Veterans’ Recognition

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Last Sunday, November 6, our church set up some tables surrounding the American flag. It was a simple way for Veterans, family members of Veterans and families of Active Duty personnel to share pictures and memorabilia from their time in military service.
It was a significant way for our church family to be reminded that some of our “old men” were once young and skinny; but they were also brave and committed to themes of honor, duty and country. I also had the opportunity to stand beside a young mom and her three kids as we looked at the picture of her husband who is currently in harm’s way in Afghanistan.
It was interesting to watch as men from different eras but the same branch of service swapped stories of training and missions. I also heard the banter of service branch rivalries. I didn’t hear anyone voice praise for any of their field rations – even one man who had been a cook on the battlefield in Korea! I heard men speak softly of buddies lost and of buddies that have remained friends for life.
For me, it was an opportunity to share a few pictures of my own father; an Army Chaplain in WWII. One Viet Nam era soldier told me that the picture of my father’s field Chapel reminded him of the one he attended while “in country”. A cross that a soldier had fashioned for my father out of the gas tank of a destroyed enemy aircraft drew attention. When I mentioned that it had come from Kiska a former pilot told how he had flown in the Aleutians.
The next-to-the-best thing I overheard that morning was the words of gratitude that were expressed to each of the Veterans. The best thing that I experienced that morning was watching the faces of those Veterans when those words of gratitude were expressed.
And, would you please take a moment to pray for that young wife that I mentioned earlier. She and the kids can’t wait for April to get here.

White Elephants?

What does the phrase, “White Elephant”, bring to your mind?
I sought the counsel of Google for a contemporary answer and found a lot of references to gift exchanges, a party game, and other names like “Secret Santa” and “Dirty Santa”.
I’m sure we didn’t invent the name but as a child “White Elephant” was something far more significant. My parents served in mission-work in a very economically poor area of southeastern Oklahoma in the mid-40s and into the late 50s. Generous churches that supported the mission would regularly send boxes of good used clothing which would then be available for area families. For whatever reason the day the clothing was made available was simply called, “White Elephant Day”.
I was recently reminded of the important role that “White Elephants” played in our little community and throughout the valley where we lived. In a visit back to that area last month a childhood friend told me a story about how much my parents had meant to her but how one time my father had made her so mad!
Her story began with these words; “I had just gotten a new dress out of the White Elephant box that I was going to wear to church camp.” She then told how that she and several other young campers were riding in the back of my father’s pick-up truck. While on the way to camp they had to cross Little River; which often overflowed the low water bridge when there had been a lot of rain.
She said, “When Brother Harold got to Little River he didn’t slow down a lick but drove right into the water and on across to the other side spraying us all the way across! I was so mad at him because I just knew he had ruined my new dress! But by the time we arrived at camp it was dry and not ruined after all.”
Even as she told the story I cringed at the thought of the liabilities that a person would face today for such a trip. A group of children riding unsecured in any way in the back of a speed truck on a gravel covered roadway? Unacceptable!!!
But, as she told the story I was also reminded of the provision made by generous people and of the grateful people who received it. I was humbled by my parents’ influence that is even still being recognized today. I was thankful for my parents’ example and hopeful that I have passed that on to my family. I was reminded that a person doesn’t have to live in an out-of-the-way part of the country to experience the need for assistance. I identified why that I still feel gratitude when I drop off clothing at the Salvation Army or the John 3:16 Ministry here in Tulsa.
I guess I got a lot more than just clothing out of the White Elephant box!

A Brief History of Space

With the Shuttle Atlantis on its way home I’ve been thinking about some of the major space events that I remember. No, I’m not old enough to remember when Charles Lindberg completed the first trans-Atlantic flight in 1927! But, I do remember watching Jimmy Stewart in the 1957 movie, “The Spirit of St. Louis.” (I got to enjoy a lot of my heroes in that old Clayton movie theater!)

I was in Canby Elementary when Alan Shepherd became the first American in space. We went over to the “big kids building” and watched the launch and recovery on TV. (In black & white, of course) This is the same Alan Shepherd who offered the “Shepherd’s Prayer” on a later Apollo flight. (I’ve prayed the same prayer on numerous occasions; with “a little” change in the wording!)

It was Christmas Eve, 1968, when Apollo 8 astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders read the Genesis account of creation while in orbit around the moon. In 1969 the United States Postal Service issued a stamp with the picture of Earthrise over the surface of the moon. The picture was one than Aders had taken from the orbiter. On the stamp were the words, “In the beginning God…”

Through the miracles of technology in 1969 I watched Neil Armstrong become the first man on the moon. I was visiting my dad back inCanby,ORbut I was on the phone with wife-to-be, Rose Ann, who was inTulsa. I told her it was romantic to be looking at the moon with her but MA Bell was making me pay through the nose for us to visit in the process. Gene Cernan chose my birthday in 1972 to be the last man to step off of the moon during the Apollo 17 flight.

We lived inWeatherford,OKin 1986 when the Challenger exploded and in 2003 we lived inTulsawhenColumbiacame apart upon its re-entry.

Much is currently being said about the end of the Shuttle program and how that most likely the next American spacecraft to visit the International Space Station will be privately owned. Can you imagine a teacher asking a student, “What did you do during summer vacation?” and the student replying, “Our family got to spend a week at the ISS.” (I’m still excited with a trip to the IHOP!)

We’ve witnessed a lot of innovation, sacrifice and celebration during the course ofAmerica’s journey into space. I know our exploration will continue. I recently read about a space vehicle that was launched in 2007 that this week has begun an orbit around the largest asteroid in the closest asteroid belt. It is expected to remain in that orbit until 2012 before moving on to the next closest asteroid belt. Amazing!

I remember my dad telling me about the first time he ever saw a car. (He grabbed his little brother and they ran into the woods until it went by!) Dad and I used to talk about all the changes he had experienced in his lifetime. With technology advancing faster all the time I can’t even imagine what my grandkids will have experienced by the time they reach my age.

I think the guys on Apollo 8 were on the right track. We have spent vast amounts of “life” seeking to know more about the realms of God’s creation. Two of my favorite “space” passages are: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1) and “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you and set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for ?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

Godspeed!

These Boots Are Made For… Working

It was May of 1967. Nancy Sinatra’s “similarly titled song” was still being played but my focus was more on a pair of boots for “working”. Particularly the pair of boots I received when I was hired to work a summer job at the paper mill in Oregon City, OR. Everything was ready and they would call me to start working right after I graduated from high school in Canby, OR.

The only problem was – they never called! Well they did finally call but it was about three weeks later and they called to say they didn’t need me. The guy who called said, “Do you still have those work boots?”  “Yes,” I replied, “I’ve been wearing them to work at the berry processing plant until I heard from you.” He laughed, said he was glad I had found a job and that I could send him a check for the boots at the company price. (They were the best safety work boots I had ever seen.)

Forty-four years later I still wear them! I wore them all day today as I worked on projects in my yard. They are tough boots; ugly, but tough. The strawberry juice stains I got on them that summer are no longer visible. The great safety tread on the soles is almost worn smooth. But they are still great boots. I’ve no idea how many sets of laces I’ve replaced. I’ve added several pair of insole supports over the years but the boots “keep on walkin’ and workin” when I need them.

When I took them off in the garage – I don’t bring them into the house – I started thinking about how long I’ve had them. They’ve provided traction for a lot of Oklahoma snows. They’ve been on youth group hikes in the Wildlife Refuge in Lawton and on a lot of church work projects. (Once I  left them home on a work project  in favor of more comfortable tennis shoes. I think they were grinning at me after I got back from getting a tetanus shot after stepping on a nail!) I wore them when I worked as a Chaplain at the bombed out Murrah Building in Oklahoma City and I wore them last week when I worked to assist victims of the tornado in Joplin. Some people can show you their passport with stamps from all the exotic places they’ve visited. I’ll have to settle for showing you my old boots. They haven’t  “traveled” to exotic places but they have taken me on the journey that now makes up a big part of the story of my life.

My dad sometimes used the expression, “Tough as a boot”. He would use that to describe a variety items, situations and sometimes, even people. Except when he used it to describe something to eat, it was usually meant as a compliment.

There is a lot to be said for being, “Tough as a boot.” Reliable. Equipped. Capable. Flexible. Protective.  Strong. Stable. Comfortable. These are all traits that I admire. I guess being known as, “Tough as boot”, wouldn’t be a bad thing when all these words are a part of the description.

“Smelling like boot?” Well…that may be a topic for another blog.

Well…I’m still here…

Have you heard about the “prophesied rapture”? Actually, how could you have not?

This certainly isn’t the first time such a prediction  has been made. (It’s not even the first one for the man making this one!)  The most intriguing part of this one is the attention and response being made by those who make no pretense of faith in Christ. Most of those who are unashamed of Jesus are feeling a bit embarrassed because the prediction obviously ignores Christ’s own teaching. He said that His return will be at a time when it is not expected.

A nationally syndicated radio program was surprised by the amount of response they received when they asked their audience what song they would choose if this really were the end of the world. I was surprised by the most selected song; it was AC-DC’s “Highway to Hell”. A close second choice was the song by Peggy Lee, “Is That All There Is?”

While I’m not surprised that I’m “still here” this time – the sadness I feel is that so many people apparently feel that “still being here” means that Christ’s return will never happen. There is a dangerous bravado that such false prophecies can generate in the heart of an unbeliever.

In the Apostle Peter’s  second letter he addressed what is happening this evening all around the world. Peter said, “They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ He promised?” A little later Peter reminds us, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Again, several verses later Peter says, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” (You can read the whole discussion in 2nd Peter 3:3 – 15).

Yep, I’m still here tonight but I’m looking forward to when it really the time to go!

Less than perfect Mother’s Day gift

Hopefully I’ve gotten better in the gift department since my first Mother’s Day gift to Rose Ann. I wanted to play tennis – my friend didn’t have a tennis racket – so… Rose Ann got a tennis racket! In case you are wondering…no, Rose Ann has never played tennis. (And, no, I didn’t have to spend even one night on the couch for that – but I probably should have!)

I don’t think I recognized then what a “gift” I had received to have a wife and future “mom” of our kids with such grace. Now, 40 Mother’s Days later – I do recognize how blessed I am – and even more importantly, how blessed our girls are to have her for a “mom”. (Don’t worry, this won’t get bogged down with “cheesy”!)

The history of  “Mother’s Day” is a beautiful testimony of one person’s desire to honor her mom and that led to our nation setting aside a special day of honor for all moms. The question for me is; “What is the focus of my persistence?” I’m not talking about just in the area of Mother’s Day; but in any or every area of my life. How does the focus of my persistence lead to another person receiving honor and recognition? Who are the “recipients” and are they the ones I most want to be “honored”?

In other words, am I intentionally doing those things that bring honor to those who deserve honor and recognition?  Or, am I un-intentionally doing something that dishonors a person close to me? Is there an area of carelessness that even inadvertently devalues a family member or friend?

I recently saw a Family Circus cartoon in which the mom and dad could be seen kissing.  Dolly was saying, “It always makes me feel warm and happy when I see mommy and daddy kissing.” Our relationships can have a huge influence on people who are observing those relationships.

Celebrating Mother’s Day is a good time to evaluate all of our relationships. If you were blessed with a great mom then reflect on some of the positive lessons you learned. If not, are there habits or traits that you need to make sure aren’t being passed on in your current relationships.

My girls were blessed with a wonderful mom – and I’ve been greatly blessed by her, too!

Happy Mother’s Day, Rose Ann!

I Miss the Smell of Leather

One of my favorite end-of-the-year “rituals” for many years was getting my order from Day-Timer. For several years my calendar of choice was the Sr. Pocket sized 2 pages per day, monthly fillers with accompanying accessories and storage boxes. I also loved the monthly desk calendar bound in bonded leather. I was a sucker for the smell and feel of the leather.

Another thing that I enjoyed about my Day-Timer was that it had a “250-year Day/Date Reference Guide”. It enable me to ascertain any day of the week for any given time from 1800 – 2050. (When I first started using Day-Timer the year 2050 seemed laughably futuristic. Now it’s only 40 years off.) I still have the page with that reference guide.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s was the time I filled out the calendars and made my plans for the coming year. I loved my new, clean and crisp calendar pages that declared a “fresh start”! Later I moved to the 5.5×8.5 size with a zippered notebook because I seemed to need to carry more stuff. But I got the same fresh-start thrill with that size, as well. No matter how many plans had not come to fruition or events had not been as successful as I had hoped, I could still start fresh on the new year because I had a clean calendar to work with.

Moving my calendars to Outlook did not give me that same tangible fresh start as did my printed calendars. There is a lot more flexibility and it certainly is convenient to be able to sync Outlook with my Blackberry. But there isn’t the opportunity to flip through the clean and crisp pages and my computer certainly doesn’t smell like leather!

One thing remains the same and thankfully so. I still use the time for reflection and anticipation. I am still reminded that I have been instructed to “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” (Ephesians 5:15 – 16) Whether in print, or on my monitor, I can still see records of past events and plans for future possibilities.

I am reminded that since my life is a “mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”, I must preface all my plans with these words; “If it is the Lord’s will.” My plan for 2010 is to be more open to His will and not as frantic about my own.

Yeah, I tried that in the past and messed it up. But, just today, a computer tech friend worked on my Outlook Calendar and I have fresh “screens” to dream and plan on.  And, if you need to know the day of the week a particular date falls on, let me know. I’ll look it up on my handy little chart from Day-Timer.

But I still miss the smell of leather…

Timing is Everything

Johnny Carson was, to me, the epitome of comedic timing. His double-takes, “pregnant pauses” and follow-up quips, set the standard for stand-up comedy. His opening monologues, guest inteviews and comedy skits would often be the source of many next-day conversations and laughter.

Comedy is not the only arena where timing is critical. We hear of sports teams who are “peaking at just the right time” or project planners say, “It all came together” at just the right time.

More often, we are aware of poor timing. Announcements of job layoffs at Christmas are usually accompanied by comments about, “the horrible timing.” Deaths during the Christmas season seem doubly difficult to accept.

It is interesting that God said the birth of Christ was exactly at the right time. Surely, casual observers might question God’s timing. It was in a period of political unrest. It came when Mary and Joseph were “away from home”, and in a place with limited resources due to overcrowding in the little town of Bethlehem. But, knowing all of that – beforehand – God still spoke of it as occurring “in the fullness of time”; at just the right time.

When I have concluded, “the timing stinks!” in a situation I’m facing, what is it that I need to understand about God’s timing? When I look at current situations among my friends that include the deaths of loved ones, overwhelming battles against cancer, family heartaches and financial crisis – all at Christmas, how do I respond?

Does a loving reminder of God’s grace, peace, sovereignty, and presence, all contained in a baby born at an inconvenient time in Bethlehem, really help?

Time will tell…

Bucket List…sort of…at Christmas

Creating my new blog is a “to do” item from my recent sabbatical. The sabbatical is over – still no blog, until now! 

This week I have the assistance of master bloggers, Amy and Andy Storms. I also have the encouragement of grandchildren Nathan, Anne and Molly and editorial advice from my wife, Rose Ann.  I’m all set! All of this creative team has been brought together because we are celebrating an early Christmas in CA.

This visit is filled with creativity! Sunday night we will get to watch Anne and Molly perform in their dance company’s performance of The Nutcracker.  Who knew that a Bon Bon and a Soldier would be the stars of the whole show?

It has also be a week of reflection. We went through a box of books and a collection of bells that belonged to my mother and father. There have been lots of stories shared, memories stirred and thus new experiences enjoyed.

The contrasts between Christmases I remember at the ages of my grandchildren and now is cause for reflection – and amazement. How would I explain to my parents and grandparents the steps of building a blog? Would they understand checking my e-mail on my Blackberry? Would they understand how much fun it is to visit via Skype or be able to select your favorite music on your mp3 or i-pod?

One thing I’m sure they would understand – sharing stories, stirring memories, expressing love and enjoying time well spent with family!