thoughts on the news of the day: 365

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Today is a landmark day for me. I am writing my 365th blog! This means that for a whole year I have gotten up each morning and written a few words on what is in the news. I try to make it uplifting and encouraging. Some days are better than others. I was hoping to also reach the 10,000 mark of page views on my blog site , but I am about 500 shy of that today. Maybe someday I will reach that mark also.

To all my readers, thank you for checking in everyday to see what I have written. Facebook, twitter, google reader, the Baxter Bulletin, My Desert newspaper online and other Gannett publications have all been vehicles for these thoughts and I am grateful for electronic media which allows folks like myself to spread their creative wings.

I pray that you will have a wonderful day today and that you will celebrate in some way the God given talent each one of you has been given.

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thoughts on the news of the day: airports

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“No sir I am not carrying a gun
No sir I don’t have anything from anyone
Yes sir my bags have been with me all the time
Yes sir I am happy to be stepping out of line”

These words are the beginning of a prophetically funny song written by David M. Bailey, a singer songwriter who penned the lyrics in the aftermath of 9-11-2001. The song is now affectionately known as “the butt song” and if you want to know why, check out the remainder of the lyrics on his website www.davidmbailey.com.
I remembered them today because I read an article this morning about the new tactics to foil would be terrorists in airports. Now the security forces are trying what has been called “chat-downs”. The security agents who examine your ticket and ID are now engaging in conversation at some airports to determine if the person is a legitimate traveler. Questions such as “Where are you going?” How long are you going to stay? Is anyone traveling with you?” are meant to give the agents clues as to whether the traveler might be lying or not. Body language and eye contact during the answering of the questions might possibly tip off a questioner.
It sounds pretty annoying to me. But then again, I am a friendly kind of person so it might not be so bad. I think we should all keep our sense of humor about these new chat downs – maybe someone will even write a song about them.
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thoughts on the news of the day: 9-9-9

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            Is Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan fair?  That’s the headline in the news today.  Basically his plan is an equal tax for three categories: 9% for income tax; 9% for a national sales tax and 9% for a corporate income tax.  Almost nobody likes the idea except Mr. Cain.  Experts argue that it really wouldn’t be fair or helpful – lower income folks who rely on tax credits would lose them and actually the highest income categories would pay less.

            I don’t know about Cain’s tax plan; I suppose it will be debated throughout the campaign.  It doesn’t seem to be all that different that the flat tax plan of a few years ago.  Except for one thing: the 9-9-9 idea has a ring to it and it could be applied to other categories as well.  For example what if our day was more or less divided up into a 9-9-9 system of hours? Of course it would have to be 8-8-8 because we only have 24 hours in the day.  But what if we truly spent 8 hours each day at work, sleep and play?  I doubt that many of us spend more than 8 minutes a day at play.  We are so busy with other “stuff’ that we don’t take time to relax.

            I like the evenness of dividing things in threes.  Like the Trinity, it just seems to work, even though we don’t really understand it.  How about three food groups with nine servings each: dairy, vegetables and proteins?  It seems so much simpler to me.  Could we start the day with 9-9-9?  Nine minutes of stretching exercises, nine minute devotionals and nine minutes of journaling – I admit, its not much time to spend on each of them. But it amounts to about a half hour per day taking care of our physical, emotional and spiritual needs.  That’s probably more than most of us spend now.

            I like the 9-9-9 plan.  I think it might work.

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thoughts on the news of the day: milestones

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            In three more days, I will have completed 365 days of “hmmm…..” blogs.  Now, that may not impress you all that much, but it impresses the heck out of me!  About a year ago, I made a commitment to write around 250 words a day on a news event for that day.  I call it “thoughts on the news of the day:” and on Saturday I will have completed that goal.   Usually my blog is about a significant current event of the day, like Amanda Knox’s acquittal. Occasionally it is about a holiday, like Yom Kippur.  And some days it is just about an event that is significant in my own life; like today. Some have been better than others, I admit that; but being consistent and doing it everyday has been a significant accomplishment for someone who starts many things and then fizzles out.  This Saturday will be a milestone day for me in terms of accomplishments, and I intend to celebrate it.

            Another milestone happens today.  My only child is celebrating her birthday.  I still remember the day she was born – how happy I was and how proud of her.  It was one of the most significant days of my life, still is.  I have acknowledged it 28 times because it is one of my greatest accomplishments.

            Milestones are important in our growth as human beings.  We need them to know how far we have come, and sometimes how far we still need to go.  Milestones can be birthdays, wedding dates, or graduation days.  But always they are important days to acknowledge the accomplishments we have made.

            What are your milestones, and how will you celebrate them today?

thoughts on the news of the day: overtime

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            Last night the Rangers baseball team won in extra innings.  The Texas team beat the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted eleven innings instead of the usual nine.  When football or basketball teams play more than the allotted time because of a tie game, it is called overtime.  Eventually one team scores more than the other and wins.

            When my daughter was little and played team basketball the youngsters would from time to time lose a game.  But the coach would always say, “No, girls, we didn’t lose, we just ran out of time!”

            I remember when I was in seminary; we had deadlines for papers and other projects. Invariably a student or two would ask for an extension on the deadline.  The professor would usually begrudgingly allow the additional time.  I always wondered why they did that.  Imagine if a preacher came to a congregation on Sunday morning and asked for an extension on a sermon.  “Come back tomorrow,” the preacher  might say.  “My baby was sick” or “I had the flu.”  Somehow I don’t think that would work very well.

            Unfortunately, there are many times in life when we don’t get overtime.  The company you work for has mass layoffs – but you ask for overtime – say six months to find another job.  Or the doctor says the cancer has spread and you only have nine months, what about overtime then? 

            Mostly we just have to play this game of life and hope that in the end, we all come out winners.

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thoughts on the news of the day: life lessons

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            Last night I got an email from Oprah Winfrey (me and tens of thousands of other folks!).  She said that she would be back tonight on her television station OWN.  I missed Oprah.  Withdrawals from her daily talk show were painful.  I didn’t get to see her much on her 4:00 time slot – work got in the way.  But thankfully she was on again at 9:00 p.m. and I rarely missed her.

            OK, so I am being a little facetious.  I am not really that big a fan, but I do miss her.  The new show is supposed to be a “life lessons” show.  I wonder what Oprah will have to share after 25 years of daily shows on basically the same thing.  I will tune in tonight to find out, at least I plan to at the moment.

            However, in my opinion, life lessons can be learned anywhere at any time.  Mostly we just have to pay attention.  When things don’t go our way, or when things do, I think the universe is trying to tell us something.  Something like: life is grand,  forgiveness is inevitable and acceptance is the key.  Simple concepts but vital for a happy life.

            Pay attention to Oprah’s new life’s lesson show tonight.  But better yet, pay attention to life.

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thoughts on the news of the day: acceptance

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            “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.  When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation – some fact of life – unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.  Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake.  Until … I accept life on life’s terms, I cannot be happy.  I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.”   -- “The Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous

            These are powerful words.  I read this quote today in a story about a parent of a child with Downs Syndrome.  It reminded me of a friend of mine who used to quote this passage and then say, “Which part of nothing do you not understand?”

            Nothing.  As tough as it is to understand, no matter what the circumstance, acceptance of the moment is the key to our contentment.  We may not like the situation or the person or the place we are at, but at this moment in time, it is exactly where we are supposed to be.  And that’s where God comes in.  God will get us through anything.  I believe that with all my heart and soul.  Hopefully I won’t have to test that concept today.

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