thoughts on the news of the day: tranquility

hmmm…..

            There is nothing much in the news today except the hurricane Irene.  But that’s really enough.  It is a massive storm that has threatened to hit, of all places New York City.  The damage will be immense. 

            New York hasn’t had a hurricane hit for 60 years or so.  My Dad lived in New York many years ago during the last one.  He remembers it because it ruined his sailboat which was his pride and joy at the time.  In fact, we still have a romantic shot of him taking it for a sail around New York Harbor.

            My Dad loved to sail while he was in New York and when he moved to Oklahoma in the fifties he spent most of his life either with a fishing pole in his hand or the wish that he was on the lake catching a big one.  It was his way of relaxing from a stress filled job and the pressures of providing for a wife and six kids.  For him water wasn’t destructive.  It was a way of peace and provision.  He brought home the day’s catch every Saturday and then cleaned the fish.  They went into the freezer for our next Friday’s meal.  It was his way of justifying the trip and the retreat. 

            Sadly, Dad is not in good enough shape to take to the lakes and the seas any more.  But I know he misses the power, the peace and the tranquility of his old friend.

            hmmm….. 

thoughts on the news of the day: correction

hmmm…..

            Sometimes you just get it wrong.  Has that ever happened to you?  The folks I wrote about yesterday – the ones who were headed to the Bahamas right as the hurricane hit -- changed their mind.  They didn’t go after all.  And so here I sit owing apologies and wanting to make amends.  I got it wrong.

            How do we fix the mistakes we make?  Sometimes it’s easy.  We say we are sorry and ask for forgiveness.  We pay for what we broke or took.  We recant or retract the stories we told. 

            But sometimes it’s not so easy.  The harm is done and it can’t be taken back.  What do you do when that happens?  Do you shrug your shoulders and just say, “Oh, well…”   The news media is bad about that.  They tell a story on the front page and then realize that it is wrong.  But where do they put the retraction?  On the back page where virtually no one sees it.  I am for getting it out in the open where the truth can be told and where amends can be made. 

            Sometimes people just make stuff up.  They distort the truth for their own purposes.  You see a lot of that in politics.  They call it “spin” and somehow that makes it OK.  I am for telling the truth and apologizing when we get it wrong.

            That’s what I am trying to do today.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: hurricanes

hmmm…..

            The news today is all about Irene.  She’s the hurricane that is threatening the eastern coast of the United States.  Tropical storm warnings are already out and experts are examining bridges and other structures to determine if they are hurricane proof.

            My brother and his wife are watching the hurricane, too.  They have had a vacation to the Bahamas planned for some time and its dates are right around when the hurricane should hit landfall there.  It’s not so easy to change your plans these days.  Days off are planned at work, flights cannot be cancelled and changes of dates can be expensive.  Hotel reservations are locked in and the rest of the details are pretty much irreversible.  So they are going anyway.

            It’s not like they haven’t been in a hurricane before.  Many years ago they rode through one on the coast of Mexico.  Fortunately they were bunkered in a hurricane proof hotel, but it was harrowing just the same.  Maybe someone should tell them that hurricane season is from May to September; but I admire them for their courage in going anyway.  It will be the same for the folks who decide to stay in their homes while Irene plows through the eastern seaboard; they are brave, but at same time they take great risks and it remains to be determined whether the gamble was worth it or not. 

            Hurricanes are another reminder that we still have choices.  Do we go or do we stay?

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: alzheimers

hmmm…..

            Pat Summitt, the longtime women’s basketball coach at Tennessee is one of my heroes.  She has won more games in major women’s basketball than any coach – ever.  To me, she is the pinnacle of strength, stamina, honesty and integrity.  She is 59 years old and has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This means that as her memory slips away she will no longer be able to coach and her life will change dramatically.  If a cure is not found she will slowly die from the disease. 

            Alzheimer’s affects approximately five million people in the United States and over 200,000 of those affected are under the age of 65.  It is a debilitating and fatal disease and is devastating for the family that lives with it.

            I have a friend in Houston who had a husband that was 45 when he was diagnosed.  He had a very aggressive version of the disease and died when he was about 49.  My friend and her husband agreed that they would divorce when he was still competent to make the decision in order to protect the assets they had accumulated together.  It broke their hearts and she devotedly cared for him, in and out of nursing homes until he died. 

            Every week in our prayer group, we pray for the Alzheimer’s researchers and for people affected by the disease which is a leading cause of death in our country. Pray for a cure, pray for recovery from this disease and pray for patience for those who care for victims of this horrible malady.   Hopefully a cure will be found soon. 

            Lord, hear our prayer.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: animal cruelty

hmmm…..

            A friend of mine posted a pets prayer on facebook, it goes like this:  “Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in the entire world is more grateful for your kindness than mine.  Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t strike me, chain me or lock me up as punishment.  After all, you have your job, your friends and your entertainment.  I only have you.”

            I will never understand why someone could be cruel to an animal.  We have had several occurrences of animal cruelty involving horses in our county this year.  Instances of malnutrition, dehydration and injury have almost become common here.  That’s probably an overstatement, but we do have more than our share, I think.

            Caring for an animal should be a pleasure and a joy.  On the other side of animal cruelty, our community is establishing a dog park.   It will be an area for owners to bring their dogs where they will be safe to run and play.  Examples like this are countering the abuse of animals. 

            I know of another friend who rescues dogs.  She has two right now who only have three legs.  They were badly injured and had to have limbs amputated.  She has also rescued two cats.  No, she is not a hoarder.  She just loves animals and takes good care of them.  I admire her because I only have one spoiled Pomeranian and she is a handful all by herself.

            So I say, take care of your pet, support organizations that help prevent cruelty to animals, and be grateful today for those furry and friendly companions.

            hmmm…..   

thoughts on the news of the day: obesity

hmmm…..

            I have a question for you this morning:  Should good health be preached from the pulpit?  Rev. Michael O. Minor thinks that it should.  He is a pastor in the Mississippi Delta and is combating in a battle against obesity.  He has replaced fried, greasy and fattening foods with fruit and vegetable plates at the church socials and gatherings.  Rev. Minor  is encouraging each church in the National Baptist Convention to have a “health ambassador” by the year 2012. 

            All this talk about health in the pulpit is probably a good thing.  But is it biblical?  Certainly there were health laws in the Old Testament.  Pork was forbidden and it is laden with fat.  Milk products were limited to certain cooking which is probably a good thing.  But in the New Testament the restrictions on foods seem to be smashed to bits.  St. Paul said it was OK eat like the Gentiles and even Jesus ate the wheat out of the field on the Sabbath.

            Scripture also says that the body is a temple and that we should keep it holy and keeping our bodies fit would seem to be part of keeping them holy.  So maybe it is a good thing to talk about dieting at church.  I am still thinking about it, though.  I may talk about good health in the pulpit, but I know for sure that I won’t be preaching the gospel according to Jenny Craig, Nutri-Systems or Weight Watchers!!

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: west memphis three

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            A friend of mine who is also a reader of this blog asked me to comment on the West Memphis Three case.  One of the things I find interesting about it is that two days later there is virtually no news about it on the major news outlets.  It is buried under a myriad of things – politics, religion and weather all take precedence over the case.

            Maybe it’s because no one cares that three young men were convicted of a crime 18 years ago and DNA evidence now pretty much proves their innocence.  I am wondering how I would feel if I were the victims’ parents.  How would I feel if I were the convicted men’s parents?   I think in both instances I would care deeply about this latest turn in the case.

            Sometimes what we think is true turns out not to be true at all.  Something we counted on is not over yet.   I would guess that all of the parents assumed that the case was settled.  The courts convicted the accused boys, now men, and that laid the crime to rest. But a wise friend of mine once said, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over and it’s not over yet” He meant that we don’t know everything.  Doctors and lawyers and judges don’t know everything either.  The world keeps spinning around and life goes on.  I am sure that the West Memphis Three are grateful for that.

            hmmm…..