In Everything Give Thanks

A few weeks ago my wife received a card from somebody we don't even know.  The person thanked her for an offertory that she had played, "In The Presence of Jehovah".  He said how much it had ministered to a need that he had.  She also received a note from a church member thanking her for playing hymns.  Wow, a thank you for having done something in church!  Very unusual!  She has played in church for over 50 years and seldom has anyone ever said "thank you".  Saying thanks to anyone seems to be a rare occurrence.  How many times do you let another car go in front of you and the driver doesn't even wave to acknowledge his appreciation?  How many times do you do a favor for somebody and they just act like that is expected of you?  Fortunately, some parents make it their job to try to train their kids to say thanks or write thank you notes for gifts. For years as a teacher I would spend hours of my time writing college references for students who asked me to do so, but over the years probably only a half dozen or so ever thanked me.  I guess it just isn't natural for humans to say thank you and apparently people need to be trained to do this.  But this problem isn't new to today's generation.  I have always been fascinated by the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers and only one returned to thank Him.  That has always been hard for me to believe - only one thanked Jesus the healer.  Maybe that is why the scripture so often reminds us and tells us to be thankful.  My wife and I have often given gifts to folks who have quietly served in our church.  This past Christmas we gave out ten small gifts with a note of appreciation to people who have worked behind the scenes.  Two wrote notes to thank us.  A few others sort of mumbled a thanks because they were in a situation where another thanked us and they were sort of forced to respond as well.  And a few others never acknowledged even receiving our gift. It is always sad to me that some of the most thanklessness happens in our churches. I think Christians should be the most thankful of all people.  Of course we should serve to please the Lord and not man and so we should not expect or want the thanks of man.  But let's be real.  We are human and it is encouraging when others appreciate your service.  Our church makes an effort to do that for our church staff with special programs and gifts during Pastor Appreciation Month in October and with Christmas bonus offerings.  When I headed up Awana we held a big annual banquet to thank our leaders and to reward them for their service.  And I would often write notes of thanks and encouragement to them and maybe that is partially why we annually retained so many faithful volunteers.  And they also responded by honoring us and giving us gifts.  And while that was appreciated, it did become sort of embarrassing because others did not get the same thanks.  But I'm not sure that much more than these things are ever done for those who quietly and faithfully serve.  Maybe that is part of the reason why folks burn out or quit after a few years of service.  And let's be careful that we don't misjudge them for not being spiritual enough to work without thanks.  We can easily say that their reward will be in heaven and it will be.  But they are human, too.  Dianne's note was very, very unusual despite the fact that for 50 years she has spent hours and hours in preparation to lead folks in worship.  I have quietly served in a vital church position, for eleven years, that requires many hours each week and only twice that I can recall has anybody ever thanked me or told me that I do a good job.  Of course, maybe I don't and maybe they are actually hoping that I will quit.  But how would I know that?  Now we don't serve for that thanks and we are really fine without it.  I state these two examples just to illustrate what I think is too common in church circles - thanklessness for those who faithfully serve without pay  So maybe we all need to be reminded of the need to be more thankful .... in our homes ... in our community ...  in our church ... and even more importantly, in our fellowship with the Lord.  In everything give thanks!

Staples Customer Service

Once before I dedicated a few blogs to examples of poor customer service that I had experienced with a variety of dealers.  Yesterday I had another such experience that I must share with you.  Last week I was completing a special project and needed 20 report covers before the product could be mailed out.  I drove to the nearest Staples which is 17 miles roundtrip from home.  There I purchased four sets of clear report covers ($31.76).  When I returned home I opened them to complete the reports.  Most were fine, but about four were defective and the holes didn't line up properly with the pins.  However, I was still able to use three of these.  And with those done I mailed and distributed the finished product with the intention of taking back the one remaining bad one to have it replaced.  That one in particular was over .5" off and couldn't be modified or used.  So yesterday I returned to Staples expecting that there would not be any problem. Why would there be any?  Nobody was staffing their customer service counter so I waited in line to get instructions from a clerk.  When I finally reached the register, I showed the clerk my receipt and the defective cover.  I explained the situation and asked to have it replaced.  I didn't know if they would take one out of another pack or five or give me one which was also available in a single pack.  The clerk never even apologized for the defect but he told me that he couldn't help me.  The only way it could be replaced was to bring back the entire set of five.  I explained that this was now impossible and stated that even if it were, a third roundtrip to Staples would be both expensive and inconvenient for me for one cover.  He assured me that he could only help me out if I would return the set of all five covers.  I found this both incredible and stupid.  I guess that despite the struggling economy, Staples must be doing well enough that they can afford not to stand behind their product to satisfy a regular customer.  So I left as an irritated customer and I will get my cover elsewhere.  I guess what I should have done was purchase another set of five, then leave the store and replace one of the five with the defective one before going back in and returning the pack for a refund.  But that would have been dishonest.  And I don't think that I should be dishonest just to beat terrible customer service.  Unfortunately, I will still probably return to Staples because I have over $50 in Staples Reward credit to spend.  But I just can't believe that a company would treat a regular customer like this.  But it happened.  Buyer beware!  Well I guess there is always Office Max ... Office Depot ... and better yet, online.

Poverty and Reading

Recently we attended a viewing in a church in the small town of Mt. Nebo.  To get there we drove through the hills of southwestern Lancaster County, near the Susquehanna River.  We passed a wide variety of homes, from the very, very expensive to shacks and trailers.  I guess that I had forgotten about the poverty that really exists in our school district and this trip provided a stark reminder of this reality.  I have always thought that Penn Manor did a much better job of teaching its students than most other area schools because of the success that they have had with the challenges they face.  Many of my students never had a newspaper or a magazine in their home. Then, a few days later, I read some statistics about reading which at first I could not believe.  But once I thought about the pockets of poverty in places like our school district as well as the extensive poverty seen in our cities, I realized that these very sad statistics could be very true.  So I share these statistics with you, without much additional comment, for you to consider.  From Statistic Brain – some facts about reading.  57% of books are not read the whole way through.  70% of adults have not been in a bookstore in at least a year.  80% of families didn't buy any books this past year.  42% of college kids will not read another book after they graduate.   33% of high school kids will not read another book after they graduate.  56% of youth say they read more than 10 books a year.  If you read just 15 minutes a day, you will average a million words per year.  50% of adults can not read a book at an 8th grade reading level.   46% of American adults can't read a label on a prescription.   If you can read this blog, even if you think it is a waste of your time, be thankful for parents, teachers, and an environment which taught you and encouraged you to read.

College GPA

It has been 54 years since I began my college experiences.  Times have changed drastically since then.  But I am finding out that a few things haven't changed about the experience.  When I was a teenager my parents really had little.  After World War II, jobs were scare and we moved many times until my father finally obtained a "permanent" job as an engineer at RCA.  A big treat for us then was having a quarter to buy a bottle of soda for the family.  So when my college years rolled around, my parents really weren't in a position to pay my way.  So the deal was that they would provide my room and board and living expenses but I had to pay for my tuition, fees and books.  I worked several jobs.  I earned scholarships and I took out government loans to get through. It took me ten years to pay off the loans. But, as a result, my education really meant something to me since much of the cost was coming out of my pocket and I didn't want to waste this money.  I often noticed that those of us who were paying our own ways seemed to study harder and take our work more seriously than those whose parents were footing the entire bill.  I know that this is a generalization, but it was a definite observation that I made at that time.  And I graduated Magna Cum Laude.  Later in life, as my three boys faced the college years, I found that, like my parents, I couldn't afford to pay their entire bill.  In those days public school teachers didn't earn very much. I started at $3,800 per year and had to work at nights and on weekends to support my family. So I made the same deal with my boys - we pay the living expenses, you pay the rest.  All three decided to live at home and commute - two to Millersville and one to Penn State York.  Now I know every family is different and I don't want to judge them for their decisions.  But today I guess most folks feel that they must pay the entire bill for their child's education and that is a major challenge.  For us, we had no choice.  We just couldn't do it.  And I have no regrets. But I admit that I haven't thought too much about this lately since we are no longer affected my this problem.  However, recently I read an interesting article in the local newspaper and I realize now that I might not have been that far off base in my thinking.  The headline said "Parental help hurts college GPA" and it was written by a Justin Pope for the Associated Press.  The lead paragraph says "Parents who are footing more of the college tuition bill for their children give them a better chance of graduating.  But a surprising new study finds that they may not be doing them any favors in another area - generous financial support appears to lead to lower grades."  He goes on to discuss a recent study published in the American Sociological Review based on figures from three large federal data sets that allow parental contributions and grades to be compared.  Family socioeconomic status was controlled to allow a comparison of similar students.  For example, among those families with at least $90,000 available in income, parents not giving their children any support can expect a GPA of 3.15.  At $16,000 in aid the GPA drops to under 3.0 and at $40,000 it drops to 2.95.  Interesting.  Now the writer thinks the reason is that those students who are not paying their own way are free to take on a more active social and extracurricular life.  And as he says, "that may be fun and even worthwhile, but it comes at a cost to GPA". Living and observing in a college town makes me second his conclusion.  However, I think the bottom line is that all of us tend to value more something which we have personally worked hard and sacrificed to obtain.  And maybe that is an important life lesson that many college students ought to learn.  

Following Instructions

Is following directions a lost skill? When we run our election precinct many people just ignore the posted signs and directions. They enter and leave at the wrong places, despite the many signs. They complete their ballots incorrectly, ignoring posted directions. Recently I have supervised two projects involving adults and children. In both, probably 30%, didn't follow the printed instructions, creating more work for me. I am financial secretary of our church and every year, when I give out new boxes of envelopes, I include detailed instructions on how to use them. But too large a percentage of the users just ignore the written instructions and do as they want. The first week of the year at least a dozen folks used old envelopes, despite written warnings not to do this. And I could continue to provide example after example of folks not following instructions. And while it frustrates me, I shouldn't be surprised. I was a school teacher for 39 years and faced this problem regularly. But that was different. There I was the teacher and I could insist that directions be followed completely. I could reject assignments not done properly. I could deduct points for those who handed things in late, disregarding my instructions. I always felt that making my students follow directions was part of my job - teaching them a real important life skill. But did it have a lifetime effect? I really don't know, but it was worth the try. Some people are just careless and unorganized. Others feel that they have the freedom to do it their way, despite what others want. I guess some don't even realize that they aren't doing what is expected. But I guess in some ways all of us, including myself, have the same problem to some degree. How many times do we disregard reading the instructions when we get a new product and are just eager to use it quickly? We just tear open the boxes and assemble as we think it should be done. I guess we've all done that. But there is a more serious problem of not following instructions. You see, God the Creator, gave us the instructions for living the life He wants us to have. They can be found in the Bible. But how much time do we spend in His "instruction manual"? And how often do we just do what pleases us, not following His instructions. It is obvious that we live in a world that just doesn't want to follow His instructions. They want it their way. And not following God's instructions is a much more serious matter than not following the posted exit signs or using old envelopes or handing in an assignment late. The results of not following God's instructions about life can keep one from experiencing all that God wants us to experience or even worse, it could have eternal results. So during the days ahead, take time to read and follow God's written instructions to us. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

An Influenza Death

Esther and Pastor
Horace A. Kauffman

A young minister was busy visiting the many in his congregation who had been struck by the influenza.  The flu had been spreading rapidly throughout the community and his congregation had been hit hard.  Many were very ill and some had even died, so there were funerals to be conducted.  The minister traveled from house to house praying for the sick and comforting families.  That was his calling from God.  Then he, too, became ill with the flu and unexpectedly he died.  He left behind a son who was only a year and a half old and his wife who was pregnant with their second child, a daughter who would be born months later.  Because of the spreading flu his body was displayed behind a large window so friends and members of his congregation could view it one more time.  The young minister had not had a flu shot to protect himself, because none were available at that time. The year was 1918 and it was part of history's  most lethal influenza that killed as many as 100 million people worldwide.  The young minister was Pastor Horace Abraham Kauffman, my grandfather.  The superintendent of the denomination insisted that his widow needed to be remarried very quickly.  After all, she was pregnant and had no way to support her family.  He chose two men as possible husbands.  The first refused but the second agreed.  He was a very close personal friend of Pastor Horace Kauffman. They had even served together. And so Norman H. Wolf married my grandmother. They were quickly  reassigned to the same church in Spring City where Pastor Kauffman had been serving and they were given the same parsonage where Pastor Kauffman had been living when he died.  Pastor Wolf became the only father my dad would really remember.  And we called him Pop Pop.  He was the most godly man that I have ever known.  Later he was our pastor for several years. He performed our wedding ceremony 50 years ago.  Both men have been major influences in my life in so many different ways. I thank God for both of them. And so, when I think of flu epidemics, I always recall the devastating flu epidemic of 1918 and the impact it really had on my family and even on me.  This year we have faced another epidemic.  Many around us have been ill, some have been hospitalized.  At the time I am writing this blog we have been able so far to escape it.  Of course, both of us have gotten our annual flu shots.  And while this doesn't provide 100% protection, experts claim about 60% of those who get the shots will escape the flu and those who don't escape it will generally have a less severe case.  Now I like those odds.  But we have many friends and relatives who won't get a shot, for various reasons.  There are some who are allergic to them.  There are others who don't trust the medical authorities.  There are others who just think they are a waste of time.  And that is their right unless they have a job that requires them.  Some of these folks have been hit hard this year while others have so far escaped.  All that I ask is that if you don't get one, please don't have close contact with me for I don't want to catch it from you.  I have rights, too, and I don't want to be infected by one who chooses not to get the protection.  Hopefully this flu season will pass quickly.  Hopefully we'll never see another influenza epidemic like the world experienced in 1918.   But the flu can change your life, as it did for me.

To Tell The Truth

Do you remember the old television show To Tell The Truth?  As I recall they used to have three contestants who all claimed to be a certain person.  One told the truth and the other two lied.  Then the contestants were asked to pick out the one who told the truth.  Maybe this was really the first "reality" show since that seems to be what life is all about today - trying to determine if a person is telling the truth when telling a lie is so common.  If you read my blog of January 13 you know that we were hit by a lady who ran a red light.  She freely admitted to all at the scene that it was her fault.  She was 77 and we felt that she could be trusted.  In fact, when the policeman finally showed up, almost an hour later, after listening to our story he said that he didn't need to file a report unless we wanted one.  Filing a report would probably have gotten this women a citation.  She was upset about the accident and was concerned about her husband who was very ill at home.  She remarked how calm and kind we had been. And I trusted her.  I decided to show some mercy and not have the report written by the officer so that she wouldn't get a citation.  As it turns out, I was really outsmarted by this little old lady.  I first realized that when I had to pay the $500 deductible to get my car back from the repair shop.  Then a friend warned me that they had trouble collecting on an accident when Nationwide was the other person's insurer.  And, sure enough, Nationwide has denied responsibility placing me at 100% fault for an accident which clearly was not my fault at all. So apparently this smart old lady reported a different story and now it is her word against ours.  Now my insurance company is fighting the decision but I suspect we will be out the $500.  So I've learned a few lessons.  First, if you are not at fault in an accident get a written police report.  Second, do not take the word of anyone, especially a kindly old lady, who has much to gain by telling a lie.  Now I am reminded that the Lord is the final judge and despite the $500 reminder, He will honor my act of mercy, honesty and Christian response. She will be accountable to Him for her action.  But telling a lie is so common and accepted today.  The newspapers are full of examples such as the Notre Dame linebacker who lied about his girl friend.  Then there is the "honorable" Vice President Joe Biden who, in an effort to gain sympathy for his campaign to control guns, claims that he was golfing close enough to the Nickel Mines School tragedy in 2006 to hear the gun shots as the students were killed.   Newspapers have checked all the area golf courses and have no record of Biden golfing there and, even so, none of the courses are even close enough to have heard the shots.  And just to think that Biden is one heartbeat away from being our President.    I just read some statistics that show how common it has become not to tell the truth in today's society.  According to Statistic Brain, 1.6 million people have lied on their taxes and 53% have put false statements on their resumes.  According to NBC, 40% say lying is sometimes acceptable.  And 44 of 56 schools is Atlanta were part of a cover up by teachers who falsified test scores (erasing kids' answers and putting in the correct answers, etc.)  Sadly that is where we have come to in this secular society that denies God and won't even allow postings of the Ten Commandments.  So I guess we need to learn not to be so naive, even when dealing with kindly older women.  And that advice won't cost you $500 as it has for me.  And that is the truth!  But the Psalmist has given me the words for my real reaction.  In Psalm 26:1 he prays, "Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering."  And that too is my prayer.

Friends

Over the past two weeks, five acquaintances of ours have passed away - the mother of one of our missionaries, the husband of a friend from church, the mother of a fellow Awana worker, the husband of a teacher that I hired, and a former student. Now they weren't what i would call close friends, but they were people who crossed our paths in one way or another. The older we get, it seems the more frequently we are attending viewing and funerals.  Checking the obituaries has become a daily routine.  I guess this is a part of senior life that nobody warned us about.  During this same time period I've also talked to two widows who are struggling with the loss of their husbands.  And what can you really say to them?  That has to be one of the most devastating experiences of life.  This week is also the one year anniversary of the unexpected sudden passing of my very close friend, Jim Herrold.  We met 54 years ago at Susquehanna University, became college roommates, and were like brothers to each other. He prayed for me regularly and few people have such a faithful prayer partner. But Jim was just one of my very close friends who are now in glory, each leaving a widow behind here on earth.  In 1984 my friend Paul Brosious was called home with a sudden heart attack.  We met while I was in college and I became his tutor and close friend. He went on to earn his doctorate and become one of the early developers of minicomputers for IBM.  During my  college years I also met Norm Zellers.  We sang together in the Gospel Four Quartette in church and each week on the radio.  He was responsible for getting Dianne and I together.  We used his car in our wedding party and we had much in common throughout our lives.  When we moved to the Lancaster area after my graduation, a young man by the name of Gary Varner came to help us move.  He and his wife attended our church and we soon became very close friends.  We sang together in a mixed quartette.  We enjoyed the same things.  We helped start several fellowship groups at church.  Our children and now even our grandchildren grew up together.  He died unexpectedly of lung cancer.  Then there was Ralph Michel.  We also met Ralph and his wife in our church many years ago and we too had much in common.  We vacationed together.  We would have been the guardians for their children if they had died before their kids were of age.  We, too, had so many great times together.  His death was also very quick and unexpected.  Then, of course, there was my brother, Terry.  A star athlete, a godly man, a man with a heart for others, but a victim of prostate cancer. Even though he was four years younger than I was, he taught me so very much about living ... and preparing to die.  Terry, Jim and Norm were the men in our wedding party and all are now home with the Lord.  And that is so hard to believe.  But that is part of aging.  I think a person is blest if he has just one close friend during his lifetime.  I guess I have been blest many times and I thank the Lord for that.  But I do deeply miss these good friends who are now sharing together in the splendor and joy of heaven.  And I have the hope of seeing them again when the Lord calls me home to heaven.  If you have a good, close friend, please take time to thank them and spend time with them.  For those extra special relationships here on earth may soon be gone and then all you will have here are the good memories and maybe some regrets.

Facebook Users

I have talked here before about Facebook.  I now have 71 friends, or folks listed as being my friends.  But over the past year only 34 of these have ever placed a comment on facebook or have even said that they "liked" something that I posted.  And most of these 34 have only done this once or twice, at most, during the past year.  But despite this, I still enjoy checking Facebook each day.  I do hear from a few of my friends and I do enjoy hearing what is happening in their lives.  I don't spend hours there and I don't play games, but I do enjoy exchanging both serious and humorous comments.  It often lightens up my day.  Recently somebody sent me a listing of the 12 Types of People who are on Facebook.  So I thought I'd share these with you and if you are a Facebook user you will probably be able to find friends of yours in each type.  Here goes.  (1) The "Rooster" -- Always tells Facebook "Good Morning" every day.  (2) The "Lurker" -- Never posts or comments on your post, but reads everything, and might make reference to your status when seeing you in public. (3) The "Hyena" -- Doesn't ever really say anything, just LOLs and LMAOs at everything. (4) "Mr/Ms Popular" -- Has 4,367 friends for NO reason. (5) The "Gamer" -- Plays Words With Friends, Mafia Wars,Farmville, and Bejeweled Blitz, and bakes virtual cakes and stuff, etc. (ALL DAY).  (6) The "Cynic" -- Hates his life, and everything in it, as evidenced by the somber tone in ALL of his status updates. (7) The "Collector" -- Never posts anything either, but joins every group and becomes fans of the most random stuff.  (8) The "Promoter" -- Always sends event invitations to things that you ultimately delete or ignore.  (9) The "Liker" -- Never actually says anything, but always clicks the "like" button. (10) "Drama Queen/King" -- This person always posts stuff like "I can't believe this!" or "They gonna make me snap today!" in the hopes that you will ask what happened, or what's wrong ... but then never finishes telling the story. (11) The "News" -- Always updates you on what they are doing and who they are doing it with, no matter how arbitrary, and lastly... (12) The "Thief" -- Steals status updates ... and will probably steal this one ... just like I did!  What type of user are you?

The Hawk

Several weeks ago my wife called me to look out our back window.  There, perched on our wash pole, was a huge bird.  It was at least two feet tall with a huge puffy breast.  We watched it for awhile and then we were able to see enough of it to identify it as a red tailed hawk.  Now we have hawks visit out yard quite often, but never anything close to this size.  We think that the visits of hawks are one reason that our bird population is much smaller than it used to be.  Well we watched this hawk for quite awhile and it just sat there on the post.  Finally we left to continue some jobs we had to complete.  Then later my wife called me once again.  This time the huge hawk was on the ground, near our flower bed.  My wife was sure that it had something in its claws and was chewing at it.  She guessed that it might have been some bird.  When I was watching the hawk stopped chewing and for several minutes just turned its neck about 360 degrees, both ways, scanning all around.  In fact, we think it may have even noticed us despite the fact that we were inside, probably 40 yards away.  This time we could see the hawk's entire body and it was then very easy to confirm our identification.  Finally the bird spread its huge wings and took off.  It was impressive.  I would not have wanted to mess with a creature this huge.  When it didn't return I decided to go and see if I could identify its victim.  Sure enough, I found the body of a large squirrel with blood all over its neck.  I decided to wait until the next day to remove the remains.  But the next morning it was gone.  I don't know if the hawk returned to finish his meal or if a vulture or other animal enjoyed the remains.  Now I would be glad if the hawk returned regularly to feast on our nasty squirrel population.  As you may remember from a previous blog, the squirrels have beaten all my efforts to stop them from invading my birdfeeders.  But they can't beat this new weapon.  If only the hawk would stick with squirrels and forget the smaller, less tasty, birds.    I was never this close to a bird this huge as it completed a successful hunt.  But it was impressive! Once again it made me marvel at God's great creations.  It truly was a stunning experience.

Deja vu? Allmost

On November 6, 1994, my parents were shopping.  On the way home, late afternoon, a teenager ran a stop sign and hit them on the passenger side of their car. My mother was seated there.  Emergency personnel told us that they think mother may have died instantly.  She was 72.  My dad was taken to the hospital where he stayed for a few days under observation.  We were at a Penn State football game and since they couldn't reach us, they called my oldest son who met them at the hospital.  On January 8, 2013, we were shopping and were on our way home, also in the late afternoon.  A 77 year old lady ran a red light and hit us on the passenger side where my wife was seated.  Dianne is 72.  Thank the Lord we were not injured seriously and while we waited to have our car towed we called our oldest son who came and picked us up.  At the time we were very shocked since, like my parents, we didn't see it coming when we were hit.  It was shortly after our accident that we began to see the similarities in the two situations. Deja vu?  But there were some major differences.  The most important of these is that Dianne was not killed or seriously injured.  The impact to my parents was at a 90 degree angle.  Our impact was about 45 degrees, sparing us serious damage and injury or death.  In my parents' accident, the driver, upon the advice of his parents, left the scene before the police could check him for alcohol or drugs.  We still suspect he may have been drinking as well as  speeding.  In our case the driver stayed until our car was towed away.  She just claims that she didn't see us - we don't know if she might have been on her phone or if she just didn't see the traffic light.  She had to just miss a van that must have crossed in front of her seconds before she hit us. None of the many witnesses to our accident stayed to help us or make a report.  But we thank the Lord once again for His protection.  We never know what a day will bring and that is why it is so important to know that we are right with the Lord.  In seconds one could be with Him or even elsewhere if they aren't in God's family.  We always pray for safety when we take longer trips, but I must admit that I don't usually do it for the short ones.  And yet with all the crazy, inattentive drivers on the road, we need His protection, moment by moment.   And it appears that we will get our car back and it won't be totaled as we thought.  We were looking to trade it in or sell it and having it totaled would have made that decision easier, but I guess the Lord has other plans right now for the car ... and for us.

Freedom of Speech

Shah of Iran

It was the mid 1970's when I was informed that my mathematics department was to host a visiting Iranian math educator who would spend about three weeks with us observing our program and our teachers.  This visit was part of a program to improve the Iranian education process and to foster closer relationships between the two countries.  Our guest was to live with one of my teachers who lived just a block away from our school.  As it turned our, our visitor was a member of the Iranian Education Administration.  He frequently reminded us that he was just a poor country teacher who was honored to have won promotions to this position.  It soon became evident that our visitor was finding it extremely difficult to adjust to our country.  When he visited in our home he marveled that we actually had carpet on our floors.  He said that we must be very rich to be able to afford carpet.  He had a very difficult time adjusting to news coverage in which people actually criticized the president and the government.  He couldn't believe that anyone would dare do that and this made him very uneasy during his entire stay.  Unfortunately, at a government reception in Washington, just prior to his visit with us, he got caught up in the meaningless light conversations.  And when somebody joked about not selling arms to Iran, he countered by saying if we didn't sell them arms they wouldn't sell us oil.  He quickly regretted having made that comment and from that day on he was sure that his remarks would get back to the Shah of Iran.  During his stay with us he lived in constant fear that upon his return to Iran he would be taken prisoner and that he would never see his family again.  We thought he was just imaging this, but at times he seemed like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.  On the day of the Shah's birthday he begged me to take him to a Western Union office so that he could send a birthday message to the Shah.  I finally found this small dark office in downtown Lancaster from where a telegraph message could be sent.  The location of the office and the entire experience were like something you would see in a spy movie. But the message was sent. Well his visit finally came to and end and he left with promises to communicate with all of us upon his return to Iran.  He never did.  And based on what happened in Iran we can't help but wonder if his fears actually came true.  Did he become a political prisoner?  Was his family taken from him?  According to official statistics, Iran had as many as 2,200 political prisoners in 1978, a number which multiplied rapidly as a result of the revolution.  A secular Muslim, the Shah gradually lost support from the Shi'a clergy of Iran, particularly due to his strong policy of modernization, secularization, conflict with the traditional class of merchants known as bazaari, and recognition of Israel. By 1979, political unrest had transformed into a revolution which in January of that year forced the Shah to leave Iran. Soon thereafter, the Iranian monarchy was formally abolished, and Iran was declared an Islamic republic. Facing likely execution should he return to Iran, he died in exile in Egypt, whose President, Anwar Sadat, had granted him asylum.  So I guess I will never know what actually happened to our visitor.  But I did come to realize that most folks around the world don't begin to have the freedoms, especially the freedom of speech, that we have here.  And as I view the history of Iran I can begin to understand why our visitor was on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of a casual comment made at a reception.  Could we also begin to lose these freedoms that we have taken for granted in this country?

Need A Resolution?

Do you make your bed every morning?   Do you feel productive in your daily activties?  Do you stick to a budget?  Do you generally experience happiness?  I wish that I had a good way to track your answers.  Maybe I should set up some polls on my blog.  Now why would I ask these odd questions? Well they might be appropriate for one of the first blogs of the year.  In a recent article in Readers Digest, a Jackie Ashton examined the relationship of these questions.  She commented about Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit in which Duhigg claims that making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity and stronger skills at sticking to a budget.  It also boosts happiness.  Now can an act that takes about three minutes actually make that much of a difference in your life?  Apparently making your bed and other feel-good tasks, like exercising and cooking your own food, are considered to be "keystone habits", routines that spill over to others and are catalysts for other good behaviors.  Interesting.  I really don't remember if I made my own bed at home when I was growing up - I probably had to.  I do know that we had bunk beds and they were hard to make.  In college I did make my bed.  Fortunately, my roommate for two of those years was very neat and, unlike most college students, we prided ourselves in keeping a neat, clean room.  I guess for most of my working years, my wife took care of the bed making because I generally left early in the morning for work.  But since I am retired, whoever gets there first makes the bed and sometimes we do it together.  Now I have always stuck to a budget but probably because it was the only way to get by on a low income and not because of making my bed.  Productive? - probably yes, but because that is my personality.  Happiness? - generally yes, but not because I make my bed.  Although part of my happiness in life is being able to crawl into a nicely made, comfortable bed each evening.  So does this "research" and these conclusions make any sense?  I don't know, but if you need a good New Year's resolution, why not try making your bed each morning.  Let me know how it goes.

Special Traditions

Like most families, we have numerous Christmas traditions.  Ours include gathering at our house after the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, enjoying a buffet and then exchanging presents.  For years we have read the Christmas story from Luke and prayed before opening the presents.  When our boys were younger we made it a point each year to give them a Bible study book and some tool for their toolbox as part of their gifts.  But in recent years our gift giving has gone a different direction.  Since 2005 I have annually prepared a DVD for each of our families that contains pictures taken throughout the year, highlighting special events such as birthdays, graduations, awards, etc.  I have always chosen background music for the DVD which has a special message.  This year it was "Ten Thousand Reasons".  I also include a special Bible verse for the year. This year it wa Psalm 128:1.  We view this DVD before presents are opened.  But several years ago I began another tradition for my grandchildren.  I have been preparing a book for them, sharing stories and pictures from my life and from the lives of those in our family lines.  I've entitled the book "In His Grip" and the key verse is Isaiah 41:13.  With the six pages I prepared for this year, the total pages in their book is now 106 (many of these can actually be found on the website fbfawana.com)  Some of the highlights in the book are chapters about my dad, my father-in-law, my brother, my grandparents and people who have influenced my life.  Many chapters show how God has worked in my life  in experiences and events throughout the years  There are even some letters from my grandparents and pictures of all the family members I could find.  There are family trees which trace the Herrold line back to 1555 in Germany and the Kauffman line back to 1780 when three brothers came to America.  Realizing that there is so much of  our family history that is now gone with the deaths of our parents, I have had a challenge to pass on as much of this rich heritage as I can.  This year my wife decided to follow the tradition which I have been developing and she prepared the beginnings of a book about her family and background.  This year she shared ten pages which she prepared about her life and that of her mother and father.  Some special family pictures were included.  I'm not sure if our grandchildren appreciate this work now, but I think the time will come - probably after we are gone - that they will value this work.  It is my desire not only to share pictures and details about our history, but, more importantly, details about how the Lord has worked and led in our lives.  My greatest desire is to see my grandchildren learn to love and serve the Lord and trust Him in all that they do.  He has been so faithful to me over the years and my hope is that someday they will each have the same testimony to share.  Traditions are important in family life, but those that point our children to the Lord are vital.

Merry Christmas Seniors!

Today's blog is a special "Christmas Gift" to my senior readers.  And, for the rest of you, just remember, in a few years you, too, will understand and experience the joys of aging that are shared in this song.  Beware - it comes more quickly than you expect!   These words are to be sung to the tune of "Sleigh Bells Ring/Winter Wonderland":

(Verse 1)

Sleigh bells ring? Its tinnitus

What's that pain? My arthritis. 

We're both growing old - You're grey-haired, I'm bald 

Using walkers in the winter once again.

(Verse 2)

When we try watching TV:

"Turn it up! Can't you hear me?"

We don't like the shows, but that's how it goes,

We feel about a century too old.

(Bridge)

In the kitchen: "What did I come here for?"

Guess I'll go ahead and make a snack.

"Have you seen my glasses?"  "Shut the fridge door!" 

"If you use my dentures, could you give them back?"

(Verse 3)

Early on, we retire,

Eating prunes by the fire.

We've had a great life;

We're husband and wife.

"Tell me what your name is once again?"

Copyright 2011 Bill DiGennaro. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

A Christmas To Forget

It was about 45 years ago.  I had been having bad hip and back problems for quite some time and nothing seemed to help.  Some mornings it was all that I could do to get out of bed.  I finally went to see a neurologist who ordered some tests.  Because I didn't want to use my sick days at school, we decided to have two of the tests, a spinal tap and a myelogram, done the day before Christmas when I didn't have school.  Nobody warned me how difficult these tests would be.  Thirty years later I had another myelogram done and, with all the advances made in medicine, that one was a snap.  But the first one certainly wasn't.  I had to wear one of those gowns that didn't cover very much and I was placed on a cart with a sheet over me.  My first trying experience came when I found out that the assisting nurse had been a student of mine in high school just a few years earlier.  The embarrassment of being practically nude during the tests soon gave way to the pain of the spinal taps.  Later I was taken to a hospital room to recover and wait for the doctor to release me.  Our plans were, upon my release, to head for Sunbury to spend Christmas with my wife's family.  Well the hours went by and the doctor did not appear.  Late in the afternoon, fearing that he may have forgotten me and left for vacation, we called his office.  Finally he arrived to tell me that the tests just showed some arthritis and I was free to go home.  Nobody warned me about the possible side effects of the tests and, to be fair, we didn't tell them about our planned trip that night.  Incidentally, it was years later that another doctor diagnosed my problem as ankylosing spondilitis, a condition that I have learned to live with since that time.  Anyway, we packed up our two small boys, our luggage and our presents, and headed north on Christmas Eve. Our boys were very excited about going to see Gramps and Muz for Christmas.  Dianne drove so that I could rest.  But soon it began to snow and she had much mountain and country driving to do for the next two hours.  Then I began to get sick - terrible headaches, stomach problems, and I needed a restroom.  But since it was Christmas Eve, nothing was open.  We finally found a small dirty bathroom at a gas station in a small town.  It was a long hard trip.  Fortunately we arrived safely.  I spent much of the next few days on my back to relieve the terrible headaches.  Then when it was time to head back home we were hit with a major snowstorm which delayed our departure.  I still wasn't able to drive so my wife had to drive once again.  Her sister and brother-in-law decided to follow us home in their car to make sure that we wouldn't get stuck or have any  trouble.  At the other end, my father and brother came to shovel our driveway and even part of the road so that we could reach our house.  I felt helpless, and sick, and without the help of all of these family members, I'm not sure how we would have made it.  But we did.  And now that Christmas is just a memory and I hope that we never have any more like that it.  But as I look back over my life I see so many situations, like this one, where God has intervened and taken care of me in difficult situations.  Always He provides the strength needed for the day, just as He has promised, and with that knowledge we can face tomorrow.

The Daily News

A female college student kidnapped in Harrisburg, several home invasions and murders in Harrisburg and Lancaster,  a robber beats and terrorizes three elderly Mennonite women near Ephrata, a gunman shoots and kills innocent theater goers, and, very sadly, a young man breaks into an elementary school, after killing his mother, and guns down a host of teachers and first graders.  And that was just part of the news during a recent week.  And the reactions to all of these events included various degrees of unbelief, horror, sadness, anger, and fear.  Parents are afraid to send their kids to school.  Theater patrons look for possible escape routes.  Home security sales increase dramatically.  More folks purchase guns for self protection.  And, ironically, politicians who have chipped away religious expression and liberties, now actually quote scripture as an attempt at comfort.  And, politically, many press for new gun laws, especially longer waiting periods to purchase a gun.  That appears to be the nation's answer.  And every politician is getting soundbites promising to control guns.  But what a waste of time and energy since criminals and mentally unstable folks will continue to find guns no matter how long a legal waiting period may be.  Ironically, the shooter in Connecticut used his mother's guns. He didn't purchase them.  So how would a longer waiting period have stopped this violence?  And since when can morality be legislated?  There is no question that we live in a society where there are many unstable folks all around us and that is a problem.  The government says that 1 out of every 17 of us has a mental illness and less than 1/3 are getting any treatment.  In some cases this is a result of the increase in use of illegal drugs. And if drug control has been unsuccessful why do we think gun control will be any more effective?  It is interesting to note that several states have now made the purchase and use of some drugs legal and the Obama administration refuses to enforce federal drug laws.  Many young people have grown up with "legal" drugs to control their behavior problems - it seems almost everyone has an "alphabet type behavior problem" today.  Who knows what the longterm effect of these behavioral drug treatments will be.  And today our kids are growing up in a violent environment where television and computer games feature violence and killing and nobody seems concerned about controlling this, certainly not even the government or even most parents. And you need to be a little unbalanced yourself if you think these experiences don't effect behavior. Kids today seem tied to their smartphone and computer games. But it seems nobody really wants to talk about the main cause of these problems ... a little word with major consequences ...  SIN! That would not be politically correct.  We are living in a society where you are called intolerant if you believe in Biblical values and truths.  Judges and government officials openly remove Christian principles from everything in the name of "separation of church and state".  As a nation we openly approve of and support abortion in which many more unborn babies are killed each day than the number of first graders shot in Connecticut in one morning.  In the name of tolerance we have taken down the Ten Commandments from all public places, including schools.  And, as I remember, one of the commandments is "Thou shalt not kill".  But we can't talk about that in our schools.  So what more can we really expect in a society that has turned its back on true righteousness and promoted a "do whatever feels right to you" philosophy?   Media and government officials vainly look for "the reasons" and quick fixes, but ignore the truth which should be so clear to all who have open minds.  I think the scripture also tells us that whatever we sow, that we will also reap.  And maybe harvest time is upon us.  In my opinion, the only answers to this increasing violence are a national revival or the return of the Lord.  And since I feel that it may be too late for a national revival, my daily prayer is "come quickly, Lord Jesus"!

Hymns And Carols

It was back in 2008 that I decided to create a weekly blog featuring hymns. I thought that I would try it for a few weeks and see what would happen.  Four years and 225 blogs later, I continue to be amazed at its impact.  During the month of November my blog averaged almost 900 visits each week.  I have only had a few comments left, but these have actually come from all over the world.  I now view this blog as a ministry and pray that my comments and the words might be a spiritual encouragement to those who visit.  This growth also shows me that there are many who miss the hymns which were part of many of our lives for years.  Most church services today use just praise choruses and many of these are great and lead us to worship.  If any hymns are used, often the beat, the words, and the tune has been modified and just not the same.  And this is a hot topic in churches today and I don't intend to get in the middle of it.  I love both.  But I do miss hymns that speak about the blood of Christ, heaven and the Lord's return, and testimonies of what Christ has done for us.  These themes are usually missing from today's praise choruses.  And we now have generations who have never sung "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise",  "How Deep the Father's Love For Us", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", "O Sacred Head Now Wounded", "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go", "Tell It To Jesus", "It Is Well With My Soul" and many more of these great works that have survived the centuries.  I often wonder which choruses, if any, will survive the decades as the great hymns have done.  How many of the choruses that were sung even five years ago are still used today?  I guess time will tell.  Music has changed over the years.  A century ago most churches did not use pianos.  I have a picture of my grandfather and my step-grandfather, serving together in an organization called the Gospel Heralds.  One of them is using a banjo.  Just a few decades ago, when we still had our family ministry, we had to turn down a ministry opportunity in a church which did not use a piano.   As a teen, my father questioned some recordings I had of Phil Kerr and that music certainly was mild compared to what is aired today.  When my boys were teens our elders passed a policy prohibiting drums in our church.  Today many churches no longer have pianos or organs and now most use guitars - maybe even banjos once again. Maybe someday pianos and even hymns will return to worship - who knows.  There are two reasons this topic has been on my mind recently.  First is because of the growing response to my blog.  Second is because I love Christmas and the traditional carols.  But even many of these are no longer part of church services.  Fortunately, here in Lancaster County, we have radio stations which play them daily during December.  And I love listening to them.  Well, no matter where you stand on this still controversial subject, remember that our desire should be to glorify and worship God in all that we do, even if the style of music being used isn't our preference.  Don't let your mental objections taint your worship.  We serve a great God and there are many ways to worship and praise Him.  I wonder what music will be like in heaven.