Quotes are great and I love them. I love the quotes that make immediate sense and those that you need to think about to make sure you understand what is being said. Quotes with hidden meanings can be the perfect encouragement for the day. May I suggest Charles Dickerson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, as just good fun classics, if you are up to some reading. To seek and discover today’s lines you might want to tune in to a station that is playing top music hits, listen to the radio and hear the excitement or the pain.
Sarah McLachlan writes in her song, Arms of an Angel, “spend all your time waiting for that second chance, for the break that will make it ok. There’s always some reason to feel not good enough and it’s hard at the end of the day.” These words are powerful she has pinned as a self expressionist. “You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie, you’re in the arms of an Angel, may you find some comfort here”.
Dale Wimbrow wrote the poem, The Guy in the Glass. This may very well be my all time favorite poem and one that I have quoted since it was introduction into my life. “When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf, and the world makes you Kind for a day, then go to the mirror and look at yourself, and see what that guy has to say. You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, and get pats on the back as you pass, but your final reward will be heartaches and tears, if you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.” What a challenge for anyone up to a good self inspection. Check out Dale Wimbrow and his work, A Sardine and a Cracker for more moments if you want a laugh and a smile at the same time.
I am thankful for the friends I have in life. I am thankful for their personal impact, thoughts they have shared, and I’ve enjoyed the time it takes to get to know folks. Allowing our friends to be themselves is just as difficult as being authentic in worship. Listening to people is something that is only successfully accomplished because you really care and want to listen and be helpful. The typical nose in your business- is worse case scenario, and leads to the development of few friends but lots of talk and gossip, if that be your goal.
Justice Cain wrote: “I am more spiritual than religious, religion requires faith, faith equals 'blind trust'. Life has taught me to keep my eyes, mind and heart open and trust is too easily and often broken. Hope is all I have, certainty is uncertain, promises may not be kept, trust may not be earned, words may not be true, love may not be returned, belief and great expectations cannot be afforded. But I have Hope....and dreams.”
If you are writing your quote or situation for today what words are you going to strike upon the canvas of life or paper as you pin your thoughts? The quest for self is never easy. The hard lesson may very well be that we find ourselves in giving ourselves away to another. Many of the followers of Jesus have so distorted His teaching that many think there is no answer in His teachings today. Finding life through Him is about Him providing life to us, by the giving of himself.
Who are you listening to for the answers in life? What are you reading for understanding? Where are you looking for the solutions you seek? Justice wrote, “but I have a hope….and dreams.” Me too, join the journey if you will.
Until then
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
It's all about Mother's
Mother’s Day is that special day of the year that no matter what you think, want to say, or even want to do, you do as Mother wants you to! In just a few more weeks when Father’s Day arrives, the same high level of respect will just not make it to the table. Dad’s are different from Mom’s, so overhauls and/or a tie will be fine for Dad, but make sure for Mom it’s flowers, candy, a meal and everything she says.
Now most moms are really not as demanding, as I have written. It’s always good to smile and think, he’s just kidding, but deep inside we all know it is the truth too. Moms are fun to pick on and to pick at. It’s a part of the language that males sometimes use to say I love you, or to express that you are special to them. In my life I have had a few of those special moms that during this time of the year I am appreciative for their giving and the memories we share.
Helen Martin was the first. Now Helen was that person that while she may have not treated Jim and Bridget so special, she shouldn’t have. I am the baby after all and the Lord knows my brother and sister already had it made, so they didn’t need any attention or special love-me on the other hand, well, it was all good. By the way, my brother is all momma’s and sister is 100% daddy’s girl, so don’t go feeling sorry for them ok? Helen was that person that I just have nothing but good memories of. From the purchase of a hot pretzel, to a .5 cent bus ride downtown, it was all good.
My Aunt Jean has been like a mom. I’m messy; she’s clean as a whistle, or at least neat and tidy. She is not the one that just anybody can stop by and walk on in on, but I could, or at least I did. She tolerated that behavior out of me growing up and if I played my cards just right, I could also have dinner with her and Uncle Curt. When it comes to great-aunts, well, they played the role as well. It’s not just anybody that you could stop in and say, “I’m hungry, what’s cooking”, and you could get exactly what you wanted. My heart’s love flows to Aunt Mary and Aunt Evelyn who always have welcoming and open doors. Mom memories of my Aunt Dorothy are also flowing. She is still queen of the peanut butter, jelly and sugar sandwich. I can see her even now, stirring together that special blend just for me. The great thing about Aunt Dot was that their are a slew of young’ins just like me that feel just as special, that takes a very special type of person and she was all that.
Unique and special mothers, I need to mention Pearly. What a dandy! Now Helen taught me to use mustard, it was her polish heritage shining through, and it was Pearly who always made sure she had mustard just for me when she would fry up a skillet of potatoes. What memories of mothers.
Grandmothers have their special place. After all, mother is in their name. Some folks would describe others as just being born with it, and grandmothers are. They have that nack, that special touch, they know just the right words to say, it’s all part of being a grandmother and I am thankful for mine.
In high school Mrs. Barbara Young was a mother. She was one of those teachers that just loved kids, taught for the right reason, and had that mother instinct for not just her children, but all her children, and that’s special too. Walk in to homeroom late and just say “mom” and she would quickly say, “I’ll mom you”….wow, what blessings I have had in my life.
While my life has been touch by many moms who filled a gap, made an impact upon my life, drove me to a game or picked me up from one, there is nothing like your mom, and mine is special. She is all the things you want a mom to be, and that includes the love and the discipline. I’ve witnessed her be a mom to every kid at the house, and I’ve watched her go the extra mile so many times that I really have lost memory of some of the great lesions of life. She has done a lot for the benefit of other people and I’m grateful to have a mother like that. Those that know her understand she loves to give and while it is more blessed to give then receive, mom, please receive this one. I love you!
Until then
Now most moms are really not as demanding, as I have written. It’s always good to smile and think, he’s just kidding, but deep inside we all know it is the truth too. Moms are fun to pick on and to pick at. It’s a part of the language that males sometimes use to say I love you, or to express that you are special to them. In my life I have had a few of those special moms that during this time of the year I am appreciative for their giving and the memories we share.
Helen Martin was the first. Now Helen was that person that while she may have not treated Jim and Bridget so special, she shouldn’t have. I am the baby after all and the Lord knows my brother and sister already had it made, so they didn’t need any attention or special love-me on the other hand, well, it was all good. By the way, my brother is all momma’s and sister is 100% daddy’s girl, so don’t go feeling sorry for them ok? Helen was that person that I just have nothing but good memories of. From the purchase of a hot pretzel, to a .5 cent bus ride downtown, it was all good.
My Aunt Jean has been like a mom. I’m messy; she’s clean as a whistle, or at least neat and tidy. She is not the one that just anybody can stop by and walk on in on, but I could, or at least I did. She tolerated that behavior out of me growing up and if I played my cards just right, I could also have dinner with her and Uncle Curt. When it comes to great-aunts, well, they played the role as well. It’s not just anybody that you could stop in and say, “I’m hungry, what’s cooking”, and you could get exactly what you wanted. My heart’s love flows to Aunt Mary and Aunt Evelyn who always have welcoming and open doors. Mom memories of my Aunt Dorothy are also flowing. She is still queen of the peanut butter, jelly and sugar sandwich. I can see her even now, stirring together that special blend just for me. The great thing about Aunt Dot was that their are a slew of young’ins just like me that feel just as special, that takes a very special type of person and she was all that.
Unique and special mothers, I need to mention Pearly. What a dandy! Now Helen taught me to use mustard, it was her polish heritage shining through, and it was Pearly who always made sure she had mustard just for me when she would fry up a skillet of potatoes. What memories of mothers.
Grandmothers have their special place. After all, mother is in their name. Some folks would describe others as just being born with it, and grandmothers are. They have that nack, that special touch, they know just the right words to say, it’s all part of being a grandmother and I am thankful for mine.
In high school Mrs. Barbara Young was a mother. She was one of those teachers that just loved kids, taught for the right reason, and had that mother instinct for not just her children, but all her children, and that’s special too. Walk in to homeroom late and just say “mom” and she would quickly say, “I’ll mom you”….wow, what blessings I have had in my life.
While my life has been touch by many moms who filled a gap, made an impact upon my life, drove me to a game or picked me up from one, there is nothing like your mom, and mine is special. She is all the things you want a mom to be, and that includes the love and the discipline. I’ve witnessed her be a mom to every kid at the house, and I’ve watched her go the extra mile so many times that I really have lost memory of some of the great lesions of life. She has done a lot for the benefit of other people and I’m grateful to have a mother like that. Those that know her understand she loves to give and while it is more blessed to give then receive, mom, please receive this one. I love you!
Until then
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Being Authenic
The one goal I have always had in ministry was to be authentic. If you say something, let it be from the heart. If you tell someone you care, be someone that does care. Let your actions and your words work together. Don’t talk about acceptance and then not like others because they dress differently, talk differently, or live in an area that you consider to be not so great a community. In worship, be someone that is authentic in your actions. When the song says “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”, then be standing. When it says “Lift up Holy Hands” then do.
Being real is difficult in life, and maybe the most difficult place to be authentic and real could very well be in the church. The built up walls that individuals place between themselves and other people is certainly a hurdle to overcome, and then compounded with that wall, add an additional wall that one builds between God and themselves. Now that creates real obstacles that make authentic worship difficult.
The one element of being authentic I have yet to mention is probably where most find themselves. That would be the consideration that authentic worship is always happy. I mentioned standing and lifting hands and those actions would be considered positive, but what about crying, brokenness, and silence?
A great mistake in life is to believe that because someone is not happy, jolly, and full of spirit, something is wrong. Yet, on the other hand, if these same traits never enter your life, then there are issues—and something is wrong. Church is a difficult place to be authentic because many Christians are not true to the real walk of faith that includes times of trying and difficulty. I want to be the first to speak up and say that those experiences are not fun, but they are necessary for real Christian growth. I will go one step further and share that I have always believed the most difficult praise chorus to sing today in the church is, “Open My Eyes Lord”, especially that line that says, “Brokenness is what I long for”. I have always had a lump develop in my throat because those are simple words with very challenging theological implications.
Many on Sunday mornings say “hello” and expect the same thing back. A smile from one individual generates a smile back, and a small talk moment establishes a time of meaningless conversation about nothing, generally. Church should be, but normally isn’t, a place we go and share our difficult days. However, we don’t talk about the moments that almost break us. We are afraid of the judgment that many Christians dish out, so we just don’t share, with good reason. Being authentic in church is difficult, but it shouldn’t be.
Crying and being broken in our spirits should be a part of our Christian experience, especially if we believe Hell is a real place. After all, once you are in that location, there is no return. So should we not be broken? The unfortunate truth is many in church say they are concerned, but there is no way to measure that concern in their lives other then to say it cannot be measured, only assumed. It’s just concerned talk because no actions on their part can be seen or witnessed.
When was the last time you were in a silent service? A time where you simply read God’s word privately and were directed by a prepared script that gave guidance to hearing from the Holy Spirit? Some will respond and say that’s just not the way we worship. We preach and sing. Okay, but who was the last person you introduced to Jesus? How many lost people come visit your church every week and listen to the preaching and singing? Some will say church is for “saved” people, or church is for Christians to worship Jesus. Others will say church is designed to build up the church and the Kingdom of God. Well, that sounds really religious and nice, but is that what Jesus said? I agree church is to help build up and edify the body of Christ, but Jesus was all about lost people. Most churches have so many unwritten rules and policies; it is difficult for a lost person to feel at ease in most of our worship services. I can say that because there will be many Christians that say it’s difficult for them to be authentic, so just imagine how someone on the outside feels coming inside. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but most will take little or no action. Be authentic, love as Christ loved, and see what will happen in your church.
Until then
Being real is difficult in life, and maybe the most difficult place to be authentic and real could very well be in the church. The built up walls that individuals place between themselves and other people is certainly a hurdle to overcome, and then compounded with that wall, add an additional wall that one builds between God and themselves. Now that creates real obstacles that make authentic worship difficult.
The one element of being authentic I have yet to mention is probably where most find themselves. That would be the consideration that authentic worship is always happy. I mentioned standing and lifting hands and those actions would be considered positive, but what about crying, brokenness, and silence?
A great mistake in life is to believe that because someone is not happy, jolly, and full of spirit, something is wrong. Yet, on the other hand, if these same traits never enter your life, then there are issues—and something is wrong. Church is a difficult place to be authentic because many Christians are not true to the real walk of faith that includes times of trying and difficulty. I want to be the first to speak up and say that those experiences are not fun, but they are necessary for real Christian growth. I will go one step further and share that I have always believed the most difficult praise chorus to sing today in the church is, “Open My Eyes Lord”, especially that line that says, “Brokenness is what I long for”. I have always had a lump develop in my throat because those are simple words with very challenging theological implications.
Many on Sunday mornings say “hello” and expect the same thing back. A smile from one individual generates a smile back, and a small talk moment establishes a time of meaningless conversation about nothing, generally. Church should be, but normally isn’t, a place we go and share our difficult days. However, we don’t talk about the moments that almost break us. We are afraid of the judgment that many Christians dish out, so we just don’t share, with good reason. Being authentic in church is difficult, but it shouldn’t be.
Crying and being broken in our spirits should be a part of our Christian experience, especially if we believe Hell is a real place. After all, once you are in that location, there is no return. So should we not be broken? The unfortunate truth is many in church say they are concerned, but there is no way to measure that concern in their lives other then to say it cannot be measured, only assumed. It’s just concerned talk because no actions on their part can be seen or witnessed.
When was the last time you were in a silent service? A time where you simply read God’s word privately and were directed by a prepared script that gave guidance to hearing from the Holy Spirit? Some will respond and say that’s just not the way we worship. We preach and sing. Okay, but who was the last person you introduced to Jesus? How many lost people come visit your church every week and listen to the preaching and singing? Some will say church is for “saved” people, or church is for Christians to worship Jesus. Others will say church is designed to build up the church and the Kingdom of God. Well, that sounds really religious and nice, but is that what Jesus said? I agree church is to help build up and edify the body of Christ, but Jesus was all about lost people. Most churches have so many unwritten rules and policies; it is difficult for a lost person to feel at ease in most of our worship services. I can say that because there will be many Christians that say it’s difficult for them to be authentic, so just imagine how someone on the outside feels coming inside. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but most will take little or no action. Be authentic, love as Christ loved, and see what will happen in your church.
Until then
Friday, May 2, 2008
Matthew Maupin - An American Hero
Words of wisdom and the sharing of truths of life are sometimes difficult to understand when we are young and lacking in experiences that reinforce those life lessons. I have attempted in my life to live my Christian faith in a true and real way that values and respects the journey of life and the friendships introduced and established. Sometime we meet people, and they are interesting. We enjoy our first contact, but because of life herself, we pass and never meet again to grow that friendship. Other times we begin the same way, but opportunity continues to arise and only later in life do we discover the impact of that crossing and understand some of the wisdom of life that has been shared with us.
The song says, “It’s a small world after all”, and I find this truth to be one that took years for me to understand and believe. Sure we agree in principal that it is a small world, meaning we will see and meet people everywhere that we know or that know us. This real truth and value takes years to appreciate. Through life’s journey, I was introduced to the support family of Army Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin. This happened through the wedding of Ken & Amy Fritz in Northern Kentucky. My support for the military is no secret, and my respect for our armed services is a part of who I am as a citizen. I am one who deeply appreciates his constitutional freedoms.
I have written many times about Delta Company of the 149th, as the first unit of the Kentucky National Guard from this area to make her way to the battle zone in Iraq. I hold in great respect Adjutant General Donald C. Storm. He has been a friend to me in time of family crises because of the Iraq War, and his assistance to a soldier’s family will never be forgotten on my part.
The service of Matt Maupin begins with enlistment in the Army Reserves after high school. He played football for Glen Este High School in Union Township in Ohio, a city with a population of 1,600. His parents are great people. They created the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in support of US Troops. They established this center because of the events of April 9, 2004. This is the day their son was captured by insurgents in Iraq. His video was placed on Al Jazeera television, one week after his capture, with five masked men holding automatic rifles. Matthew has been the only American soldier who has been unaccounted for in Iraq, until now. He was reported alive on one video and reportedly killed through the release of another video on June 28, 2004. Arab network Al Jazeera reported that he was fatally shot in the back of the head only three months after his captivity. Matthew wasn’t listed as a POW/MIA because he was not held by a recognized government. Instead, he remained listed by the Army as missing-captured. The 20 year olds capture occurred when his fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Company, came under attack near the Baghdad International Airport.
Matt Maupin represents the cost of freedom, and the willing sacrifice of a young life for our freedom and safety. The cost of the Iraq War is not cheap, and while officials place monetary value on such efforts, there is no proper way to put a figure on the value of one life, like Matt’s. He is a representative of all of us from small town America. Union Township is just like Pineville, but smaller then Williamsburg or Barbourville. He lived his life in small community which is like many of us. He is an America Hero who paid the ultimate price for our freedom and safety here in the United States.
The Soldiers Creed says:
I am an American Soldier
I am a warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values
I will always place the mission first
I will never accept defeat
I will never quit
I will never leave a fallen comrade
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills,
Always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional
I stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America I close combat
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life
I am an American Soldier.
Matthew Maupin is an American Hero, and I have been touched by his life and his family. We have American Heroes here among us too, and this American salutes each of you. I pray God’s speed and blessings.
Until then
The song says, “It’s a small world after all”, and I find this truth to be one that took years for me to understand and believe. Sure we agree in principal that it is a small world, meaning we will see and meet people everywhere that we know or that know us. This real truth and value takes years to appreciate. Through life’s journey, I was introduced to the support family of Army Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin. This happened through the wedding of Ken & Amy Fritz in Northern Kentucky. My support for the military is no secret, and my respect for our armed services is a part of who I am as a citizen. I am one who deeply appreciates his constitutional freedoms.
I have written many times about Delta Company of the 149th, as the first unit of the Kentucky National Guard from this area to make her way to the battle zone in Iraq. I hold in great respect Adjutant General Donald C. Storm. He has been a friend to me in time of family crises because of the Iraq War, and his assistance to a soldier’s family will never be forgotten on my part.
The service of Matt Maupin begins with enlistment in the Army Reserves after high school. He played football for Glen Este High School in Union Township in Ohio, a city with a population of 1,600. His parents are great people. They created the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in support of US Troops. They established this center because of the events of April 9, 2004. This is the day their son was captured by insurgents in Iraq. His video was placed on Al Jazeera television, one week after his capture, with five masked men holding automatic rifles. Matthew has been the only American soldier who has been unaccounted for in Iraq, until now. He was reported alive on one video and reportedly killed through the release of another video on June 28, 2004. Arab network Al Jazeera reported that he was fatally shot in the back of the head only three months after his captivity. Matthew wasn’t listed as a POW/MIA because he was not held by a recognized government. Instead, he remained listed by the Army as missing-captured. The 20 year olds capture occurred when his fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Company, came under attack near the Baghdad International Airport.
Matt Maupin represents the cost of freedom, and the willing sacrifice of a young life for our freedom and safety. The cost of the Iraq War is not cheap, and while officials place monetary value on such efforts, there is no proper way to put a figure on the value of one life, like Matt’s. He is a representative of all of us from small town America. Union Township is just like Pineville, but smaller then Williamsburg or Barbourville. He lived his life in small community which is like many of us. He is an America Hero who paid the ultimate price for our freedom and safety here in the United States.
The Soldiers Creed says:
I am an American Soldier
I am a warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values
I will always place the mission first
I will never accept defeat
I will never quit
I will never leave a fallen comrade
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills,
Always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional
I stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America I close combat
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life
I am an American Soldier.
Matthew Maupin is an American Hero, and I have been touched by his life and his family. We have American Heroes here among us too, and this American salutes each of you. I pray God’s speed and blessings.
Until then
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