Speaking at UNA Commencement, 2020

 Last post I described getting ready to speak at 2 of the graduation ceremonies at the University of North Alabama. I consider this one of the greatest honors I have ever received, and was about as nervous as I ever get about my speech. Some of you might relate to that.

The biggest challenge I faced was the shortest time limit for any speech I have ever given. Because of all the COVID hoops, and the necessity of 6 different ceremonies from Friday night to Saturday, my requested time limit was 12 minutes. Yep, whatever I wanted to say, I had 12 minutes to do it, and I pride myself on meeting the time limit set. Typically the time limit is 30 minutes, not 12, so I really didn't have a good feel for a 12-minute talk.

I prefer to use PowerPoint to give talks, mostly because I am a a visual learner and have great sympathy for visual learners. I prepped the PowerPoint, but I was warned from the start that with live streaming etc. they techs were NOT at all optimistic that I could use it in the ceremony. And, indeed, I could not.

So, I wrote out the talk, printed it off, cut some, and rehearsed it. This is highly unusual for me. I am ADHD and the idea of rehearsing is tough, but, as I said, I was taking this very seriously. My first out loud practice, was a bit fast, and I finished just a few seconds under 12 minutes. On the first REAL delivery I went 12:20, and on the second one, I slowed down a bit a went 12:34. So, I didn't meet my goal, but I figured no one would complain about me going over by a few seconds. And no one did.

This was a rare opportunity of speaking twice only a few minutes apart. After the first commencement speech I approached the President and the Provost quietly and separately. I asked if they had any suggestions/amendments to my talk, and they independently agreed it was fine as it was. Whewwww, finally I could breathe.

After the second commencement, I relaxed completely for the first time in a week or more. The Uni had booked us a very nice room in the Marriot Shoals and bought our supper and breakfast. Though it was much later than usual for dinner, we couldn't pass up a free meal in the kind of restaurant we usually avoid. We enjoyed both meals and I especially enjoyed having this task completed.

Thank you O L^rd for getting us through this challenge. I am thrilled for the opp, but also thrilled it is done.

Thanks be to G^d.

Commencement Speakers

 If you look back on 5 June 2017 I posted a blog about why graduation speakers are NOT needed, nor necessarily even desirable at a University Graduation. Well, back in Nov of this year, I received a letter inviting ME to speak at the U of North Alabama Graduation.

Hmmm, I didn't have to think about it long. Sure. With COVID they wanted me to keep my talk under 12 minutes at the undergrad and grad commencement ceremonies of the Education and Nursing colleges. Because of Covid they divided commencement up into 6 different ceremonies, but I only had to speak at 2 of them on Friday night.

What an honor. I really, truly wanted to do a good job for them. I wrote the speech immediately knowing that it takes a LOT more effort to do a short speech than a long one. I studied UNA and consulted with one of my former students who is now an Associate dean there now. I focused on honorign the students, and congratulating the parents and professors who taught them. I also wanted to honor the UNA, and found that there mission statement had 5 points:

Be Innovative

Be Inclusive

Be Eager

Be Engaged

Be Global

I would end by challenging ALL of us to do those 5 things. 

I practiced far more than I ever have before.

So, stay tuned for how it came out...

On the Road again-Road Racing

 Today is 5 Dec. the 3rd Rudolf 8k Run. We had a large contingent from Grace Church running. Peraps more impressive, we had a large contingent winning. The 8k (5 mile) race started at 0800 this AM with a temperature in the high 30's, low 40's. Anna G, Andrew and I all ran the race before us, along with son-in-law Ben, plus Sarah, Marshall, Elizabeth, Karis, Scott and Jennifer.

Andrew and Anna, our son and daughter were second in their age groups and I was first in mine (17th overall). This was the first race I can recall in about 7 years--though I may have forgotten one. It was good to be back in the race again. In races you naturally push yourself much harder than in workouts, so it was nice to push.

My time was about an 8:34 per mile pace. In my 30's I ran faster than that for 50 miles, not 5. Such is age. We get older. G^d does us the favor of reminding us that we will NOT live forever. Our hair falls out, and what is left turns grey. Our maximum heart rate declines about 1 beat/year and this lowers our ability to pump blood by about 0.5% per year relative to age 20. We generally become less active, so out muscle mass declines along with everything else. Anyone who doesn't get the message that we are headed for the grave, is pretty dense.

Everyone has one of two possible eternal destinations. Even running a foot race can point out our temporal nature. We are not permanent residents on earth, we are just "a passin' through".  Let us NOT forget that eternity awaits us and every reminder is helpful.

Mystery and Blessings of Sleep

I know at least two buddies about my age who have horrendous sleep problems. They struggle with insomnia. Thanks be to G^d, this has never been a problem for me. I sleep, even at my advanced age. I often, usually, go to bed before 9PM. I sleep. Sometimes, like last night for close to 11 hours. Knowing of my friends who struggle increase my appreciation of my ability to sleep. 

Sleep has always intrigued me. Why did G^d create mankind with a need to spend one-third of the day asleep. In my musing, I have only been able to come up with one explanation. For many folks, like me, we are in a dither all day long. We seldom rest our minds...except at night. We may well be too busy to hear from G^d...except at night.

I have heard from G^d during my waking hours on several occasions that I have blogged before: 1)  That time in Australia about encouragement, 2) That time running about picking up trash, 3) That time in Jan 2016 about loving not marrying things (commitment), and 4) That time back in 1980 about leaving the USN and going to Grad school. Maybe there are more.

But, how many times MIGHT I have heard directly from G^d, if I quieted down a bit? Though I do not recall hearing from G^d in the night, in dreams or visions, maybe He has spoken and I didn't recognize His voice. I look back over my life and see where G^d has kept me from things, and enabled me in others, clearly in divine ways. Thank you L^rd.

Sleep is great rest. After a good night's sleep I feel refreshed, renewed, recovered. Sometimes I work hard. Sometimes I exercise hard. Many times I am thrilled to snuggle into bed. I typically fall asleep quickly. When I don't, or when I wake up in the night and can't go right back to sleep, I pray. We are under-prayed, sure enough. Maybe that is a second reason G^d made us to sleep--so we can pray when we can't sleep.

Here's wishing you all a great night's sleep. If you can't sleep, please pray.

Good night!

More Admiration for Canada Geese

 We really enjoy having Canada Geese visit our lake in fall and spring, and sometimes winter-over with us. This morning, I was sitting in the woods and saw a small gaggle of Canada geese, well I actually heard them first. They were maybe 500 yards away flying north. When they got about 300 yards past me, they made a 90-degree turn and headed due west, probably to Lake Tuscaloosa.

What really caught my eye was how fast they are. They weren't too far north of me, so i could gage how fast they were moving. They crossed the end of the big field with just a few wingbeats in a matter of seconds. Other animals would have taken 2-3 times that long, even at full speed. The geese just seemed to be "strolling along" through the clear air.

According to the www, Canda geese can fly 1500 miles in a day, and many migrate 2000-3000 miles. The width of the USA north to south is only 1650 miles. So, they are fast indeed.

What a pleasure to get to enjoy and appreciate G^d's wonderful creation--whether Africa or Alabama. It is beautiful and complex.  

Thank you L^rd!

Praise the L^rd for Back Relief

Back around 10 March I somehow hurt my back pretty severly. I can't recall any details, but I do remember taking a bad fall, and thinking, "This is the kind of fall that really hurts people." I then got up and counted and sorted my bones and discovered, I thought, that miraculously I was uninjured.

And then my back...

As a brand new 70-year-old I was happy to have never had low back issues. But all of a sudden, as I sat, my back began to hurt something awful. It was strange, I could stand, walk, run pain-free, but sitting was a killer. I went to my Good friend and chiropractor Wayne, for my first ever chiropractic visit. Every other day for two weeks I visited Wayne and he would evaluate my back and give me advice on icing, using low-back support and other stuff.

I followed his advice and added low-back stretches and exercises done lying in the floor. I sawed would, ran a wood splitter, did heavy labor without pain, until that night and the next day. I took one pain reliever at night before bed, when it was particularly bad, and I had some bad evenings.

But now, 8 months late, it seems to be almost totally well. I can ocassionally feel it, but it is NOTHING like it was.  Thanks be to G^d! 

See, people asked, and I asked them to pray for my back. Some of them, maybe many, prayed and G^d answered their, and my, prayers. We seem a bit remiss in asking for prayer, then G^d answers, and we go on about our business. I want to THANK the L^rd for giving me healing. I am SO very much better. Thanks to all friends who prayed for me. G^d gave me healing- partial  or whole, He has done it.

Thank you L^rd!

A Little Perspective on COVID

Somewhere in the last few days I saw a short essay providing some perspective on the COVID pandemic. Certainly, beyond debate, people have suffered huge economic loss, and millions have died worldwide. COVID is bad inarguably.

But let's think for a moment. Has anything been this bad? On a pandemic level, those who lived through World War I and World War II might be able to mount a convincing argument that those were worse than COVID. As of 9 Dec there have been 1.56 million deaths from COVID. That's a LOT of lives lost. But the Jewish Holocaust had over 6 million Jewish victims. In WWI 20 million died and 21 million were injured. In WWII, 75 million lost their lives.

Of course COVID is not yet over, but with two vaccines on the horizon, perhaps the worst is behind us. And certainly the personal loss is not mitigated by the loss of others. So what?

The important "what" maybe our self-centeredness, or at least MY self-centeredness. I focus on me, myself, and I. MY suffering is the worst in the world. MY inconvenience is all that really matters. This pandemic, the one involving ME, is the worst of all time.

So, perspective helps. It doesn't cure COVID, it doesn't lessen the pain, but it does help us understand. Mankind has always suffered, and the suffering varies over time. Our own suffering is personal, but we are not alone in our suffering. Our suffering may be the worst we have experienced, but NOT the worst that mankind has experienced.

I am increasingly convinced that suffering is much more positive than we realize. I grow more in my relationship with G^d during suffering, than during pleasure. I pray more, meditate more, spend more time with a spiritual focus during suffering.

I know some folks might read this and be enraged. NO, I have not died, nor lost any loved ones due to COVID. But I have lost family and friends to OTHER things, and the distinction is of little relevance.

So, let us rest during these COVID days. G^d is sovereign, nothing happens apart from His knowledge. We can rest in Him, knowing that He has been G^d through events even worse than we are now experiencing.

How Following the Christ is like Deer Hunting

 I just saw two bald eagles. Before they flew practically right over me, I saw 3 red foxes out on their hunt for breakfast. Before them I saw two does each with a fawn, and before that a lone deer that was probably a button buck. In the past I have seen racoons, armadillos, lots of squirrels—both grey and fox squirrels, coyotes, bob cats, red and gray fox, crows, many species of hawk, wild turkey, snakes, wild hogs, some chipmunks, plus many beautiful sunrises and many beautiful sunsets. I have heard deer walking, squirrels scurrying, hawks screeching, owls hooting, buck deer fighting, and the wind blowing.

I am deer hunting most often when I behold the beauties of nature. Most non-hunters think the key pleasures of hunting are in the killing, but this isn’t true. Very minimal time is spent shooting but much more, much, much more time is spent quietly watching and listening. And, if you don’t enjoy that, you won’t be a deer hunter for long.

And, following the Christ has some parallels. You are often times waiting. Whilst you wait you can observe and listen and contemplate. And, like deer hunting, the action comes in very brief moments, but when those moments come, be ready!

Welcome 2021

Well, we are 4 days into 2021. We do NOT know what the future holds...but we do KNOW WHO holds the future. Yeah, it's an old cliché, but it is still true.

We NEVER suspected that 2020 would be the disaster that has come. Our ability to anticipate things is NOT nearly so good as we might have thought previously. When a disease can SHUT DOWN SEC football, you know things are BAD. And, that's a sad illustration.

Well, 2020 is now behind us. 

So what do YOU anticipate from 2021. Might it even be worse?

Hard to imagine... you might be thinking. I have to admit, as bad as 2020 was, it was NOT as bad as it could have been. The economic damage has been bad for many, but pretty good for others. The home remodeling folks have done fine, as have makers of masks, hand sanitizer, hand soap, and human ventilators.

Well, just like 2020, we DO NOT KNOW what this year might bring. But I can confidently pray for you that G^d will draw you, and me, to Himself; that we will all become more like the Christ.; and that we will love one another and serve one another, just as Christ exemplified.

So, whether good times are around the corner, or another disaster, we can, regardless, grow in our relationship with G^d. Surprisingly, bad times seem to produce MORE growth than smooth sailing does.

May G^d Bless YOUR 2021.

We and rest in Him!