Diamond Jubilee!

I’ve never been much of a fan of Royalty or monarchy. As an American, I’ve generally taken the view that we fought two wars to be rid of kings and queens so who cares about the Royals?

Upon closer study, I still don’t want any part of monarchy for the USA, but there is one thing about Queen Elizabeth II that I must concede:  Through a long and tumultuous time, she has demonstrated dignity, poise and class that is impossible to deny and sadly uncommon in our time. In short, I can’t help but to like and admire her.

I don’t have any idea what the “proper” thing is to write at this point, but this I will say to Her Majesty: Congratulations on reaching only the second Diamond Jubilee in history, and may there be many more years ahead!  For our friends in the UK, I hope that you have a great celebration this weekend, and that you are duly appreciative of the class that your Queen demonstrates for all the world to see.  She represents your great Nation very well indeed.

A Visit to Tierra Linda

Over the Memorial Day weekend I had an opportunity to visit Tierra Linda near Galena, Illinois.  Tierra Linda is a bed and breakfast, but unlike the ones I have visited in the past, there are no antiques, no crystal glasses and really no frills. What there is made me forget about these other things…but first things first.

The house is a simple old farmhouse, nicely decorated and simple; “homey” is the word for it.  There are only two guest rooms, so you don’t have a crowd to contend with, and everything is personal; you get to know people if you want to. It is “pet-friendly” so you get to know their dogs too!

In the evening, we had a cook-out, and while this is not an advertised occurrence and everybody contributed to it, it was more like a BBQ at a friend’s house than anything else, and then there was good conversation around the fire.  Note, this was just a spur of the moment kind of thing and they don’t advertise it, but it happened when I was there.

The grounds, 11 acres of them, are not carefully manicured formal gardens; they are simply natural.  If you like being in nature, this is the place for you. If you are up early, I highly recommend that you find a nice spot out in the property, a nice quiet one to spend some time with the Lord in nature; I sat down by the pond; there’s just something about time with God in nature…

There are little surprises all over the place, and I will be posting many more over the next couple of weeks; it is a treasure chest if you bring your camera!

I arrived in mid-afternoon on a very hot day, and the pond looked so inviting; there’s even a sandy beach…  It is secluded and private and don’t tell anybody, but it looked so cool and inviting I jumped right in!

This blog is not a travel blog, but if you are ever in the Galena area in Northwestern Illinois and you have a pet with you (or not) you might want to check out Tierra Linda at this link.

Remembering John F. Kennedy

Today John F. Kennedy would be 95 years of age; hard to imagine…

Of course I’d rather be writing about how he was planning to celebrate today that having to remember him…

Mr. Kennedy inspired a Nation with his unusual blend of optimism and charm.  He affected style, fashion and the way we view government and politics in this country.  Whether you loved him or hated him politically, you always had to admit that he was witty and had class.  For those of us who were too young during his presidency to really be affected by the politics and partisanship of the time, he seems to loom over the stage as someone we’d like to have known better.

In looking back at the history and events surrounding  JFK, it strikes me as fascinating to see the mythology that has grown around him.  Some today like to claim him as the ideal of modern Liberalism and yet he was the conservative alternative to the more liberal Hubert Humphrey in the 1960 primaries.  He served as Ronald Reagan’s model for cutting taxes in the 1980′s and was Mr. Nixon’s rival for being tough on communism and national defense in 1960.

Interesting…

In any event, all politics and nonsense aside, JFK is certainly a man worth remembering, an interesting character, and a model of class in public that our current politicians would benefit from studying.

Not Forgotten

Today is Memorial Day in the USA, a day in which Americans pause to honor those men and women who have given “their last full measure of devotion” for our freedom and liberty.  All Americans, and even many others in various places around the world should pause to ask themselves what the world would be like today had these heroes not been willing to sacrifice for freedom.

I disagree with those who say that these honored dead are the source of our liberties, for Liberty comes from God.  However this in no way diminishes their sacrifice or their service.  On the contrary it could easily be argued that in defending freedom from tyranny they have been the very agents of God.

Personally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every man and woman of our Armed Forces for what they do for this Nation in difficult times and often terrible circumstances; you are all an inspiration to freedom loving Peoples everywhere.  I hope that each of us will take the time this day to reflect upon those who cannot hear our thanks and praise, for their selfless devotion  in the service of their country and of decency, peace and liberty which  must surely humble us all.

Finally, I would ask all who read this to approach Almighty God in prayer today, asking that such sacrifices may never again be required of the young men and women of any nation, that His mercy and justice would prevail on the earth for ever.

Modern Conveniences

In 2004 we were shopping for a new house, and I am including two photos we took in one of the houses that we considered.  Sadly, this one was not the one that we ultimately bought…

In the photo above you can see one of the modern kitchen conveniences that it contained… it is for cooling baked goods such as bread, pies, cakes and cookies.  It is located adjacent to the “ice box” which is an insulated box that contains ice.  (Go figure) Next to that on the left is an awesome kitchen convenience, shown below…

This little wonder, located just above the radiator is a bread rising box.  You place your bread dough in this nice warm box to rise…  Isn’t that awesome?

OK, full disclosure:  I bake bread every week.  In the cold months, which in this part of the world includes most months, I have to heat (slightly) an oven to rise bread… unless I can wait 2 or 3 hours for each rise.  Normally, “sandwich bread” has three rises, you can do the math!

I can’t tell you how much I’d like to have these modern kitchen conveniences that modern kitchens don’t have.  As you might have guessed this particular home was built-in 1895.  Just to make me a little more envious, the house I live in now is literally around the corner and was built the same year, but along the way some joker “modernized” my kitchen and ripped all of this stuff out!  Urgh. I have a 21st century kitchen… and that means more work for me…  OK, sort of.

It’s funny how our modern age of technology has squeezed some things out.  I realize that most people buy their bread at the store, along with most of the rest of their food.  It’s canned, frozen and already prepared… and those who buy it that way are really missing out not only on nutrition but taste… and spend more for food in the process!

Our modern age has also squeezed some other things out like manners, courtesy and often Christ.  We’ve replaced conversation and friendship with social media and TV… well, I’ll spare you the entire rant.

I hope, however that all of us can find a little time to squeeze Christ into our modern life of total convenience, you know what I mean, these days of leisure time and effortless living in which we all run around like chickens with their heads cut off full of stress and pressure from every side. We need to find ways to fit Him in…

Ironic isn’t it?  We do everything to save time, and most of us are saving so much time that we don’t have a second to catch our breath!

Deathbed confessions of a food snob

There are some things in life that aren’t worth the effort or the money they cost; lousy food is one thing that comes to mind…

Food is necessary to sustain life, food costs money, food takes time and effort to prepare and food can be something that adds zest and variety to life:  Food is important.  People in Western countries put a lot into food.

I wouldn’t think that any of this comes as news to you, dear reader…

The great question of this or any other age is: Why would we settle for lousy food if we don’t have to?  Yes, friends it is upon such great questions that the fate of civilization rests.  In connection with this great issue, I must now confess that somehow I have slipped into snobbery; I am a food snob!

Since I must eat to live, I’d prefer to eat good stuff.  If I am going out to eat, I would prefer a place that serves good food to one that slings the hash or tosses the burgers… and I am unrepentant on this point. As an old boss once (maybe more than once, come to think of it) said to me: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

Why accept mediocrity?  Why settle for average?  If we have the power or the ability to do better, shouldn’t we do better?  You see this really isn’t about food at all, it’s about not settling for second best.   Martin Luther King once said that if you are a street sweeper, be the best street sweeper you can be.  Doesn’t this apply to all areas of our daily lives?  I think it does, and I think that it is a firm Biblical concept. It isn’t about showing off or being a hot-shot or arrogant or prideful, it’s about having a great testimony for Christ.

Let’s say you are at work and there is a Christian among your co-workers.  This person wants to tell everybody about God and church and that person is a slacker, a sand-bagger and a lazy worker.  How do they reflect upon God? Not well!

Back to true confessions: God has provided us with the physical need to eat, and the means to eat well (hopefully). Why eat lousy food?  Why not do the best we possibly can within our means, giving glory, thanks and praise to God all the while?

Final note:  There is no deathbed; nobody is even sick.  But if you’re going to write a title, why not make it a good one?

Honoring an Unsung Hero

The other night, I attended a retirement dinner for Command Sergeant Major Stephen D. Blake, and came away inspired by a man who should be a model for all of us.

I will leave the recitation of his amazing career in the US Army to those who are better qualified; suffice it to say that it is a record of accomplishment that anyone would have a right to be proud of.  What really stood out to me as comrades in arms spoke of him was that rising far above accomplishment was a man who dedicated himself to helping others and putting them above himself.  CSM Blake demonstrated above all his love and dedication to his soldiers, and was always willing to do whatever it took to see it to it that they were taken care of.

This pattern of behavior extended outside of Army duties, as he is well known throughout the Quad City community as a man who helps others without caring about who gets the credit.  Whether it might be young people, Gold Star Families or complete strangers, CSM Blake is a guy who cares about people. My own brief experience with him bears this out.  I remember that a few years back, when he heard that we were having a problem with our roof, he appeared at the house and got up there to fix it (in November, no less) having no interest in any recompense.  A few months later, he showed up at the house to do a major plumbing repair because he heard that we had a problem in the basement…  Who just does things like that?

Someone who cares about helping other people.

The dinner that I was honored to attend was attended by three General Officers and one city Mayor, in addition to all of the others.  They came to honor a man who had earned their gratitude and respect like few others, and each highlighted his unselfish desire, drive really, to help other people and to take care of his soldiers.  To my mind, however, the greatest tribute came from CSM Blake himself, although it was unintentional.  When it was his turn to speak he said:

“I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for using me as a tool for freedom and for good.”

I doubt there was a dry eye in the room.

An attitude like that tells much about a man.  May it be ours as well, no matter what our profession or circumstances may be.

Thank you Sergeant Major for your service to America, and for being someone who inspires us all!

A Mormon Wedding

I’ve just returned from a road trip out West to attend a Mormon wedding.

OK, I guess maybe I should explain a bit…

A family member got married last weekend.  He married a beautiful young lady who happens to be LDS. (Mormon).  A year or so ago, he announced his engagement…at least that’s when I heard about it… and that he had become a Mormon.  Having received an invitation and wanting to wish the happy couple well, I ventured off to the wild west.  What follows are my impressions of this odyssey…

I realize that in putting my thoughts and impressions down, I am placing myself into a tight little spot.  This blog is not about being negative toward any group of people; far from it.  I an striving to give a neutral account of the facts as I see them and experienced them.  I will not get into theological, eschatological or doctrinal differences in this post; I don’t see that as being necessary.  Christians and Mormons have different views on things; I think everybody knows that already…

The groom’s family are mostly Christian, the bride’s Mormon, this is important to grasp.  In addition, most of the groom’s family had not previously met the bride’s family, so the bride’s family invited the groom’s family members whom they had not previously met to an overnight dinner in the Sacramento area where the wedding would take place the following day.  The reception would be in Reno on Saturday afternoon.

For this gracious invitation, I must give them all the credit in the world; these things can always be a bit awkward at first and to go so far out of one’s way to break the ice and make visitors feel welcome is a gesture of good will that many would feel nervous about, and to put up several  complete strangers overnight in a private home with your whole family is hospitality seldom seen these days.

Some in our group thought that the host family was a little ‘stand offish’ but personally, considering that we were strangers and not everyone is gregarious by nature, I can’t really say that myself; it was a challenging social situation, and the invitation speaks volumes.  There was one little gaffe late that evening when I was referred to as “that dog” but it was quickly turned into a joke: nice save.  I’ve heard that Mormons see non-Mormons as gentiles (dogs) and this could have slipped into this remark.  Of course it was late, and a weary person might just have intended to say “guy” and misspoken… no big deal either way.  As a kid growing up in LA, I had many Jewish friends whose grandparents called me a goi which means the same thing.  I always responded with good-natured Yiddish and as a result was an ‘honorary Jew’ in several families.

The challenge came the next day: A Mormon wedding in a temple has restricted attendance. Many Mormons are not permitted to attend, and it goes without saying that non-Mormons are prohibited. Without question, this didn’t go over very well with the groom’s family since none of us were allowed to attend the wedding we had traveled to. Of course, we were encouraged to stand out in the parking lot during the ceremony, but we passed on this opportunity and returned to Reno. It may be that for us not to wait outside would be considered impolite… For the record, we all knew that we were not welcome at the actual wedding ceremony.  You can just imagine how the groom’s mother felt. Did we behave badly?

On Saturday we attended the reception.  I’ve never before been to a wedding reception that was so lacking in energy, if that’s the word for it.  It might just have been me, but it seemed like there was an invisible wall in the room.  In fact, my impression was that the room was ice until the very end.  The best man was the groom’s twin brother, who  also was not permitted to attend the wedding itself; sort of a culture shock to those not used to all of this.  That little fact seemed to me to demonstrate the entire atmosphere in the room for most of the duration of the two-hour event.  Other than visiting with old friends and acquaintances in more or less hushed tones, there was an air of “us” and “them” in the place.  Even the bride and groom were not expressive in their happiness and joy, and they were seldom seen together.  After about an hour and a quarter there was a “ring ceremony” in which the bride and groom exchanged their rings.  As you might guess, this is where the groomsmen and bridesmaids stood with the bride and groom along with the Bishop in front of the room.  The Bishop began by explaining that the marriage ceremony was a sacred thing that binds the man and wife together for all eternity rather than until death… this, he informed us is what Jesus Christ taught.  He went on to say that the wedding ceremony was not secret, just sacred.  (Nobody was interested in telling me about that non-secret ceremony, but I digress.)  It was indeed interesting to note the expression on the groom’s face at this point; he knows that we know… The best man, a graduate student training to be a Christian minister of the Gospel did a wonderful job of maintaining a poker face through the ring ceremony.

The Bishop concluded his remarks with a short dissertation on the importance of family!

The climax of the reception came right after the ring ceremony when the best man, the father of the groom and the father of the bride gave their toasts (with sparkling cider).  The best man’s toast was short and to the point, and included a joke that went back to one made in a toast at his wedding two years earlier by his brother (today’s groom).  This was followed by the toast of the groom’s father, and then the bride’s father announced that he was the groom’s Dad.

If that last little bit went by a little too quickly, you might want to re-read it: The bride’s father announced that he was the groom’s Dad… right in front of the groom’s Dad!

The groom’s Dad, a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, less than amused blurted out, “Hey! I’m his Dad!”

The bride’s father retorted, “I didn’t say I was his father, I’m his Dad.” and went on with his toast.

Ice becomes glacial.

To be entirely fair, I think he meant this to mean that the groom was welcomed into the family, not as an affront to his father.  Even the most experienced public speaker can misspeak…  and this was not said by a professional public speaker…

Immediately thereafter the party broke up, and we were informed that the groom’s family was to meet outside for a photo with the happy couple.   The photo went off as wedding photos always do: smile!

After the photo, a young man who was best friends with the best man and groom while they were growing up, and who’s father is also a Mormon Bishop, was talking rather loudly about how the three guys had been each other’s best men.  He was curtly interrupted by the bride’s father who told him: “That is too much old family history!” The young man appeared to me to react as a child who has been rebuked.

Later that evening, the groom’s family party met for dinner, the bride and groom came, but were too tired to stay and left before we ate.  I’m sure that after several days of events and travel they were exhausted.  Sunday was the day that they opened the wedding gifts at the bride’s parents’ home.  The groom’s family were not on the invitation list as far as I know.  Many of us were leaving for airports and train stations anyway, and frankly I’m sure that everyone was glad for the excitement to be over with…

In the final analysis, I’m sure that the awkward moments were unintentional, in light of the initial effort to be gracious and hospitable.  People sometimes say the wrong thing to be funny, I do sometimes, and it’s only natural for people to hang out with folks they already know.  Maybe my perception of ice had more to do with just being tired than anything else.  Maybe we were not as polite and gregarious as we should have been, and the view from the other side is that we were jerks, and if that is the case I’m truly sorry for it.  Maybe I see too much in a theological context and over think things; it wouldn’t be the first time.

But I have been to mixed religion weddings before.  One in particular was a Catholic wedding that had a Jewish groom: The atmosphere was altogether different: Festive!  Maybe this is because everyone was welcome to the actual wedding and there was no pall of exclusion in the air; I don’t know.

As I have been writing this, rather too long post, a commercial came on the radio.  You might have heard it before; heaven knows I hear it about ten times a day…

It’s about a father and son doing the laundry.  They are spending quality time, and it is from the LDS Church.  I can’t help thinking about it after this past weekend and wondering if there might somehow be more than one definition for the word “family”.   Have I just witnessed someone being pried out of his family?  Time will tell.  That commercial has a wonderful tag line that I will conclude with, and you dear reader can decide for yourself whether or not you agree with me that it is strikingly ironic::

Family: isn’t it about… time?

The Road Ahed

As we begin a new year our life’s road stretches out before us.  Look ahead; what do you see?

Like the picture you might see cold snow and ice for a piece, and then the thaw of spring out ahead…

Maybe you are going through hard times right now; many people are.  Maybe things are going well… even many of these are worried about the future in such uncertain times.  There are nasty economic rumblings out there; in some places there are people in the streets crying out for change.  In some parts of this world there is unrest; unease everywhere.

Are you walking down your life’s road all alone?

Maybe you are going along with your family and your spouse as a strong unit; if so that’s a very good thing. If you falter, maybe they can carry you a ways…

What if you all falter… then what?

Just to be on the safe side, I like to take Jesus along on my life’s road: He can handle things that I can’t quite seem to manage on my own.  He can help me when I stumble, He can carry me if necessary; in fact He can carry the whole family if we need it. We are never alone out in the wilderness to freeze, or in the desert to die of thirst, for He fills out needs.  We are never overpowered by strangers, for He is with us.

Yes, taking Jesus along life’s road is a good idea, don’t you think?

Look!  Just a little farther and the sun is shining!

Let’s Fix the Super Bowl!

Image via Wikipedia

I am a football fan, and I particularly enjoy College football, that is until we get around to the championship game; that’s when I start to wonder about things.  This year is different!

After listening to the commentators on the four-letter network for the past couple of months discuss how the BCS nearly always get’s it right, and also after hearing them explain what a “champion” really is, I have come around to understanding why the BCS works so well.  I am posting this to help you understand as well.

In order for you to fully understand why this is true, I must insist that you read this very carefully, or you will miss the reality of what I am saying!

 Ready?

The critical point is this:  A true champion is the “best team”.  Got it?

To be the best team, you need to have the best program, the best tradition and the best players… It does not mean that you just win on the field; anybody can do that!  So you see, the BCS always has the “best” two teams in the big game; it’s as simple as that!

The NFL on the other hand has an out-dated and vulgar playoff system that does not recognize the “best”.  Here’s how we can tell…

In last year’s Super Bowl, Green Bay beat Pittsburgh: What a joke!  At the beginning or the playoffs, nobody would say that Green Bay was the best, they just got hot at the right time, barely squeaked into the playoffs and got lucky because they were hot.  This is no way to recognize the “best” team!!!

So, here’s how we can fix this stupid playoff system:  (You might want to take notes)

Step 1:  The week after the NFL regular season ends, the winner of the AFC South plays the winner of the NFC South.  The winner goes to the Super Bowl.

Step 2:  Sports writers choose their favorite team off of the “eligible list”  The “eligible” teams are: Patriots, Steelers, Dolphins, Giants, Eagles, and Packers.

Step 3:  If none of the eligible teams is good enough, then the sports writers and commentators choose the second-best team from the AFC/NFC South and they go to the Super Bowl.

Step 4:  All of the other teams with at least an 8-8 record are paired up with another team at random, and they play a game on someone else’s field for a nice trophy.

Now that you see this set out in a logical and practical way, can’t you see that this is the best way to select a true “champion”?  No more lucky teams, no more dumb and ridiculous matchups in the Super Bowl, only the two “best” teams!  As soon as the NFL gets straightened out, I think we need to fix the other sports too.  In fact, can’t you see that we can use this method to fix all of the country’s problems?

Write to the NFL, call their offices, email them, maybe we can get an occupy group together to make them see that they have it all wrong!

Finally the Lombardi Trophy will mean something!