yesterday's comments

I enjoyed so much reading yesterday's comments. Each of your ideas about spirituality are so thoughtful. I must lift up one in particular:

The meaning of spirituality is not easily defined, but I can tell you what it looks like (a story from today's Kansas City Star.) Last week, homeless men at the Kansas City Rescue Mission raised more than $132. to give to Haiti relief. A homeless man who is 30 years old, and trying to turn his life around, gave $5.00. This is spirituality.

The writer is profoundly correct. This is spiritual. This is extravagant generosity. This is the setting aside of one's personal comfort or preference for the sake of the mission. Self-sacrificing. The taking up of one's cross. It would make me feel good today to find or participate in one act of kindness that even remotely resembled this story. Let's see what I can turn over.

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

spirituality

Yesterday I was in a 3 hour meeting with a bunch of preachers. Great folks. One of the things that we talked about was spirituality. If you had five minutes to define that word, and you had to do it in one sentence, what would you say?

Think about it for a while and then come back to the blog............

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what did you come up with? What is spirituality? Over the years, I would have defined it in different ways, but at 52, I seem to be stuck on selfishness. It is so sneaky. At 52 I would define spirituality as the journey of learning to give yourself away in the name of Jesus Christ.

What new thing are you learning? What books are you reading? What are you doing that challenges your life paradigm? Do you see selfishness within yourself? Do you fight it? How?

Spirituality- the journey of learning to give yourself away in the name of Jesus Christ.

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

the impossible

Well, every now and then we see something impossible. The Olathe high school coach is blindfolded, spun around and told to try and shoot a basket from half court. No one thought that he would make it. He didn't even know what direction the basket was. Impossible. Seemingly so. Yet, he made the bucket. Amazing.

Every now and then I run into something that seems impossible. Insurmountable. Impassable. Yet, life is amazing and unpredictable, and our God is uncontainable. He can make the impossible things become possible.

What challenge are you facing? We may not be able to see it, but with God, nothing is impossible.

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

sick

How many days a year do you call in sick? I have not done it in 16 years. Until today. I am never sick. Blame the flu shot, blame good genes, I am never sick.

I always get sick on vacations. It is like my body lets down when it knows I can give it a break.

I have never been sick on Sunday. Can you imagine that? You have to talk all morning, but you are sick?

Anyway, being sick makes a person enjoy being well.

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

walking into the unknown

Sometimes we are called to face things that we have never experienced before. Such times generally cause us to be fearful. Even nervous, angry or hysterical. We don't like change and we don't like pain. We want things to stay the same. After all, we are entitled. Aren't we?

So here comes something that I have never experienced before. For some reason, I am not afraid. I am oddly over come by a sense of God's presence. Trust. Maybe it isn't that odd. God is so good, it's just all going to be ok.

Whatever tomorrow brings, we face it with hope, for God is with us. You can trust him.

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

practical jokes

Well, somebody is always trying to get me. To sneak up on me, to mess with my brain. I don't know why and I don't think it is very nice.

Here I am this morning, kindly making my way to church to get ready for today's services. I park the car, walk to the office and turn on the computer. Sitting on my desk, right in plain sight is my name tag.

Why is my name tag there? I never leave it out. It has a place where it lives. "A place for everything and everything in it's place," thats what I say. The name tag is out because someone has loaded it up with silly stickers. A big heart, a big pair of juicy lips and bird stickers.

Well, the heart is illegal since it is the sign of those certified on the defibrillator, which I am not. The juicy lips are right out. Not going to happen. I start to peel off the bird, then I realize, that sticker is a talking point. Can you hear the birds sing? Ok, I will leave that one on the front. The lips and the heart will be on the backside in case anyone wants to see them.

I don't ever pull pranks on others, I don't know why people do this stuff to me.

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

the dog house

The dog house is that place where husbands go when they are in trouble. It is worse than the couch. The couch usually just lasts for a night, while the dog house may go on and on indefinitely. Yesterday, I got out of the dog house. I had been in the dog house since Christmas, so it was about time.

I don't know about other guys, but I can get into the dog house for all sorts of things. If we run out of dog food, I am in the dog house. If the grass is not mowed, I am in the dog house. I may even be in the dog house for something that I do not know, although I am supposed to know.

This time, I have been in the dog house because the Christmas lights are supposed to come off of the house on Dec 26th. Every year, Dec 26th. No exceptions. Christmas is over, lets get the stuff off of the house immediately, she says. Everyday that I go without getting the lights off of the house, I am in the dog house.

Now, I hate to stick up for myself, but it has been cold. Really cold. We have had a foot of snow on the ground. And, I have been busy, I have a job you know. Mostly I wish someone could explain to this woman that Christmas lights are supposed to stay up until January 6th. Have you heard of the 12 days of Christmas? They go from Dec 25th to January 6th. 12 days, beginning with Christmas and ending with Epiphany, January 6th.

So she wants the lights down on the first day of Christmas, and I am in the dog house every day until they come down. Well, yesterday afternoon, January 22nd, I got the lights down. Now I am out of the dog house, until she finds another reason.

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

the love file

The love file. I was thinking about it yesterday for some reason. I can't remember if it is a Dave Ramsey idea, but the love file is a good idea. The love file holds everything that your loved ones need to know if you should happen to die.

Life insurance. Who is the agent. What is the phone number. How much is is the coverage.
Car insurance. same info.
Savings accounts. Location. Account numbers.
Online accounts. Logins and Passwords.
Mortgage. Who is it with? How much is the payment. When is it due.
What are the general bills. When are they paid. How do you usually handle them. A copy of every monthly statement.
Is there a 401K or retirement. Location. passwords.
A copy of your will.
Any instructions for your funeral.

In general, every piece of information in one manilla file that would help your spouse or children know everything and anything about how your life is managed. One of these days, they are going to need it. It is kind of a funny feeling to put it all together, but it provides you with some peace of mind, and your family will one day be glad that you did it.

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

yesterday

Well, I survived yesterday, and I honestly appreciate the scolding that a few of you gave me. Yes, life is good, even when you start the day with a long list.

But, what is the use of this blog if I can't complain every now and then? It is hard to write some days, when I can't write about what is on my mind because there is a bit of a struggle in it somewhere, and I am afraid that the blog readers will wish better of my brain.

Man that was a long sentence. The point of it is this: is it ok, for me to be transparent in this blog, and if I do, can you readers live with it?

Back to yesterday. Adding insult to injury, I was in the middle of a meeting with a young ministerial student and we got an emergency phone call. It was my daughter. She is on the side of 291 with a flat tire. So, put on the Dad hat. Cancel appointments and go help daughter with flat tire.

I spent the next two hours with that daughter. She is awesome and we had a great time. Oh yes, and we got her tire fixed.

I am sure that the other appointments will be caught up. No problem. It was a good day. A wonderful day. And here we go again today, if God gives us the breath of life.

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

6:25

It is 6:25am. Ahh. I am awake. God has given me the gift of this day. Or at least this morning. A long list for today.

A funeral for a friend. Kathy Rogers, 48 years old. Hmm. God, how can this be?
My wife is in Nebraska.
My daughter has lost her car keys so we have to get the extra set to her in Warrensburg.
AgDay is on the TV. Ha ha.
Someone asked about the parking blog. Here is what I would clarify- when we sit in the parking lanes waiting for spaces to open, we block others who come in behind us from parking and going into the building. Drive a little further out, pass a few open spaces. Park your car and go into church. Please don't hang out waiting for something close to open, it just slows everything down.
What else?
I have a TV that has to go to the shop.
My wife broke her 4th suitcase in the last 12 months, so I have to go get her another one.
I am meeting with a young minister today.
I am singing with the quartet tonight.
I am giving my testimony to the confirmation class.
All of this, if God gives me the breath of life all day.

Oh, yes, and I woke up with that song in my heart..."hold to his hand, God's unchanging hand....build your hope on things eternal....hold to God's unchanging hand."

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

a letter from a missionary in Haiti

These folks [Steve and Faith] are friends of Betty P's family. I found their story to be very interesting, please keep them and all those in Haiti in your prayers.

Dear Mary,

I'm so glad to hear from you. I am sending you a copy of a letter
that we are sending to several people. As you will see in the letter we
have left Port au Prince and do not plan to return any time soon so I
don't think that we will be much help to the news folk. However, I have
a very good friend who has lived in Port au Prince (they have the guest
house we were staying in) many years. They are right in the middle of it
and could be available I think. Greg Benson is
his email address. Mary, I have thought of you many times over the years
and am glad you contacted us. I will continue to pass along to you what
we see out in the country side. I hope all is well with you.

This email will go out to many people who have varying levels of
knowledge of who we are and what we do so I will start with a short
history. Faith and I moved to Haiti with our four small children almost
fourteen years ago. Since then we have raised our children and operated
a small mission hospital in a remote part of northwest Haiti. One of our
responsibilities is to go to Port au Prince every 6-8 weeks to purchase
supplies both for the hospital and our family. It is not a trip that we
look forward to as it takes 10-12 hours of driving over very poor roads
to get there; then three days of driving around in the city trying to
find everything we need, followed by another long trip home. We have
always stayed at the CSI (Christian Service International) guest house
in upper Port au Prince. The folks who operate it are like family, and
the guest house has truly been our home away from home for over 13
years. Faith and I had driven in on Sun. Jan. 10 for one of those trips.
Faith was originally scheduled to attend meetings the first two days at
the Gheskio Bureau. Our little hospital partners with them in the effort
to provide treatment for AIDS in our remote corner of Haiti and these
meetings were to discuss changes in the program. They had decided to
postpone the meetings but we needed to go purchase supplies anyway so we
went to Port. We spent Monday Jan. 11 purchasing medical supplies, doing
some banking and working on renewing our resident visa's (which required
us to turn in our visas and passports). The next day we planned to spend
the entire day downtown in the old original part of Port au Prince.
Traffic is so bad getting to and from downtown that we always try to do
everything we need to do there in one trip. Most trips this requires
almost an entire day down there. I say "down there" both figuratively
and literally since the guesthouse is up the mountains several miles and
Down town is along the bay. The figurative part has to do with how
crowded and depressing it can be just being "down there" In a city with
over a million people and very little sewage facilities everything tends
to run "down there". We had a very productive day down town and
accomplished all we had hoped to,(which is unusual). Our last stop
downtown was the Gheskio bureau. Even though our meetings had been
canceled we still needed to go there and turn in some accounting
reports. The Gheskio bureau sits in a particularly polluted part of the
city in an area that once was in the bay but has been filled and built
on. The building has been added onto several time and is like a maze
inside. I stayed in the truck out front parked right next to the
building, (there is almost no parking space), while Faith went to turn
the reports in. I have spent a fair amount of time in recent years
sitting in front of this building and have many times noticed how the
ground jiggles up and down when heavy trucks go by on the street about
fifty feet away. I have also sat there and wondered what would happed if
an earthquake were to come ripping through that area. I have also
wondered what would happen to the tens of thousands of homes built one
on top of the other going up the sides of the mountains and crowded into
narrow ravines.

I will return to our trip but this seems like a good time to discuss the
fact that anyone with any understanding of the history of Port au Prince
(a terrible earthquake two hundred years age and faults running
underneath the city), along with a basic understanding of what poorly
constructed concrete block houses stacked one on top of the other would
do some day could see that it was only a matter of time until this
tragedy happened. I have said to Faith many times over the years, "I
hope we are not here in the city when the Quake comes". However, mankind
has a habit of building up scenarios for tragedy and then acting shocked
when it happens. It is in man's nature to flock to the cities in poor
countries and and build shelter wherever he can. Haitians are not unique
in this.

We left the Gheskio bureau and that part of town about 2 1/2 hours
before the quake. We have been told that that entire area was destroyed
including the Gheskio bureau. We went on our way to transact other
business unaware that we were parting with people for the last time.
After a few other stops we were ready to head to Caribbean Market to
purchase some groceries and exchange some money. For 13 years we have
shopped for groceries almost exclusively at this place. They also allow
us to write an American check and exchange it for Haitian money. I was
very much wanting to get there and exchange some money since we had very
little in hand. As we were headed there Faith asked about one other item
that we had been looking to purchase and if we should stop at another
place and look for it. I reluctantly agreed and we did find the item
which took more time. After we left there we continued on our way to
Caribbean Market but traffic was bad and it got later and at the last
minute we decided to wait until the next morning to go there. Instead we
went back to the guest house and unloaded the supplies that were in the
truck. Faith went upstairs to our room and I sat on the porch visiting
with a friend. When the earthquake started it was a tremble and we
immediately stepped out into the yard. Within a few seconds the tremble
had turned into a strong shake and I turned to look at the building. At
that moment something much like a wave went through the ground and I saw
the entire building sway back and forth about two feet. It is a two
story building made of concrete block and poured concrete pillars,
floors and roofs. As it swayed I realized that it might actually
collapse and I remembered Faith was upstairs so I decided to go get her.
As I started towards the porch a second wave came though the ground and
all the windows on the porch shattered and much of the first floor walls
started to break apart and collapse. I remember very clearly thinking,
"If it doesn't stop shaking the house will collapse before I can get to
her and the kids will lose both of us. I have to wait". Thankfully about
then it started to taper off and within ten seconds I was able to enter
the house and work my way through the rubble to the second floor where I
found Faith standing in our room which didn't have a single crack in any
of it's walls. This in spite of the fact that the two interior walls
underneath that room were rubble. I went from terrified that Faith might
be hurt or killedt to very angry that she was looking for her shoes and
grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out. She said the shock of the
quake coupled with the fact that in our room nothing was braking apart
made her unaware of the fact that the house was about ready to fall in.

The Caribbean market that I was so hot to get to completely collapsed,
four floors of concrete one on top of the other. Had we not changed our
minds we would undoubtedly been inside of it. We have a friend who had
just walked out of it and was in the parking lot when it collapsed. How
many times in our lives do we walk by death and even brush shoulders
with it but are not aware that it has happened?

We spent the first night on the street and then in our truck listening
to the never ending wails of people crying for the dead, but also the
singing of hymns and prayers of thanks that they were alive. I don't
know how many dead there are but 100,000 seems like a conservative
estimate to me and I wouldn't be surprised if it was double that. A very
large densely populated area of almost exclusively concrete structures
lay in ruin. Many of these houses have twenty or more people living in
them. Few have less than ten. The next day we decided towards evening
that we should try to go home on Thursday if possible since we had a
truck load of medical supplies for the hospital and funds for the
hospital. Haiti has a history of people blocking the roads in time of
trouble and we decided our first obligation was to the hospital and the
people of Bombardopolis. God granted us a safe trip home yesterday. We
are helping the Mayor of Bombardopolis coordinate efforts to bring the
many children of Bombarde that attend school in Port home if possible.
We have pledged some funds to help with this.

I know that many countries are gearing up for a big relief effort. This
is so important because we fear that if security and supplies are not
quickly brought in many tens of thousands could die from disease,
hunger, thirst and violence.

Here in Bombarde there is no physical damage. However, Haiti is a
country in which every family has relatives in Port au Prince. I would
not be surprised if a quarter of the population lives in the capitol.
This means that it is a tragedy for the entire country and the effects
both psychological and material will be felt by the entire country.

There are so many other things that I could tell but I think that I will
stop for now and try to get this sent out if we can get a signal. Please
pray for this poor, sad little country which has had so much tragedy in
recent years and now has one greater than all the others combined.

Steve and Faith

Friends, we too often take our blessings of food and safety for granted.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Yesterday

Yesterday Josh preached. He did an awesome job! Greg told me that he had a great crowd in his "Unchristian" class. Yesterday I got invited to play softball. Hmm.

Yesterday, I witnessed a bit of a parking nightmare. After visiting another church, I arrived at our church between the 1010 and 1115 services. I came in the front entrance and went into the south parking lot. What I saw there was kind of painful. There were about five cars just hanging out, waiting for a parking spot to open. A few were driving around in a circle waiting for someone to leave. It was like the only place to park was there on the south side in front of the main entrance.

People. Hear my plea. Come in the back entrance by the youth and mission building. If you don't know where it is, find it. Come in the back entrance. Leave that south lot for visitors and the elderly. If you come in the back entrance, you can find a place to park with no problem. That means that you won't be driving around blocking others who do want to park.

Please consider those who need to park close, and the general flow of traffic when you come to park. Jesus told his followers not to take the best seat at the table. I am asking that you come into the lot, drive past some open spaces and take a spot that is open further away so that we don't tie up traffic driving around waiting for the perfect spot.

Thanks for listening. I love you all and you are wonderful.

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

the blues

The blues are back. Not for me. They bounced around and landed on an unsuspecting friend. Someone who actually helped me last year when I had found them.

We were talking the other night and he mentioned how every one would think it was silly, looking at his life, everyone would think that he should be happy as a bee.

That is probably true.

But here is what struck me as we were talking. Do you know how many people love you? In this moment when you are feeling down, when you are struggling a bit, do you know how many people put you on their stellar human being list?

The blues make their rounds to everyone, even this beloved person. Blue he may be, but loved is he as well. And love is the answer. It always pulls us out. We always find our "A" game again because God's love, and the love of others just heals us.

How many people out there love you? More than you think.

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

my lucky day

Well. Yesterday was my lucky day. I got one speech and two phone calls from people who wanted to tell me that they loved me. For no reason. I was on their heart and in their minds, so they called me to make sure I was ok and tell me that they loved me.

Well. Wow. That is a very very good feeling.

Who is on your mind today? Who has God given you? Call them. Tell them that you are thinking of them and praying for them.

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

more on Haiti

Several have asked if our church will be doing something to help the earthquake victims in Haiti. The answer, of course, is yes.

We will be receiving a special offering this Sunday at all services. In the near future, as opportunities open up, I am also sure that you will be hearing about mission trips and other ways that we can help.

The United Methodist Church is very active in providing relief for such global calamities. You can read more about what the general church is doing at www.umc.org/haiti

Keep the people of Haiti in your prayers. About the only joy I ever see in such tragedy is that the churches step up and respond in such positive ways. Moments of pain provide us with a chance to be the hands and feet of Christ.

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

Haiti

Wow. The pictures coming in from the earthquake in Haiti are devastating. Let us join together and pray for those impacted by the quake. Also, let us be thinking of ways that we can reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to these people.

On a side note, in spite of what at least one Christian leader is saying, earthquakes are a natural disaster. They are not visited upon certain people whom God deems evil. The Christians in Haiti were not spared this catastrophe. They died in equal numbers to those who practice voodoo. Earthquakes are a natural disaster. Like a tornado. Jesus said, "the rain falls on the just and the unjust."

This is not about who the good and the bad people are. This is another reminder that life is a mystery and we don't have all the answers. It is a chance for us to act out our faith and care about those who are hurting, and in some small way allow this tragic event to be marked by the grace and love of God.

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

lost opportunities

An opportunity was lost to share one's faith. Another day goes by and I did not talk to anyone about Jesus Christ.

Well, here is another perspective......what opportunities do we lose if we push too hard? When you work on someone in a way that they feel like your "project," they are going to recoil from you. They will see you coming from a mile away and go the other direction. Opportunities lost.

So we Christians just need to be really careful about how and when we open our big mouths. Jesus did not give altar calls and it is not our job to close the sale for God. We are instead to be carriers of his love and grace. We are to be ready always to give answer of the hope that lies within you.

You will know when the time is right. Don't lose your opportunity to reach them by scaring them away.

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

Our Town

Yes, the video that ran with the song, "In the City" was awesome. WM put that together. I hope there will be more.

Yes, the boss say about "My Home Town."

Yesterday I finished the book, "Our Town." Actually it is a play by Thornton Wilder. It is a quick read, it took about an hour. As I have been getting older, I have had a growing desire to read "the classics." A friend recommended Our Town to me, and I finally got around to reading it.

I am not going to blow the plot for you, but I will make one point that the author makes: We cannot just go through the motions. Life is short. I see you. I see you. You matter to me. Tell someone today. Look them in the eye and tell them that they matter to you.

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

worries

Sometimes I wonder about the number of worries that we human beings carry. Life can be very complicated, or it can sure seem complicated.

What will happen with the economy?
How can we help people in need?
How are my children doing, really?
What will happen with health care?
Am I really living sacrificially?
What if the wheels come off?

I am sure that I could add to this list, as could you. There are a number of things that wear heavily on our minds. When I find my brain filled with such thoughts, I just try to remember the simple things.

God loves me.
God loves you.
I survived being a teenager.
So will they.
I will help everyone that I can.

Sort of a "life is short, don't sweat the small stuff." God is good, and we can trust in him regardless of our circumstances. There is plenty of good to see in the simple truths that are always true.

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

the healing power of Sunday

Sometimes there are those days. Days when you wake to frozen pipes, dog barf and cars that won't start. Maybe you laid awake for an hour wondering where a kid was that missed their curfew. [O no, not me!]

These are days when we just want to sleep a little longer. These are days when the dog might get kicked. These are days when we don't "feel" like going to church.

In my life, I have found that if I allow myself to fall further into such feelings, then they just take hold. If on the other hand, I get up and get busy, the positive side of my brain comes back to life.

I don't have the luxury of sleeping in when Saturday night is a poo. I still have to get up and go. But I will tell you, every time without fail that I have struggled on Sunday morning, by 8am, I am healed. And that is because of you.

I see your faces. I feel your hearts. They joy of your presence makes a difference for me. I am healed.

This will probably work for any of you that are having a slow start. Go ahead, get up, get a move on, and get to church. See if the joy of God's family doesn't put the smaller issues of life in perspective.

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