Time

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under the sun,

A time to be born, a time to die…

A time to weep and a time to laugh

A time to lose and a time to seek….

--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

     I spent last Sunday visiting with my mom. She’s 87 (88 in October) and when I ask how she’s feeling, she always tells me she “feels like she’s sixteen.”

     Now that mom is older and time is passing, it is making me deeply aware of time. How much time has passed. How much is left. So, it is important to me to tell my mom things. How much I appreciated everything she and dad did for me, right down to the scrambled egg and bologna sandwiches she used to make for me when I came home for lunch as a teenager. How I always knew mom and dad were there for me and my sister, and how much they meant to me during those years.

     My dad passed away in 1997. I didn’t get the chance to have this conversation with him, so I feel it is important, very important that mom knows these things now. I always mention something about home and growing up. She always says she enjoyed every second of it. Ironing, cooking, cleaning, wiping up this and that, she enjoyed it all. And she told me that she always wanted to be sure we had something we liked when we came home for lunch. And it was important to her that it was always ready on time. Those scrambled egg and bologna sandwiches, served with a great bowl of Campbell’s Soup, would always hit the spot. Even then, going back over thirty years, I knew it. I knew that we were the most important thing in her life, and her job, as a mom, was important to her.

     I think it’s important to tell people things. Important things that matter. Things that will mean something to them, things that they will enter into their heart and keep there. The hardest thing and the simplest thing, is to tell someone you love them. Intimacy is sometimes difficult for people. You don’t want to embarrass them, or yourself, but you just might be surprised. They could very well say they love you.

     So, after I travel down memory lane with mom on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, before I leave, I always look in her eyes and tell her, softly but in a way she knows I mean it, I love her. She always says, “I love you, son, and I’m proud of you.”

     Mom loves me and she’s proud of me.

     And I’m not embarrassed at all.

Counting Your Blessings

“When I'm worried and I can't sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep, Counting my blessings

When my bankroll is getting small

I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep

Counting my blessings.”

Written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby in “White Christmas” (1954)

This morning, I was listening to the radio and heard about Jess King. Just two months ago, Jess and her husband Wes were living a happy life, newly married, Jess was expecting, and then Wes got sick. Then her home was broken into. Then the company she worked for filed for bankruptcy. You can read the story by clicking this link from the original source, KOTV Channel Six in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Please take a minute and read it. Here’s the link for the story written by Latoya Silmon.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8719073

Count Your Blessings. We all have our share of hard knocks. We lose jobs, loved ones, property, things. But even within all of that heartache, most people are able to find something to be grateful for. How many times have you watched a story on the news and a tornado has wiped everything away that a family has. Have you noticed that they never say. “I sure hate losing that big screen TV,” or “My DVD’s! All my DVD’s are gone!” No, it’s “We’re alive, no one was hurt, we’ll be fine.” Over and over, again and again. People are resilient. We’re pretty tough when being tough is required.

And being tough is what Jess and Wes King are doing. Friends and strangers are coming forward to help. With checks, TV’s, VCR’s, the “stuff” of life. When something happens, others always step forward to help. In droves. It’s natural for us to help others when they are in trouble. We offer help, prayers, support, friendship.

After I heard the story, I thought for a moment how blessed I have been. Sure, I had been without work for a year, and then my wife lost her job, but we never lost our home, we had enough savings to stay afloat, we always had groceries, and when we felt like we needed a break, we went out to dinner. Both of us have now found jobs, so even thought we are still in the regroup phase, we're doing well. Things aren’t bad. There are always people who are having a much more difficult time. Jess and Wes King will be on my mind for a long time.

Irving Berlin knew what he was talking about. Count Your Blessings. Today.

Recommended Reading/Your Comments

I have added a Recommended Reading section. It is at the very bottom of the page.

I have noticed visitors to this blog from across and outside the United States. Please feel free to leave a comment about any of the posts you read. I would like to know what you think and I promise a response.

Thanks for reading On My Way To Faith. 

--DL

Click

I’ve noticed this week that I feel better. I seem to have more zip, more interest, I’m more “alert.” I think it is a combination of several things. My work life is great—I have found a job I really like (I’m a broadcaster), my employer seems to like me (they compliment my work on a regular basis), and from the moment I took the job, I felt at home. I am getting a really deep feeling of understanding what my faith is and how it is working for and in me. My home life is perfect. Things seem to be lining up after over a year of “What next?” Boy, could I tell you some stories.

It is important to be around positive people, people who do you some good. Your spouse, your boss, your friends, everyone and everything needs to be a positive experience. If your daily environment is a challenge, find a “spot” in your day, it can be just a few minutes, where you think about the good things in your life. Your spouse, your children, where you are in your faith habits, even your hobbies that you enjoy can give you the “lift” to get through your day. You might try listening to some books on CD or your favorite music on your way to work. Be certain to take some time to study your Bible, get some good rest and have some quiet time.

My wife gets up early, 4am most days, and I will follow at 5. It allows us to have a few minutes together before she gets ready for work. We visit and sip coffee and look at the paper. When I go get the paper, I will take a moment, stand in the silence of my driveway, and look at the dark sky filled with stars. It amazes me. The beauty and wonder of its creation. And, I give the following promise to God: “Today, I will do my best to serve you better.” A quick little prayer, to “say hello” to the day, and to God. I think in a small way, it launches my day and gets me ready. I enjoy the peace of early morning. It takes less than 30 seconds to do it. I suggest you give it a try.

After my wife leaves, I go into my office and start reading. I have a few books that I call “Thumbers,” which aren’t really “reading” books. They are books you “thumb” through. I just received The Letters of C.S. Lewis. For years I never understood why anyone would want to read someone else’s mail, but now I understand that writing letters – the old fashioned way, with pen and paper – can be a window opening into someone’s deepest thoughts. It is highly personal. No one but the receiver is expected to read the letter, so the writer is more casual, more open, more thoughtful. I was interested in reading, through Lewis’ letters, about his transition to a man of faith. (Shameless Plug: I have purchased many books from Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers. They are a closeout store and I have found some great books and great buys over the years from Hamilton. Website: edwardrhamilton.com, but have them send you their catalog).

Now a couple of ideas for you. There is a company called the Teaching Company. They produce lectures by the leading professors in universities across America. The lectures are truly outstanding, and far from dull. The DVD’s come with graphics, photos, charts, etc., but if you buy the audio CD’s or tapes, you still get the full effect of learning from the lectures. They have everything from history to literature to science to art and religion. All of them are worth considering. I am currently watching the DVD of The Old Testament. An outstanding lecture presented by Professor Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University Divinity School. There are 24 lectures, 30 minutes each. Many times they place the lectures on sale and that is the time to buy (they can be a little expensive). Here is the website: thegreatcourses.com (or teach12.com).

Another idea is I have been listening to Gregory Dickow. He is the pastor of Life Changes International Church near Chicago. I found his program while channel-surfing one Sunday morning. He has what he calls his “40 Day Fast From Wrong Thinking.” It is an interesting concept and Pastor Dickow has interesting ideas about how we should make a conscious decision to remove wrong-thinking from our thoughts. I have always heard that if you do something for a month, you will be able to make a habit of it (or break the habit). Pastor Dickow’s idea of the “40 Day Fast From Wrong Thinking” is something to consider to build your faith. There are videos on his website which you can watch to get a better idea of Gregory Dickow’s ideas. Here is the website: gregorydickow.org or changinglives.org. From the Home page, go to Media, then Video On Demand. Recommended starting point: Filling Your Mind With The Word of God (the fifth video down from the top). He discusses the soul – It is excellent.

Reflecting on the Fourth

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Reflecting on the Fourth

Have you ever taken some time to read the Declaration of Independence? I would expect most Americans have not, but I took some time to read it this week. It is a remarkable document. First, the striking prose of Thomas Jefferson will make you sit back and marvel at his command of the English language, his use of words, his powerful conveyance of thought.

You don’t have to study a lot of America’s early history to recognize the enormous risk the Founders were taking, and accepted. It was Ben Franklin who said, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." What Franklin and the other members of the Continental Congress were suggesting was absolute separation from England. This obviously would not sit well with the Mother Country, and if the Revolution had failed, “most assuredly,” Franklin, Jefferson and the others in the Continental Congress would have hung. But separation was the only way. The colonies were being over-burdened by excessive taxation and total lack of representation. The colonists were people dedicated to starting over and the United States in its early years was already making considerable progress toward managing itself. The States did not need England getting in its way. So separation, and independence, was the only answer.

We would not have the freedoms we have today without these men and their dedication and bravery. We would not have the country we have today without them. America, as we know it, most likely would not exist.

Now, think back on the numerous times America has helped other countries around the world. How without America, those countries would have been in dire straits and totally on their own, probably helpless, in fighting the evils threatening their way of life. World War II comes to mind first. And there are thousands of other instances in our history.

So take some time and pick up a book about America. Thumb through it. Read a little of our history, or a lot, about the founding of our country. Fly your flag this weekend. If you don’t have one, get one. The founders deserve it, and you will have a greater appreciation for what you have.