tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29200908864363640312024-03-14T03:06:07.356-04:00Caaamper's ThoughtsMy space for personal creativity and expression...Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-13365087748611873732017-10-21T09:57:00.000-04:002017-10-21T09:57:18.628-04:00Cracking the Creative Wall
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AbandonHopeBook/">https://www.facebook.com/AbandonHopeBook/</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes, you hit the proverbial wall and it’s hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes your head hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s where I’m at with blogging and
writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked on my first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completed</i> novel for several years, and
it is about to be released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Watch for
postings about “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Abandon Hope</span></i></b>”
to find out where you can get your own copy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is likely to be released in early November.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also did a great deal of blogging alongside
of that project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while, I had two
different blogs going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was adding to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Caaamper’s Thoughts</i> a couple of times
per week, and I was also cranking out articles for my church family’s leadership
blog on a regular basis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, I hit the wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Somewhere in late 2015 or early 2016, my creative well ran
dry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ran out of ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes, I’d have an idea flutter around in my brain, but by the time
I got to a position to write about it, it would flutter right on out of my ears
and be gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I’m still
struggling with that problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think,
just like sometimes you have to force yourself to take a walk or go to the gym,
writers (and other creative people) have to force themselves to produce—something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be weak or “not their best work,” but
it is still stirring the juices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two other things happened that contributed to the wall:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, there was the 2016 Presidential election and the
non-stop bitterness in all forms of media ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, the election and the results have
given new energy to a great many other creative spirits, but to me, well, I
just find it emotionally and spiritually draining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal in life is one of peace-making and
the generation of goodwill within my readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This current environment has overwhelmed my creative spunk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Second, I started a new job role at my employer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a great deal of mind energy to get
into the groove in a new position at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Further, this job now has me traveling to new places and in new
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m driving further, staying in
more hotels, and flying on a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the new challenge is fun, it is also tapping into my well of
energy.</span></div>
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<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I would have a few minutes to write, I’d waste it on
mindlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to escape to
someplace that didn’t require my inner core to participate:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Candy Crush or Netflix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is not to say that I haven’t written anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve sputtered out a couple of blog posts for
my church, and I did start a new novel last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I wrote six chapters before my internal
generator ran out of gas.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new novel
is tentatively called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Redemption of
Molly McKanna”</i> and it is loosely based on stories from my mother’s
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be fictional, but based on
real events, starting when she was eighteen years old.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have two other writing projects in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://store.acupressbooks.com/products/love-first">https://store.acupressbooks.com/products/love-first</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was moved by a book written by my friend, Don
McLaughlin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Love First</span></i></b>, for me, drills the problems with
our modern church life right in the nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a result, I’ve been thinking about writing a practical follow up that
would detail stories where people have demonstrated that biblical love in my
life juxtaposed to examples where I fell short of doing the same. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may or may not ever get this one off the
ground, but if you are a Christian, and you haven’t read Don’s book, I highly
recommend it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lastly, I need to write the sequel to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Abandon Hope</span></i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My wife has been telling me to do it for a while, but I just haven’t
started it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that’s not entirely
true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been working on the story in
my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just the part about
actually sitting down with the laptop and typing it into reality that has been
the stumbling block.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s my commitment to you, my readers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will find a couple of blocks of time each
week to set aside and devote to writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of that time will be used to write some blogs, and some of it will
be used to work on one of the above projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I promise.</span></div>
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<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s a crack in my brick wall and I’m determined to bring
it down! </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<br />
</div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-68024579775554584012016-07-09T00:20:00.000-04:002016-07-09T00:20:03.459-04:00Prejudice, Death, and a Movie<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Prejudice, Death, and a Movie</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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When I went to sleep last night, people were marching in
various cities to protest another set of tragic deaths of black men in
police-action shootings. When I woke up
this morning, five police officers were dead in Dallas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I think I’m still numb from it all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Still, I’m going to attempt to share some of my thoughts and
feelings in the aftermath of this week.
The story begins with a movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The movie was Tarzan.
My wife, my oldest daughter, and I went to the Regal Cinema in downtown
Indianapolis to catch the flick on Sunday evening. This theater is comfortable with reclining
seats and little snack tables that pull in front of you for convenience. One other interesting feature is that it has
assigned seating. When you buy a ticket,
it gives you a specific seat to sit in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, we all go in and sit down. I’m on the far left of our trio. On my left is an open seat, then a couple
apparently on a date. After I sit down,
the man with the date moves around and he takes the open seat beside me. The way it was arranged, it put him closer to
his date than the one he was assigned, and since it was a single seat, he
figured that no one would be filling it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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He was wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A few minutes later, a young man came walking down our aisle
with a ticket for that seat. Despite the
fact that there were lots of open, untaken seats on the other side, he pulled
his ticket and asked the man to move back.
He wanted that seat between me and the other man’s date. I thought that was a little unusual.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Then, I noticed his briefcase. He was carrying a briefcase. <i>Who
carries a briefcase to a movie?</i> I wondered.
Immediately, I became suspicious.
He wanted to sit specifically between two strangers, and he’s carrying a
briefcase into a movie. With all the
mess in the world, I became anxious. He
could be carrying a weapon, planning to open fire during the movie, or he could
be carrying a bomb that he would set off—blowing up himself and us with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I decided I couldn’t do anything about a bomb, but if he was
carrying a gun, I would prepare myself to do whatever I could to take him
down. I was seriously concerned about
it. I moved that little table out from
in front of me. I lowered my foot rest
so that I could exit my seat easily.
And, I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The movie started. He
seemed to be enjoying it. He chuckled a few
times and reacted to scenes. <i>Was that just a ploy to fit in before he
struck? </i>There was no way for me to
tell. About twenty minutes into the
movie, he opened up his briefcase. I
went on high alert. He rustled around in
it, moving things around. Then, he pulled
something out—a bag of some sort of snack and a drink. He had used the briefcase to smuggle in
snacks. After that, I didn’t exactly
relax, but my anxiety level dropped several notches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, here is where this story fits into the mess of this
week. What I didn’t tell you is that the
young man with the briefcase was black.
It was a little odd that he wanted to take that specific seat when there
were other open ones. It is also odd
that he carried a briefcase into a movie—even if he was smuggling in
snacks. Even so, as I thought about this
situation during the week, I came to the conclusion that if he had been a young
white man, dressed the same way, I would probably have not given it a second
thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Folks, that is my built-in, society-induced, unintentional
prejudice at work. I don’t like it. I don’t want it. Still, there it is. I, like you, have been ingrained with bits
and pieces of prejudice. As humans, we
cannot avoid it. White folks have
it. Black folks have it. Latinos have it. We all have it. Even so, we seem awfully good at denying it. We don’t want to admit it, but it is there,
and it colors our thoughts, our interactions, and our beliefs. The first step in correcting it is admitting
its existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dPKF7Kei2aI/V4B6Qn3UTPI/AAAAAAAAA8E/18wpUaw8AowqaMQQWsK9-Wpg-rxo7MqBACKgB/s1600/Southeastern%2BLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dPKF7Kei2aI/V4B6Qn3UTPI/AAAAAAAAA8E/18wpUaw8AowqaMQQWsK9-Wpg-rxo7MqBACKgB/s1600/Southeastern%2BLogo.jpg" /></a>Some of us are better at empathy than others. I seem to have been blessed (or cursed) with
an inordinate ability to empathize. When
we have weeks such as this—weeks with so much tragedy, my heart aches deeply. First, I ached for Alton Sterling, a man who
was minding his own business one minute and was dead a minute later—for no good
reason. Then, I ached for Philando
Castile, a seemingly genuine and good man who was shot by a police officer as
he tried to retrieve his ID during a traffic stop—for a broken taillight. And, finally, my heart ached for those five
police officers and their families in Dallas, officers who were serving their
community by ensuring the protection of peaceful protesters.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s all senseless.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, I don’t have enough of the details about the two
police-action shootings to accurately comment on those specific cases beside
the fact that these men had done nothing that justified their deaths. However, I can comment on the pain I can feel
emanating from some of my friends who happen to be black.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My friend Marvin and my friend Jewel. I have multiple friends, who happen to be
black, but these two have called out to my heart and I feel their pain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Marvin, I haven’t seen him since we were in 8<sup>th</sup>
grade. I’ve written about him
before. We met in 7<sup>th</sup> grade,
when we both entered Wilson Middle School in Muncie, Indiana. Up to that point, I’d never gone to school
with any black kids. The only experience
I had with black folks was through television and maybe, once in a while, at
Heekin Park or Tuhey Pool. Frankly, I
was nervous. It hadn’t been that long
before when there were a number of race riots at Muncie Southside High School,
and our car had once been stoned as we passed through a predominantly black
neighborhood. However, when I met Marvin
and his buddy, James, all my fears were relieved. They were fun. They were funny. I thought they were the coolest kids in
school and I truly loved being in class with them. Marvin took away any anxiety I might have had
about going to school in the early 1970s with black kids. He changed my perspective and opened up my
mind and heart. After 8<sup>th</sup>
grade, we went to different high schools, and I lost touch with him until many,
many years later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook reunited us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was excited. I was
happy. He didn’t really remember me, but
he still seemed genuinely open to reconnecting, and my heart was full of joy
over finding that old friend that had meant so much to me in middle school.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Frankly, though, as much as I am still very happy to be
connected, and he is my friend, regardless the conditions of this world, he is
not the same happy-go-lucky, full-of-jokes boy that I knew so many years ago. Now, based on his Facebook posts, I sense
that he is full of pain and anger—pain over the way he sees white folks treating black
folks. Anger over the history of abuse
that black folks have endured. Pain and anger,
more than likely based on how he has been treated, or the way his friends and
family have been treated.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His pain hurts me deeply and I cannot ignore it. And, frankly, I can’t do much about it,
either. Except, I can assure him that I will
always be his friend, and speak up and speak out when I can. I don’t always agree with his perspectives,
but I respect his convictions, his experiences, and his pain. And, I love him because he was a friend to me
when I needed it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jewell is a relatively new friend. She is a black woman with three young kids,
the oldest being a boy not yet in his teens.
She is highly educated, an engineer, and is employed at a prestigious
company. She is also a member of the church
where I attend and serve.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We have had a number of talks about race, and she has shared
with me a taste of what it’s like being a black person who is generally
operating within a predominantly white set of organizations. One thing she told me that has stuck with me
is what she does when she enters a room for a meeting or other event. She looks around the room to see if she is
the only one—the only black person. If
you are white, do you ever do that? Walk
in—look around—ask yourself: <i>Am I the only white person?</i> I know I’ve never done that. How foreign that concept is to me. That was a clue to me that there is no way I
can really relate to what it’s like being a black person in America.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The second thing she told me that has stuck with me has to
do with <b><i>The Talk</i></b>. I had never heard
of that before our chat. I had to ask
her what it was. She said that as a
parent, she has to really drive home to her son <u>exactly</u> how to act and
interact with the police—in order to ensure his safety during the interaction. This is more than the simple things my dad
taught me about being polite and not arguing.
This has to do with body language, and posture, and eye contact, and so
many other things. I wondered why she
felt the need to do that, and she told me that generally all black parents have
<b><i>The
Talk</i></b> with their kids. This was
clue number two that I really could not relate to being a black man in
America. I mean, I would teach my kids
just like my dad taught me, but I had never had any concept of being actually
fearful of interacting with police officers.
Like anyone else, I’m afraid of the blue lights flashing in my rearview—basically,
because I’m afraid of getting a ticket.
But, that is nothing compared to being actually afraid of the police themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What has our society done to make an entire segment of our
population afraid of the police? This is
genuine, folks. It isn’t a piece of
media propaganda.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s history.
Everyone acknowledges that most police officers are good, caring,
conscientious people just doing their best to serve and protect. Still, over the years, prejudice leaks out. Sometimes, maybe many times in the past, it
was overt bigotry. However, even short
of that and even now, there is that built-in, inherent prejudice that is formed
by our society, our family, our interactions—it leaks out, too. Over the years, after repeated examples,
people become “gun-shy” to use a phrase that is probably too correct.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fear is our society’s worst enemy, I think. Our prejudices make us fearful. The problem is that sometimes, just as we are
about to put our fears aside, something happens to rekindle them. A black man gets shot in a traffic stop, or a
police officer is shot by a sniper. A young,
white pastor’s pregnant wife is murdered in a burglary or a black teenager is
killed while walking home from a store.
Those things happen and our fears find new life—and our prejudice leaks
out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, what’s the answer?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I wish I had a magic pill to make it all better. Frankly, though, there is no easy
answer. The bottom line is that we are a
broken world, and only God’s influence can change our course. Jesus told us to love our neighbors, to love
our enemies. I once wrote a blog post
called The Hardest Command</div>
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</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
, where I talk about forgiveness, and that is an
element. There is the concept of “grace”
where we forgive even when it isn’t deserved.
That’s what God has offered us, and we should extend it to others.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Apostle John wrote 2000 years ago that “…perfect love
drives out fear.” <span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I John 4:18</span> In context, I think he was talking about how
God’s perfect love drives out our fear of being punished for our sin, but by
extension, if we would all begin to love one another, perhaps we wouldn’t need
to be so afraid of one another either.
If we didn’t see black or white skin, but instead saw our brother or
sister, our mother or father, our wife, daughter, husband, or son—family that
we love, then, perhaps, we would embrace one another instead of reacting out of
the prejudice that our fear creates.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe there wouldn’t be so many senseless deaths. I’m willing to give it a try. How about you?</div>
<o:p></o:p>Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-46727904871951962452016-07-05T21:30:00.000-04:002016-07-05T21:30:11.855-04:00My Journey Toward Authorship--Part One<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrote a book. It's a novel, and my agent is calling it an "urban young adult suspense/thriller."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Well, that’s something.
Lots of people want to write a book, but I actually did it. It took me about four years to create my
first complete, novel-length story, and I’ve spent the another year trying to
get it out to the world. It’s not quite
there, although it is underway and I’m learning a great deal about the
process. The purpose of this blog is to
share with you about my journey toward becoming a published author—so far. I'll catch you up, and then add detail as things change going forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been hearing this often: <i>“How’s
the book coming?”</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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The answer is: <i>Too slow for my taste. This publishing thing takes forever.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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In this first installment, I’ll share with you two
details. First, I’ll tell you how the
story in my novel first began, and second, I’ll tell you how I started on the path
toward becoming an author. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How the story began…<o:p></o:p></div>
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It began with just the seed of an idea, really. It sprung from an offhand comment about what happened
to a missing item in our house. The year
was 1988 and I hadn’t yet had the idea to write anything—except checks to pay
bills, maybe. (Frankly, I don't think I was yet over the fact that I would never be a pro baseball player.) My wife and I had a small
group Bible study that met in our home.
There was an older couple, Bill and Jean. Lovely people. We were friends with them until their deaths
a few years ago. Then there was a
married couple with two boys—twins. Let
me just say, those boys were a handful. They
are one factor in this sub-story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another factor is that my wife had braces when she was
younger and she still, to this day, wears a retainer from time to time to keep
her teeth in proper alignment.
Basically, if she feels her teeth getting misaligned, she wears the
retainer while she sleeps at night in order to straighten them out. It is kept in a small, hockey puck-shaped
plastic container. Well, one night in
1988, she went to put her retainer in and it was nowhere to be found. We searched high and low. We looked in every drawer. Behind every piece of furniture. In the refrigerator. In the Freezer. It was just the two of us living there, so
there were no dogs and no kids to blame.
Or, was there? Anyway, we were at
a loss. The thing was not in the
house. That was when I made the comment
that ultimately led to my novel: <i>“Maybe the ‘Dimensional Bandits’ took it.”</i></div>
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<i>Dimensional Bandits?</i></div>
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<i> </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know where that came from. It just sort of jumped out of my
imagination. Really, that’s where all
great stories come from, right?—somewhere in the imagination. From then on, I played with the concept. Over and over. For a couple of decades. If one of us lost something, it was the
Dimensional Bandits. If something was
found, the Dimensional Bandits brought it back. How did they get in? What were they like? So on and so forth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back to the retainer.
It was gone for a long time. I
know it was missing for at least a month.
Then, one evening, I walked into our bedroom, and BOOM. There it was.
It was sitting out in the open on the corner of our dresser like we’d
just been overlooking it all that time.
I guessed at the time that the Dimensional Bandits were done with it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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More likely, however, is that one of those two boys that hung around our
house during that small group Bible Study thought it was a toy and took it
home. That’s what we really think
happened. Probably, one of the
parents found it at their house, but rather than just tell us, they slipped it back into our
bedroom without saying a word. </div>
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Thus, my
novel was conceived.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, that would have meant nothing if I had not gotten on
the path toward becoming an author—toward writing. Keep in mind, the only things I wrote back in
those days were checks at home or sales tickets at my job. I was a simple customer service
representative serving mostly walk-in traffic at Bearings, Inc. (Now, Applied
Industrial) in downtown Indianapolis.
Creativity had not really been my focus up to that point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The thing that set me on the path was a book. The year I found it was 1992. I had moved up to being a branch manager for
the same company, and we had moved to Columbus, Indiana. It was evening. My wife needed to go to the store and I
decided to go with her. We all went, now
that we had a toddler. My daughter,
Angela, would have been about three. Andrea may have been in the oven. (No, not an actual oven. For those who are quick to jump to conclusions, she was in the womb.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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We all walked into the store, and I did what every
red-blooded, American man does when he goes to the store with his wife and child. I abandoned her with the kid and made a
beeline for the magazine section.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nothing, however, held my attention very long, so my eyes
wandered over to the book rack beside the glossy journals.
It had been a very long time since I’d read a book for fun. I think I was still a teenager when I’d last
been caught up in a story--some werewolf thing that I don't recall. <i>Hmmm,</i> I thought, <i>I wonder if there’s anything interesting?</i></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDYMcwc_pNA/V3xbbHkM-_I/AAAAAAAAA7k/8dsOPSj0zWQowMIu_uPTl-7uCol9HnQTgCLcB/s1600/Twilight%2BEyes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDYMcwc_pNA/V3xbbHkM-_I/AAAAAAAAA7k/8dsOPSj0zWQowMIu_uPTl-7uCol9HnQTgCLcB/s320/Twilight%2BEyes.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the book that started it all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That’s when I found it—the book that set me on my course
toward authorship. <i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz.
Wow! It grabbed me and wouldn’t
let go until I’d flipped the final page.
I love Dean Koontz books. I haven’t
read them all—thank goodness. I’d be
disappointed if I had because I wouldn’t have any more to look forward to
exploring. He just has a way of creating
scenarios and characters that keeps me wanting more. If you like adventures, some with paranormal
stories and some without, but all with great characters, that will keep you on
the edge of your seat, I highly recommend the Dean Koontz novels.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After that, I became a reader. In the twenty-four some odd years since, I’ve
rarely been without a book I’m reading, and probably one or two in the queue. I’ve got two going right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have heard it said that to become a writer, you first need
to become a reader. I have come to the conclusion
that that is a true statement. Reading
spurs the imagination. Eventually, you
begin to realize that ANYTHING can happen in the imagination, and you start
playing with it—first in your mind, and then, if you keep going, on paper.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, there you have it.
How did it all start for me? It
started with a missing dental device and a book by Dean Koontz. You never know from where inspiration will
spring. Just jump with it and keep
going.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next installment will cover how I actually started
writing. See you next week. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-58823428924480340182016-06-15T00:14:00.000-04:002016-06-15T07:32:17.088-04:00Thoughts after Orlando<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It’s been a painful, sad, heart-wrenching few days since the
news broke from Orlando.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hurts so
deeply to see the pain, the tears, the loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a sense of helplessness as we watch our world sort of implode
in high definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, the
politicians start their ranting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hillary
wants all the guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump wants to ban
all travel to the US by Muslims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blah,
blah, blah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness for Christian love…except for
that pastor in Sacramento who lamented the fact that the shooter didn’t finish
the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you get from “Love your enemies” to
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How did we get so full of hate?</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Then, again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we
really any more full of hate than we’ve ever been?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t twist the numbers to suit the
story, Orlando wasn’t the deadliest mass shooting in US history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look up Wounded Knee in 1890.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides that one, there are still a few more
that were larger—they were just a long time ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, let’s not forget the institutional
enslavement, abuse, and murder perpetrated against black folks over the last
several hundred years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, the
Irish have been hated, the Italians have been hated, the Japanese have been
hated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could make nearly an endless
list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No, I don’t think there’s any more hate than there ever has
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, we’ve just redirected it
toward new targets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Folks, our solution is not going to be found in the November
election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither Clinton nor Trump holds
the answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world will not change
unless we change our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, rather,
unless we open our hearts and allow our creator to change them for us. We have to set aside our anger and rage. Then, we have to decide to try something new, something different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jesus said:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You have heard that is was said to ‘love
your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But, I tell you, love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Matthew 5:43-44a</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You know—maybe he really meant that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Or, if you won’t listen to Jesus, would you care to consider
these lyrics from Bill Backer, Billy Davis, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’d like to build the world a home</span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And furnish it with love</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Grow apple trees and honeybees</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And snow white turtle doves</span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’d like to teach the world to sing</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In perfect harmony</span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’d like to hold it in my arms</span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And keep it company</span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Those are my thoughts for tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time for sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow is a new day, full of promise and
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I’ll look for
someone to love.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-71125863405520510102016-02-29T22:53:00.000-05:002016-02-29T22:53:32.400-05:00My Quiet Time from James 1:1-18
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><em>I have been largely away from my blog for about a year. My apologies Part of that absence was due to the distraction of other projects, and part of it was pure lack of inspiration. Lately, I've been wanting to get going again, but I was still lacking in ideas. One idea that has struck me is the concept of doing a personal study of a passage and interspersing the given scripture with my thoughts that came to me as I studied. Some of the thoughts are random. Some of them are meaningful. You might get something from it, or you might find it ridiculous. Who knows? If you are curious, the first example is below. Let me know if you want more. Anyway, I hope to be reviving this blog with a variety of material. I hope you welcome my return.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">My Quiet Time </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(James 1:1-18 NIV)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">James, a
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(This is the same James who was the brother of Jesus—likely one of
the brothers who came with Mary to “collect” Jesus when they thought he was off
his rocker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, he considers his
brother to be his LORD, and he is his servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you really see Jesus for who he is, it changes you and the
course of your life.)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To the
twelve tribes scattered among the nations:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Greetings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider it
pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Probably one of the harder expectations from scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one enjoys difficulty.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> because you know that the testing of
your faith produces perseverance. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Kind of like
exercise ‘tests’ the strength of your body, and then causes the body to develop
more stamina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more you ‘test’ your
body, the stronger and more perseverant it becomes. When your faith is tested,
if you don’t quit, you become stronger in that faith.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any of you
lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Reminds me of an old Geometry teacher I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She demanded I come ask for help, but when I
did, she berated me about my ‘Mickey Mouse mistakes.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God, however, doesn’t consider any question
to be stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No ignorance is worthy of
abuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You ask; he gives help.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who
doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"> (Kind of like Peter, who walked on water, but began to sink when
he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to think about his own human frailty—If
you trust God, you can expect help, but if you put your trust in yourself and
doubt God, then you bounce around like a buoy in a hurricane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Been there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Done that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I have a
t-shirt somewhere.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That person should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a person is
double-minded and unstable in all they do. <em><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;">(When Peter began to sink, Jesus reached out and pulled him into the boat. But, we never heard about Peter walking on water again. Hmmm.)</span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Believers in
humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(The first shall be last and the last shall be first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is so counter to our culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wealth can bring distraction from reliance on
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, we become poor in our
faith and humiliate ourselves in the wake.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the rich
should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild
flower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the sun rises with scorching
heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way, the rich will fade away even
while they go about their business. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Trump?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps he is like Nebuchadnezzar, whom God
blessed through Daniel, and whom also was taught great humility through God’s
discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of the electoral
outcome, I need to trust that God will rule in the end.) </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Blessed is
the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person
will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Hang in there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
retirement benefits are out of this world!)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When
tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does
he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their
own evil desire and enticed. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(I’ve heard the
saying, ‘the Devil made me do it.’ Well, as it turns out, no, he doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do it to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Devil might facilitate the process, but it is
actually our own ugliness that grabs onto our minds and keeps prodding until we
fall victim to our own temptations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take
responsibility for your own faults.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, after desire
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives
birth to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Thank you, Lord, for your grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As David said, ‘my sin is always before me.’ And…’restore to me the joy
of my salvation.’)</span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t be
deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every good and perfect gift is from above, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(I may work hard, but I need to remember who brings the blessings
in my life.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the
shifting shadows. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Our culture may
change drastically, and we can adapt our methods to reach that culture, but we
should be careful to remember that God himself does not change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he loves, he loves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he considers sin, is sin.)</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a
kind of firstfruits of all he created. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #376092; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Though God made all of creation, from the smallest microbe to the lofty
galaxies, he still has taken special notice of us and lifted us up before his
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are his special
possession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His adopted children.)</span></i></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-28059939816827556662016-02-27T10:18:00.000-05:002016-02-27T10:18:33.978-05:00My 2016 Health Journey
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In December 2015, I didn’t feel very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, it wasn’t that I didn’t feel
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that I actually had begun
to feel rather bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My clothes had begun to
feel tight again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ached in a myriad of
places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was getting out of breathe
incredibly easily. I could feel my face getting flushed with a little exertion<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was taking
Ibuprofen almost every day—sometimes more than one dose a day—for headaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was time to do something about it before I
made an early exit from my life.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I go into what I’ve been doing, let’s go back about a
year to the winter of 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
sitting in a heart doctor’s examination room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was following up on a recent stress test I’d taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The cardiologist couldn’t find any specific
problem with my heart.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was asking me
questions about various issues in my life and I was responding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was rationalizing poor lifestyle choices, making
excuses for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear myself
doing it. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Can you relate?)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, he stopped me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looked me square in the eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
said:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“Fish, chicken, vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got it?”</em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I laughed it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No fruit,”</em> I asked.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“You can have fruit for your dessert.”</em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It took me almost a year, and I ruminated on that
conversation the whole time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally,
after feeling so bad in December, I decided it was time to take action—while I
still could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made some changes—not New
Year’s resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actual changes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of you have asked me what I’ve been doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I’d take this opportunity to share
the specifics with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, if you are
considering following in my steps, there are some things you need to
realize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a medical professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor am I a nutritionist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What works well for one person may not work as well for someone
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone has a different
physiology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure that you don’t have some chronic or
acute health issue that would dictate a different approach.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, here is what I am doing:</span></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No More Sodas.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere around December 27<sup>th</sup>—give
or take a day—I had my last Diet Coke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For about ten days it was
like a bomb was going off in my head every afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The headaches would kick in sometime between
3pm and 6pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about ten days, they
were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I mean they were really
gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where I used to take at least
three 200mg Ibuprofen a day—sometimes more—now I almost never need them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the first week of January, I’ve taken
only three doses, as of this writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only two of those were for a headache. That's almost two months!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Weight aside, this was one of my all-time best decisions.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Drinking
Water.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided that instead of
drinking so much soda, I’d focus on drinking a lot of water everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still drink a cup of coffee in the morning,
and I’ve found a great green tea that I drink in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, water is my primary drink of the day—everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I’m consuming somewhere between 50
and 60 ounces of water a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (</span>By the
way, that green tea, I’d like to give it a little promo here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Mint & Honey Green Tea by Sweat Leaf Tea
Company</span></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All natural ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic
honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Awesome tasting when it’s ice
cold.)</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Natural
Sweeteners.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am avoiding Aspartame
like the plague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to go
into all the potential negatives of the product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do your own research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it might be interesting to you to
know that they put it in all sorts of products from sodas to breath mints to
chewing gum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m using actual sugar or
honey instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind, besides
water, the only thing I’m drinking that would be sweetened is one cup of coffee
in the morning and one bottle of the green tea in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were drinking those green teas—one after
the other—all day long, I’d be getting way too much sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it is, my body can deal with a small
amount of sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was designed to do
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, you have to be committed to
drinking a lot of water to make this work well.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Heathy Snacks.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mid-afternoon, I have a snack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, it is a small package of nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Planter’s has some Men’s Health or Heart
Health versions that are hitting the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One package!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t eat three or
four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, if you are going to pick up
a bag of mixed nuts at a convenience store, be careful about the package
size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some bags are larger than they
appear, and the calories add up quickly with nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some days, I might have a banana, a pear, or
an orange instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe even a slice or
two of cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever you do, focus on
either protein or a fruit.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Avoid
Starchy Carbs.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have eliminated
probably 90% of the starchy carbs from my diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nearly zero bread, potatoes, and rice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love my favorite Mexican restaurant (El Rodeo), but I no longer eat
the chips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still eat lunch there at
least once every week, but now I order the lunch-size chicken fajitas—without tortillas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty strict on this, but not
obsessive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, one lunch I’ve
been eating frequently the last few weeks is a combo lunch at Applebee’s made
up of the tomato basil soup and fiesta chicken chop salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has small portions, but still enough to
hit the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it has several
croutons in the soup and some tiny, crispy tortilla strips in the salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pick the croutons out of the soup, but eat
the tortilla strips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Speaking of
croutons, they don’t seem like much, but if you put them all together, they
would equal at least a slice of bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They add up.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another good option
for the low-starch diet is the Jimmy John’s Unwich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Unwich is the same as any of their other
subs, but instead of bread, they are wrapped in lettuce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They taste remarkably good and you don’t get
all the starchy carbs from the normal bun. I've been having the turkey versions.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fish,
chicken and vegetables.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s where
my doctor’s advice is kicking in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
I’m not obsessive about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
have an occasional small portion of beef—think bowl of chili, or some sort of
soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my first choice for a “meat”
in a meal will be either fish, chicken or turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, along with that, I’m eating a lot of vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides lettuce, there is broccoli,
cauliflower, beets, zucchini, asparagus, and the list goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a myriad of unique and tasty ways
to prepare this stuff to make it appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Watch things like corn and peas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are starchy.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exercise.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consistency is the key.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t run anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have too many issues since I had a
herniated disk in my neck a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, I can walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I set a
minimum distance to start with, and I do it every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EVERY DAY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since January 1<sup>st</sup>, I’ve missed only two days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I either walk outside or I get on the
elliptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’ve lost weight and
improved my fitness, I’ve extended the distance, and the intensity on the
elliptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This step is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losing weight is mostly about the diet, but
adding the exercise is vital to push it over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It keeps your metabolism firing as you’ve cut
the calorie intake. Without the exercise, your metabolism will slow down and my weight loss more difficult or slow. That's been my experience anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if your health
is even more limiting than mine, you can do something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start wherever you are and build from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can only manage a few steps, then do
those steps every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And each week,
add just a few more steps. </div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">RESULTS?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had a starting weight of 285 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set a goal of 235 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of this morning, I’m almost to the halfway
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I weighed in this morning at 260.6
pounds—down 24.4 lbs.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I no longer ache everywhere.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I no longer have daily headaches.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I no longer get out of breath easily.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My clothes are all getting loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to need to buy a new (shorter) belt
very soon.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I even look healthier.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of this, and I’m still probably 50 pounds
overweight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have 25.4 pounds to go to
reach my initial goal, but I will need to drop another 25 after that to
really reach the sweet spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so, I
have already stepped back from the edge of the abyss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel so much better already that it is a
bit hard to explain it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day, I will eat a burger again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have some pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll even drink an occasional soda (no diet
versions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, not right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then, it will be in moderation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more multiple sodas in a single day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I’ve corrected my health decline and
reached a good place, I can occasionally indulge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then, I have to be firm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Be committed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
need to, you can too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to
pay someone a bunch of money to do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You don’t have to drink special shakes or go to special meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just start making healthy choices and get
moving. </span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-85406922604626911842015-01-18T01:01:00.002-05:002015-01-18T01:01:44.914-05:00Windshields, Courage, and the Real Me
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Windshields, Courage, and the Real Me</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is it about windshields that make us so brave?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It happened today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was running late to a memorial service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time
had gotten away from me and I didn’t realize it until I was on the edge of
tardiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I jumped in my car and
zoomed out of my driveway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>Gotta get there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta get there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta get there!</strong></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One mile later, I pulled to a stop at a four-way
intersection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy to my right had
clearly gotten there before me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was no question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the right of
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A third driver pulled up directly
across from me. And, we all sat there looking at one another.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We all know the rule, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If two drivers reach a four-way stop at the same time, the driver on the
right goes first.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I look over at the guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s just sitting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wave
him on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He just sits there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wave again…and that’s when my courage makes
an appearance:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“Come on and go, you freaking idiot!”</em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m looking right at him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Saying this out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, he's oblivious,
so he waves me through instead.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“Fine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re not
going, then I’m going!”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit the gas
and sped on.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, then I wondered if maybe he could see my lips
moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could he read lips?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was my emotion on my face? Could he tell that I was being hateful? Ummm, did he know me?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That hadn’t
occurred to me as I blasted him from behind my magic force-field.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, then I felt guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I didn’t just feel guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, if you
take away the windshield, I would never have said those words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, if we had simply been standing in
the open air, twenty feet apart, I probably would have just smiled at him and
kept waving him on until he went first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s just who I am when I’m not secure behind that special invisible
barrier. I don't know why. I guess people are just more real to me when there's no glass between us. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I'm going to have to think about that. There might be another blog in there somewhere. Hmmm</span>.)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Then, something else crossed my mind.</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe, when we are all alone and tucked in behind that
engineered safety glass we finally feel like we are in a safe place. Maybe it is the only time we can truly let the inside come visit
the outside. We unconsciously let all of our guards down.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We say out loud what we really think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About our spouses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About our bosses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We practice speeches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Here’s what I should have said: Blah, blah, blah.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Next time, this is what I’ll say…I’ll really tell him!”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We laugh at stuff on the radio that we might shun if someone
else was around. We sing the real lyrics of songs instead of bleeping ourselves. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Come on church folk, you know who you are!)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We fart without ramifications.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We sing along to Katy Perry …or Madonna… or Cher …or Leo
Sayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhSjwU8gEsI" target="_blank">Leo Sayer</a>, you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, look him up.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we don’t care that we are out of
key.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we think we sound pretty
darn good.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We even think that we're invisible as we mine our nostrils for
hidden treasure.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, we're also real in other ways behind that transparent
wall.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We cry in the car….all alone.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We scream in the car where no one can hear.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real
prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really sharing our hearts, the good and the
bad with the God that we hope hears and cares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, sometimes that’s because we think that He may be the only one that
does.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Windshields are amazing.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is a statement on our modern society that the only place
we can truly be ourselves is all alone in the car. Can you relate?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes, I wish I had someone that I could be completely
real with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone that I could take off
all the guards and be real without the fear of hurting that person or hurting
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share my hopes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share my crazy dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share my weaknesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My shortcomings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My struggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My joy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There always seems to be a reason to hold back at least a
little bit, even with the closest of friends….at the very least the farts and the
goldmining.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Oh well, thank God for windshields.</strong></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-32136132761515378472014-12-27T16:03:00.000-05:002014-12-27T16:03:24.893-05:00Inspirations<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpICpCEDgC8/VJ8eEpz8zNI/AAAAAAAAAwk/GJy7yWqOx-U/s1600/Thoughtful%2BAndrea%2B048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpICpCEDgC8/VJ8eEpz8zNI/AAAAAAAAAwk/GJy7yWqOx-U/s1600/Thoughtful%2BAndrea%2B048.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>The view from a
mountain ridge<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The sun upon my face<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The ocean breeze in
my hair<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The touch of her
caress<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The colors of the
sunset<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The freshness of the
dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The purity of newly
fallen snow<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Her kiss upon my lips<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A forest stream<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A desert flower<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Songbirds in the
morning</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Her smile, Her heart,
Her love</div>
<o:p></o:p>Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-20754669506198497302014-12-15T23:31:00.001-05:002014-12-17T23:16:07.011-05:00Digging Deeper and the Confusicating Nature of Language<div class="MsoNormal">
My daughters sometimes think it’s cute, and sometimes they
think it’s <i>irritational</i>. Other times, they are simply <i>confusicated</i>, and thrown for a loop by
my tendency to invent words. But, then I
have to remind them that new words are added to the dictionary every year. My words are just baby words waiting to grow
up and become mature enough to be published in Webster’s big black book. In fact, if you take that big black book and
flip through the hundreds of pages that detail and define the thousands upon
thousands of words in the English language, you will in fact be simply seeing
all of the other words that someone else “made up.” All of them.
Every word we use was made up by someone. So, if my strange word leaves you
confusicated…well, just get over it and wait for my word to grow up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Language is a funny thing.
Always changing. Sixty years ago,
if you said a man was “gay,” it just meant that he was light-hearted and happy. Now, if you use the word, you’re likely
referring to his sexual orientation. When
I was a teenager in the 1970’s, we used to say the word “bad” all of the time,
but we weren’t describing the negative qualities of any given thing or
situation. Nope. We were telling you how awesome it was! So, bad meant good…at least in those twisted
years. It was the language of my
culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I told you that I put some drinks in the fridge <span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">(not refrigerator)</span> to chill,
you would know that by “chill” I meant to cool, get cold, remove the heat. But when a few minutes later I tell you
that the Colts are far better than your Patriots and you get all frustrated and
angry, and I tell you to “chill out,” you don’t even imagine that I’m telling
you to go put yourself in the fridge.
Why? Because you understand that
in our culture the word “chill” can have more than one meaning, and I’m telling
you to calm down and relax, not jump in the icebox. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the fact is that language is in a constant state of
flux. Always shifting. Always changing. Affected by culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine that you were suddenly time-warped back to England
in 1611. No problem, right? Assuming you speak English, you should be
good to go. Really? You really think so? I mean, there were a lot of “ith’s” and “eth’s”
used in those days. The word “your” was “thy.” “You” was “thee.” I <i>betcha</i>
thee’d have a harder time understanding thy King’s English than thee might
think.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, translating languages can get even trickier. Have you ever watched one of those really old
Godzilla movies? I mean one of the ones
that were filmed in Japan? Or, maybe one
of the Chinese Bruce Lee flicks? Those
old movies where the original actors were speaking Japanese or Chinese, but
they did English voice-overs for those us who are linguistically-challenged? Isn’t is funny how sometimes the faces on the
screen look like they spoke a dozen words, but we only heard four or five in
English? Or, maybe it was the
opposite? There would be faces that
seemed to only say one or two words, but a dozen English ones were used in
their place. I used to think that was
really weird. After all, if they simply
translated it word for word, the number of words spoken should be the
same. Right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words and phrases and their cultural meanings don’t always
translate directly. Sometimes you have
to elaborate to get the full meaning to come through. Sometimes, the full meaning is simply lost in
translation. There just is no easy way
to get the full meaning to come through.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, now let’s combine the two issues: The shifting meaning of language over time,
and the problem of translating one culture-ridden language into our own
culture-ridden language. Let’s go back
about 2000 years. (Remember, that the
1611 example, which is the year that the King James Bible was published was
only about 400 years ago, and technically the same language.) So, let’s make it tougher. Let’s go back 2000 years and convert the
ancient Greek used in the Mediterranean region by a people completely imbedded in
the Greco-Roman culture of the first century into modern English for the use of
those of us completely imbedded in the American culture of the 21<sup>st</sup>
century. I wonder how hard it might be
to completely understand the full depth of meaning in every turn of phrase?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, I’m talking about the New Testament of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXL93NUPa2s/VI-z4FeehwI/AAAAAAAAAvA/GF3GHUeHcE4/s1600/20141215_221349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXL93NUPa2s/VI-z4FeehwI/AAAAAAAAAvA/GF3GHUeHcE4/s1600/20141215_221349.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>First of all, the vast majority of us cannot read ancient
Greek, so we have to rely on translators.
Other human beings who are also imbedded in modern culture, but who are
educated and able to understand and cross-communicate the ancient meanings of
texts into our modern lingo. And
secondly, we have to sort of trust them to properly interpret the old Greek,
and then further trust them to accurately communicate it to us. And, then finally, we have to work to
understand what they were trying to communicate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you confusicated yet?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Am I being irritational?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, sometimes things are lost in translation. Oh, I don’t mean the basics of the Gospel
message. Those come through quite
clearly. Jesus was the Son of God. He did die on the Cross. He did rise from the dead. We are saved by grace through faith. We do need to repent…be baptized…and live our
lives in reflection of our Lord. But,
still there are deeper things…and subtle things…and cultural things that are
lost to us. Lost unless. Unless we dig deeper. Unless we go behind our favorite English
translation and look at the history…the ancient culture…and the conceptual
meanings of the original words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The tools are there for us.
Lexicons. Dictionaries of Bible
words. Commentaries. Studies by a multitude of scholars. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cross check. Research.
DIG! The world of meaning hidden
in the ancient language is amazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, I say all of this not as a Greek scholar. I am not.
I’m just like you. All of that
old language stuff is Greek to me. But,
I sometimes get a bug to dig into something, and I use the tools. I read the articles. And, I find interesting and inspiring stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, a whole new meaning of the interaction of Peter
with Jesus in John 21 opens up when you know the words used by Jesus in the
passage where Jesus asks Peter: “Do you love me?” It used to bother me that it took three times
with the same question before Peter was suddenly hurt. But, then I learned that it wasn’t the same
question the third time. In English it
is. In English, it is still “Do you love
me?” But, in the Greek, that third
question was different…more personal…more emotional, and it hurt Peter. However, we completely lose that key nuance in
English.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is still there, though.
If you are willing to dig for it.
And, there are others. Many
others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why, you might ask, are you being so confusicating and
irritational with this whole article? Well,
I am doing this because we all have a tendency.
A tendency to either forget or ignore the fact that the Bible was not
originally written in English, and it was also not specifically written to those of us in the United States of America.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do it. You do
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We start looking at a subject or an issue, and then we dig
into our favorite English translation in order to make our argument. And, that is all well and good. However, before we get too stiff-necked on
our particular position, we had better dig a bit deeper. We need to consider the shifting of language. The differences in culture. The context of the passage. Who wrote it?
Who was it written to? Where was
it written? What were the circumstances
surrounding the people who wrote it or it was written to? All of these factors are important in the
proper understanding of any passage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was Bible Study 101 back during my days in Bible
College.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, if you are content with the basics of the message of the
cross, you can keep to your favorite English translation. However, if you are going to get all worked
up on an issue, please do your homework.
Or, if you are intrigued by deeper understandings of your favorite
passages, break open the books. Study
more deeply. And, open up a whole new
wondrous world of understanding.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-9304227862246442312014-12-11T23:02:00.000-05:002014-12-14T09:40:28.741-05:00Christmas and an Incredible Ability to Miss the Point<div class="MsoNormal">
I heard on the morning news recently that someone had stolen
the baby Jesus out of the Nativity scene at the Masonic Home in Franklin,
Indiana. Now, mind you, this isn’t some
cheap, plastic or blow up baby Jesus.
This is a actual 25-pound statue. It
took a little work to carry it off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why would anyone go out at Christmas and steal the baby
Jesus?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpyV3G3zGrI/VIpof-JTQiI/AAAAAAAAAuo/K_dN97pzr0Y/s1600/Me%2Band%2Bthe%2BChristmas%2BTree0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpyV3G3zGrI/VIpof-JTQiI/AAAAAAAAAuo/K_dN97pzr0Y/s1600/Me%2Band%2Bthe%2BChristmas%2BTree0001.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Our Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was a child, our annual Christmas tree had these
really large plastic decorative bulbs that ringed the bottom. Mom put them there every year. They weren’t anything truly remarkable. They were only plastic after all. Maybe they were unusual in their design and size, but they were not made of anything expensive. Finally,
one year I asked Mom about them. Where’d
they come from? She told me that my
brother had given them to her. My
brother that had died when I was only seven.
Then, she added: “He stole them
from Muncie's downtown Christmas decorations.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so I understand a mother’s natural sentimental
feelings regarding a gift from her lost child, but the fact is that she had
been using those stolen ornaments for years before he had died.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why would anyone use stolen ornaments to decorate their
<i>CHRIST</i>mas tree?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few years ago, my daughter spent the night with a
friend. It was a group sleepover, and
they watched a video of one of the hottest recent movies of the time. The Passion of the Christ. Yes, the movie that graphically depicted the
death of Jesus Christ…the fellow that <b><i>Christ</i></b>mas
is named after. Well, they were all gathered
around the screen engrossed in the intensity of the film…eyes glued to the
events depicted…when someone got up and walked in front of the movie. No, I don’t mean that one of the girls got up in that room and walked in front of the TV.
Rather, I mean that someone on the screen
got up and walked in front of the movie.
Basically, the girls were watching a stolen film of The Passion of the
Christ. Someone had sat in the theater with a video camera and had filmed the movie, and then distributed it...in essence they stole the death of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why would anyone steal the film depiction of Jesus Christ
dying for our sins. Um, sins like
stealing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They steal statues of the baby Jesus. They hang stolen ornaments on their Christmas
tree. They steal movies of the death of
Jesus. They do all of those things for
the same reason that folks like us get so angry and raise so much ruckus over the
removal of Christ from Christmas. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They do it because human beings have an incredible ability to
miss the point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You see, Jesus Christ did not come to this earth, walk our
streets, heal the sick, be flogged to a bloody pulp, and die on a cross just so
that we could all have a holiday in December named after Him. He wasn’t born in Bethlehem, lain in a
manger, and announced by angels just so we could break down the doors on Black Friday
or break the internet on Cyber Monday. No, folks, He didn’t come to seek and to save Christmas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather, He came to seek and to save us…to change us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He wants to change us from the self-serving, thoughtless,
broken people we are, and make us into a people who love one another. A people who care for the unfortunate. A people who build up instead of tearing
down. A people who bring peace to a
broken world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doctors and nurses who risk their lives to save Ebola
patients.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A young boy who gives out free hugs at a protest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A police officer who buys eggs for a grandmother trying to feed
hungry children with no money.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A ninety year old veteran who feeds the homeless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the countless other nameless individuals out there that
secretly assist their fellow man or woman without any need or desire for commendation or
notoriety. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, this Christmas, as you fight the crowds, attend the
parties, and watch your favorite Christmas movies, try to keep <i><b>the</b></i> point in
mind: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Jesus Christ is the reason for the
season, and we can keep Christ in Christmas by keeping Christ in us.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news that will
cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the
Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with
the angel, praising God and saying,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests</i>.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">Luke 2:10-14</span></b></u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas, and I hope you have a wonderful New Year in
2015!</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-83018105513814646302014-11-27T11:52:00.000-05:002014-11-27T11:52:37.246-05:00He is Still Weeping
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Jesus wept.</em></span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(John 11:35)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus wept for his friend, Lazarus who had died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus wept for his friends, Mary and Martha
who had lost their brother.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even though he knew that in just a few minutes, they would
have him back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raised from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so, his heart ached with…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Compassion and Empathy.</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think that on this Thanksgiving holiday in the United
States of America, Jesus is still weeping.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for a mother in Missouri.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for a family in Cleveland.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for shop owners with looted dreams.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for broken hearts that assume the worst.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for hardened hearts that cannot feel the pain of
their fellow man.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for those…white or black… who cannot see the person
behind the skin color;… white or black.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for a people who cannot get along.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for ears that refuse to hear.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for hands that refuse to help.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for hearts that refuse to hurt.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for victims.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>He weeps</em> for perpetrators.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All around us…<em>he weeps</em> for the widow, the orphan, the
homeless, the disenfranchised, and the helpless.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, <em>he weeps</em> for <u>those of us who just don’t care</u>.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It doesn’t matter if you are white or black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if you are Republican or
Democrat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if you think
Darren Wilson is a killer or a hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
doesn’t matter if you think Michael Brown was a thug who caused his own death
or simply a rowdy teen who was needlessly murdered.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Jesus is weeping</em> <strong>for you.</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, let’s try something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s try putting down our bricks and our batons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s give our indignation a rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s set aside our racial preferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s flush our hatred and angry words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s forget political affiliations, rhetoric,
and talking points.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s stop and look….really look…into one another’s human
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, let’s see if we can find it
in there…shimmering in our humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That little spark of what Jesus felt.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That little spark that <strong><u>IS</u></strong> compassion and empathy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>And, <em>let’s weep</em> with him.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><em>Let’s weep</em> for who we are, and let’s pray for the hope of who we can
become.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-62183697180177852752014-11-13T00:26:00.000-05:002014-11-13T00:34:35.234-05:00A Muncie Boyhood-Life at Roosevelt Elementary<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tsec_Lf8u6o/VGQ-5xZF8UI/AAAAAAAAAsE/6or5Z3ElytM/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Miss%2BHoffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tsec_Lf8u6o/VGQ-5xZF8UI/AAAAAAAAAsE/6or5Z3ElytM/s320/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Miss%2BHoffman.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Hoffman-Fourth Grade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uhb5lGRmlyQ/VGQ-6UeD1dI/AAAAAAAAAsM/4diqgjuOQ9M/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BDennis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uhb5lGRmlyQ/VGQ-6UeD1dI/AAAAAAAAAsM/4diqgjuOQ9M/s320/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BDennis.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Dennis-Fifth Grade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Crazy Things I Remember from Roosevelt Elementary School</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No particular order…</span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making “Macaroni”
Art—My mom had it hanging in her dining room until I was an adult.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Taking naps in Kindergarten on a rug that was
purchased just for that very purpose.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
For some reason I associate Johnny Cash’s song “I
Walk the Line” with my second grade class.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I broke my right collarbone a few days before
school started in third grade, and had to learn to write left-handed for the
first two months.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Lee Burton, a special needs kid in our third
grade class sharpened his finger in the pencil sharpener.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I got into a wrestling match with a neighbor boy
on the way home from school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just
across from the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were so into
the match that we didn’t realize that a crowd had gathered to “watch the fight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I realized what was happening, I was
afraid a teacher was going to come get us, so I pushed him down and took off
toward home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He caught up with me about
two blocks later, and all of the sudden the friendly wrestling match was less
friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I pushed him down again
and went home.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I got a “whack” for fighting in the boy’s
restroom…but, I wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An early lesson
that life isn’t fair.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember planting seeds on pads of cotton in
Mrs. Dennis’ class.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Once I tripped at the top of the back
stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones that went down from in
front of the 5<sup>th</sup>/6<sup>th</sup> grade wing toward the gym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tripped at the top, did a mid-air
somersault, and landed on my butt on the bottom step.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OZjtLAIRZlo/VGQ-5zx2WWI/AAAAAAAAAsA/EIhUGGE6nFw/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mr.%2BBurkholder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OZjtLAIRZlo/VGQ-5zx2WWI/AAAAAAAAAsA/EIhUGGE6nFw/s200/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mr.%2BBurkholder.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Burkholder-Sixth Grade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I remember wanting to be on the Safety
Patrol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only got to be a sub, and
occasionally was the crossing flag holder at Madison Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I wanted one of those badges!</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember singing: “School’s out, school’s
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers let the monkeys out” on
the last day of school…every single year!</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember getting love notes from Holly Bell in
second grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the outside, I hated it…but,
on the inside, I loved it!</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember a Christmas ornament that my third
grade teacher, Mrs. Denny gave me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
stayed in my family’s ornament collection until my mother’s decorations were
dispersed after her death just a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was lost then, and it really bugs me now.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember the big windows that we’d open in the
early fall and late spring, and the big boiler radiators that would keep us
warm in the winter.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I noticed girls in fifth grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, I developed a huge crush on my
best friend’s sister, Tena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That lasted
until high school, but was my deepest held secret.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GzdSF76BcU/VGQ-5-6aEQI/AAAAAAAAAsg/0gaKqdiD9H8/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BCox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GzdSF76BcU/VGQ-5-6aEQI/AAAAAAAAAsg/0gaKqdiD9H8/s200/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BCox.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Cox-Music</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got glasses in fourth grade, and all of the
sudden Miss Hoffman’s instructions on the board made a lot more sense.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember the kids calling the principal “Coble
Wobble.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t nice, but everyone
did it…especially around Thanksgiving.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember kids smoking cigarettes as early as
fourth or fifth grade.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember making paper mache’ pinatas in sixth
grade.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
every morning.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember collecting dimes for the March of
Dimes.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember tornado drills and fire drills, but I
also seem to have a faint memory of bomb drills.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember playing with a parachute in gym
class.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember playing basketball during recess on
the playground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was terrible at it.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember learning to square dance and some
other dances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I no longer remember how to do them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t much good at that either.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember singing Christmas songs in
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silent Night, Holy Night.</i></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember walking to Wilson Middle School for a
tour of my sixth grade year.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember a little girl in our fourth grade
class lost her parents to a traffic accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She moved away and I never saw her again.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember the front lawn was like a park with
the huge old trees.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FAXjwE7xXa0/VGQ-64GLEqI/AAAAAAAAAsU/YfTPpKAEBEM/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BSeiler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FAXjwE7xXa0/VGQ-64GLEqI/AAAAAAAAAsU/YfTPpKAEBEM/s200/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Mrs.%2BSeiler.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Siler-First Grade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I remember hearing the older kids talk about the
riots at Southside High…and being afraid because I knew I’d be going t<br />
here
someday.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
I remember getting a physical in the
library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Turn toward the window and cough.”</i></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
In sixth grade, for about two weeks, we had
daily giant rumbles out in the field during recess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly all of the kids were involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like a huge wrestling match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bodies flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids flipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shoving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swinging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part, it was all good fun, but the
teachers had to put a stop to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too
many torn clothes and minor injuries.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Playing “Duck, Duck, Goose.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loved that game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I wonder if I could get a game up?)</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
And, the last random memory I’ll share is that I
remember making a finger-paint picture in Miss Hoffman’s fourth grade class that
got entered into some city-wide contest.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLDwEdC-8fU/VGQ-7DEvquI/AAAAAAAAAsY/REq5JRoqfWM/s1600/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Principal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLDwEdC-8fU/VGQ-7DEvquI/AAAAAAAAAsY/REq5JRoqfWM/s200/Roosevelt%2BElementary-Principal.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Bushey-Principal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In general, I have fond memories of my days at Roosevelt
Elementary School, and it is kind of cool that I am still in contact with some
of the kids…and even some of the teachers from my days there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a shame that the old building is
gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be fun to go back and get
a new look at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To walk in the front
doors and go up the first steps to the main level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To trudge on up to the second floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wander down the hall to those back
steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I could stop and imagine
my lucky flying flip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward, go back
down to the gym and remember the line to get my “Hot Packs and Cold Packs” for
lunch…”Fish on Fridays.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I find that I’m a little nostalgic about Roosevelt
Elementary School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feeling stops
after I moved on from Roosevelt, but it remains in her hallowed halls of
yesteryear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few bullies, and a few mean girls, but
overall, they were good years.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_sfjd1K3Gw/VGRAefQvKEI/AAAAAAAAAs0/LA8oJ91AfPU/s1600/Mike%2Bthe%2BCub%2BScout%2B%26%2BKrista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_sfjd1K3Gw/VGRAefQvKEI/AAAAAAAAAs0/LA8oJ91AfPU/s200/Mike%2Bthe%2BCub%2BScout%2B%26%2BKrista.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me...in all my goofiness with my niece, Krista</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What memories do you have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you don’t mind, leave a comment and share something with me.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-19672812600818210472014-10-04T23:56:00.000-04:002014-10-04T23:56:57.525-04:00A Muncie Boyhood-Star Trek & Middle School<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqemSTGFD8M/VDC_CyDNBII/AAAAAAAAApA/WZZyAU3_ptQ/s1600/Chubby%2BMiddle%2BSchool%2BMike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqemSTGFD8M/VDC_CyDNBII/AAAAAAAAApA/WZZyAU3_ptQ/s1600/Chubby%2BMiddle%2BSchool%2BMike.jpg" height="400" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, just before heading out to the 8th grade dance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been following William Shatner on Twitter for a while
now, and he is one of those very active “tweeters.” When he gets on a roll, he just goes and goes
and goes. But, that's cool though, because he’s funny, and it’s fun to read. Well,
I was scrolling through his latest tweet-fest, and it got me thinking about the
days when I first became familiar with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Middle School.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fall of 1974 through the spring of 1976. Star Trek was in syndication, and it was
before it became huge with the series of sequels and
a big screen phenomenon. At the time, it
was just an old show from the 60’s that was running on an off-time in reruns. I even remember that when it came on after
the evening news, the local Indianapolis station’s news crew would “beam” out
as the transition to the show. And, I
fell in love with that quirky, ahead of its time, eclectic show of galactic
voyagers…and their “5-year mission to explore new worlds and new
civilizations.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the crew of the Starship
Enterprise got me through the <i>Tribble</i>lation
that was my middle school years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to admit, those were a tough couple of years at
Wilson Middle School. Bullies, racial
tensions, pimples, puberty, weird haircuts, sports failures, and fat. Let’s just say that I never had a problem
calculating the value of Pi….um, I mean pie.
I had always been a little chubby, but by the end of 8<sup>th</sup>
grade I looked like a giant kickball with feet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the midst of those weird, awkward years, my buddy Jerry
introduced me to Captain Kirk and crew.
I hadn’t watched it when it was on its original run. I’d been more into Lassie and Gentle Ben in
those days. But by 1974, I was ready to
battle Klingons and Romulans. It made
for a great way to get my mind off of those…those…um…those real things that
were so…well, so hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the mess that was my real life, with Jerry’s help, I fell in love with Star Trek. We role-played. We made fake phasers and communicators…maybe
even a tricorder. He was Spock…I was a
super chubby Kirk. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Sorry Bill.)</span> We made up story-lines and battled imaginary
aliens. And, I survived Middle School.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, an amazing thing happened in the three months between
middle school and my entry into my freshman year at Muncie Southside High
School. It had been an active summer. Lots of outdoor stuff. I lost some of my winter chub, and I grew a
couple of inches. Suddenly, I wasn’t a
walking watermelon anymore. I had
actually slimmed down. So much so that
one of my friends saw me on the first day of school, and they couldn’t believe
it: “Wow, Mike! I almost didn’t recognize you!” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, I was oblivious to the change. I’d been too busy fighting Klingons. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, here’s a big thank you to Kirk, Spock,
McCoy, Chekov, Sulu, Uhura, and even Yeoman Rand. You guys were real heroes back in the day, to
at least one chubby little guy from Muncie, Indiana. Have a glass of Romulan Ale on me!<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-80952836707111745372014-08-21T23:16:00.001-04:002014-08-22T07:04:53.122-04:00Rollercoasters and False Bravado<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Folks, it has been a rollercoaster over the last three
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An emotional rollercoaster.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I sent one daughter 14 hours into the future—to Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows when I’ll see her again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent another just 1 hour ahead—to Arkansas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be a good couple of months before I
again see her smiling face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I witnessed a friend’s son…and a man I know…go from
obscurity to being one of the most famous faces on the planet…all the while he
was fighting for his life against one of the most deadly diseases on
Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While on that voyage into the
spotlight, while battling to survive, he also managed to inspire a whole new
generation of Christians, and touch the lives of believers and non-believers
alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went from death’s door, to
stepping out of an ambulance, to being released…and he wasn’t supposed to
survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the while trusting God…regardless
the outcome.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I watched the streets of Ferguson, Missouri erupt…and the
tears of loss cascade down the cheeks of a mother’s face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a whole segment of our American
community mourns, another whole segment continues to not understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, our national pain continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t really know the facts, but one side
claims a cold-blooded murder and the other claims a “thug” was killed in the line
of duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of accusations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of assumptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of arguing, shouting, crying
voices. Bottles flying. Tear gas pluming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Very little listening.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, a friend from middle school sent me a message to
ask me to sign a petition and post it to my Facebook wall in support of
reparations for the descendants of enslaved black Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Notice that I didn’t say a “black friend.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have black friends or white
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just have friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some happen to be of different races, but
that is not what defines them to me.)</span></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
asked him to give me more detail on what he was talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him some hard questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it really change things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it change hearts on both sides?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would it be applied or distributed, etc.? Could it really be enough in the end to not become an insult?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still mulling over his ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I like some of them…maybe a good
many of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, what sits on me the
most is the pain in his words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some
ways, he is the same Marvin I met in 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade all those many years
ago, but in other ways he’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
a heaviness there…brought on by the weight of social injustice; a wall of
emotion born of 50+ years of witnessing and experiencing disrespect and
mistreatment for no other reason than the color of the pigment in his skin and
the skin of his family, neighbors, and friends.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, there are the deaths.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, not just normal deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suicides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have touched me
three times this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One close to a
niece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One a former
customer/co-worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, one a celebrity…Robin
Williams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(And, isn’t unusual how we all
seem to feel like Robin was a friend?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Almost none of us had actually ever met him, but I bet most of us felt
like he was someone we held dear; like a family member or close friend.)</span></em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In thinking about those deaths, I began to think back, and suicide
has visited me many times over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had not realized just how often:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My brother, Freddie; A boy in one of my High School classes;
Danny-another boy from school; Larry-a friend from my Bible College days; two
different neighbors (one just last year); my niece’s fiancé; and Doug, the guy
I’d worked with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is eight people,
and there may be more that I just haven’t considered yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That realization was staggering.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, there is the murder of James Foley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t really express how that makes me
feel.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of that, and I’ve been blessed with an overactive
empathy gene.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I sensed the hopefulness, faithfulness, and fear mixed all
together in the voices and faces of my friends, the Brantly family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sensed the same thing in the prayers and
petitions of my church family as they prayed for Kent Brantly and Nancy
Writebol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt the hurt of that mother’s
heart as the tears rolled down her cheeks in Ferguson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear the anger and pain in my friend’s
words as he explained his reparations plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I feel the sadness of the world’s loss of Robin Williams mixed into the
sadness I feel for the loss of my former work associate, Doug. <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(And, regarding Doug, maybe a little guilt. Could I have done something for him to change his course?)</span></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I harbor the shock…the anger…the deep
sadness of that picture of James Foley on his knees with the man in black
holding the knife; knowing that only a moment later…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contrast that with the joy of seeing Kent Brantly speak at that
news conference as he was released from the hospital-Ebola free! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two weeks prior, I nearly jumped out of my skin
when he <em>walked</em> into the hospital in Atlanta…when I was expecting to see him
wheeled in on a gurney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, today that
was furthered by the joy of seeing him reunited with his wife, and his recovery
from the brink of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been a rollercoaster summer, folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m telling you, it really has.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, here’s the thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve basically been holding all of this inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a little has slipped out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little to my wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little to a fellow elder at church…just a
dribble really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, it’s mostly bottled
up.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because, in our lives these days, <u>we don’t talk</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We don’t know how to be <em>REAL</em> with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are afraid of emotion, and we hide it
behind false bravado.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could spill it all out to my wife, but what I really want
is a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife is my best friend,
and I could share it all with her…in fact, I did share some of it tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, what I actually want is a really close
buddy…another guy…whom I can be real with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Someone I can share my fears, my failings, and my dreams with…and
someone who will do the same with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without judgment and without expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone to commiserate with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone to confess to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone to pray with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, then someone I can go with to watch the
game, eat some wings, and have a beer.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, to all you guys out there who are still reading this…you
know you want the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least
be real with yourself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The problem is our false bravado and our spiritual
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are too proud to admit we need
each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are too embarrassed to
admit that we do things we are ashamed of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can’t abide the idea that our whitewashed exteriors might be removed
to reveal who we really are.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, before you girls go getting all self-righteous…you need
to take off those smug, pious church smiles and replace them with sober reality, admitting that you have some
messes too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need these kinds of
relationships just as much.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We <u>can</u> have it, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These special relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
it takes is two individuals willing to be totally real with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Totally honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Willing to share the darkest details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two people finally willing to step into the
light with one another.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are
you?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>1 John 1:7</u></strong> – <em><strong><span style="color: blue;">But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.</span></strong></em></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-78044756079768012092014-08-02T17:12:00.000-04:002014-08-02T17:12:49.339-04:00Joy, Fear, and Ebola
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Earlier today, I nearly jumped out of my chair with
excitement when I saw Kent Brantly gingerly step out of that ambulance and walk
into Emory University Hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fist
pumped into the air, and I shouted a happy <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yeah!”</i></b> to my wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had my faith renewed as I have watched
the events unfold this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ll
let some more time go by, and then I’ll attempt to explain that renewal more
fully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, right now, I want to touch
on the opposite. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You see, I’ve also seen today a number of social media posts from
regular folks who are at a minimum nervous, and at the extreme, actually quite
scared.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, who can blame them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider the popular written fiction, TV series, and theatrical movie
themes that create and project far out stories about a virus gone wild:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resident
Evil, Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead, etc.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, you add to that the wacked-out
conspiracy theorists and the fringe, hype-media specialists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, people are fed meal after meal of
misinformation, half-truths, and extreme fictional scenarios.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are one of those folks who feels this fear, let me
give you a suggestion that may help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you will follow it, I think you find yourself breathing easier, and your mind
will be at rest.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Educate yourself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Set aside the fiction of modern TV & theater, ignore
the conspiracy theorists, skip the hype of the fringe media, and take the time
to research and educate yourself on both the virus and the extreme steps taken
to provide safety and precaution.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The virus is scary, but it is also not all that easily
transmitted, especially in our modern world, and it can be killed with
sterilization processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
transportation methods that carried Kent to Georgia utilized multiple layers of
isolation to keep the infection contained, and eliminate any chance of exposure
to the outside world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folks, you can
take a good breath and relax.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further, there is another piece of fiction being
propagated by the media:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That Ebola has never been in the western
hemisphere before.</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That just isn’t true.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kent Brantly may be the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PATIENT</i> suffering from Ebola to be treated in the US, but the virus
has been here for quite some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Laboratories are studying it for work on new vaccines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some time ago, the virus was acquired in Africa, and then transported to
the United States using carefully controlled methods in order to do the
research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a link to a news story
from the Houston, Texas news outlet KHOU about just such a lab: <a href="http://www.khou.com/story/news/health/2014/07/29/ebola-virus-being-studied-in-galveston-lab/13337069/" target="_blank">Galveston UTMB Lab Ebola Story</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, today, Kent himself was transported home using
extremely careful and thought out methods, taking incredible steps to ensure
everyone’s safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The virus is
transmitted through contact with body fluids…not by air, and all conceivable
precautions were taken to ensure that nothing could escape.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You may ask: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mike,
how do you know all of this?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
simply put…I took the time to read legitimate articles, and I listened to
legitimate interviews with real doctors and scientists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, left to the entertainment and
fringe media meals, I’d be just as nervous as the next guy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friends, you are perfectly safe…from Ebola anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, Kent is HOME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where he should be…at least until he recovers
enough to resume his selfless work in caring for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God willing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, let’s continue to pray that he does recover, because <strong><u>the world
needs more people like Kent Brantly</u>.</strong></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep praying.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peace to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">#PrayForKent #PrayForNancy</span></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-84957250817947462882014-07-29T22:24:00.000-04:002014-07-29T22:24:11.006-04:00666,216<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">666,216</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">666,216 is the average number of hours that a man in the
United States can expect to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m approximately 52.5 years old. That means I’ve used up 460,212 of mine…should
I only be average. Which begs the
question: How do I want to use the last 206,004 hours of my</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, I hope to be above average. My personal goal is to live to be 100 years
and one day old. But, you just can’t
count on ‘beating the house.’ In fact,
there are a good number of people who fall short of the average. So, let’s just say I’ll be average. How do I want to spend those hours?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe playing Candy Crush? Nope!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe watching TV? Not anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t watch TV nearly as much as I used to, but let’s
examine that one. For conjecture sake…because
I’ll never figure this out exactly…let’s say that I’ve watched two hours a day
for the last 50 years. Some days/years
were much higher than others. That’s an
estimate, and it may be low because I used to watch A LOT of TV. But, okay…two hours a day for 50 years is
36,525 hours. Hmmm. I’ve wasted 1522 days sitting in front of the television.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That’s over four years
sitting in front of an electronic brain-sucker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That’s kind of staggering, if you think about it. And, my guess is most of us don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dy0ZRE00WLI/U9hVlIlHS9I/AAAAAAAAAjc/h7fmcJFJKzM/s1600/P6280326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dy0ZRE00WLI/U9hVlIlHS9I/AAAAAAAAAjc/h7fmcJFJKzM/s1600/P6280326.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sit on a sofa...or, go see this?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, don’t get me wrong.
I’m not opposed to relaxation or entertainment, and I’m not likely to
give up TV altogether. (I need my
Walking Dead fixes.) But, I can tell you,
as a guy who has likely crossed the halfway point, I want to be a lot more
mindful of how I use up those remaining hours.
I will no longer be donating them to mindlessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Frankly, I want to do something worthwhile with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to create. I
want to see beautiful and interesting places.
I want to worship with zeal. I
want to love deeper. I want to make a
difference in people’s lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9w3-vQJdXQw/U9hV7Oj02EI/AAAAAAAAAjk/JC4lPxM4_ps/s1600/Kent+and+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9w3-vQJdXQw/U9hV7Oj02EI/AAAAAAAAAjk/JC4lPxM4_ps/s1600/Kent+and+Family.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am challenged and inspired by the way that my fellow
Christian and friend, Dr. Kent Brantly has devoted his life to serving
others. He could be living a fairly cush
life here in the U.S. as a physician.
Nice house. Nice car. Maybe a club membership. Instead, he has been donating himself to a
cause where the only reward is the satisfaction of seeing people survive. Since last fall, he has been working with
Samaritan’s Purse at ELWA Hospital in Liberia, West Africa, sharing hope and
providing medical care to people most of the world ignores. And, further, now that he has been stricken
with one of the most deadly diseases known to man—Ebola, he still remains
committed to his course. No
regrets. No second-guessing. He is “praying fervently” for God to save his
life, but either way, he has put himself in the Father’s hands. He is faithful regardless the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whether he will meet or exceed the average life-span of the
US male is very hard to say right now.
The next week will tell. But, I
can tell you, he has already made more of a difference than most of us ever
will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, I’m going to make some commitments right now. I had already put Candy Crush in a coma in my
world. (Whoever created that game should
be…well, I won’t say…it wouldn’t be nice.)
I am now declaring it ‘dead to me.’
I’d put Words with Friends on hiatus.
That hiatus is now permanent. TV
has been skimmed way down, and will stay that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am going to look forward to my next 206,002 hours with
much more intensity. I will use them
with a great deal more intentionality.
(I just gave a couple of them to you.)
And, I will renew my dedication to serving my God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, a question for you…how are you going to use the hours
you have left?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#PrayForKent</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#PrayForNancy</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-47674648824828996972014-07-27T23:48:00.002-04:002014-07-27T23:48:50.631-04:00Ebola and the Power of Humility
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friend, Jim Brantly stood in front of our church this
morning and apologized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being privy to
the incredible family crisis he was (and still is) facing, I was taken
aback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could he possibly be
apologizing for on this morning of all mornings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I learned, as I so often do with Jim,
that his heart was touched in a way…as it often is…that puts me to shame.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You see, the crisis in his family is the critical and
life-threatening illness contracted by his son, Kent Brantly, which has been
all over the newsfeeds and even the major news media outlets over the last
couple of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His son, Kent Brantly,
who is also someone I consider a friend, has been working for nearly a year
with a hospital in Liberia in West Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is a doctor, and for the last several months, his focus has been on
the battle to stop the spread of Ebola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, Ebola is deadly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
reports I’ve seen, it kills anywhere from 60% to 90% of those who are stricken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds have died in the last few months,
and some of the most at risk are the healthcare workers providing care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In just the last few days, the family learned
that Kent had contracted the disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was (is) sick, in isolation, and alone (at least from his family) on another
continent thousands of miles away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out
of the reach of their loving arms, and beyond anything they could do for him
short of prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you imagine?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, for the last few days, Jim (and his family) have been
praying…likely like they have never prayed before…for Kent’s recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pleading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Begging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beseeching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calling with all of their energy, emotion,
and faith on the God they have so long served; asking Him to come to their son’s
side and return him to health.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, in the middle of all of that emotional, mental,
and spiritual turmoil, Jim came to realize something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something that he shared with all of us as he
stood in front of the church just this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Something that…again to my own shame…I would never have considered if
the tables were turned and I was walking in his shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something incredibly selfless.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He realized that he had not been praying for others with
that same sense of urgency and fervency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, his heart ached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, at this time when he desperately wants his son to be
healed and brought to full recovery, instead of pleading with the congregation
to pray for his son, he apologized to the church for his own lack of prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, you could almost see the hearts of
everyone in the room going out to him…trying to wrap themselves around him and
his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was REAL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was what I think God intended. The facades came down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was the church being real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really <u>being</u> the church of Christ.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, of course, we all prayed fervently for Kent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once again, I was humbled and amazed by Jim’s simple,
heartfelt humility.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is the kind of family that Kent Brantly comes
from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, that is where he gets his
faith and compassion.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pray for Kent Brantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pray for his healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray for
his work.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pray for my friend Jim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pray for his strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray for
his faith in this time of testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray
for his whole family.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, pray for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that we can learn to reflect
that same humility, selflessness, and faithfulness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that we…wherever we may be…will really
be the church as God intended it.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-28655084866087718642014-04-27T20:06:00.001-04:002014-04-27T20:07:02.758-04:0054 Days to Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--e5KnmkSQO0/U12bbB4-jCI/AAAAAAAAAfw/uZXfPRGDlqA/s1600/Mountains+of+Yellowstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--e5KnmkSQO0/U12bbB4-jCI/AAAAAAAAAfw/uZXfPRGDlqA/s1600/Mountains+of+Yellowstone.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">54 Days to Go<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just pulled out my calendar and counted them. I have 54 days to get into “Yellowstone”
shape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like so many other people, keeping fit is an ongoing battle
with many competing forces trying on the one hand to help me, and on the other
hand to trip me up. Mostly the
latter. Frankly, my occupation is not helpful. As a sales guy, I spend way too much time
either riding in my car or riding on my office chair. To top that off, I spend too much time in
front of the TV….riding on my recliner.
And, to top it all off, I have a major affection for ice cream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could put anchovies on ice cream and I’d probably eat
it. (Well, I’d probably pick the slimy
little guys off, and still eat the ice cream.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as a result of those influences, I fluctuate between
striving to be fit and striving to have a stroke. Between you and me, I’d prefer to be fit, but
sometimes I forget that fact when a big bowl of Blue Bell with chocolate syrup
is calling my name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, I now have a goal and a deadline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goal: Be able to
successfully hike into the backcountry of Yellowstone…and enjoy it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My deadline: Mid-June<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">54 days from now to be exact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, between now and then, I’m committing to a few changes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--> <b><u>Daily exercise.</u></b> In increasing doses and intensities. Likely, I will start out with walking,
biking, and maybe shooting some baskets in the driveway. However, when caught in a rainstorm on a walk
back to my hotel last week, I discovered that I could maybe try some running
too. Regardless, I need to do it EVERY
day, and I need to build the intensity as June approaches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Cutting
the Carbs.</u></b> I don’t do zero
carbs, but I do cut them big time. No
more french fries until vacation. No
more dinner rolls. No more mashed
potatoes. No cereal. No bagels.
No bread. I am going to allow
myself tortilla chips and rice once a week from my favorite Mexican restaurant
(El Rodeo), but otherwise, I’m tightening the noose on unneeded complex
carbohydrates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>No Ice
Cream</u></b> until Vacation. This is
hard…and self-explanatory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Lots
of salad</u></b>, vegetables, fruits, and leaner meats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year, I biked like crazy from June to August, but I
only dropped seven or eight pounds.
Then, I stopped riding, and picked up a diet plan. I dropped another ten to fifteen. Just imagine what would happen if I combined
those two things!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s the plan for the next 54 days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wish me luck. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-59725696086410683082014-04-13T23:38:00.001-04:002014-04-13T23:38:54.564-04:00The Importance of Legacy<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C80L9u_cFE0/U0tWYUqDPjI/AAAAAAAAAe4/Ys6qe19_R5Q/s1600/Scottish+Rite+Ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C80L9u_cFE0/U0tWYUqDPjI/AAAAAAAAAe4/Ys6qe19_R5Q/s1600/Scottish+Rite+Ceremony.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span id="goog_2057004935"></span><span id="goog_2057004936"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I attended two separate and distinct events today that were
designed to recognize the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was
the 50<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> anniversary of my church congregation being located at
their current address.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many names from
the past were mentioned, and their service recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honor was extended to them…many of them in
their memory since they have since passed on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The church that is there now is in many ways one of their legacies.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other event was a Masonic ceremony in memory of members
that had passed away in the previous year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I say it was a ceremony, I mean that to the fullest extent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a Mason, but my father-in-law was,
and he was one of the men for whom the memorial was held.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event was held in the Scottish Rite
Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis, and my wife’s father simply loved that
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spent hours upon hours there,
performed countless works of service in support of the organization, and was
fully devoted to the Masonic and Scottish Rite principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I walked around inside the old, very ornate
building with its intricate craftsmanship, I couldn’t help but think of Woody and how much he truly loved it
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is one of his legacies.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Legacy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A legacy in simple terms is just something handed down from
one individual, generation, or organization to another.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many people just pass on through this life and leave very
little mark…very little legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure,
those closest to them have memories…small legacies…that they hang onto for a
few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, soon enough, those
memories fall into the chasm of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you consider history, recognizing the millions upon millions of
people who have lived, how many of them really did, said, or accomplished
something of significant consequence that caused people to remember them beyond
their own lifetime?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever considered what your legacy will be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will you have to hand down?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, on top of even the idea of handing down a legacy, have
you considered whether it will be a GOOD legacy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, some people are truly remembered,
but not for the good they left in their wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Think Hitler, etc.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope that when my time comes to pass on into the annals of
history that I have left behind some pieces and parts that are worthwhile of
being remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe that’s why I
write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I’m gone, my literary
creations will remain...whether you think they are good or not so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I hope I leave a bigger legacy than a
few articles, some cheesy poems, and a handful of decent short stories.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope I leave a legacy of making a difference.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all, I hope that my feeble attempts service in leadership at the Southeastern Church of Christ will be used by God to truly help
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope when they celebrate the
75<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> or 100<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> anniversary that they will think well
enough of me…that I will have done enough good…to be mentioned as a positive
influence. I don't want to be remembered for holding a title...but for making a difference.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, even more important to me is my hope that I will pass
the baton of a love for God on to my children just as my dad passed it on to
me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m good at my work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m a successful salesperson in an industrial industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I don’t really care all that much about
how I’m remembered for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who cares
if I sell more bearings than anyone else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could become the most successful bearing salesman to have ever lived,
but if I have not helped someone to a better life, and especially if I have not
passed on that flame of faith born of a love for God to my children, then I am
a failure and I should be forgotten.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people have to have the most toys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s the saying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He who dies with the most toys wins!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who is going to care once those toys are rusted out, distributed to others, or auctioned off?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people want the greenest lawn surrounded by an impeccable landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me some dandelions….I’ll put up with
crabgrass…if the trade-off is that my kids walk with the Lord.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are still building our legacies…you and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is still yet to be seen what we will leave
behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a saying that I created a
few years ago:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Be the person today that will lead you to become the person
that you want to be tomorrow.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Think about that as you build your legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be the person today that will lead you to
build the legacy that you want for tomorrow’s generation. That will be my goal.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-81827761198182487092014-02-27T23:09:00.000-05:002014-03-02T11:17:36.349-05:00A Muncie Boyhood-10 of My Favorite Memories from Muncie, Indiana<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>10 of My Favorite Memories from Muncie, Indiana</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Sitting on the front porch in July at 2am, while
sipping a Coke from Cantrell’s Barber Shop, and watching the cars go by.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Walking to Heekin Park with my dad on a warm
summer day.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Running through the middle of the clothing racks
at the downtown Ball Stores or Sears Department stores.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Playing army with all the neighborhood kids…across
every yard in the area…hiding behind or in or on any tree, garage, or house
that seemed to provide good cover.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Going on my first date to see the fireworks on
the 4<sup>th</sup> of July at Prairie Creek Reservoir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1978)</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Seeing Halloween…at the Rivoli Theater…at night…alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, checking the backseat of my car before
getting in for the ride home.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Going fishing in Stoney Creek with my dad, and
catching bluegill and catfish with a cane pole.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
The New Year’s Eve Sing at the Fairlawn Church of
Christ, followed by all-night bowling at the Village Bowl, followed by
breakfast at the Big Wheel Restaurant.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Sledding down the big hill on the west side of
the reservoir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I went back recently,
and that hill looks tiny now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
happened? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, where did it come
from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems so random.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sure hope it wasn’t a Native American mound
that we’ve destroyed over the years.)</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Sharing all of my inner thoughts and feelings…all
of my fears and hurts…with my therapist….my little white dog with the brown
ears named Sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had her from the
time I was one until I was seventeen years old.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Okay...so, I had to add one more...seeing the woman who would become my wife for the first time. It was at church...she was a BSU student...I was home from college for the weekend. Man! The long, curly brown hair and the exotic eyes! Whew!</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Obviously, this list isn’t exhaustive, and I’ll probably
think of a dozen more that I cherish in the next hour, but I’ve enjoyed
remembering these as they came to mind.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What about you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
are some of your favorite memories from your childhood in your hometown…especially
if you’re from Muncie?</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-31140847919591299142014-02-08T23:04:00.000-05:002014-02-09T20:11:40.759-05:00Science & Creation-Outside the Box<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose we should all realize that this particular
discussion is moot since regardless of what we may believe, we are here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world exists…unless you are a Philosophy
major, and then you may ask the question of whether reality is really
real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I’m sticking with a real
reality…we are here…and how we all got here really doesn’t matter all that
much.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That confusion-inducing statement having been said, this
subject interests me, and it is something that I’ve been thinking about for a
long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, this is also one of
those subjects where my thinking is outside of the mainstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In fact, it is outside the mainstream of both
sides of this issue.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I’m not a scientist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m just a regular guy who pays
attention…likes Star Trek…is a little nerdy…is intrigued by science...and is a believer in God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways, my opinion isn’t worth two plug
nickels, but I do write a blog and some people read it, so here are my random
thoughts on the issues from the now famous Bill Nye/Ken Ham debate on whether
Creationism is a viable explanation of how the Universe came into being.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, let me say that I wasn’t going to watch it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just get tired of these arguments that
solve nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, after I decided to
share my views on the subject, I decided I should take a gander at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I spent a couple of hours watching it on
YouTube the other night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, it
was interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found some compelling
things being shared on both sides, and I was pleased that overall it was a
friendly exchange.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I agreed with some things from both, and I disagreed with
some things from both.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some of my random thoughts on the topic…not
necessarily tied to the debate:</span></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
The Bible says that “God created…,” but it never
elaborates on the method used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
child, I envisioned that things just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>POPPED</strong></i>
into existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, couldn’t God have
used a method…a process…a portion of which we now call Evolution?</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
There are things we use in the world today (think technology) that
only a couple of hundred years ago would have been considered
supernatural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The supernatural becomes
the natural once we understand the process and the science behind it.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
The Bible is not a Science textbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not provided by God as a way to fully
explain science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is just not its
purpose…rather Christ was the purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything was pointing toward Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you wrote a cookbook and then found out some school system was using
it to teach math, wouldn’t you question that school board’s thinking? A cookbook has some math in it, but that isn't its purpose.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
In the debate, the biggest sticking point
between Nye and Ham was the age of the Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nye believed it to be billions of years old while Ham holds to only
about 6000 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the Bible
NEVER directly says how old the earth is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It does not ever…<strong>EVER</strong>…pinpoint a start date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The method used by Ham and others to develop
the timeline is by counting backward from Christ using the biblical
genealogies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you start at Christ
(2000 years ago) and then follow the genealogies based on how long each
generation lived, you come up with about 6000 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t believe that this is a viable way to
date the Earth to the beginning point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, my main point here is that this is a <u>MAN-MADE</u> construct of how
to date the Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible never says
that this is the way to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mankind
has come up with it on its own.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
Ham holds to a literal “Six-Days” of creation…meaning
six 24-hour periods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God created and
things <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>POPPED</strong></i> into existence, and He did it all in six literal days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I no longer hold to that view, although I
used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, I believe that God employed
an allegorical language that ancient people could grasp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it so hard to believe that God could
use an allegory?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we think He is so
limited in His literary skills that He couldn’t come up with something like
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I’ve come to the
conclusion that the six days represent immensely long eons of time…periods in
the history of the Earth where God brought about great changes using the
processes that science is discovering through its ongoing research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This in no way threatens my belief in the
inspiration of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Frankly, when
facts are uncovered that challenge my interpretation of the Bible, I don’t
start questioning the Bible…I start questioning my understanding of it.</strong></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, here’s where I’m going to
throw out my own half-baked theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
half-baked because it isn’t fully developed. And, it is a theory...not a doctrine that I've constructed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but I’ve not fully worked
it all out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I’m not going to assume
that I’m the first to think about this either, but I’ve never heard anyone express the
following concept before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here goes…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>I am coming to the belief that the
creation of man in Genesis 1 and the creation of Adam and his placement in the
Garden of Eden in Genesis 2 are <u>two separate events</u>.</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I believe that humans were created
by God (through whatever process He chose to use) sometime in the ancient past,
but the creation of Adam and Eve was something special…a special creation of a
man and a woman that happened much, much later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve not come to a conclusion as to what was special about them…other
than maybe it was God’s first step toward creating a people to whom he could
have a relationship with…a people who were self-aware, creative, and/or carried
within them a soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still working on
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if this is true, then it
explains a couple of other things:</span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: upper-alpha;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;">
It allows for a much, much older Earth
consistent with the evidence being uncovered by modern research.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;">
It even allows for the possibility of a literal
six 24-hour days of creation…just much longer ago…although I still think that it
is an allegory.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;">
It explains where the people came from that Cain
was so afraid of when God banished him…and where he found his wife.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this theory, Adam is still the first man, but he is first
in a different way than the way the box that we’ve all been raised in explained
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t the first human, he was
first in some other way that has then filtered down through all of mankind.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, just let me leave that hanging out there….</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can tear it down…help me develop it…think I’m nuts…whatever.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll leave you with some parting thoughts:</span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;">
Scientific discoveries point to an Earth that is
much older than 6000 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
even some Biblical anomalies that remain uneasily explained in the young-earth
view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we adamantly deny the evidence
without giving deeper thought…even thought outside our religious boxes…, then
we do begin to appear ridiculous to the rest of the world.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;">
Scientific discoveries are not contradictory to
the existence of God…at least nothing that I have seen says there is no
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bill Nye even acknowledges that
science cannot disprove God.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;">
Science does not displace God, it simply reveals
His processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, if evolution
is true, then it was simply the process created by God to bring things about…science
has simply revealed something about how God made the Earth.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;">
Finally, the Big Bang Theory…more than anything
else…points to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Science theorizes
that the Universe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>POPPED</strong></i> into
existence sometime billions of years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, it cannot explain <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>HOW</strong></i>
that happened or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>WHERE</strong></i> that matter
came from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scientists cannot really
explain it, but we can understand that it came from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we can be questioned on where God came
from… and we have no answer beyond that He just always existed…, science can be
questioned on where the matter in the Big Bang came from…and there just is not
a satisfactory answer to that…other than God.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My conviction is that we Christians should stop fussing
about evolution…stop arguing about the age of the Earth…and just start glorifying
God with each new discovery our atheist friends in the science world uncover
about the processes that God used when He brought the Universe into being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, in their own way, those folks will
find that God really was behind it all after all. He is at the end of the string they are tugging on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PS: I in no way mean to say that there aren't any believing scientists. There are. And they make many, many discoveries of God's processes every day.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-16197487902670723382014-01-09T09:38:00.001-05:002014-01-09T09:40:56.769-05:00Inspiration from a Remarkable Man<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="300" src="https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/482498_10203141064954047_14632984_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woody is in the center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><strong>“I’m going to buy you
a T-shirt with a target on the back,”</strong></em> said the smiling and imposing man.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>“Why’s that?”</em></strong> I asked in response with a touch of
trepidation.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>“So I can hit you from long distance,”</em></strong> answered my new
girlfriend’s father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><strong>“Hahahahaha!”</strong></em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Those were the first words that I can recall my
father-in-law speaking to me, and they were the beginning of over 30 years of
laughter, support, encouragement, advice, and….lots of friendly ribbing at my
expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t trade it for the
world.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The world has its share of bad men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The majority of us are simply mediocre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only occasionally will you run across someone
who is truly remarkable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found one,
and I’ve been married to his daughter since 1985.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That remarkable man, Wendell (Woody) Vandivier…aka Boo Boo…,
passed away on Saturday morning, January 4, 2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The feeling is surreal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the one hand, his family is heartbroken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other, we are celebrating the life of
a man who has made such a difference in the lives of those around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some in huge ways, and others in small
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I think the reason for this
strange combination of feelings is his remarkable character.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Remarkable.</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve had that word force itself to the front of my mind ever
since I learned of his passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some
small way, I want to share what made him so remarkable to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to try to at least give you a
flavor of the man who became my second dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my daughters made a list of 10 things she will always remember
about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems like a good enough
format for me to copy.</span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
He always met me with a smile and a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALWAYS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The truth is that he did that with EVERYONE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guys walking down Barth
Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waitresses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even nurses and physical therapists working
with him as he neared his passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was his job to put a smile on your face, and he worked at it tirelessly;
sometimes planning his next trick or joke days or weeks in advance.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
He loved his granddaughters with all of his
heart, and poured himself into them whenever they were around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were his joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it was holding them on his lap in his
Lazyboy chair when they were little, or traveling to their chosen college for a
visit as they grew up, he made the extra effort to show them how much they
meant to him.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
While I did see him occasionally get emotional
and once raise his voice, I NEVER saw him lose his temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He never demanded respect, but always somehow attained it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect that he earned his family’s deep
respect by pouring so much love on them that they could not bear to show him
any cause for disappointment.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
He just loved life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it was traveling to see his family,
working in his garden or Piddle Parlor, or helping me cut up a fallen spruce,
he loved to be with people…especially his family…, and he lived in the
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He enjoyed life as it came his
way, and that joy washed over onto anyone he was around.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, so I didn’t get to 10 things
on my list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe not, but I think I did
get to the heart of what made him remarkable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I haven’t said it yet, but it’s there…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s in between the lines…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
leaking out…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you catch it?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was his <strong>Unselfish Nature</strong>.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was always giving to
someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
daughters-in-law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His son-in-law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His granddaughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His great grandchildren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His extended family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy who owned the gas station down the
road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man who owned the property
where he gardened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apprentices that
went through his training program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
myriad of waitresses that took his orders over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The receptionist at the doctor’s office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nurses and physical therapists at
Rosegate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, whoever was right
in front of him at the time.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What made him remarkable, and
someone I desperately want to imitate was that he was a <strong>GIVER</strong>.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wholeheartedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without reservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With joy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our world today,… with all that
we see around us,… all the mess that is mankind,… when you run across a person
like Woody Vandivier,…someone who is an unselfish person with a mind to give
joy to those around them, the only word that can describe it is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>REMARKABLE</strong>.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, I’ve been lucky enough to be
his son-in-law for nearly 30 years.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have truly been blessed.</span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-7869652028080228832013-12-23T20:40:00.001-05:002013-12-23T22:27:57.291-05:00Quacking Up the Wrong Christmas Tree<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Quacking Up the Wrong Christmas Tree<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two weeks ago, I thought I’d write an article about “keeping
Christ in Christmas.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week, the
story is all about Ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I guess I’ll
mix my messages and say that I think in both cases we Christians are quacking up
the wrong Christmas tree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What was it the angels said?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><strong><span style="color: #783f04;">“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.”</span></strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Luke 2:14</span> (KJV)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peace on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good will toward men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How does that jive with all the angry words that seem to
dominate my Facebook feed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind,
not so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider these thoughts
from your friend, Caaamper….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">CHRIST</span>mas or Happy Holidays?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A good number of my friends are adamant about saying <em>“Merry
Christmas!”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost to the point that I’m
afraid that if I happen to slip up and say <em>“Happy Holidays”</em> to the wrong
person, I might end up being shunned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
like walking on egg shells just to pick out a Christmas…um…er…Holiday card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“We’ve gotta keep Christ in Christmas!”</em> they shout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“Those left-wing liberals are trying to scrub
the ‘reason for the season’ right out of the holiday!”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, amen brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
response, let’s consider the scriptures that discuss the Christmas holiday….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well….um….hmmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
aren’t any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>You see, Christ didn’t come
to earth so we’d name a holiday after Him.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, maybe we could consider some of the things He said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:44-45b<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“Give, and it will be given to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Luke 6:38<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what
belongs to you, do not demand it back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do to others as you would have them do to you.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Luke 6:30-31<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Personally, I don’t see a lot of room there for Christians
to be writing nasty Facebook posts….but, that’s just me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>I think if we want to keep Christ in Christmas, then our
best method to do so is to keep Christ in us.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are his hands, his feet, his mouth in this broken world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should reflect Him in our very words and
actions, and by doing so Christ will very much remain in Christmas…regardless
of what we call it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some suggestions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feed a hungry person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Put a coat on the back of a homeless person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buy someone some groceries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to someone who needs an ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put your arm around someone in pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buy someone a tank of gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgive someone who has hurt you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be Christ this Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Ducks and Boycotts<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ever since Phil Robertson’s words whirled into a firestorm,
my family has been telling me to keep my mouth…and my keyboard…to myself and
stay out of the fray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, frankly, I
wasn’t sure what I wanted to say anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The whole spectacle has actually been painful…painful to watch…painful
to read…and painful to think about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, even though I’m tip-toeing into the subject, I’m
not going to discuss what Phil said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not going to talk about the reactions from GLAAD or A&E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want my thoughts on those things, we’ll
need to know one another, and then we can sit down and have a discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I’m going to share my view that as Christians,
I think we are reacting all wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Christians all across America are up in arms about the
attack on Phil’s 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> Amendment right of free speech, and angry about
the infringement on our rights to freely practice our religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hateful words are flying through cyberspace
faster than light travels from the Sun to the Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nasty letters…nasty posts…nasty tweets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>We Christians may deny being homophobic, but we sure can be
hateful when our rights are stepped on.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The problem is that Christ never guaranteed we’d enjoy those
rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, the way we are pursuing
them flies in the face of some of the things He did want us to do….<span style="color: blue;">see the
verses above.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are people saying things about Christians that aren’t
true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they misconstruing Bible verses to suit
their agendas?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are some even attacking our God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, shouldn’t we stand up and fight?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consider these words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say
all kinds of evil against you because of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:10-12<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn
to them the other also.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:39<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: #783f04;">“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,
because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="color: blue;">1 Peter 3:9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: red;">“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins.”</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 6:14-15<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rather, I think we should be about the business that He left
us here to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ate with sinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He drank with sinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He died for sinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And frankly, that is what we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us pass that example through and befriend
those around us that still remain outside the Grace we’ve found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We weren’t commissioned to defend God, or judge the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God can pretty well defend Himself, and the
judgment seat is where He sits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
told to love God, love our neighbor, and urge a lost world to reunite with the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The problem with judging is that when we do it, it gets in
the way of loving.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No more strife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
more anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more hateful words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, let us love with the love of
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Selflessly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>You don’t have to approve of what people do in order to love
them.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good grief, I don’t even approve
of my own actions a good deal of the time, but I don’t have any trouble
maintaining affection for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul
said in Romans that we “all have sinned.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God gave us Grace before we deserved it, so why shouldn’t we give it to
others before they do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We can make a difference in this world, but it won’t be our
angry words that does it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be
something truly remarkable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Love.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-79461442235784564562013-11-17T22:16:00.000-05:002013-12-07T23:43:49.280-05:00A Muncie Boyhood-Murphy's Law and a Stapler<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>“Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s known as Murphy’s Law, and it’s true of many
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You never have a flat tire in the garage…nope, it will
obviously happen on the interstate highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, then, it won’t happen when you’re dressed in jeans and a work
shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, it will only happen when you’re
dressed up in a nice suit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you drop a quarter on the kitchen floor, it will
automatically roll under the stove.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The guy in front of you will only hit the brakes when you
look down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>BOOM!<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If one tiny chicken bone is left in the pot of chicken &
noodles, It will end up with it on my plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><strong>FACT!<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, if the seam of your pants rips from front to back, it
will only do so in public, and in a crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><strong>EXPERIENCED!<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve officially ripped out my pants four times…every time in
front of a group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Event One<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometime late in my high school career, I attended a Fairlawn
Church of Christ youth group event at Prairie Creek Reservoir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often I would have driven myself, but thanks
to Murphy and his law, I had decided to ride with the group in the church vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I bent down to catch that softball
someone tossed my way and I heard (and felt) that seam tear in my jeans, I had
no choice but to retreat to the back of the Chevy 15-passenger van.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I resigned myself to social self-seclusion. I was sitting dejected on the rear seat when I
was rescued by one of the girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
handed me her hooded sweatshirt and I tied it around myself; then returned to
the festivities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Problem solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have looked like a giant teenage baby
with a cloth diaper, but I still managed to hit a homerun or two in the
softball game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Event Two<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d gone off to Williamstown Bible College in West Virginia,
and each spring and fall, the ministry students traveled to another city to
participate in a week-long “campaign.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the spring of my second year, we held a campaign at the Lindberg Road
Church of Christ in Anderson, Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the last night of the event, after all the official programs were
over, the whole crew gathered at a local family’s home for a party...a local family with three teenage daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, I’m twenty years old…and still
enough of a kid to enjoy hanging with all the teens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, there I was in my gray dress pants…my
fairly old gray dress pants…out in front playing basketball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ball went up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ball went down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bent over to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RIP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Front to back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There I was,
undies to the wind, in front of all the guys…and more importantly, in front of
all the girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, I had an extra
pair of pants in the car, so I jumped in and slipped the extra pair over the
ripped pair and returned to the party.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Event Three<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After college, I returned home to Muncie and involved myself
with the college-age group at my home church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Among the many various activities was an annual bus trip to Chicago for
a seminar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was snow on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a long bus ride, and we stopped at a
rest area along I-65.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, before I go
on, you need to know that all of the luggage was piled up in the back five rows
of the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just thrown in there
in no particular order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, the
whole group of passengers…goofy college boys and cute college girls…, well they
all piled out to go take a leak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boys
being boys, and snow being on the ground, a snowball fight naturally
ensued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bent over to get me a good
frozen missile when I heard (and felt) the opening of my rear window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RIP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Front to back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly
retreated to the men’s room and sent a friend to retrieve my suitcase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, people started to ask: <em>“Where’s
Mike.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend, being the honest guy
he was, replied: <em>“Oh, he ripped his pants out, so we’ve gotta get his bag for
him to change.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><em> </em> </span>Of course, my return to
the bus was met with more than one giggle and snicker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My face was as red as my frozen butt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Event Four<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple of years later and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m all grown up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a full-time job slingin’ bearings at
Bearings, Inc at the corner of Liberty & Willard streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent my days answering the phones and
helping customers at the counter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were eight or nine of us in the branch plus a constant flow of customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guy came in and asked for something we had in
the warehouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I headed back to get
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was on the bottom shelf, so I
bent over to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RIP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Front to back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fanny was in the breeze again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I called to the warehouse guy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“Hey Terry!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can you help me out?”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“What do you need?”</em> he replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“I’ve ripped my pants out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can you take this up to the guy at the counter for me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just tell him that I got tied up with
something back here, so I asked you to take care of him.”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“Sure,”</em> he says with a sneaky grin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I grabbed a stapler and headed to the bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grabbed the stuff and headed to the
counter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom with a pair
of pants that you couldn’t get through the security gate at the airport to find
an office full of sneaky smiles and a guy at the counter that was
belly-laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The information was too
good for my warehouse guy to keep to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I overcame the embarrassment within a few minutes, but
sitting at my desk was precarious the rest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a great reason that clothing
companies do not use staples to make trousers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, take it from me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Murphy’s Law will guarantee that if you wear your pants until they are
threadbare, the butt seam will split at the most inopportune time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, maybe it wasn’t Murphy’s Law…maybe
I was just a clothing dork.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920090886436364031.post-79468617651136692092013-11-11T22:17:00.003-05:002014-12-28T20:42:15.990-05:00Grace and the Soldering Iron<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many years ago, I did a message on how guilt is like the
sense of touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said it was kind of
like when as a kid, you put your hand on a hot stove…that burning pain warned
you that you were doing something that you shouldn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said that guilt was the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was something that God put on our
conscience that taught us that doing wrong was bad for us so that we would stop
doing those things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, I was off-base.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For example, once in high school I took a shop class on
Electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was working a little
soldering project, I inadvertently reached up and grabbed the wrong end of my
soldering iron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I stopped
screaming and got done rinsing my burning hand under the cold water spigot, I
had learned to never do that again….and I haven’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For another example, as a kid of about 18 years old, I had a
moped; one of those old Batavus mini motorbikes that had goofy pedals sticking
out of the sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took off on it one
day and rode over to a friend’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t go far…only a half mile or so…and I happened to wonder if the muffler
was hot after such a short ride. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I
know that right now you’re thinking:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He
couldn’t be that dumb!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I WAS that
dumb at eighteen years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reached down and touched
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That hot, searing pain taught me to
never do that again, and I never have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lesson learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not that dumb
any more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, guilt doesn’t seem to have that effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I seem to be quite capable of doing the same dumb, sinful
things over and over again…feeling guilty…then feeling guilty again…without
ever seeming to learn to avoid those things in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve finally figured out after all of these years that beating
myself up and feeling all guilty…while it does serve the purpose of driving me
toward repentance…does nothing with regards to preventing me from doing the
same stupid things over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Of
course, maybe it’s just me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’m
the only one who seems to fall into the same self-imposed temptation traps over
and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you tell me if I’m
not?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, guilt is simply not effective in teaching me anything
useful in breaking that cycle. Guilt is really kind of like burning your hand on the soldering iron, then forgetting how much that hurts a few days later and doing it again....and again...and again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, I think I’ve finally found something that is effective…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue;">For the <span style="color: red;">grace</span> of God has appeared that offers salvation to
all people.</span></em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(That’s you, me, and even
that goofy kid with his pants hanging around his rear and the nose ring poking
out of his nostrils.)</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <strong><em><span style="color: blue;"> </span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="color: blue;">It <span style="color: red;">teaches</span> us to
say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,</span></em></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(That’s all those stupid things
you, me, and that goofy kid seem to keep doing.)</span> <strong><em><span style="color: blue;">and to live self-controlled, upright,
and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing
of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us
to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his
very own, <span style="color: red;">eager to do what is good</span>.</span></em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><strong><u>Titus 2:11-14<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Did you catch it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The grace of God <strong>TEACHES</strong> us to say no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">It’s not the guilt…<u><strong>it’s the grace.<o:p></o:p></strong></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have decided that from now on, if I’m falling short<span style="font-size: x-small;">….no…wait…scratch
that…</span>WHEN I fall short, it’s not that I need to feel more guilty….I don’t need
to have a deeper understanding of how messed up I am.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I need when I fall short is a better understanding of
how deep, how wide, how incredibly amazing is the grace of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only through a deeper knowledge of grace can I hope to LEARN
to say no…and to live a godly life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe you knew that all along, but I’m just glad the light bulb
finally lit up for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mike DeCamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08130504795182814264noreply@blogger.com0