Life review: Pursuit of Happiness...

As most folks know, the US Declaration of Independence suggests that everyone is "entitled to" the "pursuit of happiness!"  This is one of the "Inalienable rights" of humanity, according to the writers.

And, as I look around in 21st century USA, and most of the world, the pursuit of "happiness" consumes most of mankind's waking moments.

If we just buy this, travel there, do this... we will become deliriously happy. And, happiness is our ultimate goal, even if it is mostly just around the corner. Yep, soon happiness will arrive!

As I get older and look back at my own pursuit of happiness I keep thinking about that CS Lewis quote that many of you know, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Isn't it sadly so. We are too easily fooled into thinking that happiness lies in status, or stuff, or hope for status or stuff. So if happiness does NOT lie in the things we seek, where does it lie?

Again, let's listen to an argument put forth by the old lit professor, Lewis, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

Hmm, whereas the PURSUIT of happiness may be an inalienable right, it might not be truly available in this fallen, sick world. In fact, the sad state of things in Syria, Israel, Korea, China, the USA might provide another hint that this world is neither our source of happiness, nor our true home.

I believe we were created for another world, as Lewis suggests. Moreover, I think a stronger case for this point originates in the Holy Scriptures.

This world is not our home, we just passing through. A form of happiness is indeed available when we rest in The Christ, yet our ultimate happiness, for those who are Followers of the Christ. lies in our heavenly home. I am sure we will never be truly happy, until we are truly home.

What thinks ye?

A Tribute to Books

Writing about books will make me sound more erudite! Talking about all the books I have read will make me sound sophisticated and well educated. So, don't miss these key points!

My parents, somehow, instilled in us boys at an early age the importance of books. Our lower, lower middle-class home always had an abundance of books. I think I read, and some of my brothers read, almost all of the Hardy Boys detective series. We enjoyed it.

I recall have real, hard-bound, encylopedias on a big bookshelf at home, and one of the KEY pieces of furniture that we wanted when our Mom died, was a set of custom bookcases she had made for the living room of our little, meager bungalow.

We were frequent library visitors and checked out a lot of books over my life. I even met Brenda in the local Canton Library. Brenda and I were just recently in the Tuscaloosa Library, and I have finished 2 books in the last 2 days of vacation (in mid-May).

Some books I love, some not so much. Some of the books I read seem to be grand opportunities for the authors to demonstrate to the reader how erudite, sophisticated, and well-educated they are. I read some books by scholars and they seem to be among the worst at going to great lengths to demonstrate their mastery of lots of subjects.

I hope I will remember these lessons - especially those from the bad books. There are things to admire and emulate about most all the people I have ever met, but I can also learn valuable lessons from those I do NOT wish to emulate, including some authors.

It is a huge undertaking to write a book. Most authors seem very proud - me too. But let's keep a calm demeanor. Let's keep a scintilla of humility about us.

See how erudite, sophisticated, and well-educated I am???

Life Review: A Tribute to my Soul Mate

On June 19, 1972 I married my True Love, Brenda Hill. We had met about 2 years before in the Canton Public Library. Brenda's sister had suggested, on that fateful day, that she wait at the Library before reporting for work at the dress shop. I was doing a good deed in taking my mom, who didn't drive, to the Doctor's, just across the street from the Library.

I was in a main area of the small library and looked up to see this gorgeous young lady reading a Seventeen magazine (she was only 16 at the time). I walked over, and my first words were, "I don't believe I know you!"

Her response was PERFECT for my ego, "Well I know you!" she said with authority. She had been a H.S. freshman when I was a senior. I had known her older brother, David, but somehow I had missed Brenda.

I wanted to correct my earlier oversight. I asked her out. And then I asked her out again. You see Brenda was a very popular young lady and getting on her calendar was challenging. Finally she agreed and I took her to that classic movie, Ben Hur.

We dated for a year, and then, in a romantic moment at Amicalola Falls State Park in North GA, I asked her to marry me, and she said, "Yes!".  Thanks be to G^d!

We have been through a lot together in raising 5 kids. We have traveled many a mile together, and done a LOT of work together. She is gifted in so many ways where I weak. Like Rocky Balboa said of Adrienne, "I got gaps, she's got gaps, but together we fill in each other's gaps!"

Brenda fills in my gaps!

Thanks be to G^d for the gift that is my dear, sweet wife!

Life Review: Life's a Beach!

We are at the beach... or at least we were when this was written.

Brenda and I love the beach. It is probably one of the few places where we can really relax. We started coming to Panama City Beach and Orange Beach when the kids were little, and back when we worked at Johnson Space Center, we spent a LOT of time down at Galveston. In fact, one summer we spent 10 weeks living at Pirate's Beach on Galveston when the Curtners allowed us to stay in their beach house while I commuted up to JSC.

We remember our kids as kids building sand structures on Galveston. Daniel once stepped on a sting ray and got stung. We went through a major storm whilst camping at Galveston once. I never thought about it, but everyone survivied pretty well at the beach with seldom even a bad sunburn.

We didn't do a lot at the beach. At Galveston I picked up a LOT of fossilized shark's teeth.  We walked the beaches, body surfed a bit, but never did any serious surfing or boating. Standing paddleboarding had NOT yet been invented, but I did learn to sailboard on Clear Lake, and found it to be one of the hardest sports to learn.

We are staying for maybe the 25th or 26th time at Laguna Beach Christian Retreat. Brenda likes to point out all the cottages where we have previously stayed. We have stayed in a LOT of different buildings around here, over very many days. The accomodations are nice, but not in any way luxurious. The beach here is very quiet - relative to most Gulf beaches.

If you haven't spent much time here, let me tell you that our beaches are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  East of the Mississippi the sand is beautiful. The water slopes gently most of the time.

There isn't much we're willing to spend money on here, so most of our time is spent reading or walking along the beach. If it rains we will spend some time visiting local thrift stores, but we have only once made the "Shell Island" tour on a boat.

We have met a LOT of nice people around here. Add that to the beauty and peace of the beach... I think you see why we like it so much.

Come visit!

Life review: Children!!

Psalm 127 tells us that "Children are a gift from the L^rd, the fruit of the womb a reward!  Like arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior, so are the children of one's youth!"

Partly due to the influence of our friend Chuck (with 11 children) we decided we wanted a BIG family- lots of rewards according to Ps 127. We wound up with 5, with each successive pregnancy taking a bigger toll on Brenda's health. With our first daughter, Brenda had pregnancy-induced hypertension and was off her feet a month and hospitalized 3 weeks, and with our last daughter, she was bed-ridden around 10 weeks, whilst we had a 2-year-old running wildly through the house!!

Although it has been a tremendous amount of work having these kids, it has also been a tremendous joy. Each of our kids is her/his own person. G^d has gifted each one differently, with different personalities, different dispositions, different preferences.

All of them are now adults. Brenda and I are proud of every one. One of our happiest accomplishments was getting each one of them through undergraduate school with NO debt!

Now 4 of the 5 are married, and we have 8 GRAND children. And, as everyone says, Grandchildren are so much fun, we shoulda just skipped having kids and went straight to grands!!

Thank you L^rd for these wonderful rewards!

Spiritual Gifts

I am not completely sure of my Spiritual Gifts.  Perhaps I have the gift of teaching... I sure enjoy it and relish the opportunity. One gift I do have is Prophecy!

This gift is not often understood.  Prophecy is not all about telling the future, it is about calling the Church into accountability. Perhaps this strikes you as it did one of my friends 17-18 years back. On explaining that my "gift" was calling the Church into account, he quickly responded, "There's nothing in Scripture about criticizing the Bride of the Christ!"

Hmm, yes nothing except a large portion of the Foundational (Old) Testament. Think about the Major and Minor prophets. In fact the Jews of Jesus' day described the Foundational Testament as "The Law and the Prophets".

Think too, the FT prophets weren't always the most cheerful folks. Jeremiah, "The weeping prophet", spent time in the miry clay. None of them seemed especially welcomed by the local religious folk.

And also true today!  I have asked several friends recently to describe the "average" Believer in the USA today. The key responses have been "nominal" and my favorite, "lukewarm".  Hmm, Houston, we have a problem. The L^rd Jesus Christ suffers, bleeds and dies, and we are "Lukewarm"???

Seriously?

I attribute a lot of this to the way the US Christian Church does business. Maybe I am wrong, but set me straight. It annoys me that the best we can do is lukewarm.

So what's your hypothesis?

Life review: Investments

I think back over the many years of fiscal frugality, and evaluate the investments I have made. Early in our marriage, we bought a house in Lexington Park, MD, for $29,900. I think that was the asking price, but we didn't know any better.

Over the years, we have bought 9 houses and sold 8- give or take a few. I'll describe a few of these later, but now I want to summarize.  We have NEVER lost money on houses. Even our last house in VA, where we only lived 10 months we broke even on our house, and lived there for free.

In the Alabama state retirement system, we bought mostly stocks and did pretty well. Now we are split between stocks and bonds, in a moderately conservative position. We have done ok, but not as good as real estate which has typically returned for us 100% profits, even when the house was only held for one year! A 100% return after one year is almost unbelievable.  Thanks be to G^d for His Blessings!  Amen

G^d's UNreasonable Peace!

In studying the book, Supernatural Living for natural Man by Ray Ortlund, Jr., I ran across a famous quote of contestable attribution, but good regardless,

“You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father’s house,” said John.
“But I will kill you,” the empress said.
“No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.”
“I will take away your treasures,” said Eudoxia.
“No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.”
“But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left,” Eudoxia responded.
“No, you cannot,” said John, “for I have a Friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you. For there is nothing you can do to harm me.”

Wow, if I could say the same!  I am trying.  I am heading in that direction. I hope to soon be at that place! Scripture tells us, "6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4).

Wouldn't it be great if we had NO anxiety! Wouldn't it be even better if we were so devoted to, so in-tune with our Savior that we saw everything from G^d's perspective.

L^rd make me so!