I, I, I, I, I

Ever have a conversation with someone who tries to "one up you" on everything?

For example (and this has never happened, just a hypothetical situation), someone walks into my office, and tells me how they had a rollover accident once, and then procedes to say that I don't know what it's like.
Hmm, let's see - I'm on Fire/Rescue, so I've pulled people from rollovers, as well as treated their injuries and transported them to hospitals. I've also rolled a truck down a hill.
Yeah, I do know what it's like.

But in any conversation you have, something they say has to be about something great they've done, or something that's happening with them, or why their life is more important/miserable/lousy/better than someone else.

Sad.

In my "line of work", I see these people almost every day. Some might be because they're lonely, are unable to get out (maybe because they're a shut-in or something) and need someone to talk to.
I understand that. Woe to their family for not coming to visit more. There's a lot they can learn.

Some are because they can't listen to their own advice.
Really? You're going to talk about how bad someone is, yet you're doing the same thing?
Get help.

Some are because they really do think that their important, but don't have a clue who they're talking to.
Nevermind the fact that someone could have once worked with aircraft weapons, or been won top in his profession at one point in time, or rescued people from a flooded river, or caught wanted felons, or spoke multiple languages, or traveled the country, or made world-wide news, or crash-landed, or been invited to speak to a group of government officials, or...

Point is - we are all important, and we all have something to share. So stop the "I, I, I, I" and listen to the other person for a moment.
You just might learn something.

Christmas is all different now

My Christmas is coming to an end, but only as the day. As I preached in my Sermons last night and this morning, Christmas is something that needs to be celebrated all year long - it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice for each and every one of us.

But as I was thinking about my day, and how it was different than last year, and different than years past, I started to think about all sorts of things...

For example, I seem to remember, as a kid, going home and hearing whatever was on the radio being interrupted by updates from NORAD on Santa's location. Now, you can log on from about any social media and get current updates as well as video feeds.

And in line with that, I remember how packed our church was. One year, my brother and I lit the candles down the aisles of the church. Now that I've seen the church as an adult, it doesn't seem like it as a lot, but as a kid, it felt like a thousand candles, with a million pairs of eyes watching.

And now as an adult, I think back, and I wonder in some ways. I ponder on my brother's words from last year as he wrote of how my "job" has me "working" at Christmastime, and, as he put it, "as he usually has some more important matters to tend to during, what I would consider, the most important time of year for any Christian."

But as I gave the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Worship Services, I looked out upon the crowds, and I couldn't help but noticed who was there and who wasn't. Some people had already saw me and mentioned that they would be with family - in some cases, shut-ins, and that is most important.

The last 24 hours was an important time, with an important Theme and Message all tied together. This past couple of days is the start of something critical.
This past month is the beginning of a different way of thinking, a different way of living.

The question is, to again, use my brother's words,  is it the most important time of the year?

Ah, the Holidays. (or OH, the Holidays!)

This week, I had lunch with a colleague of mine. It was a great time of fellowship, as I haven't seen her much in the past year, even though our Parishes are only less than an hour apart.
Last year at Christmas, one of her churches invited people to come for lunch, and because of Christmas being on a Sunday (a "work day" for me), and some other pastoral obligations I had that day, I drove to her church for lunch and good fellowship.

So lunch this past week made me remember something my brother wrote in his blog last year about how people should observe Christmas, but he made a note about how I was working ("occupational hazard"). And then I started to consider what I had through the end of the month...

1. Two Worship Services on Dec 23rd
2. Two Christmas Eve Services
3. A Wedding on Dec 29, and all of the rehearsal and final planning that goes with it.
4. Two Worship Services on Dec 30th

Then, I was nice enough to consider doing a Christmas Day Devotional Worship Service at each of my churches, because apparently something happened in the past, and it would be nice, and so on and so forth... but ok, sounds good.
Then I added the numbers.
And then I pulled out the aspirin.

But in all honesty, as work as it is going to take, and as much as I'll be expecting certain people to be at particular Services (because they encouraged me, so if they wanted it, they should be there as well, right?), it doesn't hold a candle to WHY I'm doing the Worship Services...
Because it's Christmas.

No matter what you say, or how you say it, people have many reasons for being busy at Christmas. But if you're going to use Christmas as an excuse, you need to know what Christmas is about, and the best place for that is church.

In between all of the times that I'll be busy, I'll find some time for personal escape. The people will just have to understand it. Just as I understand that some people will give me several reason why they can't make it to any of those eight different Worship Services. Sure, some people are away with family in other places, but as I recall past years of people telling me how "busy" they were and couldn't make it to church, but they would drive past me at the church, I think of why they were so busy... was it to celebrate Christmas, or to avoid the reason for Christmas?

So stop for a bit, and give up on the excuses...

• "Holiday" means "Holy Day"
• "Xmas" means "a celebration of Christ" (it's Greek)
• "Season's Greetings" is a welcoming of the Season (hence, the "Christmas Season")

Find a local place of worship, find a friend or neighbor to go with if that makes you more comfortable, and go.
Who knows - maybe you'll learn something.
In the meanwhile, read Luke 2:1-20. Or watch this...

Are we forgetting something?

This past few days have caused me to reflect more and more. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, and situations such as this has been closer to me than what some people know. So I enter into my time of prayer with confusion as well as strained feelings.

What I do know is that I've watched a lot of opinions on the news, in social media, and across the tables and in the aisles at various small-town businesses. But one thing I haven't heard a lot of is a simple fact - no matter what side of whatever issue you stand on - whether you're pro-this or anti-that; left-here or right-there; whatever...
Just leave it. Please.

The facts are that lives were lost, and none of us really know the details. Period.
So please, go do something nice for someone, instead of debating.
Go plant a flower. Go buy someone's lunch. Go give someone a hug.

So do something nice.

Maybe a little "nice" is really what we need.

Is it that I'm getting old, or that I'm a grandpa?

Today started with an eye doctor's appointment. My first thought was "I would like to have contacts"...
I considered this because the glasses I have now are a hassle... if I have to go on a fire call, that means leaving the glasses behind, and hoping that  my eyes adjust enough to whatever I need to do at on scene - not always handy. It also means having to protect my glasses when going in and out of buildings and such, and the hassles of cleaning then each time - not always good when I'm running from one church service to another (which I have zero time to spare). Also, I found that when doing a baptism, and having the "great" anti-glare that my last eye doctor told me "won't smear like the older kind", I can't let the baby reach for my face, or I'm blinded in one eye for the rest of the Service.

There are lots of other reasons, but through it all, I did go get checked, and the doctor I went to this time loves a challenge, and apparently, one of my eyes is bad to make for a challenge, but he said that he could order the contacts for me to try.
Then the fun part...
A procedure that the doctor does measure the "peaks and valleys" of the cornea of the eye so he can pick the best contact lens for me. This test also detected an issue in my eyes.
The "good side" is that I 'have' to wear contact now. LOL

So now, I have to remember that I can't rub my eyes. Ever.
Sure, I might rub them accidentally or something, but I have to get out of the habit of rubbing them if they're tired or irritated.
... and I just wanted to change my appearance a little and make life a little easier. Darn it!!

Then I was trying to plan my Thanksgiving holiday. Never easy with family in different parts of the country. I thought for a while that I would be doing the "cornish hen/ stove top stuffing/ green beans by myself", but looks like I might see my granddaughter at some point.

And then as I sat down to write this, I was reading my brother blogs as he wrote of some memories. One that he reminded me of was making turkeys out of apples, marshmallows, and toothpicks. (maybe some raisins as well...)
So as I'm trying to plan out a busy Wednesday, I need to put one more thing on my "to do" list... make sure to have (or get my son & daughter-in-law to get) the items needed to make "edible turkeys"

When the doctor first explained my eye issue, I wasn't sure what to think... but the first thing was "dang it, I'm only 48 - but wait, I AM 48, and a grandpa - I'm old!" But as the doctor explained that the condition occurs in a persons 20s and 30s (I've probably had it for a while, but it's just never been checked before), I am more ready to think "the 20s and 30s have nothing on me!" LOL

I am old, and I'm a grandpa. And because of that, I'm going to teach my granddaughter some of the things that I learned when I was younger.

Old isn't about "over the hill, can't do anything"...
Shoot! "Over the hill" just means that you get to pick up speed for the fun!

So look out Liberty - Grandpa's gonna show you some fun stuff!
(And thanks to my brother for reminding me)

weather changes

At one time in my life, I really liked Fall. Really. The changing colors of the leaves, the brisk air, the cooler temps, and the high school football games.
And then I lost my "insulation".

After losing 60 pounds, I now have to bundle a little more to sit through an evening high school football game the other night (a playoff game).
Okay, I had to bundle a lot.
The problem is that I knew I would be walking a distance (great exercise), so I'm gonna wear my "work out shoes".
Big mistake.

Head to toe, I'm bundled to handle the cooler temps - temperatures that, a year ago, seemed "comfortable". But now I'm trying to stay warm during a football game while the air is 30-something degrees.
But running shoes are made of a "mesh" material so that they'll breath. That means that the cool, brisk air will blow right through. And they're made "snug" enough so the feet don't slip around on the inside.
All this equals "frozen feet".

So as I'm thinking back to the "disadvantages" of losing weight, here's another... loss of insulation.
Bring on the boots!

Paid with a kiss.

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to work out?

• You need an answer to a question, and the people who are "suppose" to know don't?
• You can't get anything done because your "Things to Do" List is backing up like a bad toilet?
• Your throat hurts just as you have to answer the phone?
• You want to return a phone call, but you keep getting incoming calls?

BUT THEN...
As I wrote about last night, a lady and her family got out ok from a house fire, with the lady only getting some cuts on her leg.  And as it turns out, the family is kin to someone who has been attending one of my churches.
This is where they say a Pastor wears many hats.

I went to see the family today as they are staying at the mother's apartment. I wanted to make sure that there was enough food (no one ever really plans on shopping "just in case the kids are suddenly over for a few days") and that everyone had enough clothes until it was ok to go back into the house to get whatever could be gotten and washed.

Fortunately, all is well... enough food and clothes, the insurance folks were already helping the family out, fire inspectors had chatted with them, etc, so they should be able to get some stuff from the house soon.

As I left the apartment, the little boy (3 years old), yelled good-bye across the room, and then blew me a kiss.

What? Things weren't working out?
Today was a great day!