Preparing to be prepared so that you can be ready to not do what you thought you would be doing!

No, I’m not playing word games this morning but rather I’m thinking about the fill in the blank nature of our life filled up with all of its hits and misses on this cool, crisp Monday, March 2, 2009. If all goes according to plan our dear Brother Milton is supposed to be discharged tomorrow and will relocate to our home until later in the week when he will fly back to his home in Florida. One thing we have learned throughout this health saga is to never expect that things will go exactly according to plan. We will do our best to have our home ready for Bro. Milton but we also will not be let down if we have to adjust our expectations. I thought about this as being a great example of how things unfold in life. We set our schedules, make our plans, and often we go bananas when things don’t fall into place. Why? Basically we are wound way too tight and have little give and take built into our ideas of how things should go.

I must confess that I do not handle this area as well as I could or should. I do get stressed out when plans, schedules, and the connections all go awry. Often the actual event or outcome is not that big of a deal but that doesn’t keep me from getting overheated and fretful about stuff that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. So, what if you run a little late because of something you have no control over? Or, better yet, what if you run a little late because of something you do have control over? Now I’ve begun to meddle with the part that’s up close and personal in my life. I don’t like being late ever for any reason. I don’t like for other people to be late when I am involved, ever, for any reason. Whew! Now I know why I need the blood pressure medicine!

Hey, we all could do a better job of taking a deep breath when things don't go according to our plan. We also could use a little more of a 'big picture' focus that includes not only the here and now but also time and eternity. I’m sure my hang up with being late has some root in a fear or phobia since there are literally hundreds that have been established and categorized. I do know that being flexible with yourself and others is part of what it takes to love others as God would have us to. The other thing is to remember that while we all would like to think we are the center of the universe and everything should revolve around us and our schedules, that’s not even close to reality, therefore, we just need to back off, cool down, and take some time to smell the roses. Speaking of which, I wonder why that fellow who was supposed to get back to me has not called. He had better have a good excuse! Oh well, I still need some work but with God’s help I will try to do better! Have a blessed day! Amen. …..More later.

Happy Birthday Rodney!

On this calendar day but actually then it was on a Saturday morning some thirty eight years ago we welcomed our youngest into our young family. He joined his mom and I along with two older brothers. That’s what I am thinking about on this Friday, February 27, 2009. Rodney came on the scene and began quickly to make a scene wherever he happened to be. He was always the ‘live wire’ in our family. He has the personality and tools to pretty much talk to and become liked by almost anyone, anywhere, at anytime. That set of innate people skills had to come from his mom! That gift has served him well in his profession as he daily deals directly with a huge cast of customers, co-workers, vendors, and project leaders.

Even as a tiny tot, he was our designated boy singer in our family singing group and often stood on the piano stool behind his mom as he belted out his solo. Today he has a family of little ‘Rodneys’ who reflect many of his God given talents and abilities. While he is and will always be a ‘one of a kind’, he can be sure that his kids will carry on many of his traits. Today he does his best to lead his family in the ways of God. This more than anything makes his mom and dad feel blessed. He has a wonderful wife and they make an excellent team as they pour themselves into the growth and development of their kids.

Happy Birthday Rodney. We thank God for you and wish you a most wonderful time on this, your special day. May God bless you and yours. Amen. Love, mom and dad. ….More later.

In retrospect, there are many reasons to explain why I am not 'with it'.

Yesterday I pretty much spilled the beans on just how out of touch I am with the so-called modern world. Today, on this Thursday, February 26, 2009 I want to think some out loud about the reasons for this out of sync condition. First, and what should always be foremost, I am a believer who, when I am thinking right, cares deeply about what God thinks about things. This in and of itself is the most critical factor in how my view gets all fuzzy when compared to the rank and file in our culture. Secondly, it would have to be a generational deal since I am a boomer, albeit, a busted boomer born in 1946. This can be seen in a repeat of history. My grandfather was totally disconnected from his version of modern times having come through two world wars and the depression. Thirdly, what happened to me in my life growing up shapes my worldview and will forever influence how I see things. Lastly, we have to throw into the mix the personal preference, likes and dislikes factor that comes about because each person is unique and what appeals to one will have little or no appeal to someone else.

Having said all of that, I want to share some interesting recollections from the past that no doubt play a role in where I am coming from today. Television was being experimented with on a limited basis when I was born. There was no such thing as a personal computer, a Xerox machine, or portable telephone. There were no video games and most of our fun times occurred outside in the yard or on the front porch. We grew up eating everything homemade because that’s all there was. No fast food restaurants. No frozen dinners. Everything was made from scratch. When television came along we were exposed to programming that always portrayed the bad guy as being bad and the good guy as winning. This may not have been reality but it was how it worked when we watched Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, or the Three Stooges.

When we played we were not aware of any sort of political correctness. We most often played cowboy and Indians or cops and robbers and did so until we were almost too tired for a bath before bedtime. When it came time for clothes there were essentially two types, sneakers for boys and sneakers for girls, slacks or jeans for boys and dresses for girls. There were no boutiques for preteens or specialty stores for children. Most of our clothes came from the Sears catalog. Yeah it was different then. Cars pulled into service stations and received service like having an attendant fill your car, while another cleaned your windshield, and checked your oil and tire pressure. (I know this well since I was one of those attendants as a teenager!) The influence of this different world and I could go on with so much more no doubt helped me become who I am today. I’ve lived long enough to see the early stages of a disconnect developing between my eldest son and his youngsters as they embrace a world different from the one he experienced. Part of this is no doubt normal but remember I started out my blog listing God and His revealed views as that which should be most influential in how we view our world. This influence is seriously being eroded today and it’s the only one that provides a bridge across all age groups. Without this influence we truly have the bridge that leads to nowhere. Thanks for putting up with a fellow who used to think catching lightning bugs and putting them in a jar was a pretty good night of fun. May God bless. Amen. ….More later.

Okay. It's now official: I am not even close to being a part of the mainstream.

Perhaps the title of today's blog should make me feel a little sad but the way I see it, (The View from Here), it doesn’t any at all on this Wednesday, February 25, 2009. How are you anyway? There are many reasons I am not ‘with it’ in terms of the culture we find ourselves in today. I’m not among the 65% majority who approve of President Obama’s leadership. I have zero personal reasons to dislike our new president and I actually think him to be very good on his feet and that he appears to be adapting well to his new responsibility. My disconnect is based solely on his announced direction, philosophy, and values, and nothing else. He has a beautiful family and I pray that he will, over time, moderate his ideas so that he moves towards a more God-pleasing approach to leading our nation.

Another way in which I feel very much disconnected from the culture at large is in how few of the current popular TV shows I watch. How about: Zero? I learned this yesterday when I read a list of the top twenty programs on broadcast television and found that while I know a little about some of the programs on the list, I have not watched any of them. I did see some of an episode from the hit series ‘House’ because I was where it was being watched but I didn’t get much from the little I saw of it. There may be some really good shows on that list but they have not registered on my radar screen yet, at least to the extent that caused me to watch any of them. Lately, I have been mostly watching full episodes on the internet from previous sitcoms or series like the original Dragnet. I have watched some NASCAR stuff and some news programming from time to time but I am definitely completely out of the loop on those top shows.

I well remember how surprised the people in Scotland were when we couldn’t talk to them about the TV nighttime soap opera Dallas which was the rage at that time of our visit. We had never watched it but we found out they not only loved that show but they thought everyone from Texas lived on a huge ranch, wore cowboy boots, and lived life just like the people on that show. If pressed really hard I might be able to come up with who shot J. R. but it would only be because I read about it or heard the answer on a quiz show. Being out of sync with our culture may cost me an opportunity to join the proverbial water cooler conversation but it really isn’t that big of a deal. In fact, it’s no big deal at all. I will most likely find out the winner of this year’s American Idol because it will be plastered all over the place. Until then I will be satisfied watching an old 'Columbo', 'Ironside', or 'Hawaii Five-O' rerun. Or maybe I’ll choose a 'Miss Marple Mystery', or 'Morse Episode', or maybe one of the really good BBC comedy programs like 'Keeping Up Appearances'. These shows and many others are all on my list; I wonder why they didn’t make yours? Now who’s out of sync? Gotcha! Have a blessed day! Amen. ….More later.

Answers to questions that really do matter.

It's Tuesday, February 24, 2009 and I am still reeling somewhat from the big things we talked about yesterday. If you recall I introduced my blog by talking about the greatest of all why questions. It had to do with why God chose to act in creating all that exists. He did what He did intentionally and we know He had you and I in mind whenever He did what He did along with every other person who would ever populate the earth. My sense is that it’s all about Him gaining honor and glory and praise as His creation functions to find Him as the meaning and purpose of life itself. He deserves the honor and glory and praise before, during, and after His created acts, but in some ways we, as the crowning achievement of His creation, are able to respond to Him, embrace Him, and in doing so there’s deserved praise that accrues to His name that would not otherwise transpire. President Obama said the question of protecting the unborn was way above his pay grade which I believe was a huge cop out since God values all life made in His image. However, understanding the why behind God’s creation acts and all that has transpired since is above all our pay grades but He does allow us to know Him, love Him, and serve Him, and that will do until we can see Him face to face. Amen.

The answers to questions about important things do matter. I was trying to explain the problem with germs on fingers getting into the mouth to my grandson Alex. He didn’t like me telling him that it was a bad habit to put his fingers into his mouth, therefore, his response was to ask me not to talk about germs on his fingers. After all, germs, from his viewpoint, exist in the toilet and can be eliminated by flushing. When I persisted, he held his fingers to his lips to shush me. He then told me not to talk about that anymore. His simple idea was that if you don’t mention it, it’s not a problem. While we may laugh at this cute childlike behavior, how often do we find ourselves avoiding answers in much the same way? I will be the first to admit there’s been plenty of times where I have found myself trying to divert attention from answers to questions that I knew would be tough to deal with. Oh by the way, not asking for, seeking, or finding an answer typically will not change the facts involved and often a situation becomes worse as we hide our heads in the sand.

It reminds us of that first question we hear God asking in the garden: “Adam where are you?” God knew exactly where Adam was. Adam knew where Adam was. But Adam needed to come to terms with not only that question as it related to dealing specifically with where He ended up having disobeyed the God who created him, but more importantly to appreciate the impact and results found in the answer. Our pastor talked about how that folks don’t come to Church services anymore to hear hard questions being asked about them personally and their lives. They don’t want to be asked if they are on their way to heaven or hell. They don’t want to be asked if they are living in obedience to God or in disobedience. They want to be made to feel good and encouraged and filled up with happy talk but God knew exactly what Adam needed to hear and He knows that dealing directly with the critical questions He puts forth is what changes us from who we are to who He wants us to be. I suppose I should end with this rejoinder: Is that your final answer? This gives us something to think about as we all try to make it through the day. Amen. ….More later.

Busy, beat down and beleaguered at times, but always blessed!

Good morning and welcome. It's another beautiful morning here on this Monday, February 23, 2009. Yesterday in my Bible study class we continued our new study through the book of Genesis. Our first lesson was entitled: How did we come to be here? Yesterday we dealt with: What did God intend? I had this written on the board: "Genesis. Creation. Why?" Those why questions are always the most difficult, don't you think? It's clear that God knew before Genesis 1:1 that we would as a human family beginning with Adam make a huge mess out of everything He would make and call good. In trying to discover the why of creation we are not left without information on the subject. We have the sixty-six books that make up our Bible to give us input on this subject. I had several thoughts coming from my many years of studying the truths God has graciously provided. Others in my class expressed their ideas. It was a good time as together we ended up where we should end up: In praising God for His Person, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While He has given us much in the way of revealed truth, in the end, it is a matter of placing our confidence and trust in Him. When we do this our faith informs us of the reality of truth which gives us what we need to accept and embrace God and His Greatness! It was a good day.

We celebrated our second eldest granddaughter's birthday yesterday as she became an eighteen year old. Brittany is a wonderful young woman and we are so thankful for her. Her parents hosted us in their home and we had a great time. Our middle son and his family were there but our youngest son and his brood couldn't come because of illness. Our middle son had quite a day himself. He has struggled with many issues over his forty year sojourn and due to a number of accidents and other problems had become addicted to pain killers and sleep medications. Two weeks ago he made the decision to voluntarily enter a rehabilitation program and to get his life right with God. Yesterday he came forward at his Church and made a profession of Christ in finally coming to grips with his need for personal salvation. My wife just happened to be at their Church because of it being a special concert and rodeo roundup celebration day. She certainly didn't know that our Jimmy was going to be up on the stage making a public announcement regarding his calling upon Jesus to save Him. We are thrilled to see Jimmy do what we all must do if we are to have hope, both in this life and in the life to come. Jimmy was raised up to know the Bible. Jimmy walked the aisle when he was young and was baptized. However, walking aisles and getting wet doesn't make a person saved. Having Jesus come into your heart is the way one is changed from being lost to being saved. As long as anyone is still drawing breath here on the planet they still have time to seek and find God. We have to wonder how many thousands if not more Jimmy's are out there carrying around a youthful experience but still needing a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

On Saturday I kept four of our grandchildren for about five hours. Poppy hasn't done that in quite a while and when they left I was exhausted. But we had a most wonderful time together. Later in the afternoon my wife and I went and purchased some living room and dinette furniture to replace that damaged by last year's hurricane. Doing stuff like that is always stressful to me. We also visited our dear Brother Milton and prayed with him. He continues his long journey of rehabilitation and recovery. It is a very difficult journey and we appreciate all the prayers and support that continues on his behalf. I also visited with my mom on the telephone several times. She is home now after her four week hospital battle against pneumonia and while glad to be home, she is still weak and dealing with some residual breathing issues. Yes, our proverbial plates stay pretty full but God somehow gives us the strength to carry on. Therefore, we ended last week with no need to be rocked to sleep as our heads hit the pillow on Saturday evening. Then our cups overflowed on Sunday. Life can be a challenging adventure as well as being painful at times in many ways but we thank God for His help, for His mercy, and for His provision that helps us make it, one step at a time, one day at a time. I do pray that you and yours will have a blessed week! Amen. ....More later.

Making a difference can happen anywhere at anytime!

Thanks for tuning in to your daily fix of this fellow’s fractured view of the world. It’s a cool, crisp morning on this Friday, February 20, 2009 and you can almost hear the stars humming, or was it my corduroy slacks that always seem to make that whistling noise? It’s bad enough to hear that as you walk in the dark and wonder if someone is following you. It is even worse to think they are not only following you but they are also whistling. I’ve never tried to say that being me is easy. Today I want to talk about a wonderful subject that I am certain will be uplifting and encouraging. I want to talk about death. That’s right. Death. In particular I want to talk some about the many obituaries I scan through each day.

It’s quite amazing how a person’s life can be summarized in just a handful of words. However, there are many exceptions where you might find a really long death notice. Many of these reflect the passing of a very prominent individual who was involved in notable clubs, society circles, or business endeavors. However, there are some that are fairly long because the person was a local somebody to the folks in their own little world, their sphere of influence. They were a hometown guy or gal who gave their life to the work they did, to their families, to the betterment of their community, and the helping of others along the way. They are not those who would ever expect to be listed in “Who’s Who?” but they lived out their life with distinction because they cared enough to do their best to make a difference.

I heard a particular account about a gentleman in a small town who taught a junior boy’s Sunday school class for fifty years. At his home going service they had standing room only because the Church overflowed with the boys who were now men, some very much older men, who had been influenced by this man’s passion for helping boys find the Savior and helping them to make something of their lives. He would never have been thought of as anyone who did anything great in his life by the media or in our celebrity saturated culture. However, he was beloved by ‘his boys’ and more importantly he made the Hall of Fame where it really counts, the one that God enrolls folks in. I don’t read every obituary but I do read several each day. I often shed a tear over the loss of a child or young person. I am also impressed by those whose write-ups take up so much space as they are recognized for their many achievements in life. Yet, it’s those of the common person who peers out from a photo and you can almost hear them say, “I fought a good fight, I finished my course, and now I am receiving my heavenly reward.” I’ll take that kind of remembrance above any of the rest, how about you? Some food for thought as you enjoy your Saturday and Lord’s Day Sunday. Until next time, may the Good Lord bless and keep one and all! Amen. ….More later.