Quality Time with the Local Police Department

I have a great deal of respect for members of the Police Departments, here locally and across our country. They get to work interesting hours, and although they know what time their shift starts, depending on what might be happening several hours later, they aren’t always sure of what time they might get to sign out and head home.

                Recently I thought it might be interesting to spend a few hours on patrol in the neighborhood of the church where I’m a pastor, so I reached out to the local Police Department. Diana Lopez, the Community Outreach Coordinator, was able to make the arrangements. Thanks, Diana! Last weekend, Officer Ken Huckaby was kind enough to let me spend a few hours riding with him. And a couple of hours into the shift, we realized that we work in the same area of Ogden, and we’re also neighbors where we live.

                I’m not a big believer in coincidences, but there are a lot of “God-Moments” in my life. Shortly after Diana had arranged this ride-along, a blog post appeared in my inbox. The author listed 14 ways to better understand the community in which you’re doing ministry, and one of those 14 things was “Ride with a Police Officer or Firefighter”. Police officers and firefighters tend to be great resources when it comes to learning about the community. And Officer Ken was no exception—more later on that.

                There are always some conditions: you have to agree to some things ahead of time…nothing out of the ordinary, just things to keep you safe. And signing that waiver was just the first of the paperwork I saw that evening. And by the way, that was the only paper work actually done on paper. Computers can make life easier, help with a quicker response—and save trees.

                When I walked into the Francom Public Safety Building, there was a man in a wheelchair on my side of the window. He said something to me, but he was looking down, and I couldn’t hear him very well, so I assumed that he was talking on the phone. It was only when I sat down to wait for someone to escort me back to fill out the waiver, that I realized that he was talking to me. His motorized chair needed to be charged and he couldn’t get home, so he stopped in to use an outlet.  I don’t know if that’s the norm, but it was gratifying to see that this man’s needs were being met.  His appearance and mumbling might have made him a persona non-grata in many places.  He wasn’t hurting anything, or bothering anyone, he just needed enough charge on his battery to get home. And as we talked, the discussion turned to faith. An answer to prayer: “Lord, bring me to people who want to hear about Jesus”. A friend of mine qualifies that when he says that he can make small talk all day long, but he’d rather talk about God's Kingdom.

                It was a slow start as my Ride had paperwork to finish from calls during the first part of his shift. As he worked, we chatted about a number of things happening in the community. Some of the biggest problems were no surprise.  Mental health issues, gangs, and overcrowding in the jail system all contribute to the problems on the streets. Add in drugs and alcohol, and it’s no surprise that the Police Department keeps busy. (Except on this shift. Officer Ken said it was a boring evening, and I should try again some other time. Note to self: try to get a repeat ride)

                How long does it take to become so aware of what’s going on? I thought that I was pretty observant, but it didn’t take long to figure out that situational awareness is a strong point for those who patrol our streets. I could barely make out what the dispatcher was saying, and Ken was responding. After one call in particular we left Ken’s area, and there were several other patrol cars heading the same way. I was pretty amazed at how, without any obvious coordination, each of the responding officers could determine in which direction he needed to head. Ken recognized the person who had called in for assistance, and stopped her to get some more information about her call. It’s interesting how some people who have a lot of contact with the police have a lot of contact with the police!

                Has your car been reported stolen? The oncoming shift is told about it, and as they patrol, they’re looking for it. Concerned about loved ones with whom you can’t get in touch? Someone might be dispatched to check on them.  Something suspicious going on in the neighborhood? The patrol officer might just be driving by, see it, and stop to make sure everything is all right. Something missing and presumed stolen from your apartment? You guessed it, the officer on shift will be sent to investigate and take your statement.

                Of course, there’s a shortage of officers in most departments across the country, there’s a shortage of jail beds, a shortage of funding, and even though mental health issues rank high on the list of problems that an officer might see during any given shift, there aren’t enough Psych hospitals or beds to handle the magnitude of the problem. There is a lot of latitude given when it comes to dealing with issues. Sometimes, usually, a ticket is a much better option than a trip to the 12^th street jail.

                What did I learn about police? If Officer Huckaby is any indicator, most police officers are a lot more like Jamie Reagan on Blue Bloods than they are like Hank Voight on Chicago PD.  Ogden is lucky to have officers on the job who care about the community and the people they serve. And a lot of those serving the community have also served their country by spending time in the Armed Forces.  I’m retired from the Air Force, and frequently people tell me “thank you for your service”.  It’s about time members of our Police Departments (and Fire Departments) get the same measure of respect.

                So, what did I learn about my community?  A lot had to do with the people. Seems like the people who show up at homeless shelters and churches aren’t always strangers to the police. And then there are the gangs. I’ve heard of a few of them, but the list is longer than I thought. There are also some places in the neighborhood that are more prone to trouble than others. Interestingly enough a couple of the areas which were pointed out to me, are areas where I’ve recently done prayer walks. Some people might think they should stay away from those areas. I’m thinking I should up my Situational Awareness quotient, and spend more time in those dark areas, praying for God's light to shine there even more brightly.

                And I’m off to pray for a couple of streets in my neighborhood, and for the officers that patrol those streets! 

plastic water bottles - GRRRR

Cheap?

I walked into Wally World today to get some cinnamon. (It's good for the heart, and flavors my oatmeal.) On the way out there was a big bin of bottled water, not cases - individual bottles, and not even cold. The sign indicated that they were inexpensive, but they were still 50Ȼ each. When you buy a case of 24 for  $3.00 that's about 12 Ȼ apiece. 

But the real cost isn't the 12 Ȼ or 50 Ȼ or $1.50 that you might pay for a bottle  - the real cost comes at the expense of the environment.  Finish the bottle and throw it away - wherever you happen to be, and if there's no recycle bin it goes in the trash or on the ground.  Recycling costs money, but not recycling costs space. Those plastic bottles don't magically disappear overnight, they're not biodegradable, and we can't even begin to know what kind of toxins they might release during the 450 years (450! And some sources estimate up to 1000 years)  We can't begin to know because even the earliest of these bottles haven't finished decomposing yet.

Yes they're convenient, but maybe there's a better way to get the fluid we need each day than to throw bottle after bottle into the landfill. 

Growing up in between Van rides

A week ago yesterday I left Clearfield in a 15 passenger van; to be fair there were some other people in the van too, 12 of them to be exact: one other adult and 11 tweens and teens. It was a weighty responsibility to say the least. But at least I can now  imagine what it might be like to travel with the Duggar family, at least part of the family.

Friday afternoon, after several hours in that same van, the group returned to Clearfield, tired and in need of showers, but safe. Mission accomplished. Yesterday morning, 5 of the youth joined me on the proscenium at Ogden First Baptist and talked about their experience, and amazingly enough the main topic of conversation was not the van ride: crowded together with duffle bags, suitcases, and sleeping bags under, over and in between.

Yeah, some other things happened in between Sunday morning, and Friday afternoon – some things that might have caused our young friends to grow a little in their faith and some things that definitely had some impact on other people.

This wasn't a road trip. We went to serve like Jesus served and to love like Jesus loved, and along the way we found some very appreciative people, and a few more that were not quite as willing to show their appreciation. We had to deal with hunger, hurt, pain, and all the things that go with that negativity. We met kids who by the age of 8 were basically caring for themselves; some children who missed a lot of meals and other who had suffered greatly and were afraid to trust.

And through it all there was our own angst and teenage drama.

There was excitement, and there was fun. There were moments when we wondered why, and moments when we knew exactly why.

And if you ask if we would do it again, well, the answer changes by the minute. Yes! No. Maybe?

But it’s over for this year, or is it?  It certainly doesn't have to be. There are hungry and hurting people in this city too, and just like the Jews in the time of Jeremiah, we should be looking at how we can

“…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you                               into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

 (Jer 29:7, NIV)

And maybe a few years from now instead of having to travel in a van to love like Jesus loved and serve like Jesus served, one of our servant-hearted youth will have figured out a way for us to love and serve right here at home. 

But I do have to admit that the van ride was fun, and who would want to pass up on a week of cold showers and sleeping on the floor?

Thanks YouthWorks for putting Meg, Joy, Trevor and Ben in place at Cortez, CO to guide us on our journey.

What kind of movies does America Want

It certainly seems that over the past few decades the Hollywood folks have been pushing the envelope as it were.  Remember Lucy and Desi, Ward and June Cleaver, Rob and Laura Petri? Married with kids, but on TV they slept in separate beds and their pajamas were pretty much neck to toes. Now you see every imaginable combination in the same bed, and as far as PJs, well, there's really not much left to the imagination. What used to be rated R now barely rates a PG 13.

It seems like Hollywood is getting out of control. And the film/tv characters are the role models our children are trying to emulate.  No wonder the National Day of Prayer  Task Force lists the media (blanket term for the press, movies/tv/entertainment and sports figures) as one of the 7 focus points as people pray for the nation.

The Hollywood mentality for some time has been that religious/moral movies wouldn't have an audience because people wanted to be excited, and get a sneak peek at the forbidden pleasures. People wouldn't be interested in something that mirrored their own boring life style. But more and more people are realizing that what's presented on the silver screen is often fantasy: it has no connection to reality. People are tired of ruining their lives chasing after that which can never be obtained.

On another note, people who like the sex, gore, senseless violence, drug themes etc, etc,  don't necessarily want their children hearing/seeing/copying that type of language or behavior. We teach our kids that some words are naughty, and then get tired of responding to "Daddy, that man said a bad word" or correcting a behavior only to hear "but that’s what they do on "ABC show".

While people may think that they want to be free to experience and enjoy the forbidden pleasures, they quickly find that a hedonistic lifestyle is hard to maintain: it's financially,  physically and emotionally draining.  So the pendulum is swinging back, and once again people are interested in clean wholesome entertainment. Entertainment which truly aligns with the values that they maintain they hold.

Hollywood is quick to pick up on those trends, and since the viewing audience is requesting more religious and moral movies, that's what we'll get.  Hopefully as gangs, drugs, prostitution, suicide, and some of the other major problems in some communities  are no longer glorified on the silver screen, we'll see life imitate art, and our communities will become more family oriented. What if the film industry were   more intentional about showing healthy male role models?  If they taught that there's more to being a man than being the biological father of a child you have no intention of caring for. I'm guessing that we might see fewer runaways, fewer street children, fewer young people with no resources, left to their own devices to figure out how to survive.

As long as people will pay to see the religious and moral movies, there will be more and more of them (Law of demand and supply) not necessarily out of any sense of morality on the part of the film makers, but because it's what sells.

Get to the theater this weekend. See a movie that aligns with your life and your values rather than one that has nothing going for it other than lots of needless profanity and violence  along with some naked bodies. 

Does Helping Really Help? (or, “I’m quitting my job in favor of standing on a street corner with a piece of cardboard)

For the past year or so it seems like every time I pull off the freeway there is someone standing there holding a sign asking for money. Some signs are humorous, some are designed to evoke pity, empathy or sympathy; and some are truly pathetic.  Government leaders at all levels are suggesting that the people who want to help should do so by donating to the various agencies in the area that are set up to provide assistance.  For some reason that message doesn't seem to be getting out as well as it should. Everyday there is someone on the off ramp. 

Apparently some of these locations are pretty lucrative because there is usually someone there: early in the morning, late in the evening, rain, snow or shine. The other day I saw some people that I know. From what I know of their circumstances, they don’t need to be out there, but hey – it’s working for everyone else.

I’ve heard various stories about how much can be earned in a single day on a good corner; if those reports are right, there are some people making a good living by standing out in the elements. And they don’t report it, so there are no taxes, and their ‘benefits’ aren't affected. What a deal.

But the real point is people need to use some common sense. The other day I was fourth in line in the Left turn lane on an off-ramp. Yes there was someone standing there with a sign. The light turns green, and car # 1 makes his left turn.  Car #2 moves forward a couple of car lengths, stops and motions to the sign holder to come to the car.  Something changed hands; I’m assuming it was cash.  Sign guy returns to the corner and car # 2 turns. Car # 3 inches forward stops and motions the sign guy back.  Guy runs over to the car, something changes hands, guy goes back to his corner and car # 3 turns.  The light is turning yellow as I (car # 4) make my turn, and as I check right, left, back and over the shoulder notice that Sign Guy is giving me the one finger salute.

Guess he thought since the light was turning anyway I should have stayed there and given him some money.  Wondering if there had been a cop there if he could have issued tickets for impeding the flow of traffic and crossing against the light.

Think I’ll find a piece a cardboard, make a sign, and if I’m lucky enough to find a good corner I can ‘retire’ early. 

Talking About Sin --Or Not

The people in Utah are divided over any number of things; we don’t gamble here, but... head to Wendover, NV, and count the Utah License plates on cars in the Casino parking lots. We don’t have a lottery, but... head to Malad, ID and do the same count. And I’m pretty sure that in no time at all the marijuana laws in Utah will result in a lot of cars from Utah filling parking lots in Colorado.

            Until just a few weeks ago same sex couples couldn't get married in Utah, then they could, now they can’t. Polygamous relationships were once allowed, perhaps even encouraged, then outlawed, and now they’re not quite as frowned upon, at least by the legal system.

            The clean air act prohibits tobacco products in many places, but e-cigs aren't tobacco, so you can smoke where you can’t smoke. Caffeine in the form of coffee is frowned on, but Mountain Dew? That’s quite a different story.

And my perspective, like yours, depends on how it affects us personally.  One of the things that I've come to realize lately is that our take on social issues, like our take on sin, typically depends on whether or not we “indulge” (directly or indirectly, personally involved, or someone close to us is).  And when it comes to sin, just ask 50 people what sin God hates the most, and you’re likely to get close to 50 different answers. Most of the answers, though, will have one thing in common – something that can be explained in one sentence that goes something like this:  The sin that God hates the most is one that I’m not involved in.

But God says that sin is sin, and as painful as that might be to admit, we don’t do anyone any eschatological favors when we convince ourselves and them that their sin is not really sin. Yes we all want to be politically correct, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and of course we don’t want to get in trouble with any of the activist groups that will target us and try to make us look bad. But in trying to stay on everybody’s good side, we forget about God's Word, and we forget about staying on God's good side. Pastor Rick Warren recently put it like this: “I fear God's disapproval more than man’s.”  (In this interview with Piers Morgan, he also stated, “...while I may disagree with you on your views on sexuality, that does not give me the right to demean you, to demoralize you, to defame you, to turn you into a demon.”)

Pastor Warren was talking about homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and tolerance. And of course those are hot topics today in Utah. But if we’re talking about sin, then it goes much farther than that. I don’t even want to get involved in this debate because it takes away from the larger issue of sin in general.  There are a lot of people screaming about the sin of homosexuality, but what about the sins of fornication, and adultery. There is a lot of that going on among good church-going people. Couples live together and head to church weekly, and not much is said about it. Lots of women come to church with their children and dad isn't with them, because he’s not a part of the ‘legal’ family, and often even Mom doesn't know who he is – or care.

And of course we all know people who cheat on their taxes, and think the speed limit and stop signs are for the other guy.  There are plenty of people in this country illegally who are demanding their rights (‘rights’ which in this country are granted to American citizens, and to those who are here legally). What part of ‘respect those in position of authority’ are we missing out on? 

Parents are told to not exasperate their children, and children are to honor their parents. We all know how that’s working out. And how much covetousness, lust, and theft are we willing to accept from our circle of friends? God says that idolatry is sin, but look at how we turn our cars, houses, jobs, families, and bank accounts into idols. Well maybe not idols, but many times it seems that we value them more than we value God. Strike that, we have turned them into idols: we turn to them to give us something that only God can give us. That’s an idol. No other Gods before you?  Yeah, I’m talking to you, Mr. God-won’t-care-if –I-miss-church -–He-knows-my-team-is playing-today.

Yes we want to love the sinner even as we hate the sin, but I don’t see how that we do anybody any favors when we try to minimize any sin. The loving response is to walk beside the sinner, and teach what Jesus taught. If I can convince you that your sin is not a sin, why would you ever confess it? Why would you ever repent? Why would you ever care about what the Bible says?  As you can read in 1 John 1:9-10 (the Message)  “On the other hand, if we admit our sins — make a clean breast of them — he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God — make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.”

I wish I were perfect so that I could judge those who see things differently than I do. I’m not, and I don’t have that right. God established the guidelines. God has told us what he sees as sin. It’s against that standard that people will be judged.  People, don’t set the standards any more than governments do. That’s left to God. 

Any government entity can pass laws, enact statutes, or put something up for vote. But nowhere does God say that he’s just doing the best He can, and hopefully someday a human judge, elected or appointed by another human being, will make all the necessary corrections. Whether we want to acknowledge something as sin or not, at some point we’re going to stand before the supreme Judge and give an accounting for what we've done with what we had.

So when we want to talk about sin, it seems that the best place to start would be with our own, the things we’re doing that God says he doesn't like.  I don’t mean that we shouldn't be offended by the sins of other people, but when we shift our focus from ‘ours’ to ‘theirs’ it’s way too easy to get distracted and not be able to hear God's voice.  If I’m busy talking about your sin, I’m not even thinking about my own. It might make me a little more comfortable today, but someday I’m going to have to answer for that sin. 

I just love tech "Support"

Yesterday my tablet wouldn't work...well it worked, just wouldn't do everything it's supposed to do. It couldn't find the internet. Took it with me to someplace else and still still no luck.  Come back home and since the lap tops can connect I figure it must be a problem with my 8 month old tablet.  Call tech support. After 1 hangup and 2 transfers,  finally got to talk with someone who was fairly rude, (i didn't appreciate the fact that while he was supposedly looking for a solution, he left the line open so I could hear the jokes being made - he tells me his was liacing (or something like that))

After a while he tells me that he has identified a problem...it's the software, and can be easily fixed remotely, but since my 1 year warranty expired last week, it will cost me $119.00 Yeah I bought the device in Nov, it's now early June, but the one year warranty has already expired, and just a week ago at that....go figure.
In the meantime Nolan tells me that his I-Pod and his tablet are doing the same thing, so maybe it's not the device after all.

I tell the techie his warranty info is wrong, and that I'm going to explore other options.

Call the internet provider, input telephone number 4 times, get transferred to several different departments and finally get to talk to someone who assures me that it's an easy fix, but first, do i know all about "ABC services"?  Nope, so she proceeds to tell me. After a couple of minutes I interrupt to tell her I'm not interested in the upsell, can we just get back to fixing the connectivity problem...... but now, instead of this being an easy fix, of course it's a very complicated problem that's not covered under the basic service agreement. But I can buy the extended service plan, and they'll get me taken care of.

Forget you too!

Next step: what I should have done before wasting time on those calls to Bangladesh!  Unplugged the modem, waited 15 seconds and plugged it back in.  Devices working as advertised.

So glad I didn't pay over $100.00 to have somebody tell me to pull the plug ☺

Device 101...doesn't work? reboot.  if it works, good, if not, unplug something, wait 15 seconds, and plug it back in. Still doesn't work?  go buy a new one. Does it work now? That will be $119.00, thanks for calling!

Secret Service in the fishbowl

Recent news reports indicate that 11 members of a Secret Service detail along with 5 military members were involved in a prostitution scandal. They were in Columbia as part of the advance team assigned to protect our President. The President has indicated that if the reports are true, then he will be angry, and that the individuals involved are representing the USA and should maintain the highest standards.  Agreed!

But my concern is that the emphasis so far seems to be on the fact that they’re not representing us well, and that even though the President wasn’t there, and they weren’t directly assigned to him, that the behavior was unacceptable for someone in that capacity.

Excuse me… drunken behavior that results in the police being called, and hiring prostitutes should be unacceptable behavior for anyone.  Once again it seems that the issue is not what they might have done, but that they got caught, and the behavior was made public. And oh yeah, very rarely does the first time someone gets caught correspond to the first time they engage in the behavior.

Why aren’t we hearing that working in the sex industry does irreparable harm to people, and robs them of the dignity that everyone should have. Where is the outrage that prostitution “isn’t illegal” in Cartagena? Why aren’t people talking about broken relationships and lost trust because of marital infidelity? Why aren’t we hearing more about responsible drinking? Where are the reminders that promiscuity, legal or not, means a higher probability of STDs?

Where do people get the idea that they’re above the rules? Above the law? Above God’s law? Why do we think that just because we’re away from home that we can do things that we wouldn’t do at home.  I’m thinking that if I wouldn’t do something here because I would be ashamed to have my wife, my son, my church family, my neighbors, my friends, or my co-workers see it, then I shouldn’t feel free to engage in that behavior some place where no one knows me.  But that’s me.

I’m sorry there’s going to be an investigation. The money that Congress will spend in their efforts to find out if there is a problem, could be better utilized in fixing the problems that we already know exist.

think about what Christmas really is

One of the books that I read this year was a fun one called "Christmas is not Your Birthday" by Michael Slaughter. (I'm writing at home, and the book is at my office, or I'd be able to include some quotes to make you ponder the meaning of life). But the title of the book says it all. Somehow Christmas has lost the magic of the celebration of the birth of a Baby who would grow up to change the world. The secular version is about giving, but more about the getting. Christmas Villages around the country have miniature versions of the North Pole, complete with elves making toys. City decoration judging committees look for the biggest light display, stores put up Christmas decorations starting right after the 4th of July, and it seems like the seasonal music starts long before the season does.
      On the positive side, people are more interested in doing for others at this time of year, so interested that the available slots fill up quickly (but there are still plenty of openings from Feb thru Oct).
   But Christmas is about more than Santa, lights, and Lady Gaga having issues with her Christmas Tree.
     It's about students at local schools raising thousands of dollars for cancer research and to support families in need.
       It's about the NDPA Lions collecting "gifts of warmth": coats, gloves, caps, and building 125 hygiene kits for the Rescue Mission.
       It's about  donations to the Pastor, with instructions to anonymously give to those who might need a little help.
       It's about families who stage live Nativity displays for family, friends, neighbors and strangers to enjoy.
       It's about many of the things that Charlie Trentelman, JaNae Francis and others have been writing about in the Standard Examiner over the past few weeks.

      It's about 90,000 visitors to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and the prayer that this will be the year that Palestine achieves statehood with all that implies: PEACE in the area as Muslims, Jews and Christians learn to live together.
        Christmas is about a lot more than presents under the tree. It's about HOPE for a better future; it's about PEACE - an absence of war, but also an inner peace. It's about JOY, it's about LOVE, and it's about eternal LIFE. It's about the presence of a Savior, who reaches out to each of you and asks you to follow Him.
          So celebrate the Christmas Season, and as you do, remember to keep Christ central in all you do. After all, it's Christmas- not your birthday

As Dagwood says "it's about giving"!

I'm so impressed with the folks at North Davis Prep Academy. Their Lion's Pride generosity is definitely Lion-Sized.

I mentioned some needs in the community and the 6th graders for the 4th year in a row are building hygiene kits as a project in conjunction with their reading of "A Christmas Carol". The 4th grade classes are the focal point for a collection in the elementary building. The Jr. Hi Christmas concert was an opportunity to share a 'gift of warmth'. And that's just during the Christmas season.The Lions have collected food for the hungry, toys and books for children in shelters, and that's just a few of the things I know about.

As we invest in the future of our children, one of the most important things we can teach them is that it's not always all about them. Sharing with others is a great way to make a difference in our community. And like it or not, our communities are now GLOCAL (GLObal/loCAL) communities. The difference we make today in the life of a child  here along the Wasatch Front has the potential to impact the world tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone at NDPA who makes this possible: the administration, faculty and staff, the parents, and especially the Lions - those amazing students who see a problem and go to work figuring out how to solve it -- and in doing so make the world a better place for all of us.
Go Lions!

Occupy something forgot the MLB

I'm still wondering why the 'occupy this' folks, in an attempt to create solidarity among the working class - the 99% vs the 1% - occupied the ports the other day, resulting in lots of stevedores, dock workers, truckdrivers, forklift operators etc (all part of the 99%)  getting to take an extra day off, probably without pay.  At the same time this was going on, they seem to have forgotten to occupy Major League Baseball, where two announcements were recently made: one payer gets $70+ million for a five year contract, and another signed a 10 year contract worth 1/4 of a billion dollars. 

I must be traveling in the wrong circles: 99% of the people I know don't make that kind of money (come to think of it, the other 1% of the people I know don't make anywhere near that either).

Someday maybe someone can explain to me how costing the taxpayers millions of dollars in clean-up costs and court costs as unorganized groups claim their constitutional right to be someplace where they have no right to be, helps further the cause that they haven't defined yet.

I'm all for social justice, I just want to know what it is that I'm fighting for - what injustice I'm protesting against.

P.S. I also wanat to know where the $25,000,000.00 a year jobs are around here.

digging in the wrong place.

Building projects require some preliminary work, and the other day my back yard got its share of colored paint so the contractor would know where to dig. (actually so he would know where not to dig.)He spent a lot of time with a shovel looking for electric or gas lines, but couldn't find them. The next day he had the yard painter come back to repaint. so he could dig some more. Turns out he would have spent a lot of time looking because the lines were painted in the wrong place.

It reminds me of that old(?) song: "Lookin' for Love in all the Wrong Places". You just can't find something when it isn't there. Doesn't matter that someone said it was there or might be there, that it used to be there, that it should be there, or that you want it to be there; if it's not there, it's not there.

And if you're looking in the wrong place, you'll probably find something, it just won't be what you thought you were looking for.

Or maybe it's like the treasure maps we used to have as kids, "X" might have marked a spot, but I never dug a big enough hole to find the buried treasure.

A lot of people treat prayer like that too. We say we're praying, but in actuality we're just going to God and telling Him what we want Him to do for us in a particular situation. We're drawing lines so we know where to dig for the answer. Then we sit back and wait, and when we don't get the answer that we told God would be an acceptable response, we decide that God wasn't listening or God doesn't answer prayers, or worse that God just doesn't care. Sometimes we've drawn the lines in the wrong place.

Wrong!

Sometimes we just need to get out of God's way, and let Him answer our prayers in the way that He thinks is best. The lines we draw, the "X" that we put on the map, the places we decide would be the best places to look just might not be right.

Learn to let God decide for you, and you might just be surprised.

it's a beautiful day

I haven't been here lately, i've been reviewing lots of books and articles, but they were submitted for a grade, and weren't the books that I've been getting from publishers. The last paper for this class was submitted on Friday... now a break until October.

we had a baptism at church this morning and that's always fun, and participated in a funeral this afternoon. Also fun, but in a totally different way.

actually picked a couple of cucumbers today, along with some tomatos, squash, eggplant, and peppers. Fresh veggies taste so much better than store-bought ones.
Get to mow the lawn this evening (it's starting to cool down) and maybe do some baking.
..
...then i can start reading for pleasure again. I miss it-- and my kindle is full of books waiting to be read and reviewed.

Nolan starts school tomorrow. My baby is in 9th grade - hard to believe it, but he's almost 15.

Yes, it's a beautiful day. Hope you're enjoying it!

watering the lawn

When the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence -- it may be time to water your lawn.

I'm trying to put things into perspective, for me. I find my self getting upset at things that really don't impact me too much, except that the sense of entitlement that seems so prevalent really bothers me. Seems like everyone wants something that someone else has, but no one wants to give up anything that they already have to get that something else.

- Everyone wants a balanced budget but one side doesn't want to increase income, and the other doesn't want to decrease spending.
- We're told to look out for bikes, which most motorists would be glad to do, if bikers would consistently follow the rules: but gee, sometimes it's just too convenient to use pedestrian rules becuase traffic is backed up.
- Truckers want bigger rigs, and then expect car drivers to intuitively know when to stay out of the right turn lane because the trucker is making a wide turn.
- Buy a house you can't afford, fall behind on the payments and the government should help you out. While the bankers get big bonuses for being part of the problem, Joe Average pays the bills. Maybe it's Joe Average's fault - after all if he hadn't have worked hard and paid for a nice house, it wouldn't be there for somebody else to see and want.

It's on the road, in the workplace, in schools and churches, and in the government. We want more for less; and if you've got it and I want it, then I should be able to have it.

Somehow it seems that the working hard to get it part doesn't enter into the equation. I wish my garden were as productive as that of my neighbor. But he's out there watering and weeding a lot more than I have the time or inclination for. His grass is a lot greener than mine is too...

Maybe I should go water my lawn.

looking for a few good iconoclasts

I was reading last night and came across the word ‘ICONOCLAST’. At least I think I came across it, because about 30 minutes later I couldn’t find it again. I couldn’t remember what it means but I like the sound of it, and seem to remember hearing the word before, probably in a church history course.


I know that ‘icons’ are images of some sort, but couldn’t remember what the suffix might mean. Luckily we no longer live in the “Age of Aquarius”, but rather in the ‘age of Google’, so it didn’t take more than a few keystrokes to discover that an ‘iconoclast’ is, according to dictionary.com, a nonconformist, a rebel dissenter or radical; “a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration’; or someone who attacks cherished beliefs and traditions.

And as I thought about the definition, I came to the conclusion that being an iconoclast might be fun.

Although most people probably don’t know the meaning of the word, they have either been involved in some iconoclastic behavior, or have been the target of it, in the sense that it’s their cherished beliefs that are being attacked.

Remember I mentioned church history? Back in the 8th and 9th centuries there was a disagreement over the Greek Orthodox practice of using icons, or images, in the church building, and in worship. The iconoclasts wanted to destroy the images.

Today the term isn’t used so much to describe destruction of art work, as it is to describe someone who dares to attack the sacred cows. It’s the person who comes up with a good idea, which is probably a good thing, except for the fact that it means changing the way we’ve always done it. You’ve dealt with those people before: they want to get rid of the things that you’ve worked so hard to preserve. They want you to get rid of the typewriter in favor of a computer. They thought kerosene lamps should be replaced with electric lighting, the horse and buggy could be put away in favor of a car, and even the barges on the canal system had to go in favor of trains that went at the breakneck speed of 15 mph, scaring women, children and livestock.In the past 30 or years they've asked you to go from record albums to 8-tracks, to cassettes to CDs. You finally got used to the walkman and now you're supposed to get an I-Pod. They even want you to have a cell phone so you can be in constant contact.

The past is fascinating, and it teaches us valuable lessons, but it’s the past, and if we hold on to it too tightly, we miss the present and eliminate the possibility of a future.

Are you an iconoclast, or have you had to deal with one?

Just a minute - or so

My 14 year old son often gets on my case for saying ‘just a minute’. He doesn’t have anything against the specific words; it’s just that his idea of a minute, and mine, are different. When I say ‘in a minute’ I’m not actually saying that I will be there, do that, in precisely 60 seconds. I usually mean that I’m doing something, and when I come to a convenient stopping point, probably within the next 5-10 minutes, I’ll be ready to listen, watch, play or whatever it is that he wants.


He understands ‘just a minute’ to mean within a few seconds will be fine if ‘immediately’ doesn’t happen to be an option.

Of course when I ask him to clean his room or do his homework, his ‘just a minute’ doesn’t always translate to within seconds either, but can mean that he might think about it sometime within the next week or so.

So time, like many other things, is relative. We want an answer right now, but expect the decision makers to carefully deliberate. We want our tax refunds by the first of February; but if we owe, we wait until April 15th to send the check. The last hour before the weekend starts seems to last forever, but the weekend itself seems to pass by in a matter of hours. And usually when someone asks if you have a minute, you know you’re going to be tied up for a while.

And we do the same thing with God. We expect Him to operate on our time schedule, without realizing that He views things through a different lens than we do. God sees things through the perspective of eternity, rather than in relation to a human lifetime of 80 or so years.

Early in the biblical book of Genesis, we read that God was walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. The Genesis events took place several thousand years ago, but scholars generally agree that the account was written in about 1500 B.C. About 1000 years later (450 B.C.), when the book of Chronicles was written, the question was ‘When are we going to see God walking with us again?” It was phrased more like this: I’ve built this temple for Him, but is God really going to dwell on earth with men? Even the heavens, the highest heavens can’t contain Him, so why would I think this temple would be an appropriate dwelling place for Him”. And the accompanying prayer is that God would look favorably on the temple and forgive sinful man.

Fast forward about 600 years (90A.D.) John is writing the Revelation: the account of the vision he has had concerning things to come. He sees the Holy City descending from heaven, and hears a voice proclaiming that the dwelling place of God is once again with man, and He will dwell with them.

Another 1900 or so years have passed since John wrote about his vision, and we’re still waiting. It seems like a long time to us, but when compared to all eternity, that period of 3500 years represents just a tiny dot on the timeline.

As the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ reminds us, “When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God's praise than when we’d first begun!” Those 10,000 years are like a minute.

So the next time someone tells you just a minute, you may want to settle back with a good book.

In fact, why not try THE Good Book?

Oops there’s the phone, I’ll be back in just a minute! Happy reading!

When it Helps to Hurt

I’ve been thinking about pain lately, not because I enjoy it, but because I’ve been experiencing it – a lot. It’s nothing I haven’t felt before, and it’s nothing unexpected, in fact a doctor told me a couple of years ago to expect the pain more frequently and at higher levels. And here it is. I don’t like it and it doesn’t do much for me, but in those moments when it’s hard to move, I get to think about things that otherwise get pushed aside. And sometimes if I think hard enough, it’s enough to make me forget the pain, at least until I try to move again.


Sometimes it’s obvious that the pain is for a good reason, and so we suck it up: some of the stuff the dentist does hurts, but it solves a much bigger problem (and if I wasn’t such a wimp about needles, I wouldn’t even have to experience a lot of that preventative pain). My chiropractor works me over pretty good, and the next day I’m sore; but he’s usually taking care of a bigger problem and a greater pain. I really don’t like needles, but even that little stick means something going into my body to either prevent or treat something a whole lot worse than the fleeting sting of a needle.

Exercise, which I faithfully start doing every few weeks for a day or two, leaves me sore the day after, but exercise is good for me. Or so they say.

And sometimes even the worst pain is a good thing because it alerts us to the fact that there is something wrong, something happening to our bodies that shouldn’t be happening, something that requires medical assistance –NOW!

And then I got thinking that maybe spiritual pain has the same benefits as physical pain.

Sometimes the things that seem to be bothering me are fairly minor, more of an inconvenience than anything else, and other times they hurt big-time. But I’ve come to realize that quite often this is God, giving me a shot to prevent some major pain, or kneading me, chiropractic style to work out some of the problems that I’ve brought on myself. In rubbing out a major long lasting problem, He’s causing some temporary curative pain. As the toxins leave the body, there is often pain involved, but I end up much better off than I was before.

Sometimes the pain is not the problem but a symptom that leads me to get help. It’s funny how in Christianese, we call God the Great Physician, but when we’re suffering and He could provide the healing that we need, instead of turning to Him, running to Him, we want to try every quack, charlatan and snake oil salesman on the planet first. God has the answers if I’ll turn to Him and ask for it, and, oh yeah, the hard part, listen to what He says and then do what He says.

So I’ve come to decide that pain is a funny sort of thing…. I don’t like it, but it’s amazing how helpful it can be. And when it comes to spiritual pain, I’m trying to remember that I need to turn to God at the first sign of pain, as the first step, rather than as a last resort.

How about you? How bad does it have to get before you’re willing to turn to God for help?

CELEBRATE SUCCESS!

As part of my job as Pastor, I periodically get to meet with other Pastors in the local (local being a relative term since we usually drive 2 hours to Pocatello) area. There are several things on the agenda, one of them being book discussion. The Region’s Executive Minister carefully selects books for us to read each year, and hopefully each of those books has valuable lessons for those of us ‘in the trenches’. I get more excited about reading some of the books than I do others. To be expected.

One of the things I remember from reading some of these books over the past year or so, is the need to celebrate successes in the life of the church. Seems rather obvious, but then I’m reminded of one of the lessons from when I worked in a hospital 35 years ago: if it’s not documented – it didn’t happen. (Obviously in the context of write down what happened, and what you did, so the next shift and the doctor will know what’s going on with each patient.) People probably know that something is happening, but its up to the leadership team to make sure that they know, and also that they know that it’s important. And somehow, in the church, celebrations of success tend to create a momentum that leads to even more successes.

Successes still happen without the ‘celebration’, but they might be smaller, fewer, and not even recognized as successes. Don’t get me wrong, the Holy Spirit still moves and does wonderful things in our lives even if we don’t recognize it, or others don't recognize it, but it’s hard to build on something when people don't realize that the foundation has been laid.

Likewise we need to celebrate the successes in our personal lives. Alcoholics and addicts celebrate milestones of sobriety, ex-smokers celebrate days without a cigarette, dieters love to announce how many pounds they’ve shed, people in the work force rejoice over bonuses and promotions, students count completed semesters toward the degree. Couples celebrate anniversaries and numbers of grand-children.

Whether it’s being able to read “Green Eggs and Ham” or meeting the deadline and finally sending your own book to the publisher, there’s something to be celebrated. If you’re putting together your first twenty-five piece LEGO kit or building a house, there are successes waiting to be recognized.

It doesn’t have to be a big party, but when we recognize the positive accomplishments in our lives, we have less time to focus on the negative things. Positive or negative, what gets fed –grows. What’s your current success story?