Peanut Butter Bon Bons

I just received one of the best gifts that I could possibly receive this time of year. No, I didn’t get enrolled in the "Jelly Of The Month Club" (the gift that keeps on giving all year round) It was much better than that. And No, I didn’t get a $500 Visa Gift Card. (it was even better than that) It wasn’t even a 50 inch, High Definition, Plasma Screen TV (believe it or not, it was even better than that).

So what was this great gift, you might ask? Thank-you for asking, I’ve been dying to tell you!

My daughter Terri just called and said that she was starting to make Peanut Butter Bon Bons, Whoo hooo!!! … What are Peanut Butter Bon Bons? … You don’t know what Peanut Butter Bon Bons are? (I know you were wondering)

Ok, for all of you folks from the foreign land of Ohio and those of you who haven’t been educated in the finer things of life. Peanut Butter Bon Bons are similar to what you would call “Buckeyes” (Isn’t that a football team or something?)

Anyway, let me say that Peanut Butter Bon Bons have always been my favorite Christmas candy. My Mom would always make them for me every Christmas and except for the problem which developed when, much to my chagrin, she would use up my entire stash of Peanut Butter and I would have to go without Peanut Butter for as many as 3-4 hours before she could go to the store to buy another jar, (I know wasn't that awful?) Peanut Butter Bon Bons represent some of my fondest memories of Christmas. (In case you were wondering, my Mom solved the problem in later years by buying her own jar of Peanut butter and leaving mine alone! :)

Terri made her first attempt at Peanut Butter Bon Bons a few years ago. I couldn’t believe it when I tasted them. I tried one, then another… then another… They were… different than what my Mom made. Here, let me try another one… wait a minute… is it possible?... Could they possibly be the best Peanut Butter Bon Bons I have ever eaten? … Maybe I should try another one… Yes, I think they are. Terri had managed to do something that I didn’t think was possible. Her Peanut Butter Bon Bons were better than my own Mothers… They were the best ones I have ever eaten in my life and believe-you-me, I have eaten a bunch of them.

Then last year, she came to Christmas with another batch. She apologized and said that they didn’t turn out very well, and she didn’t have the time (or money) to correct the “mistake.” She figured that if we didn’t eat them, we could feed them to Odie. (Yes I know, you shouldn't feed chocolate to dogs) I'll let you tell that to Odie!

So I tried one, a little bit apprehensive about what to expect, and… wait a minute… let me try another one… is it possible…? I think Terri defied the laws of physics (or at least cooking) and did the impossible… these were even better than her first attempt. What she thought was a mistake, (the center was softer and gooier) actually made them even better.

So now, I can’t wait until Sunday (which is our family Christmas) While the rest of the world waits for Santa Claus, I will patiently wait for Peanut Butter Bon Bons:) Does life get any better than that?

Blessings!

In The Bleak Midwinter

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the music. There is just something incredibly special about Christmas music. Perhaps it is the fact that we only sing it at one time each year, perhaps it is because of the memories that it represents, or maybe it is just because it is so awesome:) Whatever the reason, it is something that I look forward to all year.

Last night was the Annual Christmas program at Oak Grove. I was so proud of the kids and the choir last night. They did such a great job. I know that I am probably pushing the envelope a little bit with these folks, and I know that I am doing things that may be unfamiliar and I am certainly introducing them to songs that haven’t necessarily been a part of their Christmas repertoire, but I had two goals as I entered this season of Advent. The first was to learn about and be faithful to the rich Christmas traditions of Oak Grove and Fountain churches, and the other was to introduce them to the songs and traditions that are close to my heart.

So it is in that same spirit that I share with you today one of my favorite Christmas songs “In the Bleak Midwinter.” As with many of my favorite songs, it is not the best known or most popular, but I think that you will agree that it is very beautiful. Also, if you are not familiar with them, let me also introduce you to “The Choirboys” You have got to love those beautiful rich angelic tones, unfortunately Mother Nature sees to it that they won’t sing those soprano parts for long. Enjoy listening to one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Blessings!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, at least that is what the song says. As for me, the jury is still out on that one. It is certainly one of my favorite times of the year, and I can say that I look forward to it every year, and I have to admit that Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year, it is also my favorite worship service in the year, so all in all I would have to lean in the direction of most wonderful time.

With that being said, it is also the most stressful, the busiest, the most challenging, as well as emotional time. Everything seems to be compressed into this brief period between “Come Ye Thankful People Come” and “Silent Night.”

Today I have to put the final preparations together for Sunday’s worship services and Oak Grove’s Annual Christmas Program. Tomorrow will be spent ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Walmart, an afternoon outing with the youth, a graduation party, and finishing the day back at Walmart ringing the bell. So, I guess if it needs to be done for Sunday, I had better get it done today.

I will have to put a little more thought into this most wonderful time of the year thing. For right now, I am holding on for dear life, praying for a quiet New Year:)

Blessings

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch!

Two days in a row, I’m on a roll now. Let me address a couple of questions that I have been asked.

1.“Have I still been swimming?”

Well, yes and no. I have run into a bit of an obstacle. I have been dealing with bronchitis/ sinusitis/ coughing/ yucky/ stuffy /headstuff / cheststuff (I would call it Hymunglifungli) since about the first of October and that has put a definite crimp in my desire to go out at 7:00AM and swim. But I haven’t given up and I am finally going to break down today and go see a Doctor (Yes, I am actually going to go this time) and see if I can’t get over this stuff once and for all!

2. “How is Andrew doing with his drum set?” (Or how are his parents coping?)

Our little drummer boy is doing very well. He continues to play quite regularly, much to the chagrin of his parents (and the neighbors) He has only broken one small connecting piece which Ben was able to replace quickly over the phone. The replacement piece was metal instead of plastic. I think that the company has had that problem before. He has yet to break a drum head or a stick, which if you watched him play you would be amazed at how hard he hits those things. I wasn’t sure that the heads would survive the first hour, but so far so good.

As for his parents, I think that they are suffering from premature, drum induced hearing loss. Their nerves are a little more frazzled than normal, and they have had to spend $150,000 on attorney’s fees to fight the lawsuits filed by complaining neighbors (Well, maybe I exaggerated on that one:) But all in all they seem to be holding up well.

3. “What are our Christmas plans?”

Oh my, that is a tough question. Let’s see. On the 13th Oak Grove has their Annual Christmas program, the 20th is our family Christmas and Fountains Annual Christmas Program. Christmas Eve we have a 7:00PM service at Oak Grove and an 11:15 PM service at Fountain. Sunday the 27th , after church, we are planning on going to Illinois for a few days and other than a thousand other little things to do between now and then, that is pretty much our Christmas plan:)

Well, Bible study starts in an hour and I haven’t had a shower yet, I better get busy! Have a great day and do something today to bless someone around you:)

Blessings

Ok! I Hear You:)

Ok! Ok! After some significant prodding, I will try to get back in the saddle again and be more consistent with my posts. In reality, it is actually a good thing that I haven’t been posting much lately. As you remember, I started this blog because of the extreme stress that I was under last year with my final year of seminary, a trip to El Salvador and the Commissioning process and writing seemed to provide an outlet for all of that overwhelming stress and frustration. A good friend recently described that sensation this way, “Not knowing whether to scream or puke.” (Boy can I relate to that) In addition it connected me with some wonderful people who provided me with the words and support that I needed to get through what was arguably the most difficult and stressful year of my life.

Now, after our move, we have really begun to settle into our new home and church family and to be honest, right now I really feel in a good place spiritually, physically and emotionally. The churches are going well, lots of things happening, the stress is at a minimum, the challenges are not too great, and life is good. So, I just haven’t felt that compelling desire to sit down and pour out my thoughts.

What I didn’t realize is that there are people who actually enjoyed reading my rambling thoughts and sometimes obnoxious diatribes, and believe it or not, they actually miss it. Who would have thunk it? So, I will do my best to sit down and just get back into the habit of writing and realize that I am truly blessed with a good life and friends who care about me, even when I am rambling and obnoxious, which people who know me would say is most of the time:)

Blessings

Better Hold On Tight!

Have you ever had the experience of simply watching and witnessing as the Holy Spirit works? I very much have been sensing that movement of the Holy Spirit here recently, and right now, I am doing my best to either hold on tight or get completely out of the way.

I have been spending a little time here recently reflecting back upon the last four months that we have been here in Corydon and I see some very exciting things going on. So, this morning I thought that I would share with you some of the accomplishments that I have been witnessing.

Initially we began two Bible studies, one for each church and I was astounded that the attendance at Oak Grove was around 25. That attendance has continued every week ranging at the lowest of about 20 and the highest of 27, with the total attendance at Bible study between the two churches averaging between 30-40 per week. The awesome thing is that many of these people have NEVER in their life attended Bible Study before. (That is good for me because if they don’t have anything to compare it to, they have no idea how unorthodox I really am as a teacher:) Now we have added a third Bible study which meets here at the parsonage on Wednesday morning. This has been a great deal of fun so far and may prove to be my favorite study of the week.

Both churches have also started choirs in the past few months. It has been awesome to watch as people who have never been in choirs before settle into the routine of rehearsals and performance. Last week both churches stepped out of their comfort zone and participated in the monthly Community Hymn Sing, which was hosted by Oak Grove. Both churches did a totally awesome job and the church was completely packed. (Now that we see what that looks like, it gives us something to shoot for)

Oak Grove has even taken the excitement of the choir to a new level and one of the members made arrangements to have choir robes and stoles donated to the church and this Sunday they will sing in their new robes for the first time. How cool is that?

Oak Grove is also the proud owners of new United Methodist Hymnals which had the potential of being a major obstacle and stumbling block. The last time they bought hymnals was almost forty years ago. But instead of creating controversy, it was an awesome blessing, so much so that I am pretty sure that we will be ordering new Pew Bibles next week because “the new hymnals make the old Pew Bibles look so awful” (The Lord sure works in mysterious ways)

Oak Grove and Fountain came in first and second in our ministry cluster Chili Cook-off

Between the two churches they raised over $5000 in their respective annual dinners.

Oak Grove will be replacing the very old picture of Jesus, which is now the focal point of the sanctuary with a very large handmade wooden cross, donated by one of our expert wood workers.

We are working on putting a large cross and flame (The United Methodist logo) on the front of the church. (How radical is that to actually identify our church as United Methodist?)

We are adopting families to help for the Christmas Season, shoe boxes for Children, donating to Community Services, working with Ronald McDonald House, Christmas programs, adding services on Christmas Eve…

Well, you get the picture. Right now I feel a little bit like I am just along for the ride. Most, if not all, of these projects are being driven by laity within the churches. The Holy Spirit is working very hard here in Corydon, I just pray that I can stay out of the way and let God work:)

Blessings

Be Strong!

I know, I know, I did it again, I went a very long time without posting something. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on posting anything today, but I stopped by my blog this morning for the first time in quite awhile and I read the heartfelt, passionate comment left by my good friend Nancy on my last post and she inspired me to begin writing again. I encourage everyone who hasn’t done so already to go back and read what she wrote.

I don’t think that Nancy would mind me saying, but I have known her since I first started seminary and she is someone who I have always had great love and respect for, even though we are different in many ways. (I couldn’t have made it through “World Religions” without her:)

The reason that I was inspired to write today is because what Nancy shared is an example of the daunting challenge and sometimes seemingly hopeless isolation felt often times by myself and most of my clergy friends, as they seek to do the will of God. I read what Nancy shared both with a sense of joy and with a sense of sadness. The joy comes from knowing the great work that she is doing and the sadness is felt as I come face to face with the obstacles that someone who is truly called by God is facing. The most profound sadness is that Nancy isn’t alone in her challenges. I can name dozens of pastoral colleagues and friends who face horrendous situations in churches out of really no fault of their own.

These pastors, just like Nancy, are doing what God has called them to do, and bearing fruits of that effort, often in spite of the continuous roadblocks and barriers thrown up by the leadership of the churches they have been appointed to, and that leadership could be the actual elected leadership or those who simply meet out in the parking lot for the meeting after the meeting.

I was inspired to write today for one reason, and that is the desire to lift up all of those friends and colleagues who are struggling against all odds to do the work that God has called them to do.

When Moses delivered his final charge to Israel before they crossed the Jordan River, he said, ”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 you nor forsake you."

When Joshua began to lead the children of Israel, the Lord said to him, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

When David charged Solomon before he built the first temple, he said, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

I don’t know if you caught all of that or not, but in every one of those passages where the people are told to be strong and courageous, there is also the promise of God’s presence.

It is the presence of God that makes God’s people strong. It is God’s presence that enables you to continue moving forward when you get down and discouraged with what is happening in your life and in your ministry.

The next time you feel discouraged I want you to remember...

“That Noah drank too much, but God used him anyway.
Abraham and Sarah were too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young,
David had an affair and was a murderer
Isaiah preached naked (I wouldn’t recommend that one)
Jonah ran from God,
Zaccheus was too small
AND Lazarus was dead!”

So…
Be Strong you who labor for the Lord!

Be strong all of you who labor in God’s fields in hopes of an abundant harvest
Be strong all you people of God and know that God is with you in this place, and know that God will grant you peace.
Amen!

Stop Me Before I Say Something I Will Regret!

Well, I have done it again, let more than a week go since my last post. It really isn’t that I don’t have anything to say, and I can’t honestly say that I don’t have the time. Perhaps it is the fact that what I really want to say are about issues that as a pastor, I really should let go or at the very least only weigh in on from a theological perspective, even though many of my colleagues don’t follow this line of thinking.

I read with great interest the posts on Facebook and other places of my colleagues in ministry. I think of one colleague in particular who was in tears about their treatment at their current appointment. They were devastated about how they felt abused, and isolated. But as I read what they write, I have to wonder if they share these same views from the pulpit, in conversation and in Bible Study. If so, then I can guarantee that this person is alienating 90% or more of their congregation.

Is it acceptable to hold strong political and social views and be a pastor? Of course it is! Is it acceptable to share these views with others? Perhaps so, but one has to be very careful, and avoid doing so in a threatening way. We have to be pastors to everyone in the congregation, not just the ones who agree with us.

For instance, this person feels very strongly about the issue of homosexuality as both a societal issue and clergy issue. This, of course, is one of the most hotly and fiercely debated issues in the church. I think that I am safe in saying that 80% of the people in this pastors congregation would tend to disagree with the view that this pastor holds. Is it wrong for this pastor to hold this view? No, Should this issue be discussed? Yes

So then, how does one approach it? If a pastor chooses to follow this particular pastor’s approach, then you confront, push it to the forefront, make your position known in no uncertain terms, preach sermons on it, and then have little patience for those who disagree.

In case you haven’t figured it out, this is a prescription for disaster from a pastoral perspective, with you as the pastor being miserable in your appointment, your congregation being miserable, frequent phone calls to the District Superintendent from both parties, and ministry at a standstill.

This is the dilemma that I find myself in. I could certainly weigh in on a variety of topics, from Health Care to the war in Afghanistan to Fox News and I am safe in saying that 80% of my congregations and the people that I know would agree with me almost 100%, (although a lot of the people who read my blog would ABSOULTLY NOT :) LOL Which is certainly alright!

But, I am indeed concerned about the 20% in my congregation that holds differing views. It is difficult to argue about issues that could tend to isolate those that I care about. I am called to be their pastor as well.

So, for now, I am just focusing on preaching the Good News and the Love that Christ has for each of us. These other issues will wait for another day:)
Blessings

That's Blasphemy!!!!

Ok, I have to admit that juggling and preparing for 3 Bible Studies is a bit of a challenge. I am having extreme episodes of Déjà vu, and wondering if I have already told this story or explained about one word or another to this group. But for the most part I have decided that it is ok to retell a few stories:) Besides, I often tell them more for my own benefit than I do theirs anyway:)

Tonight we had an awesome discussion about the “unforgivable sin” of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (Mark 3:28-29)

So, my blogging family and friends, tell me, what does it mean to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Once it has been done, is it not possible to be redeemed? Is it something much deeper than what we would think of as blasphemy?

As I said, we had some interesting discussion tonight and I would love to hear what you have to say on the subject:)

Perhaps I can complicate things even more by mentioning another passage:

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. (Luke 12:10)

Blessings

New Bible Study Starts Today!

Today we are beginning a new Bible Study. I had a request from a parishioner to have a daytime study which intrigued me and after a little thought I decided to go forward with it. We decided to hold this one at the parsonage, which is a neutral spot so I hope to draw people from both churches, and if nothing else, it means that I don’t have far to go:)

I think that we are going to study 1 Corinthians. I have never done a Bible study on this book and since it is one of my favorites, I think that it will be fun.

I have to admit that I am a bit apprehensive. I don’t know if we will have 3 people or 23. I would be thrilled with 7-10. I will let you know how it goes.

I better get off the computer and get ready, it starts in just 2 hours:)
Blessings!

I'm Just Trying To Eat My Lunch Here!!!!

I sometimes have to wonder what the world that we live in is coming to. I really do try to understand where others are coming from. I struggle to view issues from as many points of view as possible, but I have to admit that I am finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

In about 10 minutes of reading the news this morning (which is always a tremendous mistake for me anymore) I found no less that 4 different articles that made me anywhere from angry to just plain stupefied.

I will leave the political ones out for now, and I won’t discuss the attack on Christmas that I read, I will leave the issue alone, for now, about the conservative group wanting to rewrite the Bible (actually that one irritates me both for what the conservative group is doing and for those on the other side who condemn them, because if anything, as far as I am concerned, it has been my liberal colleagues in academia that historically have been more guilty of selectively interpreting scriptures to fit their own biases. Let’s just say I think both sides are wrong in this one.

This brings me to the article that caused me the most irritation this morning. It was about a 6 year old boy who was so excited about his new camping tool for Cub Scouts (a spoon/knife/fork combination) that he took it to school so that he could use it to eat lunch with. (Quite easy to understand from a 6 year old boy perspective)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?_r=1&bl

Unfortunately, this action was in violation of the zero tolerance for weapons policy at the school and our little 6 year old camper was suspended for 45 days. Good student, no previous problems, no malicious intent on his part, just a little boy excited to use his new camping tool. (This vicious weapon was discovered as he was eating his lunch with it)

I just don’t know what our world is coming to. I completely understand a six year old boy not having a full grasp and intricate knowledge of the school weapons policy and I certainly understand how he didn’t see this faux pas to be a MAJOR rules infraction, punishable by a 45 day suspension. What I don’t understand, however, is how our school systems have gotten so STUPID that they can’t tell the difference between a malicious threat and a six year old boy enjoying his lunch.

If this is the level of ignorance and lack of common sense prevalent on the part of the leadership in our schools today, then it is no wonder why our student test scores are dropping and why we do indeed find so many kids being “left behind.”

We have a joke around our house about people in $1000 suits sitting in expensive offices making decisions simply to make our lives miserable just so they can justify their jobs. This certainly seems to qualify as one such example!

Wakeup America! Before it’s too late!

Blessings!

The Search for the Perfect Pumpkin...

Today is a special day in the Higdon clan. In just a few hours, 3 generations of Higdon’s will take our annual pilgrimage to the Pumpkin Patch at Huber Farms to pick out just the right pumpkins. We will begin the pilgrimage with a stop at the JayC Food store here in Corydon to pick up a picnic lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and whatever else looks especially good from behind the deli counter. We used to actually eat at the restaurant at Huber Farm, but the salary of a pastor and the rest of the family laid off just doesn’t allow for that anymore for the entire crew. After picking up lunch we will head to the Huber Farm and Orchard, which is a sprawling complex in beautiful Starlight Indiana (You have got to love that name).

Some of the activities that the kids especially love to do are jumping on this humongous pillow of air. I’m sure it has a name, but that is the best way that I can describe it. Another thing that the kids love is hiking up the “mountain” and sliding down the giant slide. Last year Andrew wasn’t too sure that he liked that very much but Mary couldn’t get enough of it. I think that my favorite part is feeding the animals. They have llamas, goats, geese, bunnies (Karen’s favorite) horses, deer, and probably a half dozen other animals that I am forgetting.

After exhausting the kids at the petting zoo, we will head out on the big wagon to the pumpkin patch so that the kids can select the perfect pumpkins. This is of course a great time to read to the kids the annual installment of Margery Cuyler’s book, “The Bumpy Little Pumpkin” which is one of Mary and Andrew’s favorite books. The trip to the pumpkin patch is expected to be rather cool today so I would recommend dressing warm:)

After selecting just the right pumpkins, we return to the farmer’s market and try the warm apple cider, sample the endless varieties of fresh homemade breads and cookies and pick up Karen’s favorite strawberry preserves.

By this point I expect Grandpa to be pretty tired and anxious to head for home where there will be a big pot of soup beans simmering in the crock-pot.

Sounds like a good day ahead! Anyone want to come along?

Blessings

Have Respect For Your Elders!

I saw this video on Facebook the other day and thought it was great. So as a part of my effort to lift up traditional family values, here is my first installment, a lesson on why you should have respect for our senior citizens:)

Apparently a woman was video taping her boys while they were skateboarding, heard a noise behind her and well… I will let you figure out the rest on your own.

I will leave it to my cyber detective to determine if this is real or not:)

(Be sure to listen to the laughter of the woman who was videotaping)

Blessings

"To Run Where the Brave Dare Not Go..."

So I guess maybe you noticed that I haven’t posted anything for awhile. To be honest I have actually seriously thought about discontinuing my blog altogether. I have become so frustrated here lately that I have had to ask myself if this is something that I even want to continue doing.

Let me try to explain.

I see our nation going in directions that are almost abhorrent to me. I watch as our Government spends money (borrowed money) that we don’t have, at increasingly exponential rates without any discussion of how we will ever be able to pay the money back. This debt will be saddled on our kids and grandkids but we are told that there is no other option.

I watch as Congress moves ever closer to a health reform bill that I can see as nothing but tragic for our nation and especially for our young people. What happens to a young person who lives on their own, and is barely making ends meet. They will be forced by our government to buy heath coverage which will be at least $200-300 per month. The young person laughs and says, uhhh I don’t have $20-30 extra at the end of the month! “How in the heck do I buy health insurance.” (Of course we are told that there will be subsidies to help, yeah right!!!) So our kinder and gentler Government says oh that’s ok, since you can’t afford the insurance premium, we will go ahead and charge you an additional penalty of say around $1000. So now our young person owes the government a $1000 penalty, they still don’t have insurance and we all sit back in awe at the wonderful "change" that is coming about in our nation.

Now, since our young person can’t pay for insurance and they certainly can’t pay the penalty, the IRS gets involved as the mechanism to collect from this “deadbeat” young person. They garnishee the miniscule wages that our poor young person makes, they call their employer, check with the neighbors (all standard IRS tactics) abscond with their paltry tax refund, pillage their only remaining $17.76 that they had in their checking account (more realistically knowing most young people, the bank account would be overdrawn anyway so the IRS would strike out there) and otherwise make their life miserable.

Well, since the government has now taken their wages, they can’t pay for anything, they lose their apartment, and their 1986 Chevy Corsica gets reposesed because they can’t make the payments, they still owe the government and they still have no insurance, they end up moving back home with Mom and Dad. (Yeah, like you didn’t see that one coming)

But now they have another problem, this has unfortunately turned into a criminal case (YES, THIS IS IN THE HEALTH CARE BILL) they will now be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in prison and fined $25,000.

This is the lunacy of the health care reform supported, encouraged, loved, embraced, and drooled over by so many of my “friends” and colleagues.

I have tried, pleaded and even begged for a civil conversation over these issues. I have written about it ad nauseam and tried to help my “friends” look at these issues though a different lens if only for a moment.

You may ask, what this has to do with writing my blog? Just after my last post, I challenged something one of my friends posted which was bitter and mean spirited. He agreed with me that it was and in writing his response, which I know was his very best attempt to be fair and magnanimous he said that he had always considered the Progressives to be the adult in the debate. So there you go, my progressive friend, doing the best he could to be fair, can’t keep from calling conservatives, children. Even in a message of reconcilliation we can't keep from calling the other side names.

So honestly, I give up! I don’t want to spend all my time arguing, I also don’t want to spend all of my time writing about trivial, personal things, (as much fun as it is to write about Andrew and his drums) I am not smart enough to reflect as theologically as some of my colleagues that I have such great respect for, and whatever I have to say about these issues that are of extreme importance, I am either made to feel that I am somehow being childish or I am belittled for maintaining the set of beliefs and values that I have accumulated over the last half century on this earth. (Which is extremely frustrating when it comes from someone younger than my own children)

So I have a decision to make, do I give up, crawl into the comfortable cocoon of my churches…
(which is exactly what I have been doing)

Or, do I strike out like Don Quixote de la Mancha, tilting at windmills and striking blows in a quest for chivalry and the values that I believe in...

I know, Don Quixote was a little crazy, and I have been accused of that as well. But like Don Quixote, I also have an impossible dream and perhaps it might be just a bit too early for me to give up.

Blessings

Oh My! What Have We Done?

Next week will be a momentous occasion. Our little Grandson Andrew will turn 3 years old. As we were deciding what to get him, there was really only one thing that came to mind that he truly couldn’t live without and that is a drum set of his very own. First of all let me explain that Andrew is not just an everyday boy who likes to beat on pots and pans with wooden spoons. Andrew is already an accomplished musician.

There is nothing that he loves to do more than drum, much to the chagrin of his parents. He drums when he gets up in the morning, at the meal tables and he even drums when he is asleep. He drums with cool whip bowls and cooking spoons or drinking straws on the table at restaurants. Once, when he couldn’t find suitable drum sticks, he took the legs off his sister’s Barbie’s and used those. The remarkable thing about his ability is that he is actually very good, for a 3 year old. He looks like a drummer when he plays, he acts like a drummer, and if he plays along to music (which isn’t necessary to make him happy), he can even keep a steady beat. (Karen was impressed that he seemed to enjoy playing along to Barry Manilow, Copacabana is his favorite:)

Of course as a Christian we certainly don’t believe in reincarnation, but if we did, there is no doubt in my mind that Andrew would have been a famous drummer in a past life:)

So with that in mind, Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa decided that it was time to put away the childish Cool Whip bowls and wooden spoons and give the boy an official drum set. Yes, you heard correctly, Mom and Dad not only supported the decision but recommended it. (I think that we may need to pick up some ear plugs for Mom and Dad) You have to believe me when I tell you that drumming is this boy’s life and no one knows that better than Mom and Dad and they knew that there is nothing on earth that would make him any happier than his own drums.

So, this Sunday at 2:00, if you hear a very loud excited scream, followed by a loud incessant banging sound coming from around Ben and Crystal’s house, don’t worry, it will only be Andrew taking his musical talent to the next level.

May God forgive us for what we have done:)

Blessings

I Think My Brain Is Cluttered...

This morning I have a bunch of random thoughts floating around in my head so, I am afraid that you will just have to bare with the hodge podge that is my brain today:)

First of all, I am continuing along on my “Swim the Ohio” journey, I have now completed 144 out of the 1023 laps for a total of around 4.3 miles. So far so good! One continuing benefit is that I have also now lost 20lbs since graduation from seminary. It is a slow process and it isn’t like I am working that terribly hard at it, so I am pleased so far.

The next thing that I have been thinking about is Bible Study. I am just thrilled with both churches. We have been averaging around 35 in attendance between the two churches and what thrills me the most is the depth of the questions that they are asking me and each other. We have really been covering a lot of theological ground, and I hope that I am asking more questions of them than I am giving answers. (you may have to think about that last statement for a minute) In addition, I have now had a request to add a third Bible study that would meet during the day. Hmmmm, I better jump on that while the iron is hot, it’s not everyday that people are requesting more Bible studies:)

I am also very excited about the choirs in both churches. Oak Grove jumped on the choir thing very quickly and we have averaged about 9-10 people at each rehearsal. Wednesday night I actually got a chill during one moment that we were singing. I mean, they have harmony and everything:) Not that it is a contest, but I would be happy to put them up against any church choir that I have heard since I have been here in Harrison County, and I have heard several area church choirs.

Fountain was a little slower to jump on the choir wagon. The first rehearsal was just our piano player, her husband and me. But, we persisted and the first Sunday was a duet. Last Sunday we had 5 in the choir and last night at rehearsal we had 6 and I was just amazed at the blending of sound and harmony that they were doing after such a short time of practice. Both churches are very blessed with talented people.

Karen and I are also preparing for an exciting month of October. Our son Ben is running in his first 5K race that he has been training for, we are looking forward to going back up to Seymour for Oktoberfest which is an annual event for us, my sister is coming to visit for the first couple weeks, and we are very much looking forward to that, of course my birthday is October 6th and since I have made it a half century, that is worth mentioning:) We are planning a Pet Blessing service sometime in mid October and when we take my sister back home, we will pick up Karen’s mom and she will stay with us at least through the end of October, and oh yeah there is that little thing called Charge Conference that will involve many meetings through October. Sounds like a busy, but great month ahead:)

So do you get the feeling my mind is a bit jumbled this morning? Yeah, me too! Oh well, I am sure that after I spend the night tonight at the Youth campout at Fountain church, I should be back to normal thinking clearly tomorrow! What? You don’t think so? I know, me neither! But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it:)
Blessings!

Lesson Learned: Some people aren’t even remotely interested in my opinion:)

Yes, I know that this may be hard for you to believe, but I found out in no uncertain terms that not everyone values my charming insight, loveable, sarcastic wit and humble, sage wisdom. :) I was pursuing through Facebook the other day when I ran across a rather long but interesting thread submitted by a friend of mine. Somewhere toward the end, there appeared what I thought was a rather rude departure from the thread, where some guy (actually an MTSO Seminary student) that I didn’t know, seemed to be (in my opinion) bullying a woman, who I also don’t know, but have grown to admire as I have read her Facebook responses. (She is actually the Aunt of one of my “friends”)

Her comment to him was that she thought his critique of the issue he was discussing was rather harsh. Well, let’s see, he used the words Nazi, concentration camp, ghetto, and stated that we as Americans are all culpable in the genocide of the Palestinian people, so I think that those words might possibly qualify as harsh.

Of course me being ready to jump in and help this woman out, (and certainly not having a dog in the hunt) I pointed out to him nicely, (at least that’s my story:) that his words were not only harsh but incendiary and that perhaps he could win more friends and influence more people to his cause if he tried to tone down the harsh rhetoric. I think I have mentioned to you before that if you sit down with me and simply tell me your side, I am much more willing to listen than if you try to beat me over the head with your viewpoint.

Believe it or not, he didn’t seem to find any wisdom in my thoughts, as a matter of fact he didn’t find me wise at all:) (maybe a wise… well you know) He accused me of putting words in his mouth, not reading what he wrote, and basically saying that if I find the use of those words incendiary then it was me that had the problem, he was just speaking the truth.

Hmmmmm so what do you do? Well, I first looked and found out that this young man was younger than my kids. I know, go figure that one, young and already knows all the answers, now there is a combination that you don’t see every day:)

So, being the pastorally and mentorly type I am, I thought. “You know something, I bet he doesn’t even realize that he is being rude and totally insensitive,” and quite honestly, if he doesn’t understand that before he enters ministry, the people in his churches, or perhaps the Board of Ordained Ministry will help him to figure that out very quickly, and usually painfully.

Hoping to save him that potential career ending error, I sent him a message and pretty much just shared with him that he could do much better for both his cause (which happens to be the Palestinian people) and for himself if he dropped the incendiary rhetoric, and actually made an attempt to help people to understand the plight of the people that he was concerned about, that making the people angry who could potentially be allies in the struggle is really not a good idea, and in defense of my friend, shared with him that there is a big difference between the theoretical debates of seminary and the give and take of ideas in the real world and that you can catch a lot more flies with honey if you only try.

Well, our young friend took considerable exception to my fatherly advice, told me that I wasn’t worth his effort to respond, questioned my intelligence (which he may be right on that one) called me several things that I had to go look up in the dictionary (He really is an intelligent guy) and told me something psychoanalytical about me trying to act superior to cover my inferiority complex, or something along that lines. I may have to go look that one up as well, you never know, he may have something there:)

So, I thought of a thousand ways to respond and then decided that no response was probably in order.

Ok, here I go with the superiority thing again, or perhaps he would say condescending attitude, but I really do feel sorry for him. I don’t even know him, but his words were really seething with anger, he responded in a manner that I perceived as anger to the woman who was simply stating her understanding of the issue, he responded to me in anger (And I am certainly not saying that I don’t deserve it) but, past experience tells me that there is always a better way.

I really do wish him the best, he is facing a very long and difficult road ahead, the people in his churches are not always going to agree with him, and somewhere in his journey he will have to learn that lashing out in anger isn’t the best option, and I will tell you that speaking from experience it has never worked out well for me.

Hopefully he will learn these lessons along the way, I know he won’t learn them from me, He thinks I am a……… Well, I will let you fill in the blank on that one:)

Blessings!

Maybe I should hit the reset button...

Yesterday was a very challenging day. To begin with, after I left the YMCA, I had that feeling that you get when you feel like you are beginning to come down with something, but you really aren’t sure what it is yet. (Thank goodness I feel much better today)

Then, when I got home, I had a phone call from someone who was experiencing a personal crisis, followed immediately by someone else whose 18 year old daughter suddenly dropped out of college and moved to Ohio with a boy she just met on the internet. (It is times like these that you understand why some of the animals in the animal kingdom eat their young.) Please keep this young girl and her family in your prayers.

Yesterday afternoon was spent at a car dealership with Terri as she is looking to buy a car. My past experience with these places is that you better hold onto your wallet because they will do everything they can to take advantage of you, and yesterday was no exception. So, a couple of hours later and still no car, we left to regroup for another day.

I am also struggling with the apparent inequity in one aspect of the changeover of insurance as we merge from two conferences into the one Indiana Conference. There is an issue which seems very unfair to those who are on the bottom of the United Methodist pay scale and it seems to be something that will potentially continue to affect those families for years to come unless it is addressed.

Then, last night, in the middle of working on about 3 different projects, the internet suddenly went down. Then I realized that our cable TV was out as well. Uh oh, did the bill not get paid? LOL That was my first thought anyway:) But, the bill was fine, there was some sort of outage in the area, that didn’t get restored until sometime in the night.

So, I am hoping for a better day today, perhaps even a quiet day would be nice. Oh and while I am at it, I will share one joy with you. I mentioned that we had 25 at Bible study last week at the Oak Grove church, well Fountain church, not to be out done, had 61 in worship on Sunday, which was by far their best Sunday since I have been there. In addition, we now have 2 baptisms scheduled. So, maybe I shouldn't hit the "reset button" after all :)

Blessings!

I'm on my way...

Today I officially resumed my quest to “Swim the Ohio.” After a 2 week hiatus because of the maintenance work being done on the YMCA pool, this morning I resumed my journey. I can’t believe what a difference two weeks made in my conditioning, or should I say lack of conditioning. Two weeks ago when I walked out of the pool, I actually felt pretty good. This morning, it was more like, when I dragged myself out of the pool, I thought I was going to die:(

As I was doing a little bit of math on this quest, it breaks down this way: To complete 31 miles I will have to swim 1023 Total Laps, 2046 Total Lengths, 51,150 Total Yards.

So far I have completed 81 Laps, 162 lengths, 4050 Yards. So far, so good:)

If all goes well, I will complete my swim sometime around the first week in December!

Blessings!

The Chubb Chubbs are coming...

Ok, on a much brighter note from yesterday, I was at a friend's house this evening and they shared this video with me. I thought it was really funny and I hope that you can take the time to watch it. For my Star Wars/Sci-Fi fans, count and see how many references to your favorite Sci-Fi movies you can find.

This is definitely a departure from some of my more recent posts! Enjoy!

Blessings

PS: Don't miss the end of the film after the credits:)

Parting: Remembering 9/11

Today is indeed an important day to remember. I will never forget, I was just waking up, listening to the morning news on the radio, perhaps beginning to think about motivating and deciding what this new day would bring, when I heard the words over the radio that there had been a small plane crash into the side of the World Trade Center. My only thought at that time was, how stupid could a pilot be, and then I thought that surely if I turned on the "Today Show," they would be covering this event right in their own back yard.

Just moments after tuning into the "Today Show," I watched with horror as the second plane flew right through the frame shot, into the side of the second tower. Once again, in my naivety, my only thought was how could a professional pilot be so stupid to make such a terrible mistake. My mind simply could not grasp the idea that this could ever be intentional.

That was truly one of the worst days and one of the best for humanity. People from all over the world grew together, if only for a brief time, giving us perhaps a glimpse of what we as a world are capable of, while at the same time in all of its horror, showing at its worse what we are indeed capable of. I will never forget going to a community worship service that night in a large church, packed with people who in their darkest hour, indeed turned to God.

For me, what was sad to see was that over the next few years, as we gathered as a community to remember this day, we watched as the numbers of people attending the worship service slowly drifted away until the services were terminated completely after only a few years. How quickly we forget!

The picture at the top is the cover of a song that our HandBell Choir played in remembrance of 9/11. To this day, it is one of the most beautiful, haunting pieces I have ever heard. I only wish that I had a recording that I could play for you. It was composed by Barbara Werner and is simply titled “Parting.” On the cover is the haunting picture of the two beams of light emanating from Ground Zero.

The words on the front read:

“In memory of my father, Kermit Anderson, who was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

His office was in the impact zone on the 97th floor, North side of North Tower, One World Trade Center.

2400 miles west we slept, not realizing a parting was upon us…”

Today we remember Kermit Anderson and all who lost their lives on that tragic day and in the subsequent wars which were the result of the events of that day.

Today as we mourn our loss and remember, let us also remember to praise God for the strength we have received and the healing that has taken place since that time.

God Bless the victims and their families, God bless our nations leaders as they continue to deal with the fallout of this event, God bless our young men and women who serve in our military and God bless our nation.

Amen

Mama said there'll be days like this...

For some reason I just haven’t had much to talk about recently. Or, perhaps it is just the fact that this has been a difficult, long, emotional week. Saturday night at 11:10 the call came that my parishioner that I had been to see so many times down at Jewish Hospital had passed away. Breaking the news to the congregation was especially hard on Sunday morning. The visitation was held on Monday and it began at Noon and ended at 9:00PM (which is a very long visitation from my experience, but it is apparently very common in this area)

Tuesday was the funeral and I have to admit that I was very nervous on multiple levels. Terry was a beloved member of the church and this was to be my first funeral in my new appointment and I really wanted to do a good job. It seemed to go well, so I give God all the credit:)

This morning I was up by 5:00 AM for a trip to Jeffersonville (which is near Louisville) to be with a family for a surgery, and then back home to prepare for Bible Study and Choir practice tonight.

I do want to share a special blessing with you. We had 25 people at Bible Study tonight. I have never in all my put togethers had that many people for a Bible Study. Last week we had 22 and I thought that was way above even my greatest expectation. I know that the members of the church seem thrilled to see that many people coming for a Bible study, and I am simply humbled by it.

These past few days have been fun, challenging, difficult, humbling, tiring, emotional and rewarding. I think that I would be happy to settle for a day or two of relaxing:) Naaaaa probably not going to happen!

Blessings!

Lucky thing that I only have to work one day a week:)

I don’t think I have been doing such a great job lately in keeping up with my blog posts. Of course, some of that could have to do with little details like not getting home until after 1:30 this morning because of a parishioner fighting for his life at Jewish Hospital. So far he is still hanging in there, but now it is in his hands and God’s, so we continue to pray.

I will also mention that we started two Bible studies this week, one at Oak Grove and one at Fountain. We also began choir practice at each church. Oh and there was that pesky things called Charge Conference that I finally downloaded the forms for and began to look at what needs to be done for that.

We also had the hymn sing on Tuesday and the meeting with the pastors in my cluster and the other hospital visits and the preparations for Sunday and the… well you get the picture.

I am really beginning to wonder how I ever found any time for seminary at all. Good thing that pastors only have to work one day a week, and then only for a couple hours:)

Blessings

God Lives at the Post Office

Ok, I know that I am a real sap for a dog story, and I usually resist the temptation to subject you to my dog obsession, but this one was just too good not to pass on, especially with the thought of Mimi so fresh in our hearts.

Enjoy:)

This is one of the kindest things, there's no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog , Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

_________________________________

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith " in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called "When a Pet Dies". Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

_____________________________________

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.. Abbey loved being your dog.. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God

Paddle-To-The-Sea

I think by now you know how much I enjoy being out on the water, especially when I get a chance to go kayaking. I think I discovered one of the sources of that love a few days ago. Do you remember, or did you ever read the book or see the movie called "Paddle-To-The-Sea?” I have no doubt that the movie and the book had a tremendous impact on me as a young person. I was probably 9 or 10 when I first saw the movie in school. I even remember participating in a mini version of the book one day when I put a stick down in the rain gutter of the street outside my house and followed it all the way to school. (I was almost late, don’t tell Mom:)

If you aren’t familiar with the story, it is about a young boy living in the heart of Canada that knows that he will never be able to visit the sea. So, he carves a boat and puts it on a snow covered mountain top and waits for the Spring thaw. The story describes the odyssey of “Paddle-to-the-Sea” as he makes his way through Lake Superior and ultimately to the Atlantic Ocean. It was a great story and one that has stayed with me for many years.

The link below will take you to a web site where you can read the original book online, and see the beautiful artwork or you can watch the movie that I saw as a young boy, it is about 30 minutes long and well worth the time spent. Take a little time today to experience “Paddle-To-The-Sea,” I know you won’t regret it:)

http://www.nighttrainfilms.net/NTFWEB/NTFPages/PaddleToTheSea/index.htm


Blessings

Guess what I signed up for...

Guess what I signed up for… Nope that’s not it, guess again…No, I already did that… No, that’s not it either, besides, you know I would never do that! Ok, Give up? I signed up to swim the Ohio River. You don’t believe me? Oh, you do believe me, but can’t believe I would be that dumb. Oh, you believe I could be that dumb, but you figured Karen would be able to talk me out of something like that… Well be that as it may, that is what I signed up for.

So now that I have your attention, let me explain. As you know, I have been enjoying my time swimming at the YMCA. I have been swimming my ¾ of a mile pretty religiously, feeling better when I am done and watching my total time decrease fairly significantly. Well, last week we received the updated YMCA schedule for the fall and one of the opportunities listed was “Swim the Ohio.”

It describes the activity this way: “The Ohio River separates the state of Indiana from Kentucky and creates the southern border of Harrison County. If you could swim upstream from New Amsterdam to New Boston, you would cover 31 miles. Here is your opportunity to say that you swam the Ohio. Pick up a log sheet from the front desk and keep track of the distance you swim.”

“1650 yards=33laps/66 lengths = 1 mile”
(I know there are more yards in a mile than that, but apparently that is considered a swimmers mile, don’t ask me, I always base my laps on a mile being 1760 yards, but for this, I will take the lesser amount:)

“When you reach 31 miles you will receive a t-shirt and a certificate honoring your accomplishment!”

So the way I have it figured, I will have to swim 51,150 yards or 1023 laps or 2046 lengths.

I am currently swimming about 4050 yards per week so if all goes well, taking into account the fact that the pool will be closed for the next 2 weeks for maintenance, I will finish “swimming the Ohio” sometime around the middle of December, (good thing I will be inside, the Ohio could be very cold in December:)

I can already picture myself in my new t-shirt!

Blessings

Uh Oh! I think I just fell off the wagon...

First of all, I think that you would all be very proud of me. It has been almost two weeks on Facebook with some of the most outrageous statements and posts made to date and I haven’t responded to a single one, except in the way that I promised, being kind, uplifting and helpful:)

With that being said, I have to admit that I have been putting some thought into my gut reactions. I have been trying to understand why I feel so strongly, or even care about what others say especially on these inflammatory issues of politics/war/torture/health care…

I think that I have come to the conclusion that I see the world through a much different lens than many of my colleagues, especially the younger ones. I actually feel like I see the world through the lens of a pastor as well as that of someone who has spent the majority of his life not necessarily pursuing a religious calling. Let me explain the tension that I see the world though that my young colleagues don’t.

Let’s look at the issue of war. As a pastor, I detest killing of any kind, I place a high value on all life and am deeply troubled by violence of any kind. I stand by the principle of love your enemies. But, as a practical person, one who has a deep love of history, I also understand that if we followed the ideas and recommendations of my radically progressive colleagues, the world would be a very different place.

Just last century, Germany would have swept across Europe totally unchecked while those who oppose war would want to sit down diplomatically with the Nazi’s and appease them. OH WAIT! That is exactly what happened. Thank goodness for people like Winston Churchill who was willing to stand up and resist the German onslaught.

Once again, while Europe was falling, we sat by, guided by this idea that talk and negotiations with tyrants was the best course of action. We were still negotiating with Japan right up to the moment that the first bombs fell at Pearl Harbor. As a pastor I call for negotiations, I call for peace, but as someone who understands history, I am thankful to those who are willing to walk a post and stand on that wall to keep me safe, while I have the privilege of sitting around and debating about the way in which these types of decisions are made. (sounds a little like “A Few Good Men” doesn’t it:)

I guess what I am trying to say is that there must be a balance and what offends me the most would be those who are unwilling to look outside of their own world view and understand that the issues that we are facing are extremely complex and not simply black and white. Instead, they are filled with a multitude of gray.

So, to my colleagues who believe (and continually post) that they have all the answers and that America is bad, and we are the great evil in the world and that Bush was bad and everything he did was wrong, and that we torture people and that we should have investigations and prosecute everyone from the guy at the CIA who scrubs the floors to Vice President Chaney and President Bush, and that the government is good and only looking out for our best interest and that we should entrust them with 1/6th of our economy because only the government can “solve” these massive problems. I simply ask you to look back one year ago.

Did you trust the government then? Would you want Bush making these types of life and death decisions? Would you trust Bush with making the decisions that are best for you, your family or this country? If your answer is no, to any of these, then perhaps you might pause and look at the world from a different point of view, if only for a moment.

Because, the political pendulum will swing back, there won’t always be someone in the White House that you love and ultimately we need a nation that is strong, we need an intelligence system that works, filled with people who are motivated to do a good job, and we need a government that is by the people and for the people and not one that is a powerful Big Brother ultimately making these life and death decisions for you. Take a little time, study the issues from all points of view, and about the time you think you have it figured out, realize that there is the possibility that after all that, you could be wrong. Approach your conversations in that tone and you will go far. Beat me over the head with how stupid I am, for not believing like you do and I will….. simply turn the other cheek:) That’s my story and I am sticking to it!

Blessings

Maybe There is a Reason I Stopped Flying Radio Control Airplanes:(

You know, sometimes things just don’t work out the way that you plan them. I have been spending a little time here lately trying to get my old RC airplane stuff back up into operation. The first challenge that I encountered was when I realized that perhaps my radios were too old. In 1991 there was a law passed that all transmitters and receivers must be “Narrow Band” Do you suppose that my radios are too old? I know that some of them were bought before 1991. Oh noooo Are they no good anymore? Problem solved! After a bit of research I found that all of my transmitters and receivers are all “narrow band,” One crises averted.

Then I began to go through and check and attempt to charge my old battery packs hoping beyond hope that at least a few of them could be salvageable (perhaps the newest ones) Well, I couldn’t be that lucky, so when I started to look for new battery packs I realized that while I was away from RC flying, the industry had moved from NICAD batteries to NIMH batteries. What’s the difference you might ask? I have no idea, except that NIMH are not compatible with any of my chargers. Well, once again with a little bit of research I found NICAD battery packs for my receivers that I can order online, but I am still not getting any information on the transmitter packs. (Oh the humanity) So I have emailed the manufacturer of the radios and I hope that they will be able to tell me something. Perhaps they can go out to their museum and get the information for me.

So I am not much, if any, closer to getting an airplane in the air than I was a week or so ago. I also heard back from the first RC club that I contacted about possibly joining them and was told in no uncertain terms that they were by invitation only and I hadn’t been invited. LOL I am batting a thousand here:)

Well, so far I still can’t find my primary radio case that has my best radios in it; it is hopelessly lost in the garage somewhere. I don’t have any functioning batteries, I can’t find anywhere to get batteries for my transmitters and I can’t find a club that wants me to fly with them. Other than those small details I could go flying tomorrow:)

Blessings

Been a Long Day!

After a long day, it is nice to sit down at my computer, Odie sound asleep at me feet and all is well with the world. Today was a very challenging, rewarding, difficult, blessed day. I began the morning very early, heading up to Jacob’s Chapel UMC to meet with their pastor and then begin our trek northward to Indianapolis. Our first stop was the Cracker Barrel in Sellersburg where we met the 3rd member of our party and then immediately headed northward to the Cracker Barrel in Seymour to pick up the last of the Southern contingent of our Covenant Group. Along the way, we were yelled at by a State Cop and run off the road by a semi:) Our final destination was BD Mongolians in Indianapolis where we met with the Northern contingent of our Covenant Group.

The meal was excellent. I will have to take Karen there sometime. (Actually, there is one in Louisville) I am not sure if she will like it, but I loved it. After a couple of hours in meetings, we finished our work and headed back home, dropping everyone off at their appointed Cracker Barrel. As soon as we got back to Jacob’s Chapel, I went across the Bridge to Louisville to visit a parishioner who is in Intensive Care at Jewish Hospital (not at all my favorite hospital). This is where my day began to fall apart. First of all there was an accident on the bridge. It seemed to take forever getting across. Then I hit downtown Louisville right at about 4:00 PM. That was a big mistake. After my visit was over, I sat in the parking garage for about 45 minutes trying to get out. Not very good for a car that tends to overheat when it isn’t moving.

I finally fought my way through the traffic and arrived back in Corydon just in time to pick up poor Mimi’s ashes, make a stop at the nursing home and then finally back home to return a half dozen phone calls.

A couple more things to do here on the computer and I am going to relax with a piece of Karen’s B-Day cake and call it a night:)

(Tomorrow is Karen's Birthday:)

Blessings

I Think I am Going Back to Seminary!

I have been feeling a little out of the loop and a little out of sorts here lately as I have been reading the emails that my seminary has been sending out discussing the beginning of a new school year. I have also read many Facebook posts and read the thoughts of my colleagues as they prepare for another year of seminary education. What is missing this year? Me:(

The interesting thing (sad thing) is that I am not sure exactly how I feel about that. I know that I won’t miss those eight hour round trips in the car, or will I? I spent a great deal of quality time simply deep in thought and prayer during those trips. Perhaps on second thought I will miss those trips. (I, of course, am not speaking for my car, It never did enjoy the trips)

I certainly won’t miss all of those hours sitting in class! Or maybe I will. I learned so much simply being in that environment of great thought and ideas. I guess that those hours were so formative that maybe I will miss them after all.

I know for a fact that I will miss the people. This will be the most difficult part of all in not returning to seminary this fall. Ok, now I am getting depressed, maybe I should call over to MTSO and re-enroll in fall classes…Somebody talk me down here!!!!

Wait a minute, I know! I won’t miss the thousands and thousands of dollars that I have had to pay…Ok now I am felling better, and I won’t miss the hours spent writing what other people wanted me to write, and come to think of it, now I have time to read the books that I want to read, and I may actually have a little time for things like kayaking and fishing, oh and that rekindled RC airplane thing.

Whew, I was worried for a moment, I almost had to scrap this ministry thing and re-enroll in seminary. I thought I might have to start all over again just because I was going to miss it so much.

Good thing I talked myself out of it. Besides, Karen would have killed me and then divorced me, or maybe divorced me first and then killed me, either way, it’s a good thing I saw the light before it was too late:)

Blessings

Happy Anniversary!!!

I let a rather important anniversary slid past the other day without really any mention at all. August 12th was the one year anniversary of the beginning of my blog. Over the period of one year I have posted 266 blogs, which compared to 365 days in a year, that isn’t too bad of a percentage. I have had 5061 visits which compared to some of my juggernaut blogging friends that isn’t many, but it is far above what I would have ever dreamed of.

Over that time I hope that you have laughed along with me, cried with me, been angry with me (and at me:) and hopefully, just shared the simple joys and mundane things of life together.

I have been thankful to have you come along with me on this journey. It has been a difficult, wonderful, challenging, aggravating, and inspirational year for me. I have learned more than I could ever have imagined, been challenged more than I thought was possible and accomplished things that I wouldn’t have dared hope were possible. And, you have been with me every step of the way, through the good the bad and yes even through the ugly.

When I began this blog, I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to deal with the stress and pressure that was building in my last year of seminary. I had just completed a challenging interview by the District Board of Ordained ministry and they made it quite clear that the road to Commissioning would be extremely difficult. I was facing my last year of seminary, a trip to El Salvador that I wasn’t sure how I would be able to pay for, and oh yes that little thing about the March interviews with the Board of Ordained Ministry that would have at stake my entire future in ministry. It was with those obstacles and challenges facing me that a friend reminded me how much better it would feel to write these things down and how much better perspective I could get simply by putting my thoughts and concerns down on paper.

So with that thought in mind, I began my blog, not having any idea if I would write for a week, a month, a year or who knows how long, and certainly not imagining that anyone would be interested in reading my inner most thoughts. (kind of scary sometimes aren’t they:) A year later I can now look back and reflect on those obstacles, some of them were simply mole hills and others truly were mountains. But, through it all, you have been right there with me and for that I am very grateful.

So where do we go from here? Do I keep writing? Do I say to my blog, mission accomplished and put it away until needed again? I think for now I will be a little like Forest Gump when asked why he was running, to which he replied, “I just felt like running” For now, I just feel like writing and as long as it continues to feel like the thing to do, I will keep doing it, and if along the way my writing helps me to make a new friend, become a little closer to an old friend or just help others to realize that they aren’t alone, then I will be very pleased with the result:)

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Blessings

BENJAMIN JAMES HIGDON! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!

I just thought I would make a public pronouncement that I am really angry with my son Ben… (Right now, if Crystal, his wife, is reading this, she is saying Uh ohh Ben, your dad is talking about you again, and if Ben is reading this, little beads of sweat are forming on his forehead:) But he did something the other day that I am not sure I will be able to easily forgive.

Has everyone clicked on Ben’s Blog link? If you haven’t, go ahead and do it now. It is titled “Amazing RC Plane Flight.” If he has already posted something new, go ahead and click on it anyway and watch the RC airplane video that he posted. At this point you may be asking what problem I could possibly have with that? (Ben probably already has it figured out) The problem is that it has rekindled a spark and a passion (addiction) that I haven’t had for probably eight years and that is my love for flying RC airplanes. I have already started talking with Karen about where I might set up a workshop here in the parsonage.

This afternoon we took a road trip to Louisville to scope out a couple of Hobby Shops, a pilgrimage that I haven’t made for years. Unfortunately, one of those shops was closed with a bunch of notes hanging on the door, none of which were very nice, with one of them being from the Sheriff. (I doubt that I will be visiting that store in the future:(

I have also done a little research and found the closest Radio Controlled Flying Field, I have been to the Academy of Model Aeronautics web site and got the up to date information on their insurance program. Did you know that the world headquarters for the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is right here in Muncie, Indiana? On the down side, I have discovered that my all time favorite magazine "RC Modeler" has gone by the way of the dinosaur and I have also discovered that there seems to be a big push for electric flight instead of the nitro methane powered planes that we usually fly. Not me! I love the smell of caster oil and nitro fuel in the morning:)

So Ben you have rekindled my addiction, it is just a matter of time before the Big Brown airplane truck starts making regular stops at my house. Don’t you remember the pain in your mothers eyes when you would ask, “Mommy where did Daddy go?” and she had to tell you the terrible news that a new airplane kit was delivered today and that you wouldn’t see your Daddy for months at a time until the new plane was ready for it’s maiden flight. Ben where is your humanity? How could you do this terrible thing to your mother?

Now for those of you who may be concerned about Karen. Perhaps you should know her true feelings about my time spent away at the flying field. It was customary, as the men would all gather on Sunday afternoon at our RC Flying field, to discuss the important issues of the day and to have a time of male bonding. For instance, one guy would boast that his wife told him that he had to be back home no later than 2:00 PM and he would look at his watch, and point to the fact that it was already almost 3:00 PM and he was still there.

Then the next guy would say, “Well I can top that, my wife told me that I couldn’t go flying at all today, and you can see where I am.” Then they would turn to me and expect me to top their story and all I could do was look down, kick the ground and say, Karen just looked at me and said “Don’t you think that you should get out of the house and go flying?” So perhaps being plunged back into this addiction is a good thing. Maybe I should be thanking Ben instead of being angry with him. But as I figure it, maybe it is Karen that will be the happiest. I think she appreciates getting me out of the house any chance she gets:)

Blessings

Encouraged or Frustrated?

I have got to admit that I have been feeling a little encouraged and frustrated here lately. Now you might ask, how does one feel both encouraged and frustrated at the same time? Well that is the problem that I am having. This morning while swimming laps at the pool, I was reflecting on where I started from shortly after July 1st and where I am at now in my exercise program. I remember the first time in the pool, after I had already exercised for about 30 minutes, I swam 1 lap and had no doubt that I had gone as far as I could possible go.

Over the past 6 weeks or so, I have seen some remarkable changes. I am now swimming ¾ of a mile each time I swim and I have reduced my time by a little over 10 minutes. It now takes me about 54 minutes to swim ¾ of a mile.

Another thing that I have found encouraging is that Terry Laughlin in his book Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster and Easier, (If it were only possible LOL) says that only 2% of all Americans can swim a quarter mile without stopping. Well, I don’t know for sure if his numbers are true, but I am pretty sure that I have never been in the top 2% of all Americans in anything before and especially never in any form of athletic endeavor. So whether his numbers are true or not I will just savor the thought that possibly I can now do something that only 2% of the people can do.

So wouldn’t you think I should be very encouraged by all of this?

The frustrating part is that I haven’t seen the good results from the YMCA translating into my everyday life. I still seem to get out of breath way too easy walking up stairs and such. I really haven’t lost much weight. I started out beginning in the middle of June and lost 14lbs pretty quickly, and over the past several weeks I might have lost another couple of pounds. Of course it didn’t help my cause moving here to the sweet tea capital of the world:( I have never been anywhere in my life where sweet tea was so popular, so readily available and sooooo good. It is like getting a direct IV of sugar right into your blood stream:) Even one of my new found friends “Bentley” who is the adopted son (BIG, BIG DOG) of two of my parishioners, drinks (slurps) a glass of sweet tea everyday from Lee’s Chicken. (They do have great iced tea, we went there on Bentley's recommendation)

Another frustration is that I have a nagging mid back pain that I know has been caused by swimming and my shoulders and upper back seems to stay in a constant state of muscle soreness. I realize that there is something to be said for no pain no gain, but I really am a wimp:) I do have a day and sometimes more in between workouts, but the discomfort seems to persist no matter what I do, so I just keep swimming.

So I am feeling a bit encouraged and frustrated. This doesn’t mean that I am "encrusted" does it? I hope not:)

Blessings

I Think That I Owe You An Apology!

As I sit here this evening pondering the past few days, I want to apologize for my last couple of posts. I have begun to realize that this health care debate has opened up some very deep wounds that I thought were basically buried or at least forgotten. I realize now that this just isn’t so. I know that I have shared with you that seminary was a wonderful and meaningful experience where I was challenged, and blessed with viewing the world from a multitude of perspectives. It was also a very painful time where I was often forced into positions of wanting to rebel with every fiber of my being but being unable to even speak out because of the risk of alienating myself from fellow classmates and more importantly from those in power who held certain things like grades over my head.

I still remember one sermon in homiletics class where I gave what I would consider a main stream sermon, but was ultimately chastised by both my classmates and professor for a conservative theology that they didn’t agree with. The result? I received a “B” on that sermon. It was funny that the next time, I gave a sermon that I knew was “acceptable” theologically and of course that was an “A.” I’m not stupid, I learned pretty quick what to say and what not to.

Why do I tell you this? Because I know that my rebelling against this health care debate and the anger in my words is centered 100% in the anger that I felt being marginalized and unable to speak out over the past four years.

So what do I do? I’m not sure. I guess I am most troubled by some of my “friends” on Facebook. Until today, I don’t think that I have ever said anything political or in anger on Facebook (I know, you will say that I save it all for you:) But some of my “friends” post articles and comments on almost a daily basis that to me (as a conservative) are totally unfair, derogatory, sometimes nasty, and frequently untrue.

The problem is that I don’t even think that they realize it. I would love to ask them what they would think if I decided to start posting thoughts or articles from Rush Limbaugh or Conservative Christian voices. I am sure that they would find these as annoying and irritating as I find theirs. The difference is, that I would never do that. I try as hard as possible to be positive, lifting up good things, sharing life and ministry, but admittedly my posts on Facebook have been fewer and farther between because I almost dread going on there because I know what I am going to see.

So here I am, I don’t want to go off Facebook completely because I have a lot of family and people that I really care about on there. Some of you are reading this right now, and chances are if you are reading this you are not one of those people that I am talking about:) (They don’t even know I have a blog, or care for that matter)

So what do I do? Go off Facebook all together? De-friend people? (I don’t want to do that) Just keep my mouth shut and head down? (I am pretty good at that most of the time) Continue to be angry? (I really hate feeling like this) Let these friends know that they have a much larger audience than just fellow liberals and that they could be a little more sensitive to other peoples thoughts and feelings? (would they even care?)

I think that I will just stay away from Facebook for a few days, chill out, and remember why God put me here to begin with, and I assure you that it wasn’t to argue over health care.

Blessings

I Love It When Politicians Tell The Truth!

Ok, I absolutely wasn’t going to do this, but I just read an article that I think everyone should read. It is titled “How to Fight Health Care Fearmongers and Demagogues”by Robert Reich. In case you don’t remember, Robert Reich is a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and is a former U.S. Secretary of Labor.

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/512/obama-health-care.html

The reason I want you to read this is because of the absolutely remarkable and stunning admissions that appear in this article. As far as I am concerned, it proves every point (well almost every point, it doesn’t address the “death squad” thing:) that those on my side of the health care debate have been so vocal in complaining about. Let me address some of those issues that he brings up.

My friend, Keith, from New Orleans, just emailed to say he attended a local "town meeting" on health care and tried to get a word in favor but was almost hounded out of the room.

Why are these meetings brimming with so much anger? Because Republican Astroturfers have joined the same old right-wing broadcast demagogues that have been spewing hate and fear for years, to create a tempest.

But why are they getting away with it? Why aren't progressives—indeed, why aren't ordinary citizens—taking the meetings back?

Mainly because there's still no healthcare plan. All we have are some initial markups from several congressional committees, which differ from one another in significant ways. The White House's is waiting to see what emerges from the House and Senate before insisting on what it wants, maybe in conference committee.

But that's the problem: It's always easier to stir up fear and anger against something that's amorphous than to stir up enthusiasm for it.

“Mainly because there's still no healthcare plan” Well there you go, Duh! I am so glad that someone has the guts to say it! This is a significant part of the opposition's anger and concern. There is no plan! That is what he said. This is not the Republicans saying this, this is a diehard Democrat. Oh, there are plenty of ideas, but nothing solid and a great deal of rhetoric, but no plan! What the opposition (namely me) is concerned about is that just like the Stimulus Bill. Something, who knows what, will be rammed through the congress in the middle of the night and not even the legislators will really know what is in there until it is too late. This is way to important of an issue, affects too many lives, and costs way too much to be done in such haste. Thank-you Secretary Reich for your honesty!

But that’s not all…

“Admit that taxes will have to be raised and that cost-savings won't be sufficient to achieve nearly universal care. But be absolutely clear that taxes will be raised only be raised on the very top. He needs to decide whether he favors a surcharge on the top 2 percent, or a cap on tax-free employee benefits (which would affect only the very top), or some combination, and then announce which he prefers and why.”

Oh, so it’s ok, thank-goodness, they are only going to raise taxes on the top 2% whoo hooo that doesn’t include me so that makes it Ok. Uhhhhhh NO! It is not ok. We pay enough taxes. We should be looking for ways to reduce the burden not increase taxes. Oh and by the way, something else he said was important, cost-savings won't be sufficient to achieve nearly universal care, if you think that it will only be the top 2% who will pay more, then as my mother would say, You have another think a-coming!

Say unequivocally that the public option is essential for controlling costs and getting private insurers to offer people better deals, not at all a step toward a government takeover of health care.

Yeah Right! You have got to be kidding me, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday! Read on!

Being the one public plan, it will have large economies of scale that will enable it to negotiate more favorable terms with pharmaceutical companies and other providers. (Here, he must clear up any confusion about any deal made with Big Pharma.) But this won't lead to a government takeover of health care. The whole point of cost containment is to provide the public with health care on more favorable terms. If the public plan negotiates better terms—thereby demonstrating that drug companies and other providers can meet them—private plans can seek similar deals

“Being the one public plan, it will have large economies of scale that will enable it to negotiate more favorable terms with pharmaceutical companies and other providers.” I don’t want to be rude to my liberal friends, but this is exactly what my side is saying will happen. The government will by its very size be able to negotiate deals that private insurers couldn’t possibly receive. And going out of business is exactly what will happen to these businesses. (Which in case you haven’t figured it out already, that is exactly what Nancy Pelosi and President Obama want to have happen.)

Sorry, Not done yet…

It will have low administrative costs—Medicare's administrative costs per enrollee are a small fraction of typical private insurance costs—but that's no problem, it's a strength. One goal of health-care reform is to lower administrative costs. Competition with a public option is the only way to push private plans to trim their bureaucracies and become more efficient.


“It will have low administrative costs… a small fraction of typical private insurance costs.” Once again, this will not push private plans to become more efficient as Reich implies, it will drive them out of business. This isn’t rocket science people! This plan will ultimatly force all Americans into a one sized fits all government plan with a total government takeover of health care!

While it's true that the public won't have to show profits, plenty of private plans are already not-for-profit. And if nonprofit plans can offer high-quality health care more cheaply than for-profit plans, why should for-profit plans be coddled? The public plan would merely force profit-making private plans to take whatever steps were necessary to become more competitive. Once again, a plus.

Uhhhh Duh, Once again it shows how unfair, and if you ask me, un-American, this “Public Option Plan” is. First, the for profit insurance companies go out of business, then the "not for profit" ones follow suit, and then there is only ONE, the government plan! Trust me; these people know exactly what they are doing. And as much as they would like for us to simply follow along like “Lemmings,” to use their terms, I am personally grateful for those who have been willing to speak up and say. Not on my watch!

Now's the time for specifics. It's impossible to fight fearmongering lies with nothing but positive principles.

Well, I certainly agree that now is the time for specifics, perhaps it was time for those before they made every effort to pass this bill in the dark of the night to begin with! And, he is absolutely right, it is impossible to fight fearmongering with lies. He does a pretty good job making the case against this bill with his facts!

One final point and then I promise I will shut up and let this go. What was one of the biggest Democratic complaints about George Bush? That he went into war preemptively without even a plan for how to get out! Hmmmmm Does anyone see a comparison here? The American people are being expected to support a bill that really doesn’t exist, and simply trust that all the little details “like death squads” (LOL Sorry I had to put that in there just to cause a little more irritation than I already have:) will all work out in the end.

Put me down as a solid NO! on this one. Now, let’s put this government take over of insurance aside, and talk about the 15-20 things we could vote on tomorrow that we can all agree upon and make some real changes in insurance and in the lives of everyday Americans!.

Blessings