seeing the good

The all-star game was in Kansas City this year.  It was hot and it was dry and it was a very bad baseball game if you were a fan of the American League.  For that matter, if you like a good baseball game, it wasn't that good no matter what side you were for.  The score was 5-0 at the end of the top of the first.  From that point on, the game was pretty much over.

So what will we remember from the allstar game this year?  First I remember that I got to go.  God bless the kind soul who called at 10:30am the day of the game and offered me tickets.  Second, I will remember that the all-star game, like baseball in general, is a bit of Americana.  There is something that just feels right about being at a baseball game, and this one was no different, win or lose.  Thirdly, I will remember the B-2 flying over.  My oh my, what moments those are.

Finally and possibly most important, I will remember that I was there with my daughter Jenny.  I hope she remembers it for the rest of her life.  I will.

Bad game?  Not really.  There is always something good to see if we just keep our eyes open.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the plans of men

Ah, the plans of men and women.  The ideas that we have.  I think I will build a fence.  Great!  We spend a good deal of time in this life constructing things, only to find later that God has other plans.  We totally forgot about the natural order of things.  We totally forgot that we are but dust.  This person forgot that live trees eventually trump dead trees.

How do you feel when life messes up your design?  Maybe we should be a bit less intransigent and a bit more flexible.  Maybe we should stop being upset when things don't turn out as we expected, and just laugh instead and understand that life is bigger than me.  God is bigger than me.  And it's all good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Interruptions

Sometimes we have our plans, and then life interrupts us.  We get it all laid out.  A nice morning, the computer is fired up, a cup of coffee, and then the interruptions.

Sometimes we are interrupted by people as well.  It is very human to resent when things intrude into our plans.  Please be sure never to see people as interruptions.  People are valuable, people need to be loved, people are created by God.  God does not see people as interruptions.

Cats, well cats are different.  Scratch their heads and then throw them off of the table.  People however, need our attention.  It is our life mission to care for people.  We can always get back to our plans later.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

2 brothers

In the prodigal son story, there are two brothers.  One wastes his inheritance and then finally comes home declaring that he is not worthy to be his father's son.  The second son is upset over the party that is thrown for the prodigal and insists upon his own worthiness.

One feels unworthy, one demands attention.  The interesting thing is this........... the Father loves both of them.  He looks right past their silly humanness and he just loves both of them. 

What does that say about you?  What does it say about those that you think don't get it?  Is there any reason at all to judge someone else if God's love extends beyond our approach to life?  Just some food for thought.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Ways God speaks

A friend shared this with me.

It is from the Book, Jesus Calling.

As you listen to birds calling to one another hear also My Love calling to you.  I speak to you continually, through sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, Scripture.  There is no limit to the variety of ways I can communicate with you.  Your part is to be attentive to My messages, in whatever form they come.  When you set out to find Me in a day, you discover that the world is vibrantly alive with My Presence.  You can find Me not only in birds and birdcalls, but also in tragedy and faces filled with grief.  I can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.

Search for Me and My messages as you go through this day.  You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole being.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sunrise

Sunday morning sunrise on the Woods Chapel parking lot.  Don't miss your opportunities to see the beauty and glory of our Father.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Hot

Hot.  Yes it is hot.  Hot as Hades.  Maybe not quite that hot. 

Everyone has hot stories.  When I was in college, 77, 78 or 79, we had a fall that was very warm and the a/c in the dorms could not keep up.  We complained and protested to the administration.  We made signs and marched.  Nothing changed, except the weather, eventually.

In August of 1980 I was laying asphalt for a living.  We were putting a 2 inch cap on the parking lot at Truman Corners.  This was a big job and we were there for weeks.  It was hot.  Hot as Hades.  There were 21 days in a row that August that were over 100 degrees.  Thank heavens for the kind people at Ponderosa who let us come in and cool off and drink their water and sodas for free.  Eventually September came.

So here we are, the heat wave of 2012.  No one is having fun.  The Mercury is up.  Electricity bills are up. Tension is up, and it is only the middle of July.  What will August bring?  Maybe we should make some signs and complain to God.  Maybe, but maybe eventually August will be over and September will be here and things will cool off.

There is one thing that we have always said about the weather in Missouri, "if you don't like the weather, just wait, it is sure to change."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

How?

Years ago I was having lunch with a very special person.  This is someone that I have known for a long time, but had never had the chance to sit down to eat.  This is someone who is wise beyond their years.  Someone who has had the most helpful advice for me in problems that I have encountered.  Over lunch I asked them, "how did you get to be the way that you are?"

They were not taken aback by the question, and responded as if they had been thinking about this very inquiry.  She said, "well, two things.  First, I had the most wonderful parents, the most wonderful home growing up.  Secondly she said, I have had in my working life, some wonderful mentors."

It did not surprise me that she gave such a good answer.  Like I said, this is a person that seems to always know what to do when I am at an impasse.

Family.  You can pick your friends, but not your relatives.  Some people that are raised in wonderful homes turn out wonderfully.  They take in the love and are shaped by their environment.  Others though, for some reason, go off the deep end and make bad choices.  The same is true for those raised in bad homes.  Some carry the dysfunction on into their adult life.  Others seem to somehow rise above their circumstance and live a life that is almost a reaction to the pain of their childhood.  All in all though, I would say that the odds are in favor of those raised in a loving supportive home.

Mentors.  This is very interesting.  Most of us have had a good mentor or two along the way.  The trick is to take advantage of the mentoring that is available.  Many folks cruise through life and miss the gifts that come from the wealth of knowledge and experience in a mentor.  A mentor can also be a book.  We can learn so much from those we have never met, simply by entering the world of their thoughts.

In either case, the question that is still circling above me in the air is this, "have I chosen to take advantage of the good opportunities that have come my way in this life?"  Did I recognize them for what they were and savor them?  Did I cling to words of wisdom and solid advice no matter how challenging it was?  Our response to such inquiry can make all the difference. 

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

suit and tie

Someone asked me recently if I had sold all of my suits and ties.  :) No, I still have them.  I explained to them that a shirt with tie can get pretty uncomfortable in warm weather.  Add a jacket and Sunday morning gets pretty miserable for me.  Pity the pastors who are wearing ministry robes in this heat!

So I have opted for a more casual dress for the hot weather.  When things cool back down, my ties will reappear.  I hope that is ok with the congregation.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

conflict

If we would heal relationships, we must be willing to hear from those who do not agree with us.  If we expect to be successful in communicating with others, we must be willing to listen as well as talk, and we must be willing to listen well.  Maybe they actually do have something to say that has some truth.  Maybe I can learn from those that disagree.

When greeting them, do not be nervous.  People can smell this.  Make up your mind ahead of time that it is all going to be fine.  What is the worst that could happen?  See the good in them and remember that God loves them.  Do not be threatened by what they say.  Listen, take it in, and respond.  Do not react, but respond.  Speak from the best of who you are.  Do not let your insecurities take the moment over.  What does it say anyway if you are insecure about whatever position you are holding?  Isn't that a sign that you may be on shaky ground?

Conflict usually only becomes conflict when we raise the ante.  If we can stay relaxed and grace filled, real communication is possible.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

3.2

3.2 miles.  That is the distance of my wife's little walking excursion.  Up our street, down Veile Road, enter Lakewood and make the Northgate Crossing loop.  Then home again.  3.2 miles of up and down hills, automatic lawn sprinklers and barking attack dogs.

I know all of this because I finally went on the walk with her.  I had dreaded the journey, but once I got started, I felt a lot better, in fact, once I got started, I wanted to beat her.  Instead of worrying that she would leave me in the dust, I wanted to end the walk just about ten feet in front of her.

Well, it could not have gone any better.  I walked the flats and jogged the hills and waited for her at the top.  I think I totally exhausted her.  I was proud of myself.  Maybe I still have it.  Whatever "it" is.

Well, a couple of days ago, my wife is out of town, [story of our life the last eight years] my wife is out of town on business and my 23 year old daughter wants to take me on the 3.2 loop.  Ok, I am in.  It is another opportunity for me to show my prowess as a new member of the Olympic track team.  She never played a lot of sports, so I should have this in the bag.

Off we go, walking at a brisk clip.  I keep waiting for her to get tired.  We come to the first hill.  I have warned her that I jog the hills.  I take off.  3/4 of the way up the top, I am out of gas and I quit.  I hear a noise behind me, Jenny is still running.  She says, Dad- if you are going to jog the hills, you have to jog to the top. 

Well as you can imagine, the rest of the 3.2 loop was pretty painful with 55 year old me trying to keep up, and unsuccessfully trying to keep up with my 23 year old off spring.  Only the price of life kept me from throwing in the towel and begging for a break.  We arrived at home and I crashed.

Here is the moral of the story.  There are many races in life that you may feel afraid of at first, but once you get started, you will feel a lot better about it all.  Just don't try to race someone that is 30 years younger than you are.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

resilience

I had a cup of coffee with a friend the other day.  One of the words that came up was resilience.  What a powerful word that is, and what a wonderful characteristic to have.

The ability to get up when one gets knocked down is quite valuable in life.  To learn the trait of resilience is very needed when life gets difficult.  To some degree, it all boils down to the choice we make to lay on the ground and pout or to get up, dust ourselves off and look to see the good.

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

safety - something to think about

A long time friend sent me this story...........I enjoyed his comments as well.........

Children attending kindergarten cannot fully comprehend all the priceless reasons they are there - to socialize, make friends, grow, and prepare for ever higher realms of awareness - by that age they can, nevertheless, sense and grasp that their wise and doting parents have kept their very best interests in mind, and that is enough. Because with this awareness, they can at least stop trying to figure everything out and simply start enjoying their hand painting, alphabet lessons, and cat-naps. Knowing that even if they break a crayon or some lad pulls a chair out from under them, they're still exactly where they should be, everything is going to turn out just grand, and everyone back home is as proud as can be.

His comment:  "Made me think of boys we know.  No not you and me, ...our sons.    Ok you and me too."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

thinking

Someone posted this comment to the blog the other day:  "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."  Aristotle

I love it.  It is a reminder that we do not have to be threatened just because an idea is different than what we may hold to.  The world is full of angry retorts to ideas that people don't agree with.  What would the world look like if we were all able to think and let others think?  What would the world look like if we could actually entertain a thought without being threatened by it?

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

one little voice

Sunday morning I am walking from my car to the church.  I park a long way away, as I know that most of you do, so that visitors can park closer.  There is nothing going on in the parking lot on Sunday morning, but I hear a really loud bird.  The song of this bird is filling up the entire north lot.

I go to find him.  On the top of a light pole he sits.  a little tiny guy.  A little tiny guy with a very big song.  When I tried to take his picture, he flew away.  You may not be able to see him in my picture, but he is there.

How big are you?  How big is your song?  Most of us feel small and insignificant.  But you know, some wonderful songs come from small things.  Why not open your mouth and sing for God.  SMILE, LIVE, LOVE.  Let your light shine.  You are not a little insignificant thing.  I'll bet that your song is bigger than you ever thought.  Let it out.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

an old friend

I saw and old friend the other night at a wedding.  We don't see each other very often, but it is always a good thing, at least for me, when we do.  Sometimes there is a feeling that people have, that if we don't hang out, then the relationship does not matter.  Well, you know, we get busy, and life happens.  There are many people that I really love that I don't see as much as I would like.

But here's to this old friend.  Let's get some chicken wings one of these nights.  But, until then, please always know that you are greatly appreciated even if it takes a wedding for us to find one another.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

three things

So, we rise to another day.  Will it be a day that is good for us?  Will we sense the presence of God?  Is it possible that we have some control over that?  What if we woke up every day and made a commitment to do three things.

1.  smile at other people
2. speak and be pleasant
3. hug every one that you can

I just have to believe that when we take the initiative and act upon the world, our day has a chance of being great.  Don't wake up and wait for the world to act on you.  Step out and be who God has called you to be.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

an open mind

An open mind.  Do you have one?  How does one get one?  A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but many people do just that.

I watch people listen to political ads and they usually are not swayed one iota from their current view of reality.  I listen to people talk about their faith and the language is some of the most intransigent that you will hear.  It is almost as if people are afraid of things that might change their way of thinking.

Why be afraid?  Safety appears to be valued more than growth and learning.  You don't know what Presbyterians think?  Muslims?  Libertarians?  Rastafarians?  How on earth would it harm you to gain the knowledge of what other humans are doing and thinking? 

Personally, I find the ability to understand the perspective of others to be invigorating.  Years ago, I feared the perspective of others, and my life was filled with fear and intolerance.  When I began to try and understand others, I gained a bit of peace with them, even if I did not agree.  The world is a big place.  As my mother used to say, "there is more Horatio that is dreamt of in your philosophies."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a good story

I got this from my friend Jim.  I get many of these, which I usually delete if they come in a mass email.  He sent this to me personally and I am glad that he did.

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, remember that you have the gift to help others to see the joy the glory and the good.

Birthday

Last Thursday was my birthday.  It was a remarkably good day and I thank you all for it.  I ask myself, why this was such a good day?, and I have come upon something interesting.

I had absolutely no expectations, zero expectations about my birthday.  So, when I came to work and my office was decorated, it was a nice surprise.  I didn't expect any cards or gifts.  A few came in.  I wasn't thinking that I would receive calls or texts.  I received many.  I had no thought for facebook, but I received many good wishes.

Thank you all.  And I am wondering about the role of expectations.  When we really think that we deserve something, maybe it is easy for us to be disappointed.  But, when we are not expecting anything amazing, that is when we can be pleasantly surprised.

When I demand things from God or others, it never works out very well, but when I live and love and let live, then any moments of joy are just that.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.