Here are some of my thoughts and writings from the past; prior Facebook posts, emails, journal entries, etc.  My aim is to preserve these in one collection, and as I do so, delete them from other public sites.  I will attempt to date them according to the original posting date, beginning with the oldest.  

2011:  Posts about books I have read. 

11/25/2011   I'm in the library picking up more books. I finished 2 novels this week and will finish a third tonight - unusual for me - I usually read non-fiction. Three good books: Mr Pip (Lloyd Jones), The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth - somebody?).

    Note: I ddn't know the Hunger Games was a series at the time I read the first book.

 I'm reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford) right now. Then I'm going to do a couple of nice Christmas-type books, so maybe I'll get back into the HUNGER series after that. 

12/01/2011  I finished reading HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET (Jamie Ford) today. It's a good book, dual time settings in Seattle area: (1) Chinese/Japanese communites during WW2 and (2) events in the character's lives 40 years later. It's about losing things and moving forward ... and much, much more. Good love story too. Some tearful moments too - good and bad.

For me, it reminded me of recent events in our country, how America has the usual way of over-reacting to people of other national origins in times of crisis, thus creating crisis in their lives too, even when they're innocent.

Comments:

   Diane Methany: We have some very dear friends who experienced everything in this book. Mary lived in Seattle during the time depicted in this book and had an experience very much like the girl in the book. She and her family lost everything they had; they were placed in a detention camp when she was four and spent the rest of the war there. Charles' family had a large farm near San Jose, CA, and when the government confiscated their farm, they moved inland to Colorado for the duration of the war. Both Charles and Mary were second-generation Japanese American CITIZENS. You are so right, Joe. We are seeing the same kind of mass hysteria that led to this egregious act against a whole population of innocent men, women, and children. I highly recommend this book. It needs to be required reading in every high school in the country.

   Me:  Thanks for sharing. Even as fiction, it's a heart-breaking story - but, knowing actual people who experienced it really adds a much deeper dimension to it. 

2/15/2012  "How is it possible to keep caring for the poor when the poor only get poorer? How is it possible to keep nursing the sick when they are not getting better? How can I keep consoling the dying when their deaths only bring me more grief? The answer is that they all hold a blessing for me, a blessing that I need to receive. Ministry is, first of all, receiving God's blessing from those to whom we minister. What is this blessing? It is a glimpse of the face of God. Seeing God is what heaven is all about! We can see God in the face of Jesus, and we can see the face of Jesus in all those who need our care." (from HERE AND NOW by Henri J. M. Nouwen, page 95)

Matthew 25 (KJV):

(40) Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

(45) Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

2012  POSTS AND COMMENTS:

1/5/2012  In response to a Sojourner article, "An Invitation to the Great Conversation," I posted this thought, mostly to myself:

I need to practice this myself. I generally don't make New Year's resolutions, but if I did, a good one for me would be to show God's continuing love and presence as I have conversations with those who have different views from me, especially politically. I have been known to be somewhat adamant (and arrogant) about my political views. I have been known to become angry with politicians (and their followers) who are too far away from my views. I will do my best to welcome all views on this wall, as long as it can be said in love, and I will do my best to continue The Great Conversation in the same manner. I will pray for all of our candidates this year. They will all need our prayers. Some of them will become, or continue to be, our elected officials.

2/14/2012

John 13 (KJV):

(34) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

(35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

_____

This is for all followers of Jesus, whether the Christian "right" or the Christian "left."

_____

In Christ there is no east or west, in Him no south or north;

but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

In Christ shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find;

His service is the golden cord close binding humankind.

In Christ is neither Jew nor Greek, and neither slave nor free;

both male and female heirs are made, and all are kin to me.

In Christ now meet both east and west, in Him meet south and north;

all Christly souls are one in Him throughout the whole wide earth.

(Stz 1, 2, 4, John Oxenham, 1913; stz 3, Laurence Hull Stookey, 1987.

_____

Galatians 3:28b (KJV):

... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

3/8/2012

On this date (March in 1969, Becky and I had our FIRST DATE. It was the weekend leading into Spring Break (then known as AEA Week in Alabama). We went somewhere together everyday the next week (visited her grandfather, lunch at her house, shopping, church ... everywhere). By the time we returned to school, we were always together and everyone was amazed that a geek like me could get a beauty like her. I'M STILL AMAZED! It's one of the best days of my life!!!

We just had another date at one of her favorite restaurants - LEGENDS in Irvington.

All reactions

3/21/2012

They who wait on the Lord ...

We had a tree dying in our back yard and it was near some power lines, so last fall the power company cut most of it down, leaving about a 20 foot "stump." However, they wouldn't haul away the limbs and brush, so I stacked it and covered it, so it wouldn't get too damp and heavy through the winter. Getting word that the wood chipper truck would be coming around last week, I moved the piles to the front curb. They didn't pick ours up. Two days ago a lady came by in a pickup truck and was thrilled to find all this free wood to burn in her outdoor chimney. It was a win-win deal for her and us. God's always right on time. 

(to be continued)

17

 My Brother's Keeper

I definitely was not my brother's keeper, but I like the title - and, in a lot of ways we were each other's keepers, especially in our younger years.   Our Dad died when Gene was six-years-old, and a couple of months before my third birthday.  I have no real memories of Dad, but Gene was really close to him and his death had a larger impact on his life.  

I was sick with asthma and rheumatic fever in my younger childhood, so I was not able to play physically in a normal way.  Gene was always athletic and active, but he managed to find time to create indoor games with me that made me feel involved in sports.  He created a baseball and football dartboard game for us and built homemade skateboards that we could sit on and coast down our driveway.  (This was before skateboards were a publicly known item.) When I was finally able to play Little League baseball, around age 11, Gene spent a lot of time coaching me in our backyard. 

When Gene began his interest in playing the guitar, I was able to return the favor in a small way.  He frequently woke me in the middle of the night to ask about chord progressions, and even how to create certain chords.  I'm sure in his earlier musical years he had some strange guitar fingerings, since he learned some of it from his piano playing brother.  

Although he surpassed me in many ways with his music, he still involved me in his life in later years as he would invite me to come down to Tennessee to do some music at some of his churches, and even do some keyboard tracks on some of his recordings in his studio.  

My brother, Gene, died this past November (2021).  I was glad that I was able to visit with him a few days in January 2020.  That was the last in-person visit I had with him.  While I was there, I took him to the grocery store a couple of times and he always bought Gorton's Fish Fillets for his daily fish sandwich.  I'm going to eat one today in his memory.  

Today, some of his friends and family members are gathering in person, and others of us will gather online to honor the memory of Gene.  Whenever possible, I'll add memories and pictures to this blog.  If you happen to see this and knew Gene, please leave your comments.  Thank you. 

I love my brother, and miss him dearly. 

My Black History (4)

During my elementary school years, I remember daily our school bus had to slow down in a particular curve in the road - and the kids on the bus would throw things out the window at the black students waiting to catch their bus.  Sometimes they were prepared, and threw things back at our bus.  Of course, we didn't go to the same school; this was the 1950s in Alabama.  

I often wondered, if not then, at least I certainly wondered later

     - why would strangers throw things at one another?  

I didn't even personally know a black person that was my own age.  I had never been mistreated by a black person of any age.  I wonder what actions led my white friends to throw things at black strangers waiting for a school bus?  

About this time in my life, my mother had a lady helping her with housework a couple of days each week.  We weren't rich, but mom and dad both worked, so we could afford it.  I've told you about Marie already.  The person in our life now was Laura, and she was with us well into my high school years.  I didn't have as much interaction with her as I did with Marie, because I was at school while she was at the house.  However, one specific event stands out in my mind - in my heart - that shaped my opinion of her. 

Mother was Librarian at the High School only three doors away from our house.  So, even with after school duties, she still got home before me on most days.  Occasionally, Laura would still be there.  (I don't remember if she had a ride, or if mom took her home; anyway, she was there.)  At a time when mother had concerns about my older brother, Laura had similar concerns about her son who was about the same age.  It was obvious they had discussed their situations.  On this particular day, as I came home - for some reason I came through the door quieter than usual.  As I entered the living room, there was mom and Laura, kneeling at the piano bench (a frequent prayer altar in our house) - and, out loud, they were praying for their sons.  This was an old-fashioned prayer meeting type prayer - shouting to the Lord, pleading with Him to guide their boys to righteous living.  

My parents always taught me - in such acts as this - that you can't hate a person and pray for them at the same time.  Of course, there was not reason to hate Laura, or Marie, or Amanda (who came later) - just because their skin color was darker than ours.  But, for some people, that's all the reason they need.  I guess they just don't pray enough. 

LENT 2021:  PATIENCE

I am considering the need for more patience in my life.  By no means am I tested and tried as are so many people.  

I am not:

• suffering and in great pain - as are so many;
• in need of food and shelter - as are so many;
• living in anger and hatred - as are so many;
• absent from love and kindness - as are so many;
• alone and grieving - as are so many; 

So, Lord, why am I not patient - as are so many.  

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. - JAMES 1: 2-4  (NRSV)  

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. - ROMANS 8:24-25  (NRSV)

I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. -  EPHESIANS 4:1-3  (NRSV)

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. - COLOSSIANS 1:11-12 (NRSV) 

LENT 2021:  KINDNESS

Proverbs 31:26  

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

    It seems, on the surface, that kindness is missing from our current society.  A quick scroll through social media will reveal an excess of un-kindness in the words that are written to people we don't even know - and are not likely to ever meet. 

    The last chapter of Proverbs describes the virtuous woman.  Many of us think of our mothers or wives when we read this.  I remember the kindness my mother had toward those with whom she disagreed.  If someone asked her for fifteen minutes to present their view, she would agree to give them the first eight minutes, then follow-up with the last seven minutes, and wrap it up telling them about Jesus.  

    If we act unkindly online, or in person, we are missing an opportunity to display the "teaching of kindness" from our tongues.  People can't see what we're saying because of what we do.  

LENT 2021:  JOY

I used to spend a lot of time driving with my daughters: driving to band competitions, driving them to college and back, etc.  As a father these were good times.  I have great memories. 

One memorable conversation was when we spent several hours talking about the difference between joy and happiness.  I don't think we ever reached a conclusion, but for me the entire experience was both joy and happiness.  

In this pandemic period, we can identify somewhat with the suffering of Job, and the weeping of the psalmist.  But, in spite of all that can go wrong in life - in God, we can find joy.  

Read these passages - and the hundreds of other joy passages in the Bible.  Find your joy. 

Job 8:20-22  

“See, God will not reject a blameless person,

nor take the hand of evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
    and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
    and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

Psalm 126: 5-6

May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,   

carrying their sheaves.

My Black History (3):

Some people are puzzled by my "Black History" posts, since I am clearly not a person of color, but I am an older white man. 

Let me explain it with this example from my evangelical background:

I grew up in a conservative evangelical church, with teachings of evangelism and sharing the Good News of Jesus with others, supporting mission work, at home and around the world.  Our beliefs and practices included learning how to share our faith story with others, or what we called our personal testimony.  We learned scripture passages to show a lost person how to be saved, how to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, how to go to heaven.  An important part of sharing our faith was to tell our personal testimony.  Another person can argue scripture; they can argue various brands of theological understanding; but, they can't argue my personal story.  

• If I tell you I was saved from drowning - that is my personal story that I know is true.  
• If I tell you I was lost and Jesus saved me in His timing - that is my personal story that I know is true.  
• If I tell you how I encountered people of color at various times in my life - that is my personal story that I know is true.

These are things that have personally happened to me, and I know these events to be true.  This is what I am sharing in my posts in "My Black History."  I hope that helps people understand what I'm doing.