thoughts on the news of the day: ice and snow

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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