Thanksgiving Reflection

I find myself in an interesting place this Thanksgiving, and for a number of reasons I am deeply reflective. Some of it is just life: work, family, being 40. I find that I've done a lot of striving, reaching for things based on my own search for significance. And while I don't often fall into the trap of over-estimating my worth, I do sometimes under-estimate it to a certain degree. What I still seek to perfect, however, is that balanced, objective measure of myself.

Romans 12:3 says: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” 2nd Corinthians 13:5 says: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?”

Romans 12 (3:4-8) goes on to say: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

I am frequently reminded of my own need for a sober examination of mind and heart, in the context of what I am called to be and the person I aspire to be in the faith. This examination is essential as we journey through the process of sanctification, a journey that we each must take as we grow ever more closer to conforming to the image of Christ. It matters not whether it compares to the journey or experiences of another. It is the insight and wisdom we gain through this journey that matters, as it is the work of God in us. To the extent that what we experience and learn inspires or educates others, that is the seed and the fruit that comes from the testimony of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. It is really a remarkable thing, actually, that our journey toward the fullness of Christ – through all our struggles and our humanity – becomes the transformative work that lights the way for others to see the Truth.

In Matthew Henry’s commentary on the Romans 12:3-8 passage, he wrote: “Whatever our gifts or situations may be, let us try to employ ourselves humbly, diligently, cheerfully, and in simplicity; not seeking our own credit or profit, but the good of many, for this world and that which is to come.”

I like those words. But I have to almost daily remind myself of their importance.

What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? It is a fair question. I suppose it is simply this: I indeed have much to be thankful for - more blessings than I can count - and I have been given much. What better way to honor such blessings, such gifts, than to endeavor to live a life that seeks not selfish gain, but rather seeks something greater - fruit that others may enjoy, fruit that will last (John 15:16).

Food for thought. Happy Thanksgiving!

Three Cheers for Nordstrom!

Contrary to popular belief amongst people who know me, I'm not all Bah Humbug at Christmas time. This post, however, will do nothing to dispell that myth. Knowing that people close to me are going to have to work Thanksgiving simply because their employers insist in getting a head start on Black Friday, I find this pleasantly refreshing:

As more and more stores give into the Christmas Creep, putting trees and wreaths out on the sales floor as early as June and July, Nordstrom continues to buck the trend — not only refusing to put up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving, but also letting the world know about it.

On the doors to their stores, Nordstrom has posted signs like the following:

In case you can't read the text, it says: "We won't be decking our halls until Friday, November 25. Why? We just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. Our stores will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving festivities. On Friday, our doors will open to ring in the new season in style. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving."

Refreshing indeed! Of course, I do wonder ... just because the stores are closed doesn't mean employees are off Thanksgiving. I presume some will have to show up to put out the holiday gear by opening on Friday. Oh well, it was a nice thought anyway.

Maryland Sunset

The view out my hotel window at the end of this beautiful fall day ...


The camera phone simply does not do the color justice. Praying for a good week.

Veterans Day 2011

Events move around us at the speed of life, leaving us at times breathless and at times restless. So it is now, and so it is always. Perhaps as a consequence of this pace - or as a consequence of our nature - we sometimes fail to remember deeds done before that allow us to continue the standard of living we have today. We sometimes fail to remember deeds done now by those who treasure a nation and a home that even today stands as a beacon of hope.

From its inception 92 years ago, Veterans Day (known then as Armistice Day) has been an occasion for many words, sometimes written, sometimes spoken. It is to just some of these words I turn today, as I reflect on the service of many for the sake of us all:

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” - Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” - Elmer Davis

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” - Mark Twain

“Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.” - Gen George S. Patton

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.” - Unknown

“For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.” - Georgia Senator Zell Miller

The above are but a small few, but I close this post with the following from Ronald Reagan's 1985 Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery (emphasis mine):

Peace fails when we forget what we stand for. It fails when we forget that our Republic is based on firm principles, principles that have real meaning, that with them, we are the last, best hope of man on Earth; without them, we're little more than the crust of a continent. Peace also fails when we forget to bring to the bargaining table God’s first intellectual gift to man: common sense. Common sense gives us a realistic knowledge of human beings and how they think, how they live in the world, what motivates them. Common sense tells us that man has magic in him, but also clay. Common sense can tell the difference between right and wrong. Common sense forgives error, but it always recognizes it to be error first.

We endanger the peace and confuse all issues when we obscure the truth; when we refuse to name an act for what it is; when we refuse to see the obvious and seek safety in Almighty. Peace is only maintained and won by those who have clear eyes and brave minds. Peace is imperiled when we forget to try for agreements and settlements and treaties; when we forget to hold out our hands and strive; when we forget that God gave us talents to use in securing the ends He desires. Peace fails when we forget that agreements, once made, cannot be broken without a price.

Each new day carries within it the potential for breakthroughs, for progress. Each new day bursts with possibilities. And so, hope is realistic and despair a pointless little sin. And peace fails when we forget to pray to the source of all peace and life and happiness. I think sometimes of General Matthew Ridgeway, who, the night before D-day, tossed sleepless on his cot and talked to the Lord and listened for the promise that God made to Joshua: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

We're surrounded today by the dead of our wars. We owe them a debt we can never repay. All we can do is remember them and what they did and why they had to be brave for us. All we can do is try to see that other young men never have to join them. Today, as never before, we must pledge to remember the things that will continue the peace. Today, as never before, we must pray for God's help in broadening and deepening the peace we enjoy. Let us pray for freedom and justice and a more stable world. And let us make a compact today with the dead, a promise in the words for which General Ridgeway listened, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

May God bless you today as you take time to remember and honor those who protect what we are from enemies without, and enemies within.

RIP Bil Keane

Last link of the lunch break brought me this news. Bil Keane, creator of the Family Circus comic strip, has passed away at the age of 89.

I often copy down my favorite panels. The one below I feel is most appropriate. Thanks for all the smiles, Mr. Keane.

Wait, I Thought They Were "Holiday Trees"

With all of the other events in the news, you might not know it, but Christmas trees are all the rage. First, from the files of political correctness, I bring you the Wisconsin governor:

On Monday, Walker decided that he wanted to shake things up a bit. Rather than following recent tradition and referring to the (Christmas) tree that is placed in the Wisconsin’s Capitol Rotunda as a “holiday tree,” he’s changing course. For the past 25 years, lawmakers have referred to the evergreen that is decorated with ornaments and a star with this benign, uncategorized reference. Now, Walker plans to, once again, call the tree what it is — a Christmas tree.

But when asked, spokesman Cullen Werwei confirmed that the decision was intentional. “It’s a Christmas tree,” Werwei said. “In all honesty, I don’t know what more to say about it.” In the Charleston Daily Mail, Don Surber echoed this sentiment, writing, “Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin just ended 25 years of stupidity.”

Yet ironically, not even the federal government seems all that bent out of shape in calling a Christmas Tree a Christmas Tree. From the "I want a taxpayer subsidized government job in marketing holiday wares" category:

In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).

To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52). And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.

Strengthen the Christmas tree industry's position in the market? What, there's competition? Must be the artificial tree market. Taxing real trees in an effort to get people to buy real trees seems like a winner to me. Yeah, that'll work.

Furthermore, if the federal government officially recognizes the evergreen on display in November and December as a Christmas tree, then once and for all can we not dispense with the whole "holiday tree" nonsense? Fred Gailey, call your office.

Ah yes, Christmas is in the air.

UPDATE: Within two hours of my post, the Obama administration elects to delay the dreaded Christmas tree tax.

Intentionally Untitled

Try as I might, I simply cannot decide on a title for this post. So let's just put that aside, and allow me to relate an experience I had yesterday morning on the way to work.

I live outside the city proper, so the morning commute to get my kids to school and myself to work is a 40 minute routine, on average. Yesterday however, traffic flow over the mountain and into town was abnormally slow. Usually, that means an accident up on or near where the interstate starts. Checking my watch, I knew I had time, provided we at least kept moving. Still, I found myself feeling a little grumpy at the delay, but with my kids in the car, I kept my thoughts to myself.

After reaching the high point, I was able to look down and see the flashing lights down on the left hand side, at the point where the interstate moves to its upraised segment. As we crawled ever so closer, I couldn't see any evidence of a pile up, or a stalled vehicle. Just a solitary police car, parked on the narrow shoulder and jutting out slightly into the traffic lane. In my mind, I'm trying to figure out all the standard scenarios. And I was puzzled, because the officer was the only one on the scene, and he was partially blocking traffic. Why didn't he just go ahead and move out of the way? He's obviously doing his job, but he is also creating a traffic hazard.

As I'm already locked in the left lane, I figure there's not much I can do but wait it out. When I finally came up alongside the police car, I still didn't see anything. And then I did, and I'm not sure I can completely explain what happened next.

About five feet in front of the officer's car, laying down next to the median barrier, was a dog. He was panting a bit, head erect, and clearly frightened. I could not tell if he was injured, and as I drove by, I fixed my eyes upon him for just an additional moment in my side mirror. Then I had to move on, as the traffic had picked up the pace past the cop, past the dog.

But throughout the rest of the commute, my mind just kept replaying the image of what I had just seen. That the dog was alive at all was a miracle in itself, for where he was, there really was nowhere for him to go. He was trapped by the traffic, by the side walls of the road itself. How did he get there? Who did he belong to? What was going to happen to him? It was further a wonder that the dog stayed put, as one can only imagine the impact to both him and morning commuters had he darted out again into the road.

Then my thoughts settled on the police officer, and suddenly I found myself fighting a wave of deep-seated emotion that nearly engulfed me. This officer could have easily driven by and ignored the plight of this poor animal. Most people probably would have. Yet he parked there, providing a shield of protection around the dog, protecting him as best he could from the heavy flow of traffic and the possibility of further injury or death, presumably waiting for the arrival of animal control or some other rescue. All these thoughts and emotions, as one who has been sheltered, as one who has tried to shelter … this scene was such a poignant and living metaphor in so many ways … I find it hard to speak of it out loud. I've only told the story twice, and each time struggled to get through it.

I don't know what happened to the dog, and there's no way I'll ever know. But I won't forget what I saw, and I won't forget what I felt. It's given me a lot to think about.