Facebook Memories & Monday Motivation

We've finally made it to the end of November's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo).
As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I'm not even sure if this is a thing anymore as more people move to podcasts or some other medium for sharing information. Nonetheless, this post successfully completes the month and removes the self-imposed pressure of coming up with a daily post.

Although I have managed to greatly reduce the time I spend scrolling through my Facebook feed, I do enjoy looking back at what shows up in my Facebook memories. Somethings are worth sharing again; others--not so much. And occasionally there are posts that you remember as encouraging and are still uplifting reminders of days past.

Today I saw this post from 10 years ago.

I have no idea what my message was, but I'm sure this was an encouraging post to receive. In fact, it is still encouraging today.
And it serves as a gentle reminder to be an encouragement to others. Here is a simple message that managed to reappear and offer encouragement ten years later!

Take a moment.
Think of somebody that you can encourage with a simple "thinking about you" kind of message.
Then send a text, post a message, mail a card, or make a call.
You'll both feel better for it!

John

A Better World

This is the post I wrote for this week's Student Venues. I thought I'd share it here for my Sunday morning post. The records of the kings of Israel (Kings and Chronicles) show that when the king of Israel followed the commandments of God and cared for the people of God they were blessed by God and prospered. When the kings were evil and sought power, wealth, and personal gain things didn’t go so well.

The prophet Jeremiah laments the change after King Josiah dies and his evil sons take over. Through Jeremiah God says that we know him when we take care of the poor and those in need. “He judged the cause of the poor and the needy; then it was well. ‘Is this not to know me?’ declares the Lord” Jer 22:16

Although I will never be a king or rule over a great number of people, I think that we can still learn from the experiences of these ancient rulers. God’s message of taking care of the oppressed is timeless and it is for us as individuals as well as for us as a church community, a city, or a nation (or even a school or a family). When we lift up those around us, we all benefit. Taking care of others not only benefits our world now, but Jesus says that it benefits us eternally, as well.

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Matt 25:34-36

In this crazy world of 2020, how do we deal with the challenges that face us? Do I take care of my needs, get what I want, go where I want to go, do what I want to do, and not worry about others or the consequences of my action? Why should I--a mostly white, 60 year old retired guy--concern myself with the injustices faced by people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, the unsheltered or anyone else that is oppressed or lives with injustice?

Could the answer be as simple as -- Because it’s the right thing to do? Would the world be a better place with less injustice and more equality? Over and over, Jesus teaches that we should love our neighbor, love each other, care for those less fortunate. Perhaps a good beginning would be for us to simply acknowledge the injustice around us.

The bible says that Jesus looked on the people that followed him with compassion (Matt 9:36) Compassion literally means with (com) suffering (passion). When we see others, do we see their suffering? Can we feel their pain? Can we do anything to relieve them of their burden?

It’s been about three years since my wife and I have been coming to The Venues. The biggest factor in our choice to continue to come here was (and still is) the way The Venues actively pursues serving and helping those in need. It seems that there are always places that we can join our church community in service.

But I also know that sometimes life can overwhelm us and it feels as if there is nothing that we, as individuals can do to help someone. Sometimes just acknowledging their needs, letting them know that they are not alone, letting them know they are loved is enough. And that’s something we can all do -- make the world feel a little more loved, one person at a time. A little more love seems like a good place to start in making a better world.

2020 and Changing Perspective

If you were to think back to December 2019, how many of us would have imagined a toilet paper shortage in just a couple of months? 2020 has managed to change how we think about everything from toilet paper to essential workers. We've realized that more jobs can be done remotely and that everything from tonight's dinner to the dining room table can be bought online.
We can buy groceries online and have them delivered or just pull up to the store and have them loaded into our vehicle.

We have had fewer personal interactions because of church on Facebook Live or other streaming services and even us retired folks have used Zoom or Webex Meet for online meetings or small group chats. Virtual family holiday gatherings is a reality this year as fewer people are traveling or willing to expose vulnerable family members to the coronavirus. 

While many people still enjoy their favorite sports teams, professional sports have certainly had to make some changes to continue to make money. I think that professional athletes have lost some of their celebrity shine as we realize they are not nearly as necessary to life as the healthcare worker or grocery store worker. 

How has 2020 reshaped your opinions of others or changed your shopping habits and activities?
I only watched a couple of baseball games in 2020. I do watch MMA events on a pretty regular basis, but sometimes wonder why.
How have your 2020 holiday plans changed? 
Are there 2020 practices that you will carry forward in a post pandemic world?
Where will you go when traveling becomes safe from coronavirus spread and other countries are more open to tourism again?
Who are you waiting to visit? Waiting to hug?
Has 2020 changed who you are? How?

Just wondering...

John

Discombobulated

Discombobulated is a weird word. It's also a weird feeling. Retired life often finds me unsure of what day it is, and that's become a pretty normal feeling. But it is weird when it feels like it should be a certain day and it isn't. 
Like today.

Today feels like Monday. I guess it's because of the midweek holiday. Mondays aren't really any different than any other day so I guess it doesn't really matter.
It's just weird.

John

A Different Thanksgiving Day

I kind of like it -- the smaller holiday version.
Our day isn't going to be that much different than normal. We'll have a Thanksgiving Day meal at our daughter's and son in law's house. No travel for us, just a drive into Springfield. I am a little surprised at the number of people that are traveling and still planning larger gatherings, but pleased that many others are restricting their contacts with family.

I think Thanksgiving is a weird holiday. It's weird that we have a day set aside to be thankful. It's weird that we need to be reminded to be thankful. It's weird that we can be thankful for so much and yet still covet so much more and go right back to being the greedy, competitive society that we normally are on Friday.
Even the holiday origins in the US are pretty weird. Celebrating a re-creation of an initial Thanksgiving feast with natives of the land would be way cooler if the early settlers hadn't gone on to massacre the same natives just a couple of years later.

sigh

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't be thankful. I just think we should be thankful as a part of everyday life. And I know that many of you are and so the day is typically an opportunity to gather together as family and friends to feast and overindulge.

I hope that Thanksgiving 2020 is not too depressing for you. I hope that you will find that gratitude can be found even in these difficult times. Be safe. Be responsible. Be thankful.

John

Thankful

Four years ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, we got the test results -- Chris had breast cancer.
The days, the weeks, the months that followed were hard. The lasting effects, the scars of treatment (both surgery and chemo) are still with us today. So is Chris.

We are thankful.

That was our world as we headed into the holiday season four years ago.
This year--2020--has been another trying year and we head into the holiday season knowing that the family gatherings and holiday Christmas parties aren't going to happen for many of us.

Still, we are thankful.

It's still dark out. The eastern sky is showing that the sun is about to rise. The fireplace is warming the house and I am enjoying my morning coffee in comfort while Chris sleeps peacefully in the bedroom. Today we will make some preparations for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner at our daughter's house. I'm looking forward to the smoked turkey our son-in-law will be preparing. 

We have so many reasons to be thankful.

Contemplate. Consider where you are. Think about how far you've come. Imagine the future, but still remain rooted in the present. 

And be thankful.

John

Bah! Humbug!

I'm not sure when I became such a Scrooge about Christmas time, but it has been some time since I've really felt like celebrating the season of Christmas. Due to financial losses from a pandemic year, retailers have been having "Black Friday" sales for several weeks already. Although I'm not a big fan of Christmas shopping I do enjoy giving gifts. 
As far as receiving gifts goes, I'm the easy guy. A bag of good coffee beans, a decent cigar, a few minutes spent over a beer or cup of coffee--these are the things that make me happy. 

I guess I'm just not a fan of a Christmas that hasn't really been about Christ for a long time. I know that we say it is and we make our efforts at remembering the birth of Jesus, but face it -- Christmas without all of the pageantry and parties would be a far greater travesty than a Christmas without the religious part. And I think that's true for most hard core Christians, too. 
Even for the people that say it's about family and getting together with loved ones -- well, that's kind of in the crapper this year, right?

I'm also curious how we're going to handle this year's War on Christmas. With Donnie's defeat in the election, do liberals have to wait until next year or can they start now? Or does Melania's "fuck Christmas" quote put an end to it and we can all agree that too much forced decoration and celebration is deserving of such a sentiment. 

If you are surprised at my ambivalence towards the coming season, you don't know me well. 
If this facet of the curmudgeonly old man disturbs you, then send some Christmas cheer my way (bourbon would be nice, cookies are acceptable).
I hope your holiday season is one of celebration, reflection, or misery -- whatever you want it to be.
As for me, I hope to spend some quiet afternoons on the deck with a cigar, a drink, a book, and some peaceful contemplation about where I fit into the Universe.

John

Monday Meditation

 

Church in the COVID Era

In a few minutes I'll be watching The Venues' Sunday service online. They have pretty strict protocols in place for live, in person church and we've been there a few times, but I mostly just watch it online these days. I have been going to our Thursday night barchurch at 425 (also has COVID protocols in place), but am thinking I may need to reconsider as our local numbers are on the rise.

I would say that (pre-COVID) we were more than casual church goers. And although I generally watch online, there isn't the same attachment to the service or connection with the people. I know there are many churches that meet with fewer restrictions than The Venues and some that have struggled to adapt to a technical alternative to meeting in large groups. I'm wondering if overall church attendance is getting back to more normal numbers or if has leveled off at a much lower number. I doubt that many churches are growing at this time, even though it seems like it would be a time when many people might be looking for the comfort that can often be found in God. 

I do miss the the personal connections from a weekly gathering of friends. I miss the handshakes, hugs, and happy greetings. There is a good energy in gathering with friends that are good at loving people. But I've also grown dangerously comfortable in my isolation. While many people are desperate to resume life as usual, I am happy to now have an acceptable excuse to continue in a contemplative life apart from people. 
The online version of church works well for me. I'm going to have to be careful that it doesn't keep me isolated as life moves forward and we soon move into a post-COVID era.

John

Riding Season

Typically I haven't been one to store my motorcycle for the winter. Dress for the cold and ride anyway has been how I've dealt with winter. I'll have to see how it goes this year.
 
Getting suited up for a long cold ride isn't too bad. I've ridden for several hours in near freezing temps. Dressing that warmly for a short ride is a bit of a pain since you find yourself having to peel off layers in a pretty short time only to have to repeat the process for the short return trip. Last winter I rode in Springfield many times at or around freezing. Long johns, heavy jeans, double gloves, and a good coat were enough for city streets and a short ride.

There are no city streets or town roads around here. Even a short trip requires getting on a rural two lane highway and that means riding at speeds where more cold weather gear is necessary. I have a feeling the bike will be parked more this winter than it has been in the past.

As it is,  haven't been riding as much as I used to. I've become more aware of how I consume the earth's resources and have been more reluctant to just hop on the bike for a long pleasure ride. I enjoy riding it for small errands when I can, but it doesn't work well to pick up groceries or anything that needs more room than the saddlebags can handle. And I haven't done much meeting friends for breakfast or lunch this year. 

The bike's in the shop for some regular maintenance and tire repair right now. I'm still hoping for the occasional winter ride, but I think I'll have to rearrange the garage to make my car the easy access instead of the bike -- at least for a few months.

John