West Trip, Part 2: From Laramie to Jackson Hole

Colorado is beautiful, but Wyoming has stolen my heart. There's a wildness to its beauty. Montana isn't the only "big sky country"! As we drove across Dick Cheney's home state, we were treated to snowcapped mountains in the background with expansive plains and a sky that went on forever!

"Wyoming Wind" is a potent thing. There are crossbars periodically on the roads for when highways have to be shutdown. Warning signs are everywhere. Of course, it makes a good environment for a windmill farm. We saw ridge after ridge covered in white windmills:

At Rock Springs, Wyoming we turned onto 191 North. From here to Jackson, specifically from Pineville to Jackson, was one of the most beautiful areas I think I have ever seen. The Hoback River winding from side to side across the road, rolling fields and hills of tall pines:

As we stood taking pictures of the Hoback River, I realized one of my life goals. We caught sight of a very large bird flying down the river. . . it was a bald eagle!! I had wanted to see one in the wild all my life! It was a brief glimpse - but I was thrilled!

No matter how many times I had sung "Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play," I was still surprised to look out and see bunches of antelope (called pronghorns by the natives) playing in the fields.

Westward, Again

My Mom, my hubby and I once again this year took off on a Western vacation. We flew into Denver and spent the first day at Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado was still as beautiful as I remembered. We spent some time walking around and enjoying Sprague Lake:

There wasn't much talking among the three of us as we just tried to soak in the beauty before us.

We next went back to Bear Lake and enjoyed another leisurely walk around its borders. We were surprised at the amount of snow still there in June...little did we know that was a glimpse into our future!

There are signs everywhere not to feed the wildlife - for their protection, as well as your own. However, this little golden mantle squirrel (looks a lot like our chipmunks) apparently didn't get the message:

Wildlife played a big part in what made this trip so wonderful for me! More to come. . .

Blue Bird Happiness

My hubby calls me "Jane Hathaway" and says I'm a member of the Biddle Birdwatching Society. He enjoys teasing me about my nerdy tendencies.That's okay with me! My nerdy tendencies give me an abundance of simple pleasures, some quite unexpected, such as looking out my back door and seeing an Indigo Bunting feeding on the ground below my feeders:

TCA Class of 2007

On Friday, May 25, the Trinity Christian Academy Class of 2007 had their graduation ceremonies. Bobby and I had just returned with this class from their senior trip and for my husband the evening was bittersweet. He was very excited about the future of these graduates, but also very sad to see his daily contact with them end.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Cortez A. Cooper, Jr., spoke about the postmodern world into which these graduates are stepping. He challenged them to change the culture or even create a new culture. What Dr. Cooper may not have known is this class had largely done just that - they had created a new culture in many ways.

This class had been derided as the Golden Class, the Perfect Class, the Overachievers who only underachieved at mischief and wrongdoing. Good for them! This was a decidedly ‘Christian’ class who created a culture where students received support and encouragement from their classmates, a culture where excellence was expected in all aspects of their lives.

They were still ordinary teenagers, but their accomplishments were extraordinary. The 19 seniors received over 20 scholarships. Among these 19 were a National Merit Scholar, a National Merit Finalist, and a student who received commendation from the National Merit program after missing finalist status by just a point.

But they weren’t just academicians. There were accomplished pianists, guitarists, and singers in the group. There were artists, athletes, linguists and writers.

“. . . but the greatest of these is love.” That’s what I will always remember about the Class of 2007. Beyond their academic resumes, these were a group of seniors who displayed Christian character and love. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to know them.

Internet Myths, Legends and Hoaxes

Hey!

Did you hear about the woman who was robbed when a man hid under her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and slashed her ankles when she was opening her car door? If you did - you've been had! Go here for "the rest of the story."

Cyberspace has increased the number of urban legends going around and the speed with which they spread. One of my favorite sites is Snopes.com (formerly Urban Legends). It checks out internet stories - the funny, scary, silly, serious, etc., and reports on their veracity. Whenever someone sends me a "have you heard about" story, the first place I go is Snopes. It has a lot of fun stories, especially about celebrities, and some are even true!

You can do your own research by going here.

SENSE-ability

So... how good are your senses? Wanna test them? Go here.

Casino Royale: A Review

“Casino Royale is the best Bond movie ever!”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this since the movie’s release. We finally got around to watching it over the last couple of evenings. It’s a good movie. It is, quite surprisingly, a relatively clean movie. The “best Bond” ever? I dunno.

I should admit my bias. For me, “Bond. James Bond. ” is a tall, dark and handsome man (Clive Owen!) with a glint in his eye representing both sardonic wit and a reflection off the steel blade he has hidden in his tuxedo inner pocket. He’s cool, aloof and unflappable. James Bond is a literary character in the fullest sense – he goes beyond the realm of real human beings. That's where Casino Royale threw me a curve - this Bond is all too human.

The opening scenes of the latest Bond caper, filmed in black and white, use lighting and camera angles which pay homage to the Sean Connery era of Bond films. It was a very nice touch. Also nicely done were the opening credits. Here the strolling Bond stopping to shoot a villain was replaced with playing card motifs striking down bad guys who shatter into cascades of colorful drops. Also missing is “Q” with his plethora of gadgets. No Moneypenny (although a clever bit of dialogue gives a tip of the hat to this character).

Gone are the light touch and comedic elements of the Moore and Brosnan movies. While I loved Pierce Brosnan as 007, his films had the sense of being almost a parody of the Bond legend.

In this latest incarnation, James has just received his “OO” status and he acknowledges to “M” that double O’s “have a short life expectancy. M chastises him for being a blunt instrument when finesse is required. As one reviewer put it, this Bond is “more raw and less refined than other [Bonds], as I guess you would expect for someone who's new to being a double O…”

Daniel Craig is a more masculine, edgy and even more intelligent Bond than previous incarnations (Sean Connery being the obvious exception). He is detached and unquestionably possesses the ability to put a bullet between someone’s eyes and return to his card game unfazed. He also is a Bond who actually bleeds and shows battle scars. This Bond is more special forces soldier than dapper spy.

The climatic buildup centers around a high-stakes poker game. Purists will scoff at Bond playing something other than his usual baccarat, but as my hubby pointed out, this positioned the film nicely within the current poker mania.

Daniel Craig is not classically handsome, but he has a sculpted physique which the film is all too eager to show off. There's a sense of Everyman about him and perhaps this is more in keeping with what a spy should be.

Casino Royale’s plot was a little too convoluted. Its characters a little underdeveloped. The first chase scene a little far-fetched for a film that wanted to put believability back into the action. The Bond girl was more intelligent than stunningly beautiful, although beautiful she was.

This Bond was a wholly different creation from previous Bonds. As long as I could resist comparing apples to oranges, I enjoyed it.

And the last line? Classic.

Bluegrass Music

There was always music in our home as I was growing up. The radio in the kitchen was usually tuned to WINN 1240-AM (the advent of FM was still almost a decade away).

My parents gave me a love for (if not a talent in) music. “I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,” Mom would sing as she hugged me in passing. I loved to hear her sing Doris Day’s “Secret Love” (from Calamity Jane) and I had memorized the song long before I ever watched the movie. Patti Page’s “Cross Over the Bridge” is the one that makes me smile whenever I think of it for the playful look on Mom’s face every time she sang it.

Dad’s genres were 50s and country music. I think he knew the words to every novelty song ever recorded – “I hear they’re gonna start making dresses out of wood. It’d be good if’n they could. Just one thing they ain’t thought about – whaddah they gonna do when a knot falls out? Knothole!”

Dad also loved bluegrass music. One of his cousins, Don Parmley, founded a bluegrass group called, “The Bluegrass Cardinals”. The group headlined the Louisville Bluegrass Festival one year in the late 70s and my sister and I were introduced to the bluegrass music circuit.

There was one album by the Bluegrass Cardinals that my family listened to a lot as we made our way from Louisville to my parents’ hometown in Wayne County. Sometimes Dad played the tape of the Cardinals and sometimes he had his “girls” serenade him. Karen and I regularly sang, “Are You Missing Me?”, “Prisoner’s Song” and others.

Today I received a box from Amazon.com which contained a whole lot of memories in the form of two CDs. One was that first Bluegrass Cardinal album. Recorded 30+ years ago, its sound is sometimes tinny, but I don’t care. As I listened, I remembered car trips with my family, bluegrass festivals in the spring and summer, and so much more. I can’t wait to listen to the other CD and see what memories it brings back.

Another one of my girls

Meet another one of my girls (wearing her prom dress) . . .

When I first met Ava she hid behind her mom's skirt and would barely speak. Now, a high school senior, she is the drum majorette for her high school band, auditioning for musicals (she's a great singer) and is just blossoming before our eyes. What's really terrific is this lovely girl is smart, talented and devoted to her Creator.

Ella Rose Enters The World

Our newest dear friends, DJ and Elaine, just welcomed their first child - daughter Ella Rose. She is as beautiful as her name. Ella Rose's mom is, as Ann Shirley would say, a kindred spirit who I have loved from the moment I met her. This is Mom and Baby (Mom is justifiably sleeping - 38 hour labor!!!)

Tennessee Treasures

The first few days of Spring Break found my hubby and me once again in eastern Tennessee. The trip down I-75 was unbelievably beautiful. The pinks and purples of the redbuds were on full display and at times created a virtual blossoming tunnel as both sides of the interstate were awash in the beautiful trees. Sprinkled throughout the hills were white dogwoods looking for all the world like skiffs of snow clinging to the mountains. The further south we traveled, the more beautiful the display.

Once in the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg corridor, more color came into view as the cities welcomed tourists with pots of cheery pansies. The woods around Gatlinburg and into the Smokies had glimpses of wisteria scattered about.

I’ve told you all before that this is our “happy place.” It’s where we go to escape the real world and relax for a while. We were visiting a little later in the Spring than usual and because of that I cajoled my hubby into taking a side trip to the Apple Barn. This is a multi-faceted attraction with a restaurant, gift shop and more. However, my reason for visiting had nothing to do with the culinary or arts & crafts offerings. All around the buildings are apple trees – and they were in full bloom!

For my money, few things on earth smell as sweet and wonderful as apple blossoms. My sweet hubby indulged me in a walk through the trees laughing as I had to stop and sniff every one of them!

We made our usual rounds. . . First stop - Parrot Mountain for some fun with our feathered friends:

One of the neat opportunities here is to go into the Lories cage and feed these brightly-colored birds nectar:

Then it was time for lunch at the Pottery Barn Cafe & Grille. A table by the window gave us a wonderful view of their gardens with the azaleas, tulips and pansies looking like a watercolor painting.
The Smoky Mountain Arts & Crafts community features some wonderful shops. We discovered “genuine Alewine” pottery last fall after seeing a commercial for the business on the tourism channel in our hotel room. The owner’s story intrigued us. In 1983 with $1,500 to his name, Robert Alewine and family decided to make a go of it with a pottery shop in Gatlinburg. He now says he wonders how they ever made it through the winter! But made it they did and now, 24 years later, Alewine Pottery is a thriving business. There are plenty of pottery shops to choose from, but we like Alewine because of the incorporation of native leaves into their work and the desire to keep the east Tennessee flavor in their pottery. We’ve decided to add a piece (or two) with each visit. Here’s one of the pieces we brought back this time:
One afternoon we drove up Ski Mountain Road to Ober Gatlinburg. The parking lot is also a wonderful overlook to the Smokies. We take a chair lift up to the Alpine Slide course and once astride our plastic blue sleds, we race each other down the mountain. (I’ve not beaten Bobby yet, but I will!)

We try to do something new every visit. This time in addition to the Pottery Barn Cafe & Grille, our “new thing” was the “Mysterious Mansion”. It was fun, but if haunted houses are your thing, opt for Ripley’s Haunted Adventure.

This trip we had some delightful surprises outside our hotel balcony. A group of ducks decided to nap on the lawn just below our room. They would venture into the river occasionally. Bobby and I just stood there, leaning on the balcony railing, watching these creatures and enjoying them.
Just driving through the tri-city area of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, the sheer number of tourist traps could prompt you to keep driving towards Asheville, but don’t. Hidden among the t-shirt shops and plastic black bear trinkets outlets, are some real pearls.

The city has every little nook full of flowers.

The grounds around Ripley’s Aquarium are beautiful. (The aquarium itself is wonderful! We were so pleasantly surprised when we visited it the first time. I think it is one of the best around.)

And, of course, there’s always the Little Pigeon River and the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Stranger Than Fiction & The Guardian

If you go to Will Ferrell movies for the sophomoric humor and pratfalls, Stranger Than Fiction is not for you. Ferrell was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of sad sack Harold Crick whose existence is simply an exercise in mathematics until one morning in the midst of his exactly 76 strokes of brushing his teeth, he hears his life’s narration. The narrator is obviously omniscient regarding his life, so now Harold Crick must discover if he is in a comedy which ends in a marriage or a tragedy which ends in death.

I loved this movie. The Christian analogy to our lives is blatant – will we be in a comedy which ends in a marriage, part of the bride of Christ (the Church) or will our lives be a tragedy which ends in our death? The centrality of Harold’s watch and numbers in his life is reminiscent of Jesus teaching that the very hairs on our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7) and Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Costar Emma Thompson gives her usual wonderful performance and Dustin Hoffman adds another quirky character to his resume. Harold Crick's life is a rather satisfying one to watch.

Every field of military service has their heroic movie – this is the Coast Guard’s. Kevin Coster and Ashton Kutcher aren’t names that usually draw me to movies, but we gave this one a shot.
My hubby summed it up pretty well, “This is Top Gun on the water with a little Officer & A Gentleman and Heartbreak Ridge thrown in.” He is exactly right. The movie is formulaic, but for me, it didn’t matter. I knew what was going to happen, but I still enjoyed the ride. There are some nice, albeit under-developed, themes and subplots in the movie. After watching The Guardian, I came away with a renewed appreciation for the work of the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmers.

For a factual recounting of the heroism of these men and women, check out the book, “So Others May Live” by Martha LaGuardia-Kotite.

Notes From The Book Club

Sunday afternoon, the Pastor's Book Club met for a discussion of A Table In The Mist by Jeffrey Meyers. Our hosts, Paul & Judy Pugh opened up their lovely new home for us!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I needed Ecclesiastes. More than ever I realized.

Some “scholars” want to say the book is just a lesson in the futility of life without God and it’s only in the conclusion of the whole matter that we find Truth: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

But that truncated view misses the whole point! Solomon is NOT writing as a worldly weary, recently converted pagan. As Meyers establishes, Solomon is writing as the Shepherd King of Israel, God’s appointed ruler – his words speak wisdom to us, but, unfortunately, we often don’t have ears to hear.

Some points from the book:

Faith does not mean ignoring the “living death” as Augustine put it of our cursed world. It means trusting God while confessing our own bafflement with the world.

Wisdom is not like getting to be in the train station or the air traffic control station of life. It doesn’t give you insight into God’s providence. Biblical wisdom doesn’t really give us control either, but it presupposes our inability to gain control of our lives. That’s the message of Ecclesiastes. That’s why we have to walk by faith, not by sight, because the world will remain to us a mystery.

True wisdom means to fear God and keep His commandments, receive the gifts He has given us, all the while knowing we can’t understand His ways and we can’t play God.

Solomon’s words shouldn’t be translated as vanity or meaningless, but as vapor, which is something that defies out attempts at comprehension and control. The point is there is no advantage or ultimate leverage in our work. Hebel the word we translate “vanity” or “vapor” is the word from which we get Abel whose life was basically a vapor. God has given us a burdensome task as a result of the curse. The result is we can’t shepherd the wind. We can’t rule it or control it. Our frustration at trying to shepherd the wind causes us to turn to the One who rules the wind. In spite of life’s vaporous nature, God can be trusted. Life can be enjoyed despite the fact that it can’t be mastered.

Not everything can be fixed. Not everything is a problem to be solved. Some things must be borne, suffered and endured. In fact, trying to gain wisdom that will give you control may make you worse off because you can’t and it will just frustrate you.

In other words, Christian wisdom advocates celebration, rejoicing and enjoying what God has given for you to enjoy. To cherish the small gifts that comes your way

I think for a long time I wrongly perceived Christianity as an “If-Then” proposition: If you do right – then you win. Good triumphs over evil. White hats always defeat the black hats. Hard work is rewarded, frivolous living comes to naught, etc. I really didn’t believe the Preacher in Ecclesiastes who says: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

Prosperity isn’t always what it seems. We should fear God and be content with what He has given us. Solomon challenges the American way of looking at life that thinks that the one with a long life and the wealthy person lives the good life. Wealth is not automatically a sign of blessing from God.

Time and chance happen to them all. There isn’t a checklist we can follow which guarantees a specific outcome every time. A life of ease doesn’t signify God’s favor anymore than a life of trouble signals His displeasure.

Ecclesiastes is a call to faith. It is something we need to hear. We always think we can control our fates and we work hard to do so. If we maintain our prosperity and blessing, that says nothing about what God thinks of us. We can’t tell by God’s treatment of people whether they are the objects of God’s love or hatred. Death comes to the wise and the fool. Wealth, poverty, health, sickness, whatever. None is solid evidence of God’s love or displeasure. If you can’t tell God’s attitude toward you through providence, then what you have to do is listen to the word of God. In other words, believe the gospel. You are righteous in God’s sight.

We easily attribute good to God, but what happens when the bad comes and you can’t figure out God’s ways? We have to attribute that to Him too. The point of Job is that man cannot understand why God runs the universe the way He does. We just have to trust Him.

Wisdom is valuable, but its real value lies precisely in its willingness to admit its limitations. Sometimes judgment is delayed. That doesn’t mean anybody is going to get away with anything. That’s why we have to trust God’s going to make things right in the end. When the state doesn’t believe that, it tries to be god-like and spy on everyone, regulate every bit of life and punish every little infraction. Even if there is no poetic justice on earth in history, God promises there will be at history’s end. (I bet Uriah would attest to that.)

Solomon also has a lot to say about Christian community and wisdom. He presents us with biblical realism of Christian wisdom. We can’t relinquish confidence in a person just because they erred. Everybody, even the wise man, does it. If you are wise about yourself, you will overlook faults in others. Wisdom gives the ability to live in a world of sinners, but that’s not the same as being able to explain or comprehend sinful human nature.

Solomon warns without godly speech with humility in words and tone, human community will not last a minute. Few words are a sign of wisdom, because the wise speak only after reflection. Almost the entire substance of foolish speech can be reduced to hasty, uncharitable judgments against other people in the church. Many think spirituality is judged in terms of how much people point out the faults of others, but the Bible teaches the opposite is true. For example, don’t get too worked up about other’s talking about you – just think about the times you’ve done it yourself. If you are wise about yourself, you will overlook faults in others.

For some, Solomon’s counsel about work, our spouse, feasting and drinking seems too physical or worldly. Maybe it is time for us to get a grip on what the Bible says is truly spiritual. The overarching point is that while some things are prohibited in the Bible, everything else is left wide open to pursue if your heart so desires.

In order to rejoice, you have to set yourself free from worry. You don’t control the future – God does! Solomon concludes that what we are supposed to do is fear God and keep His commandments, but that is paradoxically the way to live without fear. Since we can’t control or predict the future, we have nothing left but to trust God because He does control it all.

Lulu Love

My hubby says our bird Lulu thinks we're just members of her flock, not her owners. These photos may prove his point!

Lulu would rather perch on us than on her cage. She also prefers sleeping on Bobby than on her cage:

The INVINCIBLE 70s

In the 1970s, the South End of Louisville was a blue collar haven. I also knew it as “North Parnell” because so many of my relatives had moved from Wayne County’s Parnell to Louisville and lived within blocks of each other. While my Dad worked for the Navy, my Mom worked in a factory like a lot of our neighbors. I remember sitting on picket lines in the summer with Mom. A favorite cousin got in trouble with the law for going after a “scab” while on a picket line. [Disclaimer: As an adult, my economic views would differ from my family's at that time.]

Dad loaned other relatives money to pay bills while they were laid off. For a lot of people, the 70s were tough.

After work, Dad and the Parnell crew would throw back a few at the Three Way Tavern, much to my Mom’s consternation. Weekends, the crew would gather in someone’s garage to listen to Lanny play the guitar and, if he had had enough to drink, maybe sing Hot Rod Lincoln.

It could be because I grew up in that setting that I loved Invincible. It’s the story of Vince Papale, a laid off teacher and star of the neighborhood football games, who is given the improbable chance to try out for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles football team. At 30 years old, Papale becomes Philadelphia’s Seabiscuit – a source of pride and hope. It’s a Rocky story, the underdog who beats the odds, which everyone loves, but it was more than the heartwarming local kid makes good element that endeared the movie to me. It was revisiting that sense of neighborhood. The movie’s local watering hole, Max’s bar, felt a lot like the Three Way Tavern of South Louisville. The camaraderie with Papale and friends seemed so familiar. I saw the men from South Louisville in the men of South Philly.

As the crew at Max’s Bar cheered for Papale, I saw the hope of a better tomorrow that people were clinging to in that time of layoffs and gas lines. I saw the hope of a way past what Jimmy Carter told Americans was our “national malaise”. Mostly I saw the grit of some hardworking blue collar types who were determined to get beyond whatever obstacles life threw at them by hard work and with loyal friends. I saw my childhood in the characters of Invincible.

Dad

My Dad passed away two years ago tomorrow. I asked a friend of mine who lost her father, "When do you stop crying?" She said you never really do. And she's right. I still cry when I have moments of almost picking up the phone to call him or bouts of missing him. But, I now have more and more moments when I'm smiling, even laughing, remembering him. I feel sorry for people who didn't know my Dad. He really was terrific. And funny.

Bobby gave the eulogy and preached Dad's funeral. Below is the eulogy to help those of you who knew him remember and others to get a glimpse at who you missed:

". . . a life is a lot more than a list of dates and places. It’s a person – a personality. I want to share something personal about Bobby, but I hesitate to do so, because, for one, he’s my father-in-law and I don’t know where to begin or end. For another, I know that the things I remember about him, or appreciate about him the most, are likely different from many of things that are special to others. More than that, I know that many of you knew Bobby much longer than I did – some maybe all his life, or perhaps all your life. Besides from all that, I understand that the man I knew later in his life was very different from the young man I’ve seen pictures of and heard the stories about.

The man I knew was a new creation, because Christ had changed his life. So I encourage you to reflect on your memories of Bobby, as I share with you just a few of mine.

When I think of Bobby I especially remember a big man with large hands. That’s one of the first things you noticed about Bobby when you were a young man wanting to date his daughter. It was kind of intimidating. But I quickly got over that because Bobby had a way of carrying a conversation, and making a total stranger feel just like an old friend. Bobby liked to just sit around, enjoy a good conversation and a cup of coffee. He had a good sense of humor. He could tell a joke. He could make a face. He told lots of stories about characters with the most colorful nicknames that you felt like you knew by the time the story was over. Bobby enjoyed simple pleasures. He liked to “piddle” around in the garage. He took pleasure in nature. He liked to watch birds and animals. He liked to root for the Wildcats. And he enjoyed country music. Those are the things he liked to do. Alisa and Karen were always trying to expand his horizons. They used to say he was in a rut. I said it was more like a trench. But Bobby seemed to understand something a lot of people don’t now-a-days: those things were enough to make him content – and that’s a good thing.

More important, Bobby was a kind and gentle man. He was always willing to help out others. He was a person others depended on, confided in, and looked to for advice and strength, especially during hard times. He had a reputation of being tighter than bark on a tree, because, much to Mary’s chagrin, he would make due with anything, and absolutely would not throw anything away. I later found out that his reputation wasn’t true; he was a generous man who simply did without so that he could provide better for his children – who he was so proud of. That’s the man I knew. That was the man redeemed by Christ. That’s the one I remember.

As I just mentioned, late in his life Bobby returned to his faith in Jesus Christ that he first professed as a young man. He made that faith public when, at Christmas, in 1997, he was baptized into the body of Christ at Southeast Christian Church, in Louisville, Kentucky. Of all the things that Bobby did in his life, the one thing that is most important today, the one thing that makes everything else seem trivial by comparison, was to place his trust in Jesus Christ. It is, therefore, that aspect of his life that we will especially commemorate today.

As it so happened, it wasn’t long after Bobby’s baptism that his health problems became apparent. Over the years his health decreased, until at last both his body and mind were destroyed by disease. In the end, however, he fought the good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith.

Bobby lived the three score and ten years allotted to him. He died old and full of days. Bobby passed from this world on Friday, March 4th, at 4:50 pm, at Norton’s Suburban Hospital, in Louisville, Kentucky.

It was appropriate that as he was gathered unto his own he was surrounded by his own. In the final seconds of his life, I read from Psalm 16. And as I read the final verse – “In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Bobby breathed his last, and serenely departed from this life, as if to say that he had at that very moment entered into that eternal joy.

My Mockingbird

We have mockingbirds who nest in the trees in our front yard. I love them. They are noisy and when they are nesting, they are constantly swooping daring you to go near their young. But, I think they're friendly. They will seemingly chatter back if you talk to them.

One has taken to eating out of one of my feeders (something I didn't know mockingbirds would do). It's just one of those random events that happen in our lives that makes us smile.

Ghostriders In The Sky

Saw Ghost Rider with the “kids,” Nick & Diana, Sunday night. I REALLY liked this movie. Call it formulaic, call it contrived, call it what you will – I call it entertaining.

Based on the comic book, it’s the story of Johnny Blaze who sells his soul to the devil to save his cancer-stricken father. The devil’s requirement? Johnny must become the “rider”, the collector of souls. When the devil comes to collect, Johnny’s first job is to retrieve a contract of souls so powerful even the devil’s kid and his cronies are trying to find it first. How will the Reluctant Rider handle all this? As the tagline of the movie tells us, “His curse will become his power.”

Throw in a star-crossed romance, some nifty special effects and you have the makings of a fun movie. Operative phrase – fun movie. This is popcorn fare, not tortured soul drama. Comic book nerds, who take their graphic novels way too seriously, have been dissing this movie for weeks prior to its release. With an over $44 million opening weekend, I don’t think Hollywood will care that there isn’t enough angst on display!

Nicholas Cage is at his best portraying over-the-top characters – here he’s having fun. (The actor, by the way, is a huge comic book aficionado.) Eva Mendes provides eye candy, Peter Fonda and Sam Elliott provide the requisite gravitas. (I really liked Sam Elliott’s role – just enough sardonic grins to let the adults in the audience know it’s okay to enjoy a comic book flick.)

On a brief serious note, many old school comic books acknowledge the real battle between good and evil in the world. They deal with themes of justice, repentance and redemption, and good ultimately triumphing over evil and do it, in many cases, much better than the Oscar-nominated films.

I had fun at Ghost Rider! Go see it, I won’t tell anyone.

Sunday Snow

Yesterday as we drove into church, I appreciated anew the verse in Isaiah, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. We had received two inches of snow the night before and as the still rising morning sun hit the white powder, it glisten so much it seemed to have movement in it.

The whiteness, clean-ness, of snow is usually what Christians cling to in the analogy between it and Christ’s forgiveness, but the analogy has so much more to it than that. The snowfall covered everything – just as Christ’s blood covers all of us. The ugliest, rotten log was transformed into a work of art by the snow. It is recreated by the sparkling powder, just as we are recreated, new creatures, in Christ.

What Hallmark Doesn't Tell You About Valentine's Day

Now that the holiday is over, I have a confession: My hubby and I don't make a big deal about Valentine's Day anymore.

Has the "spark" left our marriage? Hardly! But when we learned the origins of Valentine's Day, all this focus on romantic love seemed out of place. (This from a woman who is a huge romantic and married to an equally romantic man!!)

Here's what the "Hallmark Holiday" forgets:

Valentine was a 13th century pastor who was imprisoned for his faith. Reaching through his jail cell, he would pluck leaves from a maple tree just outside his cell. On these leaves he wrote pastoral notes to his congregation. These Valentines expressed his love for the flock and his desire that they demonstrate that love for one another. Gradually the tradition grew up for Christians to exchange notes of love and encouragement to one another on February 14 - Valentine's birthday.

For this story and other wonderful history lessons/devotional lessons from history and important dates, check out The Christian Almanac: A Dictionary of Days Celebrating History's Most Significant People and Events.

Still preoccupied with 1985

How much do you know about 80s music?

Don't be so sure! I'm an "80s lady" but only scored a 40% on this quiz. Apparently my musical taste was too mainstream!! You can take the quiz here.

[Hint: The CD pictured has a song which answers one of the questions!]

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

As a young person in the 1980s, I fell in love with Ronald Reagan. Now I'm in my 40s, and I still love Ronnie! Today would have been his 96th birthday. For those of my generation, below is a sample of why we loved him. For you youngsters to whom Reagan sounds as historic as Churchill, read below what a REAL CONSERVATIVE sounds like:

Excerpt from Ronald Reagan's 1981 Inaugural Address:

"...So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government - not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.

It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the federal government and those reserved to the states or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government.

Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with government. I t is rather to make it work - work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it."

Sigh. Where have all the conservatives gone?

Machiavelli Personality Test

Machiavellianism. An adjective of villianous characters (or politicians!). But how would you score on a Machiavelli personality test? Are you a cutthroat or a pussycat? Find out, if you dare.

[I'm a little of both. Score: 56]

All We Need Is Music

I read an article recently which said there are two kinds of American Idol fans – the kind that gets a real kick out of the initial auditions with all the really bad singers and the kind who want to just skip ahead to when the real talent competes to be part of the final 12. Put me in the second category. I get embarrassed for the off-key wannabees.

Watching these initial auditions, there is no way anyone can convince me our population has a self-esteem problem – unless it is the problem of TOO MUCH self esteem. A long line of no-talent, self-deceived individuals march in and out of the audition hall. After the first few ear-jarring notes, you tell yourself this has to be a joke. There’s no way this person actually believes they are talented. Then...you see it in their eyes. The shock and disbelief when they are told, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Honest assessments are out of style in today’s PC/I’m-Okay-You’re-Okay world. Thus the American Idol gag reel. Some of these people can’t sing. I’m not sure some of them could even make a joyful noise! Telling the no-talents that they are just that, not talented, is being cruel to be kind. It is doing what the person’s friends and family members should have done, saying, “Honey, singing is not your gift.”

I’m a klutz. I was picked last (or close to it) for softball in elementary school – my psyche wasn’t irreparably damaged. It served as a process of elimination. Okay, athletics is not my thing, so I went about finding what was! I believe we all have been given gifts – abilities that are uniquely our own, however, Scripture says we all haven’t been given the same gifts:

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:4-8)

Wondering what I discovered were my gifts? Let’s just say you would never see me on American Idol!

Techno Tornadoes

I love the movie Twister. I know it’s cheesy and I know the acting is really bad. I know all this and don’t care because I am fascinated by tornadoes. Their power, capriciousness, destructive capability – I find it all amazing. However, I’ve realized meteorological tornadoes aren’t the only whirlwinds leaving massive debris fields. We are all in the path of technological tornadoes and if we don’t stay ahead of them, we’re going to end up like trailer parks after an F5.

Bobby and I were the first of our friends to have a home computer. Now grade school kids are more techno-savvy than we are! The winds of technological advancement are spinning at an ever-increasing pace.

I recently told my hubby I wanted to buy some music cd’s. He told me, in effect, I needed to embrace the future. Cd’s were so 20th century. In the future we will download our music. (Sony music executives were recently quoted saying much the same thing.) We’ve purchased an MP3 player and my hubby is downloading lectures he previously would have bought on CDs. (Our attempt at catching up with preteens’ capabilities!)

Then, a day after 60 Minutes ran a story about how geeks and nerds are getting their revenge selling their geek know-how to the technologically challenged masses, a friend of mine blogged about the mysteries of texting. (It was only last year I mastered texting!)

60 Minutes reminded me: "A dozen years ago, when Stephens started the Geek Squad, most people used IBM computers, and primitive Microsoft software; the Internet was still a novelty. Today, thousands of products and providers allow you to watch TV shows, make phone calls, download music, print color photos and dictate letters without leaving your desktop, if you have the time, the patience, the aptitude, and the available brain cells to master yet another software protocol. "

This is our parents’ revenge - just as they were swept up in the tornado of microwaves, VCRs, ATMs and the like, now it’s our turn. Now the girls and guys of the 80s who laughed at their parents' VCRs blinking 12:00 are dealing with all the anagrams whirling around in their heads – MP3, iPods, PDAs, TIVO, auto bill pay . . . And according to Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens, the Internet revolution is really just beginning.

The techno tornadoes have touched down. I need to go stock my storm cellar!

Rock & Roll Never Forgets

This weekend, Bobby and I joined the Pughs and O’Learys for a musical trip down memory lane at the Norton’s Center for the Arts in Danville, Kentucky. We let the Coasters, Platters and Drifters sing us back several decades with classic songs from an era when you actually understood the words the singers were singing!

This was the music of my parent’s youth and, ironically, of mine as well. The Coasters began the concert. I can’t tell you how many times my Dad sang Yakety Yak to my sister and me:

Take out the papers and the trash, or you don't get no spendin' cash. If you don't scrub that kitchen floor, you ain't gonna rock and roll no more! Yakety yak (don't talk back)

I knew all the words to Poison Ivy, Charlie Brown, Searchin’ and many more of the Coasters’ hits. If I close my eyes, I can still hear Dad sing Along Came Jones.

In fact, tonight, I felt like Dad was there with me, singing right along. This was especially true when the second act, The Platters, took the stage. Always known as the “classy” group, they didn’t disappoint. The three men appeared in tuxedos escorting their female member who sashayed on to the stage in what looked to be a vintage gown very appropriate for the timeframe of the music.

The Platters were my Dad’s favorite 50/60s group and, in many ways, they’re mine as well. I never hear Only You without thinking of my Mom and Dad’s courtship – remembering the stories we begged Mom to tell over and over again.

Only you, can make all this change in me. For it's true, you are my destiny. When you hold my hand, I understand the magic that you do. You're my dreams come true my one and only you .

And the song that was #1 on the charts for over 20 weeks, the song I learned to slow dance to while standing on my Daddy’s feet, The Great Pretender:

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender. Just laughing and gay like a clown. I seem to be what I'm not; you see, I'm wearing my heart like a crown. Pretending that you're still around.

I felt the tears stinging my eyes, but understood afresh the term “bittersweet”, because they were just that – the bitter taste of loss and the sweetness of memory all rolled up into music set to 4/4 time.

Luckily there was still one group left to perform and when the Drifters took the stage, it was one big sing-a-long: When the sun beats down and melts the tar up on the roof and your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fireproof, under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah, on a blanket with my baby is where I’ll be . . . Or if you’re having one of those days. . . When this old world starts getting me down, and people are just too much for me to face, I climb way up to the top of the stairs and all my cares just drift right into space, on the roof. . .

Of course, no concert is really complete without dancing in the aisles and the six of us did just that!! Paul & Judy, Brian & Judy and my hubby and I took to the aisles as the Drifters sang:

Oh, I know that the music's fine like sparkling wine go and have your fun. Laugh and sing, but while we're apart don't give your heart to anyone. Don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be, so darlin', save the last dance for me.

The very last song? Oh you make me want to SHOUT! Lift my hands up and SHOUT. . .

What a great evening!

Grey's Anatomy & Ecclesiastes

“Life is short, George, and sometimes it sucks.” Izzie’s words are reminiscent of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. She tells George if he loves Callie to go be with her. The Preacher has a very similar message – family, friends, good wine, good times – that is what’s important.

Because life is short and sometimes it sucks.

Who knew Grey's writers were familiar with Ecclesiastes!

Why I Love Grey's Anatomy

SPOILERS - You've been warned!!

The last episode (1/18) had me in tears almost from the start. Maybe that’s part of the show’s appeal – it’s a cathartic experience for me. As heart wrenching as the episode was, it once again validated the Golden Globe the show recently won. The dialogue has such depth at times that I continue to put up with the immorality.

Dr. Burke advising George to rely on faith as his Dad is dying. George retorting, “I’m a man of science.” And Dr. Burke softly saying, “In my experience, science is not enough.” For all the talk of postmodernism, there are still an awful lot of modernists around who look to science as their answer, their god. This view was refreshing to hear from a character in a medical show.

In yesterday’s episode, we had to watch the O’Malley family let go of their Dad/husband. It was painful to watch because I went through that process less than two years ago. When his Dad has slipped away and George retreats to the alley to grieve, it wasn’t emotional Izzie who came out to comfort him (and most probably hug him). It was cold, aloof, don’t-think-of-hugging-me Christina. She told him about a club that you can’t join or understand until you do – the Dead Dad Club. She told him how sorry she was that he was now in that club. Then, the most profound two lines of dialogue in the whole episode:

George: “I don’t know how to exist in a world where my Dad doesn’t.”
Christina: “Yeah, that never really changes.”

You can read a blog by the writer about this episode here.

Hail Hogswart!

I love Harry Potter movies! I have enjoyed them so much that I am determined to read the books (which are always infinitely better than the movies they inspire). A local retailer had the DVDs on sale around Christmas, so we now own all the Potter movies released to date.

When my hubby saw a pile of four newly acquired DVDs sitting on our kitchen table, he just shook his head. He’s used to my celluloid obsessions and in fact this time, he suggested our nightly movie routine begin with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It was followed in order by the next three movies and now my hubby is hooked as well!

J. K. Rowlings has bristled at the criticisms of her books as anti-Christian, and rightly so. There are definite Christian themes and overtures in the series. Perhaps part of the problem is cultural – English versus American sensibilities. In any event, these are delightful movies with good messages of friendship, ethics, honor, loyalty and courage, along with depictions of the cruelty of racism and wickedness in general.

One of the criticisms aimed at the Potter books was that the magic world interacted with the real world – that there was a blurring of the lines of real and fantasy. (C.S. Lewis received the similar criticism for having Father Christmas/Santa Claus in Narnia.)

Rather than being a flaw, I think this is a strength of the Potter series. In our scientific/rational age, we want to relegate the supernatural to fantasy, yet as Christians, we know the supernatural interacts with the natural constantly.

C. S. Lewis said God gave us imagination so we could imagine a different world. Without imagination, how do we conceive of Heaven? Of angels? Fantasy should be the domain of Christians. We are, after all, part of the supernatural.

The next movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be released July 13. Go here to see the trailer.

Which Super Hero are you?

To find out, go here.


I'm Spidey!