Some Saturday Sprinklings!

Last night, the good wife and I saw the movie Leap Year! Its a romantic comedy, and Amy Adams [she starred in the movie Julie & Julia] was a main character. The movie is an engaging comedy with a subtle principal ... look before you leap. Guys, this is a great date night activity, only have the surprise supper after the movie, and bring a little gift along! Trust me, it will work. The good wife and I had a nice meal before hand and it did keep us from indulging in the buttered popcorn and diet soda's. The theater room where this movie was playing was pretty well packed with middle aged people and old-timers like me.

This morning I was leafing through a book I had bought a copy of for a lady in our church that just had surgery, 'Our Heavenly Father' by Robert Frost [not the poet]. I came across a couple of sentences that ignited some wonderful thoughts about the unlimited thinking of our Creator. 'God's will is a process which does not stop with death. We need to be conditioned to this larger horizon or we will ever be measuring things by a short and faulty yardstick.' [p.130] Never in any depth have I thought about the fact that we are created not just for a purpose here on earth, but also in eternity, creative living takes place in eternity also. I once heard someone say, 'if all I'm going to do is lay around in heaven for eternity, I'm not so sure that's going to be worth it.' At the time I didn't considers how accurate that statement might be, but according to this author God has created us not just to live with him in eternity but to actually have a significant purpose there. Now if that's the case, and I'm thinking its a pretty good case, what would God have in mind for my eternal purpose if he's preparing me here by my being a preacher?? I won't be needing to spread the Good News, its being lived out; I won't be needing to be a chaplain, all illness, aging and tears don't exist; no need for counseling; and certainly won't have any financial concerns - so what am I going to do? The second thought I had on reading these words was 'we need to be conditioned to this larger
horizon or we will be ever measuring things by a short and faulty yardstick.' I'm guessing that is implying that rather than measuring life by our temporal circumstances and existence, we need to start holding things up against the light of eternity, in some sense I already do that, but I'm thinking this is going beyond the question of is this worth eternity or will it help me get to heaven ,so I'm going to try to get some tougher grips on this one. .......... all wisdom and ideas are welcomed!!

This past week the good wife and I made a pork roast, and there is so much there we will never eat it, so rather than freeze it and forget about it, I've cut it up and am bbq'ing it. I've never done that before, so this is going to an experience. If it turns out okay, I'll make a couple sandwiches and give the rest away. I like to cook, and when things turn out good give them away.

Well, I've got to get back to work, God was speaking to me this morning and there's a couple pages of my sermon that have to be changed, so I'd best get to it.

Only 36,000?

I am really getting fed up with idiotic, insensitive remarks from our politicians. Today the Senate Majority Leader said that, and I quote, 'It is a good day in America because only 36,000 lost their jobs today!' Where does anyone come off making such a statement; how would he like for one of those 36,000 to be a closely related family member of his? what if he was one of those 36,000? I'm guessing its fairly easy to make such statements when you're looking out from an ivory tower. HOw can one call losing jobs a good day for America in any context? I realize this is not the whole conversation but to even use such a metaphor to describe in part an economy that is falling down all around us to me is the heights of arrogance.

Yea, for global warming, at least where I live!

I am neither a climatologist nor scientist. What I know about climatology comes from newscasters whose batting percentages rank below minor leaguer's [to any Minor League Baseball player this is a compliment to you, not a put down]. What I know about science would definitely mark me as a losing contender on the tv show 'do you know more than a fifth-grader?; on that show I would be trampled, pummeled, slapped up silly, you name it. I've stayed as far away as I can from the swirling controversial winds of global warming for those two reasons alone; but I can tell you the last few months have done nothing to convince to believe in it. HOwever, just a few minutes ago I had to go on an errand, yes in one of those carbon monoxide spewing Hondo 4-cyclinders, but since I haven't seen anyone bowl over in the wake, its okay with me. It was absolutely warm outside!!!! here and there were patches of brown earth, and occasionally some patches with green in them, the snow is melting and not even a small patch of ice to be found on the roads. If global warming wants to come to my town, I'm not going to be the one to fight it because I'm fairly certain before this month ends it will lose it way and we'll again experience those days when getting warm is a major accomplishment - for now I'm rejoicing.

Continuing Search....

What a treasure of information! So far the family records from my Grandma Bank's father line reveal at least 3 men who served in the civil war, 2 men who served in the revolutionary was and 2 who served in the French-Indian War - I think?. I am just getting started trying to map this all out, but the history of family members involved in the above three wars is indeed very interesting. One day I will share the little bit of info I get on each one and their participation as patriots of our country.

Went home

This week I went home to spend a day with mom and grandma, and we had a good time. While talking with them I learned that my great grandpa used to tell my grandma about the Potawatomi Indians that used to camp outside our home town on the St.Joe river, and how he would brag that we had some Indian blood in us, on the Creek[name] side of us. So I began to do some research, sadly I'm not that good with the internet, but I am beginning to see some results, and even came across a man who is supplying me with authentic history about our ancestors. This is really becoming quite interesting,especially since no one in my family has explored to any great depth this branch of our family's roots; but my hope is that one day I will find evidence of that 'link' that I have native Indian blood coursing through my veins!!

Letters from the Land of Cancer

A look at the book by Walter Wangerin Jr., Zondervan Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010
Wangerin faces his own mortality when he learns that he has been diagnosed with cancer. In a series of interspersed meditations and 22 letters he writes about the journey; of course in the writing of his letters he does not know how the battle with cancer is going to play out, or as many people with cancer tell us, ever will.
I enjoyed the book and found many things worth exploring even before I should learn of any life-threatening illnesses. Perhaps the most basic message I took from reading this book is to enjoy ever present moment of life to its fullest, whether it is in a positive or negative context. In some ways I think the old adage, ‘can’t cry over spilled milk’ was spelled out when he talks about how he wanted to live in the present, and continue his work – and continue his work he did. In a later letter he briefly talks about how, his cancer enabled his work. In another letter he
talks about how cancer hindered him from keeping the balance in his life, he became too weak to keep the ‘bad’ from being corralled by the ‘good.’
Since I’m not a very good reviewer, I think I’ll just highlight some of the
advice that I received from his book. ‘To consider earnestly a life undefined by death, a life defined by nothing except Life alone changes all our values, all relationships. It simplifies the self and time and purposes.’ [pg.85] …I’m not sure I’m interpreting the authors thoughts correctly, but to me I says that when we stop living life with death as an ever present influence and accept death as a reality that does not end life, but only becomes the gateway to eternal life, then we can get on with living Life to its fullest, perhaps as Christ means life to be lived here. ‘Cancer does not give me freedoms others don’t have.’[pg.114] Often in life extend unwarranted excuses for people because of their age or disabilities, here the author is saying that just because he has cancer he is not excused from the psychological, mental or spiritual responsibilities that everyone faces. ‘If Christ is raised nothing else matters. If Christ is not raised nothing matters’[pg.158] This was written at a time when his illness was increasing. To a student in one of his classes who asked him the question how he was handling his cancer he replied, ‘I hold death lightly in my hands.’[pg.167] This was perhaps for me the profound thought in the whole book and he took a whole chapter to explain it which I thought was brilliant; its worth the price of the book for this chapter alone. ‘Surely it’s high time, isn’t it, that we pay as much attention to the blessings of a long affliction as we do to the pain for which we curse it.’[pg.196] For often the blessings that are fruits of an affliction are buried in pity, suffering or as the author says, ‘drugged away.’ This brought to mind the Apostle Paul’s talk about the ‘Fellowship of Sharing in His Suffering.’[Php.3:10]. ENJOY THE BOOK!

I Won the Bronze, Mom!

What a story. Joannie Rochette, the Canadian figure skater who lost her mom from a massive heart attack only hours after her parents had come to Vancouver to watch her compete; it was a story of a young lady reaching down within herself to reservoirs she had never taken from. Sure, practicing to be an Olympic athlete can mean hours and hours of tough training, often taken to what is perceived to be the limits of human endurance, and more often not, working through pain. But the goal one hopes to achieve keeps on going, at least until you've reached the stage upon which that goal can be achieved. But what reservoir is it that you tap when death becomes an that unwelcome partner? What exactly should Joannie do, quit and join her father in grieving, or should she go on, seeking to honor her mother with her very best efforts? I believe she made the right choice, if I had been her parent that been the victim of that heart attack and death, my wish would have been for her to 'finish' ... and she did. How proud her mother would have been, and one only had to catch a glimpse of the celebration of embrace with her father to know she'd done the right thing; and as she reminded us this moment was what her parents, particularly her mother, had stood by and encouraged her for all those prior years.

We have a lot of people on our church family prayer list, some incarcerated, others doing battle with cancer, and still others not even able to identify their opponents,
yet, in faith, they dig into reservoirs never tapped before, they hold on to God's promises, and hope for a future in which, at the moment, the only assurance they have is his peace and presence .... and that is enough. But how well, will we, their choir of encouragement perform. I pray there is more than just simple cheers from the stands, that there be cards/calls with thoughtful, uplifting words, that there will be acts of compassion and caring .......... a spontaneous overflowing of love that says to those contestants, 'you're making the right choice; and we're doing everything we can to support you, in Jesus name.