Thanksgiving is coming up soon. It's my favorite holiday. Lots less commercialism than Christmas, and a good time for family fellowship. We're too far from much of the family, but we usually have my daughter and son-in-law and grandchild Dylan from San Francisco, and our son from Phoenix and his bride-to-be. That's a lot to look forward to.
And we are blessed. We're far from wealthy, but we have a good house and two cars which are reliable. As of today, we are all healthy. All in all, we'll have an easy Thanksgiving. Thankfulness is easy when you have a loaded table and a glass of wine at hand.
What do you do when things aren't so good? As Job's wife once advised him in the middle of his trials, should you "curse God and die"? I know several people who have great trials in their lives. I know this guy Rock, who has a terminal illness. I know a couple who are serving long sentences in prison, sentences which are much longer than are just, if they deserve to be imprisoned at all. How do you figure on the mercies and grace of God when you see your end in sight? Or when everyone around you is clothed in orange jumpsuits?
The aforementioned are examples of why I can be thankful beyond me an beyond my circumstances. Not because I am not in their circumstances (nor would I wish to be), but that they are also thankful in their circumstances. They encourage me!
Joseph Merrick, the noted "Elephant Man" who lived in the 1800's was a man who was thankful. He lived his whole life in a grotesque, bloated, disfigured body because of a rare disease. He was so ugly he once hired out to a travelling freak show. He was loathed, mistreated, reviled, and yet near the end of his short life, having been institutionalized for the greater portion of it, he was able to say, "I am happy every hour of the day."
Not that the aforementioned, not even Mr. Merrick, was or is actually happy every hour of the day. Even when I'm healthy and comfortable I'm not always happy. But I think these individuals have what one man described as "peace at the center". Merrick at the end of his life was well cared for; Rock saw his sister come to Jesus as a result of his illness; my friends have a ministry inside prison walls that no pastor can have.
Romans 8:28 tells us that "God causes all things to work together for good for those that love him". That's the perspective we can have if Christ in the center of our lives. It's that whatever happens to us--good or bad--it's good because there is purpose in it: A new perspective, purpose in every circumstance, the knowledge we are greatly and unconditionally loved, a reminder that though we are mortal we can focus on what is not mortal. As an old hymn counsels,
Thanks for grace in time of sorrow
And for joy and peace in Thee
Thanks for hope today, tomorrow,
And for all eternity!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Vacationing in a Lighthouse
We aren't blessed with unlimited income, so many of our vacations have been innovative. We like to seek out unusual venues. It would be fun to vacation in Europe, but vacationing on Mars is as doable at this point in our lives. That, and other 'exotic' destinations are financially out of reach right now--maybe always. So we look for place which are closer but just as unique. Next April we're going to be lighthouse keepers on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula.
The New Dungeness lighthouse is about 20 miles east of Port Angeles,Washington, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the waterway that connects Seattle to the Pacific. The lighthouse is located near the end of a sandspit, a narrow finger of land nearly six miles long, and maybe fifty yards wide. The strait is on the north side, and a bay on the south, and the only way to get to it is to hike the six miles on a rocky beach, or by boat. Vehicles aren't allowed on the spit, except those that take the volunteer keepers and their supplies to the lighthouse. Otherwise, you gotta walk or go by boat. Or you could swim.
If the name Dungeness sounds familiar, the area was so named because of its similarity to Dungeness, England, where there's also a lighthouse. And of course there's the Dungeness crab, a delicacy which is native to the area. Best place to sample this delicacy is in the settlement of Dungeness, on the landward side of the bay.
The New Dungeness Lighthouse Association, which oversees and maintains the site, has it all worked out. We'll be staying in the residence on the grounds, provide our own food and bedding, cook our own meals, give tours of the lighthouse and polish the brass--and we pay them $350 per person for a week of this privilege (why didn't I think of something like this when I was young?).
The lighthouse has a long and colorful history. It was built in 1857 by the government and it's been in continual service to this very day. It has stood witness to all kinds of events, including a battle on the spit between rival Indian tribes (lighthouse keepers rescued an Indian woman during the battle), fires, violent storms that cut the spit in two, and a crack in the lighthouse tower that resulted in the tower being lowered by 30 feet, There was even a wedding performed there in 1862. Makes you wonder where they went for a honeymoon.
I've been there twice. I hiked there with friends in 1961 (I was 12 years old, and lived in nearby Sequim), and again in 1997 after years commenting to my wife, "It would be great go there again someday". Somewhere around comment #307 she said, "Let's book a trip there for our anniversary." So we did, and walked all the way out and back. There's no truth to her assertion she had to carry me the last three miles.
Between tours of the building and the maintenance, there will be lots to do and see. Across the Straits at night are the lights of Victoria, British Columbia, and the waterway is alive with all sorts of freighters and container ships. One may well see an occasional nuclear submarine coming out of the submarine base at Keyport on Hood Canal. The spit itself is a wildlife preserve, and if we're lucky an errant sailor may beach his Queen Mary on the beach. You just never know.
We'll be going with friends, a couple from Phoenix we've known for years, and another couple as yet unknown. Here's hoping they know how to cook and polish brass.
If you want to take a cruise and gorge yourself, go for it. If the Continent appeals to you, get out your wallet and dial it in. We're going to take the road less travelled.
If you're a bit more than curious, go to newdungenesslighthouse.com and take a look. I bet we'll have as much fun polishing brass as you will stuffing your face on a cruise.
Monday, September 30, 2013
What America Wants
There was a lot of discussion generated by Miley Cyrus' recent performance on MTV. I have to wonder: Why? We've been hedonistically headed towards Miley for the last 60 years or so. We may not like it (or say we don't), but if Miley couldn't draw an audience, she'd be over in ten minutes. Cyrus just gave us what we want. We're just so used to sexual imagery we're beginning to not recognize it for what it is: Pornography. Now it's socially acceptable you see.
So how did we get here? Elvis Presley's performances in the '50's (yeah, I was there) were quite--in their day--provocative, to the point his performances were partially obscured on television. They didn't call him "Elvis the Pelvis" for nothin'. I've heard people talk about how 'tame' his performances were compared to today, genuinely puzzled why anyone could be so upset by them. The key to understanding the anger generated by Elvis is in the phrase "compared to today." True, Elvis was nowhere near as graphic as today's Miley, but compared to those who came before him he was a big leap forward. You couldn't have sold a Madonna or a Miley to a 1956 audience, but thanks to Elvis (and countless others) we are now where we are.
I believe this is what we as a society want. We want to be entertained by Miley Cyrus et al, while denying the negatives that come from those behaviors. We want all the fun of immorality and the ability to act and live immorally (at least vicariously), but we also want to pretend that living those lifestyles will have no consequences. If I'm right, along with the behavior we have to also be willing to abide with the unintended consequences and disasters that ineveitably follow in the wake of said behaviors, like lives that are badly damaged or destroyed by the unintended consequences: Unwanted pregnancies, disease, abortion, deadbeat mothers and fathers, so-called 'love triangles', and videos showing up on youtube, sexting, to name a few.
Today it's Miley Cyrus, and today's morality is the result of the aforementioned step-by-step progression. So, what's next? Where will this progression take us? Let me predict...
Since we seem to have a great and insatiable appetite for this progression, I predict the next twenty years will see us become more accepting of things we today would never put our stamp of approval on: Pedophilia, a lowering of the age of consent for some (emancipated?) children to 12 years of age, and widespread acceptance of multiple-partner relationships--even in marriage.
So tighten your seatbelts, there's a lot more to come, because without a common morality, there is no morality. We need a standard that is the guiding light of the human race, that stands above us, which shows us what is truly right and truly wrong. Without that authority, there is no moral authority, all bets are off. Fifty years hence we may well look back upon the early 21st Century and marvel at the moral stability of that now-distant age.
So how did we get here? Elvis Presley's performances in the '50's (yeah, I was there) were quite--in their day--provocative, to the point his performances were partially obscured on television. They didn't call him "Elvis the Pelvis" for nothin'. I've heard people talk about how 'tame' his performances were compared to today, genuinely puzzled why anyone could be so upset by them. The key to understanding the anger generated by Elvis is in the phrase "compared to today." True, Elvis was nowhere near as graphic as today's Miley, but compared to those who came before him he was a big leap forward. You couldn't have sold a Madonna or a Miley to a 1956 audience, but thanks to Elvis (and countless others) we are now where we are.
I believe this is what we as a society want. We want to be entertained by Miley Cyrus et al, while denying the negatives that come from those behaviors. We want all the fun of immorality and the ability to act and live immorally (at least vicariously), but we also want to pretend that living those lifestyles will have no consequences. If I'm right, along with the behavior we have to also be willing to abide with the unintended consequences and disasters that ineveitably follow in the wake of said behaviors, like lives that are badly damaged or destroyed by the unintended consequences: Unwanted pregnancies, disease, abortion, deadbeat mothers and fathers, so-called 'love triangles', and videos showing up on youtube, sexting, to name a few.
Today it's Miley Cyrus, and today's morality is the result of the aforementioned step-by-step progression. So, what's next? Where will this progression take us? Let me predict...
Since we seem to have a great and insatiable appetite for this progression, I predict the next twenty years will see us become more accepting of things we today would never put our stamp of approval on: Pedophilia, a lowering of the age of consent for some (emancipated?) children to 12 years of age, and widespread acceptance of multiple-partner relationships--even in marriage.
So tighten your seatbelts, there's a lot more to come, because without a common morality, there is no morality. We need a standard that is the guiding light of the human race, that stands above us, which shows us what is truly right and truly wrong. Without that authority, there is no moral authority, all bets are off. Fifty years hence we may well look back upon the early 21st Century and marvel at the moral stability of that now-distant age.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Initial Runup 4/22/13
Beginnings
04/22/13
I suppose you could say that people who blog are those who feel they have things to say, whether improtant or not. I have things to say. I hope you feel they are important (and occasionally humorous).
About me: I live in Arizona, came from the Bay Area thirteen years ago. I am recently retired (though I work part-time) as is my wife of 38 years. I have two grown children, a daughter who lives in the Bay Area with her husband and child, and a son who lives here in Arizona. He is a recent university graduate, with a degree in geology. I am relatively conservative in my political views, but I believe that I understand why people who are liberal are the way they are.
Although by American standards my wife and I are not rich, we have adequate income to live a comfortable lifestyle, though we do not have a lot of disposable income. We are both Born-Again Christians, and have been so since our early years. Jesus Christ is our guiding light.
We both have many interests and hobbies. I like to explore the desert with friends. We go offroad, using 4 wheel drive vehicles that can take us well off the beaten path, so we can find and see the Arizona that few people bother with. My wife likes to cook and bake, and we are both involved in decorating our home (using mostly imagination to compensate for a lack of funds).
We don't exactly fit the paradigm of "christians" as understood by many. We both relate to people well, but in vastly different ways. We have difficulties and problems in our private lives; we have heartaches for our family and friends. We struggle with life and with the happenings in this world and often ask "Why?", especially in light of the happenings at the Boston Marathon, this past week.
We also have many faults and inconsistencies in our lives.
So here it is. I hope you will continue to check out this space occasionally. I hope it is of value to you.
04/22/13
I suppose you could say that people who blog are those who feel they have things to say, whether improtant or not. I have things to say. I hope you feel they are important (and occasionally humorous).
About me: I live in Arizona, came from the Bay Area thirteen years ago. I am recently retired (though I work part-time) as is my wife of 38 years. I have two grown children, a daughter who lives in the Bay Area with her husband and child, and a son who lives here in Arizona. He is a recent university graduate, with a degree in geology. I am relatively conservative in my political views, but I believe that I understand why people who are liberal are the way they are.
Although by American standards my wife and I are not rich, we have adequate income to live a comfortable lifestyle, though we do not have a lot of disposable income. We are both Born-Again Christians, and have been so since our early years. Jesus Christ is our guiding light.
We both have many interests and hobbies. I like to explore the desert with friends. We go offroad, using 4 wheel drive vehicles that can take us well off the beaten path, so we can find and see the Arizona that few people bother with. My wife likes to cook and bake, and we are both involved in decorating our home (using mostly imagination to compensate for a lack of funds).
We don't exactly fit the paradigm of "christians" as understood by many. We both relate to people well, but in vastly different ways. We have difficulties and problems in our private lives; we have heartaches for our family and friends. We struggle with life and with the happenings in this world and often ask "Why?", especially in light of the happenings at the Boston Marathon, this past week.
We also have many faults and inconsistencies in our lives.
So here it is. I hope you will continue to check out this space occasionally. I hope it is of value to you.
Being Reminded of Realities and Being Entertained by Angels
04/12/13
Returned today from Las Vegas. My sister lives there, and since she is over eighty, and I had not seen her in several years, thought I would go and she what she is doing. I had prayed that the Lord would guide me in the trip, show me what I needed to know, and that He did. You know, you can count on God fr guidance, but you can count on Him just as heavily for HONEST answers to your prayers.
I have to say it was a painful experience. It is hard to see one's sibling growing old and rapidly becoming unable to care for themself--harder still to see her in situations with people you don't know and therfore don't trust. But she has never entrusted any of her care to me, has rejected all advice I have given her. At times I have even feared for her life, and but for the grace of God, I believe someone might well have clubbed her and taken her valuables.
I suppose the bacdrop being las Vegas doesn't give me any real solace. What a place! We took a walking tour of the old downtown area (Fremont Street), and it's got all the charm and quality of a cheap carnival: Street barkers, street bars and streetwalkers--not to mention the casinos which have invented every possible way to separate you from your hard-earned money. Appealing? No.
The bright spot of the whole weekend was the family we met that had flown in from various parts of the country to honor their mother (86) and father (94). They were staying at the same hotel as we were, near the Vegas Strip. We first met them Friday night, then again Saturday morning, and finally, as they were walking into the same restaurant as we were that evening. They probably thought us to be stalkers! They were a wonderful family that graciously invited us to sit with them for dinner. The Bible tells us that we are sometimes unaware that we entertain angels; in this case, I believe the angels entertained us. (I told them not to take pictures, lest some time in the distant future someone might dig them out and ask who the two strangers might be.)
That experience assuaged some of the angst I have suffered over my sister and her situation. I have come to realize belatedly that this is one of those situations that is beyond my control. She follows her own lights. I have to let her be, allow God to work out the situation both in her and in me.
04/12/13
Returned today from Las Vegas. My sister lives there, and since she is over eighty, and I had not seen her in several years, thought I would go and she what she is doing. I had prayed that the Lord would guide me in the trip, show me what I needed to know, and that He did. You know, you can count on God fr guidance, but you can count on Him just as heavily for HONEST answers to your prayers.
I have to say it was a painful experience. It is hard to see one's sibling growing old and rapidly becoming unable to care for themself--harder still to see her in situations with people you don't know and therfore don't trust. But she has never entrusted any of her care to me, has rejected all advice I have given her. At times I have even feared for her life, and but for the grace of God, I believe someone might well have clubbed her and taken her valuables.
I suppose the bacdrop being las Vegas doesn't give me any real solace. What a place! We took a walking tour of the old downtown area (Fremont Street), and it's got all the charm and quality of a cheap carnival: Street barkers, street bars and streetwalkers--not to mention the casinos which have invented every possible way to separate you from your hard-earned money. Appealing? No.
The bright spot of the whole weekend was the family we met that had flown in from various parts of the country to honor their mother (86) and father (94). They were staying at the same hotel as we were, near the Vegas Strip. We first met them Friday night, then again Saturday morning, and finally, as they were walking into the same restaurant as we were that evening. They probably thought us to be stalkers! They were a wonderful family that graciously invited us to sit with them for dinner. The Bible tells us that we are sometimes unaware that we entertain angels; in this case, I believe the angels entertained us. (I told them not to take pictures, lest some time in the distant future someone might dig them out and ask who the two strangers might be.)
That experience assuaged some of the angst I have suffered over my sister and her situation. I have come to realize belatedly that this is one of those situations that is beyond my control. She follows her own lights. I have to let her be, allow God to work out the situation both in her and in me.
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