Playground Wisdom

     I can remember watching our kids and, in more recent years, our grandkids, begin to assert their independence during their formative years.  I don't remember specifically which little Mr. or Miss Independent it was, but I do remember an incident when, in the interest of time, I wanted to help one of them put their shoes on.  Their response was, "My do it !" 

     I remember relenting, even though that meant letting them walk out the door a bit later than I wanted, and with one shoe pointed to the east, the other to the west.

     I needed even more patience as they graduated to wanting to tie their own shoes, put a tee-shirt on backwards and inside-out, or read Green Eggs and Ham upside down.  In reality, however, my impatience was always overcome with a glow of pride that they were showing a spirit of wanting to learn to do these tasks for themselves.  I saw seeds of confidence being sown that would bear fruit later in their lives, when they would need that confidence to accomplish a daunting task, or to persevere when others were giving up.

     I love it when great truths like this are illustrated in ways that are at once both simple and profound.  A few days ago, our youngest son, Eric, sent us a brief video of our youngest grandson, William, providing a profound lesson in a simple playground setting.  William, who is 3 1/2 years old, had decided to shimmy up one of two 9- foot poles supporting a cross-beam for some playground swings.  He hugged the slippery, 6-inch diameter pole dearly with his chest, wrapping his small but strong arms and legs around it.  He used his bare feet to inch up the pole Tarzan-like, slowly making progress with an effort-filled grin on his face.   He faltered slightly about a third of the way up, losing a couple of hard-won inches.  That brought a mix of whimpering laughter, a point at which a less-determined boy might have dropped to the ground and moved on to something less challenging.   But instead, he regained the inches he had lost, and moved steadily upward.  A few times, he gave himself the luxury of looking at the top of the pole, measuring his progress.  I could see in his eyes at that point that there would be no turning back.  I saw another truth illustrated as he neared the last couple of feet.  And that is,  that the thrill and satisfaction of getting close to our goal is itself tremendous motivation to push through.

      Just before he reached the top and swung his eager hands out onto the smaller-diameter horizontal bar, his face broke out into a huge grin, and he shouted triumphantly, " I did it !"

     To our adult children, Wendy and Scott and Eric.....how many times over the years did we listen to you say, "I did it !" ?  Oh, you may have dropped a couple of inches on the pole at times. Haven't we all ?  But you didn't let go.  And you didn't quit climbing.  And you never have.
     Then, as you found Jon and Heather and Brittany, the loves of your lives, together you instilled that same determination in your children.....in Abby and Anna....in Brady and Avery and Nora......in Jack and Audrey and William.

     But the most rewarding thing of all is that you're teaching them what we taught you---that nothing that we accomplish can be rewarding if it is done solely in or of ourselves.  Only if we do it with God's direction and blessing is it truly worth doing.
     If we listen carefully to the video, we can hear William's older brother and sister, Jack and Audrey, cheering him on.
     "Come on, Will !"
     "You've got this Will !"
     "Keep going, Will !"

     There is no substitute for hearing encouragement from those we love.
     Consider for a moment that God, the One who loves us best, is doing the same for us.  Put your name in the blank and imagine the Lord saying it out loud:

     "Come on _____________ !"
     "You've got this _____________!"
     "Keep going, ______________!'


Here's a 60-second video of The Climb.  Click on the IMG line, then click on the link that comes up.

 IMG_2891[1].MOV


       Yes, Will, you did it.   Abby, Anna, Brady, Avery, Nora, Jack and Audrey......they're climbing too.  And it won't always be easy.   But we know you're all going to be cheering for each other. We want you to stay close to each other over the years.
      To all of you, from Mama and Papa......"You've got this !"

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave nor forsake you.-------Deuteronomy 31:6
   
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.-------Hebrews 10:36

   

     

The Eyes of Eden

     

     The miracle of sight isn't something I normally think much about, but a few weeks ago, I began having some issues with unclear vision and some annoying "floaters" in my left eye.  I visited the optometrist, and after a thorough exam, she cautioned me to be alert to any additional floaters  and to call her day or night if there were any changes, since there is a risk of a detached retina.   The condition seems to have stabilized, but I have a follow-up appointment next week.

     Since I've never had any serious vision problems, I was curious and did some research on the parts of the eye.  The names, of course, are familiar.   Iris, pupil, lens, cornea, retina.  But like most, I have long taken for granted these small, delicate structures that enable me to see.  Since the Doctor told me that blindness, though not likely, was a worst-case possibility, I couldn't help but consider just how precious is the wonder of vision.
       

   
     There was no blindness in Eden.  In fact, it's clear God intended that much of the enjoyment of His creation was meant for us to see with healthy, sinless eyes.  We can only begin to imagine the visual feast that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden.  Genesis 1:31 says:

      God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning---the sixth day.

If God, the Creator, saw that it was very good, then how must it have appeared to these two who were created in His image ?   Genesis 2:9 says:

      And The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground---trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.

      So, of course, there were no diseases or disabilities in this Paradise. No cataracts, glaucoma or detached retinas.  No Cancer or Heart Disease or Diabetes.  No Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.   All of those came later.  Death and disease were the effect of sins committed in Eden.  

     When Jesus came to Earth to sacrifice Himself and lift the penalty of Eternal Death from our bowed necks, he also revealed a vision of a Disease-free,  Eternal Life.  He spoke of preparing a place for us, where we could be with Him.   John is shown a vision of this place that he records in Revelation 21:3-4:

     And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' 

     Many, many times during his earthly ministry, Jesus showed us his compassion for those who suffered under the heavy weight of disease and disability.  For example, those of us who have always been able to see may have trouble appreciating the joy that Jesus brought to a blind man near Jericho.  Luke records the miracle in his gospel, chapter 18: 35-43:

     As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.'

    He called out, 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me !'  

   Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me !' 

   Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.  When he came near, Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you ?'

 'Lord, I want to see,' he replied. 

  Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.'  Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.  When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

     

      Stop.   Close your eyes for a minute.   Consider how your life would change if you could not see for the next 24 hours.  I have seen so many beautiful things in my life, that I can not imagine the anguish that this man must have felt in not being able to see.  I wouldn't have let the crowd discourage me from shouting to Jesus either.  He changed this man's life, and we can only hope that as his physical eyes were opened, so were his spiritual eyes.

      Here are just a few of the beautiful scenes I have either experienced or seen pictures of:

• a white crescent moon, surrounded by golden points of starlight

• the milky swirl of multi-colored northern lights     

• a full moon illuminating a snow-covered field and casting shadows of bare tree branches   

• a highway flanked on both sides by humble trees as far as the eye can see, the trees bowing their top branches to create a beautiful canopied tunnel 
  

• a colony of golden starfish lying beneath a few feet of clear turquoise ocean in a shallow, underwater sky
  

• a scene encompassing sky, lake, mountains and full foliage, with more color than a painter's palette has ever known.

• a scene of blue sky, white clouds, golden, wind-blown fields of grain bordered with deep green forests

• a seemingly endless field of multi-colored tulips
  

• Hot, golden-red lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean on a pitch-black night

• an aerial view of dark, wild mustangs racing across a mountain ridge

• a "vee" of geese flying overhead on a steel-gray day

• the sight of a full-sailed clipper ship cutting neatly through the water, its bow throwing spray

• a hundred white swans on a blue lake, so thick that no rowboat dare do anything but drift among them

• the rugged, frothy coast beneath a Maine lighthouse

• a lake whose surface is so calm, the autumn trees on its banks make it look like a painted dinner plate 
  

     Please take some time and consider some of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen.  They might help you avoid the mistake of taking your magnificent gift of sight for granted.

     Our world is still beautiful, in spite of the effects of sin, but the Apostle Paul reminds us that those effects won't last forever.   In Romans 8, he says:

      The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

....We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

     There is a hunger within us for Eternal beauty, which only Eternal eyes can see. 

     And so when Jesus says to us , "What is it you want me to do for you ?"

     we say, with the blind man on the outskirts of old Jericho, 

     Lord, I want to see !  

     

     

     

     

A Gift at Nain's Gate

     They are known as the Gospels.  The Good News.  The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each give an account of Jesus' life and ministry, of His leaving the glories of His home in Heaven and coming to be Emmanuel....God With Us.  

    Once Jesus has captured your heart, as He certainly will once you understand that He is who He claims to be, you will never tire of reading of His sweetness and power.  Think of it.  When you're in love with someone, you want to know every detail about that person you possibly can.  You want to immerse yourself in every moment with them.  After reading these four Gospels, and letting the reality of Jesus' soul-healing journey of sacrifice sink into your heart,  you'll be in love, but in a much different way than you ever have before.   

     Other loves may have failed or disappointed you.  But that's because we, the created, love imperfectly.  The Creator loves you and me perfectly, in an Everlasting Marriage that will never disappoint.

     In the Gospels, some of the most poignant and inspiring events of Jesus' ministry are surprising in their brevity.  One of those is in Luke 7:11-17, and can be read easily in less than a minute.  Some years  ago, I remember reading some suggestions on how best to study the events in Jesus' ministry.  Basically, the advice was to use my imagination and put myself into the scene, with its sights and sounds.  This account of Jesus raising a dead young man to life is a perfect example of what we can gain by immersing ourselves in a Biblical scene, rather than settling for a 60-second reading. First, let's read the scriptural account, then imagine what it might have been like to be there:

       Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.  As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out---the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the town was with her.  When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."

       Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still.  He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"  The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

       They were all filled with awe and praised God.  'A great prophet has appeared among us,' they said.  'God has come to help his people.'  This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

     I slip into this large crowd that's following Jesus and stay alert, for I have heard that he has performed some amazing miracles.  It seems that everywhere Jesus goes, something wonderful happens, but who could help wondering what could possibly happen in an insignificant town like Nain.  I decide to just follow and get as close to Him as I can.

     Suddenly, everyone ahead of me stops at the gate to the town, and I strain to see what the interruption is.  It is a funeral procession, and the man next to me who recognizes the woman walking next to the coffin explains that this woman's only son has died, and having lost her husband some time ago, is now completely alone.  Even from a distance, I can see Jesus having words with her, as he first places his hands gently on her face.   Soon after, he gently touches the coffin.  Then, because of the collective hush that comes over the crowd, I can hear Jesus shouting, "GET UP !"  I force my way closer, to get a better look.  Yes ! The dead man is sitting up !  And his mother, thinking she had lost him forever, has buried her head in his chest.  And now the cheering sounds roll up and over the hillsides.   I feel as if I had not really lived until this day.  I must learn more about this Jesus. Sooner or later, I will get close enough to him to understand who he really is.   If he can do this, he can do anything !  

     And so, using the power of my imagination, while carefully staying within the facts of the scriptures, I experience the wonder of this miracle in a much greater way.  Then, I look for spiritual applications that might help this story bear fruit in my own life.  

     First of all,  I love the fact that Jesus does not see this funeral procession as an interruption to His own plans.  Rather, He recognizes that His arrival at the city gate at the exact time that this woman is leaving the city to bury her son, is in God's perfect timing.  It is no coincidence.

      The Bible records two other resurrections from the dead that Jesus performed, both I think intended to build faith across the Ages.   In Matthew 9:25,  He raised Jairus' daughter after she had died.  And in John 11:43-44,  John describes Jesus' raising of The Master's friend, Lazarus, after he had been dead for four days.   They are both beautiful and inspiring accounts of Jesus' mastery over death.   But I particularly love the insight Luke gives us into Jesus' compassion for this widow's loss and grief.     In verse 15,  Luke says, "And Jesus gave him back to his mother."  He undoes a tragedy.  He rights a wrong.  Despite the fact that our free will choices to sin have subjected us to the penalty of death,  Jesus demonstrates here, in a voice spoken to the widow, her son and directly to us, that He has the power over death and will use it someday to bring all events to their Godly conclusion.

     Luke was a doctor, so his life's work was in healing the sick and giving them back well to their loved ones.  But since giving dead patients back to their families was well beyond his reach,  he must have been deeply moved to record Jesus' resurrection of this young man.

   

     Who of us wouldn't have loved to hear these words at the funeral of a loved one ?  And Jesus gave my Dad back to our family.    And Jesus gave the young mother back to her children.  And Jesus gave the stillborn infant back to his young parents. 

     Here.....right here....is the essence of our faith.  If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and obediently and repentantly accept His shed blood as payment for our sins, then we have already heard those words.....Jesus gave him back.....Jesus gave her back.   

     Jesus gave us all back to our Heavenly Father. 

     

     

Legacy of Love

     Dear Abby, Anna, Brady, Avery, Nora, Jack, Audrey and William:

     I am addressing this letter to you, not expecting at this point that any of you will be blessed with another brother or sister.  But I didn't think you would mind if I also address it to your children and grandchildren.  I will leave it to you to decide whether what I have to say is worthy of being passed on to generations beyond your precious little ones.

     I want you to really know why I'm writing this letter to you.  The simplest thing for me to do would be to just say I'm doing it because I love you.  And although that's truer than you'll ever know until you have grandchildren of your own, there's more that I need to say.

     First of all, I want you to have some words from my heart to your heart that you can read whenever you want to, especially later in life, when you might just wonder what my opinion would be on some difficult question.  Although I'm thinking you'll pretty much know even before you ask, I'll still look forward to your asking.  

     I also am hoping that because I've written this letter, I'll be much more real to your kids and grandkids.  Not so much for my sake, but for theirs.  I believe that the more they know about their heritage, both from your and your spouse's side of their family tree, the more they'll understand how much they're loved and what God wants to do in and through their lives.

     Many will describe most of what I'll say here as advice....or even preaching.  And, maybe they're right in some respects.  But I'd rather you and your descendants would consider my words a little differently than that.   Most of what I say here will be my attempt to bless you with lessons I've learned from a lifetime's mixture of both pain when I selfishly chose to go my own way,  and blessings when I chose to follow God's way.  Some will be just gentle suggestions on how best to treat those around you.  In some cases, there may not seem to be a particular order to these lessons, and that's because I wrote them in the order they came to my mind.  Maybe they'll be more interesting that way.  So pay attention.  You're about to receive something that I would venture to say many grandchildren, and certainly most great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren never would dream of receiving.  Of course, that's all in your hands.  

    All you sweet ones, both those living now and those yet to be born.....be blessed.

New Year's weekend 2013

• At some point in your adult life, read the Bible all the way through, underlining your favorite passages, and making notes in the margins. Write the date that you made the note, so that years later you can see what God was saying to you at a specific time.   Do this in a separate Bible for each child you have, planning to give it to them when you die, or earlier if you think that's most appropriate.

• Cultivate the habit of writing notes of thanks to those who have blessed you, even in small ways, and notes of encouragement when your spiritual intuition tells you someone needs it.  

• When you are speaking with someone, look them squarely in the eye and LISTEN, letting them know that for that time, they are the most important person in your world.  While they are speaking, do not be distracted by giving thought to what you will say next.  It's better to stumble a bit on the saying of your words than on the hearing of theirs.

• When you greet someone and the situation calls for a handshake, do so firmly, making direct eye contact.  Do not glance to the side or at your shoes.     
• Give yourself opportunities to enjoy music, poetry, art and drama.  In all of these, if you just give them a chance, you'll find that they can help you express the marrow and beauty of your soul, so that life never becomes mundane or commonplace.   If you find that playing a musical instrument, singing, writing, painting or acting are not strengths you wish to pursue, then at least learn how to enjoy and appreciate them when those who have developed those talents, want to share them with you.   One of my greatest regrets is never learning how to play a musical instrument.  But, oh, how I love to listen to others play !   Take this suggestion seriously, and it will change your life.  

• Purpose to do hard, dirty, sweaty work whenever you can.  We lose something when we consistently avoid work that might bring blisters or callouses.  Don't let all of our modern technology and conveniences completely remove you from the opportunity to be physically tired instead of mentally tired.   

  

• I have a passion for history, especially American history.  I would somehow like to pass that on to my descendants.  If that doesn't happen, it's OK.....really.  But if you're inclined to give up on it altogether, before you do, read at least one biography of a great American.  I would suggest George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Jackie Robinson or Jimmy Stewart.
• Read, and better yet, memorize the Gettysburg Address.  It is a history lesson unto itself.  

• Visit the shores of Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine.   Your MaMa and I found great solace, beauty and recreation there.  Hike the trails, and don't avoid the difficult ones.  Fall asleep on a large, flat rock,  listening to the waves pound the rocky shore.  We visited there 4 times, in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2012, a week at a time.  So, we left enough of our spirit there that you may be able to feel it as you hike on Gorham, Sand Beach, Great Head, Ocean, Champlain, Pemetic, and Bubble Rock trails.

•  Visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.  The future of our family was deeply affected by the events there on December 7, 1941.  You'll sense that legacy at its deepest, if you can go there and realize that, although your great-grandfather survived,  there were families that would never be born because so many young men died there that day.   

• I hope some of you will inherit or develop my love of books.   Francis Bacon once said that "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested..."    I have read my share of each kind, and I intend that many of them will be passed on to you so you may have them to enjoy.  I hesitate to give a list of my favorite books, but I will mention a few that I would love to have you read, because they spoke to me so eloquently that I considered them worthy of reading more than once.

          The Case for Faith........................................................Lee Strobel 

          Celebration of Discipline.................................................Richard J. Foster

          Chronicles of Narnia......................................................C.S. Lewis

              The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

              The Magician's Nephew

              Prince Caspian

              The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

              The Silver Chair

              The Horse and His Boy

              The Last Battle
          Civil War ...................................................................Bruce Catton
              Mr. Lincoln's Army
              Glory Road
              A Stillness at Appomattox

          Disciplines for the Inner Life.............................................Bob Benson, Sr. 

          God Came Near............................................................Max Lucado    

          Heroes and Monsters......................................................Josh Riebock 

          Huckleberry Finn...........................................................Mark Twain

          Iwo Jima....................................................................Bill D. Ross

          Lord of the Rings..........................................................J.R.R.Tolkein

             Fellowship of the Ring

             Two Towers

             Return of the King

          Prayer......................................................................Richard J. Foster

          The Reason for God......................................................Timothy Keller

          Seabiscuit.................................................................Laura Hillenbrand

          A Severe Mercy...........................................................Sheldon Vanauken

          Shane......................................................................Jack Schaefer

          Team of Rivals............................................................Doris K. Goodwin

          Things Unseen............................................................Mark Buchanan

          Unbroken...................................................................Laura Hillenbrand

          Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering........................Timothy Keller

          Worst Hard Time..........................................................Timothy Egan

Labor Day Weekend, 2013

         

• Once you have given complete control of your life to God, and trust in Christ from that point by obeying what He asks you to do in His Word,  you still will not be perfect.  In spite of your best efforts, you will sin.  But your accepting Christ's blood and His grace protects you from the Eternal consequences of that sin, as long as you are in a condition of repentance and asking for forgiveness.  Learn for yourself what God's Word says about justification and sanctification.  There is nothing you can do with your own efforts to earn salvation.  Even with grace and mercy, however, there are earthly consequences for most sins.  For example, in 2 Samuel, we're told of David's adultery with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, and her subsequent pregnancy.   Then when his cover-up plan fails, David has Uriah killed and marries Bathsheba.   After David and Bathsheba both suffer an extended period of spiritual anguish, the prophet, Nathan, confronts David with his sin.  David finally confesses and repents, and is forgiven by God.  But Nathan tells David that his and Bathsheba's young son will die.  In spite of David's pleading with God, the young boy does indeed die.  And that wouldn't be the end of the effects of David's sin.   Nathan predicts to him that "the sword will never depart from your house..." and there was much family heartache ahead for David.  Was David forgiven ?  Yes. Did he still suffer consequences ?  Most definitely.

•  Memorize scripture.  I'll say that again.  Memorize scripture.  Choose passages that are particularly meaningful for you.  Once you have memorized them, they are yours.  If you find yourself somewhere without a Bible, precious parts of God's Word have still gone with you.  Even if you have ready access to a Bible, there is something about being able to lie in a dark, lampless room and say David's words, "The Lord is my shepherd......".  Or to sit in a doctor's waiting room and say Jesus' words, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me...."  Or, being in great need of forgiveness, draw David's words from the reservoir of your heart,  "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."    I think you'll find, once you've done this, that it will be one of those sweet journeys you wish you had begun much sooner.   

•  If you live long enough, you will inevitably be hurt.  You may even say that you have been hurt so badly that you will never be the same.  But the sooner you accept God's help in letting go of that hurt, the sooner you will have the peace that God desires for you.  You can choose to hold on to it for 50 years or more, but that isn't really what you want.  Let go of it---the sooner the better.  Believe me.   It really is true that holding on to bitterness hurts you more than the person who wronged you.  Very few have the courage and wisdom to let go.  I want you to be different and bravely and wisely let go.  We can talk about it in Heaven, and you can let me know if I was right.

• Don't assume that those who are 20 or more years older than you do not understand you.  We were teenagers once, we fell in love, we wanted our independence before we were really ready for it.   We were materialistic and cared too much about how we looked and what others thought of us.   I just attended my 50th High School Reunion about 10 days ago, and I can tell you that many of us talked about having an unnecessary preoccupation with our appearance and our popularity when we were 14-18 years old.  And it didn't take us 50 years to figure that out.  I hope that might help you be more at peace with yourself through those adolescent years.  We also struggled with doubts about why God allows certain things to happen.  All the things you struggle with.

 Do not wish for a time in your life to go by quickly so that you can get to another time in your life.            

      You will get there soon enough without wishing it.

          Wanting your Driver's license....

          Wanting High School to be over......

          Wanting College to be over.............

          Wanting your kids to start school....

          Wanting your nest to be empty.......

          Wanting to retire.............................  

           

          As you can see, later,  when the hour-glass is turned over for the last time, you might be wishing you could go back the other way in a time capsule.

•  Never give in to the temptation of cheating.  Whatever it is you gain at the time is not worth the self-respect that you lose.  

•  Even if others consider it out of style, be polite and courteous.   If you are, you will set yourself apart as one who respects and values others, and that is never out of style.  Sincere manners and courtesy is a mark that you know you are special to God, and that you take seriously His desire that you consider others' interests more important than your own.   Even strangers will be impacted by your acts of kindness, and silently wish that more folks like you were a part of their world.

•  Work just as hard when the boss isn't looking, as when he is.  Let your cup overflow with integrity.

•  As much as you can, in spite of technology, try to keep alive the art of handwritten notes and letters.  Put dates on them, for the benefit of those who will read them maybe years later.  

•  Earn your living, preferably, by doing something you enjoy.  Invest your life in bringing those within your influence closer to Christ.

•  Give at least 10% of your income to God.   That may not seem so important early in your adult life, but at the age of 75,  you'll be glad you started giving faithfully at the age of 20-25, then continued every year after that. 

•  Make sure you keep alive your family's stories---including the silly and funny ones.  They'll remind you of where you've been and how much fun it was getting there. 

  

• There is nothing in this world that is worth so much that you would trade Eternal life for it.  Satan will try to convince you otherwise, but don't believe it for a second !!   

• Appreciate and enjoy the change of seasons.  You may be privileged to see 90+ of each season and that may seem like a high number.  But it's really not.       

   

•  At least once a month, gaze at the stars on a clear night.   It will be a reminder of just how significant you are.  For the Creator of the stars sent His Son to die for you.    

•  I believe that somehow, the loving God we believe in will bring us all together in Heaven.  All that is Biblical and Holy, leaves no room for me to believe anything else.   So let's look forward to it, and let that belief we have,  that Christ's death made possible, help us through any doubt or trial that comes our way.  When my Dad passed away from the effects of ALS on August 24, 1998, his gemstone verse in his last days was Romans 8:37-39:

    No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am 

convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be

able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Consider opportunities to do kindnesses for those who can do nothing for you in return, and for which you will not be praised or credited.  Sometimes, only God should know.  That has a way of clarifying your motives.  

• Take care of the older people who are within your reach.   It is an uncommon,  but Godly trait for the younger generation to respect those in their golden years, and not ignore or disdain them because they are slow or feeble, or seem to be out of touch with your interests.  If you do not do this, it may be a great regret for you later in life, when you finally realize your mistake.....after they're gone.

•  Hold babies as often as you can.   Each one is a miracle, and they will remind you of the joy spread by your own infancy.  

•  Return to your school or university and thank those teachers who impacted you.  Do it before it's too late.   By the time I decided to thank some of my high school teachers, I learned that they were gone.

  

•  Those who would vocally entice you to do wrong will silently admire and respect you for taking a stand against them.  After that, they may even want to be a part of your world.  I remember being told this when I was a teenager, and I didn't believe it for awhile.  But it wasn't long after that, that I realized how true it was.   It....is.....true.

•   Be ready to seize moments of opportunity with boldness, when your spirit judges that is the only thing lacking.   That boldness can literally change your life.  The first time I saw MaMa, I had no idea who she was.  I uncharacteristically and boldly introduced myself to her toward the end of a Teens for Christ Convention in April of 1964.  A little over 3 years later, we were married.  If I had just stolen a glance at one of the prettiest girls I'd ever seen, then shyly walked away, as I was accustomed to doing at that time in my life,  I think I'm safe in saying that our family in its present form probably wouldn't have existed. (If anyone wants to thank me, you have my number.)

• Don't be surprised if, over time, I add to all of this.  But now I have at least given you enough challenges and insights that you,  and your children, and your children's children will know how much your MaMa and PaPa love all of you.  

• In closing, I have a small request to make.  There are a few traditions that developed,  as you 8 grandchildren were growing up.   With a couple of these, I probably embarrassed you by continuing them  after you had gotten way too old for them (wink, wink), but I'd like for you to consider passing these on to your kids and grandkids.

When you would give me a kiss on the cheek and I would say "Whooooooo doggies !!"  

When we would throw several air kisses to each other like we were throwing a ball, catch them and put them in our pockets so we could get them out "later."  This was usually when we knew we weren't going to see each other for awhile.

When I would hold both hands up in the air, and ask you "Which one's gonna getcha ?"  

 Sometimes, I would let you guess correctly, sometimes not.  But either way, I would tickle

 you, and you would say, "Do it again, Papa !"

After making a video of still photographs with background music to help Abby celebrate her 4th Birthday,  I did the same for each of you as you turned 4.   The last one will be for William,  when he turns 4 next January 24.  Since it is so time-consuming, I realize that may be a difficult tradition to continue, but hey, I thought you might give it a try.

The last one is an "action" exercise that I made up not that many years ago, so it's only the 

younger of you who have learned it.  First, we point to our eye and say "I".  Then we give ourselves a hug and say "Love".  Then we pause for a couple of seconds and point to the other person and loudly say "You !!!!!"  

           I mean, is being in our family fun, or what !!!!!!!

Watching Down the Road

     One of the better known of Jesus' parables is that of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15.   Jesus tells of a father who grants the younger of his two sons his request to receive his inheritance early,  then  watches as the boy "sets off for a distant country and there squanders his wealth in wild living."  Just the mere asking to receive his inheritance before his father's death is the worst kind of disrespect he could show his father, but all we know is the father allows it.

    Ultimately, after dishonoring himself with prostitutes and wasting his inheritance, the boy finds himself starving in a famine-stricken country.  Realizing the grave mistake he has made, he repents of his ways and decides to return home and beg his father to take him in as a servant, so he at least won't starve to death.

     "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death !  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son;  make me like one of your hired men.'"

     At this point, I imagine that I observed him from a perfect mountainside perch, with a full view of the last two miles he walked on the road toward home.  Even from a distance, I could see in his slumped shoulders and his drooping head how ashamed and self-condemning he was.  He long ago had to throw away his shredded sandals, and his bare, crusty feet dragged heavily as he kicked up the dust.   Each time he thought about turning around in his shame and heading back to the "far country" of his sin, his hunger  carried him forward.  Not just the stabbing knives of hunger in his stomach, but the even more painful hunger in his heart to be home and near his father and brother again.

     I watched him plod along, a defeated young man, but old for his age.  As he passed a huge oak tree next to the road, he remembered that not so long ago, he had passed that very tree, leaving home a rich young man,  headed for what he thought was the good life.  Oh, if only that tree had spoken to him and warned him of his foolishness, before he had gone off and ruined his life.

     His heart quickened as he neared an ancient stone marker that was a mile from his home's front gate.  A marker that he and his older brother had ventured to more than once when they were younger and had childishly threatened to run away from home.  But they had never gone further.  For that is about the time their first pangs of hunger would begin, and they would realize that home wasn't so bad after all.  But those pains were nothing, compared to the hunger he felt on the trip home.

     As he trudged toward home, I had been so intent on observing this young man from my lofty observation point, that I had not seen that someone had begun moving slowly from the other end of the road, through the homestead gate.  As I looked more closely,  I could see that that someone was the boy's father.

     He moved slowly at first, and I saw him put one hand up to shade his eyes, as he looked into the blaze of the setting sun.  How many times had he peered down that road, day after day, never giving up hope ?   Oh, he could have gone after him.  He knew where he was.  He just wanted him home and he wanted the pain to go away.   But he knew the boy had to come back by his own choice.  That was the only way.  Just that morning, he had walked down the road to that old stone marker, thinking this might be the day.  But there was no sign.  Maybe tomorrow, he said to himself walking back.  Maybe tomorrow.

     But now,  the evening of that same day, he thought he could see a speck of movement on the horizon, in spite of the glare.  He walked with a slight limp, and I suspected he must be favoring a bad hip.  What a sight it was, as my eyes took in the two of them.   I had heard what had happened between them months ago, and I actually felt a bit like an intruder as I just happened to be where I could see, even at this distance, what I hoped was going to be a sweet reunion.  I was not disappointed.  

     I was alone, so I wept unashamedly as I saw that father run haltingly, as fast as he could with no regard for that disabled hip.  The boy lifted his head, not believing what he was seeing.  He had never seen his father run this way before,  running and weeping, arms outstretched toward him.  This was a welcome he could never have expected after the way he had treated his father.   And the boy's shame began to reluctantly lift toward a sky that by this time was multi-hued,  as the large red wafer of sun itself had dipped out of sight, below the sky's edge behind him.

     Everything he saw in his father's face told him there would be no "I -told-you-so's."  There would be no having to earn forgiveness.  The fact that he was truly sorry and had the courage to come home was all that would be needed.  All his father could speak about was the celebration they were going to have.  Tomorrow would be the first morning in months that he hadn't walked to the gate, looking down the road and wondering if his son was even alive.  The sound of the father weeping tears of joy harmonized beautifully with the sound of the boy crying tears of repentance.

     As I watched them walk through the gate with the father's arm draped around his son's shoulders  and head toward the house, I couldn't help but ask, how many of us have traveled that same road ?   Either as a rebellious son or daughter, or as a grieving parent, watching the horizon every day for the return of one who has lost their way. 

    Any of us who know the joy of finding someone we thought we had lost,  know what this father meant when he said, "For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

    Why should we understand any less the joy that our Heavenly Father in Heaven feels when we honor his faithfulness by turning our hearts toward home and Him ?

     In Luke 15:10, Jesus says, " In the same way,  I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

    The Christian poet and songwriter, Rich Mullins, wrote a song called Growing Young, which reveals his own days as a prodigal, and likely hits home in one way or another for all of us.  

     Meditate on these beautiful lyrics, then take the time to go to YouTube and access Growing Young by Rich Mullins, in order to hear the music......

I've gone so far from my home

I've seen the world and I have known
So many secrets I wish now I did not know

'Cause they have crept into my heart
They have left it cold and dark and bleeding
Bleeding and falling apart

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well, I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons

Well, we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young, growing young

I've seen silver turn to dross
Seen the very best there ever was
And I'll tell You, it ain't worth what it costs

And I remember my Father's house
What I wouldn't give right now, just to see Him
And hear Him tell me that He loves me so much

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well, I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons

Well, we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms

And when I thought that I was all alone
It was Your voice I heard calling me back home
And I wonder now, Lord
What it was that made me wait so long

And what kept You waiting for me all that time
Was Your love stronger than my foolish pride?
Will You take me back now
Take me back and let me be Your child

'Cause I've been broken now, I've been saved
I've learned to cry and I've learned how to pray
I'm learning, I'm learning even I can be changed

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well, I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons

Well, we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young, no, no, no, growing young
No, no, no, growing young

    

   

A Heart As Deep As the Ocean

( Please wait until later to view this video clip)

     I first became fascinated with the story of the Titanic when, as a boy, I read Walter Lord's A Night to Remember.   And ever since, I've wished there were something that could have been done to avoid this tragedy at sea.   As with the untimely death of anything that is beautiful and elegant,  the romance of the Ship is strong and we can't resist being pulled in as she leaves us. In his book, Farewell, Titanic:Her Final Legacy, Charles Pellegrino says,

     "No one who has seen the ship and said they were finished with it has ever been able to keep that vow;  its mystique has a way of biting into a person and never letting go."

   

     1,517 people were killed.  Only 706 passengers survived.

     The mystique of this luxury liner increased when Robert Ballard, an explorer/oceanographer found the wreckage in 1985, 960 miles northeast of Manhattan, 73 years after she had plunged 2 1/2 miles to an unmarked grave.  12 years after that, James Cameron, a film producer  who had a fascination with shipwrecks, released in late December, 1997, the blockbuster movie Titanic, a romantic, fictionalized account of the sinking of this unsinkable ship.

     While I knew, of course, that what I saw on the screen was fiction, still it gave my imagination a place to go as I boarded the ship with a suitcase full of its history.  I've watched the film several times, and each time I hope that the outcome will be different.  Even as I see actual film of the wreck resting on the bottom of the North Atlantic, I hope that Captain Smith will listen more urgently to warnings he received and chart a more southerly course, to avoid the fatal iceberg.

     Much of the tragedy is heightened by irony.   As Jack wins in a last-minute poker game a ticket for the voyage, we know what he does not know....that he's won a ticket to one of the most famous tragedies in American history, even if we don't know if he survives it.  As the poor and affluent alike board the ship excitedly, we wonder who will survive.....and who will not.  The cries of warning that we want to shout out are stuck in our silent throats.  Maybe we're mistaken. Maybe this time, the ship will make it unscathed all the way to New York.

     But she is beautiful on this, her maiden voyage.  She is beautiful by day, clean and pristine as Rose recalls over 80 years later that she "can still smell her fresh paint."   She is exquisite by night, her staterooms lit up like glowing jewels against the night sky.  The water and sky are both beautiful and black.....and cold as ice.

  

     As the 101-year old fictional Rose recalls the "last time Titanic ever saw daylight," there's an historical sadness in the truth of what she says.

     The fictional love story between Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, the two main characters, personalizes the tragedy.  When Jack sees the beautiful Rose for the first time, we men can't help but recall the first time we gazed on the woman who captured our heart.  When Rose sees a portfolio full of some rough sketches he's done of some of the unfortunate souls he saw while visiting Paris, she immediately recognizes his artistic ability. 

"You have a gift, Jack.  You see people."

      One of the searing scenes of the film is Jack and Rose kissing while perched on the prow railing,  as the magic of special effects melts them away and leaves only a picture of the same prow resting lonely in the Deep.  Their lightning-quick journey to love is apparently more than lust, since they both show they're willing to sacrifice their lives for each other.  Rose is safely aboard a lifeboat, but chooses to jump back on to the sinking ship, unable to bear the thought of being separated from the young man she would love to spend a hundred years with, even if this will likely be their last night of life.

     As the ship is close to death, Jack and Rose have made their way to the stern railing, which will be the last part of the Titanic to slide beneath the surface.  Rose says something that makes me realize she and I have something in common, when she sentimentally shares with Jack, "Jack, this is where we first met !"  For the night before, Jack had been there and saved her from what appeared to be an attempt to take her own life by jumping off the stern.   (That reminds me.  Someday, I need to write for my great grandchildren how their great-grandmother and I first met.  It's not nearly as dramatic as Rose and Jack's first meeting, but interesting nonetheless.)

  

      As the rear section of the ship begins its descent, and Jack gives Rose last-second instructions on how to survive, I am touched when Jack says, "Trust me, Rose !"  and she replies, "I trust you !" Somehow, in an exceptionally brief time they have developed an uncommon trust, which is vital whether there are years, or only seconds left to live.

     Soon afterward, as they cling to life in the freezing water, the ship having sunk beneath them, Jack resigns himself to certain death, as he helps Rose on to a barely floating piece of wooden debris so she can survive.

     The final scenes of the film are well-crafted, as this fictional movie leaves a life-like impression.  Jack's instructions to Rose to ruthlessly hold onto her own life, even if he doesn't survive, are further evidence of how much he genuinely loves her.

Rose:  I love you Jack.

Jack:  Don't you do that, don't say your goodbyes.  Not yet.  Do you understand me ?

Rose:  I'm so cold.

Jack:  Listen, Rose.  You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow.  You're gonna die an old....an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night.  Not like this, do you understand me ?

Rose:  I can't feel my body.

Jack:  Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me...it brought me to you.  And I'm thankful for that Rose.  I'm thankful.  You must do me this honor.  Promise me you'll survive.  That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.

Rose:  I promise.

Jack:  Never let go.

Rose:  I'll never let go, Jack.   I'll never let go.

     Pellegrino includes in Farewell, Titanic one survivor's account of an awful sound....

"within a roughly three-hundred-foot-wide circle of nearly a thousand souls crying out in a unified, dismal moan that George Rheims would recall as 'horrifying, mysterious, supernatural.'"

      I can't imagine how gut-wrenching it was for those who had pulled away some distance in the lifeboats, the individual shouts of their loved ones mercifully covered by the collective cries rising up from that dark, painful water.  There was room for many more in the boats, but the mistake had been made in not fully loading them in the first place.  To return now would invite mayhem that might swamp the boats and cause more deaths.   

     Then there are the excruciating scenes of one of the lifeboats finally having made room and returning empty to the site where hundreds of frozen bodies are floating.   It is not difficult to imagine the reality of April 5, 1912, with 1500 souls dying so quickly in the frigid waters.  The haunting, mournful music is soul-wrenching, making one wish this entire tragedy undone.

 Please view the video clip now, that is attached at the opening of the essay)

      If only the ship could go back to port in Southampton and start over, but more wisely in her newness.  And sail slowly past the Statue of Liberty as she was supposed to.

     But reality is cold and unchanging , as we see the light of early dawn and the RMS Carpathia arriving to pick up the survivors fortunate enough to have found the protection of a lifeboat.   But alas, despite its Captain's extraordinary efforts,  it arrives far, far too late to save anyone from the water.

     Cameron tries to refloat her momentarily, when the debris-filled Ship briefly and brightly resurrects to her pristine maiden days, with the main characters happily gathered around Jack and Rose on the Grand Staircase.  But we know that is a glimpse of another place, where there are no icebergs or dangerous waters.  

    If only that awful iceberg hadn't slipped away from its natural anchor, and drifted unwittingly into the path of one of the most beautiful, splendid ships ever built.  If only I could have warned her.....

     Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.------Micah 7:18-19