New Year's resolution time- A Variation on a Parable

In Matt 25, Jesus relates the parable of the land owner who went away and left his 3 servants with 5-, 2-, and 1- talents. Upon returning, he commended identically the 5-, and 2- talent guys for using their assets to advantage, and condemns the 1-talent guy for burying his out of fear and producing nothing.

Hmm, how much worse would it have been if the 5-talent guy had produced nothing? Well, we don’t know, because Jesus didn’t use that possibility in His parable. But that aside, let’s apply this story today.  How do YOU used the gifts you have been given?

I work with University faculty, around the world. It strikes me that many of these are 5-talent folks. They are intelligent, well-educated, well-placed, influential, and respected, in general. But many, many folks are cowed by fear and produce NOTHING of lasting value. Sure, they publish papers, get grants, and mentor students… but do nothing to have an eternal spiritual impact.

But I doubt many/any readers are profs. So, what about you? Are you using the gifts G^d has given you? Are you using them to invest in eternal things?

The Master’s response to those who invest their talents is, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matt 25:21

What will He say to you?

The Most Important Question Ever

  

In the gospel of Matthew we encounter the key question of all time, asked by none other than the Roman Governor Pilate.  Pilate asks, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” Matt 27:22.

            The context of course is just prior to the crucifixion when Pilate is hoping the Jews would release Jesus since there was a “Get out of jail free card” for that particular holiday. Instead of selecting Jesus to release, the crowd cries out, “Barabbas”. Pilate in his disappointment then asks that crucial question, “What shall I do with Jesus…?”

            And, as we all know, Jesus was then crucified for OUR sins, which only He could do since he was sin-free himself.

            But Pilate’s question is a CRUCIAL one for us. What will I do with Jesus?  What will you do?

            “What do you mean by ‘…do with Jesus?’”

            Well we have several options as to what we will do with Jesus. We can ignore him, which is a common response among many of my friends. They believe Jesus is simply irrelevant. Another option, and more common in the SE USA, is to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Messiah, and then ignore Him and what He taught. In some ways this response to the question may be WORSE than the first one. This second response is worse because it renders Christianity as a conceptual-only belief that does NOT impact one’s life. The third option is the ideal response. “What shall I do with Jesus?” I will follow Him in obedience. I will study His word, and when I see one of His commands, I will endeavor to obey it. Following the Christ will dominate my life. Every decision, every action will originate in our relationship with Jesus the Christ.

            So, how will you answer the most IMPORTANT question in history?

Life Review: A Memorable Christmas

Our first Christmas together as a family, 1972, was spent apart from each other.  And, I do mean, really, really apart. In September of that year I had left Charleston aboard the USS Sellers, DDG-11 for deployment with Commander Mid-East Forces in beautiful Bahrain.

Now, that was a rough way to start Christmas family traditions. Fortunately, that Christmas, and one in about 1976, were our only two apart, even with 8 years in the USN after the Academy. And, that is a very good thing. Being far, far away from family is tough any time, but especially during special holidays.

I remember going outside on Christmas eve and looking at the clear sky and stars. It had occurred to me that I was CLOSER to Bethlehem than ever in my life. That was a small consolation, but sure didn't relieve my loneliness. In that circumstance, our ONLY means of communication was hand-written letters, mailed through the US postal system. It took about 2 weeks to get these back and forth.

I love Christmas, and I love being with family. I recall those two Christmases separated from family and my heart goes out to our DoD and others who are separated from their families by duty and circumstance.

Don't take your time with loved ones for granted... not everyone is so blessed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Christmas Wellness

One of my friends asked me to write an essay on Wellness at Christmas.  Hmm, never thought about that one before, but here goes...

When I think of Wellness these days, I think in terms of the Relational, Emotional/mental, Physical, and Spiritual (REPS) wellness.  Clearly the true MEANING of Christmas is founded on the SPIRITUAL aspect of health. In my view, if we miss THAT aspect, the rest are nothing.  Really, think about it. "What does it profit a person to have a tremendous Christmas holiday and lose her own soul? Or what will a person give for a soul?" to paraphrase Matt 16:26.

So, assuming we have a clear, heart-centered Spiritual view of Christmas, and we DON'T lose it, we can look at the other aspects. So, let's start with Relational wellness. So how's your relationships with family? Often these folks are the toughest to love, in part because we have little options here. Do NOT let bitterness or grudges from the past ruin your relationships or your Christmas. Ask G^d to help you forgive and take action to LOVE the offender!

Emotional/mental wellness means that we are careful of our attitudes and activities. Being aware of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression (S.A.D.ness) in ourselves is key to being healthy.  Stress is part of life, but HOW we deal with stress is crucial. Anxiety is ubiquitous, but G^d's word has a LOT to say about this.  Take a look at the Bible. And, be on guard for depression.  Depression, for many, can be common during these holidays. Regrets, losses, things missing from the past, all can lead us into depression.  Beware and seek help if needed. Keeping EXERCISE in our lives can be an effective means for combating stress and burning off some of those extra calories ingested.

Physical health can take a beating during most US holidays. Our tendency at Christmas is to over-eat those delicious treats. It has been suggested that US folk gain about 2 pounds each major holiday, leading to a gain of 6 pounds a year if unchecked.  So, in 10 years, we have gained 60 pounds!  Wow! So, do NOT deny yourself treats, just be judicious, and think about how many more miles you will have to walk to make up for that fruitcake!

So, set your mind to make Christmas a GREAT celebration of the Christ, and, at the same time, use this time to HELP your REPS, not hurt these aspects of wellness! 

Enjoy the Holidays, healthily!

Telling a Strange Story

Did you ever consider what a strange story we have in Christianity?  I have written about this before, but it bears repeating.

Humans are in trouble. In creating us in Their image, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gave mankind the responsibility of making choices. By early in the 3^rd chapter of Genesis, mankind had chosen “poorly” separating a sinful man from a RIGHTEOUS G^d.

So we now have a serious CONUNDRUM. We have a HOLY, HOLY, HOLY G^d and a sinful, sinful, sinful mankind. Sinfulness cannot abide in the presence of Holiness, so we have a separation problem. It is a difficult problem to resolve, and difficult problems require clever solutions.

So, the solution was this. G^d became man and did so without a human father. His virgin birth, an obstacle for those unwilling to believe that the G^d who spoke the cosmos into existence can easily overcome simple human reproductive biology.

The virgin-born man, the Christ (Messiah), lived a sinless life, verifying his deity in many ways on many occasions. This G^d-man then gave His life, His Blood as a sacrifice to resolve the problem. Our only part in this resolution is accepting Christ’s sacrifice for our sin.

Hmm, a strange story indeed! How is it that we don’t have to work, we can’t ever do enough good to cancel our sin, but G^d, through his mercy and grace did for us what we could NOT do!

A strange story indeed!  But even strange stories can be true, as is this one. It is true, and obviously NOT a human creation, as we aren’t capable of coming up with such strange stories.

What will you do with the Christ?

Family for Thanksgiving

Unlike many of the stories, we just had 3 of our five kids, their spouses, and their kids here in Allums for Thanksgiving.  And, NO DRAMA!. Everybody got along, we enjoyed the food and the fellowship, and a good time was had by all.

The ONLY negative was that one of the cousins pushed another cousin off the dock. Fortunately the one pushed landed on on land, not water!  Thanks be to G^d!

The 22-pound turkey was put on the smoker at about 01 AM. At a bit after 5, I added charcoal, and water and took off the top rack of small turkey pieces and venison, and added the remaining venison and turkey pieces. Speaking of pieces, for the FIRST time ever, I took the wings and legs OFF the turkey and removed a good bit of skin and fat.  I am guessing I took maybe 4 pounds of skin and fat and neck off that carcass. The result was a well cooked bird that was the MOST tender I have cooked- at least in my recollection.

This PM we went over to our new home and showed the kids around. We moved the office desk over, and then moved the old sofa and love-seat into the downstairs den from where they had been stored temporarily in the garage. We took 3 short canoe rides with the kids on the calm lake and I got to meet one of the neighbors.

Here are a few photos of the day.

We are thankful for a GREAT Thanksgiving!  Thanks be to G^d!

Teaching NO students?

I heard an excellent lecture recently, which I thoroughly did NOT enjoy. The material was excellent, and the speaker had good communication skills, but something was missing. I am still not totally sure as to what it was, but it seemed like the lesson would have been delivered whether or NOT anyone was present.

It struck me that the lesson was “FLAT”. I am not sure exactly what that means, but there didn’t seem to be enough “energy”. Again, the material was good, there was just something missing it the delivery.

When Jesus taught, he taught people. What alternative is there? Well I think I saw it. My friend taught the lesson, but not people. Jesus engaged his listeners. He used emotion and vivid images in his teaching. My friend didn’t, though he had some good stuff.

Jesus, G^d on earth, didn’t seem overly concerned with CONTROL. I find many today, to be consumed by control. We can’t engage our students because they MIGHT go OFF script and we certainly can’t have that. Jesus taught with confidence, and we so often do NOT.

This raises some questions about teaching. What matters? What changes? What can we control, and what should we control? How do we teach to maximize impact? How do we teach more like Jesus?

Hmm, I wish I knew the answers.

How’s YOUR mission going?

Brenda and I are now full-time missionaries. It’s a good job. BUT, we have always been missionaries- as are you! What? Yes, YOU are a missionary—a good one or a bad one, but missionary—like everyone else.

“Wait, how am I a missionary?”, you ask.

You are a missionary because you are testifying to those around yu about what you really believe, and what is really important to you. The old saying” Actions speak louder than words.” Yes, yes they do.

Let’s take Christianity as an example. If you act as if wealth is tops, that status is key, that you’re looking out chiefly for yourself—you’re a missionary for those things, but NOT for Christianity. And we ALL are missionaries, whether we realize it or not.

Some of us have MORE influence and Impact than others, but we all influence/impact some. So, like that old saying, “I’m a fool for Jesus, whose fool are you?” We can vary that a bit, “I’m a missionary for Jesus, whose missionary are you?”

So How Much Time and Money will I spend Decorating my Hotel Room?

We are often the hardest one to convince. I know intellectually that I don't have many more years on earth.  At my advanced age, I don't even buy green bananas.

I wear a old gray bracelet that used to say "Guest". I found it on the beach several years ago, and quickly donned it to remind me that this earth is NOT my home. The word, "Guest" has long been worn away, but I know what it said.  I needed, and still need, reminding.

We are under ENORMOUS pressure to invest heavily, heavily in THIS earthly life--which is too soon passed. Yet most of us just keep on decorating this temporary home. I have mentioned before in this blog the value of Matt 6:19-21, the heart of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. "Lay NOT up treasures on earth...but lay up treasures in HEAVEN... where a man's treasure is, there will be his heart also. You don't really need to know Greek to know what Jesus was saying.

And, as I have shared, most of us lack faith regarding heaven. We KNOW when we've laid up treasure on earth, but that heavenly treasure, we are none too sure about that.

So, how's the decorating going for you?

Assisted Suicide just Around the Corner!

Sounds like a helpful sign, doesn't it?  Having trouble killing yourself, just turn the corner and you're there!  Indeed, I predict that the USA will be seriously discussing physician-assisted suicide in the very near future. So, I wanted to make a couple of pre-preemptive points-- just to get ahead of the game.

Proponents of allowing us to whack ourselves with medical help can create scenarios that sound pretty appealing. People with dementia of one type or another are ripe candidates for whacking. The US healthcare system is staring down the barrel of a wave of baby-Boomers who will overwhelm our resources. That is a safe prediction.

Why not just whack them?  Is a certain solution to be discussed. But let's think about it another way. Let's say that you and I are both pet lovers, with dogs in our homes that we have raised since puppyhood. We have loved our dogs, and, our dogs have loved us in return. In fact, walking our dogs has been a great exercise - both physically and socially and that is how you and I met. Well, sadly, all dogs may not go to heaven (or they may), but they all do die eventually. But, our dogs aren't dead yet, they are sadly suffering incurable diseases of doggy old age. Now, here's the question:
It is FINE for me to pay the veterinarian to put my poor doggy out of her misery, but would it be OK for me, unbeknownst to you, to put YOUR dog to sleep as well?

I am hoping for  a resounding "NO!"

I think MOST would agree that whereas I, as my dog's owner, can make that sad decision for my poor doggy.

So WHO owns you? Or more seriously, WHO owns your aunt with serious dementia?

We don't own ourselves!  We have been "Bought with a price" (I Corinth 6:20; 7:23), and a VERY high price indeed. So if your owner, G^d, wants to whack you, He can do so, without even hiring a vet.  And, if G^d wants you to stick around, even with dementia, keep in mind, the Christ bought you, and everyone else, with His blood.

Get my point on Physician-assisted suicide?

Natural Bridge-- Photos

A few weeks back we went up on a Sunday to Florence. On the way, we had to pass Alabama's Natural Bridge.  Many, many years ago, I had taught a young fellow whose family owned the land on which the Natural Bridge stands. We had visited at his invitation way back in the 80's.

Well, as we walk in to the admin area to pay our entry fee, who is there, but my old student, Dennis D, who now is actually pretty old.  It has been a few years, and a LOT of water has flowed down the stream that winds through the beautiful valley beside the bridge.

This is indeed a beautiful spot.  We highly recommend it.  And, if Dennis is there, give him our regards.

Bishop's Laws- no really!

Over these 68+ years, we have developed some guidelines for staying out of trouble, or getting in trouble.  Perhaps the best known law is:

"Never buy something the same day you see it."  A lot of "caveat emptor" mistakes arise from being hasty.  That salesperson is trained to be convincing.  But, "upon further review" can save you a LOT of $$$.  Besides, what difference does ONE more day make?

"Never buy anything over the phone."  I could have saved a few hundred dollars following this law. "Can you send me something through the mail?" is a reasonable request.  If the answer is, "No", there's a reason for that answer, and, you didn't need it anyway.

"If it's worth doing...it's worth OVER-doing!"  Yeah, this one has caused a few problems, but is pretty descriptive. I'm not recommending following this one.

But, perhaps my most famous law is, "Bishop's Law of Opposites", which simply states, "Whatever my FIRST impulse on anything, doing the OPPOSITE is more likely to align with Scripture."  This one is a bit sad, but has proven true on many occasions.

G^d's Laws are BETTER and more useful than Bishop's Laws, and I HIGHLY recommend those laws first, but G^d has given us a bit of insight as part of our Imago Dei. So pay attention.  You might save some money and some regrets.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

We, in the USA have MUCH for which to be thankful, and I personally have a LOT for which to give thanks. I look back at my career and realize how Blessed I was to teach during the era I taught, with the students and faculty I met. We have a very nice retirement, and I thank the L^rd for that too.

We have 4 wonderful children, and 80% success is pretty good! Just kidding, we have 5 wonderful children. The 80% who are married have great spouses and wonderful grandchildren. All of these are healthy and functional. What a Blessing!

Brenda and I both marvel at the world traveling we have enjoyed. How many people have lived in 2 countries outside the USA? We enjoyed greatly our times living in GA, FL, VA (2 cities), RI, MD (2 cities),, NY, and TX (2 cities). We have enjoyed our longest stretch in AL. Thank you G^d.

We both enjoy excellent health, even for our age. We are free, as far as we know, from chronic disease, and not on medications, except for one small one. In general we feel good and get to exercise a couple of times a week. Health is a gift from G^d.

As retirees we have lot of freedom. Our work with Cru Faculty Ministry gives us a lot to do. We are Blessed to be missionaries. We are blessed with many friendships. We are blessed with the opportunity to publish a trade book on Christian wellness, and to see the release of the second edition of the text book. We are Blessed to live peaceably and with good neighbors. Thank you L^rd!

Most of all I am thankful for my dear sweet wife, a true Blessing from G^d! Everyone who knows her loves her, and I have the great privilege of living life with her. She is a true Proverbs 31 woman and I am MOST thankful to G^d for her!

Yes, we have much for which to thank the dear L^rd, much indeed.

Traveling the World--Over time!

Here are some of our foreign adventures (with dates):

Honduras: Univ. National= 3 Presentations on Injury Prevention, Energy Pathways, and Thermoregulation and Sport; Univ. Tech. 2 Presentations on Thermoregulation and Sport, June 2017.

Tsuba University, Tsuba Japan. Exercise Science: Applications Beyond Sport and Exercise. Aug 2016

Taipei, Taiwan. Professors as Students. July 2016.

Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture, Yerevan, Armenia: Recovery from training; Exercise in the heat; Teaching and evaluating University Students. March 14-18, 2016.

Univ. of Maria Galvez, Guatemala, City, Guatemala. Feb 25, 2016.

Christianity and Science. Univ of Costa Rica, 16 Oct 2015.

Hydration in Sport. Univ of Costa Rica, 8 Oct 2015.

Teaching Techniques. La Curena, Costa Rica. Oct 10-15, 2015.

Bishop. Recovery from training. Sunderland Uni., England, 21 May, 2015.

Bishop. Hydration and Nutrition in Recovery. Oxford Brooks, England, 26 May, 2015.

Bishop. “Getting Published. La Sapienza University, Ph.D./faculty seminar. 11 May 2015, 10-1130. 

Bishop. “Getting Published. University of Bologna, Ph.D./faculty seminar. 29 May 2014, 10-1130. 

Bishop. “Training Recovery: Research Principles. University of Capetown, Research seminar. 19 July 2013.

Bishop. “Training Recovery: Research Principles. University of Bologna, Ph.D. seminar. 17 June 2013, 10-1150.

Bishop, P. Three presentations to Mongolian International University faculty and three to students, Ulaan Bator, Mongolia, Sept –Oct 2012.

Bishop. Recovery in Elite Athletes. Invited presentation to the Swedish Olympic Summer Sport Coaches. Stockholm, Sweden 17 April. 306

Bishop. Protecting Elite Athletes in Hot and Humid conditions. Invited presentation to the Swedish Olympic Summer Sport Coaches. Stockholm, Sweden 17 April, 2012.

Bishop. Recovery in Endurance Sports. Invited presentation to the NVC Uthållighetskonvent (Endurance Conference). Östersund, Sweden, 27 April, 2012.

Bishop, P. 3 talks to Philippine Olympic Committee coaches, May 16,17; 2 talks to Private schools coaches and PE teachers, Manila, Philippines, May 2011.

CCCI, two presentations, Chambrun, Haiti, July 2010. 

Aswan, Egypt Medical Residents- gave 7 hours of faculty development to 13 new physicians, April 2010.

Osaka CCC International. Spoke to Faculty members and staff. Osaka, Japan, 28 Jul 09.

Palmas, Costa Rica: Taught a 16-hour course on Andragogy and Leadership. June 2008, Jan 2009, Feb 2010.

Primero Regional Congresso de Educacion Fisica, Deporte, y Recreation, Campeche, Mexico, Nov 2008, “Applicaciones de Investigacion en Educacion Fisica y Deportes”.

Two presentations at the Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China Jul 08.

Taught a 24-hr course, rural Costa Rica, May-June 08. Taught a 16 contact-hour seminar in teaching and leading small groups Jan 09.
Havana, Cuba , two talks, Nov 9-13, 2009.
3 invited Presentationa, San Jose, CR, Oct, 2009.

Multiple presentations to the University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela, May 08.

Two presentations, CCC Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, Jan 08.

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua (Matagalpa), Universidad de Commerciales Ciencias, Ave Maria University of the Americas, numerous invited talks . Mar 07.

Amman, Jordan, 2 talks.

University of Herat, Herat, Afghanistan. 3 seminars of 2.5 hours on Academic Leadership, and psychology of the learner. ~55 Faculty participated on each session. Oct. 06.

Presented four invited talks at the University of Costa Rica and one at the Universidad Autonoma de Centro Americano, San Jose CR, Oct 2005.

Presented four talks at the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cuzco, Cuzco, Peru, Mar 2003.

Two talks to the ETH (Federal Institute of Technology) Honggerberg, Zurich, Switzerland, May 27, 2003, and to medical students at ETH, Lausanne, 26 May, 2003.

Montreux, Switzerland, 2 talks. may 2003. 

Presented 7 talks at two universities in Merida, Mexico- Instituto Technologico de Merida and Eschuela Normal Superior, Sept. 2002.

Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, and Darwin, Australia, Jan-Feb, 2002.

University of Southampton, Sport Studies, Southampton, UK, May 01.

Cruzada de Estudiantil y Profesional, San Jose Costa Rica, Oct. 00

University of Panama, R.P. Schools of Medicine (Physiology Dept.), Natural Sciences (Biology        
       Dept.), and Physical Education, Republic of Panama, ‘96.

Jerusalem, Israel- 3 talks.

Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Monterrey, N.L. Mexico, 2 talks, June 1995.

Instituto Technologico Autonoma de Mexico (ITAM) and Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico, Oct. 1994.

The Central University of Ecuador- To Physiological Psychology class and to the department of Physical Education- 2 lectures , June 1994.

The Polytechnical University of Ecuador- Physiological and Engineering: Challenges of Humans in Space, June 1994.

The Confederation of Sports in Pinchinchia (Ecuador)- 3 lectures , June 1994.

The Polytechnical School of Exercise of the Superior Military Academy of Ecuador, June 1994.

Tashkent Government University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, CIS- 4 lectures March 1993.

University of Glasgow, The Queen's College of Glasgow, and Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland. Made four invited presentations 1992.

Montreal, Canada, two talks, June 1990.

My main point in blogging these is to save the places and dates.  Whew, I otta be tired!

Blogging a Bit Behind

I am further behind than I have ever been on this blog.  I am two posts ahead, and that ain't much. If you are a reader, thanks, but also be reminded, this blog is CHIEFLY to help Brenda and I remember things we want to remember. Plus, sometimes I need to write out things to see what i think about them.  Sometimes I am giving myself advice.

I am certain that some things I write make little sense or are of limited interest. I agree.

We have been on the run it seems all semester. We have been on the road, or trying to catch up. Things have gone pretty smoothly, there has just been a LOT of it. I have heard retired people whine that they are so busy in retirement that they don't know how they had time to work.  Now, I understand what they were saying.

I hope our time and energy are being invested wisely, because it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that there is less of either available than ever before. We are endeavoring to invest in eternal things. Our work is with faculty, who will impact students, who will impact others, etc., etc. We endeavor to get them to have a Christian impact on their students. Many, many are FEARFUL they will get in trouble for speaking up, and we'll chat about that in another post, mostly because I need to think about it.

Lately I spend quite a bit of time trying to deliver Thanks-a-prof thank-you notes to faculty. It is harder than I anticipated, because I didn't give it a lot of thought before.  I think that is common--and a common mistake. I am glad I have only about two dozen to deliver as opposed to 190+ of one of my colleagues up in VA.

I have been too busy to deer hunt.  Unbelievable eh?

Well, getting caught up a bit... maybe I should go hunting.

Deferring to G^d!

I am currently in the process of writing a trade book with an MD colleague, Dr.Walt Larimore.  This will Dr. Larimore's 33rd book, I think.  Needless to say, I often defer to Walt, due to his superior knowledge and experience.  It only seems prudent.  I imagine most of you readers would do the same.

Which has gotten me thinking...

We, oft times, fail to defer to G^d!  Now, I won't go into G^d's superior experience, knowledge, and wisdom than mine, or ours. I trust that is obvious to us all. So, why don't I defer to Him, ALL the time?  Would seem prudent.

Maybe you are better at deferring than I am. I fail to defer to G^d whenever I sin. But, too I also fail to defer when I "go my own way" even though what I am doing isn't strictly sinful. I spend a LOT of the time G^d has given me in foolish, wasteful ways. I fail to pray, to seek G^d's direction when I am making a big decision, or, true enough, even for a small one!

How about you? "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (Ja 4:17)  We know what is right, and yet we fail.

How about some little things?  Do I keep the Sabbath?  Do I fast and pray?  Do I honor G^d in all.

L^rd help me to defer to YOU O G^d, more than to any man.  Make it so!

Suicide is Painless- NOT

Some of you old timers may recall the theme song from the movie and t.v. show "M.A.S.H.". The song had a line in it that said, "Suicide is painless, it brings so many changes...".

Well, not sure where the writer got that idea. Suicide is incredibly painful for many of those surviving the suicidal person's death.

And, suicide is becoming increasingly prevalent. I just read yesterday that suicides in the over-60 crowd have doubled in the last few years. Now this is a relatively low-suicide group, but it is still noteworthy. Suicide is now the SECOND leading cause of death in the 19-34 year age group. It only trails accidents in this risky group.

Tomorrow I will meet with an official of a major university to talk about how Christianity might help the campaign against suicide.  Here's some thoughts:

S.A.D.= Stress, Anxiety, Depression-- many students face these factors routinely--

Triggers, or risk factors, for suicide include depression, hopelessness, isolation, stressful life events, addiction, a family history of suicide, and previous suicide attempts.

What Might Christianity do to help?

Depression- we give folks an EXTERNAL reference. There was PLENTY of reasons for early Christians to be depressed, yet the hope of Christ kept them going, and even joyous.

Hopelessness- we give HOPE even in Sad situations.

Isolation- we provide fellowship!

Stress- We help w stress relief.

Family history- we can become surrogate family.

As a FACULTY ministry: we can equip Christian faculty to be resources to help students and colleagues.

Suicide is painful for many, and seems to be a growing threat to everyone--particularly the young.

Keep your ears open for any signs of suicide triggers.

The US needs your help!

Thank-a-Prof

One of the best strategies our Faculty Commons Ministry uses to reach Professors is called "thank-a-Prof".  In this campaign, we solicit students to write "thank-you" notes to teachers they have had in previous semesters.  We collect those, make sure they aren't "hate-mail", and then hand-deliver to faculty members across campus.

I knew this would be popular among faculty because such acknowledgements are strangely rate in Higher Education. Over my 33 years, I kept most every hand-written thank-you that I ever received--and the file isn't overly thick!

I underestimated how popular this would be. Profs have been willing to chat for amazing lengths of time. They seem exceedingly happy to get these, and one young Ph.D. student almost wept when she read the card. A full professor with 24 years teaching here said over and over, how nice it was.

So, that raises the question, why is this so very rare.  I recall one of my friends saying that his son wrote a thank-you to each of his profs every semester. What a great idea!  I wish I had thought of that.

Gratitude is a VITAL character trait, especially for Christians.  We OUGHT to be exceedingly thankful to the G^d of the Universe who did for us what NO person could ever do--He saved us from our sins for ALL eternity! This is the greatest gift, but far, that you could EVER receive--don't you think you could show a little gratitude?  And, of course, I am speaking to myself too.

So here's my advice, to me and to you. Let's start expressing gratitude where it doesn't often exist. Most people thank others when a service is rendered. But thank your garbage men, the next police-person, the next firefighter, the next veteran or military person you see. Use a bit of imagination and be a bit aggressive. As we express gratitude, our gratitude level inside rises also, and we remember more often to THANK the G^d who gave us life- temporal and eternal!

Thanks for reading this.

Our 20th House Closing today!

We bought our first home at 119 East Sunrise Dr., Lexington Park, MD in about 1974.
We bought 512 South Main, Lexington, VA in 1977.
Whilst in Lexington, VAl we also bought a house for $12k, which I think we sold for about $21k.
We also bought that house with the dead guy in it.
In 1980 we bought Milledge Circle, Athens Ga.
Whilst in GA, we bought Morton Ave., and
another brick ranch with which we didn't do much.
In Alabama we bought 40 Bellwood, then
4615 Allums, and then
312 Legacy Oaks in Lynchburg, VA.
Today we bought 809 Lakeside, Pl, Northport. We have sold all except these last two.


So, we have bought 11 times, and sold 9, which makes today our 20th closing. In the next few months Kelly and Michael will buy 4615 Allums, making our 21st, and perhaps LAST closing. Maybe not, we shall see.

Closings are interesting. There is always a small bit of tension, in that large sums of money are typically exchanged.  We certainly thought so when we paid $29.9k for our first home. Needless to say, today's purchase was a lot more, a bit under 8x more.

But, all went smoothly, thanks be to G^d. We will NOT be moving in immediately, as we are renting the home back to the family from which we purchased it. They are buying a new place and moving in a few weeks. We are excited.  Here is the new place,

Not the Crimson Tide, but the RED tide!

We arrived in Panama City Beach on Monday, 17 August. When we checked in at Laguna Beach, our friend Jeremy told us that the red tide was over.  I thanked him, but at the moment failed to realize how MUCH I should have thanked G^d that it was over.

Yep, those are dead fish and a bunch of dead eels from maybe 10 feet of beach!  I had NO idea that there were SO many eels in the Gulf. They littered the shore. That wasn't the worst part. I can't do this part justice, but take a look.

Yes, the shore was littered too, with puncture hazards!  These teeth were not the worst hazard. I am not sure how many vertebrae fish and eels have, but I do know they make little "thumbtacks" pointed mostly upwards. The first day, these things impaled me at least three times.

BUT, the tide was over, and every succeeding day the beach cleaned itself more and more. And, even with the eels, hey it's still one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire world!  What a Blessing!  Thanks be to G^D!

Whipped!

Whew, getting old is ROUGH!

I don't recall being this tired before.  Brenda and I spent two weeks down in FL, whereupon I immediately left for MN and WI.  We had a week back, but left Sunday afternoon for UNA, in beautiful Florence, AL.

In FL, I gave 13 talks, in WI, I gave 6.  ALL the FL talks were brand-new, and those always take a bit more effort and energy, and a LOT more prep.

But, as Brenda said it, I was in my element.  Indeed I feel called to what we are doing in our ministry.  But again, we aren't quite a young and energetic as we were once!

So, last night we went to bed before 7 PM--a new record!!

I guess in retrospect, there was a logical reason we have been tired...we have done a LOT of tiring stuff!

But, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to minister and to serve the true and living G^d!

Thanks be to G^d for his Blessings-- even if they are tiring.  G^d made a day of rest.

May G^d grant us all rest.

Three Weeks at the End of Summer

Whew!  I got in last night a bit before midnight--a late night for an old guy!

Brenda and I have just completed a 3-week marathon. It was joyful, but tiring.  We started out with a week alone at LBCR, Panama City Beach, FL. Doesn't sound too tough, eh?  True enough, but on Sunday we moved from our efficiency into the "Big House" with about 12-14-18 other folk.

That was for a 6-day-long Wellness Week. It was a blast. Once a day I gave one talk on some aspect of Wellness- relational, Emotional, Physical, Spiritual; and each day I gave a talk on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).  This was the first time I had ever spoken on EITHER of these topics, so I had to plan the talks, adapt them to the other speaker, and then give them. Add that to daily runs, very long walks that Brenda and I took on the beach, and we were BOTH pretty tired.

I gave a summary devotional Sunday AM, and Brenda and I drove home to Northport. We got in Sunday afternoon and about 24 hours later I left for BHM airport, where I flew to ATL, and then to MSP- Minneapolis-St. Paul. At 0700, one of our Cru friends picked me up at the hotel and we started 6 FULL days of ministry... but that will be another post next week.

Here are a few photos from the Wellness Week.

The Beach in September

Brenda and I had the opportunity to spend some time in Panama City Beach the end of September where we did a Wellness Retreat for a bunch of Christian singles from around the SE USA. We have never, to our recollection been to the beach at this time of year. For most of our lives, I have been either a student or a teacher this time of year, and busy, busy. Because it is a 5-hour drive, we went down several days early to enjoy some "couple time", which I highly recommend to all married couples.  Kids are great, but your spouse MUST be your highest priority, or...

We noted several differences from late-spring visits, our norm. The place was NOT crowded, even on the weekend. The weather was different too. The water was flatter than we have ever seen. And flat water means there was little wind. This was the first time ever that insects, flies, bothered us due to the lack of wind.

As some might notice, the sea oats were fully mature. They are beautiful, and you'll see some more in a later post.

Attention!

I JUST finished reading a www post about a young man who is a HIGHLY committed Christian in one of the US military academies. The piece talked a bit about how the key character had come to Christ in High School, and had enlisted in the military.  In the military he was discipled by the Navigator ministry.  Upon reporting to the academy (unspecified) he proceeded to continue to grow in his faith and lead others to the Christ.

You can read it here: https://www.navigators.org/growing-disciplemakers/?apcode=DH00007&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Disciple%20Weekly%209182018&utm_content=Disciple%20Weekly%209182018+CID_20487b0e798459166451ece44d026431&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Continue%20Reading

It's a GREAT story, right?  Well, almost.  Here's what REALLY caught my attention. The hero in the story was identified by a pseudonym. The academy where he studies was NOT identified. Now this strikes me because I have a LOT of missionary friends who work in closed countries, like East Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. They use the same tactics of being careful NOT to reveal names and locations.

Do you see WHY I was bothered?  Think about it. We are NOW treating, or at least the author of the article is treating, the US service academies as if they were a HOSTILE environment for Christianity. Hmm, think about that.

Two or three years past, the USAFA got in trouble for being too Christian!  What?  Yep, and my time at USNA, and USMA, was a great time of Christian growth.

But, this got my attention.  Did it get yours?

Church Congregations over these MANY years

My earliest recollection of church was First Baptist, Canton, GA.  I spent many a happy hour there singing in the graded choir program (I was terrible), and also on Royal Ambassadors, where our most memorable teacher was Norman Sosebee. Pastor W.W. Long came to our home and sat on the Living room sofa and shared the gospel, which I had already accepted.  I was baptized in fdirst Baptist promptly afterwards. We scarcely missed a Sunday attendance until I left for USNA, where I promptly joined College Avenue Baptist and was "adopted" by the Bausum Family who nurtured me, and fed me for 4 years plus the summer after I graduated and Brenda and I lived in their home whilst they toured the USA in their camper.

When back in Canton, Brenda and I attended Oakdale Baptist, Brenda's home church. We visited there again Sunday, and much has stayed the same, whilst much changed. Our pastor at Oakdale was Marvin Frady.

After getting orders to go to NFO school in Pensacola, we joined Fairfield Drive Baptist where our pastor was Preacher Bryant, who befriended us warmly and often invited us over to play dominoes. Although we were only there a few months, I taught a youth Sunday School class there, and Brenda sang a solo. When she sang a solo of "How Great thou Art", and the thunder truly rolled just as she got to that part of the lyrics.

"O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed."   YEP- right on que!

In Rhode island we were in an American Baptist church. When we reported to the squadron in Patuxent River, MD, we joined Lexington Part Baptist Church. When we moved to Lexington, VA, we walked half a block to join Faith Presbyterian, a Reformed Presbyterian Church, where I was nominated for deacon. I spent about 3 months along with Charlie and Bob W. Chiefly those two guys watched the pastor, Fred M, argue about Calvinism and predestination. 

That brought us to Grad School in Athens, GA, where we were members of Faith Presbyterian, PCA. We loved it there and were discipled including Col. 2:7 Navigator discipleship--and those guys KNOW discpleship!

In Tuscaloosa, for our first 7 years we attended First Baptist Tuscaloosa, where we taught a peer SS class that was very close relationally. From there we moved to Houston and attended Bay Area Pres (PCA), and when we moved back to Tuscaloosa, we joined Grace, our home church since 1992. I was instrumental in hiring Fred Schuckert as our pastor, and then again in hiring Ben Talmadge. In New York we attended a Conservative Baptist Church, and in Sweden we attended an EFS congregation--an offshoot of the Lutheran Church. In Botswana we attended Open Baptist Church. In Lynchburg we attended Mercy Pres (PCA).

We have participated in quite a number of congregations. All have had strong and weak points--but all have been great in their own way.  Thanks be to G^d for His church--the Body of Christ!

Ober Gatlinburg!

As I wrote earlier, Brenda and I had a “free” hotel for three nights in Gatlinburg, and all we had to do was sit through a 2-hour hard-sell for a timeshare. Well, that’s the price you pay…

I had a 50^th class reunion for my Cherokee High Class, we took Brenda’s sister, Barbara Ann, to church at the small Baptist Church where Brenda and I were married, and the congregation closest to her house. It was great to see her having fun socializing with those very friendly folks, most of whom already knew Barb.

After church we took the long and winding road for a bit over 4 hours to get to our resort in Gatlinburg. We arrived late enough that we wanted to get checked in, get some supper and go to bed. Brenda and I found a real grocery and bough supper and a few extras.  So after a nice supper of chicken, mashed potatoes, and bluberries, we went to sleep with the sound of a wide brook gurgling outside.

Monday found us checking out the Pigeon Forge thrift stores, and investigating the local shows. Barbara Ann wanted to see a show, and who were we to stand in her way. We soon discovered that 3 tickets to a dinner show would cost us about $180!  What?  Sure enough!

But we also learned if we immediately went to hear a timeshare presentation, we could get the tix for a mere $20 each!  Hmmm, $120 discount for a 2-hour presentation, that's $60/hr tax free!  OK, we're in. Poor Bernie seemed shocked when I asked her if I could get a discount for paying cash for a timeshare (whihc I wasn't gonna do anyway, but I was truly curious).

"NO!" was the answer, and the question followed, "Do you always ask for a discount for cash?"

"Yes I do!"

Then on to the Show!  It was the Hatfields and McCoys, and was remarkably good. The stage slid around to make a large swimming pool, and about 20 minutes of the show was excellent high-diving-board choreography including retrieving dogs! The singing and dancing of the 90-minute produciton was good, and I guess that many of those folks were current or former U Tenn drama and dance majors.  The meal was pretty good, so a meal and a nice show for $20 seemed like a reasonable deal- particularly if we didn't buy a time share!

We made 2 trips around Cades Cove--one that night and one the following.  We saw a total of only 11 deer, but did see 2 bear and 3 coyotes and many turkeys.

The KEY on this trip was Brenda's sister.  She truly seemed to enjoy the first vacay outing in several years.  THAT made the trip a success!

Class Reunion- My First of 50 past

On 25 August, 2018, my Cherokee High School class of 1968 celebrated our 50^th year. And, true enough for most of those folks, it was the FIRST time I had laid eyes on them in 50 years! And, for a lot of these folks, my wife and I were sooooo very grateful for name tags!

It was a very nice well-planned event. The venue was perfect, the food excellent, and the desserts were nearly unbelievable!  To  be honest, it was a little awkward. There was only a bit of a program- which seemed fine, but there wasn't much to chat about. Kids, retirement, and then the conversation kinda lagged.

Fortunately, Saturday morning, before the afternoon reunion, Charles R and I got together for breakfast. We had been close hunting buddies in school, and had kept in touch with each other off and on through these 50 years. We caught up on hunting stuff, and then Charles had the excellent idea of visiting another one of our High School buddies, except this one lay dying in a nearby nursing home. Ed had been a great friend of our youth, and later in life had found his calling as a Methodist Minister and indeed had pastored our hometown church--Canton First Methodist for some 25 years. We visited mostly with Ed's wife, because Ed was chiefly unconscious. His wife was extremely warm and remarkably upbeat for the circumstances. After a 30-40 min visit, I offered to pray for us all, and we all, Ed included, joined hands for a prayer.  Ed died two days later.  I am glad we went by to see him one last time.

The Reunion featured a dove release to represent those classmates who had died before the Reunion. There were a few small competitions for most grand kids, etc. It was great fun, but as I said, it was a bit awkward.

I didn't expect that, but probably should have.  Live and Learn.

Some Basic Rules of Personal Finance

Brenda and I have just finished TWO, not one but TWO, Timeshare presentations.  For our trouble we got 3 nights in a nice resort, plus $120 off tickets to the "Hatfields and McCoys" dinner musical- no really it was surprisingly good!

But, due to the recent hard-sell, I thought it might be of use to state some KEY personal financial rules to live by:

#1 NEVER buy anything quickly. DO NOT buy at the pitch, but only later--if at all.

I told the sales people, I wanted time to think, and they said "NO!" They claimed, "It wouldn't be fair to these folks who are deciding right now!"

"No", I said, it is unfair that ALL of us have to decide on the spur of the moment!"

Mine was NOT a popular response.

#2 Do NOT buy anything over the phone.  Why would you? You didn't need it BEFORE they called, why do you need it now?

"Send me the literature, I'll look it over and get back to you!"

These two simple rules will save you some real $$$$, but only if you follow them...a I will from now on!

My Body...My Autonomy! NOT Usually

Most pro-abortion/pro-choice advocates have some mantra like, "My Body, My Choice!"

I understand the sentiment, but that is NOT a universal truth.  My body is NOT free to do a LOT of things, and you all agree to these restrictions--especially restricting me:

• I cannot walk around nude,
• I cannot, and you cannot, expose certain parts of my/your body, even while otherwise dressed,
• Jay-walk,
• Use dangerous weapons in inappropriate places,
• Drive vehicles illegally,
• Commit prostitution...

That's probably a good place to stop! But we do NOT have the freedom to do with OUR bodies whatever we choose. But, in the issue of abortion, we make all sorts of exceptions. Our abortion rates are staggering, and yet we continue.

L^rd have mercy, Christ have mercy.

Leadership- Maybe a Lost Skill??

I just ran across this list of "9 Essential skills of leaders". Leadership seems in short supply, so I thought I would preserve them here:

Listening

Questioning

Giving feedback

Showing empathy

Providing structure

Assisting with goal-setting

Recognizing and pointing out strengths

Encouraging a solution-focused approach

Letting the other person arrive at his or her own solution.        

I see minimal leadership these days, with management taking the lead.  We manage resources, but we lead people. One sage said, "If you are leading but no one is following, you're really just taking a walk!"  I am sure that there is leadership going on somewhere. I think our church congregation might have some leadership going, and I am not wanting to be critical.  We lead from the front, and by example, and leadership involves putting those we are leading first.

So how's your leadership going?