Wisdom for the New Year

I recently re-posted a picture on Facebook (from a year ago) of a motorcycle t-shirt. The re-post was affirmation to my daughter in-law that she made a great choice for my Christmas present.

She had taken the t-shirt and had the saying put on a coffee mug.

If you can't read it, it says:

GOD
Grant me the
SERENITY
to accept the things I cannot change
COURAGE
to change the things I can, and the
WISDOM
to know when to just go
RIDING

I suppose I could also use some wisdom as to when I shouldn't go riding.
It's currently 10 degrees (-12.2c).
I went out yesterday at 20 (-6.7c)

John

Looking ahead -- 2018

I know that 2018 is still a few days away, but I figured I get started with the look ahead.
I'm not real big into New year's resolutions, but I do think that reflection and planning are both activities that need to be done from time to time. Is there a better time than when we turn the calendar?

* I'm going to make a great effort in 2018 to be more civil. I don't think that I am generally uncivil, but I do realize that I often make broad sweeping general statements that often include people  that shouldn't be included in varying categories. Although that seems to be the way of things, it is not necessary that I (or we) conform to those behaviors.
I also want to be more positive and less critical (unless the criticism is constructive). It has been said that I am hateful, mean spirited, and have made inappropriate public criticisms. Even though I might dispute those things, the fact that they have been said should be reason enough for some reflection. Spending less time on Facebook and unlinking it from my Twitter account has helped.  However, there is still more that can be done in the life of a kinder and more gentle John.
Maybe I'll end up just saying less.

When I started this blog more than 11 years ago, it was just a place to write, vent, organize thoughts, etc. I never imagined that people from around the world would read it, much less come back for more. This is my 1,567th post. Although I don't have many local readers that I am aware of, I have had readers from across the US and from more than a dozen different countries in the past week alone. Several of you have expressed that you have found encouragement, comfort, or even wisdom in some of my posts.

I write that to say this -- This is my place.
Sure, I share it and that does create some responsibility on my part, but I am still entitled to my thoughts and opinions. I may no longer share my posts via Facebook (where every follower has a license to be hateful). It's not that important to me that others actually read what I write. If you are a FB follower and want to continue reading my posts, I'd say you probably need to subscribe or follow me on Twitter. I suppose I could continue FB links if that's what's wanted. Let me know what you think.

Back to looking ahead.
* I've ended 2017 by getting back on a more healthy lifestyle and want to continue that through 2018. I'll post more of my health goals in a separate post -- maybe on my other (forgotten) blog.

* We will be looking for a new church in 2018 (we've already started). I don't know what that will mean for other aspects of ministry, but I suppose I will find out soon enough. I have a multitude of thoughts on this that will have to wait for another post -- or not.
That responsibility thing, you know. Apparently some people are more sensitive about my thoughts than they have a right to be.

I also plan to write more often about my beliefs and how they affect my thoughts, attitude and life.

* I plan on riding.
Since I bought my motorcycle on Feb 28th, 2016, I've kept track of annual mileage from that date. Last year (2016) I rode 15,700 miles. This year I'll end up with about the same, around 16,000 miles by the time March 1 rolls around. I may make a couple of simple modifications to the bike this year-- we'll see.
I plan on riding to a few baseball games and maybe a few long distance lunch runs. I don't know if 2018 will include another long ride, but I'm certainly open to it.

Hmmm...
* being more civil
* finding a new church
* being more healthy
* riding my motorcycle
That's three things that will be a lot of work and one that will be a lot of fun.

I'll add one more that will be a little of both. I'd like to find a place to volunteer or maybe even work that will have some positive impact. I really don't know what that will look like but I have a couple of ideas.

But there are still a couple of days in 2017 to take care of.
Aaron and Jenny arrive from Chicago tonight. Everyone will be here tomorrow night for visiting and to watch the UFC fights and then again on Sunday for our Christmas exchange and for New Year's Eve.

I look forward to seeing you (virtually, that is) in 2018!

John <><

Looking back -- 2017

I guess it's a normal thing to look back at the past and see what we've endured or accomplished in the preceding year. 2017 certainly had its share of challenges. I thought about waiting until Dec 31st to post this, but figured that I'm thankful that the year is nearly over and a Thursdays are for thanksgiving post would be appropriate.

The year began only ten days after Chris' surgery for breast cancer. After surgery was chemotherapy and all of its joys. Reconstruction completion was put off until late this fall, so we end the year with her recovering from that surgery and she'll be back to work again on Jan 2. Life is at its new normal and we are adapting.

In other health related stuff -- after nearly 3 years of not having a primary physician (mine retired at the same time I did), I (and by I, I mean Chris) finally got around to getting a new one. Of course she immediately ordered all of the tests that I had been putting off for no good reason. The good news is that every thing came back with favorable results.
I'm back to needing to lose some weight and getting into better health. It is an ongoing struggle. For whatever reason, my life habits tend toward less healthful choices and I really need to change my way of thinking about about food and physical activity.

In between Chris' surgery and chemo, we managed a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic. It was a good time to relax. We didn't really do anything away from the resort except for one day of shopping for cigars.

I spent another year putting miles on the motorcycle and am looking forward to more of that in 2018. The long trip was a highlight of my year. I may have to plan another one for next year.
I rode my bike to a few camps and usually rode when preaching. I'm guessing that there may be less of that in the coming year. I'll just have to see where life takes me.

All-in-all, 2017 wasn't a bad year.
Yeah, I've made some mistakes along the way, but they seem to be fewer than in the past. Maybe I'm finally starting to grow up.
As I look back, the one thing that is missing from 2017 is I don't think that I really did anything that matters. I didn't really help or encourage anyone. I didn't accomplish any personal goals in health or education. I didn't write a book or anything really meaningful on my blog. I can't even say that I've improved any old relationships or made many news ones. If anything, my world of people seems to have become smaller. I don't know if that's a bad thing, but it is something to consider as I look forward to 2018.

I do have some friends -- not many, but they are good ones. There are a few that I only know through social media and I hope to get to meet at some point. I managed to meet a few of you on my late summer ride. Maybe I'll meet a few more next year.

I hope you had a good 2017.
But whether you did or did not, we can put it behind us. It would be a shame if we wasted it to the point of not learning anything, so I hope you at least managed that.
In just a few days, we will throw out the old calendar and begin with a new one!
The adventure continues...

John <><

Keeping it simple...

Last year we decided not to go crazy with the Christmas spending. We set a relatively low limit on spending and many of us made gifts for one another rather than buying something inexpensive. People were very creative and we managed a great holiday without the financial stress that often seems to accompany the holiday.

This year, we raised the limit a little bit but still wanted to keep things simple.
At this point in our lives, Chris and I generally buy what we want and can afford so our gifts are usually small and something that we'd like but may not have gotten around to buying yet. Chris got me a new face shield for my motorcycle helmet and a couple of other small items. I got her a couple of CDs and some socks.

Hannah and Daniel made me a really cool gift -- a notebook with coffee drink recipes and a gift bag full of spices and ingredients for some of those drinks. The notebook also has several quotations on coffee which I am sure to share with you on occasion.

I also got this appropriate coffee mug from Aaron's inlaws. Aaron and Jenny will be here next weekend for our gift exchange with them.

I also scored some coffee beans so I am set for a few mornings and some midday coffee drinks, as well!
Here are the drinks included in my gift book:

Banana Mocha Shake
Chocolate Tangerine Coffee Cooler
Chocolate Peanut Butter Iced Smoothie
Cold Brew
Eggnog Latte
Hot Coffee Masala
Iced Cappuccino
Iced Mocha Cola
Maple Coconut Coffee
Mexican Coffee
Orange Mocha
Tembleque Latte
Thai Coffee

I'll keep you posted.

John <><

A Christmas Story

Did you know...

The year was 1818.
The place was the small village of Oberndorf near Salzburg in the Austrian Alps.
A priest named Father Joseph Mohr was preparing for the midnight worship service on Christmas Eve. When the plans were nearly completed, someone found out that the organ was broken. Father Joseph's plans for a wonderful evening of worship were ruined.

The priest was inspired to write a song that proved to be a fitting song for this solemn service.
The words began, "Silent night, holy night..."
He quickly penned the words and gave them to the organist, asking him to come up with a melody. That night, the song was sung as a duet and accompanied by a single guitar.

It was published in Germany in 1838 and wasn't published in English until 1863.

Imagine...
if it weren't for a broken organ and an inspired priest in a small Austrian village on Christmas Eve nearly two hundred years ago...

Here is an acapella version of the Christmas classic.

Merry Christmas,

John <><

Note: If you click on the title in the pic, it will open fully in You Tube.

Christmas re-run

Here is a Christmas post from eight years ago. 

Hmmm...
Again, this year my Christian testimony has been called into question. I have to admit -- each time, it does cause me to reflect on my beliefs about the Jesus that I strive to follow. I know that I can do better, but I sincerely feel I am stumbling and struggling along the narrow and difficult path that Jesus talks about.

In the past few weeks I have given much more thought to my Un-organized Religion posts and will have more to say about that in the coming year.

Once again, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas from a heathen and a pagan on the side of the rebel Jesus.

http://outofmyhat.blogspot.com/2009/12/from-heathen-and-pagan.html

John <><

Going for a ride...

Well, probably not today...
But I did go out for a nice ride earlier in the week.

I still haven't got into the habit of stopping along the way. The part that I enjoy about riding is the road and the solitude. When traveling, I generally stop every 150 miles or so and take 20-30 minutes to gas up, drink something and use the restroom. I rarely interact with others as I stop, unless to have a brief conversation with another biker that also happens to be stopped. I only rode around 120 miles earlier in the week, but need to stop for gas in the little town of Greenfield, MO.

The little gas station/convenience store had a hot food counter with fried foods like corn dogs, potato wedges, chicken tenders, etc., -- food counter but no place to sit and eat. I grabbed a couple of the chicken tenders and washed them down with a Coke Zero while standing next to the ATM and using it for a table top.
Hanging around the front of the convenience store was a cat. He obviously wasn't a stray because he was wearing a collar. Listening to conversations between the cashiers and customers, I found out that he lived somewhere across the highway but spent most days hanging around the store. The cat seemed pretty savvy around the cars and parking lot and was more than willing to let anyone pet him if they were so inclined.

As I was finishing my snack, I heard a lady ask if it was okay to feed the cat. The cashier responded by saying that people feed the cat all day! That was sufficient permission (not a deterrent) for the lady to add an additional chicken tender to her order so that she could have the pleasure of sitting and sharing with a furry friend.

I managed to sneak a picture as I was leaving.

John <><

Everything is in Order

It's 3 AM and I've just come in from spending a few minutes looking at the sky. Tonight's meteor shower is a pretty good one. For the short time I was outside, I saw them "falling" at the rate of about 1 per minute. With the temperature just below freezing and meteor watching not being a very active kind of thing to do, I'm content to say I came, I saw, and I went back inside to enjoy my coffee and blog a bit!

The sky is clear and beautiful tonight. I had forgotten how magnificent the winter sky is!
Looking at the night sky and observing the movement of the stars and planets as the seasons change always reminds me of just how great Our Creator is. The regular annual events like meteor showers and the irregular (but predictable) events such as eclipses, demonstrate the order and design of the our solar system and the universe beyond our simple little sun.

I've always said that if you want to feel small, just look to the heavens and consider the vastness of God's creation.
If you want to feel valued, look to the heavens, consider the vastness of God's creation, and know that God knows you and loves you!

Comedian Mark Lowry used to say that people were silly for getting up early in the morning to pray because this is China's time with God. I hope that God was able to hear the prayers of this humble citizen of the USA while listening to the other side of globe so that He knows how much I enjoy the beauty and magnificence of the universe around me.

Everything is in order.

John <><

Time for a shower -- A Meteor Shower!

Tonight is the night of the Geminid meteor shower.
More correctly, early tomorrow morning (between 2 and 4 AM) will be the best time for viewing.
The temperature in the Ozarks will be right around the freezing point, so it won't be terribly cold to be out scanning the skies for the shooting stars.

Typically, the Geminids are one of the better showers of the year. We're forecast to have a few clouds in the sky tonight but it is supposed to be mostly clear. Hopefully, any clouds will be away from the meteor field. By the way, look towards the constellation Gemini (hence the name) to see the show. If you have a little night sky knowledge but don't know where to find Gemini, face south and find Orion (it should be pretty much directly overhead around 1 AM). Gemini will be to the upper left of Orion.
If that doesn't help and you don't have an app with a star map, face north and look up.

I'll be out there for a little while. (And yes, I'd be out there even if I did have to go to work in the morning!) If you're up and watching, hit me up on Twitter. I'm @magicianary.
Whether you're into astronomy or just making your way through life -- Keep looking up!
Either way, it's good advice.

John <><

A New Hope

If you are a Star Wars fan, you recognize A New Hope as the title to the first of the many Star Wars films to be released (It was episode IV). But this isn't a post about Star Wars. It is a post about hope. In a day that finds so much bad press and bad behavior about and from evangelical Christians in the US, I have been blessed to be exposed to some real, honest to goodness, followers of Jesus that want people to know that God loves them and Jesus died for them.

Most of Missouri is dotted with small rural churches that have fewer than 50 or so regular attendees. These churches have no big church pride. They have no big budget programs. They have simple means of worship, simple facilities, and simple rural lifestyles. There is a humility about them that is missing from larger churches (even moderately larger) that have started to look on their accomplishments as something to be proud of and held up as an achievement worthy of honor. The simple people of these small churches are incredibly generous. In fact, the biggest thing about these small churches is the size of their (collective) heart.

I have recently been to a couple of these churches. They have a real desire to share the hope we have in Jesus. They live out their faith and share Jesus with people they encounter. They give to meet the physical needs of others (like food and clothing) as well as tending to the spiritual needs.
This is the Jesus I know!

It has been more than a month since I posted my Weekend Rant that got me into trouble. I have gone back to re-read it several times and can't find anything in it that I would change. It generally just reinforces the idea that maybe it's time for me to step away from organized religion and simply follow Jesus and help others to do the same.

I know! I know!
That's what organized religion is supposed to be doing.
But it's not.

With many churches in decline, it seems that the evangelical answer isn't to be better at evangelizing, but to improve at politics and social warfare. I'm not sure if religion has hijacked a political party or if a political party has taken over a religion. Either way, the morphed creature is an ugly beast. It is a beast that is quick to devour its own or any that stand up to question its motives. It has become a beast that is motivated by followers of the organization or party rather than by teaching others to follow Jesus.
The beast divides us into two groups -- those that are with the beast and those that are not. We can join the club and be a winner that hates the losers, or we can be a loser and be subjected to abuse at the hands of the winners. The beast further divides us by crying abuse and persecution where there is none; creating enemies of people that are not its enemies.

I am here to tell you -- this creature does not represent Jesus.
Fortunately, there are good people that do represent Jesus.
They are more than generous with their money, they are generous with their time and with their lives. They make personal investments into the lives of people in need.
They are simple people that live by two simple rules -- Love God, love others.
They ignore the politics of religion and the organization of religion.
They don't care about your social status.
They care about your needs.
They love God.
They love others.
They give hope.

Now that's a religion I can get behind!

John <><