MORE CHRISTMAS HUMOR AND COMMENTARY

Good response to the first post, so here's some more - STEVE

 

OFF THE RADAR - RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

BY STEVE DUNN

Someone sent me a message about an old post of this blog and I found myself back Blogger Dashboard.  I was surprised.  My last post on Life Matters had been August 24th--nearly seven weeks ago.  For a lot of reasons I had been doing most of my writing on Facebook--offering my thoughts and sharing the posts of others in this frenetic and frustrating political season; but I had gotten out of my intentional rhythm with me key blogs: Life Matters, Dr. Steve Dunn.Com, Being the Best Church for the Community, and Dr. Steve's Digital Desk.

 Look for them to start ramping up again next week.  That blogging hiatus did coincide with three significant events in my professional arena.  The fall trimester was about to begin at Winebrenner Theological Seminary's Scotland PA location where I serve as an administrator and an adjunct faculty member (New Testament Foundations this time).  Also my role for a Korean Christian School here in Chambersburg--Global Vision Christian School (where I teach three bloc classes in history). And a new assignment as the Intentional Interim Pastor at the Penbrook Church of God in Harrisburg. A lot of travel time for reflection but little leftover energy to write.

When your plate is full life can, in the words of Tim Hansel, get "so daily."

The danger of daily is that it can squelch creativity.  In my world, an unacceptable reality.

EMERGING GENERATIONS

BY STEVE DUNN

This is my youngest grandson, Caleb Jay Huther.  His mother is my youngest daughter, Katie; and her husband, Jason--a high school principal.  Today Katie recorded this conversation on her Facebook Page.

Caleb: Daddy, can I type letters on your computer?
Jason: Sorry buddy it's charging
Caleb: It's charging?
Jason: Yep and we can't touch it while it's charging
Caleb: but Daddy ... How can it be charging if there is no cord plugged in?
Jason: (moment of silence) ... Well buddy ... I didn't realize you were smart enough to figure that out

Katie added:  ... Hah! My educator husband with a million degrees was just outsmarted by our three year old!

I wonder how often I approached my children with the same attitude.

In the Bible, we read of a young pastor, Timothy.  A young pastor/apostle who was given authority far beyond his years.  Yet he had wisdom, passion, and a mature faith.  He received this counsel from an older Christian leader, Paul.  And this was Paul's guidance:

 "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:2 NLT

The church is often guilty of discounting its young.  Oh yes, they want their church to attract youth because "they are the church of the future.  But how much time and energy is spent on actually discipling them? Or bridging the gap between worship that is often very adult-focused and worship that draws children and youth into the presence of God?

And although they lack experience, God often gives children and youth discernment and wisdom beyond their years.  In what way do we try to answer their questions honestly?  In what way do we give them leadership opportunities that allow them to learn how to be leaders?

Just thinking today .....

© 2015 by Stephen L Dunn

Permission is given to reprint this post as long as it is not included in material that is for sale, that it is reproduced in its entirety including the copyright notice, and that a link is provided to this blog.

 


 

OPPORTUNITIES

Bloggers read other bloggers.  One that I enjoy is called MORNING STORY AND DILBERT.  This recent post I felt to be very much in the spirit in which we write LIFE MATTERS and quite appropriate for the new year. - Steve

Vintage Dilbert
January 1, 2014

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.  The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”!

The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.   So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.

He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold – throw it into the sea.

Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand, and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

A COOL RAIN ON THE SABBATH

BY STEVE DUNN

It's Friday, about six o'clock.  It's raining.  The sun is still shining. about two hours ago darker clouds rolled across the mountains into our part of the Cumberland Valley.  First sun showers, but now a steady, cool rain.  My land lady and her father mowed earlier in the afternoon so already God is setting us up for next week's mowing, which I will be doing. 

Enjoyed a late lunch this afternoon at my house with my father and sister.  My Dad has been rehabbing in a nursing home for more than five weeks, getting stir crazy and a little ouchy.  My sister busted him out and Di and I threw together a celebratory lunch.

Except for a couple of errands and some picking up around the house, I didn't do much at all today.  Oh yes, swept the leaves and tree buds out of our carport.  That carport seems to be at the end of a wind tunnel that starts across the street in the neighborhood common area and ends directly against the back wall.

Sound boring.  Since my land lady mowed the lawn, I did nothing that was necessary.

That's really what makes it a Sabbath.  "And on the seventh day He rested from all His labors."

You know who I am talking about - the I AM, the Lord of all the Universe, it's Creator.  My Father God.

If anyone's work was necessary, it was His.  Yet He set aside a day to rest.  He did all that was necessary on the first six.  The only necessity on the seventh was to rest and enjoy the fruit of His labors.

 Really enjoying the rain.  Just listening to it fall.  Feeling its cold splashes carried by the breeze onto my face.  Not in a hurry for it to end.


Sometimes I get busier than any human being was ever intended to be.  I get on that tread mill and run, Steve, run.  When I am so engaged I sometimes miss the cool rain that blesses an afternoon--or at best, I see it as a nuisance.

Not so today.  It's Sabbath.  Thank You, Lord.

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS--BRACKETOLOGY AND OTHER MEANDERINGS

BY STEVE DUNN

This blog is a bit of a potpourri of reflections rather than a single theme.  Nothing earth-shattering but hopefully some fun.

First, bracketology. That word earns a red underline in my spell-checker but it is clearly part of the language of our culture.  Tuesday the Final 68 begin their mad march in March to the NCAA Basketball title. From office pools to Sunday School classes to web sites to secret notebooks, predictions are being registered for the Final Four and the Ultimate Champ.  So here goes mine.  MIDWEST REGION- The Louisville Cardinals who have been clearly the No. 1 seed as the season ended and the champs of the Big East who put the most teams in the tournament, should prevail in the East.Sentimental choice, St. Louis.  SOUTH REGION:  I see No. 2 seed the Georgetown Hoyas triumphing even though they must knock off many prognisticators favorites, the Kansas Jayhawks.  Call it a gut feeling.  My sentimental choice would have been Butler.  EAST REGION: The Indiana Hoosiers. 'Nuff said except that they are my sentimental choice, as well.  WEST REGION: Ohio State Despite losing their focus at point in January, Fort Wayne IN's Deshaun Thomas is a scoring machine, and Aaron Craft could pick the pocket of the Pope.  AND they came within a breadth of winning the Big Ten regular season after beating the Hoosiers in the toughest league in basketball. AND they were clearly the class of the Big 10 Tournament.  My sentimental choice, too.

FINAL FOUR? Ohio State over Louisville.  It's Thad's time.  Indiana over Georgetown. If Tom Crean can control himself and Oladipo stays out of foul trouble.  Ultimately, THE BUCKEYES.

Things you may relate on a Monday.  For some people Monday is a return to the Madness--and not just in March.  Do you relate to any of these?

JEDI MIND MELD

BY STEVE DUNN

Poor President Obama.  As a friend of mine, Harvey Freedenberg, says, "After the 'Jedi Mind-Meld' gaffe, I hear President Obama is looking for a new Pop Culture Advisor."  (Actually, in this day and age of orchestrated political packaging, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Pop Culture Advisor on the White House payroll.") A little bit of cultural awareness is a dangerous thing, especially when people are so quick to criticize our gaffes.

Once in a sermon I was quickly referring to rock groups and named one, "Stone Dead Temple Pilots." My children were amused and quick to comment to their "perfect" Dad, "It is Stone Temple Pilots. They are not dead, Dad."  Also, the 35 year-old drummer in my church choir also had a good laugh and smirked all the way through my exposition on Nehemiah (at least I think I was preaching on Nehemiah).  It didn't help that I ad-libbed the same gaffe at least twice again--once more than a year later.  Of course, the first gaffe was still etched in the public memory.  I don't think I intended laughter to be the response to my message that morning.

There are times it helps to not take oneself too seriously.

I really doubt that Mr. Obama needs to have his Press Secretary do damage control on this one.  He's got bigger problems and so does our country.  If he can laugh at himself on this one, I guarantee you I will be laughing with him.

SATURDAY MAIL IS GOING BYE BYE

BY STEVE DUNN

In age of text messaging, email, and internet web sites; it has been derided as "snail mail."  Mail delivered by vehicles and human carriers in the slowest of manners, often misdirected by a single mistake in an address code or by the ignorance of substitute carrier.  Mail increasingly defined as "junk" because so much came unbidden and unwanted.  Mail that filled landfills. Mail that to be received in a more timely manner required more postage.

Sharing a little historical perspective, CNN columnist Bob Greene writes:
If and when it happens -- and it's beginning to seem inevitable -- the texture of the nation's life will be altered, probably forever. Saturdays without mail will feel like ... well, who knows? Maybe they'll feel like Sundays.

We may fool ourselves into thinking that it's e-mail alone that has addicted us to the expectation of hearing from each other all the time. But it's not the obsession that's new; it's just the means of delivery. When the post office was the quickest way to get the latest word from friends and from businesses, Americans seemed just as eager and impatient about it as they are now. According to the Postal Service, at the beginning of the 20th century, letter carriers in U.S. cities made multiple delivery runs each day. In New York, there were nine deliveries a day; in Baltimore, Maryland, there were seven; in Kansas City, Missouri, there were six. People weren't checking their computer screens compulsively, but they were checking their mailboxes.

From the very beginning, the government's mandate to the post office was to deliver the mail "as frequently as the public convenience ... shall require." The key word was "convenience," and the public found it convenient to have letters delivered all the time. It wasn't until 1950 that, "in the interest of economy," residential delivery around the country was permanently reduced to once daily.
But Saturday delivery has remained sacrosanct. Once -- in 1957 -- there was an attempt to do away with it. The postmaster general at the time, a fellow by the name of Arthur E. Summerfield, decided, in the name of budgetary prudence, to end Saturday mail deliveries nationwide.

It lasted for exactly one Saturday. On April 13, 1957, the mail did not come to America's homes. There was such public anger and outrage over this that President Dwight D. Eisenhower promptly signed a bill to provide more funding to the post office, and by the next Saturday, the country's mailboxes were being filled again."

The current Postmaster General, Bob Potter, is officially asking Congress to let Saturday mail go away.  The USPS will lose $7 billion this year and the elimination of Saturday mail will save $3 billion of that.   Budgetary prudence once again raises its ugly head.

Will you miss Saturday mail delivery?  Unless your my age or older, probably not.  Many of our citizens south of age 50 have never received a piece of personal snail mail unless it came from the US Government.  Our credit card statements now even arrive on line.  Christmas cards are posted on the web.  If you want a form from the government, it is lot faster to go to a .gov address.  Even post offices have few of those forms.

Romanticists lament the loss of lingering over a catalogue or Sports Illustrated on a Saturday afternoon; the taking of pen to paper following the unexpected arrival of a wedding invitation or a birthday card.  Or the timely arrival of the proverbial check that has been in the mail.

Well, SI i on-line, wedding invitations are done via websites, and even seven day a week banks will not credit that check until Monday.

I guess we really won't miss Saturday mail delivery.

(C) 2013 by Stephen L Dunn