on finding joy

We all meet grouchy people.  We don't have to become one. 

We don't have to lose the happiness of our youth.  All we need to do is to tap into our sense of gratitude.  Find something to be thankful for.  When we do, we become like children who are seeing the world for the first time.

What are you thankful for today?


It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Where will the hurricane hit?

Hurricane Dorian is bearing down on the Atlantic Coast of Florida.  Please pray that it does not hit us.

The models for where the hurricane will go stretch from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville.  But many of the models put Vero Beach [where we live] and Melbourne [30 miles north] at ground zero.  [You can see Vero on the map just below the red line]  We have had glancing blows of two hurricanes since we moved to Florida, but if Dorian hits Vero Beach, it will be a direct hit of 125+ mph winds.  Makes a guy a little nervous. 

We will be in full hurricane prep mode over the next few days.  I already have water and gas.  We will take everything that is not tied down off the deck and put it inside.  I also will be boarding up a couple of other homes for friends who are enjoying the summer up north.

Conveniently, we had planned a weekend vaca to Ft. Lauderdale.  We will probably board up the house and just head down there.

Now back to where the thing will hit.  Please do not pray that it will not hit Vero Beach.  When we pray that prayer we are in effect saying, "Dear God, may some other family in some other town suffer the effects of the hurricane, just spare Jeff's family."  Kind of a selfish prayer don't we think?

It reminds me of this story that I used to tell.
During the great war we prayed for protection.  We prayed that God would keep us safe from the bombs.  And Praise The Lord!  He Did!  All of the bombs fell on the other side of the town.

The moral of this post is that life has it's difficulties.  Sometimes praying for them to go away is simply asking that the pain be given to someone else instead of us.  May we get better at bearing pain instead of wishing that God would save us from it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, even if a hurricane is coming... be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Life and death

When we are young we feel invincible.  As if aging and death won't come for me.  Even though we know that all people die, we hope for a pass or an exception to the rule for ourselves and those whom we love.

My friend Kitty sent me a note recently...
I have had several dear friends “leave this life for a better one”
of late. What do we say to that family or friend to comfort them?
When I send a card, I always share this thought.”
I don’t even know where I first read it, but it has always been very
meaningful to me:
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,
Love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

Love is so valuable, and loss is measured by the level of love.  No love, no sense of loss.  Huge love, huge cavernous loss.  The only way to not have the loss is to never have had the love in the first place.

You know the old saying, it is better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all.

Love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Sitting with my Dad

Late in my Dad's life I would meet him for lunch once a month at Romanelli's at 71st and Wornall.  He knew the servers there because he ate lunch and dinner there every day.  He actually died in the parking lot there on February 2nd 2002.

Anyway, he liked Romanelli's because when he was 18 he rode the streetcar there and had his first beer.  First of many.

So I would meet dad for lunch.  I remember one time, Probably 1999 when we were in the throes of building and moving into a new church, I met dad for lunch.  I was stressed.  I sat down across from him in the booth and I said, "Dad, I am so glad to see you."

Being with him made me feel ok.  It made me feel safe.  It made me feel whole.

Dad said, you know son, I am 72 years old, and still there are days that I wish I could go sit down with my mom and dad at their kitchen table.

These days, I wish I could go to Romanelli's and meet my dad for lunch.  I wish I could go and sit at his table.  The adult world can get very complicated and very stressful.

I miss my Dad.  Someday I will see him again.

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

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Sundays when I was a kid

My friend SG asked me to write about Sundays when I was a kid...

When I was a kid, Sundays were for church.  We got dressed up [white shirt and tie.  I hated it.] and the whole family went, unless Dad was working [which was about 50% of the time.]

We went to church and sat in the pews.  We sang the liturgy.  Holy holy holy Lord God almighty... During the sermon the lights were turned down.  Good time to sleep.

No stores were open on Sunday.  That changed when I was 30.  But back in the day, you better get what you need on Saturday, because Sunday was the Lord's day.

Mom always made a big Sunday dinner.  Usually fried chicken and mashed taters.  Mmmmm.

One Sunday for whatever reason, my Mom made grilled cheese for lunch.  I complained.  My Dad asked if I did not want to eat the grilled cheese.  I said, NO!  He sent me to my room.  I sat there for 6 hours until dinner time, 6pm.  Then he knocked on the door and asked me if I wanted to eat dinner.  I said, yes sir.  I got to the table and that cold grilled cheese was still there.  I ate it with joy.

We only had one TV and it belonged to Dad, so Sunday afternoon we played outside.  Soccer, football, baseball, snow sledding, whatever, always something.  No watching sports on TV, we played them for real.

Sunday night was the wonderful world of Disney.  We all sat around and watched it together.  It was probably the closest thing to feeling like a family that I ever knew.

These days on Sunday I go to church and hug my friends.  I try to make new friends.  My wife makes lunch.  We float in the pool.  Later we have a beer and watch football.

Sunday's have changed, but Sundays are still good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

sermon audio from Sunday 8-25-19 Boiling it all down

here is the link to the sermon audio

click here to listen

The breakfast group

The breakfast group started larger, but dwindled over the years to three men. Gary Glenn, Dan Horn and Tyler Stephenson. You will remember that Dan was my co-writer of this blog... Lions Den Man. The breakfast club was a place where jokes were shared, hearts were opened, new ideas tossed about. Everything was real. And I was invited to join the group anytime that I could.

I moved to Florida. Dan passed away suddenly 2 years ago. Gary moved to New Mexico.

I can speak for Tyler, Gary and myself that we all miss Dan so much. Gary sent me a text the other day to that effect and attached this song. Drowning, by Chris Young

click here to listen to the song

Here are the lyrics...

Still got your number in my phone
And even though you don't wanna listen
I still call and wait till the tone
Just to hear you saying "Leave a message"
Since you've been gone I've had to find
Different ways to grieve
There's days that I don't even want it on my mind
But tonight I'm awake

So I'm gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in 'em
Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing
By myself, I can't help, that all I think about is
How you were taken way too soon
It ain't the same here without you
I gotta say, missin' you comes in waves
And tonight I'm drowning

Yeah I know you're in a better place
And one day I'll see you again
But it's killing me we can't be face to face
I miss my best friend

So tonight I'm gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in 'em
Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing
By myself, I can't help, that all I think about is
How you were taken way too soon
It ain't the same here without you
I gotta say, missin' you comes in waves
And tonight I'm drowning
Yeah tonight I'm drowning

I know it's a part of life
But I wasn't ready to say goodbye

So tonight I'm gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in 'em
Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing
By myself, I can't help, that all I think about is
How you were taken way too soon
It ain't the same here without you
I gotta say, missin' you comes in waves
And tonight I'm drowning
Yeah tonight I'm drowning

we over complicate things

I believe the core message of the Bible is that we should love God and love our neighbor. On this hangs all the law and the prophets.

It took 1,000 s of years for the bible too be written

another 1400 years for us to decide for sure [mostly] which books were in. Not all Christian groups agree today about which books are in and which are not.

If I steal a recent question from a friend and reinterpret it, I might say that I believe that the most important, core part of scripture is to love God and love others. Everything else hangs on that.

Too bad we use the rest of it to cloud the simple message of love.

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

July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Grace in denial

I was listening to a sermon by my friend Pastor Robyn Miller.  She was talking about grief and Elizabeth Kubler Ross's stages of grief.  One of EKR's stages is denial.

Pastor Robyn said that there is a bit of grace in denial.  I had never thought of that, but I loved it.  If I can deny or pretend that something is not a certain way, I keep the pain at bay.  I buy myself time to deal with reality in the future.  I portion the struggle out a little bit at ta time. 

That is grace.  I don't have to face it all today.  I don't have to swallow it all today.  My heart can have some time to adjust.

Grace is always good.

Sometimes grace buys us time.


It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

what have we buried?

From Anthony deMello's book, The Prayer of the Frog...

In the early 1850s American painter, James McNeill Whistler, spent a brief—and academically unsuccessful-period at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. The story goes that when he was assigned to draw a bridge he drew a romantic stone one, complete with grassy banks and two small children fishing from it. “Get those children off that bridge!” said the instructor. “This is an engineering exercise.”

Whistler got the kids off the bridge, drew them fishing from the bank of the river and resubmitted the drawing. The angry instructor yelled, “I told you to remove those children. Get them completely out of the picture!”

But the creative urge was too strong in Whistler. His next version had the children “completely out of the picture” indeed. They were buried under two small tombstones on the river bank.

What hopes and dreams lie within you?  Have you allowed the pressures of life to bury them, or are your dreams still alive???

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Monsters at night part 2

My brain has been thinking about my friend Pat's post from the other day.

There are things that I think about at night that I don't think about during the day.  Why don't I think about them during the day?  Because my brain is driving a car, it is visiting someone from church, it is talking to you on the phone.

But at night, the junk comes out.  The worries.  The regrets.  The things that still hurt.  I have noticed that there are a few recurring themes that take over my brain at night.  In my dreams, in my thoughts when I am in and out of sleep.  I think that I still need to work on forgiving some people.

I hope that you don't lay awake at night and think of past hurts.  It is not so much fun.

I know that I am getting better because I don't need to talk about those times anymore.  Maybe one day soon I will stop dreaming about those hurts.  Let's keep working on them.  Let's keep giving our hearts to God.

May God grant us all more daytime joys even in the night.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

what a Kindergarten teacher sees

Brian's grand-daughter's Kindergarten teacher sent this home on the first day of school.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

grouchy

I am grouchy and I don't know why.  A whole litany of things that usually would not bother me are bothering me.

I am not overtly grouchy.  I am not being ugly to people, but for some reason I am perturbed.  The world is not aligning itself to make me happy.

All of my little ailments are first world problems.  I am not sick, I am not homeless, I am just grouchy for some reason.

I need to work harder today at seeing the good.  Maybe you have days like this too???

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

The monsters at night

From my friend Pat...

It is 3:45 am. I am awake. It is dark. I am alone. My world is overwhelmed by what might go wrong. The market will crash, and I’ll have nothing, again. The pain in my back will require surgery. I’ll never walk again. I missed a filing date: I’ll get sued, I won’t be able to work. Or all my kids will move home, again.

And so on.

Those monsters are so big at night. All the good things in your world are still asleep, but every terrible thing that can lurk, is banging around your brain at 3:45 am. Its like the disciples in the boat with Jesus: the storm is raging, He’s asleep. They’re terrified.

But morning comes and whatever awful things ran through your mind 3 hours earlier are back in their cages, whimpering. God was never asleep.(what a silly human notion) He was there the whole time. Remembering that thought at 3:45 will keep the beasts at bay, and let you go back to sleep.

And if your kids do move home, tell them there is only room for the grandchildren.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

"Christian" pressures

My friend Joy got me to watch the Netflix series called "The Family."  It is about a very Christian group, that is also very manipulative.

I thought of the manipulations and pressures that I have seen over the years... [and this list is just the tip of the iceberg...]

Trying to get people to think like we do.
Trying to get them to go to church.
Trying to get them to join the church.
Trying to get them to give money.
Trying to get them to change in some way so that they would fit better into our scheme of what a good Christian looks like.
[several of the above are good for the organized church, but they are not the main thing.]

What if we just loved people?
What if we stopped worrying about our kids and grand kids and just loved them.
What if we just loved people.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Using the Bible- Part 2

Following up on yesterday's post...

So what should we use the Bible for?  Well we should not use it to shun, hurt, or shame others.  We should use it to help us draw closer to our Father.  We should use it to shape our character so that we become more kind and loving.

Proper use of Scripture draws us closer to God and makes us more humble and kind.  The closer we are to God, the less time we will have to judge others and the more we can just live a life of reliance and trust in him.

The Bible is not to be used as a hammer.  [Terry McCarty]

Jesus rejected hateful, manipulate passages and gravitated toward the open, accepting, and loving ones.  We should do the same.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Using the Bible to prove a point

So this keeps coming up about how someone wants to support their views by saying, "but the Bible says."  Most of us know just enough of what the Bible says to make us dangerous.

If a person wants to make the argument based on "the Bible says,"  then I think it is fair to insist that they take on all of what the Bible says, and not pick and choose.

The Bible says…

That homosexuality is wrong - Lev 18:22-24

That we should not eat shrimp - Lev 11:10

That we should not commit fornication 1 Cor 6:9

That we should not eat pork - Lev 11:7

That we should not have round haircuts - Lev 19:27

If you curse your father or mother you should be put to death - Leviticus 20:9

That slaves should honor and respect their masters - 1 Peter 2:18

That women should not teach or speak in church - 1 Tim 2:11

That if your city is under siege, it is ok to eat your children - Deut 28:53

Someone born out of wedlock cannot attend church - Deuteronomy 23:2

We should not have savings accounts - Mt 6:19-21

If a woman interrupts a fight between her husband and another man, her hand should be cut off - Deuteronomy 25:11-12

If your brother dies, you should have sex with his wife - Mark 12:19

That non virgins are to be stoned - Deut 22:20-21

That an unruly son should be stoned Deut 21:18-21

That we should not get tattoos - Lev 19:28

That handicap people cannot approach God - Leviticus 21:18-21

If you are going to insist on one thing because the Bible says, then please out of fairness, insist on them all.

And as my favorite theologian, Terry McCarty says, "the Bible is not a hammer."

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

strength made perfect in weakness

Paul the Apostle had something bothering him. He prayed for it to go away, but it did not. Instead, he was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."  2 Cor 12:9

We can focus on what is bothering us, or we can focus on God. We can focus on sin or we can celebrate God.

To the extent that we are negative, we lose power.  To the extent that we focus on God will be the measure of joy and hope in our lives.

This is the key to seeing the good in life. The choice we make to get our eyes off of what is bothering us, what is wrong, what we did, what is broken and simply celebrate the goodness and wonder of God in this world.

His grace is sufficient. Now that is something to celebrate.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

on forgiving your self

You do not have the right to not forgive yourself.  You  are not the judge.  Neither am I.
If your sins are separated from you as far as the east is from the west, you do not have the right to not forgive yourself.  You are not the judge.

Jesus is the mediator between God and humans.  His act of self giving love on the cross shows just how much God loves you.  If God loves us that much, we don't have the right to not forgive ourselves.

When our eyes are on ourselves, we cannot forgive ourselves.  When our eyes are on Jesus we see that we are already forgiven.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

What religion was Jesus?

From my friend Pat...

I imagine running into Christ at Starbucks and asking him “What religion are you?”

He wouldn’t say Christian: that was actually a negative term in Judea during the time shortly after the Crucifixion. And I doubt he would say Jewish: by the time of his death he was way beyond where he started, and remember, he railed against Jewish religious leadership. He certainly wouldn’t reply Catholic, or Methodist or Southern Baptist.(I’m not welcome in parts of the South now)

I think he would say that he practiced the religion of “kindness”, a word that defines actions, not beliefs.

You can’t believe yourself into eternal life, but you can act yourself there. Act kindly towards others, no matter what you believe.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

why people do bad things

Why do people rob banks?  Why do people shoplift?  Why is there road rage?  Why all the mass shootings?

One word =  selfishness.

When I was a kid we had the selfishness beat out of us.  The community mores demanded that people treat each other with respect.  Open the door for a lady.  Yes Sir, Yes Ma'am.  I would have never called an adult by their first name.  Only juvenile delinquents would consider doing the wrong thing.

Well, in the last 50 years, the community mores, the essential customs and conventions of society have changed a bunch.  We have become a me first  bunch.  We have dumbed down the education system and lost the value of hard work.

When those things go, we easily make it about ourselves and selfishness becomes rampant.

I will drive however I want.  I will take whatever I want.  I will hate whomever I want.... and on it goes.

I don't know how to change the mores of society, but I know that it is important for us to model love instead of selfishness.  Work hard.  Work first, play second.  Respect everyone.  Hold the doors for the ladies and the men.

We can't fix everyone, but we can make sure that we are not a part of the problem.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

The Christian Life

The Christian life is not turned in, it is turned out.  We do not become followers of Jesus to sit in the church and learn stuff.  We become followers of Jesus to go where he went and do what he did.  If we are not going where he went and doing what he did, then we are not following him.

We are to get out amongst them, we are to go to the least of these.  We are to live the missional life.  A Christian life without a missional component is hardly Christian.

Yes, go to church, go to Sunday School.  Enjoy your book club, your softball team, your bible study and small group.  But remember, these are launching pads that should be sending you and me out into the world to love others.

The Christian life is lived out there.  We are sent.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

why did I shave my head

So in case you have not seen me lately, I have given myself a crew cut.  Its a big change and I don't know that my head is particularly good looking.  What little hair I had gave me a sense of balance, and I am used to looking at myself with hair.

Why did I cut it off?

Well, over the years, my hairs have been running away in record numbers.  The few that remain are thin and gray.  It got so sparse that I could see all the way through from the front to the back.  I can no longer convince my self that I have hair.

Over the years I have watched guys part it way over on the side and flop it over the top.  I have also seen guys grow it long and swirl it around.  I am not going to play that game.

So, I cut it off.  I guess if it bothers me, I can let it grow back.  But for now, I am ok with it.  I hope that I don't look scary to you.

Enjoy these pictures of Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson from the movie Kingpin.  You will understand why I cut mine off.

I am not going to be that guy.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

hatred is the root

Hatred is the root of so many bad things.

While I am in favor of more gun control [see yesterday's blog] taking all the guns away won't stop people from killing people.

Hatred, anger and rage lead to assaults, road rage, murder and more. 

The root issue underneath these evil things is the hatred.

Let's stop hating people.  We can do it.  We can make the world a better place one person at a time.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

on forgiveness

From time to time I think of people that hurt me.  No it is not you.  These folks don't read my blog.  I try to forgive.  I have worked on forgiveness.  I want to forgive.  But what they did to me was so cruel.  The sadness, the hatred, the rejection, the betrayal, it is hard to forget.  But I keep working on it.

I am writing this today because I know that there are others who harbor hatred, anger and unforgiveness.  Friends we know that it is wrong and unhealthy to hold onto hurts from the past.  Yet it is often so hard to let them go.

I know that when we heal, we stop needing to tell the story.  I don't tell people any more about what happened to me.  I also believe that those that hurt me are good people.

If you still hold an unforgiveness, you are not alone, I think almost every human struggles with it.  Keep working on it.  Keep trying.  Keep working on overcoming evil with good.  Love is stronger.  Keep filling your life with love.  I am in a better place now and I know it can get better for you as well.  Keep at it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

On gun control

On Sunday I told someone hello, and I said, it's a beautiful day.  They said, no it's not a beautiful day because of the shootings the day before.  I got their point.

My heart hurts for the people in El Paso and Dayton.  For that matter, my heart hurts every time that I hear of one of these terrible shootings.

I can tell you that the problem is not guns, the problem is hatred, but I am personally in favor of more gun control.  I have a shotgun and a handgun.  But, if a burglar came in, by the time I found the bullets and got them loaded, the police would probably be there.

While I think owning a gun is fine, I think that there should be waiting periods, I think there should be age limits, and I think that some people should not be allowed to own guns.

One thing that I certainly think is that there is no reason for anyone to own one of these assault rifles.  I have a friend that has one, and he is a great guy, but I just don't understand why people want them.

New Zealand is a small country, but after the mass shooting there, they had a buy back event and 224 assault rifles were turned in.  It cost the country $290,000.  It would cost millions in the US but if it helps to stop such killings, I am for it.

I pray for the families.  I grieve for the loss to so many.

Happiness and Joy

I read this somewhere recently...

Happiness is a pleasant feeling that is tied to circumstances.  Things are good, I am happy, things are bad, I am not happy.  Happiness is tied to circumstances.

Joy is not tied to circumstances.  Joy is a spiritual state of heart mind that comes to a person when they engage the world with gratitude.

In other words, when we look and see the good in life, when we choose to be aware and appreciate of all of life, we find gratitude and joy.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

This is my Father's world part 3

We American Christians, many of us, not me and hopefully not you, but many of us have fallen into a bad habit of talking about the devil and blaming lots of things on him.

If you are doing this, please stop.  This is our Father's world. 
Only God is all knowing, all powerful and all present.
The devil is a created, finite being that can not be everywhere at the same time.

Some Pastors and Churches continue the myth that the devil is everywhere or that he knows your thoughts.  He does not.  He is not the opposite of God.  There is no opposite of God.

Let's not spend one more minute glorifying a fallen angel.

Let's spend our days seeing the good and finding the joy in this wonderful life that God has given us.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

This is my father's world part two

I love the words to the hymn....

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world:
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!

of rocks and trees of skies and seas, his hands the wonders wrought.

Here the hymn writer is recognizing the amazing power of awareness.... and to my listening ears... he speaks to me everywhere.  Usually God is speaking, but we are not listening.  Oh how beautiful life becomes when we simply open our eyes and ears and see what God has done.  That is when simple things like rocks and trees and skies and seas become amazing.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

This is my Father's world part 1

Thank you all for the ideas on what to post about.  My friend Ginger reminded me that one of my favorite hymns is "This is my Father's world"  certainly a topic worth a blog post, or two or three.

So my how our lives have changed.  When I was in 3rd grade at South City View Elementary in Kansas City, our class sang "This is my Fathers world" at the PTA meeting.  At the public school, we sang a Christian song.!!!

The Principal also smacked me several times with a paddle board with holes in it.  The teachers would grab my crew cut and shake my head to get my attention.

My best memory of grade school was that I got my first kiss from Sue Ellen Butler.  3rd grade, South City View, out on the playground during recess.  Whoop whoop!!!

It was a different time. 

Today I don't think that Principals get to spank kids.  I know that teachers don't get to shake a kids head by his hair.  I doubt that Christian hymns are sung for PTA meetings.  But I hope that third grade girls are still kissing third grade boys.

We all struggle with this life.  So many things to face, so much difficulty.  And with all of the changes, and all of the stress that we all feel from time to time, this is still my Father's, our Father's world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

Good Morning

Well I have to tell you that I am short on ideas to write about.  Nothing is wrong, I just can't think of what to write.

Do you have any ideas?  What would you like to hear about?

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours

I'm crying

I assume that you are like me and that there are some days that you just cry.
Maybe you sob.

My friend's grandma passed and I grieve with her.
My long time 9:05 friend is going to hospice and I am sobbing.
One of my softball friends is going to hospice...... I am so so sad.

Sometimes the good of life is overwhelmed by the sorrow of life.
And I have to ask you to cry with me.  And cry with my friends.

This is why relationships are so important.
This is why hugs and smiles are so important.
It does not last for ever.

So may we love, love , love.
Every person.  Every day.

Every person.  Every day.
Every moment matters.

On letting people in

If you want to be close to someone, you have to let them in.  You have to make yourself vulnerable and let them see who you are.  Deep relationships are formed only when we allow others to get close.  Only then can we have talks that are real.

Of course when you let people in, you run the risk of being hurt.  Maybe they won't like what they find, maybe they will reject you.  There are 1,000 reasons why we don't let people in and some of the reasons are good.

A person has to ask themselves... do I want to run the risk and let someone in, or do I want to live a life of pretend in my own self-made prison?  Can I find friends that will respect and care for me?

Personally, although I have been hurt a few times over the years, I have found it much better to let people in.  If you are lonely or just tired of being a one person show, make your self vulnerable and find yourself a real friend.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland next year. If you are interested in reading about it, or joining in, the link is below.....

Treasures of Ireland
July 13-22, 2020
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/ir20071320a17768#eotours