• Cursors that skip around
• People who use “Mormon standard time” as an excuse for being late
• Political fanatics on the right and the left who are strict ideologues and leave no room in their heads for new ideas
• Feigned kindness and concern
• When I unintentionally drop things
• Physicians who say to me “In the aging process…”
• Memory lapses
• Newspapers thrown into the bushes
• Contentious talk radio hosts who seem to delight in the political fray
• Families who chatter and laugh during church services
• Church services that don’t start on time
• People who seem to revel in the negative, living their lives “half empty”
• People who publish their pet peeves…oops
We've got a new federal health plan which will a) ensure millions more people will have access to health care--which is a good thing; and b) add to the already burgeoning national governmental structure and collect more taxes in order to support it--which is a bad thing.
Here's my beef: neither side of the aisle addressed the legitimate concerns of the other. I never heard one Democrat express a concern over the increase in government size and reach. I never heard one Republican make a reasonable recommendation on how to provide better health care for the uninsured (Medicaid and ER are not solutions). I don't like ideologues--they aren't a good mix for political compromise. But there was no compromising from either side--not from the Democrats because they have the power and the votes; and not from the Republicans because they spent most their time saying "No" instead of proposing alternatives. I hold the Democrats more responsible for this lack because the party in power has to take the lead in compromising, regardless of which side of the political spectrum they are on.
Five of us from the high priest group spent 2 hours at Deseret Industries this morning hanging clothes, cleaning shoes and sorting books. It is remarkable to me how much the Church contributes to the welfare of those in need. This Christianity in action.
Last Wednesday, at the temple, I was called to be assistant shift coordinator, helping the shift coordinator make the weekly assignments. Since I've done this before it was all familiar territory. This afternoon was on the phone for two hours coordinating the schedule with the shift coordinator.
Tonight we will again watch the movie "Twilight" so that we can refresh our memory of that film prior to watching the sequel.
Lacking absolutely anything in my mundane life about which to blog I thought I'd share one of my favorite stories relating to the existence of God. Whether true or apocryphal, I don't know--but the lesson is true—about the renowned English scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
Sir Isaac Newton's work represents some of the greatest contributions to science ever made by an individual. Most notably, Newton derived the Law of Universal Gravitation, invented the branch of mathematics called Calculus, and performed experiments investigating the nature of light and color. He also was a scholar of the Bible and devoted much time to its study.
Sir Isaac had an accomplished artisan fashion for him a small scale model of our solar system which was to be put in a room in Newton's home when completed. The assignment was finished and installed on a large table. The workman had done a very commendable job, simulating not only the various sizes of the planets and their relative proximities, but also so constructing the model that everything rotated and orbited when a crank was turned. It was an interesting, even fascinating work, as you can image, particularly to anyone schooled in the sciences.
An atheist scientist friend of Newton's came by for a visit. Seeing the model, he was naturally intrigued, and proceeded to examine it with undisguised admiration for the high quality of the workmanship.
"Oh my! What an exquisite thing this is!" Newton's friend exclaimed. "Who made it?"
Paying little attention to him, Sir Isaac answered, "Nobody."
Stopping his inspection, the visitor turned and said “Oh? Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked who made this?"
Newton, enjoying himself immensely no doubt, replied in a still more serious tone, "Nobody. What you see just happened to assume the form it now has."
"You must think I am a fool!" the visitor retorted heatedly, "Of course somebody made it, and he is a genius, and I would like to know who he is."
Newton then spoke to his friend in a polite yet firm way: "This thing is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker; yet you profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker! Now tell me by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an incongruous conclusion?” (Adapted from Sir Isaac Newton Solar System Story (from the book: The Truth: God or evolution? by Marshall and Sandra Hall, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI)
Two recent events--one significant and one inconsequential--caused me to think about priorities.
First, the inconsequential. Last night we watched the 2004 TV mini-series "Category 6" about massive storms combining to wipe most of Chicago off the map. Not the best movie I've seen--far from it. But it made me ponder things:
--Are Melba and I fully prepared should a natural or man-made disaster hit the NW?
--How's our food storage? Our 72 hour kit? Backup power source?
--With relief I concluded that we're in OK shape--not perfect but alright:
*We have about 3-4 months emergency food storage
*We have 72 hour kits packed and ready to go, although it's time to replenish items that are nearing their expiration date
*Our generator works fine--we ran it earlier this year during the one day power outage caused by a wind storm. We keep 6 gallons of gasoline on hand but probably should keep triple that in case service station pumps don't work.
Second, the significant. I played the piano yesterday at a memorial service for a man I had only met once and did the same for his wife who passed away two years ago. At times like this I start thinking about spiritual preparedness and asking myself if I am ready for whatever challenges might come my way down the road. Here are my conclusions:
--I am stronger spiritually today than I was five years ago. I study and ponder the scriptures; I pray morning and night and often in-between. I ask the Lord each day to show me who He would like me to help. I try hard to be true to the covenants I have made with the Lord and with Melba and to repent quickly. Can I do better? You bet and will work on that.
--I am more resilient than I used to be. There is something about life's "speed bumps" that builds mental and emotional strength. When Melba had her first bout of cancer in 1993 I was a basket case--a tower of Jello. Subsequent experiences with cancer--another for her and one for me--plus an accumulation of various aches and pains we experience as part of the aging process have somehow tempered and strengthened me. It's odd but true that as my physical condition slowly wanes due to the effects of just living longer, my inner spirit--my real self--the eternal part of me is getting stronger, more vibrant, and, hopefully, more of what the Lord wants me to me.
The point I want to make is that it is important to not just think about today or tomorrow but to look down life's road well beyond the "100 meter mark" and ask ourselves:
--Who do I want be in 10, 20, or 30 years from now?
--Every day I plant "seeds" for my tomorrows--will I like the eventual harvest?
--Am I prepared both temporally and spiritually for whatever the future might bring?
Ultimately, I think the answer lies in putting "first things first" and not to be involved in the "thick of thin things".
I learned last night that the wife of one of my chaplain mentors has Alzheimer disease--the long goodbye. Bernie and Dorothy Lieving took Melba and me, in the very beginnings of our chaplaincy journey, under their wings--loved us, taught us, protected us. Bernie was a Methodist chaplain who served as the 1st Cavalry Division chaplain when we first entered the Army at Ft. Hood, TX in 1982. 18 years later I would serve in that same assignment which was particularly sweet because Bernie had been there in earlier times.
Here is the original note to all retired chaplains from Bernie:
This is being sent with Dorothy's permission and blessing. We have been very open with the church about this and now she is ready for all our friends from the wonderful days past to be aware of our situation.
Following the usual exhaustive battery of physical and mental examinations, Dorothy was diagnosed on November 13, 2009 with Alzheimer's Disease. Dorothy, the three children, and I had known for some months that something was not quite right. In July 2009 Dorothy drove for the last time. She said that as she was driving that day she prayed and promised God is she were to get home safely, parked in the driveway, and out of the car she would never drive again. Shortly thereafter we started the testing. Fortunately, a member of Hyde Park United Methodist where I am still on staff is a top neurologist in the field and she is our physician.In the eight areas tested, Dorothy was diagnosed as "mildly" impaired in 3 and in 5 "mild to moderate".
Dorothy has been slowly placed on the 3-med "cocktail", Lexapro, Namenda, and Aricept, and two weeks ago the doctor said it appears it is working because Dorothy "aced" all her tests that day.
The two most significant areas of impairment are short term memory and visual-spatial orientation (hence the driving problem).
Since Dorothy now doesn't care much for the issues related to air travel the kids and grandkids have started visiting us instead of our making our twice annual trips to PA and NM.
Dorothy's awareness of her illness is both curse and blessing. It's curse because she knows her situation and hates it. It is blessing because we can talk about it and deal with it in mostly productive ways (I'm learning).Our daughter, Debra, has her Ph.D. in gerontology and lives in Tampa. She is a great help to us.
Appreciate your prayers as we walk this life-journery together.
If you'd like to e-mail Dorothy she daily checks in:
Dorothy
You can reach me at:
Bernie
With thank for your friendship over the years.
Bernie
Here is my email to Bernie followed by his kind and courageous reply back:
Bernie,
I am so very sorry for this challenge that has come into Dorothy’s and your lives—I weep for you. Yet, at the same time I have full faith that the Lord will walk with you both and your family in a very special way and you will feel His nearness.
You and Dorothy hold a special place in Melba and my heart because of the friendship and mentoring you gave to us as we were in the beginnings of our chaplaincy journey. We have thanked God so many times for good Christian disciples like you two who have blessed the lives of so many of God’s children.
If there is anything that we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask. Of course, it goes without saying that you and Dorothy just moved to the top of our prayer list.
Hugs and love,
Larry
Lawrence M. Barry
CH (COL), US Army (Ret)
Tumwater, WA
360-705-0573 (home)
360-870-4963 (cell)
Larry,
God bless you and thanks for the note. Dorothy and I talk about the two of you probably more than any other young chaplain couple we served with during those all too brief days at Hood. By the way, the last Sunday in December we attended Fred Shelke's retirement from the Lutheran Church he served about an hour from here.
Yes, we experience God's presence every day and celebrate God's love for us.
Grace and peace,
Bernie
Last night we held our high priest group dessert social and fireside. Thirty five people attended, mostly husbands and wives but several widows and widowers came, too. A banquet of desserts was laid out in the large kitchen of Don and Sue Ann Echols' home. Don is a periodontist who frequently will open their spacious 8,000 sq. ft home for Church functions.
The desserts were scrumptious, fat-filled, sugar-loaded, and overflowing with calories. When the person who offered the prayer asked the Lord to bless the food to the nourishment of our bodies, I almost broke out in laughter. Later I mentioned this to one of the sisters there and she said that she decided long ago to simply pray that we would enjoy the evening and refreshments--not a word about nutrition.
The highlight of the evening was the short inspirational message offered by our stake president, Paul Price, who is, of course, also the high priest quorum president. He shared his thoughts on acknowledging and recognizing the hand of the Lord in our lives. A wonderful message which went along nicely with the "Faith Promoting Experiences" booklet we put together over the past 6-8 months and handed out last night.
It was a delightful evening which hopefully blessed the lives of all who attended.
It's no secret that when it comes to fixing things around the house I'm a pretty good piano player. Whether its squeaky doors, a broken window, or jammed garbage disposal my first reaction is "CALL THE REPAIRMAN SO I CAN WRITE HIM A REALLY BIG CHECK FOR 15 MINUTES WORK!!" That would have happened today with our leaky outside faucet if it hadn't been for some really helpful people:
--Sean the brother-in-law who has become my invaluable first line of defense on things mechanical. He gave it a try, then wisely said, "can't figure this one out--it's a strange faucet--do you know a handyman you can call?"
--Don the church friend and widower who came at a run when I called him. He brought tools and talent and 75 years of do-it-yourself experience and performed a skilled surgical removal of the offending faucet.
--Mark the utility guy who came within 15 minutes of my call to turn off the water to the house and returned again within 30 minutes to turn it back on.
So I have lots of respect and gratitude to these men who graciously shared their time and talents with me.
I admire these fellows and want to be like them; so if you need something fixed in your house, just call me--I play a mean Chopin!
The challenge of being retired is to use time wisely--determining what is good, better and best. Today so far has been a blend of each:
--Had my devotional time (better)
--Cleaned my desk (good)
--Housekeeper came and gave our home a good cleaning (good)
--Played video game (good minus)
--Called my brother (best)
--Called my daughter (also best)
--Blogged (good)
--Emptied several file folders full of old papers and stuff (good)
--Went to the store for Melba (best)
