A Certain Word

   In a few hours I will be sitting in the visitor reception room in a prison run by the Sate of Georgia. All around me, as I wait for the officers to bring in the one I am to visit myself, are inmates and families catching up on the news of home and of prison. All the inmates are dressed the same.

   I bring this up because I was reminded this morning of a word that surfaced in my brain some weeks back when we were on our little trip to Scotland. We had visited ashore the day before and had gone through a cathedral, as we often did, looking at the windows, reflecting on the people that sat in those pews in the past or the present.

   There were images and traditions that were foreign to our church at home, and I wondered about the lives and hearts of those folks who frequented that sanctuary. How did God see them?

   I don't remember how this word came to my mind, but there it was; a word that I would not ordinarily use but I did know and could appreciate its meaning. The word was disparage, a word the dictionary defines like this:

"to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of:

   The clear message to me that morning was: "Do not look down or question the motives of people that you do not even know. Don't question their motives or actions, especially in the realm of religion and worship. You do not see them as God does. You can't see their heart or fathom their reasoning. You don't need to judge. Just because they seem different from you, they are important to God."

   So, as I look around that room in that prison, I will try to remember that word and resolve not to do it. No matter the outward appearance, the tattoos, the earrings, the hard faces or the apparent attitudes, they are human beings, made in the image of God. They deserve more than disparagement or dismissal, and they could be much closer to God than any stranger that looks on them there.

   Jesus says in John 8:

“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone"

   I'm not throwing that first stone, no way.

A Reminder From a Surprised Deer

   Walking along the path quietly this morning, just thinking about the days ahead, nothing profound, just some thoughts about where we were going, what we were going to do, who we would see, and how the weekend looked from the vantage point of 2 days away.

   There was a prison to go into and an inmate to visit. There were a couple of courthouses to add to our photographic collection. Nothing dramatic, but I just was thinking about how those things would go and what our time would look like.

   I don't know where this animal came from. I surely had not seen him before I heard him (or her), but all of a sudden there was a clatter of hoofbeats on the path behind me. A deer skidded to a stop not 10 feet back, and, I guess, two hearts skipped beats at the sudden realization of a close encounter.

   My mind went from a slow idle to a full alert in a second, and his did too, I guess, as he recovered from his shock, dashed across the street and crashed into the woods where there was not even a path for him. His morning activities had been altered and mine too.

   I thought how quickly things can change. I can make plans, both short term and long, but in the instant of an email, a phone call, a rock on a beach, or even hoofbeats on a concrete cart path, they can all change.

   I know I do need to plan for things, but maybe I should just be more like my friend who says:

   "At my age I don't even buy green bananas"

   There is a verse in James, chapter 4, that says (The Message):

" And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing."

   I need to be less dogmatic about any plans I make, and I've got to remember those green bananas.

Church Without Walls

   Way back, when our church was still small, we used an outreach we called "Church in the Park". On Sunday morning we would set up in Neptune park, down by the Ocean and the Pier area and have one morning service outside. Sure, we have had days of  "too warm", "too windy" and even yesterdays "maybe a little chilly", but it has been a good experience.

   Yesterday we did it again. With the morning temperatures on the cool side, folks set up their chairs in the sun for some music, some fun and some preaching of course.

   The area is great. People are out enjoying the day. Visitors to the Island, enjoying the atmosphere, stop by to listen, and some stay to participate.

   The music pulls in folks to listen, and some even get on the phone to calls their friends to tell them there is room in the tree for them.

   There was a visitor from Haiti who talked about the hope that people have down on that island.

   There was fellowship. There was singing. There was listening.

   In short, there was Worship.

   What better way to enjoy the beauty of God's creation than to worship the One who did it all, especially as a family together.

   Even nature itself was there to worship and enjoy the "fruits" of His presence.

What a great land we live in.

My "To Do" List

   There are lot of "to dos" in life.

   There are those things that I need to do. These may come from responsibilities that I have or places and/or situations that I find myself in.

   There are those things that I have to do. It is in my lap and there is no one else to do it.

   There are some things that I want to do. They give me pleasure, they stoke my ego, they are just the right actions to take.

   Then there are things that I get to do. Deserved or not, they give me satisfaction.

   And sometimes something ends up on all the lists. It may be a matter of perception, or of will, or just because the right things are not always easy, but do lead to satisfaction.

   At times I need to take a look back from the goal to see all the "to dos" necessary to get there.

   Take for example this morning:

   My goal in the mornings is to get up early, read, pray, walk and write, so:

   1. I need to get up out of that warm bed to get started.

   2. My need to is all for nothing if I don't actually do it, so I have to rise and shine (at least rise).

   3. But I really want to do this. I feel that I am called to start my day this way, and my "want to" is a powerful stimulative to keeping on this path

   4. Sometimes I am stymied, or I cannot get going, or God does not seem all that near, no matter how much I want to be in close fellowship, but I do it anyway, feeling that it is right, and that God will honor my efforts. After all, I do not set an alarm and feel that God Himself wakes me up to begin this process each day, so there must be a reason.

   But on those days when it all fits, and I come to the end of the time, and I feel like I have heard from Him and even passed some of it along, I know that I "Get to" participate in His whole story.

   The "I Get To" is a good place to be, and when a bunch of these are strung together, the "need tos" and the "have tos" are much easier to navigate.

   And only God need know all the struggles and joys of the whole process.

   What a deal!

Pumpkin Time

   This is what the entrance to our condo complex will look like this evening when the trick or treaters will be out and around:

   Who will see the decorations around the various doors of the units in our two buildings?

   I thought, as I walked this morning, about Halloween, what it is like for me today and what I remember from 70 years ago.

   I knew that no kids would be ringing my doorbell tonight, they could not get in the closed gate that guarded the complex. I kinda miss that.

   Way back when, trick or treat really meant something in our neighborhood. No treats, no one home or not leaving the porch light on, or not coming to the door, had its consequences. The next morning you might have to go looking for your porch furniture. It might be several doors down the block on someone else's lawn, or strung up a telephone pole.

   Cars left out on the street or driveway and not in a garage, would have soapy windows.

   I will not say that those things should have gone on, but to us it was innocent fun. It was just the way things worked back then, at least where we lived.

   Later on, when our kids had their costumes and candy holders, and we tried to guess which kids were behind those masks that came to our door, the fun was always in watching the faces of the boys and girls (and sometimes parents, too).

   And then the big climax when the kids emptied out their buckets and pumpkins on the kitchen table, and we could make up the big bowl that would be our candy stash for the next few weeks. Our rule: you can have one piece of your candy now, but the rest is left for later. Hope they didn't know that the parents enjoyed that stash, too.

   It is funny what memories come to mind when I see a pumpkin display.

   But I hope those folks on Tunnel Blvd. got all their furniture back.

One More Golf Story

   I guess this picture tells it all:

   But then again, maybe it doesn't:

   Let's back up to his player profile for the 2014 McGladrey Classic, completed yesterday.

ROBERT STREB

1. Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
2. Graduated from Kansas State University in 2009 with a degree in Marketing.
3. Claimed a Web.com Tour victory at the 2012 Mylan Classic.
4. Last season on TOUR, made 17 cuts in 21 starts and earned a pair of top-10 finishes.
5. Recorded a runner-up finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

   This guy is good, but he had never won a PGA event before.

   I don't know his whole life story, but I can see the smile on his face, the open arms to hug his wife, and I think I see how big this was for him (and her pride in him).

   One man won the tournament, 131 did not. There are at least 132 stories out there that could be told this morning. There are a lot of "what ifs". There are many "If I had only" memories, but there is at least one verification of a lot of hard work, and it must be sweet to wake up to that fact this Monday.

   Only God knows what happens from here in Robert's life. He is like the rest of us, we know only the past and the minute we are living in right now, but I'm sure his minute this morning is filled with wonder and possibilities.

   And I still see a lot of happiness in that smile,

   And I am happy for him...


 

They Dwell in Somewhat Obscurity

   It is easy to look at the world of professional golf and see the Tiger Woods, the Phil Mickelsons, and the Rory McElroys, but there are others, guys (and girls, too on the LPGA) who work from week to week to get into the big time.

   It is these guys that I usually draw in my threesome in our local PGA event. I'm sure that they are known in their local area, their own club and the school where they played in their younger years, but they are not household names for sure.

   Here is my group from yesterday:

                                  David Lingmerth

                                 Cory Whitsett

                                 Carlos Sainz, Jr.

   Of the three golfers above, Lingmerth ended Friday's round at -5 and is four shots back of the leaders, Whitsett ended at even par and made the cut right on the cut line and Sainz finished at +5 and will not get to play on the weekend.

   As I walked the 18 holes with them yesterday, I wondered about their lives and how they got to this point. They were talented, they were among the top 1 percent of the golfers in the world for sure, they were young and had their lives stretching out before them.

   Perhaps I would hear about them again, but maybe not

   What did God have in store for each? What would their life look like in the days ahead, the days after golf?

   Today, two of the three continue play, and their McGladrey story goes on. One will probably go home and go back out on the range to practice.

   As I stood by the scoring trailer, waiting to see if the scores I had recorded as I walked with these three guys were needed for verification, I think I found the secret to the game and the motivation to play well.

   When David came out he got a big smile and hug from the young lady who had followed us the whole way.

   When Cory came down those trailer steps, he received a bigger and longer hug from the other girl who was in our small gallery on the course.

   When Carlos came out, he and his caddy walked off without any hugs at all.

   Could it be the personal touch, that love and support represented by the public display of emotion that was the key?

   In each of their cases, they are the only ones who know, but I wish I had had my camera to catch the faces of each of them.

   And I pray for each as their life goes on, with or without golf on the weekend.

   God has a plan.

   These three men are a part of the larger story of life, and I pray that each will find his own particular bit part in His Story.