Saying Goodbye...

This is a blog I posted one year ago, today.  It's about saying goodbye to our faithful pet companions. So many of my friends crossed this bridge in 2016--I repost it here for you--insert the name of your beloved pet and describe them, remember them...and as a memorial to Karma--gone one year now--and the inspiration for these good words.  For those not fortunate enough to have a pet like these...perhaps 2017 will be your year to see your life transformed by unconditional love.  I hope so.  

"I have loved dogs since I was very young boy and a little poodle mix followed by brother home.  We named him "Yogi" (the dog not my brother)  and he filled our home with love for just about 11 years.  One evening we found him lifeless, out in the yard.  We speculated he'd had a stroke.  I was crushed.  

I've reprised that loss four more times--Alphie age 8, Max age 13,  Barely age 14 and Kate age 15.  Each time they pass into my memory--I'm crushed, again.  Yet once I move through my grief, I can't resist the compulsion to find our next dog companion and start the cycle again.  My lovely Lab Lily sits with her chin wresting on the top of my feet as I type these words.  Chance, our dashing Dachshund, is rattling (his tags drag on the laminate floors) round the kitchen.

So somewhere down the line I have a least two more gut-wrenching "letting-go" passages to make.  I have a friend who just today put her lovely dog, Karma, down.  Karma was loosing her battle with cancer and it was time for my friend to let her best K9 friend go.  Why do we do it?  My friend posted a quote this evening on her Face Book feed.  It explains why pet owners put ourselves in the way of certain heartbreak.

'There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings or walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.'

Suzanne Clothier

That's it!  Look at that, '...our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.'  My life has been better because of my love for my dogs, and most especially, FROM  my dogs.   

So, tonight I celebrate a lovely dog named Karma, her big empathic eyes and lovely brindle coat are a magnificent memory now.  She 'got' my friend, she loved my friend; she trusted my friend.  A wonderful tribute to the connection they shared for 8 years.  Yes, dogs make life better...and parting? Parting surely is sweet-sorrow."

Live it well...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 five years ago about the mystery and paradox we call "loss."  Laura and I, our family,  find ourselves again at this intersection called "loss."  Our 14 year old grandson, Braden died on June 16 after a intense 16 month battle with cancer.  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 philosophical...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.

'The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in Him!'” Lamentations 3.22,23 NLT

I will Hope. I choose hope. I thank God for my blessed hope, Jesus Messiah.

Live it well...bN tGit

Best Hope

December 1, 1862 Abraham Linclon reminded the nation:

"America is the last, best hope of the earth." 

Though often reviled around the world, I believe that President Lincoln's premise has been demonstrated time after time over the past 154 years. We are presently smarting, yes roiling over our recent Presidential Election, but if past is indeed prologue, Americans will close ranks, put our collective forged-strong determination to work, and get on with resolving the challenges we face at home and seek to give generous leadership to the planet.

May God contine to bless America; may He empower us to be people of character and good will; with generous hearts, brilliant minds and dynamic vision...for making tHis world a better place. Through Jesus Messiah, let it be.

A city set on a hill, cannot be hidden.

Live it well...bN tGit

The REASON for this Season?

WE are the reason for the season.  It was rescue mission!

"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..." Romans 5.6, 8 NLT

Christmas is joyous because God's love never fails.  

Shalom L'Chaim, through Jesus Messiah,  let it be.

Live it well...bN tGit 

My Christmas Wish List

You may be familiar with the list of 7 Modern Sns--or not; the conditions it describes are infamously familiar to us all: 

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

This, then, is my Christmas wish list for America in 2017: Work, morality, sacrifice, principles, humanity, character and conscience. 

My prayer for  2017 and beyond:

"Father create in us a hunger for what is right and just. Help us to understand that...

• ...Wealth driven by lust for money is evil and work is an honorable endeavor that gives us meaning and purpose. 
• ...Industry must produce access to opportunity for all.
• ...Worship demands a values-centered life and requires sacrifice.
• ...Politics is the business of the people and is a noble and self-sacrificing life-call.
• ...Science can create in us a deeper spiritual hunger. 
• ...Knowledge is a path to humility. 
• ...Pleasure is the by-product of good character.

May we be given the clarity to "Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God (Micah 6.8)" through Jesus Messiah, let it be. 

Live it well...bN tGit

The Fingerprints of God

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day 2016.  I am blessed.  Not because life hasn't taken anything away from me, or disappointed me.  Not because every dream I ever had for my life has played out in spades.  

I'm blessed because the older I get, the more acutely aware I am that life is hard, harsh--unfair and riddled with sorrow.  Yet in spite of that, as I look back I see God's fingerprints all across my 63 years.

I'm thankful for my family of origin.  It was a perfectly normal not-perfect home; but we were loved, and the provision was so sacrificial.  I remember Hody's Drive-in, singing the the family station wagon, Christmas mornings, baseball card collections, my parents trusting me.  Back yard barbecues.  Working in the family business.  They gave me my foundation, my work ethic, many of my core values and showed me what it means to be a responsible adult.

I'm grateful for my brother and sister, Brad and Tamara.  I was the proud younger brother to Brad and the protective older brother to Tamara.  I love them both and appreciate all we share and their part in making me, me.

I'm thankful for my Grandma Blankenship and my Aunt Carolyn who stood in the gap for me, prayed for me and lovingly intervined on my behalf when I desperately needed an advocate...for my cousin Patty who was like a big sister to me.

I'm thankful for friends made a life-time ago that have come back into my life through social-media.  The memories we share form a strong bond and a rich tapestry woven from the community we shared together growing up in a little town North-West of LA called Thousand Oaks.  These people helped give me a good start.

I'm thankful for Mark who showed me what effective faith consisted of and then mentored me in the early years of my walk with Messiah Jesus; introduced me to the girl who would become the woman I've shared by life with for nearly 44 years and challenged me to pursue a call into ministry--which extended into 26 years.  

I have been blessed by friends in 4 different States, North Carolina, California, Illinois and Indiana, over the past 44 years.  People have loved us well at every stop; they mentored us as a "just married" college  couple at Duke, befriended us as co-sojourners with growing families in our early years when I was a young Merchandising Exec, allowed us to lead them as their "clergy couple" over 18 plus years as a Lead Pastor at three stops--California, Illinois and Indiana.  Many of these folks remain in close contact with us.

I'm thankful for the years I spent a Duke University--an opportunity that wasn't even on the radar when I finally sat down to consider where I might pursue my college ambitions--yet when the time was right, God delivered me to that place--and a paid-in-full promise.

I'm thankful for my Talbot Seminary experience.  The timing was all wrong, but so right.  This was such a formative time in my life.  My brain finally unfolded and study became a discipline that shaped my life and my ministry. 

I'm thankful for Laura, my wife.  As I mentioned, we will celebrate 44 years of marriage on January 5, 2017.  She is my very best friend.  She has worked along side me, loved me, made our home a place of nurture for our children, supported us all in the pursuit of our dreams.  She has stood by me through some very deep water, I'm so grateful.  She is an immensely talented woman with special gifts as a musician, homemaker and grandmother.

I'm thankful for Laura's parents, Gene and Janice.  They loved us well and were generous with their love, wisdom and support.  They left such a legacy of Godliness and service.  They became a second set of parents to me--so critical because I lost my dad at age 17 and my mom at age 31.  They stood in the gaps for me.

I'm thankful for my kids, Erin and Joseph.  They have become such good citizens, parents and are raising their kids with love, grace and sacrifice.  They are my friends; intelligent and stimulating, opinionated and articulate.  They have such passion for the ideas they believe in.  Best of all, they love Jesus Messiah and endeavor to live in a manner that reflects His image to their worlds.

I'm thankful for Matthew and Miranda, my son and daughter-in law.  They are talented, compassionate people, love my kids well and are wonderful parents.  I prayed even before our children were born for that person they may eventually share their lives and dreams with.  God did good.  They are companions on the Way with our children and have established homes that honor Christ and serve Him.

I'm thankful for our four gandchildren, Braden, Kellen, Gabriella and Grayson.  Grandchildren are everything that's right about life.  Pure joy, delight, potential.  There isn't anything quite like the blessing grandkids introduce into our lives.  These four make my heart explode with joy, pride and thanksgiving.

Our firstborn grandchild Braden, won't be at the table with us this year.  He lost his battle with cancer on June 28, 2016--passing into his Savior's loving arms.  He lived it well.  The legacy he left behind is a blessing--his courage, his story, touched the lives of thousands of people all across the nation.  One of his last wishes was to "see the word of his testimony spread" and it has in a fashion only God could have orchestrated.  He was diagnosed in February 2015 and it has been such a difficult journey, a journey God has made with us.  We have seen such goodness and generosity from people, many who were strangers before this disease brought us together--many remain strangers today, but generous benefactors none-the-less. It's humbling. It's transformative. We will be together with Braden again, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because of our blessed hope--Jesus Messiah.

I'm thankful for our faithful family pets who have shared life with us and made our lives better in ways we could not have expected...Alphie 12 years, Max 13 years, Barley 15 years, Kate 15 years, Lily  8 years in progress and Chance 4 years in progress.

I'm thankful for 26 years we invested in ministry, the good, the bad and the heart-break.

I'm thankful for my last 15 years with State Farm.  A great opportunity to pursue another side of my gift-mix.  It's given us security we never anticipated we would enjoy.  It has been a wonderful platform from which to make hard-lives easier--truly a market-place ministry.

I'm thankful for physicians who have done an amazing job over the last 25 years in controlling my diabetes--all my organs are healthy and I still have all my fingers and toes; and most recently in giving me a shot at putting the disease into remission by making it possible for me to lose 136 pounds since July 2015.  Doctors Knight and Knapp are great healers.

So much to be thankful for, so little space and a memory dimmed by 63 years.  That said..."Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above  ye heavenly hosts, praise Father Son and Holy Ghost."

Live it well...bN tGit

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving is just ahead on the horizon.  We are blessed this year for many reasons.  

We will gather with Kids, Grandkids, extended family, good table-talk, smiles, a look-back in time and an extra helping of making new memories.  

We will give thanks for a life lived well, for our blessed hope--Jesus Messiah, for joy in spite of profound loss, for the laughter of small children, the creative gift of our now oldest living grandchild and for progress as a family; for a community of people, many whom we will never personally meet, who are standing with us through the "valley of shadow of death" and love us generously.

What are you serving at your house?  Perhaps the key isn't what we bring to the table, it's what we take away.

Remember, home is where life makes up it's mind.  Wishing you all a persuasive holiday celebration.

Let it be.

Live it well...bN tGit

thanks GIVING

The harvest is nearly complete.  It's Sunday,  four days to Thanksgiving. 

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, profound blessing in being alive; a kind touch, a gentle word, a thoughtful deed, a smile, a poignant moment. Use us as instruments that produce a concert of joy wherever this week takes us; where life takes us.  Asking, seeking, knocking...Through Christ, let it be."

Make this a happy thanks GIVING.

Live it well...tGit

Out of the Gray

Lake slips into a mist of gray
Horizon broken by trees stripped by Fall, bracing for winter.
Seasons change, storms pass.

A metaphor for life? 
Fifty shades of gray, stripped by storms bracing for loss.
Where is the hope? 

A Blue Herron floats over the water. 
The Spirit floats over the chaos of life.
Flashes of color break through the mist.
Seasons change, storms pass.
God--not lost in the gray.
Hope.

Someone is at the Door.

Someone asked me this week, "Do you want a wall on our Southern border?" 

What I want is a welcome mat at the front door that says "we welcome those who want to work with us to make this a great Nation with a large heart and unlimited opportunity" AND secure borders that won't permit people to commit a "home invasion" via the back door; if that takes a wall, more aggressive policing and/or police presence, detention/hearing centers located at the border to process undocumented people back to their nation of origin in a humane, effective and efficient way; drones, helper dogs, armored vehicles--any and all this and any other civilized measure that might be employed by a government that is determined to control egress into this Nation and protect our Citizens, Commerce and Resources--THAT, is what I want. 

History does not equivocate: failure to control one's borders leads to a failed state. Period.

Live it well...bN tGit