Saturday, October 27, 2012

Stop the Madness

  Times do change. I would not want to return to the 1950s, 1970s or even the 1990s, but there are a few things, long gone, that I would like to bring back. For one, how about sanity. The kind that comes from good old common sense.
   Take for example, obesity. The papers and the electronic media are full of stories about how fat our American Children are. Kids in my neighborhood are fat because EVERY child is transported to and from school, individually, by a parent in a car. I write individually, because every morning and afternoon, the two lane street in front of our neighborhood school is lined with parental school buses, for 3 blocks in either direction of the school's entrance. And, the key phrase is neighborhood school. The attendance area is about a square mile or two. All of the kids live within walking distance, for Pete's sake. Walking is a good thing.
   Oh, I know, we are told that it's just not safe anymore. Well, I say, let the little chubbies walk....or run, if they need to get away from a predator. Teach the little porkers how to defend themselves and scream like bloody murder if they are accosted.
    Who is going to abduct a screaming kid? Rrumor has it that I have even tried to push a few screaming kids OUT of my car!
    And, how about bringing back honest Trick or Treating. Today we drive the kids to a mall or better yet a church parking lot, where good meaning church folk give out candy from their trunks. Egad. What is that teaching the next generation?
    Where do you think the expression "dealing from your trunk" comes from? It's about drugs, folks. We knew about trunks way back in the 50s. But, now our kids associate trunks with candy. Wow. That is so wrong.
   Stop the madness.


Okay God, your children's actions sometimes border on the ridiculous. Teach us common sense. Teach us right from wrong. Show us how to improve our lives and the lives of those we know and those we don't know. Be our guide. Strengthen us to do your will.
  

Monday, October 22, 2012

Size Matters

I like driving small cars. For years I drove a Volkswagen Beetle. Ffor their size, those German (actually Mexican made) cars are heavy little things and they do hug the road. The Beetle was the perfect car for my many trips around Missouri, and beyond. This five foot 2 inch woman and her car were "one with the road."
More recently, I have had to use larger vehicles to accomplish my trips for work. Now, as I travel the Midwest, I rent mid-sized cars or small vans to transport me and my stuff to conferences and to do "hands-on mission" workshops.
Last Saturday, I loaded up every available inch of a huge Ford Expedition or maybe it was a Ford Exorbitant, with cartons of boxes and wrapping materials for a big event. All the items had to be unloaded at my destination and then reloaded again, for the trip back home. It was a very long day.....14 hrs., and I only fell off the running board once.
It's been quite a while since I've driven anything that big. Thankfully, this car was shiny and new. Everything on it worked. My last experience with something that big was an old pick-up truck. The seat adjustment was broken, so I drove it with my purse stuffed behind my back (to get my feet to closer to the pedals) and I had to hang on to the wheel, with both hands, to see over the steering column.
My trek with the big Ford was a good one. I had safe travels and a great event.

Thank you, God, for watching over us. You give us strength in time of need. Your tender mercies surround us, as we face the challenges our lives. We praise your name. Your goodness endures forever.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

"He's makin' a list, and checkin' it twice......."

Alex Karras, the actor, passed away last week. Although, I hadn't thought about him for quite a while, I was still sorry to hear of his passing. You might remember that he was a former Chicago Bears great, and later the star of a really cute TV series. Karras also played a leading role in one of my all-time favorite movies.
As movies go, "Blazing Saddles" is not what anyone would call a classic. But, it is classic Mel Brooks. It is totally irreverant, crude, full of vulgar nonsense, really bad puns and at the same time, totally hilarious. My type of cinema.
"Blazing Saddles" contains one of my all-time favorite movie lines. Given my 40 plus years, as a United Methodist, I have known the best and the worst of the breed. So, I was not the least little bit surprised with the choices of Hedley Lamarr, the evil saloon owner, as he makes a list of the folks he wants in his dastardly gang. Hedley says: "I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.
That is just so bad, for all kinds of reasons. But very funny. I suggest you rent the movie or watch it on the Internet.

Good God: I believe that you have a sense of humor. You created us and allowed us free will. You have to get a chuckle out of mess we make of our lives. Thank you giving us the sense to laugh, when things are funny. Please, don't let us take ourselves to seriously. Teach us to be kind and caring residents of your bountiful Earth. In all things, we praise your Name.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Write it down.

My one and only Much Older Sister sent me a Blessing Book for my birthday. It's basically a blank book meant for journaling about Inspiration and Praise. Being dead set against procrastination, I'm going to use it to write about my blessings, someday soon.
Honestly, I've met very few people who can verbalise or write coherently about their blessings. Why is that?
Most folks are thankful by nature, but maybe sharing our feelings feels like bragging to many of us. You know...we're hesitant to say that we are thankful for our nice homes, fast cars, new shoes (although they're really cute), and all the stuff we've got. We're just not very good at it.
Have you ever been to a Thanksgiving Sunday Service, and during the prayer, the preacher asks to you shout out what you are thankful for?
Dead Silence. Then a few folks brave folks, after thinking really hard, shout out a few items. You usually hear "thank yous" for good health, good weather, the recent rain or the beautiful snowfall, safe travels, etc.
What am I thankful for? OMGolly, I'm breathing. I have hands with which to write this post, and a mind clear enough (most of the time) to organize my thoughts. I can work. I can rest. My family loves me. I have friends that are interested in what I do. I live in a county where I can worship and think as I choose. I have enough to eat. I have a home...and it's warm on these frosty Fall evenings.
I'm getting ready to write in my Blessings Book. I am blessed beyond all comprehension. And, for this I am thankful to God Almighty.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Thanks a bunch, Lord.