job, and started praying about that. I stopped, however, after only a couple of seconds, and started to think of others that were in situations that also were not necessarily the greatest.

My mind quickly raced, thinking of many people who had chronic problems with health, finances, relationships, or work, and of people in situations that just weren’t the best. I just spent a second or two on each one, thinking about them.

The thing that got me was the large number of people I knew that had issues. I must have thought of well over 100 people, and just kept thinking of more, never repeating.

When I finished, our problems seemed rather small compared to some of the people and problems I had remembered. After all, we have a place to stay, food on the table, and job prospects are still coming our way. We are apparently healthy, and have all of our arms, legs, and mental faculties.

If we’re still not working in three or four months, I might start to sound a little more desperate or despairing. But even then, I’ll know that we’re blessed and that God has not forgotten our situation. I may need to be reminded of that, but we’ll take one day at a time.

Saying It All

I had the chance to visit with some of the girls from the children’s home yesterday. It was after church, and we had a few minutes together while they waited for a ride.

I heard from one of the girls who is going home for good tomorrow. Another is going home for Christmas vacation, and others had other things to tell. All in all, it was a great conversation, and I got to catch up a little on the lives of the girls we once cared for in our household.

I thought on the way home about the conversations with the girls, and told my wife that when people deal with other people rather than other things, it can get very emotional very quickly. I still ache for those girls and the needs that they have. I still rejoice with the ones who are making progress. And I know that for every girl we were able to help there at the home, there are hundreds in the world that will never get the chance to make something of themselves and change in ways that will enable them to be the kind of women that God would have them be.

We did a good job at the home. That’s not a boast…that’s the truth. We impacted many lives, not only lives of girls, but of parents, grandparents, school staff, church people, and others. We have no regrets about the work we did there, the decisions we made there, or the turn of events that resulted in our dismissal from there.

One of the girls we cared for is now back home with her parents. They reside in the Wichita area and remain in contact with us. The dad wanted to speak at a public fundraiser a few months ago. The words of that parent to Pat and me that night as he spoke to the gathered crowd say it all. “You gave us back our daughter. Thank you.”

I wonder sometimes about the words that I sing in religious songs. Many songs that we sing as part of our religious celebrations, we sing many times in kind of a rote mode, not thinking much about what we are really saying. The Christmas carol Silent Night is one such song. Look at the third verse.

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "

Just what is meant by those words? What is the subject? What is the verb or action word? We know this was translated from the German original, so the structure might be a little stilted and artificial, in order to make the English fit into the melody, but there indeed is a message there.

How about this. When we say the words “Son of God”, we are addressing the Christ child. We are about to tell Him something.

That something is, “Love’s pure light, radiant, beams from Thy (your) holy face.” The word “beams” is the action word, and “light” is the subject of the sentence. Radiant is an adjective describing the pure light of love that is beaming from the Christ’s face.

I’m not certain about the next line. “With the dawn of redeeming grace” could be attached to the prior sentence, as in, “Love’s pure light, radiant, beams from Thy holy face, (along) with the dawn of redeeming grace.” Or, it could be the beginning of a new sentence which states that the birth of Jesus is accompanying the dawn of redeeming grace. That could also be turned around to say that the dawn of redeeming grace is accompanying the birth of Jesus. In any event, the intent is to say, it seems, that God is extending redeeming grace to mankind through the birth of the Christ child.

This is just my opinion; others may have other opinions. What do you think? Would you care to give your ideas?

My, My!!

Has it really been a week since I’ve blogged??? Heavens!! My three readers must be forgaying (look THAT one up in your Funk & Wagnalls) waiting on me. My, my. I’ll have to blog more later as we’re on our way up to see the granddaughter this evening.

Urban Living

There are a lot of reasons why I like living in rural areas. No, I’m not talking about Goddard or Valley Center. I’m talking about Scott City or Grinnell (all in Kansas). You see, the first two cities are quickly becoming suburbs of the greater Wichita area. Their city limits buck up against the limits of other communities in the area, and it’s just a stone’s throw to travel to the largest city in Kansas. The other communities don’t stand a chance of becoming suburbs of anything and are struggling to keep an even keel.

However, once in a while, it becomes apparent that living in an urban area also has its perks. That happened to us just tonight when we attended the annual Christmas concert by the Wichita Symphony, with the Singing Quakers Alumni Choir of Friends University.

Those good folks in Grinnell didn’t have two chances in the world of taking in this concert. We, on the other hand, had a good time with friends and competent musicians and singers. The evening was lively, sparkling, and spirited. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Century II.

While many people who have had access to these kinds of programs don’t think much about them, those of us who have not been able to participate in them due to geography have an entirely different attitude. We truly appreciate the effort these people make, and also appreciate those who sponsored this concert so that our tickets could be free tonight.

No Clue

We have some bad weather that is coming in today. The forecasters are calling for upwards of an inch of ice in the next 24 hours or so. We are under an ice storm warning.

I was listening to an AM radio station this morning (WIBW, 580 out of Topeka, KS). Their meteorologist was on the air explaining the situation to listeners. He was saying that there is a large area of warm air that has overridden a layer of colder air at the ground. When moisture condenses in the warmer layers and falls, it starts out as rain, but freezes when it goes through the colder lower layer. He also said that in some places, this colder layer of air could be only a hundred or so feet deep.

That’s the part that got me. We could have an inch of ice, power lines down, trees downed, and society totally disrupted by a layer of air that could be only a hundred or so feet deep.

Life is so fragile here. We think we have everything under control, and then we find out something like this. Our efforts to keep warm and comfortable quickly become priority and other things take second fiddle to the more primary things. We tell stories for years after going through something like this, and pat ourselves on the back for being ready and having extra supplies, etc. But in reality, life is at the whim of a hundred feet of cold air.

Who are we, anyway, to think that we have it all together. We don’t have a clue.

If you’re like me and most other people, you are a blood-relative of the family that claims you. Although some in this world are adopted, most of us are not, and do not fully comprehend what it means to be adopted. I know that I don’t.
That’s why it’s hard for me to understand the passages in the Bible that talk about us being adopted into the family of God. I don’t normally preach in this venue, but I will this time. If you don’t want to hear it, just don’t read it. Romans 8, Galatians 4, and Ephesians 1 all talk of our adoption into God’s family as His children, being lavished upon with all that comes with sonship.
Listen to just a few verses.

“In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:4-10, NASV

In spite of what Paul says about adoption, I’ve always thought that it was kind of a second-class existence…not quite as good as blood, and not quite as safe and sure. I know that flies in the face of everything that is said in Scripture. I am only telling you what I feel, at times.
That has, thankfully, begun to change. Part of that change came in an “Aha!” moment as I read a portion of the article, Blessed Are the Barren by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson in the December 2007 issue of Christianity Today (beginning on page 22). I’m going to bore you yet again in this writing with a quote from that article. Ms Wilson says this concerning Jesus and His lineage.

Jesus, the new Moses, is the natural-born, only-begotten Son of God, but he is not the natural-born son of Joseph. Yet he must be Joseph's adoptive son. Two Gospels trace at great length Jesus' genealogy through Joseph, even while they both insist that Joseph played no part in Jesus' conception.

Matthew starts with Abraham, moves fourteen generations to David, another fourteen to Jeconiah, and a final fourteen to Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Luke moves in the opposite direction, starting with Jesus at the age of thirty, "being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph," through many sons and fathers, until the end when we reach "Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God."

Through adoption, Jesus is the son of David and heir to the kingdom. The genealogies are pointless unless adoption matters; unless it is real; unless the ingrafting really happens.

If that doesn’t open your eyes immediately, you’re either brain dead or you just don’t care. Think of it. The only way that Old Testament prophecy could be fulfilled was if Jesus’ adoption by Joseph was considered by God to be as good as blood lineage. And if God considered that to be so, how much more does He consider our adoption into the family of God to be as good as anything human blood lineage could do.

Who Am I?

Isn’t it amazing how one’s identity is wrapped up in something that is, when pondered upon, not at all who the person is? I’m talking of the most of us whose identity is wrapped up in what we do for a living. We identify ourselves, examine ourselves, assess ourselves, and pass judgment on ourselves based on whether we work or not, and what we do.
Right behind our names when we are introduced to someone is the question, “What do you do?” The answer helps to identify us as white collar/blue collar, intelligent/dim-witted, educated/unlearned, outgoing/introverted, driven/bored, and a host of other identities that we work hard to protect and/or improve upon.
Now, it’s a little difficult for someone to know this unless that someone has had work taken away and has to live sans the crutch of a job. Even going to school or being a stay-at-home parent is an acceptable “job” for an adult in this day and age. But to just do nothing is, well, somehow beneath us.
And maybe that’s part of the issue with how I feel at the moment. I am unemployed; therefore I am not contributing to society. As a result, I have no value to anyone and feel helpless and hopeless as I wander through days of looking for work, hoping someone somewhere will validate my worth and offer me a job.
Yes, yes, I know that those of you who know me and know that I am a Christian are thinking that I should know I have value to God and to others…family and friends. You are thinking that I should be satisfied in that, and to an extent, I am. I’m not sure what I would do without family, friends, and faith. It’s tough enough as it is. I can’t imagine going through this without the support of those who love me and accept me for who and what I am…other than my vocation.

Wallowing Around

I was in kind of a funky mood earlier this afternoon, and went back to the bedroom to try to nap it off. When one is unemployed, these kinds of perks (naps) are available. I know, though, that I don’t want a permanent trade-off of naps for employment.
I was laying on the bed and my mind raced to several things that have happened in the near (past two years) past. I relived those things yet again, as I have done many times before. Those same feelings of anger, frustration, and helplessness came out yet again, just as they have before.
Then I wondered why I did this? Why do I think about these things, allowing the same old feelings to surface yet again? This exercise helps no one and only continues the funk. Nothing will be solved, and I can’t change the past. It is what it is.
Maybe I was wishing that someone would throw a pity party for me. Maybe I was wishing that I could go back and fix the things I was thinking of that went wrong. Maybe I was trying to justify what I did or didn’t do in these situations. I don’t know.
What I do know is that the exercise I went through this afternoon did not one thing to or for me or anyone else that was productive. It was time that could have been better spent fixating on the love and grace of God, the beauty of the creation, or the everlasting word, which itself says it is “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Next time I’m wallowing around in the dark, maybe I need to look around and find that lamp which lights my way.

Chips and Dings

My brother has been remodeling his house. They bought it a few months ago. It’s nice, but dated so they have been making some changes. One of the first things they did was re-do the kitchen.
A couple of days ago, the men were here to install the new counter top in the kitchen. The top is made of genuine granite, and is a very nice addition to the home. The men spent some time with the installation, to be certain that everything was as it should be.
Yesterday, it was time to hook up the faucet and drains for the kitchen sink. I went ahead and started that job yesterday afternoon. Things weren’t going well, and I had to make several trips to the local hardware store for parts. You know how that goes…it seems that a job that should take an hour or so ends up taking three or four hours and a lot more trouble than it should.
While working with the faucet, a wrench accidently hit against the edge of the top where the sink hole was cut. The resulting chip in the granite was the first mar in an otherwise great looking counter top.
I don’t have to tell you that I was devastated by the slip. I know this wasn’t an inexpensive top, and less than 24 hours after installation, it has an imperfection due to something I had done. I went ahead and worked on the project, and after my brother came home, we finished it up.
I thought later in the evening about that chip. Here was a slab of granite rock…the stuff that mountains are made of, heavy, strong, and stout…beautifully cut and worked into a functional piece for a home, that was chipped because of a small hand wrench hitting it. The strike wasn’t hard, but apparently was at just the right angle and such that a chip ensued. I had inadvertently, it seems, found the Achilles heel of the top.
Although I’m sure they were disappointed, my brother and his wife took the news well. We’re still staying with them, and they’re still talking to us. And we think that the men may well be able to repair the chip when they come out to drill a couple of holes in the top in the next few days. They probably won’t be able to make it disappear, but can make it look much better.
Try as we might, the impressive facades we put up in our own lives sometimes melt away, and the Achilles heel of our lives is exposed and exploited by something seemingly small and insignificant. We all have our weak spots, and we all struggle daily with those small wrenches that seem to eternally chip away at our facades. The great thing about being a Christian, though, is that even though the wrench may create the chips, the Lord of the universe can not only repair me, but can make me “justified”…just-as-if-I’d never been chipped.
Who ever heard of a God like that!!

Water

Water is such an amazing thing. Besides the usual things about water being a universal solvent, appearing naturally in all three forms (solid, liquid, gas) on earth, having a high heat transfer coefficient, and other relatively amazing properties given it by the Creator, water is also, of course, necessary for life as we know it (for the most part).
We don’t usually drink enough water. Our modern lifestyle, which includes forced air heating and cooling, little exercise, and other things, tends to wring water out of our systems. We don’t feel thirsty, however, and don’t replenish ourselves as we should.
I am amazed at how much better I feel physically just a few minutes after downing a large glass of water (12 oz or better). I’ve learned that if I begin to feel lethargic or just not feel very well, many times if I drink a large glass of water, perhaps followed an hour later or so by another, that I feel better just a few minutes after the first, and continue feeling good and refreshed.
I also learned a couple years ago from an Audiologist that water is important to mitigate the dizzy spells I’d been having. My conventional thought was that I was harboring too much water in my system, causing my balance sense to become out of whack. The Audiologist said that just the opposite was true. He said that a lot of water is needed by those of us who have these spells to maintain the proper ratio of sodium to water in our bodies. He said it was sodium, not water, that causes the dizziness in many people, and a lot of water will not only dilute the sodium, but flush it out of our bodies.
Since I’ve been drinking water, I’ve not had another dizzy spell. And if I feel one coming on, a couple large glasses of water usually do the trick. The Audiologist’s fee was well worth the value of the advice he gave, since those spells would debilitate me for upwards of a day or more. Besides that, those spells were worse than any flu bug that has ever bitten. You think you wanna die when you have the flu….
So drink lots of water. Take in three or four glasses a day (12 oz or more each) even when you don’t feel thirsty. You may just feel a lot better for doing it.

Today has been a slow day for us. We had church this morning, of course, but we didn’t have Sunday School today since it is a holiday weekend. (We call it “Bible class” for some reason in our fellowship.) We won’t have small group meeting tonight, either. Other than those things, it is kind of a day of rest (which it should be, anyhow).
I never liked the idea of doing a lot of heavy work on Sunday. I don’t think there’s something inherently sinful in doing a lot of work, but always thought that the old Jewish idea of resting one day out of seven had some merit. To that end, I generally won’t do things like running the lawn mower, heavy lifting, hard construction, or the like. Nor do I expect my family to do it, either.
If I have to work on Sunday in my job, so be it. If I have to run the mower for some reason that just won’t wait, I’ll do it. But normally, I like to take things a little slower on Sunday. It just seems like an appropriate thing to do.
My wife has a second interview tomorrow for a job she’d really like to have. I have a first interview for a job I’d really like to have. Hopefully, one of us will be able to land a job this week.
I am really thankful for unemployment benefits. I know that they are abused by some, but the benefits certainly are lifesavers for us. I’m not sure why those benefits are taxed (income taxes), because they amount to only a percentage of wages and there are usually extra bills that have to be paid during times of unemployment. If I could change something about the system, I think I’d change that. Otherwise, Kansas unemployment seems to be relatively efficient and non-bureaucratic.
Staying with my brother is another lifesaver. I don’t know what we would have done had we had to find a place to stay on short notice. I can’t say enough what a blessing it is to be able to be here for awhile until we are able to be out on our own again.
We sang a song this morning in church that I really appreciate. The lyrics are below. I never can sing this song without thinking of our family singing it at the funerals of my parents, and at get-togethers since then. I didn’t even try to sing it this morning and just listened to the words. I commend it to you.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness!Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain

- Thomas O. Chisolm

Thanksgiving

It’s the day before Thanksgiving. This would normally be the time when I might wax eloquent (wax???) on being thankful for the blessings of life, but I don’t think I’ll do that today. Not because I’m not grateful or thankful. Not because I have no blessings. Not because I’m selfish. Rather, I’d like to think that I have an attitude of thanksgiving, more or less, throughout the year. I would hope that I’m not limiting my praise and thanks to family, friends, and God to this one day or time of year.
Instead of my doing something on Thanksgiving, I’d like to borrow a few lines from a lady by the name of Gail Musolf, who is the director of the Friendly Center, a senior citizens organization, and a deaconess in the Lutheran Church. I haven’t asked her if I can use these, but hope she doesn’t mind.
She uses the passage from I Thessalonians 5:16-18 as a text. In it, Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Ms. Musolf then writes, “I do not think that God intends for us to be thankful for pain and suffering, for sin and evil, or for our inhumanity to each other. But I do believe that this passage is the blueprint for an attitude. Note the emphasis on constancy - 'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.' "
She continues, “We can nurture the attitude of thanksgiving precisely because 'it is the will of God in Christ Jesus.' Jesus' suffering and death have brought us back into a right relationship with God, and it is in and for that relationship that we are able to foster thankfulness as an attitude, a way of being, a part of who we are.” (http://www.valpo.edu/lda/devotions/november.html)
Think on those words this week as you down the turkey and ham, and watch the KU/Missouri shootout on Saturday. Then go away from this week (regardless of the outcome of the game) with a renewed sense of joy and and thanksgiving.

Reminder

I was looking at the comments on the new blog started by my uncle. One of the comments was mine, one was from one of his sons, and one was from a granddaughter. I know the son, somewhat. We’ve not had interaction in quite some time…many years, in fact, but I think about him and his brothers and sisters more often than one might think.
I don’t know the granddaughter at all. But I followed the link and found her blog. She doesn’t blog often, but has been consistent for the past couple of years with entries every so often. She has evidently had a busy life this past couple of years, having been in Europe and South America as well as in school, and doing all the other things a young adult would be doing.
Even though I don’t know her, I feel a kind of connection with her. Even if she may not feel the same kind of connection toward me, that’s OK. I have always had an interest in family, and like to catch up or keep up with what’s happening. Blogs are a great way to do that. I wish I had more blog addresses for more of my family.
When someone writes in a blog, and does so as I think blogs were meant to be written in, he or she opens up a part of themselves and lays it out for others to see. That can be unsettling to some, dangerous to others, and just uninviting to many more. However, it can also be cathartic, freeing, revealing, and something that prompts the writer to think, reason, question, and appreciate and enjoy life more.
And those who read it may find, if they choose to see, a window to a soul not their own. That window has within it the power to reveal truth, counsel acceptance, beg questions, create longing for meaning, develop empathy and compassion, and instill a wonder and marvel in the complexity and beauty of life.
I don’t know Joanna. But I’ve already begun to see some of these things in the window she opens in her blog. And maybe that’s where the idea of “connection” comes through…a kind of meeting of the minds through the miracle of the written word. (I’m reminded of John chapter 1…are you?)

Uniqueness

I was laying awake last night listening to a train go through town. Valley Center is on a major rail line of the BNSF Railroad. It’s not the busiest line, but there are 25 to 30 trains a day that go through, they tell me. We are about a mile from the tracks. It’s usually easy to hear the horns as they blow for the main crossings in town. They start out a higher pitch and gradually go down in pitch as they travel through (the physics of sound…look it up).
Some years ago, locomotives had an automatic horn that, when triggered, would blow two longs, a short, and a long. The automatic horns really detracted, I thought, from the uniqueness and the “experience” of a passing train. I’ve not heard that monotonous sound for a long time (automatic horns were easy to spot), and am thankful for that. Why?
Each engineer has his or her own method of sounding the horn, it seems. No two are exactly alike. Some stick pretty close to the two longs, a short, and a long. Some just blow long blasts. A few will hold the horn on continuously all the way through the intersections. Others will blow several shorter blasts. Some at night will blow the horn seemingly in order to not wake anyone, but remain legal. Some don’t care and will blast everyone awake. Some will turn on the bell (Most locomotives have a bell that when turned on will clang regularly. Look for it when observing a passing loco under the cab hanging below the main carriage over and just to the back of the front wheel trucks.). Others won’t.
When we lived by the tracks some years ago, I could tell that the same engineer was coming through on a train as before by the way he or she blew the horn. I never knew for sure as I couldn’t see in the cab, but I’d bet the farm it was the same one.
We’ve not lived here long enough for me to pick out certain engineers yet. I don’t know if we will be here that long or not, but I certainly enjoy listening as the trains go by. I only wish we lived a little closer….

Poetry in Action

We go into week four with no jobs lined up for either of us. Now, I know that isn’t a great way to start a blog, but that’s what I’ve been thinking about most of the day. My wife has had a couple of interviews with one scheduled on Monday of next week. However, I’ve not had any interviews or even contacts back from numerous letters and contacts made with employers. Maybe one of these days….
There are some things I have interest in that I’d like to pursue more, and will be more aggressive shortly with a couple of these. It’s always tough to know when or even whether one should make a second contact after the initial one. I don’t like job searches.
However, life doesn’t always give us what we like. Sometimes, we have to do what we don’t like, or even detest. That doesn’t mean that we’re bad or that something is very wrong. It only means that, as the saying goes, “Into each life some rain must fall.”


The Rainy Day
Written at the old home in Portland

THE day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow