Someone Is Missing

Yes, it’s time.  For the past 6 years, I have been using what is called Word-of-the-Year as a spiritual focal point.  And, up until this year, I’ve known what that word would be a month or so ahead of time.  I have looked forward to creating the visuals and changing the passwords that incorporate this word into my daily routines. The list through 2019:

• Deeper (Go Deeper)
• Shema (Listen – be aware - Act)
• Seek
• Enough
• Reliance (Trust)
• Sequence (Ones and Zeros)

Disjointed Thoughts Coming Together

Breath

I must first provide apologies to my Minnesota friends.  A deep freeze is not something that comes frequently to my current location.  So, the other day, when walking into the office at temperatures in the low teens (the reason for the apology), I could see my breath.  This warm-meets-cold vapor preceded me in its opaque form.

This was not something new to me, but since it is a rare occurrence here, it was noticeable and it reminded me that every breath I take is a gift.  Apparently, it helps to be able to experience things for which we should be grateful.

Pronunciation

Signs of the Times

A sermon about the afterlife, a quirky thought while driving by two cemeteries, a story about a biblical tree climber named Zacchaeus, all ending with two imaginary images and a quote from the Lord’s Prayer.

Image One:
If you close your eyes, perhaps you can imagine what the Garden of Eden must have been like.  It will be different for all of us, of course, but this image gives you a place to start.  Imagine what you’d see if you were there.  Close your eyes and give it a try.

An About Face

After spending a few hours yesterday writing, editing, reviewing, editing, adding, editing, removing, editing and finally getting to the point where I ‘almost’ had what I wanted to say about our purpose in life, I heard, ‘This instead’.

I don’t know why but I’m going to listen and just let that other article stay in draft status like so many others.  I’ll start again.

Let me emphatically state that nothing mentioned here makes any kind of a ‘what a good guy’ statement.  My resistance is clear.  The story reflects how things happened, how I reacted and that’s that.

So here’s the catalyst for today’s change-up:  I read one of those Daily Devotionals this morning.  This one was taken from Lysa Terkeurst’s book Embraced and was titled “A Red Coat . . . and a Surprise Blessing.”

Acts That Touched Others Part 2: Examples

Two weeks ago, you were asked to participate in this project. The general outline of what is being sought was presented (Click here if you missed it). Some of you seemed ready. Some of you are asking questions. Questions like;

• What kind of stories?
• What should they say?
• How long should they be?
• Do I need to reveal who I’m talking about?
• How much information should I provide?

All good questions so I thought I’d give a few examples. For the most part, these are fictional. But each of these would be considered the ‘IT’ referred to in the last writing.

For the Birds, or perhaps, Paper Towels from Heaven

I will provide a fair warning before we begin. This is an article that begs, "I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Mike.” 

Last week, I was late for work.  When leaving home, I discovered my car needed attention before I could go anywhere.  You might be thinking, given the season, the issue might be brushing snow off the car or scraping ice-covered windows, or even letting the car warm up so the defrosters work.

It was a 45-degree morning. None of those examples apply.

Mea Culpa Mr. Rogers

I remember reading about Fred Rogers a year or two ago.  I remember thinking, “He sounds like a pretty amazing guy but, well he just sounds a little too good to be true.”

I remember the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood television show and I remember taking pot-shots at this guy when in high school.  Everything was nerdy; the sweater, the tennis shoes, the glasses and even the way he talked.  I wasn’t alone in the game of ridicule – we all thought the whole thing was a “hokey kids show” (quote from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – just released with Tom Hanks playing Fred Rogers)

Acts That Touched Others

At one time or another, we all come across people who do something incredible.

• It’s not something that garners attention from news media.  
• It’s not something that anyone makes a lot of noise about.  
• It’s not something that seems to attract any attention at all. 

At one time or another, we all come across situations handled amazingly well.

• It IS something that resonates with someone – maybe you.
• It IS something that can change someone’s life.
• It IS something that recognizes the worth God sees in all of us.  
• It IS something that was done because it was right and good.
• It IS something that was done quietly, without fanfare, for the good of someone else for no reason other than - it was for the good of someone else.

At one time or another, we might not notice, but we can change that. We can open our eyes to see.

Deliberate Choice

When watching television, I tend to like programming when it touches our humanity. It can happen with any type of show but lately, I’ve been intrigued with Bluff City Law.  They seem to capture today’s interesting topics forcing me to consider my feelings about some of the characters and dialogue written for them - especially in light of our culture today.

This past week, I watched the Episode called “Need to Know” (Season 1, Number 8). This particular installment reminded me that in the midst of any conflict, we are to love others as Jesus loves us.  We are to make that choice no matter the emotion.

The text below is from Springfield! Springfield!  The unfortunate aspect of using something like this discounts the emotion provided by these two spectacular actors.  Before the last 4 words of this scene, Della is considering her response.  It takes a moment or two and there is a long pause before the very last word.  I hope I can pause when it's required.  I hope I can pull this choice from my heart as well.

The Scene

Wired for Connection

My office neighbors share space and that seems to work well for them.  They collaborate, they solve problems and I can hear them having a good time in the midst of an extraordinary work-load.

I am called to consult with them several times a day and, admitting that it drives me crazy, this is what I see.  The neighbors don’t seem to mind.  They are working away looking at monitors and keyboards with no need to look at the floor.

Be Still

Or, perhaps a better title would be Fog 2.

It’s getting colder out there as one season becomes the next.

The other day, I left for work at the same time as usual but ran into a problem.  Typically, I shower and dress leaving the house almost immediately afterward.  This particular day was no different.

I backed out of the parking space, put the car in drive and begin moving forward.  I traveled about a block and had to pull to the side of the street and stop.  The car was cold - no heat and no defrost either.

Since I recently showered, I had brought a bit of humidity with me when I entered the car.  This caused the windshield to fog up quickly as this warm moisture found its way to the cold glass.  I had to pull over and wait before proceeding.  If I had continued, the consequences would have been disastrous for me and for others sharing the road with me.

Parking Space

All are creatures of habit.
All are comfortable in the status quo.
All are at peace with the way things are.

If you are taking college lectures, you probably sit in the same seat that you found on the first day of class.

If you eat lunch in the same restaurant frequently, you probably look to the same table, with the same server and perhaps even order the same meal.

If you go to work at the same time every day, you probably have a favorite parking space.

The other day, I was captivated with one particular parking location.  For as long as I’ve been driving up to this building, one of the employees has always parked by backing into that exact space every single day.  But a new employee, a person of higher rank, must have arrived before this employee.

Day Trip

Living within a couple of hours of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, I thought it might be time to commune with nature and witness one of the breathtaking displays of the fall season.  Yes, I’m talking about a bright sun revealing the vibrant red, yellow and orange of millions of leaves.

What I actually saw on my little journey were the colors of washed out pink-salmon Sumac, sandstone reflections of faded yellow Hickory and milk chocolate combined with the beef gravy brown of curled dead oak leaves mixed with various shades of green.

Leaf watching disappointed.

The journey did not.

The Big Picture

We’re taught that we need to look at the big picture.  We need to filter our experience based not on what is immediately in front of us, but from a 30,000 foot viewpoint.

For example, we are instructed to consider how the currently intense pain of stubbing our toe compares to the diagnosis of cancer. We are warned that an expected invitation that didn’t come might not be for the reasons we think.  We are cautioned that there’s more going on than we can know.  Looking at the big picture can change everything.

There are countless times when this advice seems to be the perfect solution to getting out of ourselves and understanding that we are part of a much larger creation.  I understand how that can be healthy and eye-opening.

At the same time, I’ve been wondering about the reverse.  Is it ever true that examining that which is mere inches away from us can also be enlightening?

The Push of a Button; Microwave Mentality

I always joke around when the topic of home-made dinners come up.  I mention to those in the conversation that for the last number of years, if it doesn’t go beep-beep-beep when it’s done cooking, I’m probably not the one eating it.

So I’m doing everything wrong.  The dictates of the medical community discourage processed foods.  The decrees of nutritionists encourage slow and deliberate consumption of meals.  But when I get back from the office, it’s late and I’m famished. I'm not waiting.

So, although violating all the mandates, it works! (Except for that weight-gain…)

This is how I imagine that a lot of us live; instantaneous and immediate gratification followed quickly by the next moment of life.

I Must be Blind

Work has been well, challenging.

An integral business system was poorly designed.  An out of the box solution was purchased on the cheap.  Training and support determined to be too expensive.  Against the advice of the provider, all data was imported from the old system.  Getting what we paid for, this data continues to disrupt today as if it were the first bug-filled moments of implementation two years ago.

Even when we think we might be getting a handle on it, we find that our forced trial-and-error efforts were not appreciated by the system and in fact, created more and sometimes deeper issues.

Frustration is taking its toll on everybody.

I’m frustrated too.  I am weary of fighting the system and fighting those people that need to adopt and use the system.

A Reckoning

I have always avoided those assessments that show up in magazines and on social media.  You are familiar with those point-assigned quizzes that ask, ‘Who Is Your Soul Mate?’, ‘What Kind of Dating Personality Are You?’ or, ‘Is My Relationship Healthy?’

The directions tell you to read the question and indicate your answer in the appropriate checkbox.  There is a point system for each response.  At the end, you tally the numbers and they give you a score for earned points.  It looks something like this.  If you scored:

• 1-5.       You better go back to the drawing board
• 6-10.     You’re not out of the game yet
• 11-15    You’re not bad, but don’t quit your day job
• 16-20    People should pay attention to you
• 21-25    You’ve got it all together.  Did you lie?

Who Will Be There?

You’ve been invited to a party.  Maybe it’s a holiday celebration of some sort.  Maybe it’s a formal dinner.  There’s a part of you that wants to say, “Yes”.  And yet, there’s hesitancy as well.

On our way to a decision, many of us make up our minds by asking, “Who is going to be there?”

Most of us want to be comfortable and accepted.  Most of us want to know that there are people attending that we know.  There are commonalities.  There is shared history.  They are like us.

This eliminates that need to ‘mingle’ with those we don’t know.  We’re not totally against mingling, but it’s almost like the first time we ventured into water that was over our heads.  We needed to know that touching the bottom would be possible with only a feeble stride or two.  Solid ground is within reach.

I wonder about our reluctance, though.  What opportunity might present itself to us and others should we decline the invitation due to mingle-fear?

Two considerations:

Justice Served

A car on the 65 miles-per-hour freeway blows past as if you were walking.  Weaving in and out of traffic you lose sight of him.  Three miles down the road, flashing blue and red lights allow you to see the culprit sitting on the side of the road, window down while a trooper is furiously writing in a ticket-book.

It’s over, the final exam complete.  Across the aisle, sits that one guy who has copied and plagiarized his way through assignments and weekly lectures, assuming he showed up at all.  But, the final was a surprise.  It wasn’t a memory test at all – it was an essay.  If you didn’t know the concepts, you weren’t going to pass.  The slacker didn’t know the concepts.

A co-worker, recognized as being very political, throws people under the bus in a manner less hobby than business strategy.  She’s successfully crawled up the ladder with innuendo, misinformation and manipulation.  When they announce the new Vice-president of sales, you expect to hear her name – that’s just the way things happen.  But today, this position has been filled by someone you know to be a person of honor and integrity with a deep seated attitude of caring. Smugly, you look across the room at your co-worker.  That look on her face?  Priceless!

By Virtue of That Bond

Designated Survivor 
Season 2, Episode 1: “One Year In”

Catastrophe averted.
Hard work praised.
President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) addresses his staff.

"Everyone, if I could just have your attention, please.
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for your hard work today.
We managed to avoid an international crisis, and we saved a lot of lives.

But I, uh, I didn't get everyone home, though.

As some of you might know already, I had a friend on that plane, one of the two people who were killed. He dedicated his life to helping other people. Not for fortune or fame, but because whenever he saw pain, he would have to do whatever he could to try and ease it.

A Great Parking Space

I was in a hurry.  It happens all the time – rushing here and there without enough time to get everything done. But it has always struck me as weird that the more I rush, the more obstacles I seem to face.  Maybe it just happens to me or maybe it happens to everybody:

• Running out of time, you turn the corner and find a road-block.  Yes sometimes actual road closures, detours or stand-still traffic.  
• You’re stopped by one red light after another after another.  Can I get a break here!!?
• You choose a checkout lane because there is one person in front of you and she has only a few items. Well, it turns out that she’s got coupons but some are expired, she demands that the clerk call some department or another because one of those items was supposed to be on sale and of course, she doesn’t have enough cash but can’t get the credit card terminal to work.   
• The never-stops-talking-neighbor decides that this is a good time to discuss something serious.  
• The boss decides that even though it’s the end of the day, this would be a good time for a ‘quick’ meeting.  

But, who are You?

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name…

My eyes are closed, my breathing shallow and slow.  These words have been on my tongue and in my mind ten thousand times.  Today, as I voice this prayer, I try to picture You.

You are I AM.  You are before time, before heat and cold, before wet and dry, before clamoring and silence and even before physical and spiritual.

You are I AM – but who are You?  Should I see you as a swirling mist of goodness and love?   Do You occupy space – or are You space?

Reflection Required

What time is it?
1830 hours.

How far is it to Rochester, Minnesota from Cincinnati?
1,022 km

How are you?
Bien.

Fix Your Eyes

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3


Paralyzed
Helen sighed. “Remember what I told you about the American creed. We can’t focus on everything that’s wrong with the world that we can’t fix, everything we failed to do right. You’d be paralyzed with indecision and do nothing worthwhile with your life. That would be a shame, Jess. A waste. The good will outweigh the bad. You have so much yet to accomplish.” Fatal Distraction, Diane Capri

Not Easy
If he said no, then nothing he'd ever done for her would matter. Those were just little things. Easy things. If it was easy for him, if it didn't take something from him, then it didn't matter. Not really. This mattered.
(After years of being generous to this woman, he is now being asked to sign power of attorney thereby taking custody for a troubled teen girl as her caretaker, her grandmother lies dying of cancer) The Gray And Guilty Sea by Scott William Carter.

Getting Better Mileage

I have a gauge in my car that instantly provides the calculation for my current miles per gallon statistic.  I’ve noticed that when I keep my eye on this gauge, I end up with better mileage for my trip.  The reverse seems also to be true.  It feels like I’m able to change the mileage just by looking at it.

What is going on here?  Could it be possible that the pressure exerted to the foot depressing the gas pedal is subject to whether or not I am looking at the gauge?  Or perhaps the anticipation of looking at the gauge determines the pressure I apply to the pedal

Half Inch

“As she heard the rumble of the undercarriage being lowered, the stewardess motioned for her to put her seat back in the upright position.   She pressed the button on the armrest and the seat-back moved forward – about a half inch.”  ICE by Mark Kane.

I read this a few weeks ago and it just won’t go away.  I now make the decision to write about it. Fasten your seatbelts!

We are supposed to do what we can to keep life steady and safe.  We are supposed to follow the rules to prevent misfortune.  We are supposed to be aware and protect ourselves from disaster. 

During the course of life, we hear a number of common phrases that remind us to do just that.  We’ve heard them from our parents, our teachers and our pastors.   We’ve heard them from our friends and colleagues.  They roll off our tongues automatically.

• Look both ways before crossing the street
• Stay in groups
• Stay away from dark alleys
• Drive defensively
• Don’t text and drive
• Be fully insured.
• Open an IRA
• Maintain a budget
• Stop drop and roll
• Never pay full price
• Better late than never
• Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
• Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
• And yes, fasten your seatbelts.

This is true with our spiritual life as well. We are supposed to direct our thoughts toward Jesus and trust God.  There is a way to live righteously.  We are to desire a closer relationship with God.  Of course, there are hundreds of common expressions used for this as well.

• Spare the rod, spoil the child
• Money is the root of all evil
• God works in mysterious ways
• Moderation in all things
• Where two or three are gathered together
• God won’t give you more than you can handle
• Everything happens for a reason
• When God closes a door, He opens a window
• For everything there is a season
• Eye for an eye
• Pride comes before the fall
• Don’t cast your pearls before swine
• Many are called, few are chosen
• The Truth shall make you free
• It’s more blessed to give than to receive
• God helps those who help themselves
• God gives and He takes away

We are probably very familiar with most of these articulations (some biblical, some not so much) and we say them automatically.  Is this a good idea, though?  Have you ever thought that ‘canned’ or ‘sound-byte’ advice might take a bit of thought before accepting these words as valuable to us or others? 

I feel like I’ve done this without thinking on many an occasion.  I’ve heard the declarations.   I’ve shared them as well.  But maybe it’s time I think about them more in terms of how they are helping (or hindering) me and others in efforts to reach the goal. 

I’ve been on a number of flights.  I’ve heard the instructions given by the flight crew.  And I’ve been told to bring my seat to the upright position before touching down.  I push the release button automatically.  And yet, consider this:  If that plane fell out of the sky, how much safer do you think you’d be by moving your seat a full half-inch to that upright position ?

Well, this post is a little ‘outside the box’ so you can ‘take it with a grain of salt’.  I was just trying to ‘call a spade a spade’ without ‘beating around the bush’. Perhaps I am ‘barking up the wrong tree’ but for the rest of the day, I’ll ‘put on my thinking cap’ while I ‘pass the buck’ to my readers.

Like you, I’m hoping for better next week!

Fruits

Just a few errands today and I was struck by the number of choices I had.  I guess I don't think about that too much as I usually just go about my day moving from one thing to another, getting the job done, doing domestic chores, cooking dinner, getting ready for work and getting ready for bed.  Automatic-life.

During my excursion, I was also struck by the number of times when anger ruled over consideration, communication, understanding, and civility.  And then, I got angry about anger!  Yea, so I need a little help sometimes...

A 24 Hour Person

Watching television isn’t like it used to be.  I grew up with a ‘schedule’.

• New seasons always started in September when school is back in session.  
• You could almost guarantee that your favorite shows would be back.  
• You learned about the characters and they actually became part of your life.  
• Some of your most favorite shows were listed on your calendar!  It’s Thursday and it’s 7PM.  It’s an appointment.  
• You cried when something bad happens to your ‘friends’ and you laughed with them when appropriate.

Two-fer

Yes, I know there’s already one of these articles for today.
Yes, I know that 1 per week is sometimes more than you can handle, but this experience kind of hit me in the head.

Have you ever asked that God speak to you?  I mean, really let you know what’s on His mind?

Maybe you really wanted an answer and you hear nothing or maybe some little stirring or whatnot.  You can’t really tell if it’s God guiding you or if it’s your own little in-my-head-voice.

I ask for this all the time.  I want guidance.  I want answers.  I want it so obvious that I ask for the proverbial 2x4-over-the-head wake-up call!

You're In My Way

I just did something we do all the time.  I went grocery shopping.

Long work-weeks make us look forward to those two-in-a-row days to relax.  But, in most families, relaxation will take a back seat to life. Non-work hours are rare and sacred, but there is only so much available time to do the ‘domestic stuff’.

Today, exasperation seemed to rule. Everything took longer than it should.  Everything came with its own speed-bumps.  Nothing went as planned.

A person can’t help but ask, “Why does this always happen when we’re rushed for time?”

Escape or Purpose

We've all had those days, weeks, maybe months.  The pressure builds and the heaviness drives us to our knees.  Will it ever stop?

When things get overwhelming, I start reading.  I find books with my phone app now.  I can usually find a few that cost little and the books stay with me wherever I go.  Technology can be so helpful!

Mind you, this is not reading about light refraction, genetics or quantum theory. The goal isn't curiosity, or education or any kind of enlightenment.  It's purely to get into a story and leave life behind for a while. Delve into a well written tome (or even one not so well written) and become engrossed in something that helps remove me from that which weighs me down - this is the target.

From my latest escape novel:

I Got Nothin'

I’ve made a commitment to write every week.  I promised myself I’d stick to it no matter what. And yet, here I am thinking, “Maybe I’ll skip this week”.  After all, I’m looking at a long weekend.  I’ve got things to prepare.  I’m going to get less sleep and it’s only one missed week, right?

Besides . . .
. . . I got nothin’

Is that so?
• I have the promise made.
• I have the ability.
• I have the fingers.
• I have the computer.
• I have the means.
• I have the desire.
• I have the history.
• I have the notes
• I have the time
• I have the goal

I have . . .
. . . the Guilt because, there IS no excuse.

All good things come from the Father. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17

He’s given me all (and more) of those bullet points and there is every reason to be grateful.  I could be unable to write; fingers cramped in pain, an inability to see, even a lack of imagination.  I could be without the means and the equipment.  I could be completely without the ability to perform. 

However;
• I know this discipline is good for me. 
• I know this exercise makes me think about my relationship to God.
• I know this endeavor encourages me to be more aware of God every moment of every day.
• I know this practice teaches me to be grateful throughout the day – every day.
• I know this simple work matters for me and sometimes for others.

All good things come from the Father.

But;
• That reluctance?
• That dismissal?
• That indifference?
• That willingness to say, maybe not today?

None of that comes from the Father.

So, I’ll resist. 

Even if the words aren’t elaborate or inspiring or even meaningful in any way, I’ll continue because it matters, if only to me. 

The only accommodation I'll make?  I must send this early!

And the fact that this is now published, gives me hope that I can keep my promises and that God will too.

Parkour

Unrelated streaming . . .
. . . and then a connection.

This morning I listened to a favorite teacher tell her story.  It’s a story I knew a little about, but as she spoke, much less than I thought.

It was about a life dedicated to God.  She’s a talented and motivational speaker. Her extraordinary love for Jesus is nothing less than inspiring.

It was two years ago that I listened to Nicole Bullock for the first time.  Then, it took about a year before I found her again and I have been a follower ever since. Today, that gap was explained in more detail than I probably wanted.

Lupus struck her shortly after my virtual introduction and for this woman of God; things were as serious as possible for quite some time. Her loss of mobility and speech was devastating.  The inability to be who she was with her children and her calling as a pastor must have been unbearable. 

She recovered.  Mostly.  But she never gave up on her mission to teach. 

Today, she turned to John 5: 1-15, the Parable of the Man lying on his mat beside the pool of Bethesda. She talked about how Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?”  She talked about his answer and what Jesus was really asking of him - of us.  Simply stated, it boils down to, “Take up your mat and walk.”  Then, as a way to show us what this means, she connected this parable physically and emotionally to her personal story.

A miracle and after 38 years, a biblical man was cured.  But I learned today that it isn’t all about the healing.  It’s also about picking up your mat and carrying this mat with you while remembering and talking about the One who healed you.  It’s about standing up when you can’t.  It’s about moving forward with the plan God provides when it’s the last thing you want to do.  It’s about living with God’s promise - the life He would like you to have.


Then I watched the film, Tracers. An interesting narrative was revealed as the story wrapped around scenes of parkour.  Par-what?

A YouTube link is provided HERE so that you can see the type of stuff I’m talking about.  It’s about ten minutes long but watching these amazing people spin, jump, twist and land while bouncing to the next narrow plane is captivating. The things they can do!

Serious practice is required along with strength, stamina and some gene probably called “daring”.  None of these things apply to me.  Examples of the results, should I even attempt this activity, can be found briefly demonstrated mid-stream.

Within a few hours, two things appearing to have nothing in common have nevertheless been joined together and both of my brain hemispheres are involved. 

Make no mistake; I will never attempt parkour.  Never!

But, based on the first video today, I do want to grow in my relationship with Jesus.  I do want to take the spoils that life provides and defeat them by standing up.  I do want to take up my mat and walk. 

This will also take serious practice.  It will take strength, stamina and some gene called ‘faith, with a dose of trust’.  It’s a bigger gene than daring, I think.  But I believe that I have it.  I believe you do too. 

This means that if I do my part by exercising in spiritual ways, sticking with it while gathering strength and stamina, I can parkour WITH Jesus. It’s the way He wants us to live! It’s called abundant life.

I can spin, jump, twist and land while bouncing to the next narrow plane too.  And my mat won’t get in the way because the mat becomes part of the way. 

Alone?

The Laundromat.
One folding clothes.
One walking out the door.

Recognition and a squeal followed by warm hugs.
Greetings for an old friend.
Ear to ear smiles.
Animated conversation.

You're all alone - or maybe just feeling that way.
You think;
God is gone.
He isn't here.
He isn't involved.
He doesn't care.

You're all alone - or maybe just feeling that way.

Opposite of Love Part II

Last week, we tried to define love as we know it.  We looked at love from an emotional point of view.  We experienced the love that bride and groom have for each other on this momentous occasion of marriage.  We then tried to bring that love forward in every facet of our own lives.

How did that go for you?

For me, not so good.  How can I possibly experience the love of husband and wife, the love of child and mother or even the love of a best friend with someone like the driver that cut me off on the freeway and almost killed all of us!

1 Corinthians 13 has nothing at all to say about that, right?

Opposite of Love - Part I

The other day, I walked by a discussion centered on this question.  What is the opposite of love?  I eavesdropped for a few moments.  There were a number of words offered for the definition and this list is by no means exhaustive.  What does it mean to you?

• Fear
• Apathy
• Hate
• Indifference
• Judgment
• Selfishness
• Repulsion
• Manipulation

At one time or another, maybe all of these words might legitimately be applied. But then I thought, "Why are we concerned with the opposite of love?  Should we not be seeking a way of defining love itself?"

Mothers

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27

I remember thinking a few weeks ago about this verse.  There are only a few words and can easily be glossed over given the serious and somber context.  But this verse ran deep this year - for me anyway.  I remember thinking about the human interactions that must have occurred at this point in history.  It's hard to know exactly what these people were thinking, but it's not difficult to feel the anguish:

• When Jesus said these words, He was on His way to die - as man.  He was going to die in horrendous pain and humiliation.  And this is how He chose to say "Goodbye, Mom". 
• Most of us have only heard that the most unimaginable pain for a mother is to lose a child.  And here Mary was, helpless as she watched her first-born walk towards the end of His life - the end of her life as well. 
• And then there was the 'favored' disciple now hearing the request that said, "Take care of my mother, please.  She's going to be in pain and I want you to walk in this anguish with her.  I'm counting on you.  But don't be distressed - she's going to treat you as her son, as well."  

Birthday Wishes

There were a couple of birthday cards that I needed to send today.  Since I rarely send actual printed cards, I logged into the Jacquie Lawson Greeting Cards site. I noticed a couple of new ones so I explored, chose the appropriate cards and sent them on their way.  One of them followed me around this morning.  I went back online and sent another, this time to each of you.  There is music, so turn on the speakers.  It takes about one minute. 

Directions to view the card are below.




Mike Taylor (mike@responsiblereferrals.com) has sent you a Jacquie Lawson ecard.
You can view your card by clicking here.

If you are not familiar with our ecards, and are uncomfortable clicking a link in an email, we quite understand. Instead, you can pick up your card and read your message from Mike Taylor by going to www.jacquielawson.com, clicking the Pick Up Card option in the menu, and entering your personal pickup code, which is: a3ba5b38

With best wishes, 
Jacquie Lawson and team.

What's In a Name?

I wasn’t going to write this one but thoughts of a recent event have continuously and relentlessly been circulating through my mind.  The recurring impetus is incredibly real and absolutely adorable.

What is your relationship with God?

The answer to this question has a great effect on the name you choose when you reach out in prayer.  Your view of God is a product of your experience in life with earthly fathers and mothers, cultural flavors and the geographic locations of your life’s story.   These human conditions are strongly influenced by the traditions and interpretations imparted to you regarding the stories of the bible and the life of Jesus through the spiritual leaders and the church body.

The answer to this question colors everything.

For All

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8

The love of God for each one of us. 
There's little else I want to think about right now.

Happy Easter

Looking Back

Sometimes I walk in a mostly vacant mall just for a little exercise – little being the operative word. Yes, I should walk more.  I’ll think about it.

During one of those rare times, I came across this.

It’s a dinosaur in our age.  I remember looking for a pay-phone (yes, that's what they are called) many times when accessibility to others was not in our pockets.  I remember keeping coins (dimes and then quarters) available to "reach out and touch someone" should it be necessary.

Phone booths were all over the place.  They were on street corners.  They were in nearly every gas station.  They were, well in malls.

I even remember that Clark Kent changed into Superman using a phone booth.  (Where would he go today?)

Holocaust Survivor

Zahava Rendler

I've read news articles about Holocaust Survivors speaking at schools.  I wondered what it would be like to hear first-hand stories of the darkest days in human history.

This week, I heard that Zahava Rendler would be speaking at a nearby Kentucky library the next evening.  I made it in time to be in the front row of a very crowded meeting room.  A short video was played before the speaker began.  I was already disappointed.  Anticipating that I would be hearing the life-experience of a survivor, I had imagined a story of brutal incarceration with the eventual day of freedom followed by a new life with a bright future. 

About Perspective

We all have our own.  It's part of our experience, our heritage and our world-view. It colors our every thought.

So, while we look for guidance from our Bibles and our Sunday sermons and our books and discussions, we need to remember perspective.  We need to remember that as we process information and feelings, there's more going on in our hearts and minds than we might be willing to admit.

My perspective is my map.  Your perspective is your map.  But neither map is the territory!

When we create a god out of our perspective, we have no room for even the attempt to understand the map of another.  Our amygdala kicks in and we defend to the death our opinions and views.  We're right and they're wrong.  Another wall is built. We are no longer learning in productive dialogue because we're at war.

Photo Credit: Third place went to a strange snap of shadows walking dogs down a beach

(Credit: Dronestagram/Qliebin)

God's Waze

I never knew how to fold up a map.  Once used, it just never looked the same.  It immediately became nearly unusable after being exposed to my hands. Such a mess.

But many years ago, AAA found a better way!  They created the TripTik Travel Planner.  This little tool was amazing and worth the price of membership! You submitted (by mail) the information outlining the trip you were planning; Origination point, Waypoints, Destination and Dates. Within a week or so, you would receive an 4"x 8" spiral-bound map red-lining your route.  Start at the top and flip the page when you get to the bottom.  No folding required.  And even better, the return directions were included!

I don't use TripTik Travel Planners anymore.  There is something better called GPS.  And I use it every day.  The app on my phone is called WAZE.  It's amazing - and free!  I have learned to follow the directions given because, it seems, that any time I decide I know best, I find that I do not.

Harder Than You Think, Unfortunately

Once upon a time, I heard a suggestion.  I'm offering this tidbit today while fully admitting to unintended plagiarism since I cannot find the sermon/talk/video or whatever/whoever it was that brought this to my attention.

It's about gratitude.

Before going to sleep every night, remember to give thanks for 3 things that happened during the past 24 hours for which you are grateful.

It starts out easy:

Focus

Solitaire.

I used to play this game with a deck of cards.  Do people use those anymore?  Today our computers are pre-loaded with this game of solitaire and there are quite a few variations now.  Two of my favorites are Free Cell and Pyramid.  They’re called favorites because, well I win a lot!

For quite a while, I watched the score.  Can I beat 16,000 points?  That’s my Free Cell high. Truth be told, I have no idea how or when I did that because of late, I can’t come anywhere near that!

But recently, Microsoft changed the rules a bit.  In Pyramid, the new goal has become tracking the number of cleared boards which thereby increases your game level status.  My game status is currently at Level 14, “Enthusiast”.  OK.  So what?

Until There's No Me Left...

It's time!  It's here!!

I won't be in New Orleans for Fat Tuesday - probably ever.  Who needs to be reminded that I live in Fat Tuesday.  Evidence abounds.

But Lent follows this day of excess and so it's time to be serious. 

Isaiah 40 tells us to prepare a way for the Lord.  I started out listening to the Michael Joncas worship song,  A Voice Cries Out.  I like when I can center one of these talks around music.  It seems to speak to my soul.  I was headed in that direction.

But then, something else got my attention.  There will be lots of Lenten messages today.  Preparation for Easter takes many forms.  Some give up things like chocolate, liquor, eating in restaurants and general fasting.  Some are more called to volunteer.  Some focus on praying or reading the bible or any number of other spiritual disciplines.

But I kept thinking, "Spoken Word".

Amena Brown is a spectacular artist.  When volunteering, I was hoping to make arrangements to bring her to Cincinnati for a fundraiser.  Sadly, it did not work out for so very many reasons.  But I spent a good deal of time on her YouTube channel. I ended up with a lot of 'favorite videos'.

This one spoke to me today.  I think it will be my focus for lent this year.  

Amena Brown:  You

 

The Company We Keep

Voice recognition software.  It’s a common enough experience today.  I remember when it wasn’t.  Let me give you a couple of examples.

Johnny Carson (maybe you’re too young) was the “king of late night television” for more years than I know.  One night, he was discussing a new car that would tell you when your door was open.  Should you start your car when one of the doors was not closed all the way, a voice would replace the ‘old ding-ding warning sound’ with the words, “Your door is ajar!”

Although he was thoroughly impressed, he said he'd never buy the car.  It seems that this primitive assistant spoke only in it's native language, that being Japanese!  A video search was not successful but this line still makes me laugh.

Invisible Walls

“It was the way of things.  Gage had seen it lots of times.  People lost interest quickly.  They lost interest even faster when there was no story to keep them hooked.  She was just a dead girl on a beach.  She could have been anybody, and if she wasn’t anybody, then she was a nobody.  It was hard to care about a nobody.  It was like trying to hang a picture on an invisible wall.’  The Grey and The Guilty Sea by Scott William Carter

It happens once in a while that something just sinks its teeth into me and says, “Pay attention”.  Then I’m faced with a choice.  Pay attention or don’t, try on the thoughts presenting themselves, or don’t.

Today, I’m paying attention.  A small paragraph in a book of fiction strikes again.

• “It’s the way of things.”
• “It was hard to care about a nobody.”
• “It was like trying to hang a picture on an invisible wall.”

Many Rooms

At a number of Sunday mornings over the many years I've been around, I've heard about Ancient Near East wedding customs.  I've heard that Jesus compared bridegroom/bride relationships to God/Church relationships.  But perhaps I wasn't paying attention as much as I should have been.

I know about the patriarchal society in biblical times.  I know that marriage was arranged and that consideration was given.  I've heard the stories.  I did not know everything, though.

I did not know that at a betrothal, the potential bride was given a cup of wine.  Drinking the wine was her acceptance of the arrangement.  She could, however, refuse the cup!

And Then Comes the Turn

SoulPancake - "We make stuff that matters."

You've might have heard of this company.  The videos published are, more often than not, extremely creative.  Some are hysterical and some are quite deep.  Some - well, nobody manages to make a splash every time!

But on a number of occasions, they make you stop in your tracks and think. These thought provoking videos delve into cultural questions, psychological experiments and even discussions of death.

This particular 2014 SoulPancake video is based on a movement to encourage government sponsored preschool.  Of course, like absolutely everything in our culture today, voices are loud and angry on both sides of the issue.

I'm not advocating any political position.  This is a personal blog about living in Christ and as such, no political opinions are offered. I'm including it here because this one cut deep for some reason.

The kids are all excited.  They're smiling and bubbly and are more than happy to discuss their favorite activities.  And then comes the turn. It shows up at one minute ten seconds into this 2 minute video called, The View From 3 Feet Up.

Amen

• God, please grant me . . . , in Jesus name, Amen.
• God, please care for . . . , Amen.
• Jesus, heal . . . , Amen.
• Jesus, I'm so tired . . . , Amen.

I was taught as a child that this word means, "So be it".

A guest speaker was introduced a while back when I was 'interviewing' churches. Beth Guckenberger lives in Cincinnati and is Co-Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries.  She is also an author and was speaking about this very familiar word.

Her newest book is called Start with Amen.  Although I've thought of buying this book many times, I have not.  Feeling a bit guilty about this, I will be going back to Amazon one of these days, hopefully soon.

Power in Unlikely Places

Recently, I was asked to spend a couple of hours in front of 40 sales people and assorted work-place dignitaries and guests.  Originally, this was to be a training session for the business system implemented 16 months ago.  Let’s just say, the launch started out poorly and that major issues continue even today.

It’s critical that things are done correctly at the start of the work-flow process if one expects to have reliable data when the work-flow stops.  Additionally, the system in place is completely unforgiving.  Mistakes are costly in the form lost productivity.

Month after month, as we struggle to get a handle on this system, tempers have been known to get a bit difficult to control.  Salespeople struggle in efforts to work with customers.  They frequently feel that our new system is preventing them from doing what they do best, and change is not welcome.  Finance struggles with conformity and uniformity.  Every rule exception creates systemic havoc.

Winter Storm Warning

I stopped in the grocery store Friday afternoon for just a couple of things.  I did not stay.

It was somewhere between 1:30 and 2PM when I drove into the lot.  Puzzled because there seemed to be no place to park, I made the aisle rounds and eventually was able to direct the nose of the vehicle into a vacancy at the far end of the property. 

I didn’t stay because it was evident that the few items sought would not be worth the wait.  Again, I wondered at the crowds.  It took a couple of seconds for enlightenment.  Cincinnati was under a Winter-storm warning beginning at 4AM Saturday morning.  The warning would be in effect until 7AM Sunday morning.

Wake Up!

"Thankfully, that heat blast from the car bomb wasn't a few inches closer, or I'd have a perpetually surprised look on my face after having my eyebrows burned off.  Even in my shitty life, I can find small mercies to be grateful for." (A Shameless Little Con by Meli Raine)

There is something you're praying for.  It might be for you.  It might be for a child, friend, co-worker or parent. It sometimes consumes you.  And, admit it, sometimes you feel abandoned. You feel that you're talking to the ceiling.  You wonder if you've lost your mind asking an invisible deity to help you when you hear nothing but the silence of an empty room. You begin to believe that He gave up on you.

A free book from Amazon and a sermon combine to remind me that I am not alone.  Jesus didn't die on a cross to give up on me.  He died FOR me.  He said MY name before He said, "Yes, I am willing to suffer and die on a cross."