A Tattered Stable...

Delighted to share this from a very talented writer, thinker and friend...Lori Schuster VenderLende.  Thanks for giving us a voice Lori!

"Away in the manger
no crib for a bed
the exhausted Lord Jesus
laid down his tired head,
and pounded it on the table
Again and again and again.

Oh Winter Tree
Oh Winter Tree
How lovely are your barren branches.
The Nativity is empty
save for the snowplow parked underneath
the tattered gable
where an Angel once stood watch.

Shut your eyes, children
Shield your ears
The courthouse lawn is strewn with religiosity
Now go and watch your MTV.

And a mile up the road,
three well-dressed kings of Orient are
hitching a ride in a gas guzzling car.
They’ve lost their way
misplaced their star,
along the coastal highway.

There is no room in the PC ring
for people who worship a small infant King.
But the credit cards are flying
pulled by eight tiny non-denominational reindeer
and Madison Avenue is praising Jesus.

We wish you a Merry something.

So, have yourself a Silent Night.
The choirs have given up the fight,
the instruments nestled all snug in their bed
while Jesus is nursing His tired aching head.
And Peace on Earth is in the Court
the First Noel a brainless tort.

We the people of the United States of America
have lost our collective minds.
And now the bullies are running the show,
and we are just plain running.
So help me ACLU.

Joy to the World.
Unless it can be thwarted,
by the ones who never learned
to play well with others.
The ones who took the ball home
so no one could enjoy the game.
They look out the windowand smile
at the snowplowparked under the gable
of the empty stable.

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Bravo!! 
Live it well...bN tGit

Bleeding out...

Culture in America is on an inverted spiral out of control--devolution.  "Civil rights" have replaced "the moral imperative" as the final arbitrator in America.  We've come to embrace the idea it's (here's the irony)  "immoral" to deny the rights of individuals to act as they see fit as long is "no one is hurt in the process."  But this rubric fails to understand that morality isn't defined as just "the absence of a victim."  Debased behavior, wether it's Wall Street, the Silver Screen, Congress, Education, Church or at home diminishes the entire culture and has set in motion a "death by a thousand cuts" cultural bleed-out.

In the name of freedom we have acted in ways that have produced unintended consequences.  We have come to believe that because we have the protection under law to do something, produce something, say something--we can.  The problem is that liberty in that context is license--and license leads, inevitably, to lawlessness.  One of the most important lessons I learned at home was this; just because I CAN do something, doesn't not mean I SHOULD do it. 

If we as a culture, can get back to this simple lesson and apply it with consistency to the way we LIVE our lives, run our companies, invest our money, lead our homes, churches, communities and our nation, THEN I believe we will have taken a FIRST-STEP toward restoring sanity to our decision making process and rebuilding the ramparts that protect our culture from evil and devolution toward certain destruction.

But mark this, healing our culture must ultimately address our spiritual need.  The Older Testament prophet Micah lived in a truly evil world.  The theme of his prophetic letter stresses the integral relationship between true spirituality and righteous conduct. Toward the end of his letter he turns to an axiomatic concern: Micah 6.6 "...with what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high?"   In today's vernacular it might sound something like this..."What kind of life will reflect and infuse truth in a world whose reality is based solely on pragmatism and driven by relativism?"  He reveals that answer to us in chapter 6, verse 8... 

"He has showed you O man, what is good.  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."   Micah 6.8

Friends, it's not a fiscal cliff we see looming on the horizon.  bN

Success & Failure...

Several years ago I decided it was time to fix my shoulder--torn rotator cuff, labrum and a large calcium deposit on my bursa.  I'd postponed the inevitable surgery for 42 years. Two months after the repair I began my rehab process.  I am intrigued by how fast our joints "freeze up" and muscles atrophe when we don't use them. As I strained to lift my arm above my shoulder, I could only move it half that distance; no matter how hard I tried--I could not "will" it up. Getting my "shoulder back" took discipline and hard work.

Life is like that too. When we live careless, reckless, aimless lives, we miss the best life has to offer. People are filled with potential; we are "wired" for growth, relationships, productivity and yes, achievement. Realizing these possibilities brings shape to life, purpose for living; talent and apptitude must be transformed into ability by disciplined effort. "Willing" it won't make it happen. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin and people tend to get what they expect. Our expectations tend to dictate our effort; dicipline tends to dictate our success. Successful people do the things unsuccessful people aren't unwilling to do; the door to success isn't hard to see, but it demands much of those who choose to pass through it.

But, what about "life" after death?  People of faith believe that we've been created with eternity in our hearts. The Scriptures tell us that...

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners...God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us."  Rom 5.6,8 NLT

We embrace this gracious provision by trusting Christ as our Lord and Savior. But this kind of effective faith doesn't just kick back and "let it happen." Saving faith points us to "a long obedience in the same direction." Life becomes the canvas where we see worked out, what God has worked in. Like purposeful living, spiritual strength and godly character are the by-products of disciplined effort. The apostle Paul understood this...

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." 1 Cor 9.24-27 NLT

Good outcomes don't just happen.  Life and eternity demand our very best and our very best is always more than enough.

Infamy and grief.

December 7, 1941. 

   2400 dead. 1200 wounded.
   18 US Ships and 300 planes destoryed or damaged.

"A date that will live in infamy"   President Roosevelt

"I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and instilled in him a terrible resolve."  Admiral Yamamoto

Both men were right; the world was rescued from an "Axis of evil," but not before millions lost their lives and the planet was gashed by nuclear weapons. 

America, an idea that produces passion to sacrifice.
Freedom isn't free.

bN tGit

Lost and found...

Christmas is, for many, a difficult passage at the end of each year.  Because our memories are so strong, and so many memories are surfaced by this blessed time of year, those who have experienced loss, feel it most acutely over the six weeks from Thanksgiving to the New Year.  I'm reposting a blog I first wrote two years ago about the mystery and paradox we call "loss."  For those in pain today...

"Loss. I've had my share over the years.

Two weeks after I graduated from High School, my father died, I was 17. In 1984, just after my 31st birthday, my mother died . I was 38 when I learned I had diabetes. I began a 'rest of my life' battle with skin cancer in 1996, at age 43. Disappointment...oh my, where do I start. Failure--several crushing instances. Unrealized dreams, of course.

My story isn't unique. It's called, 'being human.'  Loss is just a part of the 'living experience.' Life is hard, and, can be very harsh. Loss, though we all face it, is not simply a one size fits all process. For some, loss means never experiencing 'what could have been.'  For others it's remembering 'what was.'  For all of us it's losing people we love, to death. Life's 'Harsh passages' include broken relationships, disease, tragic accidents, children 'lost' in adolescence and never able to move on to productive adult lives, addiction, betrayal, unfaithful spouses and/or friends, failure...have I described your 'loss-story' yet?

Recently, an extended family member, and friend, facing a number of very difficult circumstances posted a comment about loss, she concluded, 'Easy to be philiosophical...easy to be grateful too.' As I paused to reflect on her words, I was struck by this profound insight.

'Easy to be grateful too...'  Really?  We can't, generally, control loss. Bad things happen to good (and bad) people. We can, however, control our attitude and our response to loss. We can ask 'why me?' or we can declare'"why NOT me!' That's the 'philosophical' part.

The 'grateful' part comes when, our pain notwithstanding, we aren't swallowed by bitterness; through the darkness of the moment, we still see the sunshine we've experienced over the years--as well as the expectation that the sun will shine again. Loss frames our perspective. It reminds us of the providence of God and the blessings we enjoy and have enjoyed through the ebb and flow of life. It's ironic, loss and gratitude are two sides of the same coin. Tennyson understood this when he penned 'It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.'

The sentiment that struck me as so profound was 'easy.'  It just never occurred to my friend to not be grateful. The emotional and spiritual place that she 'lives' made gratitude a logical extension, not of her pain, but of His promise. The Psalmist (42.5) said it this way..

'Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God.'

Loss isn't abandonment. It isn't the death of hope. It's an intersection of life where one can step back and see life not just for what it isn't, but for what it is; it's at that place, in that moment, we see the goodness of God, and it's easy to be grateful.

Lost and found. A fitting description."

My Christmas wish list...

The 7 modern sins...

• Wealth without work
• Industry without morality
• Worship without sacrifice
• Politics without principles
• Science without humanity
• Knowledge without character
• Pleasures without conscience

Work, morality, sacrifice, principles, humanity, character and conscience.  This is my Christmas wish list for America in 2013; my prayer for my nation in 2014 and beyond...

"Father create in us a hunger for what is right and just.  Help us to understand...that a love of money, is the root of all evil; that work is an honorable endeavor that shapes our character and gives us meaning and purpose; that industry must, in the end, produce social justice and opportunity for all; that politics is the business of the people, by the people and for the people and is the most noble and self-sacrificing life call a citizen can pursue; that we celebrate what science discovers in the context of enriching our appreciation for our uniqueness as humankind and creating in us a deeper spiritual hunger; that we seek knowledge as a path to humility; that pleasure be the by-product of good character, honest work and noble intention, and not an end in itself; that we understand that living a values-centered life does by definition require sacrifice...and may all this lead us to declare that 'You, are the awesome God.'"

Thanksgiving...

The harvest is nearly all in.

In my time zone, it will be Thanksgiving day in 2 minutes. These are times that challenge us all; but joy, real joy, can't be touched and isn't determined by circumstance...

"Lord empower us to drill down deep and discover joy in simplicity; a kind touch, a gentle word, a thoughtful deed, a smile, a poignant moment, a deep reflective breath. Use us as instruments that produce a concert of joy in every context we find ourselves this day, and every day. Amen."

Make this 2013 edition a happy ThanksGIVING.   bN

Roots...

A month of "thanks-giving"...November 15.

Laura and I invested 24 years in ministry.  Like most people who pursue that call, tenure in one place is the exception, not the norm.  

Prior to our arrival in Elkhart, 6 years was the "high water" mark for our service in one place.  Hard to put down roots and feel like you are part of a place when--you're not.

Thankful that as of July 4, 2013 we have called Elkhart home for 19 years and last April 13, 2013 we celebrated 12 years with State Farm.  Normal feels pretty good.

Color me thankful.

Help!

Listening to the Old Beatles tune this morning, "Help."

"When I was younger, so much younger than today 

I never needed anybody's help in any way

But now these days are gone, I'm not so self-assured

Now I find, I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors.

And now my life has changed in, oh, so many ways

My independence seems to vanish in the haze

But every now and then I feel so insecure 

I know that I just need you like I've never done before.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down 

And I do appreciate you being 'round

Help me get my feet back on the ground

Won't you, please, please help me?" 

As I was taken back to another (younger) time in my life, it occurred to me that the (young) Beatles had uncanny insight in writing about what happens to us as we move through the final third of our lives; a time filled with loss and tradeoffs.

While we can't "do it all" anymore (not that we ever could), the tenderness we experience as our spouses, kids, and friends "stand in the gaps" is profound.  We discover the rich, mysterious, blessing of interdependence.

Help is good. Life is "grand."

It's Enough.

Today's predicted high: 49.  "It's begining to feel alot like...WINTER." 

But that's just fine. Lawns are done for the season, the air is crisp and filled with the fragrance of fresh coffee; as the season changes and our pace slows down, a new perspective emerges. 

We glance back--and give Thanks.  We look up--and are humbled by "the Word made flesh."  We anticipate 2014--and feel energized by the prospect of a fresh start.

But life happens TODAY.  Today is where we live; that's all we have, that's all we need. 

It's enough.