A Word in a Verse

   A word in verse 2 of Psalm 101 this morning:

 

   The verse:

  "I will be careful to live a blameless life—
    when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity
    in my own home."

   The dictionary defines integrity thusly:

   "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty."

   I can remember a description of a man like this:

   "His word is his bond"

   "He can be trusted"

   It is hard enough to keep up the appearance of honesty and character in the world, but how about in your own house? Home is the place where you can "let your hair down" and be yourself. Is that where you are really you?

   I am often flippant in my word usage:

   Yes, I will do that…

   Sometimes I am not honest:

   Yes, I've already taken care of that…

   Living a life of integrity, even at home where I am so very well known, is not always convenient, but it is the path to a life that is not filled with regret.

   And that is the path that I want to be on, every day, even at home.

   No..

   Especially at home!

 

 

Do I Get Three Strikes on This?

   Last Night was spectacular.

   I actually remembered that last night was the lunar eclipse with a full moon and a high tide.

   What an opportunity to go to the beach, watch the moon rise and then view the eclipse.

 

   And it was spectacular, somewhere.

   I took my camera over to East Beach, the settings put in that should show the best shot of the moon in all its glory. I had my tripod ready to go, and the view across the ocean to the east was unobstructed.

   The tide was very high, rolling in to within a few feet of my feet, as we sat and waited for the moon to rise up out of that rolling sea.

   And waited…

   And waited…

   Others had the same idea. Parking at our preferred spot was limited and the cars were packed in.

   And we waited, and waited some more.

   Surely the clouds would move away, and give me a shot.

   Then the people began to give up and drive away. We finally did also.

   I read that this event will happen again in 18 years. I'll only be 97

   Hot Dog!

   Oh, somewhere in this favored land the moon is shining bright;

the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

but...

She Ain't Heavy..No Way

   Way back in my memory there was this quotation:

  "He ain't heavy, Father, he's my brother"

   I thought it might have come from a publication or an appeal from Father Flanigan's Boy's Town in Nebraska, and there is a sculpture on their grounds that depicts this.

   But it s not to highlight this that I sat down to write. It is more personal than a sculpture.

   We all know there are seasons to life. We can look forward to them (as we imagine they will be), or we can dread.

   Our lives change, the people around us change, and, yes, we change too.

   If we are married, and if that marriage is good and lasting, we may be called on to change into the care-giving role.

   So after 57 years of marriage, this is my new normal.

   Cooking, shopping, dressing, opening jars and bottles, keeping calendars and other small things that I never worried about before.

   Does my wife like me in this role?

   Ha!

   She would much rather the situation be reversed. She would like to take care of me and is frustrated because she can no longer do as she used to.

   Do I need an extra portion of wisdom, patience and grace?

   Yes, for sure, and I pray for it each day.

   Do I bemoan my fate and look for a way out?

   No, she ain't heavy, she is the love of my life.

 

 

He Knows My Name

   On impulse this morning, as I walked, I turned into the Fitness Center. Usually, at this early hour, it is either empty of exercisers, or a workout place of the very few.

   I stop because I want to say "good morning" to the person in charge. I see his car in the parking lot, I know his name, and he is a nice guy.

   It is also a time to do a light workout with some weights before moving on toward the condo.

   This morning I greeted Mr. Don, went back to do some minor work and spend 15 minutes or so in building up my strength.

   Another man came in as I was finishing up. From where I was sitting I could hear him as he greeted the attendant by name and asked about his eyes. This man, whom I did not know or had seen before, came on into the main room and spoke to me also with a simple "Good Morning". He then proceeded to get on the treadmill, set the controls for his workout, and start his morning run.

   As I got ready to head on home, I spoke to Mr. Don again, and he asked the question. "Do you know who that man is?"

   I did not and told him so.

   "That is the man who is over all of this resort. His name is Ian, and he knows my name. He even knows about my eye problem and asks about it each time he comes in here."

   I thought about what he had said as I walked on back to the condo.

   "He knows my name"

   The Psalm reading for this morning was from Psalm 93:

"The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
    Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength."

   God is King over everything. He is The King, and he is my King.

   and

   He knows my name.

   Amazing...

 

Waiting For What?

   The other day my wife had a noon meeting at church, and so I, being the designated driver for all occasions like this, took my camera with me, so I could use the hour or so to practice a little.

   There is a spot behind the church, in a small subdivision, where a small viewing platform stands on a vacant lot beside the marsh. Originally the stand was built so that prospective buyers of the lots in that section could see what the view was like from their back deck.

   It is a good spot, with a level platform, to set up a tripod and pick out objects in that marsh to shoot. Using a telephoto lens, a tripod is necessary because of the weight of the lens makes it hard to hold steady in my hand.

   Regardless, I was up there on that platform, but not seeing any wildlife out in the grasses and ponds that stretch between St. Simons and Sea Island, I thought it might be a lost day.

   Then I noticed a white spot over to the right side, partially obscured by the trees on the lot next door. Moving to the very extreme left on the stand, and crowding next to the railing, I could see that it was an egret standing there perhaps 150 or so yards out. He did not seem to be scavenging, just waiting.

   Next I took my tripod down to the ground near the marsh to see if I could get a better angle. He was still there.

   An egret "outstanding in his marsh", but what was he doing?

   The first shot shows him looking right and the next one, looking left. What was he looking for?

   Then he rose out of the marsh grass and headed south.

   As he flew, another egret came into view, and they, together, headed on to…

   Now I saw what, or who, he was waiting for, and I could almost see that smile on his face as they flew..

   Together

I Watched and now I Wonder..

   At the end of my outside walk this morning, I wandered into the Fitness Center to do a couple of light weight exercises. The television sets were on, and the voice coming out was asking a guest which of the Republican presidential candidates did the best in the debate last evening.

   Now I had stayed up until the end of that debate and watched as 14 men and 1 woman had sparred back and forth in response to questions from the moderator and comments from others on the platform.

   I did not stay up to watch, but I imagine that the news channels were full of pundits talking about who won and who lost during that 3 plus hours of talking.

   As I came back home, I opened up my computer to get my daily Bible reading,  the page that opened was my Fb page, and the first posts were about that same debate.

   Most everyone who watched and who will comment on its outcome will have an opinion as to who the winners and losers were.

   I have my political favorites and opinions, and I also will be anxious to read and hear what others think and how my conclusions fit in with what other more knowledgable political commentators have to say.

   But as I wonder about all this, these verses from Psalm 1:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 

4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

   And then this verse comes to mind, from I Samuel 16:7:

   "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

   There will be a lot of "looking on the outside" on the tv and in print this morning, but I am left to wonder..

   "What Does God Think?"

   "What is in the hearts of those I watched last night, and those others that will covet this Presidential job?"

   The answers to those questions are the most important,

   For me, and for the future of this Blessed Land

   The 4th verse of My Country Tis of Thee:

   Our fathers’ God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

   Amen

The Night Sky Speaks...

   As the days move toward winter, the sunrise comes later and later in the mornings. Right now it is about 7:10 local time.

   That means that, if I keep to my usual time schedule, I am out in the dark for the first part of my walk. Of course, that is a plus as the sky is full of stars, and then the sunrise begins to color the eastern sky as I finish.

   Two things capture my attention this morning. Venus is very bright in that morning sky, and the straight line of Orion's Belt, in that Hunter's constellation, stands out.

   Now I am not great on astronomy, but I went back to the computer to look up some things on those two light sources this morning. There is a lot of information that has been gathered over the years, especially since the Hubble telescope was launched.

   When you are out under the stars, it is easy to feel very small in comparison to all that is out there, and when I try to do some study on the whole of the cosmos, I feel even more so.

   Just the fact that scientists can accurately predict where each constellation, and the stars within it, will be at a particular time. There is an order to it all.

   Accidental?

   I think not.

   Then I think again…God knows each one of us, and He cares.

   He put all the pieces of the universe in place, and it is kept there by Him. He is that BIG, and still he cares for the least of us humans down here on Earth.

   The stars in the sky speak of His majesty and glory.

   Amen

 

Remembrance Is Not Enough..

   My wife and I have managed to hang onto several LP records from years back. For a present last Christmas, I gave her a new record player that will play them, and, occasionally, we put one on at supper and listen to long ago.

   For no other reason than it was on top, this is the one I pulled out and put on the turntable last evening:

   Then, as it began to play, the memories of the day came back in such intensity that I could not even get the words out to sing along.

 

1. God Bless America
2. God bless America
   Land that I love
   Stand beside her
   And guide her
   Through the night
   With the light
   From above

   From the mountains
   To the prairies
   To the oceans
   White with foam

   God bless America
   My home sweet home

   Stories in the paper had reminded me of the day, September 11, 2001…9/11..

   Like so many others, I had let all the events of that day slide into the background of my memory. I had not forgotten, but it was not fresh. It happened, but that was "then".

   That rendition of God Bless America had stirred it up again in my mind and heart.

   I remembered, in the days immediately after that tragic day, that song was sung many times in many places. In stadiums, in ballparks, at all kinds of events. The announcer would come on and say, "Let's all stand and honor America", and the crowds would enthusiastically sing along.

   That would bring tears to my eyes and a swell in my heart, and, many times, I could not even sing along.

   From my reaction last night, I still can't.

   Our country seemed to be united during those dark days after 9/11, but we have let that slip back into the recesses of our collective memories.

   It seems "business as usual" these days and, while we needed God back then, we can do it on our own today.

   Foolish people are we…

1. God Bless America

   We can sing like we mean it, or pray like we mean it, but until we live like we mean it, the words are hollow.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14New International Version (NIV)

 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Amen

Woe, Whoa and WOW

   Early morning, before sunrise, has become my favorite part of the day. It is quiet and peaceful, and, I guess I should say, a good time to pray. Sometimes I do, but often I just think or exist in that time before other things begin to crowd in.

   This morning I was thinking of some things that I would enjoy doing today. But I knew they would not work out because of other things that needed to be done. It was easy to think…

   WOE is me

   Woe is me…I would sure rather be doing something fun for me (the emphasis being on "me"), than some of my responsibilities. It is easy to get into that trap, and I guess I wanted to wallow in that ditch for a while.

   Not only that "woe", but then a little black varmint, a mosquito, began to buzz in my ear. We have had quite a bit of rain lately, and those guys are breeding fast and looking for blood. This one buzzer must have called his friends, because I began to hear several more and even felt them on my bare arms and legs. At least I thought I felt them.

   I cut my walk short and, moving slightly faster now, made it back to the condo.

   Then I thought: Why not get the bike out and ride fast enough to stay ahead of those blood suckers?

   Back out on the road, moving, feeling the wind instead of the pests, I was still thinking of what I could not do. But also thinking of how good the bike felt, and that the morning was still quiet.

   As I rode under the tree canopy, the road turned eastward and the vista opened up to this:

   WHOA

   A bright orange and red sky, illuminated by a sun that had not yet peeked over the horizon.

   It was as if God had wanted to stop me in my "woe" track and get my attention.

   When I turned in the cul de sac and moved back west again, 2 deer came across the road in front of me. As I passed where they had come across, movement off to my left caught my eye. Three more of  them stood watching me go by.

   I slowed the bike, made a U turn, and went back to see the other 3 more closely, and, as I did, that orange sky hit me again.

   WHOA, it was s if God was saying

   "Have a Nice Day"

   And I forgot about the mosquitoes…

   WOW

"To Be Continued"

   From the morning devotional:

"Growing up in the 1950s, I often attended the Saturday matinee at a local movie theater. Along with cartoons and a feature film, there was an adventure serial that always ended with the hero or heroine facing an impossible situation. There seemed to be no way out, but each episode concluded with the words “To Be Continued . . . ”

   I think we all want to know, what is next in our lives? Is God not through with me yet? What is to be continued after this?

   I thought of yesterday at church. The theme of the morning was a short history of our church from its beginning in 1996 to where it is today. One high point in the proceedings was the announcement by one of our long-time members that the debt on the new sanctuary, built in 2008 had been retired.

   As our pastor continued, the theme changed to "What is next for this body of Christ?" You see, we had paid down a pretty big debt in 7 years, some with designated gifts for this purpose, but mostly with the overflow from tithes and offerings. There were a few sizable gifts, but most came from members regular Sunday morning offerings.

   Where would that surplus money be needed now? What should the church do to use it wisely in the way God would be honored?

   It is the same way in life. We can get to a point where circumstances cause us to not be needed to do all the things we used to do, and we wonder "What next?"

   Mayre and I have always been willing to serve at church, and we have been used in a variety of ways through the years.

   But yesterday may have symbolized where our lives are right now.

   We walked into church right after it started, through a side door. We sat near the back, worshipped with the others around us, and then quietly left by that same door into the parking lot, where we got into our car and left to come home.

   A couple of people stopped by the car and spoke for a few moments, but the vast majority of the congregation did not even know that we had even been there. We did not serve, we were just there.

   The question begs: "What is our role now that we cannot do all we used to?"

   One of our grand daughters sent us a picture she had drawn and colored the other day. It showed a road leading off into a sunset sky.

   We are indeed on that road right now in our lives, but we are still on the road, not at the end until God decides. The movie serial has not had its last episode yet. It is still "to be continued".

   What is in that next episode?

   Our personal road may not be all that long but….

   We're willing to be Ready...

It's That Time Again...

   When you grew up in Tennessee, and it was Fall, you turned on the radio on a Saturday afternoon to hear John Ward, the Voice of the Vols, begin his game call with the announcement that "Its Football Time in Tennessee".

   Well it's time for college football in the land; not just in Tennessee, but all over, and it got me to thinking.

   My blank calendar day yesterday led me to look for a box filled with CDs of old 35mm slides, pictures that I had taken over a lot of years. After a long search through the condo, I finally discovered the box hidden on a shelf; a box with no markings to identify it. I guess I assumed that I would always remember what was in that distinctive metal box with the combination lock built into the front clasp.

   I almost didn't. I passed over it quite a few times in my search. Because of a faulty memory, I was sure it was in another container. But I finally decided to test each box I found, and there it was.

   So I opened it, put one CD in the computer slot, looked at the folders on the disk, picked one out and drug it to the desktop. Double clicking on the first image shown, I saw this:

   The perfect introduction to football season.

   And a lot of memories to boot.

   This mild mannered kid was a middle linebacker for his school team. He may have had a great smile, but he was not afraid to stick his nose into the line and make the tackle on a much larger running back. We watched him play his position for 3 years before he graduated to the next level.

   All of a sudden, the boys in his class got bigger and bigger, and his small frame, despite his big heart, did not fit the mold of a defensive stopper.

   He became a special teams player, returning back punts for that season. He was taking hits instead of giving them out.

   In addition to his competitiveness, he was also smart.

   When Fall rolled around the next year, he became a cross country runner and found his real niche in the world of athletics, going on to become All-City and All-State, leading his school team to numerous titles in the city and region.

   I still look forward to Fall and the beginning of football season, but I can't forget one small player, one who gave his dad lots of proud moments and his mom several attacks of anxiety.

   He did good and he grew up fine.