Windy and cold it was as my wife and I approached the old Kansas Coliseum. Though not a long walk from the parking area, it was sufficiently long to make us both wish it was shorter. Can't tell you how many fun nights I've spent in that old building watching the Wichita Wings go so efficiently about the enterprise of indoor soccer. We watched the likes of Preki, Chico Borja, and Eric Rasmussen exhibit their more than mediocre talents on the pitch on many a cold winter night with the house full of rowdy soccer fans. Good times indeed. Soccer eventually became my favourite sport, though I now prefer the outdoor game. Preki played for the San Diego Soccers and every time he had the ball at his feet I remember thinking, "gosh, I wish he didn't have the ball at his feet". Of course he had a tremendous career with the Kansas City Wizards in the outdoor game and has now proven to be a formidable tactician as coach of the Chivas USA team of the MLS. Anyway, back to the main story here. So we found our way inside the coliseum where the temperature was eerily similar to what it was outside. The wind was noticeably weaker however and we waited there for our friends to appear. After the time had passed when we expected they would be there we ventured on down the long, wide, concrete hallway to the point where it opened up into the main floor of the building. It looked quite different now then the last time I had seen it. There were no real indications that so many activities had taken place there. Soccer, hockey, concerts, basketball, etc, etc. After visiting with a nice lady we decided to go ahead and register our presence so as to have one less thing to do when our friends arrived. This took little time and we were back at the cold, less windy waiting area in no time. Once our friends arrived and we were all registered we were given our plastic aprons and hair nets and asked to stand in a line. Shortly we were joined by others who were likewise outfitted. What I observed there was a very encouraging sight. One that warmed my heart immensely. We were a small part of an effort to package a million meals to be sent to Haiti. 150 folding tables formed 50 work stations with 8 or 10 people at each station. The effort was drawing to a close on this Sunday evening but the room was still filled with people, and music that seemed to me to have a Reggae sort of sound to it. Surely this is something truly American that we can take pride in. Surely a room full of people, who could have chosen so many different destinations on this night, coming here to try to help a needy people so very far away is a notable thing. At a time when money is a bit tight by our standards, jobs are harder to find and many are struggling financially, we still have our time to give. And give we do. The really remarkable thing about this party is that it is not some kind of odd occurrence. As a people, we have always been generous when tragedy strikes, whether here, or abroad. They had hit their goal of 1,000,000 meals at around 4:30 and when we left they were well over 1,171,000. When I hear how many Americans were there in Haiti when the earthquake hit, and I see how we are responding to try and help, I have trouble believing we are hated by the world. There are likely those who are jealous of our prosperity, and there are those who focus on and amplify our faults, but they, by and large, are not in position to help as extensively as we can because many of them are not a free people. Or their freedom is throttled and manipulated by a top heavy, if not corrupt, government bureaucracy. I hope we always choose to use our freedom as a tool to help others. And I hope our politicians realize that tool is so much more effective in the hands of the citizenry than in the hands of a government.
Some people save up their vacation time and end up having to use some at the end of the year so they won't loose it. That is one problem that I have never encountered in my relatively short life. When I see those poor devils rushing around at the end of the year, worried they might loose some vacation, I think, "there, but for the grace of God, go I". I'm not sure how to explain my talent. That is to say, I don't remember anyone "teaching" me how to use vacation time. It would seem it was one of those God given gifts that is just part of my personality. Please don't think that I am boasting. I understand that I could have easily been one of those other people who just can't think of a good reason to take off work. For me the reasons just seem to flow like a broken water main. I can't hardly think of a reason to not take a vacation day. Weird, huh? Another amazing part of this whole thing is the fact that my cow-orkers seem to enjoy seeing me take days off too. Talk about a win - win. Kind of like a vacation for them and me too. I don't know, it's just rather amazing sometimes when I step back and see all the wonderful ways God has blessed me. Maybe I'll take off tomorrow and contemplate all that I have been given. I'll be right back, gotta take a quick look at my last check stub.
Warm biscuits with melted butter and a coating of grape jelly that my granddaughter helped make in Texas. Wow, God is so good. He gave me taste buds and a sense of smell so I could really enjoy this treat. What a creative idea. I'm able to nourish my body and receive a bit of joy all at the same time. If I had created the world it would have been much less imaginative. Need some nutrition? Just walk on up to this "filling station" and we'll throw a little in your tank. Instead of such a calculated, matter of fact approach, we are inundated with beauty and good things to remind us of His love. Sorry to make you wait but I needed to finish my biscuits while they were still warm. Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog. My wife, yesterday, went to the hospital to have a liver biopsy taken. It all started several days earlier, with a blood test that showed elevated levels of some enzyme. This prompted the doctor to want a closer look at the situation. After a sonogram and a CT, which showed some nodules, a yet closer look was indicated. While in the operating room the doctor, through conversation with my wife, decided a couple of extra samples would be a good idea to check for another possible explanation for her condition. A call to a pathologist confirmed this to be a good idea, since they were already taking some biopsies anyway. I don't want to fill this blog up with anecdotal information as I know it can be a weak argument, but I have to react to what I know and then try to analyse external information taking into account what I have experienced. My experience with the healthcare system, to this point, has been a good one. Yes, I have been frustrated dealing with insurance companies who say this or that is covered then try not to pay when the bill comes. But in the end, my wife has prevailed and they have paid. I would say I have had more problems straightening out mis-understandings with the government. Whether it's getting a paid tax liability off our record or fighting over flood insurance that I don't believe we should need to have. I am not sceptical of the idea of us having the best healthcare in the world, but, even if my lack of scepticism has resulted in me accepting a "less than the best" system, I'll take it. I cannot imagine how these things would unfold under the weight of an incredible governmental bureaucracy. Waiting, who knows how long, to get a biopsy taken, then, what kind of treatment are you left with. Are the doctors hands tied. Is he able to make that phone call and take more samples than originally agreed on to cover another possible cause for the patients problem or is he a human machine carrying out his orders, knowing that the reimbursement will be the same either way and the patient can just wait in another line for another biopsy if it comes to that. The progression from blood test to biopsy was about a week for my wife. How long will that progression take with a government administered program? Can't we just make our current system better? If we introduce competition, in a real way, to the healthcare system then, I believe, we go a long way toward making it affordable for all. Those who still can't afford it, and want it, the government can help. With "real" competition the government will not need to control our lives like they will feel compelled to do with government healthcare. The government can concentrate on keeping us safe from terrorists and keeping our country on solid financial footing instead of telling us what we can eat, or how much we can eat, or what activities we can engage in. With a truly competitive environment in the insurance industry the actuary tables become the motivation for disciplining our choices. If we pay more for insurance because we smoke we have a built in incentive to quit. I understand the need for basic coverage for all, but giving discounts for lifestyle choices or refraining from more risky activities, would seem a doable option. Even now, if someone manages to go on a parachute jump without procuring the proper insurance, we are not going to with hold medical care from that individual. In fact, it is the stated policy of our medical institutions to not with hold medical care from any individual in need of emergency procedures. So I say true reform is indicated, not an overhaul. Free up the insurance companies from the heavy hand of government imposed restrictions, mandates and cost controls and then have a method of helping those who need assistance to make their premium payments. I don't have time here to address the historical issues that have led us to our current, inefficient, national medical condition, but I think we can fix it without setting us on a long slow decline into medical mediocrity that is the assured outcome of direct government involvement.Film at 6.
The hard part isn't freezing it, it's catching it. Just kidding. We had some "freezing fog" this morning which is a bit interesting in and of itself. I suppose a little like freezing drizzle only on a lighter basis. It sometimes causes some travel problems but seldom does it accumulate enough to. The neatest thing about it is the effect it has on trees. It collects a little like snow only a more delicate coating that settles on the branches sort of like moss on a rolling stone. I mean, stationary stone. I always get those two stones confused. Anyway, I got a couple of pictures today, as I remembered my camera for a change. In the afternoon we had what I suppose you could call frozen fog. The moisture suspended in the air, (that would be the fog), froze while still floating about aimlessly. It looked like tiny snowflakes, or more like pieces of snow flakes that weren't quite heavy enough to move themselves to the ground. This put a delicate finish on any snow that was still around and added an interesting texture to the landscape. It looked a little like the non-skid surface of a bath mat or something like that. By the way, in an earlier blog I commented on a phenomenon I referred to as a "heat event", the actually name is "heat burst". So if your Googling "heat event" was fruitless, try "heat burst". It truly is an interesting phenomenon. Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures. I've included two today since my blog is so short. By by the the way way, you can click on the pictures and get a full sized view of them. I discovered this last week but forgot to mention it to the two of you. Sorry, I'll try to do better.
I've been really struggling with the frequency of my blogging. While most of my posts are rather casual I still try to put a bit of effort into them. And then there are those times when I want to say something about a more serious topic like my understanding of a Biblical truth or friendship or family relationships. It's difficult to really put the effort into it day in and day out so I'm going to use my blog on a more occasional basis. That occasion will be when I feel like it. So there, nany, nany, boo, boo. I want to thank both of you for sticking with me through these early times of feeling my way along as it were. Do not be dismayed as there are no restrictions on how many times you can read back through these blog entries. Yesterday, I blogged about forgiveness. This is a tough subject for me because of the way my brother treated me growing up. (just kidding) It truly is a hard subject for me and after entering my thoughts, such as they were, I decided not to post them but to simply save them as a draft for later consideration. The good news is, God is quite settled on His understanding of forgiveness and it remains available even as I continue wrestling with the subject. I felt that collective sigh of relief. So, you may hear from me tomorrow and you may not, but rest assured that one of those two scenarios, will indeed, come to pass.
You know this New Testament gospel is kind of difficult to really figure out. Or maybe it's just hard to put into words. I would say that I have experienced forgiveness and mercy and am, at some level, following Christ. However, there is this constant battle between assigning worth to my existence by way of standing strong against temptation, and then the idea that I am not at all defined by my own discipline but rather by God's mercy. Specifically, I would like to express some, likely, controversial ideas about forgiveness. If a friend has an affair, giving in to temptation and momentarily putting aside his or her faith, I am disappointed and hurt by his or her actions. It is like a fellow soldier has betrayed the fight. While forgiveness is readily available from our heavenly Father, due to His ability to see the heart directly, it comes more slowly from me because I have to deal with all the feelings and emotions while trying to discern my friends heart. I suppose I feel a need to hear some kind of confession of wrong doing or see evidence of a contrite spirit. Nothing too elaborate just a sentence or two explaining his or her understanding of wrong doing and a request for forgiveness. God's forgiveness will see my friend into heaven, but my lack of forgiveness may hamper our relationship here on earth. We may, in fact, continue our pursuit of faith, in different directions, though a legitimate pursuit both would be. But the better outcome would be to offer forgiveness to a friend and continue on this pursuit together. Encouraging, helping and holding one another accountable as before. It's quite possible that I am exposing a very selfish point of view here, but I do not subscribe to the idea that forgiveness can be a one way street. Throughout the gospel we are compelled to take action, on the knowledge of our sinfulness, and come to Christ for forgiveness. If one wants to suggest forgiving someone who has died then I might see a place for that. For letting go of a sin or wrong doing whose source is no longer able to express sorrow for their actions. But how can a sin that has not been acknowledged be forgiven? How can a gift that remains in your closet on Christmas day be opened? Again, the forgiveness that offers eternal life comes from God the Father, so if I do not perceive, or become aware of, ones sorrow for their actions, and therefore, do not have the opportunity to offer my personal forgiveness, it is of temporary concern, and will not impact the salvation of either person. While we are commanded to forgive, as we have been forgiven, again this implies the admission of guilt. My forgiveness came through such an admission. I'm thinking this blog may not make the cut. This subject needs much more time to develop. Nevertheless, maybe it will give you something to think about, or get mad about and form your own ideas of why I'm all wet. Don't worry, if you confess the bad thoughts you are having about me, I will forgive you.
Don't we all hate whiners? I can't do that 'cause my little finger hurts. Jimmy got more cookies than I got. I just hate these hot days. I just hate these cold days. I wish this weather would make up it's mind. Sure is dry this year. That stupid rain cancelled our picnic. On and on and on it goes. It is so late and I'm so tired I really didn't want to do this blog thing tonight. It's 5 minutes after midnight as I start this and I would rather be sleeping. I should have done this earlier in the day as I knew it would be a late night. Late but fun it was. A friend invited me to a jam in honour of his father who would have been 100 this year. His dad always enjoyed "music parties". I guess he played the mandolin. I really don't remember meeting him though I may have at one time about 35 years ago. My friend and I went to one of the first Winfield festivals. A festival that Stuart Mossman got started in the early 70's. It became the home of the International Flat Picking Championship and eventually many other competitions were added. Early on it was a Bluegrass festival but has grown to include a much broader range of music. My friend, who played Bluegrass, along with several other family members, really wanted to go to the festival so we ended up coming. We both attended Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Mo. and we lived on the same floor in the dorm. We got together to play guitars sometimes and eventually became friends. So we came back to Kansas for the festival, I guess it was '75. We stayed at my folks house in Park City and went to see the competitions and listen to some of the bands play. He ended up moving to the Wichita area to teach school but we really haven't stayed in touch that much. I'd see him at the festival occasionally and would go see his group perform from time to time but that was about it. I was excited to get the invitation to this jam in his dad's honour. A brother from Missouri was there and so was a sister from Florida. The living room was full of music and talking with an occasional corny joke thrown in from time to time. I even took a shot at a couple of them myself. While the laughter at my jokes was somewhat subdued I believe it was nonetheless heart felt. So I'm home now and headed to bed but thanks for staying up late to read this, I really appreciate it. Later.
So we were just out of high school, my buddy and I, and anxious to get about the more important things that were now within our reach. Both of us still living at home meant the money we made could be used for personal endeavours. We both enjoyed camping and hiking so a backpacking trip to Colorado seemed to be in order. We decided to climb Mt.Elbert just outside of Leadville. It is the highest peak in Colorado and something we could do without special equipment or training. Then we would head to the Maroon Belles near Aspen for a few days. The plan in place and our packs full we loaded up. Bear would accompany us on our journey to help keep us safe at night. Bear was my friend's rather large yellow lab mix that proved to be an over-ambitious defender when we would throw the football around. Couldn't really get him for pass interference because his timing was impeccable. However, unnecessary roughness was a common practice of his, and the games would be rather short in length to protect our general well being. Heading west in a red Corvair with our 2 packs and a dog was an immeasurably freeing sort of feeling. We were trying out our relatively new adult wings as it were, and loving the independence we felt. While Bear was a fearless cornerback, he seemed to have a phobia for cars. Not so much scared of riding in them, but as they passed by he was struck with a very strong desire to place himself under my friend's feet. This was somewhat comical the first few times it happened but became a bit of an annoyance as the trip went on. One time we were coming down a steep grade in the mountains when Bear couldn't stand being in the back seat any longer. During his trip to the passenger's side floor board in the front he actually shifted the car from 3rd into 2nd gear. He accomplished this without the aid of a clutch and the transition was amazingly smooth. We got a good laugh out of that. We eventually found our way to the trail head that would deliver us to Elbert's peak. We hiked up quite a ways before stopping for the night thinking we could get an early start and make the peak the next day. My memory isn't real detailed but for some reason I remember making some Jello with some of that wonderful mountain stream snowmelt. It tasted great though I can't remember what the main course was. Probably a dehydrated this or that. The next morning we did indeed get an early start. However, we were farther from timberline than we realized and started our hike to the peak a little later than hoped. We left our packs at timberline hidden in some shrubs. The three of us headed out on our long steep walk with plenty of water and some sandwich cookies. A great combination don't you think? This was our first stop though looking back it should not have been. I was having trouble acclimating to the altitude. It always takes me a day or two to get used to the mountains. During our adventure we encountered a thunderstorm. Not a lot of lightning, but when you are at eye-level with the storm you feel a bit more vulnerable. The reason for that feeling is the fact that you are more vulnerable. (spelled it right that time without help from the stupid spell checker) We took shelter in a boulder field. The boulders were large enough that we could get into the crevasses and be pretty well protected. The precipitation was mostly in the form of sleet. A function of the cooler temperature up where we were. As the storm moved on it left in its wake the most strikingly beautiful scene I have ever had the privilege to see. The storm moved on between us and Mt. Massive producing a double rainbow which seemed to end at a lake down in the valley. I will never forget the feeling of awe at that moment, or the almost inconceivable thought of knowing the one who created this incredible earth. Wow, what a sight. By the time we reached the top I was feeling pretty sick. The cookies were likely not the best choice for food to take, but it was what we had so when I got hungry, I ate some. We weren't at the peak too long as we knew we were in trouble time-wise. We moved as quickly as possible back down the mountain. When we reached the area where we had left our packs it was dark and I was as sick as a dog. Well, as sick as some dogs I suppose, it seemed Bear was feeling ok. My friend made quick work of finding a couple of puny little pine trees that could offer a bit of protection from the weather we might incur on the mountain-side. He set the tent up by himself while I was busy tossing my cookies, (no really), at another nearby tree. We climbed into the tent and our sleeping bags and settled in for what was a rather stormy night. A more intense couple of storms accompanied us through the night and again the precipitation of choice was sleet. By morning I was feeling better and we hiked back to the car to head to the more relaxing part of our trip. What a day it had been. What a great memory to have and to share with you on this cold night. Hope you enjoyed it.
So I'm sitting at the remote ordering station at a McDonald's drive through. Wind chill below "0" with an air temperature of around 9 degrees Fahrenheit and winds gusting over 30 mph. After a long pause I finally said, "hello?". No response. Eventually driving on around the corner to the window I was met by a nice, unapologetic lady, who asked me what I wanted as if this is how things are always done here. "A number 6 with ketchup only and a large sweet tea please". Having observed that a large tea was on sale for a dollar I was looking forward to getting a large drink while paying the usual price for my meal. "That will be $5.09, please". "I thought the tea was on sale", I replied. "Not when you get one in conjunction with a meal", said she. "Oh". "Then I need a double hamburger, just the sandwich, and a large tea". "Ok, that will be $3.42". Geepers, either something is on sale or it isn't. Kinda ticked me off. My wife, a retired McDonald's employee, knew the end of my story before I got there. She remembers people pouring out their coffee right there in the drive through lane because their meal came with coffee, even though they didn't want it. Just seems like there would be some way to do things more efficiently. Doesn't McDonald's want to save money? It's not like the meals are pre-packaged, I mean, they have to pick up the cup and put coffee in it. A cup they bought and coffee they bought and brewed. If it's an inventory thing then they can hire the programmer the Turnpike uses to make it all happen seamlessly and accurately. I know it could be done. Anyways, lets move on to more important things. We start the year off with a new commercial for the Prostate Treatment Center. Gotta love 'em. They always list all the problems related to an enlarged prostate and then offer a solution by way of their center. Someone wasn't paying attention when this commercial was written. I kid you not, one of the questions the "matter of fact" announcer asks is, and I quote, "do you wake up to urinate?". I said, out loud, "my gosh, I hope so". The alternative is called wetting the bed which is a phase I left in my childhood. Look, I know all about this progression of the enlarging of the prostate. It is a reality in my life. But, not waking up to urinate, is not one of the symptoms I don't believe. The two of you would have had a great picture to look at on this blog if I hadn't taken off for work this morning without my camera. I forgot my tea too. Knowing that my journey's would take me through the freshly whited Flint Hills I was going to have my camera ready for a few nice shots. It was a wonderful drive with the wind pushing clouds of snow over the naked hills and valleys. Even with the clouds breaking later in the day it looked blizzard like in some places. Sorry, I'll try to remember it next time. This has been a rambling blog. Oh, hang on, I thought of something marginally humorous today, let me go get my day-timer and see if I can find where I wrote it down. I'll be right back. I'm back but it wasn't worthy of publication. While this may seem curious given some of what I have deemed worthy I believe you will thank me later. As I close, a quick thought, that is quite worthy of mention. My wife showed me a note she had received from a lady in Texas who has recently lost a son in Afghanistan. The note was full of encouraging words to my wife and me about faith and family. These words are a special gift from a grieving mother. No mention of her sorrow, just encouragement to us. Thank you Lord for Your never ending ways of surprising us with Your love. Please pray for our troops and their families.
It was snowing harder now. Coming down very heavy and with those big wet flakes. I love the snow. Ever since the big storm that hit Wichita during my Freshman or Sophomore year of high school I've been a big fan of those lovely crystalline flakes that greet us from the grey winter clouds. We were friends before but that storm cemented our relationship for life. We were out of school for a whole week. A week full of snow forts and sledding. Pushing stuck cars and snowball fights. Gloves and hats occupying the heat vents around the kitchen and living room while we ate our sandwiches and planned our next adventure. What a week. It all started on Sunday morning. It was beginning to snow in earnest as we headed to church. By the time we came out of the service the snow was several inches deep. The anticipation of missing some school was already part of my thought process and the excitement continued to build as the day wore on. By night we were out tromping around in over a foot of snow and it was still falling. My recollection is we ended up with 21" total. Monday morning began our dream week with several consecutive fun filled days in a row. That memory will accompany me the rest of my days, Lord willin', and it is a significant part of my appreciation for snow. Now back to the previous tale. The snow was coming down heavier now and I just thought it could be a sign that I should go ahead a make the call. My room mate at Southwest Baptist College had talked me into going on a double date with he and 2 ladies from the women's dorm. He really wanted to go out with this one girl but she refused to go out with just him on a first date. She required it to be a double date. My room mate can be very convincing and he managed to talk someone who had never been on a date before to go out on this double date. That someone happened to be me. I wasn't exactly a ladies man. I had called a girl up in high school to see if she wanted to go out and get a Coke or something. The answer wasn't no, it was, I can't tonight. Nevertheless, a "no" would have been no less devastating and I tried to avoid her for the next several days because I felt embarrassed. That had been the extent of my social life at least as it pertained to the opposite sex. So after several "no way's" he finally got me to say yes. Now I was trying to get up the nerve to ask this same lady out to a concert of the St.Louis symphony. It turned out she was ok, for a girl, and I wanted to pursue a more substantial relationship with her. The snow was what pushed me over the edge. The snow might have been a sign, I thought, and if not, it still seemed like something I should do. So I met her outside her dorm and asked if I could escort her to the concert that night. She said "sure", or something like that, and the rest is history. We eventually got married and my room mate and her room mate never really hit it off. So now there is another reason to like snow. It's like they say, "just follow your snows".
A very general topic indeed and one that will take a specific look at people I consider friends and what they choose to do with their time. I guess I'm responding to yet another comment about how horrible the United States is and how other countries are friendlier and "better" than our "Christian" country. I suppose my first thought is to challenge the notion of our country being Christian. While most name Christianity as their faith of choice I'm not sure we are a Christian country. I'm not even sure a country can be Christian. I think people can be Christians. Countries on the other hand, are ordered, either casually or very formally, by the principles of government they choose. Force is sometimes used, as in a coup; a constitution or other founding document can give the order and state principles to be followed. Those principles are often based on some kind of foundational truth or good that is supposed to benefit those who are citizens thereof. Our founders cited, on several occasions, a divine influence which they believed gave each person an intrinsic right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is a foundational truth upon which our country started and one which has a universal application. While this principle is a comfortable fit with what I understand about Christianity, it does not make our country Christian. It simply establishes a focal point for the basis of a government which was hoped to always protect the basic worth of each individual. Now if one is to read the papers, magazines, watch some TV news, etc, one will see that there are many events taking place in our country that are decidedly unChristian. Nevertheless, many of these activities are protected by a system which has placed on each individual the right to choose their behaviours. If we were a Christian nation in the way that some nations are Muslim nations, then divorce would be rare, sex outside of marriage would be stigmatized, not idealized and prayer would still be welcomed in schools. Nor would we have politicians taking more and more of our freedoms from us. This is not a Christian country. It is, however, a country with many Christians living in it. These Christians are not on the nightly news. They are not trumpeting their works on the street corners or finding ways to move to the top of the Google search list with their tales of goodness. They are, in fact, going about their faith in relatively quiet ways. Much of the 6th chapter of Matt. talks about this type of Christian. The government takes 50% of their income and yet they still give a tithe and offering to the church to help people around the world. They are busy with their jobs and families, yet find time and resources to go to India, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Mississippi and anywhere else someone needs medical attention, a well dug or food and water. While they go as ambassadors of Jesus love, offering help to the least of these, they go, in a less obvious though very significant way, as representatives of a free people. A nation that understands each person's worth and intrinsic rights. A nation that offers people, regardless of religion, a place to freely pursue their lives. After all, without a nation that has flourished and grown the way the United States has, we would be left to feel sorry for people around the world. Without an economic engine that has produced the richest nation the world has ever seen we would not be able to offer billions of dollars to a nation fighting AIDS. We would not be able to win, and help countries rebuild, after a war against an exterminator of Jews. We would not be able to move other countries toward a more civil society where people of all ideologies and faiths can work toward very lofty goals with the hope of reaching them some day. From my perspective, though a limited one it is, I see this country as a great country. We are a collection of free individuals living our lives, to a large degree, how we want. And many of my friends want to help others. My fear, moving forward, is that the political class will continue incrementally wrestling away our freedoms until we are a country of monolithic mediocrity unable to mobilize our individual desire to help others because we no longer have the ambition or freedom to do so.
You know how something relatively small can signal, in a very definite way, something relatively big? For me, when I was playing soccer, it was always an early spring soccer game that told my heart what my head already knew. IT IS SPRING! The emerging greenness, the slight chill in the air, the feeling of freedom as you ran, unencumbered, up and down the pitch. A real celebration that involved all of the senses. That's when spring officially started for me. Well, the new year came at midnight on December 31st, but today, for me, is the official start of a new year. Since coming to work for the Kansas Turnpike Authority I have come to depend on the day-timer I carry with me everywhere. It contains reminders of things I need to do, of things I did, of things I did wrong so that I may avoid those mistakes in the future. It always has a handful of orphan phone numbers, part numbers, song lists for gigs or nursing home visits and short, allegedly humorous lines that are waiting for a joke to be constructed around them. After distilling the mess into bits of information deemed worthy of passing on to my new day-timer, the old one is stuffed in the back of the drawer with the others. To help you understand on a deeper level that this is indeed a new year, I would like to share with you, some of these pennings. Please note that you are viewing notes that were collected throughout the year and therefore are not necessarily related one to the other. The day-timer please: (by the way, these are most of the ones that made the cut)1) Mobil radio transmissions may interfere with a K-tag read.2) Alarm reset to Bosch is handled through the strike output.3) It's fair to say, you have a fare to pay.4) 78144642 - 23.1mm rollers.5) Kurt - 555-1212 (this number was changed to protect the innocent. 6) A medical advisory board, (I think this story came from England), will only OK you for a drug to save the sight in an eye after you have lost sight in the first eye.7) Gibson - DG2222 / Goya G - 10. (these are guitars that I was hoping to help a cousin sell)8) Energy savings idea. Disable all bathroom exhaust fans.9) Hope passed away. (this is a sad note referring to a friends baby named Hope.At Hope's funeral we were all reminded that Hope, in Jesus, will never pass away but continues even beyond our understanding)10) It wasn't a flathead when I caught it. (a punch-line waiting for a joke)11) The small mouth bass is the male, the large mouth is the female. (see above)12) Bosch - trouble on all devices usually means a battery problem.13) This came to me while listening to one of those wonderful commercials about your prostate."Are you having trouble with Urine flow?" my response is "no, I'm having trouble with my outflow".14) 135 kids die every year with injury's sustained while riding a bicycle.15) 22 million affected by H1N1, 4,000 dead. This is 1/10 of the normal amount for a year.16) Fruit of the Loom is coming out with a new, inexpensive brief called, can liners.17) 40 to 50 percent of health outcome has to do with lifestyle choices. 15 percent has to do with availability of healthcare.18) This is the last day of the rest of your work week. (delivered to a cow-orker on Friday)19) In a year, one tree can produce enough oxygen to support a family of 4 for that year.20) Amtrack receives 30 dollars in subsidies for each passenger.21) Goofball sized hail.22) Someone embezzled 87,000 to buy lottery tickets.23) "I don't think anything can go wrong now.(thoughtlessly uttered by a cow-orker after numerous problems with the contractor installing siding and windows on his house)24) Alt-F2 while booting shows what config.sys is loading.25) Social Security has become an enabler for dysfunctional families.26) Ethernet data pairs: org/org-wht and grn/grn-wht.Alrighty then, Happy New Year!
I'm fully aware that this is my second entry for the day. You see, time got away from me last night and after a lengthy stay in front of the TV the time had slipped past mid-night. So one entry this morning and one tonight and I've sort of kept my one-a-day string going. (work with me here) While my wife, daughter and granddaughter were in Texas my son and I were the only two people occupying the house. Kind of nice actually. The volume can be turned up a bit on the stereo or TV without disturbing anyone. No quick scurries down the hall with a towel precariously held around my waist trying to make it to the bathroom without offending anyone. One would think that, in the absence of a need to go to work, that one might sleep in as well. Turns out, one would be wrong about that if he lived here. Apparently the newest member of the K-9 wing of our family knows what an alarm is for. As soon as my watch alarm went off he began making of himself a nuisance. He is quite good at this and succeeded in getting me out of my nice warm bed to care for he and his friends. After feeding all three dogs and taking them outside for their morning duties I retired, once again, to the bed. It is very cold right now here in Wichita, Kansas, and is, apparently going to be getting even colder. We're looking at several nights of single digit lows and maybe one or two minus 0 lows and highs around 20 with one day's high being forecast at 9 above. That ought to kill off several million of those pesky insects that can't wait to greet us in the spring. I wonder if cold weather kills an endangered insect if the environmentalists would file suit against Mother Nature. After all, that insect may have held the secret to curing a disease that we haven't even discovered yet. Ah, but I digress. So with the cold temps and a central air unit that is barely sufficient for the square footage of our home, there are areas of our home that are a bit on the cool side. One being our bedroom. This isn't a big problem since we mainly just sleep in there, and occasionally watch a little TV. Actually, it's a fairly big TV that we don't watch very much. Anyway, as good fortune would have it, we have three dogs. Thus, when faced with a 3 dog night we have 3 dogs to accommodate the situation. With my body heat combined with theirs I'm comfortably warm. However, that extra heat comes with a price. Once set, the two pugs don't really like moving. They just lay there like sacks of sugar. You have to use a good bit of muscle to manipulate them to a more suitable position. Given my habit of rolling from one side to the other these bags of sugar become quite the annoyance. They are sort of like rolly polly's. Once the maneuver is under way they just roll into a ball until I'm settled again at which time they evaluate whether it's worth the effort to relocate. Fortunately, I still have good strength in my legs. The Golden can be a problem too but with my wife absent he just stayed on her side of the bed. The pugs seem to like being in close proximity to me thus presenting more of a strategic problem than the Golden. I hope this was instructive and will help you make a more informed decision when shopping for K-9 companions.
Thanks to my sister-in-law for this great picture from her trip to Alaska.We do indeed live in a culture of "looking out for #1" as it were. One of the challenges of my blogging is trying not to inundate my postings with the I's. Even though the blog is about my thoughts and ideas and experiences there is a way of communicating without constantly using that personal pronoun. It is equally as hard to live a life that is not focused on me. I love the line,"enough about me, what do you think about me?". That line seems uncomfortably instructive about our culture and my life in particular. I try to filter some of the more obviously narcissistic flurries of thought that enter my brain but alas they eventually surface after a short fight. In my defence there are a lot of influences that would suggest focusing on one's self is of utmost importance. Ever heard of Dog and Cat Theology? It's a several week study of the Christian faith and what would seem to be the overriding theme of God's work among us. While there is a personal component to it all the suggestion, a well supported one at that, is that the ultimate goal of God's work is to bring glory to Himself. Most of my head scratching during this study was due to my trying to grasp this relatively simple truth. God's focus in bringing salvation to us wasn't us, though thankfully salvation is indeed offered to us. But His desire, His intent, is to bring glory to Himself. This was received as an affront to my ego and is yet being examined for possible loopholes. I get the God wanting glory thing, but His glory should be derived from what He did for me. And while that statement is not entirely a false one the premise puts more emphasis on me then God's work on the cross. God is glorious due to His saving me. Actually, God's glory is derived from His nature. He is wonderful, powerful, compassionate, forgiving, etc., etc. My salvation flows from and points to His nature. His glory and worth does not flow from my accepting of His goodness. I reckon at this point I've pretty well lost anyone who has happened on this blog and I apologize for that. The string is getting a little thin for me as well but it was, and still is, a matter of consideration for my heart to try and understand the finer points of my faith. It is important enough, however, to keep trying. I hope God's glory has, or will, find it's way into your life on a personal level.
Ok, here's the deal. Don't ask my wife if she knows about the electronic picture frame I bought today. And don't tell her that I bought an electronic picture frame today. If my instructions are not clear let me know and I will attempt to articulate them in a more precise manner. I went to the store to buy a few things this morning. Double and triple A batteries, toilet paper some chips, etc. Well, while there I just did a little window shopping. I've been eyeing these electronic picture frames for a few years now. I never think to ask for one as a Christmas gift. Plus, they are a little pricey to expect someone to purchase one as a gift. Anyway, I decided it was time to spring for one. An 8 incher to be exact. I really like it. My son noticed it when he came in and commented that he liked it too. So anyway, I think my wife will like it as well and if she doesn't then that's just too bad. Too bad for me that is, cause I'll be taking it back. I really think she'll be ok with it but I need to be the one to break the news so I refer you to the opening sentences of my blog today. As far as New Years days go this one has been pretty low key. My daughter headed to a short work day early then headed to Texas to meet up with my wife at her fathers house. My son worked today so I was home much of the day by myself. Don't worry, I wasn't scared. I've done this on several occasions though none in my recent life. Watched a little tv, took a nap, ate some taco soup for lunch and sausage and eggs for supper. A quiet day all in all. A good day to contemplate my daughter's statement that she was glad I was her dad. I never know how to respond to something like that. The shortcomings I have exhibited in my attempt at fathering seem so blatantly obvious to me and yet with God filling in all the potholes in my road to being a father my daughter is grateful for me. I'm so glad my daughter has turned her life around and is now looking to her Saviour for strength and guidance day to day. I guess the secret to being a good father is having a good Heavenly Father. Lord, I'm thankful you are my Heavenly Daddy.
