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Moments that Touched me in 2011

Love the sentiment expressed in this image. Reminds me that life is marked by the moments that touch us deeply. Thought I might share a few of my moments, both deep and not, from the past year - a few of them I share with many of you.

That moment in July that the tube came out and my wife Ann came off the ventilator. I will always remember the feeling of inexpressible joy when she first breathed on her own.
That moment when my son graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene University. Feelings of pride rose in my heart knowing how long and hard he worked to make this happen after he left the Army.
There seemed to be a closure for many of us in the moment that we heard of Osama bin Laden's death. Reminded me of the moment my warrior son came home from Iraq for the last time.
Shared a few beautiful moments over a meal with blogging friends in Chicago. It was sweet to meet Keith and Therese in person after years of virtual friendship.
The moment that I visited my friend John for the last time before he passed away haunts me. Seeing him in such pain was hard on my heart.
Coming home after a long and difficult summer in Chicago was one of the more blissful moments of my year. Was blessed to find my cabinets stocked by our church.
I remember that gut-wrenching moment in October when I heard that my beautiful niece Lynn had lost her three year battle with cancer and of how I cried with my brother and sister on the phone.
Love the many moments that I spent with Ann enjoying a simple meal and sharing our hearts in conversation. Reminds me that life is all about the simple things.
Remember the moments when Mary Jo, Todd, Jim and Kathy touched my heart by just being there in Chicago with me when I was afraid and hurting the most.
I seem to be able to remember the moments that I heard of the death of friends and public figures. There is something that touches us when a fellow traveler dies.

What are the moments in 2011 that you will remember most? Please share at least one.

I Am Number Four | ★★★★★★★

You might enjoy this movie if you have a penchant for science fiction, fantasy and super heroes. It is about a Superboy type of figure who is fourth among ten aliens who were brought to earth to protect it from the Mogodarins, another alien race. Oddly enough the teen, named John (played by Alex Pettyfer), is next in line to be eliminated because his attackers kill them in numerical order. Fortunately for John he has help from his protector and a beautiful surprise character that emerges late in the movie.

The movie is filled with suspense, romance and geeky gadgetry - and it has a pretty good story line that even my wife, a non-geek, enjoyed. I do think that the movie's target audience is teens but I would probably catch a sequel if there is one. On a scale of ten I give Four ★★★★★★★.

Access my movie reviews webpage by clicking on "Movie Reviews" above.

Beautiful People do not Just Happen

The sentiment in this quote is so beautiful that I just had to share it.
I think that the challenge inherent in trials and troubles is to allow them to change us and make us beautiful, instead of bitter, people.

Last week I shared with about 40 people about my struggles this summer watching my wife fight for her life in Chicago. Watching her contend with breathing tubes, ventilators, physical therapy, and overcoming all sorts of obstacles, convinces me even more that beautiful people do not just happen but are born on the ash heaps of such difficulties. My Ann is a testimony of God's grace in her life and the things that are possible when a person works hard and does not give up. Such people inspire me to persevere when things get hard.

The Public Face of Atheism

Christopher Hitchens was born in the same year that I was. He lost his long battle with cancer and died a few weeks ago. I mourn his passing. Many have written much about him but I thought that Preston Gillham's comments about Hitchens on his blog were very thought provoking. Here is a clip from it ...

He gambled to the end that he was right about there being no God. Now he knows for sure, something he asserted vehemently that was not knowable in this life.

Joel Siegel of ABC News writes of Hitchens:

“Hitchens became the public face of atheism. Critics assumed his cancer diagnosis, in 2010, would lead Hitchens to relent and embrace God. But he remained a proud non-believer to the very end, as he made clear in an early October 2011 speech at the annual Atheist Alliance of America convention in Houston, as he accepted the Freethinker of the Year Award. His body gaunt from the ravages of cancer, Hitchens said, ‘We have the same job we always had: to say that there are no final solutions; there is no absolute truth; there is no supreme leader; there is no totalitarian solution that says if you would just give up your freedom of inquiry, if you would just give up, if you would simply abandon your critical faculties, the world of idiotic bliss can be yours.’”

Lots of humanity in that quote, huh? Lots of misconceptions about what becoming a Believer means. Lots of hostility. Lots of strong words—too strong.

Strong words can belie doubt. Not always, of course. But I’m just saying: the superlatives in Hitchens’ acceptance speech caught my attention.

Lots of Christianity’s brightest minds debated Hitchens, ostensibly believing that by intellectual argument they could convince heartfelt assent. Apologetics are for Believers. Unbelief isn’t about belief at all. Unbelief is a conflict of wills—the divine in tension with the human.

Life and death are a wager. Pascal said in essence, if I believe in God, and govern my life according to that belief, only to die and discover I was mistaken—i.e., there is no God—then what have I lost? On the other hand, if I live a life of unbelief, and die to discover I was wrong, then I have lost all eternity.

The Paris of the MidWest

Loved the buzzworthy list presented in the image above. If you looked a few blocks past the tallest building in the picture you would find our loft in the River Market area of downtown KC. Recently I heard Guy Fieri, of Food Channel "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" fame, call Kansas City the "Paris of the MidWest". Reminded me of how great it is to live in this small city - or is that big town? Here are a few things about our fair city that you might not know:

With over 200 fountains, the city claims to have the second most in the world, just behind Rome.
Has more boulevards than any city in the world except Paris
The U.S. Government is the largest employer in the Kansas City metro area, with more than 146 federal agencies.
Has more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation.
Is the 29th largest metropolitan area in the USA - 2 million people spread over 4,777 square miles.
Ignored Prohibition during the 1920s, leading to an abundance of jazz clubs, brothels and gambling halls.
Home to the world’s largest greeting-cards maker, Hallmark Cards and to Sprint telecom.
Walt Disney opened Laugh-O-Gram Studios, his first animation studio, in Kansas City.
Is ethnically diverse with a population of about 60% caucasian, 30% African American and 10% Hispanic.
Since 1857, the City Market has been one of the largest public farmers' markets in the midwest.
Municipal Auditorium has hosted more NCAA Final Four Championships than any other venue in the country.
Home to the Kansas City Ballet, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Lyric Opera, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, the Kansas City Symphony, the Kauffman Center and many other venues for the Arts.
The scoreboard at Arrowhead Stadium (home of the KC Chiefs) was the first to transmit instant replay.
Swope Park is one of the nation's largest city parks and is more than twice as big as New York's Central Park.
Referred to colloquially as the Heart of America as it is near both the population center of the United States and the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.

If you are ever in KC I would consider it an honor to show you around a bit - including some great KC BBQ joints!

Iowa and New Hampshire :: Not What They Used to Be!

I agree with the Christian Science Monitor's article titled "In GOP race, Iowa and New Hampshire aren't what they used to be". It reminded me that Michele Bachmann won the big-time Iowa Straw poll just a few months ago. Here are a few good clips from the article:

"When Iowa Republicans caucus on Jan. 3, chances are the voters will know more about the candidates from nationally televised debates and interviews than from personal interaction. Ditto the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10."
...
"On-the-ground retail campaigning, it just doesn't pay," says Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. "That's a disappointing realization. The idea of Jimmy Carter building support one by one is not nearly as effective as having a good debate moment that goes viral on YouTube."
...
"The GOP’s new rule awarding delegates proportionally based on the vote, rather than winner-take-all, in most contests before April also makes the early contests less important than in the past."

Hat tip to Iowan Shane for pointing me to the article even though he vehemently disagrees with what it says.

Merry Christmas

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Charitable Giving Habits of GOP Candidates

Recently Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries, called out Franklin Graham telling him to repent after Graham said that it is acceptable for a Christian to vote for a Mormon. Pastor Andrew also said “God cannot bless us for betraying Jesus and voting for a non-Christian.” It got me to wondering who amongst the crew acted Christian when it came to charity.

In a series of articles the Huffington Post took a close look at the charitable giving of Republican presidential candidates. How much and to whom did they give? How does their giving compare with their fellow Americans? And what impact did they ultimately have? Here are the titles and links to those articles:

Bachmann Charity Work: Christian And Controversial

Newt Gingrich's Charities Wither While His Political Organizations Thrive

Jon Huntsman 2012: Legacy Of Charity Efforts May Be Liability In GOP Presidential Race

Ron Paul's Charity: Libertarian Views Fail Reality Test

Governor Rick Perry: Big On Prayer, Not So Big On Charity

Mitt Romney Gives Millions To Charity, Most To Mormon Church

Rick Santorum is noticeably absent from their list - feel free to provide a link in the comments to an article that deals with Santorum's charitable habits. Even so, I think that you might find the reading insightful. Reminds me of how the Lord tells us that we will know his followers by their fruit.

The Longest Night

Tonight is the winter solstice (i.e the longest night). At 7pm tonight I will be briefly sharing about "My Longest Week" with a few folks at a service in Kansas City called "The Longest Night". It is a time where folks that are hurting gather together acknowledging that this is a tough time of the year for them. I will be sharing simple lessons that I learned this summer watching my wife Ann struggle for her life breathing with the help of a ventilator. As I prepared for the service I found myself thinking about this wonderful meditation (posted below), written in 2001 by Rev. Diane Hendricks. As you read it please pray for those who are hurting so much this season.

Longest Night Meditation

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Only it's not.

Not for everyone.

Not when there is an empty chair at the table.

Not when your body is ravaged with illness.

Not when the depression is too much to bear.

Not without her voice joining yours on the Christmas carols.

Not when you feel all alone even in a crowd.

Not when you are not sure you can even afford the rent or mortgage, let alone the presents.

Not when they are trying their best to the best of you.

Not when another Christmas party means he will come home drunk again.

It's the most wonderful time of the year?

No, it's not.

And trying to smile and say Merry Christmas is more than difficult. It's pretty near impossible.

C.S. Lewis once wrote:

"No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning..."

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it's not.

Not after he has died.

Not after the doctor gave you the news.

Not after they told you they would be downsizing.

Not after... you fill in the blank.

Not after September 11.

Not when there is so much violence and destruction in the world.

In truth, it has never been the most wonderful time of the year. Certainly not in the days surrounding that first Christmas so long ago. The story of the birth of Jesus is not to be told with a jolly voice and a merry ho-ho-ho.

It is the story of a teenage girl, pregnant with a child that is not her husband's.

It is the story of a child born in a dirty animal stall.

It is the story of a family of refugees who had to flee their homeland so that their child would not be killed.

It is the story of one sent into the world in peace who was condemned to death.

It is the story of a light sent to shine in the darkness, which the world snuffed out.

It is the story of God's never-ending, self-giving mercy which was rejected and condemned.

In the great work the Messiah, Handel quotes the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming that Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." One great theologian reminds us that we cannot come to the manger without acknowledging that it lays in the shadow of the cross.

It is not the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it is! It is:

If we forget about the tinsel and the trees.

If we forget about the holly jolly tidings.

If we forget about the presents and the ornaments and the trappings.

And remember. Remember the story.

Mary was alone and afraid.
But God was with her and exalted her among women.

Joseph was disgraced.
But God revealed in Joseph's cause for disgrace God's plan to save the world.

The world was in darkness.
But God sent the light of life to shine.

The lowly were imprisoned.
But Jesus set them free.

The blind wandered aimlessly.
But Christ gave them eyes to see.

The lame were rejected.
But through the Holy One they were made to leap and dance.

The deaf were confined to the silence.
But the song of life unstopped their ears.

The sorrowful grieved.
But God wipes away our tears.

We were alone.
But in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us.

The people rejected God.
But God embraces us.

The world crucified Christ.
But God would not allow that to be the last word, and gave us the sure hope of the resurrection.

It is the most wonderful time of the year, not because you have to be cheery and happy and merry.

But because you don't.

You can have heavy spirits and shattered dreams. Broken hearts and deep wounds.

And still God comes to be with you.

To comfort you.

To redeem you.

To save you.

To restore you.

To empower you.

To strengthen you.

To grant you peace.

To be raised for you.

To hold you in the communion of saints with those whom you have loved and lost.

To store your tears in his bottle.

To offer you eternal life.

It is the most wonderful time of the year.
For Christ is born.
Love has come.
God is with us!
Thanks be to the Lord our God.

iPhone or Android? How to decide?

David Gewirtz weighed in recently in his ZDNet piece titled "How to decide: should you buy an iPhone or an Android phone?" Here are a few things one should consider when deciding between the iPhone or an Android based phone:

4G/LTE: Android phones support very high speed mobile broadband. iPhones don’t.
Physical keyboard: A few Android phones have physical keyboards but the iPhone doesn't.
Voice recognition: Both Apple and Android have voice recognition.
Accessories: If you have adapters and accessories for a platform already, that might be the one you’ll go for.
Familiarity: If you’re upgrading a phone, do you want to stick with an environment you know?
Apps: If you made your choice based on number of apps, the score would be tied.
Customizability: If you want to deeply customize your phone, the choice can only be Android.
Camera: In test after test, the iPhone 4S bested the various cameras in Android phones.

I have heard that Apple nickel-and-dimes iPhone owners when they add apps but do not know if that is true or not. I do know that all of the Android apps that I use is free. After years of struggling with my Palm Pre (not too many apps on that phone) I really like my Android powered phone. I like the seamless interface with the Google email, calendar and contact apps - it is great having the same calendar and contacts on my laptop and my phone.

What has been your experience? In hindsight, do you wish that you bought a different phone?

Dumb Wheelchair Ramps!

This morning I spent a few minutes trying to share with a new friend what it is like living life with the limitations imposed by a wheelchair. I felt like I was not communicating what it was like very well at all. Perhaps it is something that you have to be involved with on a day to day basis to really understand. Or maybe I need to work on my story. :)

That said, I do think that this image of a wheelchair ramp dead ending into a column tells a bit of a story. You can see more dumb wheelchair ramps here.

Poobahs, Priests, Pastors and Pride

Lee Grady writes an editorial column for Charisma magazine. One such oped caught my attention a few weeks ago. It is titled "A Message to His Holy Highness the Worshipful Bishop Rev. Dr. Apostle Grand Poobah". Here are a few clips:

I am often asked if I have a title, and my answer doesn’t satisfy some people. I travel a lot, so I don’t consider myself a pastor. All kinds of labels have been pinned on me: Reverend, prophet, apostle … even bishop. Once I was introduced to a church as “Dr. Grady” and I almost crawled under my seat. I only have a college degree. There are no letters after my name. I tell people: “You can call me Lee. Or if you want to sound formal, you can say, ‘Brother Grady.’”
...
Jesus didn’t play this religious game, especially when he was around the Grand Poobahs of His day—the long-robed scribes and Pharisees. After accusing them of loving the best seats in the synagogues, He pointed out that they loved to be called “Rabbi” by men. Then He warned them: “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. … the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted”.
...
When I was in China several years ago, I met some amazing leaders who had planted thousands of congregations. They had also spent a lot of time in jail for their faith, and they’d been beaten with iron rods for preaching the gospel. They were the bravest apostles I’ve ever met. But when I asked them if they used “apostle” as a title, one guy said: “We believe in those roles in the church. But we prefer to call each other ‘brother’ or ‘sister.’”

That settled it for me. A few years later I met Iftakhar, a Pakistani apostle who has oversight of 900 churches. He also has two scars on his arm from gunshots fired by Muslim extremists who have put a price on his head. When I asked him how I should address him, he smiled and said, “Iftakhar.”

If these two giants of the faith—and true apostles—don’t require to be addressed with titles, then Your Worshipful Grand Master Rev. Dr. Bishop Jones (who claims oversight of maybe four churches) shouldn’t wear his ministry role around his neck like a tacky neon name badge.

One of my very first blog posts was one I called "On Rabbis, Monsignors & Pastors". In it, for reasons that Grady elaborated on in this editorial, I asked people to not call me Pastor Bob. As I am retired it is no longer an issue for me but I am still okay if you want to call me Kansas Bob. :)

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