I live in South Carolina and for days we have been wondering what effects hurricane Florence would have.  Though it was downgraded from a category 4 to a category 2 before landfall, it has certainly been destructive.  For some it has been truly devastating.  Suffering comes in all sorts of ways, but when it comes from something that we have absolutely no control over, it causes its own sort of anxiety.  And hopefully, it provokes deeper thought.

Control over our lives is pretty much an illusion, anyway.  We certainly have the ability to choose different paths.  But our vision of what is down those paths is very limited.  It is often the unexpected, good and bad, that shapes ours lives.  And sometimes what is painful redirects us to a better path.  Years ago, someone wrote “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn…”

My daughter was married this past weekend. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was so much fun. It is always wonderful to get a large group of friends and family together with great food and music….it definitely is a wondrous “moment” in life. I have been married 34 years and still look back at my wedding day and honeymoon with wonder.

Listening to my daughter and son-in-law say their vows made me remember how marriage is to be a mini-example of the relationship between Christ and his bride, the church. Each of them said to the other, “With all that I am, and with all that I have, I honor you” So simple. Why can we say that to another human and not to our creator? That is all he asks…for us to love Him with all we are.

So we should live with those words in our consciousness….

Lord, with all that I am and with all that I have, I honor You.

Such a simple way to change the world.

It is impossible to live long in this world without realizing that something is wrong.  That many things are wrong.  That our world is broken.  On this, all people can agree.  The reason for the brokenness and the solution to it are where opinions diverge.  For me, I believe that there are still VESTIGES of “how we were meant to be” evident all around.

The very fact that we are able to care, however inadequately, for someone outside ourself says that their is Truth beyond utilitarianism.  Evolution does not ever teach that it is wise to do for someone else UNLESS it benefits you in some way.   Survival of the fittest does not allow for caring for a handicapped child or helping the infirm elderly.  Yet most, whatever their belief system, would say that  these things are right to do.  Why?…a vestige.

There are terrible natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and floods and mudslides and fires.  But there are rainbows and starry nights and beautiful sunsets.  Coral of dazzling color buried deep under water where no human eye appreciates it .  Why?…a vestige.

And then there is human error (or dare I say sin?) that leads to broken families, homicides, abortion, or injustice of a million different varieties.  But as a society we still seek to enforce rules and correct injustice.  Why have laws?  Why seek to correct wrongs?  Why?….a vestige.

The list could go on, but you get my drift.  There is wisdom that generally leads to good.  Hard work generally gives a benefit to the worker.   As a general rule, doing good reaps healthy benefits and doing wrong (or evil) reaps loss and hurt.  But not always!  Our world is broken.  Why is it true at all?….a vestige.

There will come a day when the current world, with all its brokenness, will pass away.  Humans will still be in the process of trying to fix it themselves when God steps in to finally correct it all, just as He has promised.  How much better it would be for humanity in the meantime, if we spent a little more reflection on seeking the Wisdom that promises not just a total fix in the future, but a glimpse of it now if we listen.

What is wrong with the world?  As GK Chesterton famously wrote when asked that question, “I am.”

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PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS

Her last few years were marked by a battle against both cancer and dementia.  I lived 600 miles away from her.  Fortunately,  her suffering was lessened by my 2 sisters who lived close and did everything in their power, and more, to make mom comfortable.

Dementia is a sad disease.  People leave before they really leave.  It’s been a long time since I was able to call Mom and really have a discussion with her.  I could not talk to her about her day or mine, or discuss a problem, or get her opinion on an issue.  Because of this, I mourned the loss of my mom long before her heart quit beating.  I missed not being able to talk to her while she was alive.  I miss her physical presence now that she has died.  But the odd thing is that since she is now with the Lord and of sound mind again, in some way she feels closer.  I know that she is more alive now in heaven than she was when she lingered here on earth.

There is a verse, 2 Corinthians 5:4, which talks about death.  It says, ” while we are still in this tent (or body), we groan, (ain’t that the truth?) being burdened–not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE.”

I am not one who favors the cold.  Temperatures near freezing always threaten to put me in a foul mood.  Sometimes in the morning on a cold day, the chirping of many birds will interrupt the silence of early morning.  Now chirping birds always lighten my mood.  Moods are a funny thing.  They come and go and can change so fast.  But I have found that an almost sure way to brighten a “less than sunny” mood is with trying to find my lost, grateful heart.

Have you ever sat down and tried to list 50 things you were grateful for?   This morning I tried to do 50 things just from nature.

I am grateful for……

sunshine, sandy beaches, gentle and warm rains, rainbows, warm breezes, bees, honey, the smell of honeysuckle, flowers that bloom, and trees that bud in the spring.

I love a full moon, country nights away from city lights full of stars, waterfalls, green valleys, country lanes, horses, friendly dogs, digging in the soil, a garden and fresh vegetables….

blue skies, fluffy clouds, gold and silver,  turquoise and quartz, the smell of rubber and the smell of baking bread, the colors of autumn and the crunch of walking in fall leaves….

the sound of children’s voices, gentle hugs, passionate kisses, butterflies, rhododendron in the mountains, gentle streams, the taste of fresh caught salmon, butter on fresh bread, cinnamon and caramel apples.

THE PRINCE OF PEACE

For to us a child is born,
To us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Christmas can be the best time of the year, but it can also be the most difficult.   Sorrow and loss seems to get magnified.  Expectations are raised high and reality rarely lives up to them.  It is important, midst all of the frustrations and turmoil and selfishness of this world, to remember that our biggest need was met by the child born in poverty in Bethlehem long ago.  Christ came with one purpose…..to die.  There was to be no peace between God and man unless ours sins were dealt with.  Since we were helpless to make ourselves good, as anyone who has ever really tried knows,  there was not much hope….until Bethlehem and Golgotha.  Only a sinless man who did not need to die could be an effective sacrifice………what love

How grateful I am for the peace that only Jesus can give. It is not dependent on circumstances.  It is not dependent on problems being solved.  It is dependent on my remaining dependent on Him.   Circumstances and problems will rob me of peace when they become my focus.  The turmoil and chaos of the world will destroy if it is not viewed through the filter of Christ.   Only when I am abiding in Him am I able to see a bigger picture.  He is the ultimate answer to every dilemma.   As long as I am alive on this earth, there will be sorrow and loss….but He truly has overcome the world.  The key is, as He tells us, to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Cor 4:18)  As I begin to understand better who God is, He grows larger and the “passing away” things of this world grow smaller and smaller and smaller…..and less able to harm.

Merry Christmas to all!

It is a known fact that gratitude leads to health benefits.  Better sleep.  Less depression.  It even leads to a better immune system and less inflammation.  As the book of Proverbs says, “A joyful heart is good medicine.”  Inspite of the benefits of gratitude, however, it is not something well practiced.  We are not very good at saying thank you, or even thinking it.  Less than half of men and only slightly more than half of women regularly express any gratefulness on a regular basis.  According to Janice Kaplan, the  author of “The Gratitude Diaries”, the least grateful are those between the ages of 18-24.  But though hopefully one grows more grateful as one gets older, overall we are an ungrateful society, no matter our age.

A few years ago, in an effort to battle some depression, I read a book that encouraged me to begin a list of items for which I was thankful.  I have forgotten the name of the book, but as I remember I was to start with a basic list of a few items and add to it each day.  After the first few days when I listed the most obvious choices, I had to really think about what I could add.  It really was therapeutically amazing!!  I came up with so many things.  I was so blessed.  What I remember the most, was that many of the things I was thankful for were things I had been taking for granted.  The colors in a sunset or a warm breeze.  The beauty of a flower.  The song of a bird.  Once I started looking for things, I found them.  I had just been missing them even though they had been there all along.

I have never forgotten the lesson that book taught me.  Even today, I find it is fun to sit and see what I can come up with.  Take for instance the ability to smell or taste food.  Often we just breeze through a meal and in a few hours have forgotten what we have eaten.  But in slowing down and savoring you notice so much more.  Can you sort out the different spices in a good chili or appreciate the  texture of a really smooth custard?  Think of the genius that designed us.  How can we distinguish such differences.?  It is amazing to think that we can differentiate between tens of thousands of different smells, sometimes detecting a compound, in wine for instance, at a single part per trillion!  Of course we should be thankful for such ability.  Instead of being grateful, however, I find that I am much more likely to complain over the smell of sweaty socks than I am to appreciate the lavender in the wash that makes them smell fresh.

The weather is turning cold!   Winter can be a bit of a downer to some of us.  My prescription for a pick me up on a cold afternoon is ….TEA! There are a lot of health benefits available from cozying up to a cup of tea.  Of course, in the United States, coffee is still the beverage of choice when a little caffeine is needed.  Worldwide, however, tea is consumed at a rate 3 times that of coffee.  And even in the United States we are increasing our consumption of tea.  Most of us seem to prefer black tea (87%) but about 12.5% drink green tea.

Some of the benefits from tea, besides the sheer comfort of a hot drink, come from the caffeine it contains.  Research currently says that consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine daily is safe for most adults.  It can increase mental alertness, of course, but it also has been linked to a lower risk of Alzheimers disease.  It is important to remember, though, that too much of a good thing can cause some unwanted side effects such as headache, tremor, insomnia and anxiety.

And be careful what you put in your tea!  Adding a lot of sugar or cream may negate the  positive effects.  Definitely avoid nondairy creamers, as they often contain trans fat which you need to avoid at all costs!

If you have not gotten your flu shot yet, it’s time. There are a long list of excuses that I have heard from patients over the years, but those who forgo the shot and get the flu are ALWAYS sorry. I am such a believer in the wisdom of taking the flu shot that one year, when my kids were little and did not want it, I told them they had to get it in order to have dinner! I knew that the momentary pain would possibly save them from worse pain down the road.

So here are the stats. In the United States, about 36,000 people still die from influenza yearly. Worldwide that number goes up a lot, as influenza kills from 250,000 to 500,000 people each year. Many more are hospitalized with serious illness but survive.

And it is not just for yourself that you should get immunized. You do not want to be the one to give it to someone else. This is especially true if you are around elderly or immune deficient people. In addition, if enough of us get immunized, there may end up being a kind of “herd immunity” developed in the community.

The injectable flu vaccine contains nothing live and therefore it is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. (it is not recommended to get the nasal vaccine which is a live vaccine) It is safe to get the injectable vaccine even if you are pregnant. There just isn’t much downside. And since it is impossible to predict the severity of a flu season, why not take precaution? If there were other killers that you knew would kill over 700 people in your state this year, you would do what you could to avoid them.

I think America fears the wrong things.  Today’s news is full of rhetoric about Russian influence and assaults against democracy.  Through words and free speech, no less!  It is not Russian influence through Facebook ads and posts that will destroy us.  If we fall, it will be because our citizens no longer are able to think for themselves.  It will be because we are too easily swayed.  It will be because truth and character have eroded to the point that we can no longer discern truth from error or right from wrong.  It will be because the foundation upon which we once stood is shaken and soft.

Perhaps that is true.  We overlook all sorts of terrible character flaws in our leaders.     It is very naive to believe that how someone conducts themselves in private does not affect how or where they will lead us.  How can we honestly believe that someone who lies to their own family would honestly serve the public?  And why do we believe them when they promise what we know they cannot and will not deliver?

America needs to go back to its roots.  Our leaders need to be held to a higher standard!  Our journalists need to pursue truth over profit!  We need to examine our own lives and aim to live nobly.  We need to vote based on character.  We need to vote also with our feet and our wallets.  We need to try to understand each other.  We need to care for each other even when we don’t understand.

We need to  strengthen the foundation of American and then we will not need to be afraid.  We will not be so easily undermined.  No country with a solid foundation and belief in love, hope, and truth need fear influence from any false rhetoric….from Russia or anywhere else!