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thoughts on the news of the day: dog days

2012-03-09T12:37:00.001-08:00

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Age seems to be the topic ofarticles on the web today. I noticed oneon the ages of dogs and cats. We usuallythink that you can determine a dog’s age by multiplying the animal’schronological age by seven. So, if yourdoggie is three by human years, then it is twenty-one by dog years. There is a new theory that suggests thatusing the traditional formula is not really accurate. For example, a puppy quickly matures thefirst two years of life – after one year, it’s usually twelve dog years and by agetwo, the age increases to twenty-four years old. The new premise is that dogs are likely tohave babies even at one year old and on up to as old as age ten. So, the math doesn’t really add up. If the traditional formula is used that wouldmean that dogs could have babies from seven years old to as old as seventy. Not a likely scenario with humans.

On to cats …. A really cool “cat” isDick Van Dyke. You might remember him as the dancing chimneysweep in “Mary Poppins”. Well, he justgot married at eighty-six; that’s in human years, not dog years. His bride is a blushing forty years old. Itgets better. They got married onFebruary 29. Does that mean that in fouryears they will only be celebrating their one year anniversary?

I like Satchel Pages comments onage: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” And even better: “Age is a case of mind overmatter, if you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” Most dogs and most aging chimney sweeps would probably agree with that.

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thoughts on the news of the day: march forth

2012-03-05T06:14:00.003-08:00

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Several good friends have birthdaystoday, so I thought it might be fun to see if there were any significantholidays on March 5. Significant? I am not sure about this one … but just soyou know, today is “Multiple Personality Day”. I think the web site announcing this might be pulling our leg …. Ya think?

Some clever holidays are celebratedthis month. Days like: Dentist Day,(tomorrow); National Popcorn Lovers Day (March 8) and March 13, National EarMuff Day. There are actually some realholidays in March. St. Patrick’s Day(March 17) comes to mind; then there is the Jewish holiday of Purim which willbe celebrated on March 8 this year. TheIdes of March is on the 15^th and a favorite of my childhood days wasGirl Scout Day which occurs on March 12.

One of my best buddies of mychildhood has her birthday today. It alwaysbegan what would usually prove to be a great month. We were selling Girl Scout cookies and thencelebrated our accomplishments at a party held close to our Girl Scout’sbirthday. Right around the corner wasthe day of green. We always wore it onMarch 17 … lest we get pinched to death! The best part of the month would be when Easter came early and crownedthe end of March. I’m talking Easterdresses and Easter hats and Easter baskets -- a virtual second Christmas for my best friend and both our families.

And by the way, don’t forget tocelebrate March 30 –Take A Walk in the Park Day – you can MARCH onward and intoApril Fools Day … ha!

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thoughts on the news of the day: dr seuss

2012-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

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I am apretty big fan of Theodor Seuss Geisel. You probably know him asDr. Seuss. Today, March 2, is hisbirthday, or was his birthday. He wasborn in 1904 but died in 1991. Over hislife, he wrote 60 different books, many of which you are no doubtfamiliar. Books like, “A Cat in the Hat”and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”

When Iwas pastoring a church in south Texas, we had a mission project which involvedproviding school clothes for kids whose parents didn’t have money to buythem. In conjunction with this project,a young Girl Scout decided to try and provide a book for each child thatvisited our church for clothing. She broughtboxes and boxes of books she had collected for her project. When we had completed the distribution ofclothing and books, several boxes of books remained. We debated what to do with them. Should we put them in our churchlibrary? Or give them to the locallibrary? We seriously doubted that anyonewould want them; they were tattered and torn and didn’t look particularlyappealing to most kids. But I opened upone of the remaining boxes and delighted in a carefully stacked assortment ofDr. Seuss books in near perfect condition. We were stunned that anyone would so carelessly toss such a finecollection.

Aftermaking a reasonable donation to the kids clothing project for the books, Icarefully carted the Dr. Seuss classics back to my pastor’s study. I loved sharing them with kids who visited myoffice. Most of the popular ones are gone now, givento young readers. But I don’t regretthat they are not in my bookcase anymore. After all, it was Dr. Seuss who wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over,smile because it happened.”

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thoughts on the news of the day: sign up

2012-02-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

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Yes, it’s a picky detail, but you have to sign up. Scott Downward found that out the hard way. He won the Cowtown Marathon this past weekend. Or, maybe not. Scott ran the fastest finish of the 9,000 competitors in the race; but he had failed to register for the event . He ran on a friend’s bib who had signed up for the race but was unable to run in it. Unfortunately the judges caught the error and took away Scott’s victory.

Yes, for many things in life, you have to sign up. Our parents had to sign us up for kindergarten. We had to sign up to play on the baseball or softball team. The Department of Public Safety requires us to sign up for our driver’s license. And then there is that detail with a marriage license. To vote requires a sign up. Our own children need a sign-up for their social security numbers shortly after they are born.

Some people say that all you have to do is “suit up and show up” for life. You just arrive and life happens. That might be true. But there is lots to be said for mentally signing in each morning. That would be something like waking up and saying, “Good Morning God! What do you have for me to do today?” Signing up with God when you arise has its merits. It says that you are willing to let God be in control of your words and deeds. It says that for today, whatever happens, God will be there to protect, guide and guard you. And when you sign up for God’s daily marathon, you win, no matter what.

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thoughts on the news of the day: leap year

2012-02-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

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What “would ya, could ya, should ya” do if you had an extra day in your life? Would you take the day off and go for a picnic or a bike ride? Would you finish up that project at work? Would you play with your kids? Visit your grandma? Clean out the closet?

Well, guess what? This year you do. We have one more day this February in a year commonly called Leap Year. It happens every four years in order to syncronize our calendar with the astronomical or seasonal year. This keeps the calendar from drifting through the seasons too rapidly. In the Hebrew calendar, a month is added seven times every 19 years. Wow! a whole month would really be nice – think of the vacations you could take!!

When I was growing up, the big question was how old would you be if your birthday only came every four years? When everyone else was 16, would you only be 4? And …. Would you still get birthday presents, even though, technically, you didn’t have a birthday? I have personally never know anyone born on February 29. One of my friends came close – she was born on February 28 in a leap year. She was always kind of grateful that she didn’t have strange birthdays to deal with.

I guess I should say here that we should all do something special, something we wouldn’t ordinarily do on this special extra day. I could … but I won’t. That is way too obvious. Instead, let’s just be grateful for every day … every day when we can enjoy our family, be grateful for employment, food and shelter … not just one day every four years … but every day.

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thoughts on the news of the day: connect

2012-02-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

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There are several stories today on the internet about people who have used facebook to deal with issues in their life. One young Taylor Swift fan is battling leukemia so his sister got on facebook and was able to connect with Taylor (or Taylor’s staff). Taylor invited him to be her date for an award show early next month. Another man, grieving the loss of his mother decided to post a facebook memorial page. This page featured photos of his mother from throughout her life and has garnered numerous reaponses from friends all over the country. We have heard of several facebook protest petitions against large corporations who try to add surcharges to client’s bills. They have been sucessful in preventing big business from taking advantage of customers.

It is interesting to me how much facebook has become the opportunity to connect in healing, positive ways. Oh sure, its easy to bemoan it as superficial, and an escape from real communication. But in so many ways, it connects us. I got in touch with a friend in the Houston area that I hadn’t heard from in years. It was great to be in communication with her and it was good to be able to hear on a day to day basis about the recovery of her daughter from a life threatening seizure. The best part was being able to pray with and for her.

Yes, there are other ways to be in touch. There is email, telephone, and even face to face conversation. Why debate which is best? Can it ever be bad to just say hello? Today, I am grateful for all the ways my global family connects. And …. I hope …. you stay connected with me ….

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thoughts on the news of the day: academy awards

2012-02-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

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The Academy Awards are this Sunday and I, along with millions of others, plan to watch them. I like to see what the stars are wearing and my second favorite thing about them are the acceptance speeches. Usually it is a laundry list of people they owe – agents, managers, producers, directors and so on. Ocassionally they thank God and/or their parents but not necessarily in that order.

There are a few memorable acceptance speeches in Oscar history. Most of the speeches are forgotten, many times along with the actor, the role, and the movie. But there is one that sticks in my mind. It is Sally Fields’ acceptance speech for the best actress role in “Places of the Heart”. You probably remember her saying, “You like me, you really like me!”. If you didn’t see it the first time, you have probably seen it mocked by comedians, late night talk show hosts and even Academy Award presenters.

We all need to be recognized for our hard work and our talents. We want to be found out. We want to be liked …. really liked. We want people to know that we are good or even the best at something we do. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Affirmation is good. Accepting others acceptance of your talents and abilites feels good and, well, is good.

So next time you see someone do or say something really good, tell them so. Let them know that someone in this big ole world noticed them. It might make their day. It might make yours.

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thoughts on the news of the day: control

2012-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

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I’m trying to think about what I think about the news today. A 9-year old girl in Alabama was forced to run for three hours and tragically sucumbed from the punishment her grandmother and stepmother meted upon her. In another news item, eleven children were confined to a 10 by 10 darkened bedroom in Texas and three of those children were tethered to their beds. Moms out of control.

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has made all sort of claims on the rights of women. He seems to be promoting all sorts of restrictions on a women’s freedom to control her body and therefore affect the birth (or non-birth) of babies. The state of Virginia is debating the plausability of forcing women to have an ultra sound examination prior to aborting their babies.

It’s a tangled mess. Some mothers probably don’t need to have children; they sometimes abuse them and cause them great pain and even death. On the other hand, I wonder if women are ever coerced to believe that the best choice for all concerned is to abort their baby. Probably.

In all of the examples mentioned above, it is a case of someone trying to control the life of another. Who has that right and when? I choose not to have the power to control another person; I try to leave that up to God. Let’s face it, in the end, God has the power to control anyway.

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thoughts on the news of the day: blossoms

2012-02-22T05:31:00.000-08:00

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You might have seen the news about a seed that Russian scientists found in the Artic tundra. This seed had been buried for around 32,000 years and was recently germinated and grown to become a lovely plant with delicate white blossoms. It is the oldest plant by far to ever have been grown from an ancient seed and it is beautiful.

I wonder what I would look like in 32,000 years. When I look at pictures of myself from my childhood, I see a resemblance; but I wonder if other people do. How different would I look in 100 years? 320 years? 32,000 years?

In our church, we have an aging congregation. There are many members who are over 90 years old. They are lovely, graceful and still full of playful life. Occasionally (mostly at their funerals) I get to see photographs of them in their youth. There are wedding photos, pictures of men in their military uniforms and sometimes, early family photos of them with their young siblings. I rarely recognized them as their former selves.

What is so charming about seeing old phtographs, though, is the story that is told by the features that remain. Often it is bright eyes. There are several women in our congregation who still have their sparkling, stunning blue eyes. It is no surprize to me why their husbands fell for them. Most men had much more hair in their younger years and this changes their appearance greatly. But often the way they carry themselves or hold their head at a certain angle identifies them clearly.

I wonder how we look in God’s eyes. Does God see the wrinkles, the bald heads, the gray hair? Probably not; I mean after all, we will always be his children.

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thoughts on the news of the day: avalanche

2012-02-21T05:53:00.000-08:00

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I have been buried under an avalanche of work lately. It seems like sermons and funerals, Bible studies and hospital visits, presbytery meetings, not to mention a Doctor of Ministry project have nearly buried me alive. I bet you have been there. Like a huge snow pack roaring down a mountainside, the pressure to catch up and stay on top of things is almost life threatening.

This winter, experienced skiers, trained to survive avalanches, have been buried under by them. In the United States something like 17 skiers have been killed this season when avalanches overtook them. Four died last weekend in two separate avalanches and many more barely made it out with their lives intact. These are not amateurs accidently caught up in an unpredicted force of nature. These are highly trained professional skiers who are tempted by the thrill of trying to beat the mighty snow masses down the mountain side.

I am not sure how to avoid these avalanches. We all run into them from time to time. An avalanche of work, or laundry or bills pilling up. Sometimes we can control the enormity of the mass, but sometimes not. Probably the skiers caught in the icy landslide said a lot of prayers as they tumbled down the slope. They rightly feared for their life. Maybe we can pray, too, as we try to survive the avalanches in our lives. We can ask for help to stay on top of the onslaught and pray for guidance to navigate out of it. And hopefully we will survive.

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thoughts on the news of the day: love songs

2012-02-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

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A good question to ask on Valentine’s Day is: What is your favorite love song? I’m not talking about break-up love songs like “Someone Like You” by Adele. I am thinking more of classic songs – the ones you think of as “old school” but somehow have endured the test of time.

What are the ones you still hear … in jewelry commercials and when you are hanging out in the dentist’s office? Stevie Wonder’s got a couple: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and “You are the Sunshine of My Life”. Then there is one that especially comes to mind as we remember Whitney Houston’s musical career: “I Will Always Love You”. That song was actually written by Dolly Parton, who does a not half bad rendition of the song herself.

Willie Nelson’s ‘You Were Always on my Mind” qualifies as a love song, although, given the lyrics, I wouldn’t want to be loved by someone who just thought about me, but took no action. There’s two classics that are hard to forget: "Are You Lonely Tonight” and “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley.

“You Are So Beautiful” was first sung by Joe Cocker but my favorite version is by a Texas Hill country artist: Stoney Larue. You can find it on you-tube or probably iTunes.

I am guessing that you have your own favorites, just depending on the generation you come from … but no matter what you favorite, share it with your sweetie today – guaranteed they will love it!

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thoughts on the news of the day: whitney houston

2012-02-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

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“So good-bye …” Whitney Houston sang those words in the song, “I Will Always Love You” at the Grammy’s in 1993. She waved her hand as she sang it as if it was a premonition of things to come. It was a stunning performance and crowned her as Top Diva, if she wasn’t that already. And now Whitney Houston is gone. Early reports say drugs and alcohol took her away from us. When you watch her sing on the videos recorded when she was at the top of her game, she seems so full life; she looks as if nothing could ever bring her down. But it did.

I don’t know about you, but I have missed Whitney. I missed her a long time before her death. Tragically, while claiming on an interview that “crack is whack”; she found out that crack as well as many other illegal drugs are powerful and menacing even to those who seem to be bigger than life itself. Whitney tried many times to make a come back. I believe that she truly wanted to kick her habit; I have to believe that, otherwise drugs and the evil they bring wins.

But Whitney lives on. Her music will always inspire us. We can always watch her sing her stunning version of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl. Her Grammy performance of “I Will Always Love You” is available on video any time we want to see it.

And, Whitney, we will always love you!

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thoughts on the news of the day: mardi gras

2012-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

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Mardi Gras would probably not be nearly as popular – or as much fun if it was called “Fat Tuesday” which is what it means in French. You probably don’t need this mini church history lesson, but long ago, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday all of the sugar, butter and spices were taken out of kitchens and used to make cakes, pancakes and other goodies. The idea was that all of the things that could not be eaten during Lent were finished up the day before Lent, so as not to waste them. “Fat Tuesday” came the day before “Ash Wednesday”.

Today, Mardi Gras is all about parties, parades and celebration; plus a few things we won’t go into right now. It occurred to me that it is interesting that two of the main locations of Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas have been hit by massive hurricanes in the fairly recent years. I guess if you were wont to say so, there might be a case for the Almighty to be punishing the celebrators for their misbehavior in much the same way that he punished many Old Testament tribes and peoples.

I actually do not hold to that theory. To me, it is just too simple. I don’t think the Divine Creator works that way. If that were the case, then we would all be washed away into the salty brink. None of us escapes sin. We are all guilty of some misdemeanor or shortcoming and to single out one group or location just doesn’t work.

Celebration is good; it only goes south when we get carried away … so to speak ….

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thoughts on the news of the day: purity

2012-02-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

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Dogs drink out of toilet bowls, right? But it would be unheard of for a human being to drink out of one, agreed? Well, southern California has completely destroyed that particular concept. Through a series of purification and reclaiming processes, wastewater is now being used for other things besides well, wastewater.

Actually, this is not a new concept; it is just new to be accepted by American consumers. When you think about it, the dry and arid areas of California and Nevada would never have been developed without some kind of irrigation. Sure, wastewater was used for this, but for drinking water? No way. The thing is though; California is running out of water. More and more, water is becoming scarce, especially clean drinking water. Something had to be done. So, scientists have developed ways to make wastewater safe to drink again.

Purity; we all want it. We want it in our water, and we want it in a myriad of other places, too. One of our favored expressions in the Presbyterian Church is that we protect the peace, unity and purity of our faith. But we have a hard time making it crystal clear what we actually mean by purity.

Seems to me, if we think about what we want in terms of purity for our drinking water, we can easily determine what it is that purity means in our lives. First of all, pure water means water that is free of undesirable elements. Pure water is clean and clear, without the cloudiness of dirt or scum. Pure water is tasteful, cleansing and refreshing.

Clean, clear, tasteful, cleansing and refreshing -- if we want to have purity in our lives, wouldn’t these things come first?

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thoughts on the news of the day: soup

2012-02-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

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As I write this the Super Bowl is on national television. The Giants and the Patriots are pretty busy right now, but most of us who are watching the game are probably lying around, eating snacks and enjoying a warm cozy living room. In a few short hours, there will be a winner and a loser and life will go on for all of us viewing the show. I am guessing that for most of us, the game will not be more than a passing memory in a day or two. In a year when the next game is presented, we will probably not even remember this one.

But something that is actually much more important happens on this day also. Many years ago a tradition began to celebrate Super Bowl with a collection of money and/or soup cans for those who are hungry – those who might not even have a bowl of soup to eat today. The tradition has grown and now expands to many days before and after the big event. There is a national group that coordinates the “Souper Bowl” but it is very loosely organized. They get the word out, but encourage those who contribute to give their money and soup to local organizations and agencies who can then distribute them to folks who are in need.

I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, we have not much more than an emotional stake in the outcome of the game. But for those who are hungry, a can of soup could mean a whole lot more. Tomorrow won’t be too late to write a check to a food bank. It won’t be too late to take a case of soup there. You might not be on national television, but you will be a hero.

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thoughts on the news of the day: ground hog day revisitied

2012-02-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

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I wrote this email yesterday, but didn’t post it. What a difference a day makes.

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Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That means six more weeks of winter ….maybe…… Phil, the infamous ground hog, is watched every year on February 2. Legend has it that if the ground hog sees his shadow, then the cold will linger for six more weeks. That’s the legend; however, Phil hardly ever gets it right. He has seen his shadow way more times than not. But sometimes it warms up early anyway.

Isn’t it funny how we get things stuck in our head? Things like, a ground hog actually knows something about the weather. Or, that the Susan Komen Foundation will always put women first in its decisions. There is a pretty big flurry right now about the fact that a foundation and organization that all of us have heard about and have supported in one way or another has arbitrarily decided to cut out funding for an agency that provides mammograms for women who are in most need of the assistance. It makes me want to never buy anything pink ever again.

Surely the Foundation will rethink this decision. Surely they will see the error of their logic. The Susan Komen foundation does a lot of good for a lot of women – and even a few men. But its demise could come quickly without some serious damage control. Maybe the Board of the Susan Komen Foundation could get a clue from Punxsutawney Phil – take its head out of the sand and look around.

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thoughts on the news of the day: balance

2012-01-31T05:56:00.000-08:00

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There’s a story today in the news about the effects of wearing high heels. Now anyone who has ever worn them knows that they can’t be good. Women of the fifties, who wore them when Marilyn did, sometimes exclaim that they are more comfortable in them and that they had gotten used to them over the years. Actually, you don’t see them wearing heels much; women of that age seem to lean more toward SAS’s and other low heels with good support.

But back to supersonic heels; you know, the ones that seem to reach for the heavens. Six and seven inches of stick and steel come between the Achilles tendon and the ground. They seem to appear everywhere there is a super model or a celebrity. The funny thing is, have you looked around lately? No one, of any age seems to be wearing them on the street. Now, I am not really surprised about that in our Ozark mountain town. Even on young girls, we are more likely to see hunting boots, especially during hunting season, than stiletto heels. But recently I went to the big city and even in the malls and restaurants, only a few gals tottered along on the streets looking down over the crowds in their skyscraper shoes.

I wonder where all the heels go that are sitting on shelves waiting to go home with some stylish young fashionista. Do they go anywhere besides the sale rack? And I guess the question in most folks mind would be, do we care? Fashion will always be news. Some will ooh and ah over the next new collection of this and that and some of us won’t even care.

And, in the grand scheme of things, that’s all about balance whether your feet are on the ground, or somewhere far above.

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thoughts on the news of the day: shelter

2012-01-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

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So, wrap your head around this. A homeless teenager became a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search. Her parents were severely injured in an accident; they couldn’t keep up their rent payments and so the family was evicted on New Year’s Eve. They lived in a shelter on Long Island, NY while looking for jobs and trying to recover.

The young girl did research on mussels and crabs and discovered that when they were mingled together, the mussels formed harder and thicker shells because of a chemical emitted by the crabs. This made the mussels better able to withstand danger. Doing research in labs kept the student occupied; she spent hours and hours in school every day.

Not everyone who lives in a shelter is a lazy drifter. In fact far from it; resilience and patience are necessary for the many families stuck in shelters because of loss of income. Jobs are not that easy to come by – this young girl looked unsuccessfully for part time work that would be compatible with her school schedule. You can’t accuse this young scientist of being lazy; she worked too hard for her science award.

So there …. another hard luck story in a world inflicted with an economic crisis that won’t go away. Is it time for another sermon preached on the need for public services for those down and out in our country? Probably not. Surely that story has been told over and over again.

So I guess I’m wondering, when will the story be heard?

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thoughts on the news of the day: cher

2012-01-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

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An online newspaper did an article recently on the moves that Google is making to target markets for advertising. When you log on to Google and look for information, that search is organized by Google in such a way that those interested in advertising their products to you are notified of your curiosity about a subject. For example, if you log on to check a flight for a friend, suddenly you will notice all kinds of advertising about travel popping up on your screen, even if you, yourself have no interest in going anywhere.

Probably seems like a benign sort of ploy. But wait; let’s think about that for a minute. Do we really want the whole universe (or at least Google and all its customers) to know our business? What if we are researching a particular medication and we really don’t want the world to know we are interested? How are we protected? I really don’t want strangers to know where I bank, what my political leanings are, or where I work. And I really don’t want strangers to know my name, address, phone number and what my house looks like, in that order.

Brings up a whole new set of problems and questions, I would think. Maybe the solution to the whole dilemma is not to use the internet at all. Bye-bye Google, bye-bye Facebook, bye-bye Twitter.

But gosh, then how would I know in an instant that Cher is not dead after all?

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thoughts on the news of the day: opinions

2012-01-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

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Like many of those in my denomination, I am trying to figure out what the heck is going on in the Presbyterian Church these days. There was a conference in Florida last week which attempted still again to define who we are and what we believe. Good and honest work, I think. We take things seriously in our denomination, we think about things before we act. The good people at the conference in Florida mapped out a set of new ideas which actually, when you look them over are not all that much different than what we have now.

I think everyone in our own local church would agree that the members of our own congregation have theological and political opinions that run from the extreme left to the extreme right. We have very conservative folks and a lot of liberal ones too. I am not sure why or how we get along so well, but we do. My hunch is that it is because we are very respectful of the varied opinions that layer our views. Perhaps length of life teaches you to do that. The average age in our congregation is 74; that means most folks have had a long time to figure out how to live peacefully together. Our strength is in the wisdom that longevity has given to those who grace our pews.

Their opinions have mellowed over the years by loss of family, friends, health, homes and dreams. My guess is that they would rather be happy than right. Feuding focuses on differences; but they have the commonality of faith, a respect for the shortness of life, and the desire to be together rather than apart. I still have lots to learn from my elders; look around, you might, too.

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thoughts on the news of the day: compassion

2012-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

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The news today is that nursing homes in California are now taking convicted felons as residents. I guess in a way that makes sense. If a prisoner is incapacitated and the prison can’t handle his or her care, then why wouldn’t it be prudent to place them in a facility designed to give that care?

Well, there are a few problems with that scenario. First of all, how incapacitated are they really? Are they still able to do physical harm to someone else? Are they still able to plot and plan with criminals on the outside to do damage to others? And what about the other residences of the facility, do they have a right to know that convicted felons live in the next room?

I am reading a book right now that focuses on the aging population. Most folks who live in nursing homes are 65+ so challenges and problems with care of the elderly is a non-trivial issue. Did you know that we spend about as much on Medicare each year as we do at Wal-Mart? I can’t wrap my head around either of those figures, but they are enormous. So, we can’t pretend that housing criminals in the same place we care for the aged is not important because it is.

Which brings me to this point: In the end, we all need compassion. Whether we are being punished for our sins, punished for our age, or punished for something else, we deserve the same compassion that Jesus gave to criminals, prostitutes, and tax collectors. We are created with the gift of compassion, and it is criminal not to use it.

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thoughts on the news of the day: words

2012-01-17T05:33:00.000-08:00

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So, my daughter gave me a kindle fire for Christmas. I really wanted one and was excited when I opened the box. I brought it with me to Austin and to seminary … and I hate to admit it, but the technology eluded me. Well…. I had also just acquired a new hp computer and was working on getting it going. And at my class at seminary, the library was my first source for books and articles.

So there I was last night. I decided that it was THE night I was going to master this new toy and finally download some books on it. Thanks to my portable WiFi device I got on amazon and found a book I needed for my class. I downloaded it and guess what? There it was!!! A font that was large enough to read and a lighted page so I could read in bed instead of having to squint because of poor lighting in my bedroom. On top of that, I could still highlight sentences and take notes.

OK, so what is unusual about the last two paragraphs? On the one hand, not much; in a way, kinda deadly dull. But as I began to write, it occurred to me, if this blog (there I go again) was catapulted back even ten years, the reader would have no idea what I was talking about. Our vocabulary has changed and it is changing more and more each day. Guess my only hope of keeping up is to make sure my New Oxford American Dictionary is close at hand …. The one on my kindle …. After all, the printed one in my bookcase is dismally out of date.

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thoughts on the news of the day: signs

2012-01-13T05:45:00.000-08:00

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Really? I usually try to stay away from controversial issues, but I could not back away from this one. A woman in Cincinnati, OH who owns a duplex there, posted a sign on the property’s swimming pool that said “whites only”. Really? Can you feel my outrage pouring out from my screen to yours? Would that mean that President Obama and his family could not swim in the pool? The most powerful leader in the world banned from a pool? Really? The rest of the story is that the courts ruled that the sign “ violated the Civil Rights Act” and it was taken down. Thank God.

We think those days of discrimination are over. And then something crazy like this happens. Guess we were wrong. In some parts of the country, apparently discrimination is alive and well.

But I want to say something about other "parts of the country". I have never been there, but I know for a fact that Ohio is not all bad. A good friend of mine who is all about freedom for all people, lives in Cincinnati.

I met two women this week at Austin Seminary who are passionate and compassionate. They each serve as pastors of churches in tiny towns in Ohio. My guess is that there is no way they would ever support such nonsense as allowing a “whites only” sign anywhere. So we can’t condemn Ohio on the grounds of one woman’s stupid sign. But we can condemn racist behavior anywhere we see it. It’s the right thing to do.

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thoughts on the news of the day: appreciative inquiry

2012-01-12T05:49:00.000-08:00

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In our seminary classes, this week we are learning about a form of research that is called “appreciative inquiry”. It’s actually a really good process. It encourages the researcher to focus on the positive aspects of a need, problem or concern. In other words, instead of asking something like, “Why don’t we have children in our church?”, the researcher asks “What is wonderful about your church?”

I like to think of myself as a positive person. An attitude of gratitude has long been a motto of mine and I intend to practice gratitude each day. I look for the silver lining in a dark cloud and try to trust God that everything will work out. I think bottom line, that’s probably what most people would like to do most of the time. Think about movies or television shows. Virtually all of them have a happy ending. It is very rare for a movie with a downer ending to be successful at the box office.

Sometimes, though, putting on a fake smile is a form of denial. And sometimes insisting that a person who is in pain feign happiness is just plain cruel. I am not talking about wallowing in grief. I am not talking about suspending time while you torture yourself with sorrow and sadness. What I am talking about is honestly facing your fears and your failures, your loves and your losses with courage, bravery and strength.

That comes from a Source that is bigger than us; if you are in pain, may you find it today.

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thoughts on the news of the day: william carter

2012-01-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

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Here’s an interesting fact you may not know … today is the feast day of Blessed William Carter. Catholics mark the day in honor of a man who published books for Catholics in 16^th century England when no Catholics there were allowed to have them. Some of his printing presses were so small that he could only print one page at a time, and on occasion, he had to resort to copying the books by hand. He was imprisoned in the London tower and was tortured when Catholic books were found in his possession. Now he is celebrated as a near Saint of the church.

I have been doing some research in the library at Austin Presbyterian Seminary. The first thing that hits you when you walk in the library is the dust and the mold from the thousands of books housed in the building. But once you settle in, the enormity of the collection can overwhelm you. The catalogue of books can now only be viewed on line because it is so large and all that remains of the old card catalogue is a small bank of drawers left as a testament of days gone by.

It’s easy to take for granted the freedom we have to read whatever we want to. At the punch of a button we can download just about anything on our Kindle. Millions of books are right at our fingertips; and we don’t have to take our life in our hands to read them. Budding authors can even present their books for reading as if they were best sellers. I have a friend who is doing that with a novel he wrote.

Today on William Carter’s feast day would be a good time to be grateful for the freedom we have to learn what we want, to read what we like, to share it with friends and family without fear. Today is a good day.

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thoughts on the news of the day: rural

2012-01-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

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To say that I live in a rural area would definitely be an understatement. My little town is nestled between two pristine lakes and a lovely river that has some of the best trout fishing in the country. Oh, sure, we have our own Wal-Mart, grocery store and post office; but barely outside the city limits you will find winding country roads with no shoulders, an occasional deer bouncing in front of your car and very little in between.

Our church is not so rural. First of all, we are across the street from the city park, so we get lots of traffic passing by. Our building is not white clapboard, but red brick and white trim with a lovely uptown courtyard in between the sanctuary and the church offices and classrooms. More importantly, our congregation is cosmopolitan. It consists of retirees from northern states with big cities. So the world view is broad and the experience of our members is vast.

The county is not the same. There are cabins in the woods with no electricity and no water. And folks live in them full time, not just when they are on a deer hunting excursion. The cultures meet at our local free clinic. Our members actively volunteer there; some of them retired medical personnel, some just compassionate caregivers. They assist diabetics who are too able for Medicaid and too young for Medicare. They make sure that teeth are repaired to present even further damage. In between, they offer a friendly smile or a kindly hug.

Some people might look at our church and say that there is no mission work being done, but I say, look around town, because we are everywhere.

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thoughts on the news of the day: homesickness

2012-01-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

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It’s like being away at camp. I have been taking a class in Austin, TX for a graduate program and today marks its second week. Homesickness has definitely set in. Seeing my daughter over the weekend helped a lot, but I miss my friends at home.

It is different now than in year’s past. When I went to Girl Scout camp, there were no smart phones, internet, facebook or even cheap long distance rates, not mention free long distance on cell phones. The only mode of communication open to us was letter writing. I yearned for the letters Mom would write and even though my best friend was usually at camp with me, we both needed that touch of home.

The communication opportunities of this trip away from home have definitely been different than the days of camp years ago. This morning I got two welcomed emails from members of my church. They were just chatty notes about things that were happening and people they had seen. It made me feel a lot closer to them than the hundreds of miles that keep us apart right now. And then there is my phone. I can talk to friends and family at the touch of a button and at virtually no cost at all, save the monthly fee that comes regularly.

All this to say, pick up the phone today, jot off an email or if you are really ambitious, try a card with an actual stamp. Your friends and family will love it.

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thoughts on the news of the day: danny thomas

2012-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

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Remember Danny Thomas? Maybe not, but you probably have heard of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. A commemorative “forever” postage stamp is debuting this month in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the hospital which was founded in 1962. It will feature Danny Thomas in the foreground and the hospital behind him.

So why do I mention Danny Thomas? Well, he had the inspiration for the institution and was the major sponsor and fundraiser for its opening. Danny Thomas was a big entertainer in the late 50’s and early 60’s. His television show, “Make Room for Danny” won him an Emmy. But I think the most endearing memory of Danny Thomas is his story of prayer. Several times during Thomas’ early career, he found himself struggling to make ends meet and support his family. And each time he went to church and prayed for guidance and help. He asked St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, “Help me to find my way and I will build you a shrine.” His prayer was answered on each occasion. So he decided to make good on his promise. After consulting with friends and business associates, he began plans to create the incredible foundation and hospital that lives today.

I remember hearing about Danny Thomas’ prayers when I was in a bad place. While I didn’t pray to St. Jude, I did release my cares to a power greater than myself. And, sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in not so small ways, my prayers have been answered. Which affirms to me once again, the great power of prayer.

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thoughts of the news of the day: texas

2012-01-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

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Maybe it’s just because I am here … but it seems like there is more interesting news in Texas than in Arkansas. An article in a national newspaper this morning writes about the Huntsville, Texas prison and the efforts to respectfully intern bodies of deceased inmates. Apparently, if a body is not claimed by family or friends after an allotted amount of time, then the state takes care of the burial. That means it is the job of the prison chaplain to perform the funeral service. Among yucky jobs, that would probably be about the yuckiest, at least for a pastor. I am not sure how you celebrate the life of a child molester or a convicted killer. But there is forgiveness and there is repentance, so maybe focus on that? … I guess…

In Brownsville, Texas down on the Mexican border, police shot a 15 year old 8^th grade boy because he was carrying a pellet gun. They repeatedly asked him to put the gun down; but he refused. He might have meant to harm himself or someone else. But maybe he just didn’t understand what they were asking of him. At any rate, a young boy is dead, and officers have to deal with the remorse and responsibility of the act. Somehow I doubt that it was just insensitivity or carelessness that caused the shooting. But that doesn’t bring a dead boy back.

When I lived in Texas before, I remember being struck by the attitude that everything is bigger and better in the Lone Star state. Unfortunately, that seems to include bad news, too.

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thoughts on the news of the day: reaching for the stars

2012-01-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

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Got an extra $200,000 just lying around? Well, with that much money you can now purchase a ticket for a flight into space. Up until now only seven people had paid millions of dollars apiece for the honor and glory of venturing into outer space. But a new airline called Virgin Galactic is offering the space flights which could take off beginning this year. People have already started signing up for the adventure that will actually offer only a taste of what space travel could be. The rocket ship will travel above the 62 mile mark which is considered the threshold of outer space. Passengers will float in weightlessness for about five minutes, then return gently to the ground – well, maybe not so gently.

When I was young, I thought it would be really cool to fly to the moon. Given the way technology was advancing, it seemed entirely plausible to me. Two astronauts landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 and I figured it was just a matter of time before we all would be going on a regular basis. Boy was I naïve.

Years later I pastored a church that was very near NASA in Houston, TX. One of the flight trainers for the program was a member of our church and I told him that I thought that space travel must be magical. He said, “Nancy, I assure you it is anything but magic.”

Well, I can’t magically or otherwise produce $200,000, so reaching for the stars is not possible for me right now. That is unless you count another kind of reaching for the stars.

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thoughts on the news of the day: ethnography

2012-01-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

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Probably one of my most favorite things to do in the whole wide world is people watch. Airports and malls are the best places. You can plop down anywhere and eavesdrop to your little heart’s content. I love to watch people interacting and then make up stories about their circumstances and their lives.

Let’s say there’s a man and a woman in an airport in Chicago in the middle of winter. They have on light weight t-shirts and blue jeans. First of all, are they together or do they just happen to be sitting next to each other? Are they going to some exotic tropical place on vacation? Maybe they are … maybe they are on their honeymoon. But then again, maybe they are going to Milwaukee and they just have their winter coats packed away. Perhaps they just like to be comfortable and unencumbered on the plane.

I went to my first Doctor of Ministry class at an Austin seminary yesterday. The class consists of seven ordained ministers, so we got to know each other a little by telling stories about our churches. This week we are learning about a big word “ethnography” which is simply put people watching. Well, its people, places and things watching, but you get the idea.

Our assignment for the evening was to go to a coffee house near the campus and people watch, I mean, do an ethnographic study. It wasn’t nearly as fun as an airport or a mall but it was good practice. I saw lots of UT students and they were mostly involved with their laptops. So much for groovy stories about interesting people. I personally think my congregation is far more interesting … but then, maybe that’s the point.

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thoughts on the news of the day: doggy day care

2012-01-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

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OK, I admit it, I send my dog to doggie day care. She stays at home by herself for long periods of time while I am at work, so to entertain her, she goes to Petpaloosa once or twice a week. In my home town, it’s not actually that much of a luxury because there are so many pet owners, and so many options to choose from. And besides that, it’s just not that expensive.

But an article in the New York Times today says that it has gotten popular and is not so cheap in New York City. Doggie Day Care there starts with a $200 membership that allows you to take your dog when you choose. That’s just for starters, there are still daily or monthly fees and additional charges for special kennels, beds and so on … There’s one place that has a no bark rule. Apparently they have magicians who are able to train dogs not to bark. Yeah, right, like that would work on my Roxie!

There are stories galore about rich owners who indulge their pets. Expensive beds, clothes and even rhinestone sweaters adorn the lucky animals. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also agencies who try their best to give attention to dogs who are mistreated and even abused.

In the end, they are all God’s creatures, just like us. We don’t need special pampering or treats or expensive grooming; but we don’t deserve mistreatment or abuse. So, the lessons go on, we learn them from our pets, we and learn them from our world.

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thoughts on the news of the day: more 2012

2012-01-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

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Wonder what 2012 will bring? I’m guessing that for many people it will bring peace, joy, happiness, gratitude and love. But, unfortunately, for others it will also probably bring a little bit of pain, sorrow, anger, and hate.

My daughter and I were talking about what it was like in 2000. I mean, even though it might seem like yesterday to some of us, it actually was 12 years ago! In 2000, we got our first cell phones. They were black bulky things with buttons but no screens. I loved that my daughter and I both now had them. She played high school athletics, and cell phones meant that she could call me a few minutes before they got back to school on the bus from a game. I no longer had to wait in the dark parking lot with the other parents, not knowing when the bus would finally arrive.

In 2000, we still had a land line in our home. I look at telephone hook-ups now glaring out from the wall and wonder how to disguise them – strangely, my daughter doesn’t even have them installed in her new home. Now cable television is almost the same, you have to have a wire in your wall to connect to the screen. But who would have thought that streaming videos and games would replace the local Blockbusters!

2012 will bring new advances, other technology will go away. But as for peace, joy, happiness, gratitude and love, I am hoping they never become obsolete.

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thoughts on the news of the day: 2012

2011-12-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

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It’s a day of endings, on the cusp of new beginnings. The obvious one is that it is the last day of 2011 and the day before New Year’s Day 2012. But there are a few other endings of note in the world this week. Perhaps you have heard about Ben Breedlove, a young 18 year old who died of heart failure on Christmas Day. His funeral was yesterday in Austin, TX and there were 1500 people in attendance. No, he wasn’t a rock star or famous athlete; he was just an ordinary teenager, except for the fact that he chronicled his experiences with death on you-tube.

Breedlove said he wasn’t afraid of death and that his near-death experiences because of his heart condition brought him a sense of great peace. He described many of the occurrences others have described --- the bright light, a feeling of peace and comfort and even seeing loved ones or other significant people. For Breedlove, death was not a fearful prospect, but a peaceful one.

A great lady in our church passed away yesterday. It was the end of life for her too. She was ill for a long time, but carried on for many brave years. I remember meeting her for the first time. She was on oxygen, which she carried in a sling as she struggled to the fellowship hall after worship. The first words she ever said to me were. “Nancy, I want to go home.” And she wasn’t talking about her little house down the street. She had made peace with her maker and was ready to go whenever the time came. It has been two and a half years since that conversation and she is finally home.

It’s an end and a beginning, just like today. Goodbye, 2011. Hello, 2012.

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thoughts on the news of the day: ice

2011-12-30T07:34:00.001-08:00

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It is late December, but its shorts and t-shirts weather in Austin, TX where I am visiting my daughter. I am loving the warm weather and the sunshine which is a delightful departure from the chilly temperatures we left in the Arkansas Ozarks.

In spite of the cold outdoors, my home, and the homes of my friends in the Ozarks are cozy warm. Heating units, fireplaces and potbellied stoves keep our abodes well above the freezing mark. And since it isn’t sooo cold, and the gas prices aren’t sooo high, we can stay well within our comfort zone.

But what if you chose to vacation in frigid settings. And I am not talking outside, I mean inside as well. The Balea Lac Hotel of Ice northwest of Bucharest, Romania is entirely made of ice. It offers ten rooms with king size beds at the price of about $50 per person. The temperature at the hotel hovers around 36 degrees to keep the ice from melting. You can dine there and relax. I am not sure how they cook, doesn’t most food preparation require heat? And how do you relax when you are shivering. I am sure they have figured all of that out though …

There’s an old saying “cold hands, warm heart.” It would probably really fit the tourists at the Balea Lac who are probably bundling up and snuggling up to a loved one. And that can’t be all bad in any climate.

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thoughts on the news of the day: samoa

2011-12-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

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I have lost a few days of blogs. Computer problems have plagued me; dismally slow speeds on my ancient computer; frantic efforts to prepare worship services for the Christmas season; and last minute shopping have made it pretty much impossible to stay on top of my blog writing. Like I say, I lost a few days.

We all know what it is like to “lose a day”. It happens when we are sick and can’t go to work. We feel like we have lost a day of getting things done. Traveling can feel that way; it might take a whole day to travel from one place to the next and so it seems like we didn’t have that day to work, play or just relax.

Now Samoa is another story. They are literally losing a whole day at the end of this week. This Pacific island is changing its time zone. The country wants to be in sync with the Asian side of time zones instead of the United States side, since they feel they do more business there. So, in order to change the zone, they have to lose a day and go from Thursday to Saturday which means no TGIF for them.

Wonder what will happen to all the people who get paychecks each week? Will they be docked for a day’s pay? Will Samoans be charged for a whole month’s rent? How about utility bills? Do they receive a discount of one day?

I am not sure how all that will work, but I do know this: cherish today, don’t waste it, don’t lose it because you will never get it back again.

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thoughts on the news of the day: i believe

2011-12-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

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It’s Santa tracking time. NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has been tracking Santa for 56 years with its sophisticated satellite system and this year the tradition will continue.

Probably we all have our stories about magically discovering that Santa is real. My favorite is the one about my daughter when she was about three years old. We had gone to my sister’s house for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a simple, but traditional one for us, a meal of homemade chicken soup and peppermint pie. The pie was my nephew’s favorite, and he assisted in the assembling of it that year. Afterwards, we opened only a few gifts because Santa really came on Christmas morning at our house.

All was well when we ventured out into the cool night air in our scarves and mittens. But we looked up to discover a red light dancing in the sky. Surely it was Rudolph, we exclaimed to the children. My daughter bought it; and rushed to the car to head home. After all Santa didn’t come until everyone was snuggled in their beds.

The grownups knew that coincidently my sister’s house was right in the flight pattern of the landing strip for the airport and so red lights were normal at all times of the year. But the awe and wonder of that moment was magical. And I will never forget it.

Who says that Santa isn’t real? Santa exists in the bright eyes of a small child who still believes. And I believe, too.

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thoughts on the news of the day: re-gifting

2011-12-20T07:58:00.001-08:00

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Let’s talk about re-gifting. Is it good or is it bad? Some think that it is the cheapskates way out. I mean, it a way to get out of paying actual money for a gift, isn’t it? Teachers have done it for years. They get little Avon gifts and Christmas knickknacks as well as all of the items that parents bought in the fund raiser sales and never wanted in the first place. So they pass them along to family and friends who usually don’t want them either. On a teacher’s salary, its not a bad way to save money. My Dad used to buy used items at the Goodwill and tried to pass them on as new and we never bought into that one either.

But then there is another way of looking at it. There is a new ecology word going around these days. It is “re-purpose-ing”. And I think that is a good thing. Sometimes we receive a present that is not so good for us, but perfect for someone else. There is still thought put into the gift, its just that the giver took care and also moved toward sustainability.

Back to my Dad, he used to take my daughter and her cousin to resale shops in town and they loved it! All it took was a quarter or two and they had a week’s worth of gently used toys. My daughter got tons of costume jewelry to play dress up with – it was grand!

So the jury is still out on re-gifting. I say, whatever you give, give it with thoughtfulness and love and it will be just fine.

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thoughts on the news of the day: doctor's devices

2011-12-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

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I have wondered for years why the medical profession didn’t make better use of technology in keeping patients records. It seemed to me that logging a patient’s history on a laptop disk made lots more sense than keeping a room full of files crammed with papers. As the years have gone by, doctors and nurses have more and more come to use electronic devices to keep track of patient’s status, medications, etc.

But there is a troubling trend becoming the norm in medicine. Apparently more and more doctors and nurses are using smart phones, iPads and other computers to surf the web; checking emails, texting and even shopping on ebay. So, lets see, a doctor is performing surgery while making phone calls to his family and friends using a bluetooth audio device. A nurse is checking airline reservations during a heart procedure. And, while examining a patient, the physician also checks his twitter account.

It’s not good. Medical personnel can easily be distracted by these devices and mistakes are made – costly mistakes. In one instance, a patient was partially paralyzed because of just such behavior by a doctor.

I know of a therapist who uses a laptop to keep notes on clients while they are talking about their problems. H usually explains to his patients what he is doing. But still, I think tapping away at a computer would be rather disconcerting, even though it actually is in the patients best interest.

Maybe the best thing to do is to tell the medical professional when we think the behavior is inappropriate. Of course that is a little difficult to do when you are under anesthetic, but in other cases, it is always OK to safeguard our health. More and more today, the advice is being given to pay attention to our own medical care. Maybe this is a good place to start.

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thoughts on the news of the day: protesters

2011-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

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Interestingly enough, Time magazine’s person of the year for 2011 is The Protester. When the choice was announced, I imagine several folks were disappointed that it wasn’t one name instead of many – it wasn’t them. Steve Jobs could have been named or Kate Middleton. Then there’s Gabriel Giffords and Rep. Paul Ryan.

But after a year of thought, Time chose ”the protester”. This obviously includes lots of folks, folks who are unnamed, but nevertheless have had a huge impact on the events of 2011. For the most part, the protesters have been righteous. Take for example, those who protested the governments of Libya and Egypt, and Syria. They won the freedom of many people in the middle east and will not be forgotten. Then there are the protesters who Occupy Wall Street. Some might say those who protested big business, big banks and their greed were misguided and well, wrong. But, they persisted and a movement was born.

Then, there are the individual protesters named. People like Molly Katchpole who began the protest against debit card fees. She started her protest online and was able to collect over 306,000 signatures. And also, Loukanikos, a stray dog, who followed along Athens protesters and made a name for himself.

It is probably good that people stand up for themselves and fight for what is right. After all, that is what our forefathers did to make our country, the United States, a place where all people can be free and have the right to assemble peacefully to plead their cause. But I think that what happens after the protest is even more important than the protest itself. If nothings changes, nothing changes.

Maybe Time is right about the protesters. . Maybe this time things will change and in the end we will find peace and harmony once again. It could happen.

hmmm..,.,.,.,

thoughts on the news of the day: dreidels and dragons

2011-12-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

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It’s Christmas School Pageants time. I guess it is more politically correct to say Holiday programs. Ambivalent parents all over the country have marked off an evening to proudly video their children and patiently endure the remainder of the program. I have to say for myself, I showed up for many an elementary school program when my daughter was young and I suspect that grandchildren will take over that tradition someday.

Those programs aren’t all bad, though. When we lived in Austin while I was in seminary, my daughter attended the best elementary school ever. It was nestled in a neighborhood close to the University of Texas campus, so many of the professor’s and graduate student’s children attended there, It was a mini United Nations. Physically the campus was small. It could hold only about 300 or so children, while the average population of an Austin school was about 600 students at the time. But, the proud and loyal, not mention long-time school principal fiercely held on to the goal of maintaining the school despite objections by AISD school administration.

At any rate, they also had the best Christmas program ever. It commemorated the holidays of Kwanza, Hanukah, the Chinese New Year, and Christmas. The spinning of the Jewish Dreidel was highlighted, as well as the parade of the Chinese dragon. There was also an interesting twist on the Christmas story. Being in central Texas, the children enacted the Mexican tradition of Posada which is the story of Joseph and Mary going from inn to inn looking for a place to stay. No matter what religion, it is an endearing story of a poor family needing a place to lay their head one night.

I think it is important to teach our kids that there are many ways to celebrate this time of year. Let’s support our diversity but also honor the generosity and goodwill of the season. We owe that to our children.

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thoughts on the news of the day: uncertainty

2011-12-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

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“I deal better with rejection than uncertainty.” That’s a quote from a self-published author named Darcie Chan. Her novel has sold more than 400,000 copies on line without ever being printed in hard copy. She was referring to the possibility of her novel being picked up by a publisher and that it was easier to be turned down by them than to wait for their decision.

Is rejection easier that uncertainty? Maybe that’s a good question to ask. And maybe it is. Maybe that is why we sometimes seem to sabotage our best efforts – because it is easier to hear “no” than to sit in the dark wondering what will happen next. There is no anxiety in rejection, only sadness. Then, you get on with it. But waiting day after day, sometimes year after year, can cause life-threatening anxiety and stress.

Our denomination is famous for that. We stew and stir about things that need immediate answers; or at least deserve immediate answers. There are lives and careers that hang in the balance. Anyone is allowed to bring up any just cause for thinking about it further and then a plan gets bogged down in the goo. Leaders seem to be reluctant to make decisions because it is easier to just talk about it.

And maybe to a degree that is what even our government has done. The truth is that in most cases, we know what the right thing to do is. But leaders would rather debate, and people continue to suffer.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with carefully considering an issue. I am saying that it is easier to talk about something than actually do something. Let’s get off the bench. Let’s make a move. A friend used to say, “Sometimes you have to do something, even if it’s wrong.” Maybe that time is now.

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thoughts on the news of the day: youth

2011-12-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

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You are never too young. You are never too young to live your dream. Rachel Crow, a 13 year old contestant on X-Factor was eliminated last night in a tear jerker decision by the judges. She was devastated but composed herself and said that she loved her family and her voters and commented, “I know this is not my ending.”

Usually dreams are fulfilled after a lifetime, or at least a decade or so of struggle and effort. “Over night” successes are usually achieved after long hours, long days and long waits for the dream to happen. But in some cases, it seems almost magical. And even though Rachel didn’t accomplish her ultimate dream, certainly performing in the national television spotlight before millions of fans has to be close.

We think we might be too old to try for a goal; but sometimes we think we are too young, too inexperienced, too untrained. We are never too young in our experience to try again to fulfill those wants that inspire us. Many times, God calls us into a new challenge. God calls us to take on something we had never dreamed possible. In January I am beginning a Doctor of Ministry, usually referred to as the “D Min.”. Hopefully, I won’t come to call it the “de-mon” program before its completion.

It’s a dream I have had for years, and never thought possible. But because of encouragement from friends, relatives and the financial assistance of several supporters, I am embarking on this new challenge. My maturity in things theological will be challenged and I will probably feel like a young pup all over again. There is even a possibility that like Rachel, I will not achieve my ultimate goal.

But I am going to try; because, after all, you are never too young.

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thoughts on the news of the day: colors

2011-12-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

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What’s THE color for 2012? It’s called Tangerine Tango! That’s a sort of orangey/red color that actually has been popular for a while. I have a leather purse that my daughter bought me a couple of years ago that is pretty much that shade – I love it, but it’s not exactly new.

Do colors matter? Some say that your favorite color can tell a lot about you. Does blue mean you are blue? Does sunny yellow mean you are happy all the time? What about if your favorite color is black? I once knew a minister whose favorite color was beige. Actually that was the color of his personality, too.

My favorite color is green. I like it because it reminds me of spring, my favorite time of the year. I love the freshness and newness of it. Some say “green is the color of money” and that’s why it is their favorite color.

Maybe all of this talk about color doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. But I think paying attention to little details does. Like the tiny violet’s vibrant color. Or the murky gray on a cloudy winter day. And while we are talking about winter, what about a fresh fallen snow? Have you ever looked up to see an endless blue sky and wondered how it got that way?

God made all of the colors of the world. I guess it is our job to stop and look at the roses.

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thoughts on the news of the day: ice and snow

2011-12-07T05:12:00.001-08:00

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It’s December 7, for heaven’s sake and there is white stuff on the ground again this morning. That’s supposed to be reserved for mid-January and February in our part of the world! I know that there are lots of folks who are used to snow by mid-November – but not us – not usually. We need clear roads for folks who are traveling over the holidays. These mountainous roads are not conducive of moving along when there is snow on the ground.

I remember getting caught in an ice storm north of Dallas one year at Christmas time. We made it as far as Durant, OK and had to give up because the ice was just too slippery for travel. Christmas Eve was spent in a lonely motel room and Christmas morning met with no breakfast because the café was closed – it was Christmas after all. There was a Chinese restaurant in town that opened for an early lunch; then it was on to the highway again as we slowly made our way to Tulsa and family and friends.

Just about everyone has their own story about being stuck somewhere during the holidays. A few years ago, my daughter had to go to OKC the day after Christmas for her job and got stuck in the worst ice storm of their history. I worried the whole time, but she did finally arrive safely at her destination.

So I suggest you use common sense this season. Stay home until the weather clears. Take care on the highways. And have a safe and blessed holiday.

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thoughts on the news of the day: dog rescue

2011-12-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

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An airport baggage handler in Reno, Nevada refused to board a dog and in this case it was a good thing. The dog, bound for Corpus Christi, TX was emaciated and covered with sores. Lynn Jones, the employee, noticed the dog in its carrier and refused to load it on the plane. She said that if the dog was put on the plane, it would die in transit. Bad news and good news: Jones lost her job and the dog was rescued and recovered from his abuse. Good news and bad news: the company is reconsidering reinstated her and the dog is going back to its owner.

Dog rescue has become a prominent and necessary thing. I know of two families who are engaged in this endeavor and it is time consuming and costly. But it is also worthy and admirable. One family has taken in so many dogs that they have had to build extra housing on their property. The otherwise impeccably groomed yard has little grass left in the dog runs because of the wear and tear. Their home has all but been destroyed by angry and hurt dogs who are just acting out their frustration on window sills and couches.

But I admire those who are committed to rescuing dogs from abuse and hardship. They make great sacrifices, spending their own money on food and shelter for the canines and often traveling far distances to keep dogs from abuse and in some cases euthanasia.

You may not own a dog. You may not even like dogs. But you have to admit, they have the right to a safe and healthy environment, just as all God’s creatures do.

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thoughts on the news of the day: john boy

2011-12-04T05:20:00.000-08:00

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Remember “The Walton’s of television fame? They recently came together and held their 40^th year anniversary of the show being broadcast in prime time. The Waltons were a mythical family who lived in the country in the early 1940's days and survived mostly off the land. There was a passel of kids ranging from almost adult to little almost toddlers. And a Mom and Dad who deeply loved them and wanted the best for them.

We all wanted to be like the Waltons, didn’t we? We wanted to have siblings who annoyed us but loved us and stood up for us too. And we wanted a Mom and a Dad who were like the Walton parents, strict but kind, generous but thrifty, honest but forgiving.

I wanted a Walton family as much as the next guy. When she was born, we even named my daughter Mary Ellen – a name she rebels against even to this day. But instead I got a broken family as a single, divorced Mom raising one child by myself. Life works that way sometimes; we think we know what we want but it turns out to be something completely different. In spite of my disappointment, I learned to be a a strong and independent woman, a trait which I have passed on to my daughter.

Every evening, at the close of the show, the family would snuggle under their covers. A litany of siblings would say “good night” in the order of their birth. It was a ritual that was a hallmark of the show. And it was always comforting and reassuring to hear the concluding refrain. it's one that some of us still say today: “Good night, John Boy.”

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thoughts on the news of the day: santa claus

2011-12-03T10:40:00.001-08:00

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No Santa Claus? Robin Robinson, a news anchor on Fox News, Chicago said in a broadcast recently that “There is no Santa Claus.” She was talking about the pressure that parents feel to purchase extravagant gifts because their children believe in unlimited luxury at Christmas time. Her point was met with strenuous objection from parents all over the city.

Robinson apologized the next day and said that “So many kids don’t get to be children, that for those who do get to live the wonder and magic of Christmas, I would never spoil it intentionally. So I sincerely apologize.”

It’s a dilemma, isn’t it? We want to tell the truth, to be honest and forthcoming when challenged by a statement we have made. I imagine that most of us do feel that Christmas has become more of a commercial money making enterprise than a time to celebrate steadfast love. But what about the wonder and the magic of Christmas? What about the idea of unlimited generosity? I may not believe in a white haired man in a red suit who brings me what I want, but I do believe in generosity and kindness and love.

When my daughter was little, she used to ask me if there was a Santa Claus, and I always said, “I believe in the magic of Christmas, and I believe that anything is possible.” And I still believe that. But we have to do our part. Buying one more expensive toy is not the answer, but expressing our love and our joy for a relationship with someone is. And I think that’s what Jesus wants for Christmas.

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thoughts on the news of the day: routine

2011-11-30T05:47:00.001-08:00

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I’m back. It has been a bittersweet Thanksgiving. Sweet because I got to see my beautiful daughter. I don’t get to see her enough and the time we spent together was filled with joy and laughter. But the end of my vacation brought the end to a friendship with a very close, dear friend. I had to say goodbye at a funeral held last Sunday. It was an odd way to end a vacation; one that was not planned and won’t be forgotten.

But there’s a lot to be said for coming back to a routine. I am looking forward to sitting at my desk, going through mail and email and visiting with friends I haven’t seen for a while. There will be plenty of coffee and maybe a cookie or two. People will bug me about things that need to be done and things will seem to get back to normal; whatever normal is!

Routines make our life make sense when all around us makes no sense at all. I once read about a man who had lost his wife in a tragic accident. The next day he showed up at his usual spot. His friends asked him “What are you doing here when you should be grieving?” And he responded that life goes on, his wife would have wanted him to carry on and that the routine of his day was a comfort. Two young girls I pastored in Texas lost their mother after a long battle with cancer. They played in their high school soccer game that night. They wanted to be with their friends and to get back to a routine after so many months of uncertainty and unrest.

It may seem to be insensitive and uncaring; but it is a way, maybe the best way, to recover. I know my friend Katy would want me to get back to my routine … and so I will.

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thoughts on the news of the day: parades

2011-11-29T06:51:00.001-08:00

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When I was a young girl, we lived near a then-small town named Broken Arrow, OK. Every spring, the small city promoted their main street shops by having a celebration called “Rooster Day”. Farmers would bring their prize poultry to town and there were midways and rides and lots of cotton candy. They even had a “Miss Chick” beauty pageant. But the most spectacular event of the weekend was the Saturday morning parade. Loud high school bands with beautiful teenage girls dressed up as twirlers began the show. Then came some floats – churches and business decorated flat bed trailers with crepe paper streamers and balloons and sometimes bright lights. And last of all, for obvious reasons, the horses brought up the rear. The palominos were the best. It was a grand time!

In a couple of weeks, our town will hold its annual Christmas parade. Our church has participated in this parade for several years and has even won first prize in the church float category. Its fun to see all the floats lit up with Christmas lights and the children scrambling for the candy thrown from the floats.

The Tournament of Roses parade held in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day is probably the most spectacular parade of them all. The rule is that floats in the parade have to be entirely decorated in flowers. This parade has been well attended by commercial floats which advertise their companies in a grand way.

Unfortunately, many companies are cutting back this year. There will not be nearly as many folks vying for the top prizes. Some companies feel that it is not profitable or advantageous to participate in the parade so they have opted out. And because of that, float creating companies are going out of business.

I personally love a parade. Whether it is on television, or whether I stand on the sidewalk watching it pass by, the grandeur of it all thrills me. And I hope for parade float makers everywhere, the tradition never ends.

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thoughts on the news of the day: katy

2011-11-27T04:53:00.001-08:00

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Turkey Day is over. The pumpkin pie is decimated; the leftovers are in the refrigerator. The shoppers have cleaned off the shelves for needy and greedy storekeepers. Thanksgiving is over. Is it too late to say “Thank you”? Is it ever too late to say thank you?

One of my closest and dearest friends passed away yesterday. Her funeral is today. I am sure gonna miss her. I wish she was still here and I could say thank you to her for all she meant to me. If I could, I would tell her how grateful I was for her wisdom and her wit. She always wanted to be cute and funny and most of the time she was. She had my back and I could always count on her to be there for me.

We went through an impossible circumstance together. It was almost us against the world; but we both survived and came back to ready to fight another day. None of us probably ever gave her the respect she deserved. All of the gifts she so generously lavished on us were never really appreciated for the thoughtfulness and love they conveyed. She made us laugh, and that was fine; but we rarely acknowledged the truths behind what she said to us.

She was a fine director and actress. She knew the stage as well as anyone in the business. She would sometimes watch her actors without listening to the words just to figure out if their body language made sense. And she was great at reading us and knowing when we were just acting in real life.

Stories were her strong suite. She had a million of them—stories of her adventures as an English and Drama teacher in tiny, rural public school systems. She loved to tell about the funny antics of her beloved grandchildren and occasionally had a joke or two about a public official.

I wish it wasn’t too late to say thank you to my dear friend. Maybe it’s not. Maybe I can honor her with my memories of her and try as hard as I can to learn from the many things she taught me. Katy, thank you for your friendship; you will be missed. And I promise never again to split my infinitives.

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thoughts on the news of the day: thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

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My daughter and I have a somewhat unusual way of celebrating Thanksgiving Day. We don’t do all the ‘right” things – like go to relatives homes and stuff ourselves with turkey and dressing. I wish I could say we go to homeless shelters and serve dinner to those who wouldn’t otherwise have one – but we have never gotten organized enough to do that. And no, we aren’t a deer hunting family where the guys spend the day out in the woods and the rest of the family stays home and pouts about it.

For the longest time, we have not been able to be with relatives far away, so we celebrate with each other and friends who are away from family, too. We have pumpkin pie, and dressing and mashed potatoes – and crescent rolls but we don’t have turkey. We usually have roast or barbeque or something like that. My daughter is not a turkey eater and I am not so great a fan, either – so turkey is out and beef is in. But that’s just us.

To me the most important part of Thanksgiving is remembering that we have so many things to be thankful for. And I could name a long list of things to be grateful for now. But I encourage you today, to pause for a moment, between football games and shopping lists and thank someone for something. It will make the day.

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thoughts on the news of the day: telemarketers

2011-11-23T06:27:00.001-08:00

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Most of us want people to know who we are. We usually take pride in the fact that so many people might know our name. One of the beauties of small town living is that everyone knows your name. But what if we didn’t want people to know who we were? What if we were disguising our name and attempting to pretend we were someone else?

Telemarketing companies are getting more and more clever. They now have a way of identifying themselves on your caller id as being a different name than their actual one. For example, they identify themselves as the I.R.S. or the F.B.I. Now, I would be immediately suspicious of that identity on my caller ID, but I guess lots of folks aren’t, because it seems to be working. People seem to be answering those calls. The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against one of the telemarketers that identifies itself as a fake company and more are soon to follow.

How sad is it that a company or organization is so ashamed of their name and their product that they have to disguise it in order to sell it? If you weren’t proud of the company you worked for, and had to deny your own personal integrity to continue to draw a paycheck, it would be a tragic day indeed. I guess as it draws closer to Thanksgiving, a gratitude I can have is that I am proud to say the name of the organization I work for. And I can pray for those who don’t have that privilege.

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thoughts on the news of the day: boos

2011-11-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

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Not very classy, that’s what I think about the boos the First Lady and the Vice-First Lady received at the NASCAR event held yesterday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Supported elsewhere during the event, the boos came when they were introduced to say those famous words, “Start your engines”. The women were at the track to promote a cause that should be dear to all of our hearts called “Joining Forces.” The idea behind the promotion is to support military veterans and their families. No matter what your political leanings, I think supporting our military is something we all can do.

Class is a characteristic that you either have or you don’t. And I don’t think it can be taught. It is more than good taste. Good taste has to do with things you acquire but class has nothing to do with possessions at all. Class is opening the door for a lady. Class is allowing a gentleman to do that. Class is winning gracefully – or losing gracefully for that matter. Class is about respect, graciousness and hospitality – none of which was shown by the boos at the speedway.

I would rather have class than fame. Fame can be taken away; class never can. It has nothing to how wealthy you are. For example, Mother Teresa had class and Howard Hughes did not. Perhaps the best way we can nudge our children toward a little class is to model it for them every day. And one way we can do that is by saying thank you to our veterans.

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thoughts on the news of the day: underdogs

2011-11-20T05:08:00.000-08:00

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Holy Cow! Little bitty Baylor in Waco, Texas beat football powerhouse Oklahoma in a surprising upset last night. The score was 38-45. Don’t you know there is some wild celebrating going on in Waco? I have Baylor and Oklahoma fans in my midst. Personally, I have no great attachment to either team, but it is always interesting when the underdog prevails.

We love sports and we love it when the David overtakes the Goliath. The first underdog story ever is told in the Bible when young David, the shepherd, slings a shot at a huge giant named Goliath striking him dead. Don’t you know the crowd cheered?

I think the reason we love underdogs so much is that we identify with them. Who hasn’t felt like someone or something was far greater a foe than we could ever win against? We feel unprepared, unsuccessful and ineffective. This is where God comes in. The old Bible quote goes, “If God is with us, who can be against us?” Now, this quote oftentimes is used as a proof text to get our own way. But I don’t think that is what it means. I think it means that if we are humble and put God first in a situation, then we might find a way to reach a compromise, which doesn’t happen unless the underdog has a powerhouse on their side.

One thing is true; God always wins. And that’s a fact you can count on.

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thoughts on the news of the day: cathedrals

2011-11-19T09:21:00.001-08:00

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Is the building the church or are the people the church? The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, California is buying the Crystal Cathedral. Robert Schuller built this remarkable edifice and has been identified with it for many years. What will become of the people who worship there?

The Catholic Church plans to make it a Catholic Cathedral so I guess that the worshipers from before still have a place to attend services, they just won’t be during an “Hour of Power” where celebrities take the stage along with the clergy. It very definitely won’t be the same.

Several years ago, our Presbyterian governing body had a disagreement with a church in Tulsa about who owned the property. The church wanted to leave our denomination and wanted to take their elaborate building with them. But clearly, our rules establish all church buildings to belong to the larger governing body. The local church lost, but not without the paying of enormous legal fees on both sides. The obvious question is: wouldn’t that money have been better spent on mission?

Massive worship facilities are not new to the world. Medieval cathedrals are spread throughout Europe. And I am sure there was a question then about building vast cathedrals when the people were starving.

I guess it’s OK to have gigantic structures built within to worship. There is something to be said about honoring our Creator with a beautiful earthly home. We just need to remember not to worship the building.

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thoughts on the news of the day: hymns

2011-11-18T06:24:00.001-08:00

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Last night our church family had a Thanksgiving dinner in our fellowship hall. But that wasn’t the main attraction. A pastor from a nearby church came to present a program on Fanny Crosby. Most people don’t know a whole lot about her except that she wrote one of the all time favorite hymns, “Blessed Assurance”.

Fanny (Frances Jane) was born in 1820. She lost her sight as an infant when a doctor treated an infection in her eyes with a hot poultice. This cured the infection but left her sightless for life. Fanny was schooled by her grandmother’s encouragement and as a teenager had the opportunity to go to a school for the blind. She wrote her first poem when she was eight and over her lifetime wrote over 8,000 hymns. Pretty amazing, huh?

She said the following about her blindness:

"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."

If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour."

Next time I am inclined to make excuses for my inability to accomplish a goal, I think I will remember Fanny Crosby and her contribution to Christians all over the world.

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thoughts on the news of the day: jobs

2011-11-17T07:31:00.001-08:00

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When I first graduated from college, I remember that I couldn’t wait to get out on my own. With a good job and a bright future, I rented my first apartment, a furnished efficiency. It had a huge walk in closet which I converted into a sewing room. I was in heaven – on my own and making my own money and my own car payments.

It’s not so great for graduating seniors these days. Jobs are hard to find and many former students are moving in with Mom and Dad until they are financially stable. Another result of the sluggish economy. In my own circle of friends and family, I know of several young adults who are staying with their parents until they find employment.

I think it is wise in most cases to hunker down and wait for the good jobs and the financial system to recover, but it is hurting the economy further. Moving into a new apartment means paying rent for a place to stay. It means buying kitchen utensils, some furniture ( even if its second hand) and groceries for heavens sake! All that means fueling the economy with an infusion of cash.

But until the jobs are available, students can’t afford to move out and the economy continues to stagnate, which means fewer jobs, and on and on and on. I am not sure what the solution is. Everyone seems to agree that we need more jobs, but can’t agree on how to go about that. I wish they would figure it out … my niece needs a job!

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thoughts on the news of the day: bookstores

2011-11-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

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So, I don’t have a Kindle, an iPad or a Knook; not yet anyway. I read books the old fashioned way. They are still paper for me, and they still collect dust on my bookshelf. I predicted long ago that some day books would be collectors items because most information and reading material would be digital. And my prediction is close to true.

In Nashville, TN, a popular author, Ann Patchett and her business partner have opened a new bookstore. They did this because Nashville no longer had a real bookstore that was not the specialty or religious type. Can you imagine that in a city the size of Nashville there was not one bookstore? There are used book stores and stores that reach into the suburbs, but no real bookstores in the city proper.

This doesn’t mean that people don’t read anymore, although that claim has been raised. It means that more and more people do their reading from downloaded material displayed on their electronic tablets. That may be a good thing or not. It is convenient, that’s for sure – to download a book anytime day or night. But the delight of browsing and discovery is lost sitting at a computer. Not every book written is electronic, so there is at times, a need to buy a real book.

We do still have our own bookstore in the small Ozarks town I live in, but it succeeds by renting and selling videos as well as books. I hope it will survive. It still has its own coffee bar and comfy chairs to rest and relax in.

I, myself, continue to collect children’s books – I figure that some day they might be a novelty for my future grandkids and great grand kids and that maybe … maybe they just might read them.

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thoughts on the news of the day

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

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Today is my birthday. It started out great … I got to sleep in and then after making coffee, I sat down to open the cards I had received over the past few days. One was a beautiful poem from a friend and there was a small package from my daughter. The box held a beautiful necklace that she had made herself. It was dear to me. I left it on the coffee table and went to my bathroom to get ready for work. I was planning on wearing the necklace to work. When I looked on the coffee table to put it on, it wasn’t there.

My dog has this habit of eating things. I looked everywhere for the necklace, knowing that she had gotten it, but hoping she hadn’t completely destroyed it. Looking outside in her pen, I found it. Or rather the pieces of it. I was mad, frustrated, sad and disappointed all at the same time. I had been having such a great birthday and that discovery ruined it. On top of everything else, it occurred to me that my dog might have even eaten some of the wire – and that would be disastrous.

Does that happen to you sometimes? Things cave in on you at the most inopportune times. They all flood together and we get overwhelmed. I am not sure how I will deal with it, but I know life will go on … In the meantime, all I can do is just hang in there and hope for the best …. Grateful that I have made it another year and hoping for a bright future in the next year.

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thoughts on the news of the day: coming home

2011-11-14T05:50:00.001-08:00

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I am not much of a hockey fan. But this morning I watched a film clip from the opening of the Boston Bruins game that was held on Saturday night. The drop of the puck tradition was held when Darren and Lori Jacobs walked out into the middle of the rink. As a surprise to them, the Bruins had brought their son, Lt. Charles Jacobs home on leave from

Afghanistan

. Imagine the Jacobs amazement and delight to see their son. He had come home, even if only for a short while.

Coming home can sometimes be a bittersweet moment. I am sure that no matter how long he is there, for the Jacobs, it will seem like too short a time.

We had another homecoming yesterday at out church. The extended family of one of our long time members had come to visit. But this wasn’t a joyous occasion; they were coming home to bury their elderly mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. The funeral is this morning, so they decided to join together in celebrating worship at their Mom’s church for what will probably be their last time. We welcomed them with open arms.

Thanksgiving can be a coming home. And it can be joyous or not so joyous. For family who get along, it is a wonderful occasion for celebration. I have one good friend who will be in the hospital over Thanksgiving and won’t get to come home – not very wonderful at all. Cold turkey on a plastic tray is probably awaiting her.

For all of us who will be with family and friends, let’s be grateful for our time together. It will be so short.

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thoughts on the news of the day: on call

2011-11-13T04:30:00.001-08:00

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This weekend I am “on call”. Several pastors and I serve as “on call” chaplains at the local hospital here in the Ozarks. You never know how busy you will be. Some weekends the calls seem never ending but some weekends are free. Either way, there’s no going out of town; no late night gatherings, no walks deep into the woods near Lake Norfork. This would mean being out of range of the pager – a no-no for those who are supposed to be ready at any moment’s notice to arrive at the emergency room ready to go to work.

Yesterday morning I was relaxing at my home, anticipating a long day planning for a funeral when the call came. I raced to get dressed, throw some make-up on and comb my hair. As I was walking out the door, I received another call. False alarm. I could go back to my reading. But it was already too late. I cleaned up the morning dishes and headed out the door for my appointment with the deceased’s family.

So why do I mention this? Because while I am feeling sorry for myself, it occurs to me that lots of folks are “on call”. Firefighters, police officers, doctors and nurses all take their turns being on call and that names just a few of those affected by the demands of their jobs.

Take a moment today to tell someone “on call” that you appreciate them and the work that they do. You never know when you will need them.

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thoughts on the news of the day: abuse

2011-11-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

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It’s hard to ignore. It’s about Herman Cain and Joe Paterno. It’s made the news for days now: I am talking about sexual abuse. Cain and Paterno have been accused, not convicted, so we have to be careful about condemning them.

Right about now, I could easily go into a righteous tirade about the harm sexual abuse does and the life long damage it incurs. I could lament the lost innocence of youth and the devastation of careers. I could talk about the harm done when accomplices let the crime go unnoticed. I could write about all of that and I would be right, don’t you agree?

But I usually don’t go there and I won’t today. What I would like to write about is the respect we do or don’t have for those around us. Respect involves all sorts of behavior and misbehavior. It is a trait that our country is founded on; I believe we can all agree on that.

Respect involves treating one another with dignity, kindness and acceptance. It requires a somewhat open mind and the willingness to not always have it our way. Some people call it “Christian”; as if we have a franchise on the virtue. But that’s not really true, for Jews and Muslims and all sort of other faiths practice respect, too.

Abuse of any kind is not OK. Respect is appropriate in any situation. Let’s be respectful of one another. Surely that will prevail.

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thoughts on the news of the day: promises, promises

2011-11-09T04:52:00.001-08:00

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The New Year’s Resolution to lose weight began simply enough. Jay Wornick, a resident of New York State made a bet with his wife to lost weight. The loser of the bet promised to have a tattoo of the other’s name inked on their stomach. Jay thought he would maybe lose 20 or 30 pounds and then gain it all back. But with diligent efforts, he was able to lose 200 pounds over this past year. Needless to say, he won the bet. His wife is trying to figure out where the tattoo will go.

Promises can come back to haunt you. In passing, we promise someone that we will do something. We don’t think much more about it, but the receiver of the promise does. The one “promised to” is counting on the “promiser” to fulfill the commitment, but the one who promises may not even remember it. When my daughter was little I absentmindedly promised her that I would build her a tree house. Twenty years later, I still haven’t accomplished that goal and she has never forgotten it.

Politicians make promises all the time, but we don’t believe them. Why should we? We know that they are not going to be able to keep them. Even those promises that are likely and easy probably can’t be kept. But we remember and we feel betrayed.

It’s easy to say, “I promise” but very hard to remember and keep that commitment we made. Relationships get broken that way.

Promise to keep your promises today.

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thoughts on the news of the day: local

2011-11-07T05:59:00.001-08:00

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Interestingly, there was no mention in the national news of the earthquake that hit central Oklahoma this past weekend. It was a 5.6 magnitude, which is non-trivial in the world of earthquakes, but still there was no story about it.

As far as I know, there was no major damage to large metropolitan areas, and no one severely injured or killed. And admittedly, there have been many large and destructive earthquakes in the past years that have gained far more attention, nationally and globally. But to the people who experienced it, it was remarkable and very scary.

I am always fascinated about what makes the news and what doesn’t. We seem to always be kept well informed on where Lindsay Lohan is and what her latest antics are. Sports scores are always on the forefront of national news as are the data regarding the stock market.

But I believe that people are just as interested in local news. Good reporting of high school football and weddings and other social events are important to those living in communities. They may not be world events but to a family in need, the human interest story about their health challenges with a loved one is important news that needs to be conveyed.

Perhaps that is what facebook has become – a local newspaper for circles of friends, for communities who are curious about special interest events. Gosh, you can even provide photos with your story about the birth of your first child.

I think local newspapers have missed the mark, but maybe facebook hasn’t.

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thoughts on the news of the day: devils

2011-11-06T04:26:00.000-08:00

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Looks like the devil is back -- in a famous fresco painted by Giotto in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. The fresco was painted in the 13th century and is one of several by the artist that depict the life and works of St. Francis. This one shows him in heaven with the angels. Only thing is … if you look very closely, in the clouds is a veiled devilish figure with horns and a sly smile. Perhaps Giotto was trying to make a statement or maybe he was playing a trick on someone he knew by depicting them as a devil hidden in clouds.

Sometimes evil is not hard to spot. We see it in heinous violence, corporate greed, junior high school students bullying a classmate. I have once or twice seen Evil face to face; it is not pleasant. I was not a red devil with horns and pitchfork, but in the behavior and actions of others.

We don’t like to talk about it, but the devil hides in many places. It hides in the calmest of folks when they get riled up because of misinformation. Rumors and gossip do devilish work when they distort the truth. I think in the Bible it says that the devil is a thief and a liar. And we all become little devils when we steal someone’s honor or respect; or when we pass on gossip as truth. Often times we don’t even know we are doing it; the deception is so seemingly benign.

Let’s look in ancient paintings for hidden depictions of devils; but let’s look in our own behavior for hidden ways in which we too are not always angels.

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thoughts on the news of the day: andy rooney

2011-11-05T07:58:00.001-07:00

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Andy Rooney is gone; he passed away last night at the age of 92. Wanting to work until the day he died, he accomplished his goal by doing his last broadcast a month before his end. I consider him one of my heroes. He was never afraid to say what he thought even if it wasn’t always popular. I loved that he was witty and at times even sardonic.

Andy began his career at 60 minutes on the July Fourth weekend of 1978. His first piece was on the sensationalism of reporting car accidents over holiday weekends. He said that ironically Fourth of July weekend was one of the safest weekends in which to drive a car.

I guess the reason why I like Andy Rooney’s writing and commentary is that many times, he said just what I was thinking but didn’t have words to say. One time he asked the question, “Is there a real Mrs. Smith who bakes Mrs. Smith’s pies? The answer is that there isn’t. I am not surprised; there is probably not a real Mr. Orvel Reddenbocker either. And by the way, Andy won an Emmy for that one.

Lots of times, people don’t really want to hear our opinion. But that’s usually because it is unbending, unclever, and uninformed. Andy’s opinions and writing were never like that. I’m not sure who will take Andy’s place – don’t know if anyone ever could. He was original and unique. And he will be missed.

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thoughts on the news of the day: pastors

2011-11-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

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Trying to be a pastor is a very curious thing. I am not talking about being a preacher or a minister but a pastor to the people. Some religious leaders are accused of playing God. And I admit, they prance around on national television telling cute stories and making rash promises which entertain but don’t really comfort us spiritually. These folks are busy pretending to know what God’s will is for us as if they had a connection to God that we can only hope to have someday.

Real pastors are different. Pastors stand in for God. A good pastor will be there for you in good times and in bad -- a strong and steady force. You can be mad at your pastor if you are afraid of being mad at God and it’s OK. Good pastors don’t take it personally. I personally shake my fist at God a lot. Cancer is cruel, Parkinson’s is terrifying and Alzheimer’s is, well, awful. We have lots of folks in our congregation who suffer from these and other horrible diseases. We have others who have lost loved ones and suffer in their grief. It’s not fair; and I intend to ask God when I get to heaven why folks that I love have to suffer.

In the meantime, I am trying to learn how to be a good pastor – the kind who stands still and loves her flock no matter what; the kind that God would be proud to call His servant.

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thoughts on the news of the day: late

2011-11-03T04:59:00.000-07:00

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I am a day late; did you miss me? Yesterday the blog just didn’t happen. I had a running streak of 375 days in a row, which more than met my goal of writing a blog every day for a year. But yesterday sinus headaches, phone calls and meetings got the better part of me and the blog didn’t get written.

I don’t like to be late and I really don’t like to be a day late. It’s really kind of rude. It says to the person waiting, “I am more important than you; you don’t matter.” Doctors who are late really annoy me. I understand a few minutes – everyone runs behind, but really, sometimes it gets ridiculous.

It was really refreshing, though when I went to a doctor in Springfield recently. I filled out a form, turned it in, waited about three minutes, and the nurse called my name. Then she took me back to a little room I affectionately call the “stall room”. It’s where they put you until the doctor has time to get to you. After another three minutes, though a nurse came in and took my history, vitals, etc. Then she said, “The doctor will be in shortly.” Ah, I thought, now comes the wait. I was wrong, the doctor almost immediately came in and I was out of the office in 30 minutes.

I felt that I was valued, that I mattered and that I got good care. It instilled my faith in the medical profession. It made me want to do better; to try harder to be on time. Like now.

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thoughts on the news of the day: candy and costumes

2011-11-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

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Today is the day set aside by most Christians as All Saints Day. It is traditionally the time we celebrate the lives of saints who have gone before us. There is a debate among churches as to whether saints are only those determined to be in heaven by evidence of miracles, etc. But most Protestant churches adhere to the “sainthood of all believers” meaning that everyone who practices the teachings of Jesus is a saint.

When I was growing up in Catholic schools, we celebrated Halloween and All Saints Day back to back because Halloween always came one day before All Saints Day. We were asked to dress up as Saints. It seemed to solve the Halloween costume dilemma. Lots of bathrobes and bed sheets came out of the closets.

But yesterday I noticed that once again many churches had Halloween parties for children in the community instead of All Saints celebrations. Oh, sure, they might call them Fall Festivals or Harvest Hoedowns, but let’s face it; they had candy and they were on Halloween so they were Halloween parties. It is as if the church holiday that is celebrated in today’s world is not All Saints Day, but Halloween. Now most churches argue that they are keeping the kids safe and off the streets. But that’s really not true. I have seen lots of kids and parents say that they came to the party early (or late) because they wanted to get in their trick or treating in too.

I am not saying we should get rid of Halloween. I love all the costumes and candy. I am just saying I’m confused by the message many churches are giving out; and I think lots of other folks might be too.

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thoughts on the news of the day: halloween

2011-10-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

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Today is Halloween. In our neighborhood, we still have lots of little goblins and witches who invade our space. I think they even truck the children in from outlying areas because the impression is that our neighborhood is safe; and it is, but I think parents making that assumption is not so safe.

I googled my name yesterday because I was a little curious to see what popped up. There’s not much about me in the cyber world, I mean I am obviously not a rock star or anything. But I checked out one website in particular that had my name listed. I was dismayed and concerned to find out that they listed me as single (which is correct) and that I lived at **** Parkview Circle, Mountain Home, AR. In addition, they had a picture of my house with my car visibly parked in the garage. It was a little disturbing.

Now you might ask why I am making that information available in a very public blog. Well, the harm is already done. It is on a website on google. Now here is the really disturbing part. I logged onto the site to remove the information they had about me and now they want my email address – even more information!!!

We try so hard to keep our children safe. We walk with them at night when they trick or treat to make sure nothing scary happens to them. But are we protecting ourselves? Are we walking down dark and foreboding alleys when we enter the internet? And can we protect ourselves the way we would protect our children? Just asking ….

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thoughts on the news of the day: manicures

2011-10-30T04:46:00.001-07:00

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Midrash manicures? Apparently a Rabbi in a Jewish day school in New York City is teaching middle school girls the Torah through painting their fingernails. When I first read about this, I imagined little scrolls with Hebrew writings painted on nails. That would require some detail! The products of this Midrash Manicure Club are almost as ornate. As part of their education, the girls read the weekly assignment from Torah, and then design pictures to paint on their nails as part of their examination of the text. For example, the story of Noah’s Ark could have a bearded Noah on one fingernail, animals two by two painted on several nails, a large boat and a rainbow at the end digit of the hand. Get the picture?

Now, that’s an innovative way to educate! I guess you could get carried away with that idea. Say maybe put the shapes of states with their state capital on each nail. It would take 5 weeks or so to complete the project. How about algebraic or chemistry formulas, one on each finger? Or maybe organs in the body for biology? Yes, I am getting carried away here, but what is the harm in making education fun?

In my daughter’s American History class, the students pick a popular song and rewrite the lyrics of it to interpret an event they have studied. I know a Social Studies teacher who used to bring left over cotton from the fields in Mississippi to illustrate how difficult it was to pick cotton if you were a slave in the South. With their pricked and bloody hands from pulling the cotton out of the boll, the students got it.

Teaching children today is a challenge; it requires engaging them in activities that keep their attention. I am grateful for creative and innovative teachers who continually keep education alive.

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thoughts on the news of the day: monarchy

2011-10-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

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Girls Rule. You see that a lot written on notebooks and backpacks of Junior High girls. Girls are more visible in the roles of class leaders and are beginning to dominate academics in the classroom as well. More and more women are taking the lead in government, business, ministry and education. There is not equality in pay or position yet; but it is soon to happen.

A milestone shift has happened in London this week. In the British Monarchy, it is the first born, whether a girl or a boy who will be allowed to inherit the role of King or Queen. This a significant move forward because up until now, a woman could ascend to the throne only if there were no male heirs. Men came first, but now all of that is history.

What this means is that if Prince William and his bride have a girl first, she will someday inherit the throne.

Women have waited a long time for equality. Oh, sure, we can vote and hold office and become ministers, but the reality is that in almost every type of profession, women are held back because of gender. If you don’t agree with me, just look at the statistics.

Now I for one, am delighted that Britain has changed their policy. All girls want to be princesses; but let’s face it; it is good to be Queen.

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thoughts on the news of the day: home run

2011-10-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

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OK, I admit it, I am a Texas Rangers baseball fan. I REALLY want them to win the World Series. So naturally I was pretty mad at David Freese when he hit the game winning home run in the bottom of the 11^th (yes, I said 11^th) inning of Game 6. The Cardinal fans went wild and the Rangers were left to play one more game which will hopefully lead to victory.

That’s one story from last night. But there is another story about Freese that occurred yesterday evening. As Freese rounded the bases, some fans in center field managed to catch the ball. One in particular hid the ball in his clothes to allay the risk of having the ball snatched from him. After safely retaining the ball, the fan agreed to go to the Cardinals Clubhouse and return the ball to Freese. Now that’s generosity. There’s no telling how much the ball was worth; but he must have felt that Freese had a right to it. In return, the fan received an autographed bat and a ball with all the Cardinals’ signatures on it; which is admittedly is a cache in itself. The fan said he made a good living and didn’t need any money but asked to meet the players. So he and his friend were shuffled into the Cardinals clubhouse.

Maybe that’s not the best example of generosity. We want generosity to be all about helping the poor, the needy, the helpless. None of the players in this scenario fit in that category. But nevertheless, if you were in the same situation, would you have returned the ball, knowing that it meant the world to Freese, but meant bunches of money for you?

We all have opportunities to do the right thing every day. We can respond to those opportunities or ignore them. So I imagine that Freese was grateful for someone who responded to his higher self and didn’t ignore the chance to make the right decision. Whether Cardinal or Rangers fans, we can all hit a home run when we learn from the generosity of this fan.

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thoughts on the news of the day: birthdays

2011-10-27T05:17:00.001-07:00

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I noticed on facebook that today 3 of my “friends” have birthdays. One is actually a relative, but all are special to me in different ways. Birthdays are cakes and candles and cards and occasionally gifts. They are a time to say, “You are special”.

We only have one birthday. Well, I take that back, I think most recovering alcoholics celebrate the birthday of their sobriety, too – but they are a special breed. Then again, didn’t I say everyone is special on their birthday?

I suppose we can’t remember back that far to our birth date. But there is probably someone in our life who can. And they usually have a good story to tell about that special day. The story of my daughter’s birthday is bittersweet. She was born after a long ambulance ride to a hospital in a neighboring town. As a newborn, she was beautiful and perfect and I was ecstatic but the day was also very sad because the afternoon of her birth, her Dad came into to the hospital room and said that he wanted to divorce us. It took me a long time to get over that, but I did and can now say that the day of the birth of my only daughter was joyous indeed. We celebrate her birthday every year and even though I can’t be there because of work, we still do it up in a big way.

Happy Birthday, dear friends! Celebrate today and rejoice that God has given you life and love and happiness!

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thoughts on the news of the day: hindsight

2011-10-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

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It’s always hard to look back on a situation and wish that it had been done differently. Tony La Russa, the St. Louis Cardinals manager had that experience after the Cardinals loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Pitchers were mistakenly called in when others were not ready and that set up the winning runs for the Rangers. Now, La Russa is bemoaning the fact that the error occurred, in fact he is even saying it was embarrassing.

We always seem to know what to do after the fact. “If only I had done this or that …” we complain when we realize our mistake. Easy to say. Sure, we can blame ourselves or others in hindsight. We can look back on a situation and wish it had turned out differently.

I am reading a book right now called “Blink”. Its premise is that we make snap decisions every day that turn out right. Our intuition is sometimes, well, almost usually, right. The author gives examples of instances where intuition (“just knowing”) trumps scientific investigation. The author is not saying that we should disregard logic and statistical information, I think he means that we should just not always put complete value on it and ignore the signals that are all around us.

I don’t know whether Mr. La Russa trusted his gut or his brain on Monday. But a great solution to the dilemma of whether to trust statistics or intuition is to pray. It’s always helpful to have some divine inspiration on hand to help us through the day. I like having that option. It usually works out. Besides, it never hurts to have a second opinion.

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thoughts on the news of the day: SRO

2011-10-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

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Watching the World Series this year has been fascinating to me. I am fascinated by pitchers who can hurl a ball at speeds of almost 100 miles per hour. I am fascinated by catchers who can catch that same ball. Then there are the batters who hit a ball sailing through the air at those speeds. That is as fascinating as watching a fast moving ball pushed through the air, over the fence and into the stands.

Signals are another fascinating thing about baseball. How do they keep it all straight? Does the catcher control the game by his signals to the pitcher? Does the pitcher control the game because he has the power of veto? And what about the manager? Does he really mastermind the whole event by moving his hands in the dugout?

Yes, that is all fascinating. But the most fascinating thing about this World Series to me is the person who pays $200 - $300 for a ticket to stand at the top of center field for four hours and watch the game. Why would you do that? Unless you are a dedicated and almost rabid fan, that action is practically unthinkable. But nevertheless, there are fans who are willing to do just that.

But I wonder, what if there were folks who were willing to stand up for four hours and pay $300 for a cure for breast cancer? What if there was a stadium full of people who were so committed to the elimination of poverty that they stood up for hours and donated that sum of money? How about education? Fair housing? Clean air?

What if?

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thoughts on the news of the day: Na Na

2011-10-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

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If you have ever been to a sports event, you know the song: “Na Na Hey Hey (Goodbye). It’s usually sung by the opposing crowd when a baseball player strikes out or a basketball player fouls out or a soccer player gets replaced. Not very good sportsman like behavior, but nevertheless effective. The boys who came to cheer the girls on my daughter’s high school basketball team loved to chant it as one by one their competition fouled out. Like I say, not very good sportsmanship – but lots of fun.

Today in the news, there was an article about Paul Leka, the composer of the song who passed away a few days ago. Actually the writing of the song was somewhat of a fluke. Leka and a fellow songwriter needed a song to fill the “B” side of a tune they wanted to be a hit. They scattered the lyrics and the record with “Na Na’s” and “Hey, Hey’s’ which should have been the death of it. But instead, it became a No. 1 hit. In 1977 the organist for the Chicago White Sox began using it to shuffle players off the field after striking out and the tune caught on. It is still around … all these years later.

I guess that just goes to show you, be careful what you create, it may become the monster that haunts you, even after you have gone! I am sure that Mr. Leka’s friends and family will remember him for lots more than a silly song that taunts athletes but for the rest of us, the tune has caught on and will long be remembered.

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thoughts on the news of the day: news

2011-10-23T15:23:00.001-07:00

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There’s lots of news to choose from today. In football, Texas Tech upset Oklahoma and in baseball, the Cardinals beat the Rangers in the third game of the World Series. In world news, the death of Gadhafi is still a headline and the economy in Europe is teetering. On the home front, Republican Presidential Nominee hopefuls Perry, Romney and now Cain are after each other and President Obama still can’t seem to get the economy under control. In the midst of all that, Occupy Wall Street continues.

So, what do I think about that? I think the Rangers should win the championship. Although this is Cardinal Country, I lived in Dallas for ten years and in Texas forever, so my allegiance lies there. Even though I think it’s a shame that Texas Tech beat top ranked Oklahoma, it’s always nice to see the underdog win.

The death of Gadhafi has the same impact on me as the death of Ben Laden: murder is murder, but sometimes in some instances, it is almost OK. And as far as the election? It’s just too early to tell who will be nominated. Now about Occupy Wall Street, I think that people have the right to protest things that seem wrong to them.

But what do you think about the events of today’s news? Maybe you choose to ignore it; after all we don’t have much control over it anyway. Maybe you love to debate and will take the other side, no matter how you really feel. Maybe your feelings are somewhere in between: you care, but you don’t care to let your feelings be known.

As human beings we can think and feel deeply. And how we express those thoughts and feelings is our choice. I thank you for stopping by to hear mine and I hope you will drop by to let me know yours.

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thoughts on the news of the day: street people

2011-10-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

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The Occupy Wall Street protests have developed an interesting twist. Originally formed to speak out against the actions of bankers on Wall Street, they are serving a new and important service. Protesters have camped out in the downtown areas of many cities and some of them have taken in the homeless people of the streets. In Portland, Oregon for example, they offer free shelter, food and medical care. Since the protest has spread over two city blocks there, it has become a symbol not only of protest against corporate greed but of care for those who are the victims of the greed.

The tent cities are not without problems, though. Along with the street people comes some problems of fighting and stealing. When darkness falls, those who are motivated by something other than making a political statement are causing a lot of trouble. And it is making it hard for the protesters to stay.

Some people think the Occupy Wall Street protesters are just a bunch of trouble makers. Others think they are heroes striving to make a difference. But irregardless of your beliefs, it is hard to argue the care, concern and awareness the protest has inspired on the streets of our major metropolitan cities. True, not all protest encampments are generous with their time and their supplies. Some are only about taking care of their own. But didn’t Jesus ask us to shelter the homeless and feed the hungry? And aren’t the homeless and the hungry hurt the most by corporate greed in America? Maybe it is worth taking it to the streets. And I guess that’s something to think about.

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thoughts on the news of the day: intuition

2011-10-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

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My computer has been running slow lately. And by slow I mean S-L-O-W; as in dismally slow. Now it is old, I admit that. I have heard that computers get slow because they are packed full of memory bits and have to sort through tons of information to finally get us where we want to go. I understand that. And I wonder if that’s how our brains get after years of filling them up with information.

I heard a story about Albert Einstein and memory. He was once asked for a telephone number and he couldn’t remember it. The requester asked him how he could possibly be so brilliant if he couldn’t remember a simple phone number and he replied that he didn’t waste his brain space with things that he could look up.

Creative and intuitive thinking are interesting things. An intuitive thinker can come up with answers days before a logical thinker can. Those with intuitive minds may not be able to explain why that is the answer, but they nevertheless usually get it right. I am reading a book right now called “Blink” that explores just that concept. It explains that by intuition we know many things and can correctly make decisions in a very short period of time.

Intuition and creativity are very close to spirit and spirit is very close to God. When we allow our intuition to explore, we are allowing God to come into our lives. I am pretty sure computers have no spirit; but thank God, we do.

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thoughts on the news of the day: cruelty

2011-10-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

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A couple in our church have gone down to Texas to be with their daughter who is dying of a particularly vicious form of cancer. She is in her early fifties, married but no children and has no real church home or spiritual support system.

Email is the only immediate way of communicating with these church members. It is just too hard on them to talk on the phone; besides they are in a remote location so cell service is spotty. Saying it is hard is not even close to what they are going through.

What does a pastor say in a situation like this? I try to be a positive person and looking on the bright side of things is an important part of my ministry. But there is no real positive side to this. It would be cruel to say something like “At least she is not suffering.” Or, “Don’t give up yet, God performs miracles every day.” The patient is not going to get any better. Saying “She will be in heaven soon” just doesn’t comfort someone who is losing a loved one for this side of forever.

So I reminded them that they are not alone. Their church family is there in spirit even though we can’t physically be there. And God is with them. God is always with us. Through the most cruel of circumstances, God is there, holding us in the palm of a big, comforting and forgiving hand.

Saying that won’t be enough. But it might help

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thoughts on the news of the day: questions

2011-10-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

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One of the major online newspapers has a feature today that videos celebrities answering questions. Recently people like Sting, Kyle Chandler and Elizabeth Olsen have been asked five questions like: What are you afraid of? and What is your guilty pleasure? and so on …

I was thinking about those questions and wondering what five questions I would ask others if I had the chance to interview them and get to know them better. What would I ask myself if I wanted to get to know me better? In journalism there are five questions that a reporter should ask and answer in each story. They are: Who? What? Where? Why? and When?

If I had the chance I would ask you those five questions. I would ask you: Who is your hero? I think you can learn a lot about a person by learning who they admire and who they emulate. Then, What do you believe? Perhaps the answer would be spiritual but it could be more practical. Where are you going? To the store? To heaven? Or somewhere in between? When… When did you grow up? “Growing up’ can mean physically, spiritually or emotionally. And last but not least: Why do you love ______? (fill in the blank). As in why do you love your spouse, or why do you love chocolate or why do you love God?

Who, What, Where? Why? When? You can learn a lot about a person by asking a few simple questions.

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thoughts on the news of the day: missed opportunities

2011-10-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

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Sometimes we miss opportunities we didn’t even know we had. The chance to meet someone, or earn some extra income passes us by and we don’t even realize it.

That’s what happened to a drummer over 50 years ago in England. He is probably still bemoaning the fact that he let an audition with the Beatles slip away from him. Apparently a letter written by Paul McCartney on August 12, 1960 invited an unnamed person to try out for the band. The catch was that the band was leaving for Germany in a matter of days. Who knows what became of the offer or the musician. The letter was discovered by a coin collector who found it in a book at a London yard sale. Another almost missed opportunity itself, the collector was rewarded for his attention to detail by the potential auction price of somewhere between $11,000 and $14,000.

It pays to pay attention. Many times God may be leading us in a direction we don’t see. A person we hadn’t thought about for years comes to mind or place we visited long ago. We follow up on the hunch and a reward awaits us. I have had that happen at times in my life, but I am sure I have missed some messages, too.

Take time today to listen to that voice inside your head and your heart that leads you where you might not have gone. It may pay off; the letter may arrive…

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thoughts on the news of the day: seasons

2011-10-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

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An American engineer stationed on the South Pole has finally been airlifted to Christchurch, New Zealand after suffering a stroke last August. Weather prohibited planes from flying into the area until now because of bad weather conditions. In 1999 an Air Force plane flew to that same station to rescue Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald who was treating her own breast cancer. Dr. FitzGerald passed away in 2007 at the age of 57.

I remember reading an interview with Dr. Fitzgerald in a news magazine. She discussed her struggles to treat herself for the cancer; but she also talked about the challenges of living in a place where the conditions were always the same. They had sunlight or darkness for months nonstop and the stress on the crew there was enormous.

She said that they countered it with celebrations of holidays to mark the passing of time and of seasons. For example, they dressed up in silly costumes for Halloween and made a big turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. The base was somewhat of a family because they lived in such close confining quarters, so holidays seemed to break up the long periods of monotony.

Marking time is important. In our church’s tradition, we designate the different religious seasons and celebrate them with various services and traditions. It gives us a sense of time passing and our lives having the continuity of celebrating the same holidays at the same time each year; and that brings joy.

Celebrate the seasons! The autumn colors, the kids out trick or treating for candy and the big feast at Thanksgiving; and be grateful for the opportunity to enjoy life and enjoy the change.

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thoughts on the news of the day: bosses day

2011-10-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

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Card companies love those holidays that they have essentially created out of their own imaginations. For example, Bosses Day, which is officially today. It is an outgrowth of the popular holiday (at least at card stores) Secretary’s Day. It also comes on the heels of Pastor Appreciation Sunday, another holiday designed to sell cards. Now, I am not saying that bosses, secretaries and pastors don’t deserve our appreciation, they do. But do they warrant an annual holiday?

I know of someone else who does. What about a Big Boss holiday? It could catch on; only trouble is, the postal workers wouldn’t know where to mail all those cards. That is because the Big Boss of all of us doesn’t have a physical address.

Actually, people have been sending cards and writing letters to God for eons. Take for example the Psalmist who wrote 150 letters to God. I like Psalm 138 which in part says: “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.”

Sure, give thanks and appreciation to your boss, your secretary, and your pastor. Buy them a card, send them a gift. They deserve it. But today and everyday is a great day to show appreciation and to say thank you to our Big Boss.

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thoughts on the news of the day: 365

2011-10-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

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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

2011-10-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

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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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thoughts on the news of the day: bumper stickers

2011-10-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

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You don’t see many bumper stickers on cars and trucks anymore. Plastic bumpers and special paint finishes have all but rendered them obsolete. The new vehicle for bumper stickers has now become facebook. Placards, pictures and status statements all succinctly voice a point of view on topics common and current.

Most of the statements reflect this week’s events: Steve Jobs death, the march on Wall Street, Yom Kippur and the budget cuts that state and federal governments face. Here are a few I gleaned from my facebook postings today:

“Those who can teach, those who cannot pass laws about teaching.”

“Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are.”

“Steve (Jobs) made choices. I once asked him if he was glad that he had kids, and he said, ‘It’s 10,000 times better than anything I’ve ever done.’”

“99% of the world’s cookies are consumed by 1% of the monsters. #occupy sesame street”

“In 1776 we separated our government from England. In 2012 we will separate Government from the corporations”

“If you judge people you don’t have time to love them” –Mother Theresa

“You know things are messed up when librarians start marching”

It’s what I found on my facebook page today. I don’t know if I agree with any or all of them, but I know I agree with this one:

“I love people watching.”

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thoughts on the news of the day: yom kippur

2011-10-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

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Tonight at sundown the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur begins. It is commonly called the Day of Atonement. It is a day to ask for forgiveness from God and to be cleansed from all sin. “For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you that you be cleansed from all of your sins before God” is from Leviticus 16:30 and this scripture passage gives the basis for Yom Kippur.

A Day of Atonement – a day when we ask for forgiveness for our sins. Wonder what it would be like if everyone took a day out of their life to acknowledge their sin and ask for forgiveness for it. Roman Catholics have the sacrament of confession. It is a private acknowledgement of wrong doings and has a prescriptive for atoning for those sins. In the Presbyterian Church we have what we call a corporate prayer of confession during the Sunday morning worship service. This is a time when we confess together the shortcomings of the larger world.

But what if there was one day set aside for the whole world – for people of all faiths and for people of no faith where we say, “I was wrong, and I need forgiveness in order to put my life back on track.” What if friends, family, neighbors, and leaders of all kinds in our cities and in our world looked at their lives, their behavior and their policies and then asked forgiveness for them? Wow! What if?

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thoughts on the news of the day: nobel prize

2011-10-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

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The 2011 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet. The Swedish Academy that awards the prize said of Traontromer: “through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.” Mr. Transtromer, also known as a psychologist was stricken with a stroke in 1990 which render him unable to speak. In spite of this infirmity, he went on to publish a collection of poems titled, “The Great Enigma.”

Transtromer wrote:

Mission: to be where I am.

even in that ridiculous, deadly serious

role – I am the place

where creation is working itself out.

It is a brilliant quote to me because it is so much where we all are. Creation is working itself in each one of us daily. And we can choose whether we want to be a part of that creation, or reject it and suffer the consequences of that rejection.

Each day is a new one in which we can be a part of the creation which God provides. So go out there and create! You may not win the Nobel Prize, but our world will be all the better for it.

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thoughts on the news of the day: etiquette

2011-10-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

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It was bound to happen. Some might say it was way over due. Dale Carnegie’s long time classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has now embraced the digital age. In fact, new the revised edition is named, “How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age”. Isn’t it ironic that the original book used “friends” in the title, and, thanks to facebook, “friends” has a whole new meaning these days. The book gives information about how to behave in an eWorld which, in my opinion is long overdue.

Another classic self-help classic has also been revised. “Emily Post’s Etiquette: Manners for a New World” addresses electronic communication of all kinds. For example, the book encourages readers not to text in theaters because the light from the phone is distracting to other patrons. It also reminds us to remember that our boss owns our email, so it is wise to take care what we say there. A lot of what she says in the book is common sense, but it is valid, nonetheless.

I think it is important to watch what we say in email because it can easily be misinterpreted. Abrupt, terse emails can be construed as distant and insensitive when really the writer might have just been in a hurry. But still, the damage has been done. I make it a rule never to write an email in response to an emotional issue. It’s better to pick up the phone and talk; or even better yet, walk down the hall and talk to the person face to face.

All that to say; it’s never too late to learn good manners.

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thoughts on the news of the day: trials

2011-10-04T05:31:00.000-07:00

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Amanda Knox is all over the news today. The Italian courts overthrew the murder verdict and she will go free. She is traveling back to her home in Seattle and will begin the rest of her life. Meanwhile, the Michael Jackson trial is in full swing with lawyers jockeying for position and judges making rulings in the murder case.

Why are we so fascinated with murder trials? Remember the O.J. Simpson trial? People were glued to their televisions as O.J. tried to put on the glove. The Casey Anthony trial was all over the news this summer and then the trial of Amanda Knox. Dr. Conrad Murray is now being tried in the death of Michael Jackson. We all watch in anticipation of the outcome – you know we do.

Is it the murder mystery entangled in each trial that ignites our imagination? Do we evaluate the clues as if it were a CSI story? Are we hoping to out smart the lawyers and the judges in our critique of the evidence?

Or maybe it is the desire for justice to be done. Whether it is conviction or acquittal, we want justice to be served. We want the bad guys to go to jail and the good guys to go free. And do we wonder, what if I was in the same situation, how would I react?

In all of the excitement and drama of the court room, I hope that someone out there is praying for the victim and their families. Perhaps someone is praying for those accused and their lawyers. Maybe the judges and juries get lifted up in prayer by someone. Maybe that someone is you.

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thoughts on the news of the day: cyber stuff

2011-10-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

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Today at 2:35 p.m. EST. George Stephanopoulos of ABC news will interview President Obama and viewers are invited to ask questions. What is unusual about this interview is that it will be streamed live on yahoo.com. In other words, you can ask the president questions and he will answer them right on the internet. Cyber communication is being used more and more by newsmakes as a tool to get the word out about them. Sure, we all know about texting, skype, iPhones and iPads (which by the way are still red lined on my Microsoft Word program). But this different, the conversation is with a national figure.

We are bring communion to our shut-ins today. This means that the people who are not able to make it to church on Sunday are visited and offered the elements from yesterday's service. We have a long list of those who cannot come. People who are in nursing homes, assisted living and home bound because of illness are all candidates for this service. The problem is that we have so many who are in need of communion that we will be hard pressed to get to all of them today.

Bue we will do the best we can. There is nothing to substitute for receiving the elements together. Cyber communion is just not an option. Hopefully, for our church, it never will be.
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thoughts on the news of the day: doctors

2011-10-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

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If you have your PhD. in Nursing and you are a nurse, would you be called “Doctor”? If you are a medical doctor (M.D.) would you resent others in the medical profession being called “Doctor”? This is becoming an issue as more pharmacists, nurses and physicals therapists earn doctorate degrees.

It would be confusing, wouldn’t it? How would you know who was a medical doctor and who wasn’t? And does it matter? More and more nurse practitioners are making diagnoses and prescribing medications. Certainly they can identify an earache and prescribe medications, but what about more serious ailments that have similar symptoms? And do MDs have that much better ability to ferret out those diseases? Isn’t it more or less instinct anyway?

I think if you have earned the degree you have the right to be called the name assigned to that particular degree. However, I also think that people who are not MD’s should not in any way disguise the fact that they are not bona fide medical doctors.

It’s a problem and it’s not going away. A lot of it has to do with ego. In our Presbyterian system, more and more Certified Lay Pastors are being called to serve churches who can’t afford full time ordained ministers. I spent three long hard years and a bucket load of money to obtain my degree and ordination and now am called Rev. for a reason. But maybe my ego is getting in the way, too.

We are here to serve. Ministers, Doctors and Nurses are each called in their own way to do the work that God has for them to do. Perhaps we should keep that first and foremost and leave our egos at the door.

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