Passions of the Soul

O Give Thanks to the Lord!

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song."
                                    Psalm 95:1

I make a point of nurturing an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, even as money has tightened so much and life is not as easy as it was, a few years ago. We have seen so many friends lose jobs, homes, cars and most of their other possessions. We still have our home, our cars, our business--which sort of limps along, but it isn't down for the count--and we truly are grateful.

But when I think about gratitude, I remember a particular letter from Uwizera, in Rwanda. I had sent some special gifts with friends who went over there, almost two years ago. Her letter recounted the various items and then said, "Our whole family is so grateful that we all stopped whatever we were doing to pray for you for half an hour."

We have so much more than do any of the children Compassion serves, more than any of the children we are blessed to sponsor. But the very poor of the world tend to be more deeply grateful for what little they have, and I want to be that grateful.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, wherever you are, and encourage you to do whatever will help to center your heart and your thoughts less on the food and football and more on all the blessings God has poured out on you. And if you want to show your gratitude to God in a practical way, why not sponsor a child? Or make a donation to help the ongoing efforts in Haiti, or donate $10 or more for treated mosquito nets, or give a Christmas gift to a loved one that will help someone far away? Look:
    $10 buys a mosquito net, helping to save lives;
    $13 buys a soccer ball;
    $16 buys a chicken that will provide food for a family, as well as a source of income.
    And so much more! See all the other great gifts in the catalog!

Now...go check on your turkey, or whatever it is you're fixing, and experience the joy of knowing you can do so much for people, for so little!

Long may she wave!

My heartfelt thanks to all of the patriots who have served in our military, and to those who now serve. Thanks to all of them (including some of you), our flag still waves and we still sing "God Bless America." We are still free to worship when, where and whom we will worship. Our freedom of speech has been increasingly restricted, in more recent years, but our Constitution is still intact...often under attack and often misinterpreted, but still in place. May God have mercy on us as we often fail to appreciate the freedoms that we enjoy and become complacent in safeguarding them. May He strengthen our resolve to stand our guard, so that our homeland will continue to be free, kept that way by our diligence and the bravery of those wearing U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard uniforms. Thank you all!

Dear America:

Happy birthday to my favorite country! You have lived long, and during your 234 years, you have prospered. You have also experienced at least one economic depression and a number of recessions. You're in a deep recession, now, struggling to come out of it and stabilize. And as bad as it is and has been for so many people in this country, these last two or three years, much of the world is still far worse off than we are, and worse off than they were before the economy tanked--hard as that is to imagine.

But you wave a Grand Old Flag, America. So many brave men and women have died to keep our flag flying, and to preserve the "Republic for which it stands, one nation under God...." To preserve the freedoms we still enjoy. Too many have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the last 7 years, alone, to reign in those who have sworn to destroy us. Far more have been wounded, maimed, their lives forever changed. We owe them all a debt that we can never, ever repay.

So far, the flag still flies, high and proud, whether people salute it, mock it, trample on it or burn it. Long may it wave, until Jesus comes again.

When He comes, He will not likely set up His kingdom in Washington D.C.. Man-made kingdoms will come to an end, and we will no longer salute flags; nor will we recognize mere human rulers. No, we will all bow down before Him--those who love and have lived to serve Him, and those who hate Him and all that He stands for; no more denial, no more mockery. All will bow down and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Happy birthday, America! And come, Lord Jesus!

Surviving the holidays

A number of years ago, I had a pastor who preached a particular sermon two years in a row, at this time of year; he may have preached the same one another time, as well. He spoke of the kinds of things that make the Thanksgiving-->Christmas-->New Years holiday season so stressful, for so many people.

I had learned much earlier that what the holidays hold in store for so many people is depression. It may stem from the very family gatherings that should be so joyful and that so often are anything but, as old, unresolved issues surface, yet again. Or the depression may arise in an "anniversary reaction": If something bad happened at the same time of year, whether one year or many years earlier, many people experience some of the same grief, all over again. Often, they don't even know why they are sad or depressed. For others, depression comes from their aloneness; if you are alone, look for someone else, someone in your church, perhaps, who is also alone (using wisdom, please!) Or volunteer to serve a meal to the many homeless among us.

My then-pastor made some recommendations that I would like to think some people followed.  I don't remember all of them, but among them were the suggestions that we all be kind to ourselves, during this season; one specific suggestion was that we not drink alcohol, or certainly, not to drink more of it to dull the pain.  People who make the rounds of parties and perhaps host their own may find it too easy to drink too much--not that they will necessarily fall down drunk or otherwise make fools of themselves, but too much, too often, through these 5 or 6 weeks.  And of course, there is the risk of drinking to the point of obvious drunkenness and the kind of behavior that costs people their jobs, marriages, or friendships.

I haven't even mentioned over-eating, which is another way to mask the pain.

Our current pastors also encourage families to avoid the madness of the season by not doing too much and spending too much.  The church models this by not putting on any of the typical kinds of programs: cantatas, plays, choral programs, etc.  Those are often so beautiful and such a blessing...but not necessarily to the people who take part in the productions. The rehearsals and, often, multiple performances take a serious toll on people's minds, bodies and family time.  And I don't believe these productions take place without cost to the church.

So I pass along these words of wisdom to you, my readers (all three of you):  Be good to yourself and to your family. Don't spend yourselves into debt or deeper into debt.  Give relationally, rather than giving stuff that won't last and won't even be appreciated by Jan. 1.  Spend time together as a family.  Don't drink, or if you do, keep it light and don't drive!!  Don't stuff yourself with food, just because it's there; eat sensibly.  (Will someone please remind me of this on or about 12/24/09?)  At those family gatherings, try doing more listening to what lies beneath the surface, especially if arguments arise.  Give hugs and assurances of love.  Remember Who the season is about and celebrate Him, rather than re-living unhappy times.  And...

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Remember?

The freedoms we still enjoy are increasingly under attack.  Please remember all of those who have fought and died, over several centuries, in order to keep this nation free.  We can never rest, we can never take our freedom for granted, we must never forget that freedom carries with it the responsibility to guard it and, when necessary, to die for it.  If we forget that, we don't deserve to be free. 

At least two of my uncles served in WWII:  James Whitaker and Carl Whitaker.  Like so many veterans of that war, they didn't talk about it.  It wasn't until Uncle James died, a few years ago, that I knew anything about his service.  I learned, then, that he had been at Normandy, one of the places in Europe that bears the white crosses of so many of our dead.  Uncle Carl is still alive, and I still know nothing of his service.  That's okay; I can't imagine wanting to relive one's experiences in war.  I want to thank them for their service.

We can never again afford to be as complacent as we were in the early morning of 9/11.  To our fighting men and women in today's war zones, thank you for the sacrifices you and your families are making.  May God strengthen and protect you.  To the families of those who have given all they had to give, may God comfort you and give you peace.  Thank you, too, for your sacrifices.

Merry Christmas! . . . Happy Hanukkah!

Signing off, probably for the week, as we're taking off this morning to spend Christmas with my family.

I just want to encourage my readers (all three of 'em), before this season has passed, to pause for a while; spend some time remembering why we have Christmas; or, if you're Jewish, how the Feast of Lights began.  God is behind both, and in front, and permeating the whole, if we do it right.  Take time, alone or with family or friends, to re-read the stories behind both Christmas and Hanukkah; try to imagine how the people in the stories felt and what thoughts were going through their minds.

It's also a time for families and friends, and I hope you are or will be surrounded by people you love and who love you in return.  God bless you all!

P.S.  Remember, too, please, all those very real people around this shrinking world who will not sit down to feasts, this week; who will face the same struggles that they face every day to feed their families.  Pray for them.  Sacrifice something for them--a second helping, perhaps?  Give, if you can.  Read Isaiah 58 to see how God feels about people who share with those who have much less...or nothing.

Dining out in America

Compassion friend Juli recently added a post titled "Leave some for the poor," over at Sheep Droppings, and she really got my mind to whirring.  You should read her post, and when you do, you need to take a really good look at the faces of the children holding the plates.  I'm telling you, Compassion-assisted children love to share!

You've no doubt heard about the fattening of America, about the "growing" problem of obesity in the land.  We're not talking about being "chunky," or "pleasingly plump"; we're talking about obesity.  Take a look at your typical restaurant menu and see how much food is included in most entrees; add a nice, fatty appetizer and a dessert, and you often will have enough to feed at least two normal-sized adults.  Only at fast-food restaurants might you see any kind of offer to "supersize it," but most restaurants have done that, without asking.  So your choice is often this:  to eat a reasonable amount and let some of the food go to waste, or to eat it all and let it go to waist--yours, that is.  Or you might be able to take some home, giving you another meal, later.  But as we look around, we see more and more people digging into plates or platters that are piled high and wide, and they don't take any home.  So, either they get fatter, or the food goes in the garbage.

Bruce and I typically split an entree, or order separately and bring some home to reheat and eat the next evening.  Case in point:  We enjoy Ma*aroni *rill, because we usually get good service and food.  We never order appetizers, although a freshly baked loaf of bread comes to the table soon after we sit down.  It's really good bread, too, which makes it hard for me to eat very little.  (Bruce doesn't have to watch what he eats as closely as I do.)  We rarely--truly rarely--order dessert, but we do splurge on special occasions.

Post-Thanksgiving musings

Thanksgiving--a very American holiday.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pie (with or without whipped cream).  We had some of all of that, except the pie.  I didn't buy a pie.  What? you thought I would make one??  Silly!  Thursday, we also had mixed vegetables, but I was so busy reheating the leftovers, last night, that I forgot to cook some more.  Oh, well.

At a time when so many people are so hungry, even literally starving to death, we eat too much food.  At any time of the year, we can walk into almost any restaurant and order a meal; even when we think we're going to be eating light, the portions almost always prove to be way more than we need, want, or can eat in one sitting.  Bruce and I bring home a lot of leftovers, and we often have another meal from them--or at least the entree'.

Thanksgiving.  Even though so many people in America are hurting so badly, these days, we have much for which to give thanks.  Bruce and I have no fear of losing our home (barring a catastrophic illness and loss of health insurance), as it is paid for.  We also own our own business, with no employees, other than the two of us.  We have no debts.  We have two credit cards--one is for business purchases--both of which we pay in full, every month.

Yesterday--"Black Friday"--many retail stores opened as early as 4 or 5 a.m.  Fifteen or twenty years ago, opening at 7 a.m. was a big deal.  I think they all just try to out-do each other.  And, yes, I know, the stores that don't do well enough in holiday sales will fold, and more people will be out of work.  But will every store have to go out of business, before we can regain some sanity?  Do we have to sink beyond recession into another depression, before we can learn to live more simply, less selfishly, less greedily?  Is that what it will take to stop the hordes of people crowding around store entrances and trampling to death those who don't move quickly enough? 

Veteran's Day

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  My deepest thanks to all who have served our country in order to preserve the freedoms we have long enjoyed.  We can never repay our debt, but we can pray for our vet's and for our country.  May the sacrifices of so many never be forgotten or prove to have been futile.

4th of July - another cause for thanksgiving

On this date in history, our nation's founders proclaimed our independence from the tyranny of a king.  It was the birth of a new nation, founded on principles of liberty for all.  While liberty for all took more time--and some voices continue to argue that it is not yet fully realized--we are still blessed to live in a land that is free--as one of my favorite bumper stickers says:  "The land of the free because of the brave."

I read over at The Reluctant Optimist that General Patraeus, in Iraq, has sworn in the largest reenlistment group in American military history.  More than 1,200 members of the army, navy, air force and marines, representing all 50 states, raised their right hands and swore to protect us all against all enemies.  I should say, swore to continue protecting us all.

I was moved to tears, when I read that.  There they are, right in a war zone, and they said, as with one voice, "Yes, I'll keep fighting this fight, no matter what it costs me!"

If our nation's founders could have been there, I think they would have been very proud and very gratified.