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AMERICA (1975) America...We've just have to sing of you... of your high mountain peaks of your silken shining shores of your fertile verdant valleys of your steeples tall of your children small...and trusting Never in the history of mankind has any nation ever given so much of her wealth...and of her self... to others Let church bells chime Let poets rhyme At this Centennial time Let us give thanks With words sublime For America...our God-given, Native clime (First published on June 8, 1975)
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ON RAISING CHILDREN (THOUGHT NINE) "Before you beat a child," wrote Austin O'Mallery, "be sure you are not the cause of the offense." If our children and grandchildren are representative samples of children everywhere, and we believe they could be, we have to then conclude that... children are believing children are trusting children have the desire to please children love to love, and to be loved May we not also conclude that many a spanking a child receives is due to the fears, frustrations, and inabilities of parents to cope with their own day to day problems. their own day-to-day problems. May we, from this day onward, see our children... not as whipping posts...but as sweet spirits sent to bless our homes. THE WEATHER MAN It was Tammy's (nearly 8) turn to choose the cereal box for the month. She chose a box with a mounted policeman inside, who turned... Pink in rainy weather Blue in clear weather Gray in changing weather. Maybe some senseless husband-wife arguments could be avoided if we could wear "Weather Mounties" around our necks to indicate our emotional "Whether" at any particular time. For example... Red, meaning "Hot, really hot"---"it is very unwise to communicate with me right now." Gray, meaning "Watch it kid, watch it, I'm in an unsettled mood, go ahead and talk, but be careful." Blue, meaning "Cool, man, cool." ---"Go ahead and say anything you want, I am ready and willing to listen empathetically to anything you have to say." This "Whether" warning system might prevent the fruitless communication and the frustrating battles which often ensue. It lets my wife know whether to wear: Glass Slippers Loafers, or Hip Boots. How's the weather at your house? THE UPRISING One of the best remedies for depression or downheartedness is... an old fashion uprising. Remember... Time does pass Feelings and moods do change Spirits can be lifted Some suggestions for a good uprising might well include... Listening to majestic organ music Jogging three miles Talking with empathetic friends Getting a good, uninterrupted nap Playing with a child or a puppy Gazing, in silent wonder, at the stars Reading the Scriptures Knelling in private prayer The desire to rise upward is a Holy aspiration May your days be filled with many joyous uprisings (First published on June 19, 2013) PEAS AND PIGEONHOLES A few springs ago, we planted our first garden of the year. Included in our sowing were some were some pea seeds. Then, the rains came and washed some of the soil away. Many of the seeds came to the top, stayed there...and grew! We thought this to be a rather strange phenomenon. But, the seeds were planted, God provided the rain, sun, and maturation process...and the crop grew. Too often we parallel the maturing of people with the growing of peas. We pigeonhole them, and expect them to grow only in a fashion acceptable to us. According to our narrow perspectives and precepts. But, without our knowing or understanding, God may have a better way or an entirely different plan. And, we, oft times, just get in His way. Let us strive to unburden people with our limited viewpoints and ideas. THE CENTIPEDE Have you ever awakened in the morning feeling blue feeling terrible feeling miserable Feeling like a centipede with ingrown toenails? Let's face it, we all have moments or days, or times like that. And, when those times occur, we may take one of three courses... We may resent our situation We may resign ourselves to our situation Or, we may rejoice about our situation. After trying all three courses in my lifetime, I have found rejoicing, or giving thinks to be the most rewarding the most satisfying the most beneficial for the healing of the mind or spirit When my situation is difficult or unpleasant Wrote the Apostle Paul, "Rejoice evermore...in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God inChrist Jesus concerning you." (I Thess. 5:16,18) FATHERS As we sojourn down the open road, we come to a very simple but important idea... Fathers really are important. Having been both a son and a father, we have come to realize how much our sons and daughters expect, need and like to have heros they can honestly admire. Honesty, integrity, and a sense of humor... these are a few of the many noble character traits gleaned from the lives of our fathers... My wife Donna and I are thankful for the examples our fathers set for us. And we are grateful for our realization that... Fathers are important! (This posting was belated due to the fact that we were getting rid of our old computer, and getting a new one installed! Yea!!!) COUNTING COLUMBIDAE There I was once again, one night in May. Couldn't sleep, so I tried counting... Columbidae... Okay, okay...Pigeons, to the uninitiated. (Where would I be without Wikipedia!) Counting the pigeons seemed to be working for awhile, until those fllighty little creatures begain turning into clay pigeons, and I knew I had to stop before I got shot down. (What can I say, I had feet of clay.) So, I just laid there for awhile, and then, these thoughts flew through my head... Be willing to take it all in without any thought or act of retribution... Stop thinking, and seek the Lord THE WAY IN We stepped on our moral scales the other day, weighed ourselves, and found ourselves...wanting... to lose poor habits to stop evil speaking to cease false rationalizing to quit complaining to forego pushing and shoving to start trusting to start obeying to start praying to start caring to start sharing to start living to put off sin...and to put on the robes of righteousness... for the way-in CREATIVE LISTENING When a man (or woman) has a new idea, or aspirations, or dreams, to whom may he go? Who will listen to him? "My own experience," wrote Thomas Drier, "is that there are not many good listeners in the world, people who will open not only their ears but their minds to other folks." "How many of you," asks Drier, "know of friends to whom you can take you finest aspirations and be sure of a sympathetic hearing? How many will listen intelligently?" "You'll have no trouble getting people who will remain silent while you talk. But you want something more than that. You want to tell your thoughts and receive back encouragement that will make you feel like a fighting cock, sure that you can go out out and snap the heads of all the snakes that will rise up to trouble you." "I believe we need a new priesthood [of] men and women who ill listen creatively to the finest thoughts of people.They will furnish an outlet for emotions that would otherwise perish and probably turn to poison." St. Paul speaks of a "royal priesthood." Can royalty exist where there is no empathetic, creative listening? Is anybody listening? Let's hope so. |
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