Harold's Act of Love

Yesterday we laid Harold Foley to rest. I wouldn't call Harold one of my friends, but he was a well-known member of my church and he loved our worship band and my wife and I would make sure we gave him a hearty greeting every Sunday he was able to be present. Yesterday I had the privilege to play with an "unplugged" version of our band at Harold's funeral. A few days earlier - the day after he passed away - we heard this story from the family that I just had to share with you.

We first got to know Harold about three decades ago when his son, Al Foley - one of our peers at Calvary Church when we first began attending - was in the final stages of cancer. Al passed away far too young. It hit Harold hard but he had come to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ through his son's testimony and witness, and so he was able to endure the loss. Harold was a large man, standing well over six feet tall, but his love for Jesus turned him into a "gentle giant" and he gladdened the hearts of all who knew him.

Eight years ago Harold was also diagnosed with cancer. The doctors gave him two years to live, but his faith and determination were strong and he well surpassed that estimate. During the last couple of years of his life, he was pretty much confined to an easy chair in his living room, with several professional caregivers coming in to provide care, housekeeping, and medical support. With each one, as soon as they'd arrive, Harold would take them by the hand, converse and chat for a bit, and then pray with them. And so his faith continued to influence those around him.

Whenever Harold needed some kind of attention from one of his caregivers, he had a small bell on the table next to his chair that he would ring. One of the caregivers would come running from whatever task they had at hand to see to his needs.

One of his favorite's was a woman named Carla. Carla had three children of her own, as well as two foster children, and worked two jobs to make ends meet. She was a person of great compassion (as most caregivers are), and through Harold's testimony, patience, and faith, Carla's spiritual life experienced a new awakening and she returned to the church, bringing her children with her.

A few weeks ago Harold confided in another caregiver that he was tired, and ready for the journey home to heaven. Last week the family could tell that he was near the end ... but his vital signs were still strong, and it was clear to all that Harold still had several days left. Last Wednesday Carla finished her shift with Harold and went home, exhausted from another very long day of working those two jobs, watched as her husband stoked the fire up in the family fireplace, and fell into a hard, deep sleep. A few hours later, as Wednesday turned into Thursday, Harold's wife held his hand in his chair as he fell asleep. He did that often, now. And in the blink of an eye, Harold was gone.

Carla, sound asleep in her bed, was having a dream. A very vivid dream, of Harold standing at the foot of her bed - sound, hale and whole - ringing his little bell for all he was worth, calling out to her, "Carla, you've got to get up." Carla refused, saying in her dream, "No, Harold, go away."

But dream Harold refused to be denied. He kept ringing that bell, saying "Carla, you've got to get up, now." Again Carla refused, "No, Harold, my shift is over. I'm tired, I'm not getting up." Again Harold tried and again Carla refused, but at last she could not suffer Harold's insistence as he just kept ringing that darn bell. Finally, she awoke with the vivid memory of a healthy Harold ringing his bell at the foot of her bed.

It was then that she noticed the smoke permeating the house. An errant spark from the fireplace had set their home on fire. The family escaped safely, and the fire department did their work. When Carla and Harold's wife later compared notes, they realized that Carla's dream had happened shortly after Harold passed away.

Did Harold give up his last few days to save the life of one he loved? No one this side of heaven will ever know for sure. But I have a feeling that when you get close to death, the veil between the two becomes more and more transparent, and you get a glimpse of the bigger picture, with larger perceptions and understandings. 

I do know that Harold was a believer, that he had found new life and faith through Jesus, and that he understood John 15:13 - "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Rest in peace, Harold Foley.

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Mark's Musings is published on a semi-periodical basis that may change without notice. Find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/markmusings. Facebook link is over there to the right. This blog is considered to be a digital periodical publication and is filed as such with the U.S. Library of Congress; ISSN 2154-9761.

Good Friday, 2011

Posts have been spotty this week, I know. I was tabbed to produce our Good Friday evening service and have been focused on that.

Dad tells me Mom is even closer to slipping into the Afterlife, and it's Good Friday, so this may be a good time to contemplate our own mortality. Carolyn Arends, a Canadian singer-songwriter has some thoughts on the subject.

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A GOOD FRIDAY THOUGHT

For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is -- limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death -- He had the honesty and the courage to take his own medicine. Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair and death. When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.

[Dorothy Sayers, writing in "Creed or Chaos?" back in 1949, as quoted in Monday Fodder]

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WEBSITE of the WEEK: And there's your winner for this week -- my cyber missionary friend, Dave Aufrance, publishes a weekly newsletter with all his ministry and missionary news from Hong Kong, then adds a healthy dollop of "Serious Fodder" and "Guffaw Fodder" along with some photos, then ties it all up in a bundle he calls Monday Fodder.

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Mark's Musings is available via an RSS Feed, a Facebook Note, the Amazon Kindle (just 99¢. A month.) and arrives via e-mail each weekday (usually). Subscriptions are free. ISSN 2154-9761.

Palm Sunday: Rise Up!

My Facebook friend - Pastor Scott Salo from Clio, Michigan - had this posted and, indeed, my spirit "rose up" while I watched.

It's called "Dance Your Shoes Off" - it was a shoe donation campaign from Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.

I found it extremely appropriate for Palm Sunday.




The song is entitled "Rise Up" and was commissioned by Second Baptist Church for this event. It is produced by Joshua Moore. The singer is Lauren James Camey, a member of Second Baptist.

Gideon

Just in time for those Easter baskets.

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One day in junior church, I taught about the Bible character Gideon. The following Sunday, for the sake of review, I asked if anyone remembered last week's Bible hero. No hands went up.

"Okay," I said, "I'll give you a clue. He fought a battle using only lamps, pitchers, and trumpets."

Still no response.

"Maybe you remember how he used a fleece to learn of God's will," I said.

Ten little blank faces stared up at me.

"One final clue," I pleaded. "There are people today who call themselves by the same name of our hero, and they go around putting Bibles in hotel rooms."

The hand of one eight-year old eagerly shot up.

"Oh! Oh!" he cried out, "It was Hilton!"

[Davy Troxel, from "Kids of the Kingdom" in New Christian Reader via Your Weekly Church Laughs]

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WORD for YOUR WEEK: Gideon had an intrepid faith. "Intrepid" is one of those Latin words modified by adding the "in" to the front, which implies the opposite of the back half of the word. In this case, "trepidus" was Latin for worry, or alarm; adding "in" means you're not worried, and unalarmed. Over the years, context has added the meaning of "unshaken," or "undaunted." On a side note, when I was in college I wrote and produced a science fiction radio theater called "The Intrepid Adventures." Yeah, it was a blatant rip off of the Star Trek concept, but they had gone off the air and had not yet returned in movie form, so we were filling a cultural gap. At least that's the story we went with.

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Words Behind You

So what are you doing for Lent this year?

I'd really like to know. Are you giving something up? Doing something extra? Adding a little something? Investing in a new routine or spiritual focus? Hit the "Comment" link below.

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THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR BEHIND YOU IN CHURCH

"The pastor looks really cute today."

"Dude, I'm gonna hafta call you back; we're about to pray or something."

"Booooooooooo!!!"

"Mommy, my tummy doesn't feel goo----urrgle." (Followed by splashing sound.)

"Hey, there, ladies -- nice Bibles. You come here often?"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz...."

"He's good, but he's no Rick Warren."

"You think they'll mind if I use the offering basket to break a five?"

"Dang it! I grabbed my Bhagavad-Gita by mistake. My Message Bible is still in the Prius next to my yoga mat."

"I can't see the pulpit. The guy in front of me has a melon that would show up on Google Earth."

[selected from "The Sacred Sandwich" blog]

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WORD for YOUR WEEK: "Lent" is short for Lenten, which comes from the Old English word for Spring: lencten. The reference to that part of the calendar between Ash Wednesday and Easter is peculiar to English. (Lencten comes from a long line of other, odder words that have to do with days and daylight, and probably refer to the lengthening time of daylight during the Spring season.)

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Grace

Family issues kept me from e-mailing my Friday post, but you can catch it here. It was my nine hundredth post! NINE HUNDRED!! While you're here, you might enjoy watching a very smart and talented Jack Russell terrier named Jesse. Just down below.

Meanwhile, today is World Pasta Day. Check out your local Fazoli's Restaurant; many of them are having special deals that concern free spaghetti with a nominal purchase.

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My friend, Bob, was trying to teach his daughter, Jenny, how to pray "grace" before meals. After a few weeks of coaching, Bob decided Jenny was ready to pray solo the next time company came over for an evening of food and fellowship.

Jenny started out fine, thanking God for her Mommy and Daddy and Sister and Brother and the guests and the rolls and the salad. She ended with a big, "Thank you God, for the spaghetti!" and then she lifted her head.

Bob had taught her the traditional ending to this prayer, however, which was, "...in Jesus' name, Amen." So Bob had to prompt her. He said, "In..."

At first Jenny was confused, then her face lit up, she bowed her head, and added, "In tomato sauce. Amen."

[Barbara J. Doll in "Kids of the Kingdom" in Christian Reader via Church Laughs Newsletter]

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WELCOME to YOUR WEEK: There's one week left in Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Employee Ownership Month, and National Chili Month (October, when the weather starts to get chilly. Coincidence?). It's Pastoral Care Week (be kind to your minister), and International Magic Week. Finally, Wednesday is Navy Day, Thursday is National Chocolate Day, and Saturday is National Forgiveness Day.

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Mark's Musings is available via an RSS Feed, a Facebook Note, the Amazon Kindle and via e-mail each weekday (usually). Subscriptions are free. ISSN 2154-9761.

Teen Hunger

As part of my latest attempt to take off a few pounds, I've been walking daily with my wife. We're up to a mile a day.

It has given us the courage to sign up for the annual CROP Walk, which is one of the main fundraisers for the work Church World Service does to provide hunger relief both locally and around the globe.

So, yeah, I'm looking for sponsors (read: donors). My goal is to raise $150. You can help me - and, by extension - a whole bunch of other hungry people - right here.

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During my last outing with friends, the subject of teenagers came up, and how they were always grazing and hungry. Most agreed that teenagers would generally eat anything, anywhere, as long as it was free. Some in the group expressed concern that with such eating habits, it was hard to tell when a teenager was *actually* hungry and when was the right time to feed them well.

Then one parental veteran - who had raised six kids - told us of his method for determining how hungry a teen truly was.

"I hold up a piece of cold broccoli ... if they start jumping and snapping at it, I figured they were hungry enough to be fed."

[first seen in Joe's Clean Laffs]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." (Luke 6:21)

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Mark's Musings is available via an RSS Feed, a Facebook Note, the Amazon Kindle and via e-mail each weekday (usually). Subscriptions are free. ISSN 2154-9761.

Knowing the End

My wife is happy ... "Dancing with the Stars" returns this evening for their new season. For those of you who may be new to the Musings, Bonnie is such a good dancer, our local Arthur Murray's once invited her to become an instructor. Hence her interest in this particular reality show.

And speaking of television, see when *your* favorite shows return with new episodes, thanks to TV Guide.

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KNOWING THE END

In Hawaii, because of the time difference with the continental United States, the NFL Monday Night Football Game is played in the afternoon, so our local television affiliate delays the broadcast until 6:30 p.m.

But when my favorite team plays, I'm too excited to wait, so I listen to the game on the radio, which broadcasts it live. Then, because they're my favorite team - and especially if an exciting play happened - I'll watch the game again on television that evening.

If I know my team has won the game, it influences how I watch it on television. If they fumble the ball or throw an interception, it's not a problem. I think, "Okay, that's bad, but in the end we win!"

It should be the same for believers. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

When going through a rough patch, remember that you know how the game ends.

[Lyle Arakaki in Leadership Magazine via A Dose of Inspiration; with thanks to Wit and Wisdom]

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WELCOME to YOUR WEEK: Last week - on the 15^th - the country began National Hispanic Heritage Month. And don't ask me why, but it's National Love Your Files Week. It's the semi-annual Turn Off Your TV Week. Tomorrow is World Alzheimer's Day, and Autumn officially begins on Wednesday. Finally, it's Tolkein Week and Wednesday is Hobbit Day.

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Mark's Musings is available via an RSS Feed, a Facebook Note, the Amazon Kindle and via e-mail each weekday (usually). Subscriptions are free. ISSN 2154-9761.

It Made My Day (Again)

Let's revisit that "feel good" website, It Made My Day.

And, on a personal note, my daughter is having her gallbladder removed tomorrow morning. She's only 15 and already has gallstones, which are suspected to be the culprit behind her stomach pains for the past 18 months. It's a fairly quick surgery - we expect to have her home in bed by noonish tomorrow - and recovery is usually pretty swift, but we'd still sincerely appreciate your prayers and good thoughts tomorrow, about 7:30 a.m. EST.

That would make our day.

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IT MADE MY DAY

The other day my math teacher called a kid up to the front of the class to write out a problem and answer it on the chalkboard. He went up, answered it, then said, "Now I have a question for YOU." He wrote out the question on the board and my teacher, playing along, cheerfully yelled out the answer. Then the kid goes, "Hah! That was the first question on the homework you just handed out!" It made my day.

At the bus stop this morning, I opened my wallet to discover my two-year-old son had exchanged all of my money with Monopoly money. The bus driver laughed, and then charged me $5 in Monopoly money for the ride. It made my day!

I was telling my mom about how I got a "turkey" (three strikes in a row) while I was bowling the other night. She responded with, "Are you going to be able to fit it into your freezer?" It made my day.

We'd been painting our new house and accidentally left the lid off one of the paint cans, resulting in the paint drying up and becoming worthless. We left it out in the yard while we worked and one afternoon it disappeared. That evening there was a knock on our door and the neighbor's kid - five or six years old - said she had taken it but, "we didn't know it was all dried up so you can have it back and we'll find some different paint for the dog...." It made my day.

I am in the Army and currently stationed in South Korea. One Monday it was particularly rainy and dreary, so while walking to work I decided to have some fun and splashed through some puddles like I used to do when I was a little kid. A Captain stopped me and asked me what I was doing. "Letting my inner child out for a walk, SIR!" I replied. He laughed and said, "Carry on, soldier" then splashed through a few puddles himself as he laughed again and walked out of sight. It made my day!

Today my wife and I were singing along to the radio when our Great Dane, for some reason, barked loudly at her. My wife looked him in the eye and with a straight face, said, "You're a little off-key." It made my day.

I woke up this morning to my cat sleeping next to my head. I reached out to pet him and he started purring so I laid my head back down again to sleep some more. Suddenly he reached out his paw, still purring, and started petting my face. I had never had my cat pet me back before! It made my day!

[selected from the "It Made My Day" website; not all entries are family-friendly if you decide to visit]

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WEBSITE of the WEEK: At http://devotionalchristian.com/, you can find a whole bunch of different devotional material. The website collects them and, if you like, you can receive a weekly e-mail newsletter, as well. Their description reads, "Devotional Christian makes it easy to read your daily Bible devotional online by listing all the best free Christian devotionals on one page."

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Mark's Musings is available via an RSS Feed, a Facebook Note, the Amazon Kindle and via e-mail each weekday (usually). Subscriptions are free. ISSN 2154-9761.

The Original

I love my Kindle e-reader. Right now it contains the Bible, a dictionary, three blogs I follow (including my own), and six novels (only one of which I'm reading; the other five are so I never run out). However, I also love hard-copy books, because in this matter, I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so I'm also reading a hardback novel, and two soft-cover books.

But, just as digital music is replacing CDs which replaced cassettes which replaced vinyl, and streaming video is replacing DVDs which replaced VHS videotapes, will the digital publishing evolution replace paperback books, which have pretty much replaced hard cover books?

Amazon thinks so. For the first time, digital downloads to the Kindle have outgrown hard copy book sales.

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A new monk has arrived at the monastery. He is assigned to a group of monks copying the old texts to new parchment by hand. He notices, however, that they are making a copy of a copy, and are not using the original text. He wonders about this and finally goes to see the Abbot. He points out that if there was a mistake when the very first copy was made, that mistake would then have been passed on to all of the other copies.

The Abbot replies, "We have been copying texts this way for over four centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So the Abbot finally decides to check on this and goes down into the cellars with one of the current copies to check it against the original.

Hours go by and no one has seen him or heard from him. Finally, one of the other monks sets off in search of the Abbot and climbs down into the cellar. Softly, from one of the farthest chambers, the monk can hear sobbing. He makes his way into the room and there, by candlelight, sits the Abbot, crying mournfully over one of the original scrolls.

"What's wrong?" the monk inquires.

The old Abbot sobs and says, "The word is 'celebrate!' "

[Pastor Tim's Pearly Gates]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8)

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Missionary Retirement

This is the week our church is involved in what it calls "Flint Mission IV." It's the fourth year we've set aside a week and funds to offer free home repairs to those around our church and city neighborhoods, instead of traveling to a distant state or country. We replace roofs, paint houses, remodel rooms, install drywall, replace bad plumbing, fix stairways and railings, etc. All for free and all in the name of service, community, and Jesus Christ.

The project has grown every year as more and more people hear about it. This year we are coordinating the work of seven churches participating, as well as a large group from our own church. Nearly 200 people will be working on seven houses over a five-day period.

As usual, my wife and daughter are a part of the crews, while I keep the home fires burning.

Please offer up some good thoughts and kind prayers for the team and that the weather would allow those working out of doors to accomplish their tasks.

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A missionary who had served in a remote part of Central America for years was retiring and returning to the U.S., and word had gotten out to the people of the region.

The nationals desired to honor her for all her years of service with a public celebration. News of the party went to all parts of the country that had been touched by the missionary's work.

One very old and very poor man walked to the ceremony, even though it was a four day journey over mountainous terrain. But he was determined to present a gift to this woman.

The gift consisted of just two coconuts, but it was all the man could bring. The missionary recognized him and knew where he lived, and just how far he had traveled.

"Brother," she said respectfully, "I cannot believe you would walk so far to present me with this gift."

His response?

"Long walk part of gift."

[Pastor Tim's Cybersalt Digest]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls." (David Thomas)

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God's Mess

Today is the day many traditionally celebrate the birth of John Wesley, who is considered to be the founder of the United Methodist Church. He would be 307 years old.

For an institution that's nearly three centuries along, that website has some pretty interesting stuff on it.

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I was the teacher for a toddler-aged Sunday School class, which included my 14-month old daughter. During our lesson on creation, I'd ask questions like, "Who made the trees?" or "Who made the sun?" and the children would respond, "God did!" I was pleased that the children seemed to quickly learn that God made everything.

The lessons at home weren't going so well. I had tried repeatedly to get my daughter to pick up her toys when she was done with them, and she just wasn't learning this very quickly at all. One day I walked into the living room to find toys scattered simply everywhere. In exasperation I asked, "Who made this mess?!"

My daughter looked at me, beamed a proud smile, and exclaimed, "God did!"

[A Dose of Inspiration via Wit and Wisdom]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

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Graham Story

Good Friday, 2010.

Not just a good Friday. The *best* Friday.

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Billy Graham is 91 years old. The story is told of a luncheon held a decade ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, where city leaders invited one of their favorite sons to honor him. Billy initially struggled with accepting, as he was struggling with Parkinson's Disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address. Just show up and let us honor you." Billy agreed.

After many wonderful things were said about him, Billy finally did step up to the rostrum. He looked at the crowd, paused just a moment, then said, "Today I am reminded of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.

"Einstein was once traveling from Princeton, on a train, when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached into his pocket. His ticket wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked through the papers in the seat beside him but still couldn't find it.

"The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you've bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle, punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees, looking for his ticket.

"The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need your ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

"Einstein looked up at him and said, 'Young man, I, too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.' "

Having related that story, Billy Graham continued speaking to the assembly. "See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon ... and one other occasion.

"You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear that I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing.

"I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I know where I'm going."

[as seen in Andychap's The_Funnies]

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May you be able to say the same.

Watch for a very special announcement on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: Our church has been making an extra effort to intentionally connect with our community lately. This is something called "servant evangelism" and you can get lots of ideas and start-up tips at http://www.servecoach.com/. It's a website that features the work of Pastor Steve Sjogren, who has launched many churches that feature the work of community outreach.

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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday using Ezine Director and I pay a little more to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. That means no ads, no spam, and no worries. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and do other things over at my web site. To contact me and someday get a reply, click here. It's just about time for Good Friday services. Looking forward to it. You can forward or reprint Mark's Musings freely but please keep the credits attached. It's Good Friday. Go to church and leave the credits alone. Original material and musings © 2010 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my e-mail post daily (plus I often add graphics) and very occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. Enjoy your Spring Break!

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Your days at the most cannot be very long, so use them to the best of your ability for the glory of God and the benefit of your generation." (William Booth)

On God

Maundy Thursday, 2010.

I am once again in a cycle at work where I drive nearly every day deep into the heart of Michigan's "thumb." On my drive home, I pass houses, clumps of trees, patches of forest, barns, ranches, businesses ... and then, suddenly, this rural vista will open up. And for a few seconds, you can see the breadth of heaven and earth for, quite literally, miles. And it ... is ... just ... breathtaking. Of course, at that time of day I am usually the only car on the road, and that sense of solitude enhances the awesome.

It reminded me of an old Keith Green introduction to one of his songs. He relates how the Bible says the world was created in six days. I don't know if it was a literal six days or not. The scientists say no, the theologians say yes. But let's say that it was. The Bible also records Jesus telling us that he was going to Heaven to prepare a mansion for us there. So, if our supposition is true, all the splendor and majesty of this world - the trees, mountains, waterfalls, oceans - was created in six days ... and yet God has had 2000 years to work on that mansion.

I can't possibly imagine the glory of it all.

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ON GOD....

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed." (Robert H. Schuller)

"What is it that we all believe in that we cannot see or hear or taste or smell -- this invisible thing that heals all sorrows, reveals all lies and renews all hope? What is it that has always been and always will be, from whose bosom we all came and to which we will all return? Most call it Time. A few realize that it is God." (Robert Brault)

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." (St. Augustine)

"For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet ... shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host, and to find out something of Him who has fed us for so long?" (Rebecca Harding Davis)

"Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message." (Malcolm Muggeridge)

"God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand. If you understand you have failed." (St. Augustine, again)

[with thanks to The Quote Garden]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

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Moments of Grace

A few weeks back, Home Box Office (which we managed to snag in a free offer when we renegotiated our cable package) was running the movie, "Temple Grandin," starring Claire Danes. If you get the chance to see this film, I'd highly recommend it. Temple was a woman who had autism, but she and her family didn't let that stop her from living life and pursuing her interests and dreams. (I write this knowing full well there are some autistic children who will never be able to do that.) She eventually became a leading authority on how to treat livestock in the cattle industry and wrote many influential articles and books.

Mental Floss has posted her TED talk from a couple weeks ago, and if you know anyone dealing with autism on any level, you might find it quite interesting, indeed.

The TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference is an annual event where the best and the brightest in those three fields share their insights. View all the videos - they usually run about 20 minutes each - here.

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MOMENTS of GRACE

During January [year unknown], the Washington Post conducted an experiment. What would happen if a world-class musician performed elegant classical music on a priceless instrument in the Metro station [subway system] of a major American city?

The city was Washington, DC. The musician was Joshua Bell, who can earn upwards of $50,000 for an evening's performance. The instrument was a 300 year-old Stradivarius violin valued at $3.5 million. The music selection included the works of Bach and other masters.

The experiment was captured on hidden camera. What happened? How did people respond?

During Mr. Bell's 45 minute performance, 1,097 people passed by. 27 of them dropped spare change into his open violin case, for a total of $35. And seven of them stopped what they were doing to listen for at least one minute. The other 1,070 hurried past, oblivious, uninterested, unmoved.

This experiment might offer hope to pastors and teachers who find themselves frustrated at the lack of response their timeless message too often receives.

But we must also ask ourselves, how many times a day does something like this happen to you or me? How many times do we encounter truth, beauty, and excellence, without giving it a second look? How many messages of hope do we ignore? How many demonstrations of grace do we disregard? How many divine appointments do we overlook?

From Ezra: "But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage." (Ezra 9:8)

Let's make an effort to recognize - and fully experience - those brief moments of grace God sends our way. There will be at least a few today. Will you see them?

[written by Steve May; as seen in Kim Quiggle's Cup O'Cheer]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion if we can simply learn that as well as giving, it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart." (Sarah Ban Breathnach)

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An Olympic Meditation

As the 2010 Winter Olympics shut down in Vancouver today, I thought I would share these words from list member Paul C., who is the pastor of a Baptist Church in Pennsylvania.

He writes:

I have enjoyed watching the Olympics. You too? I’ve been drawn in by all those behind-the-scenes stories. Competitors become more human; victories, more personal; the events, more compelling. When one person wins, their whole country wins as well.

In this season of Lent, Jesus Christ is our humble hero. God comes into the world wearing our uniform. A win for Jesus will be for more than mere gold or bragging rights. A win for Him is a win for us as well. For He wears the flag of TEAM HUMANITY.

Jesus takes on the competition — Satan, who has held onto the gold all these years. Jesus gives himself completely to the struggle. It is life or death. Early on, the crowds cheer to His amazing performance. Later, the tide seems to be turning — and the competition lunges ahead. Now it looks as if there is no hope. It looks as if Jesus has lost. He cries, “It is finished.” Satan raises his arms in gleeful victory.

But wait. Something is happening! It’s not over. What looked like dismal defeat has been overturned! Jesus’ death was only a prelude to a miraculous finish! This victory for Jesus is a victory for all of Humanity! Satan has been defeated now and forever! Death and sin will no longer reign.

This description from Philippians 2 seems to describe the most amazing medal ceremony ever:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Thank you, Jesus.

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And thank you, Paul.

February Quotes

The past couple of years February has been pretty mild, actually. You might even say almost pleasant, at least as far as winter months go.

But these past couple of days February has seemed determined to re-establish its reputation as the month I hate the most. Near-constant snow, a plummeting thermometer, and a wind that has grown a set of teeth that will bite right through you and not even leave enough for leftovers. That's the view from my office window to the left.

I hate February.

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REGARDING FEBRUARY

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March." (Dr. J.R. Stockton)

"Keep your faith in beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone." (Roy R. Gibson)

"The flowers of late winter and early Spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." (Gertrude S. Wister)

"Winter is nature's way of saying, 'Up yours.' " (Robert Byrne)

"If we had no Winter, the Spring would not be so pleasant." (Anne Bradstreet)

"Every mile is two in winter." (George Herbert)

"February, when the days of Winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of Summer." (Shirley Jackson)

"Why, what's the matter, that you have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?" (William Shakespeare)

"The most serious charge which can be brought against New England is not Puritanism but February." (Joseph Wood Krutch)

"There seems to be so much more winter than we need this year." (Kathleen Norris)

[selected from egreenway.com]

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Here in our little town the high school celebrates a big home game in two sports: both the traditional one in football and another during basketball season. The first culminates in the "Homecoming Dance." The second - held tomorrow night - we call the "Coming Home Dance." My daughter is going. She has a date, the dress, an appointment to do the hair (thanks, Quincie), and her and Mom are out shopping for shoes and other ladylike accessories as I write this. My little girl is growing up.

I'll wipe away a tear and see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: Charles Colson was, historically, one of the principal bad guys in the whole Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration. A funny thing happened on his way to finishing out his jail term ... he met Jesus in a real, personal way. That led to his founding an organization called "Prison Fellowship," and from there, he began writing about how our Christian worldview should inform and affect every decision we make. He's turned that place where faith's "rubber meets the road" into http://www.breakpoint.org/ and several other ministry avenues, but at Break Point you will find yourself challenged to "Defend the Truth. Live the Faith. Advance the Kingdom." It's a mission statement I fully support.

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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday using Ezine Director and I pay a little more to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. That means no ads, no spam, and no worries. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and do other things over at my web site. To contact me and someday get a reply, click here. Well, I did better on getting my posts out more timely this week. Until I bumped into today. You can forward or reprint Mark's Musings freely but please keep the credits attached. The credits want February done, too. Original material and musings © 2010 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my e-mail post daily (plus I often add graphics) and very occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. And the road goes ever on.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water." (Carl Reiner)

God's Will

A subject we are examining quite closely these days in light of my wife's impending joblessness.

The Skit Guys, as always, explain with style, wit, and grace.

Unemployment Perks

As I wrote this past Friday, on February 5, my wife will celebrate 25 years of employment at our local newspaper.

On February 6, that newspaper is laying her off. Permanently.

Yeah, it's kind of a kick in the teeth.

Nevertheless, we have placed our lives squarely in God's hands and refuse to worry about things. As so many have shared with us, there's never a door that closes without another one opening. Your good thoughts and kind prayers are most welcome as we contemplate which path to pursue out of this murky situation.

I will share one story with you to illustrate the hand of God at work. Last fall, in yet another cost-cutting move by her employer, my wife's health insurance rates went up so high she had to drop both myself and our daughter from her coverage in 2010. We complained bitterly. During the "Open Season Enrollment Period" at my work place, instead of the single coverage I had been carrying, I added family coverage just to keep my daughter covered, and as a side effect my wife was included in that coverage, as well. So now, when she would have shortly found herself without any medical insurance at all, she will still be covered. God knew this day would arrive, and now I feel remorse for being a whiner about it at the time.

The moral here is not just to hope for God's providence, but to *rely* upon it. And, like Paul, give thanks in ALL circumstances.

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PERKS OF BEING UNEMPLOYED

No more hassles about the length of your lunch break.

Casual Fridays have been replaced by Casual Every Days.

At least now it's just the teenager yelling about your work performance.

You are going to look *gorgeous* after sixteen hours of "beauty sleep" every day.

No more wondering about what the pets do all day while you're gone.

Two more weeks and you can add "proficient at video games" to your résumé.

You *never* miss the ice cream truck.

Finally outsmarted the government. They can't take 30% of your paycheck if you haven't got one.

[Chris White's Top Five on Work w/edits and additional material by Mark Raymond]

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WORD for YOUR WEEK: We're at dinner the other night and the appropriate use of napkins comes up which ultimately leads us to the word "uncouth," which my daughter was not familiar with. Its current popular usage means "lacking in polish or grace" but it began in Old English as cuth (long "u" sound), which meant "familiar, or known." Adding the modifier "un" to the front gave it the opposite meaning: unfamiliar, or unknown; strange. Both definitions work. An uncouth person is one who finds manners and poise unfamiliar, and is a stranger to social graces.

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A New Year Prayer

Happy New Year!

I am making only one small change to the "Musings" this year. I am adding Google's "Ad Sense" - a tiny block of ads - to both my blog and my website, in a small attempt to defray my publishing costs. The e-mail version of my post will continue to be sent ad-free, just as I promised. In fact, the program policies for the Ad Sense program even prohibit me from encouraging you to click the ads, so this is the last you'll hear about it from me.

I am well into my 11^th year of sending out something funny or inspiring every weekday, with a little bit of weblog fluff and nonsense on the occasional weekend. I can't be positive, because I don't look back often, but I do believe that very little of that material has been repeated over the years.

May 2010 leave you a little closer to Christ, a little kinder, a little richer in spirit and bank account, a little closer to those you call friends and family, and still musing with me.

God Bless You, Every One.

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A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER

God of our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows....

We praise you for your unequaled greatness.
Thank you for the year behind us, and the year ahead of us.
Forgive us for the times we fell short in 2009.

Help us, in this new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.
To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.
To teach others to love by loving them.

We know, when Love came to a stable in Bethlehem, it came for us.
So that Love could be with us, and we could know you.
That we could share your love with others.

Help us Father, to hear your love song in every sunrise,
In the chirping of the sparrows in our backyards,
In the stories of our old folks, and in the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen to your love songs,
So that we may know you more and better.

We rejoice in the world you loved into being.

Thank you for another new year and for new chances every day.

We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we may spread them to others.

We leave the past in your hands, and step out into this unknown new year knowing you will go with us.

We accept your gift of 2010, and we rejoice in what lies ahead.
We depend on you to help us do exactly what it is you need done.
I say it again, no matter what is to come, we rejoice!

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

[Ha Life w/edits and additional material by Mark Raymond]

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We will either spend today cleaning and rearranging the furniture - our annual New Year's Day tradition - or we will chuck it all, sleep in, and go to the movies.

Either way, I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: Shameless Self-Promotion Dep't: I mentioned earlier that I've been writing the "Musings" for more than ten years. I started using Ezine Director about six years ago, though, so that's all the farther my archives go back. I hope to one day transfer as much material as possible to my website. For now, though, you can stroll through about six years of material at http://mrhumor.net/archive.html or check out roughly four years of blog postings at http://mrhumornet.blogspot.com/.

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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday using Ezine Director and I pay a little more to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. That means no ads, no spam, and no worries. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and do other things over at my web site. To contact me and someday get a reply, click here. Like the economy, my number of readers dropped about 3% this year and there are now just under 600 of you reading these credits. You can still forward or reprint Mark's Musings freely but please keep the credits attached. The credits want to start the new year out right, and that means sticking with the post through thick and thin, people. Can't do it without you. Original material and musings © 2010 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my post daily (plus I often add graphics) and very occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30 into 2010 and beyond. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. Jot down "2010" on about the next dozen checks in your checkbooks; that way you won't inadvertently write the wrong year. (Thanks, Lavonne.)

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." (Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Magorium)