thoughts on the news of the day: parades

hmmm…..

            The local news today is that our small country town had its annual Christmas parade last night.  The theme was something about Christmas lights, which helped since the parade took place after dark.  So, there were sparkly lights, high school bands, lit up floats with kids singing Christmas Carols, and even a “smart” car parade.  Santa always appears to conclude the event and there is only one Santa, so as not to confuse the children.

             I love parades; they give me happiness, which is different than joy.  Happiness is a fleeting emotion, usually a by-product of things going our way. But inner joy is more than emotion. It is a sense of well-being that transcends events, circumstances or situations.  Happiness is emotional; joy is spiritual.  We feel joy deep down in our bones.

            And why is this important?  It’s especially important this time of year, because so much of what we expect at Christmas is to be happy. We think that maybe gifts, or goodies, or Christmas TV specials, or even parades will give us the happiness we crave.  And they do, but happiness is temporary.  At Christmastime, joy comes from marking again the moment when the universe set forth one point of light to save us from ourselves for all eternity. 

            Be happy this Christmas; but find joy in remembrance of the birth of a tiny child. 

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: denial

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            Do cell phones cause cancer?  The National Cancer Institute has ruled them to be safe, but a growing number of independent researchers disagree.  Apparently recent studies suggest that wireless devices emit radiation that might not be so safe after all.

            I love my iphone; I inherited it from my daughter when she upgraded hers, and even though it is not state of the art, I think it’s the coolest thing ever.  So, for the moment, I choose to be in denial about the cell phone health warnings.  Denial can be a beautiful thing.  It can allow you to eat chocolate nonstop; work through all sorts of allergies and ailments; drive over the speed limit and abuse your body with overwork.  Oh … maybe it’s not such a good thing after all. 

            We all live in denial of some sort or another.  Maybe you disagree with that statement as far as your own life is concerned.  (Ha! Maybe I have caught you in your own denial!)  I believe that the degree to which we indulge in denial is the issue.  If it endangers our well being or the well-being of another, it’s not so good.  But sometimes it is necessary.  Pretending that a horrible job situation is not so bad until you are able to get another one is not such a bad thing, because it gets you through a temporarily difficult situation. 

            Where in your life do you live in denial?  And what can you do to overcome it?

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: go ... or no ...

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            How embarrassing!  Susan Boyle was singing “O Holy Night” on The View the other day and stopped midway through the piece.  She just stopped.  It was live television, so the whole ugly thing was viewed nationwide.  Apparently, she lost her voice and simply couldn’t go on singing.

            When is it time to quit?  Perseverance is one thing, but sometimes it is best to cover your losses and move on.  And how do we know when that time is?  When do we continue on faith, and when do we accept the fact that things are just not going to work out quite like we had planned?

            Acceptance is the key.  I think the prayer goes: Accept the things we can, change the things we can, and have the wisdom to know the difference. 

            I say that as long as the door keeps opening, we must continue to walk through it. And when it closes, its time to quit.  The door definitely closed when Susan Boyle lost her voice, so she had no choice but to stop singing.  She humbly accepted the fact that her voice would not cooperate, and she had the wisdom to know it was best to just simply stop, even if it caused her global embarrassment.

            Maybe there’s a door you have been knocking on in your life that simply won’t open.  Maybe its time to stop and move on; and maybe, just maybe, another door will open.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: top ten

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            Let the lists begin!  It is the last month of the year and the last month of the decade, so Top 10 lists are beginning to dominate the news.  One search engine reported the top search this year to be, not Britney Spears, as in years past, but the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf.  This is the first time a major news story has reached the top of an internet list, as opposed to a pop icon or event.

            I have a friend who is making 50 lists of 50 different things in celebration of his fiftieth year.  That will be quite an accomplishment if he is actually able to do it!

            There are lots of reasons to make lists.  Probably the top list made is the “to do” list.  Have you ever made a “to do” list in the morning only to find that at the end of the day just one or two things have been accomplished?  That happens to me on a regular basis, I get sidetracked, things happen. 

            Then there’s the Bucket List: a list of things to do before you “kick the bucket.”  What would be on yours? Probably places to go and things to do, but would it have people to help, causes to support?  How about making a list of ten things to do before you go to heaven?  Something like reading 150 Psalms in 150 days.  Or maybe doing one random act of kindness each day without getting caught? 

            What is the list of your life?  And what will you accomplish next?

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: rules

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            The news in the world of golf today is that Ian Poulter, who was on the green in a playoff at the Dubai World Championship, accidentally dropped his ball onto his ball marker, flipping the marker over.  You would think that wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it is.  It cost Poulter a one-stroke penalty, which lost him the game.

            The interesting thing about this particular moment in golf history is that Poulter notified the rules officials immediately of the mistake.  It wasn’t someone else questioning him; it was the self-policing action of Poulter himself.  Now, the tradition of golf has a long history of an honor system in which folks play by the rules.  Golfers pride themselves in knowing the rules and adhering strictly to them; especially when playing for money.           

            Playing by the rules is an almost foreign concept in today’s world.  So many people think that the rules don’t apply to them.  Or they think they can make them up as they go.  It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?  What would it be like if folks were as noble in their everyday affairs as they are on the golf course?

            Now, I am a golfer; and I am not very good. So I should not be so self-righteous.  My golf partner routinely lets me bend the rules, because, after all, I am just a beginner.  At least that’s my excuse.  But maybe I should be more intentional about following the rules.  Maybe we all should …..

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: home

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            Congress returns to work today and they face a long to-do list of challenging issues. I, too, am returning home after a wonderful stay at my daughter’s home in Austin, TX.  It’s hard to say good-bye; especially when you have had a great time with people you love.  In my case, however, it won’t be long until I see my daughter again.  She is a teacher, so she will be coming to see me on her Christmas break in three weeks.  It’s like she will be returning home, too, even though she has never actually lived in the Ozarks.

            Returning home.  The Prodigal Son did it.  Dorothy did it in the Wizard of Oz.   And you and I have the opportunity to return home ever so often, too.  In fact, before I return to my own home I am going to my Dad’s for a day or two.  It has been home to me all my life, and I still call it “home” even though I haven’t lived there for over 20 years.

            They say that home is where the heart is.  So is it a place?  Or is it a state of mind?  Probably both.  Home is that feeling of safety and security that you can find almost anywhere.  It’s a sense that you belong; that all is right with the world. 

            I hope that you are at home wherever you might be.  That today you feel sheltered in a sanctuary of you own choosing. And if you aren’t, I hope you have the opportunity to return home soon.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: personal touch

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            Cyber Monday was created five years ago to mark the unofficial start to Internet shopping for the holidays.  The National Retail Federation claims that the spending at computer sites is even greater than the net gains on Black Friday.

            At the click of a button, all manner of goodies can be found at ridiculously low prices.  They can be gift wrapped, tied with a bow and shipped to anywhere in the world.  So much for handmade gifts, tenderly crafted, individual created for each “giftee”. 

            The internet is a wonderful thing. I enjoy keeping in touch with my facebook buddies.  Email works so much better for broadcasting church announcements, etc.  Even writing and publishing has become possible with the new technology of today – this blog is a good example of that. 

            But if you are like me, nothing beats opening the mailbox and seeing a card or letter handwritten by someone we love.  There’s something about the personal touch and physical feel of a real honest to goodness note.  I still love to mail Christmas cards.  Most of my friends and family have all but stopped sending them.  Its expensive and time consuming to address, sign and mail them; I know that.  I’m just saying that the old way is kinda nice.

            What will you do this Christmas to touch someone personally with your love?  Will you make them a present? Will you send them a card with a hand written note?  Will you give them a call or a visit instead of a terse test message?   Let someone know you love them by touching them personally in a way that only you can and you will be happier for it.

            hmmm…..