2021 and Run

 

What can I say about running in the cold that I haven’t already said? I’ve been fortunate so far with the weather. The wind hasn’t been a serious issue even when the temps are below 40. It’s wind more than anything else that dampens a hopeful jog. I’ll even run in the rain if it’s a steady light shower, no storms or monsoons. Last year I had a rain day in March with my group. We went 11 miles too, one of the longer ones of the season. The first few miles were miserable but after I got wet it didn’t matter. Everyone else was wet too. Rain days are more common in the spring, which is still a few months off.

I run on the treadmill during the week and outside in my neighborhood on the weekends. I say weekends because I’m never sure if Saturday or Sunday is going to work better. It’s not only weather dependent, sometimes I’m up late and I’d rather sleep in. 6:20 feels at least an hour too soon. Nothing says “go back to bed” like a chilly January morning before the sun comes up.

Two goals I have this time. First, I need to keep a slower pace to avoid injury. My foot has been a nagging problem since last year on two separate occasions and for different reasons. Supposedly the slower pace ensures less stress on your joints reducing the chance of getting hurt. I’m determined to give an honest try but so far it feels about the same, my foot I mean. The second goal is to put more effort into stretching. You don’t really stretch out your feet but your tight leg muscles can lead to foot problems. At least that’s what I think is causing the inflammation. So I stretch before and after the run and even at work during slow moments. I stretch while watching TV and roll out my legs. I have a Styrofoam roller that’s basically a ‘poor man’s’ massage. It’s one of those items you buy and wonder why you never thought about buying it before.

This being the new year and all I need to lose a few pounds. Any exercise helps a little but real weigh loss starts with food. For me less is more. I’ve done this successfully before by just cutting out certain sugary foods. Oh, and maybe not load up on seconds and thirds of every dish. That’s a tough habit to break after a workout. Anyone who lifts weights and wears themselves out knows how hungry you get when leaving the gym.  

I had a scary moment this last Sunday. I hit a patch of ice going a little too fast and slid down a hill a few feet. I got off the road as quick as possible because the ice patch was longer than I realized. I didn’t fall even though I expected to. I just don’t see ice enough on my runs to even think about it. The temperature was just below freezing though so I should have thought about it. Next time I’ll look down more often.

 

Swamp Ruckus

 

Today supporters of the president stormed the security zones around the Capital building and broke in. This was a critical day in the election process, January 6. The Vice President is also the president of the Senate and as such presides over the electoral vote submission. Most of the time this is a moot point because election challenges are completed before the electoral college meets. In most states recounts were not done and nearly every state official responsible for looking into valid complaints has dragged their feet. The election official in Georgia even released transcripts of his phone call to the press. That’s a real FU to Trump. So it’s been a difficult election to undo because the courts have ignored the challenges.

Trump gave a rousing speech to his supporters just before Pence agreed to receive the electors from each state. Trump was hoping he would reject the fraudulent ones like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia. He didn’t, which reminds me why we elected 45 in the first place. There just isn’t the will to call fraud what it is and back up your words with action. Pence is a nice man. He’s Christian who probably cares more about process than doing the hard thing. The problem is you’ve lost a good number of patriots who don’t see the point of voting anymore. Trump brought a lot of patriots into the Republican Party who want to see the country thrive again. He didn’t make apologies for promoting American interest and he didn’t care who thought he was a racist. He isn’t of course, but such is the time we live in. Because of that, all of Washington hates him and can’t wait till he leaves.

I saw a picture of some of the Trump supporters that stormed the Capitol and posed for a snapshot. Those guys didn’t look like Trump people to me at all. They look like hippies who you’d expect to see at an inner city riot-more like left wing rent a mobs. I won’t say real Trump supporters didn’t do anything but already I’m starting to question whether or not this ‘storming’ business was really spontaneous. I kind of doubt it. This type of takeover of a country can only be stopped by prayer.

I heard what I believe was something from the Holy Spirit today. He said that non-political problems require non-political solutions. In other words the lawlessness, assault on truth, murder of the innocent is a spiritual problem and not a political one. First comes the spirit and then comes the action. This is true for good and evil, we respond to the spirit that impacts us. It affects our mood and opinions and behavior. Whether you realize it or not we are at war in the spirit for the soul of the nation. The stuff that plays out on TV is staged in a lot of cases to sell a point of view. No I don’t mean to say that nothing is real and that we’re in some kind of “matrix” program.

Once you realize that protestors often get paid to show up and hurl bricks through windows it changes your perception on everything. In cities where riots are frequent, we’ve seen bricks being conveniently left lying near storefronts, pallets of them. I saw one video outside of Portland where the rioters had row after row of tents to sleep in when they weren’t breaking and burning. This tells me that a small army of rebels is being paid to conduct mayhem. I think it was from Project Veritas but I’m not sure.

We know how this game is played and that’s why I’m not ruling out that the actors in today’s debacle were not what they appeared to be. I’ve been praying since the end of the election for God to show up. He fights our battles after all. I’m encouraged by the intercessors and their constant pressing in to God’s purpose. We want to see this nation be restored to Him and deal swiftly with the scoundrels that stole the election and tried to run a coup on Trump. American elections will continue after Trump whatever happens to his 2^nd term. What will be the state of them? Will patriots seize back control and ensure free and fair elections, or are we done with all of that honesty business? I’m confident that America will recover her freedom and accountability.  

Another benefit to this craziness is that Church is getting stronger. I heard Lance Wallnau say this yesterday and it made so much sense. The struggle we are in now is a time for churches to get strong in intercessory prayer. They were too weak to fight this upcoming battle (spiritual) but today they’ve gotten stronger. You can’t grow without adversity.

 

Mood Music

 

I wrote this a few days ago.

It’s snowing in Oklahoma right now. Actually it’s “Oklahoma Snowing” which means it’s some kind of mix between rain and snow. I see scattered wet flakes falling slow amidst the heavier rain droplets that threaten to overwhelm the lighter stuff. I’m trying to keep myself busy on this Saturday in which I have more time than I really should. I’m avoiding painting the kitchen because it’s a lot of work and I can be pretty lazy. Last year I at this time I painted both the dining room and the TV room. Most people call that the living room but the house is pretty small and everything kind of blends together.

I put on a Kenny G streaming station on Prime music because I like music light and easy when I write or read. You know how those stations work, plug in an artists’ name and get back similar styles one after the other. It’s never a perfect formula but how does anyone best evaluate a ‘style’ of music. The resulting mish mash is collection of smooth jazz instrumental and soulish groove with deep throaty singers. For me it’s either instrumental or not. I don’t like when the stations mix it up. I don’t even like the Kenny G tracks with famous singers like Aaron Neville and Michael Bolton, Toni Braxton. Those turn the great saxophonist into a side prop because the strong voices overwhelm the horn. 

Not to mention I can’t focus on writing when I’m distracted by lyrics. I start listening much closer and lose my place.

There is a default station called “Lo-Fi-Hip-Hop Chill” that offers slow paced beats and piano melodies. I’d put emphasis on the latter half (chill) of that since it’s what really piqued my interest. Chill to me is either no singing or singing but with a very light touch. The hip hop part comes to it through slow rhythmic beats, punctuated by sampled sounds. A lot of the tracks feature various different sounds introduced as the track moves along. Most are electronic and strange, is someone talking or this some feature that dopey regular guys like me don’t get? Whatever, I like it. Bring the peace and bring the chill.  I rarely check to see who the artist is. I don’t think I’d buy anything unless I noticed a pronounced trend of great stuff over and over. The advantage with listening to music this way, by letting the algorithm pick the selection, is the lack of effort from the listener. Don’t like a track? Click the thumbs down icon and move on.

This attitude likely puts me in the category of non-music aficionado, a dope with no taste or knowledge of the creative professionals. After all a true collector/fan would patronize the industry and support the artist. Side bar—aren’t these DJ’s and EDM music creators more programmer than musician? I don’t say it as an insult. It’s a different genre that doesn’t lend itself to the word “musician” very well. I wouldn’t argue it in either case but it’s interesting just the same.

The tricky part in all of this is answering the question “Who do you listen to?” Well um. . . Pandora is great. Prime is also a solid favorite. I don’t know who or what to patronize because music for me has become a mood driven affair. There are exceptions to the rule of course. I mentioned Kenny G at the top. I’ll select the Rolling Stones station over a lot of others because of the regular dose of Mick, Keith and the boys. I’ll search Bethel for the worship and Social Distortion for the punk.  I do feel bad for bands that can’t play clubs anymore due to these ‘getting long in the tooth’ restrictions on gathering. It’s also impossible to make money when it’s playing free on some streaming service. But life is tough is all over. I went to school to work in government or as a traveling businessman and ended up working retail. I might have saved a little money on the educational side of things but it wasn’t so. Some industries are a scratch and claw operation with little chance of success, that’s life.

So whether doing yard work to thrash metal or dozing off to instrumental lullabies, mood drives my music choices. I don’t worry much about which artist/musician/programmer’s track is up next. Like it or hate it I know how to tell the ever important algorithm how to steer my choices. Snowy days feel like Kenny G and smooth jazz right now.

Become Complete: 2 Corinthians 13

 

2 Corinthians 13

Paul’s final letter to the Corinthians sounds to me like a frustrated coach whose players are giving half measures. There was a football player here a few years ago that died early. I can’t remember the details of his tragic death but I’m sure drugs were involved. He was typical of kids his age who’ve shown talent at an early age. Most people who knew his name, I’ll call him Tim, expected great things. His size and speed were light years ahead of others around him. Everyone knew he’d play Division I football and maybe even get to the NFL. He died his senior year of college just as his team was set to dominate the conference.

 I work with a lot of current and former coaches. One of them had Tim in a summer skills camp. This coach saw what Tim could do on the field before he was even in high school.  When asked how to describe him, the coach had the usual talent laden descriptors but added, “kinda thick”. He didn't mean heavy either. 

 I took it to mean he didn’t value his gifts. It’s easy to dismiss this as a high school kid just being a kid. Who isn’t a little slow to understand that life is precious and talent should be nurtured? Most of us never had a lot of talent so the question is moot. In chapter 13 Paul emphasizes the ‘talent’ at the heart of their salvation in Christ. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.” (verse 5-6)

He is careful to point out that the latent might and power are found in Christ. How much more can they be found in them, the Corinthians? It helps to remember that the Corinthians were sceptics and many didn’t like Paul. His letter addresses weakness as strength because it forces us to rely on our Creator Who makes us strong. The subtest of the whole chapter seems to be “You are so much greater through Christ than you realize”.

Paul encourages a kind of new commitment in the faith. Like a star athlete needing a new purpose, Paul suggests improvement toward living in peace and dedicating even more to the gospel. “And this we also pray, that you may be made complete.” (verse 9) As Christians we should always perfect and increase, the purpose of which is to be like Christ and attract those outside the faith. But also because a Christian isn’t complete without the understanding that their efforts are rooted in victory. Our completeness is already assured if we walk it out.

Again he repeats in verse 11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete.” It’s like he isn’t going to let that thing go. Every coach has a thing don’t they? A specific bugaboo that irritates them more than anything else; it’s easily recognizable to the athletes under their authority as THE ISSUE to watch out for. For some it’s effort. Many players have felt the sting of a good ass chewing if they weren’t giving 100%. I think for Paul it’s this idea of completeness. It’s not really a striving though the way it is for players on a team. It’s not a gut check, or a heart issue. It’s a recognition that our completeness is found in Christ only. It’s the understanding of this principle he wants to get across. Understand Him and be complete. Our weakness is His strength.

The comparison to sports isn’t a perfect one, but anyone who has improved over a season knows the power of a new mindset. Athletes understand that hard work and mental toughness determine success at every level. Christians need to understand that to grow we need to surrender and let the Spirit make us complete. In the end it doesn’t look much like physical or mental toughness because our strength is in Christ.

As someone whose been a follower of Jesus for almost 40 years I’ll admit, understanding this principle is a difficult thing. I’m wired for tasks and routine exercises that build on past performance. I’m a steady workhorse in the gym. I learn everything from habitual study and habitual technique. Surrender sometimes feels like failure. But Paul has a ready answer to this as well “For though He [Jesus] was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.” (verse 4)

If Jesus, the perfect man, surrendered to His Father’s will how much more can we?

 

 

 

Handguns and Slingshots

 

I finally got a gun.

 Every so often I’ll think about getting a handgun for home defense and target practice, even rush hour traffic. This year I said yes. Mostly I waver about spending the money and time required to hit the range and practice. Ammo isn’t exactly cheap and then there are the range fees. I don’t know how much range fees are but I’ll soon find out. This is a new world in a sense. Gun culture is very strong here in Oklahoma; most people I know own at least one gun. Some only have a hunting rifle but it’s still a proud family heirloom passed from father to son. Others are a little, lets say "enthusiastic" about collecting. I knew a few in the Army like this. It's also a culture thing to some degree. Those who live in the country and use rifles, shotguns and all types of handguns are just more comfortable around them.  

I joke about buying a gun because I’m sick and tired of slow drivers in the left lane. But there are some people I worry about with road rage and daily slights. Some take offense very easy and threaten violence with guns. There was a road rage incident about a year ago in town. I don’t know the details but traffic was the catalyst. One person lost their life because the other had a gun. I don’t imagine I’d get that upset but who knows?

If I had to trace my reluctance to buy one it might start there. Also, I wasn’t raised in a gun family. Both my parents were against having one in the house because of accidents. Accidental deaths attributed to firearms are probably everyone’s worse fear, but also not a common occurrence. Does it happen? Of course. Are the numbers as high as kids accidentally drowning in swimming pools? Not even close. A gun is a weapon and as such should be treated like one—especially with 5 brothers. We managed to knock out my brother’s top 2 teeth with a slingshot and a rock. My grandfather brought home these very genteel looking slingshots from Israel. You know, go to a foreign land and get the kiddos a souvenir. My grandfather is a wonderful man but didn’t raise boys. He probably thought we would put them in a box with a nice label on it, LOL. "From the Holy Land" Ah yes, what might have been.

 Naturally with the kind of authentic slingshot that David used to kill the Philistine there’s only one thing to do--recreate the event with leaving no small detail to chance. Anything else would be unacceptable, a dereliction of duty.

Phillip insisted on being David, the plucky hero. Justin had to be the giant Goliath, even back then there were jobs Americans didn’t want. He protested but someone had to do it. I was "directing" the play so that only left him. Besides we gave him a garbage can lid to use for a shield, what could go wrong? We had already practiced whipping rocks at an actual barn door and missed every time. Every heard the phrase "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn?" Well we couldn't. Anyone could see the danger was just infinitesimal. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to use the old school slingshot with the pouch and ropes? It’s tough to be accurate. But our Goliath had a shield, just like the real big guy from 1 Samuel. True to the story it took Phil one rock. Just like David he wound up and fired at the mouthy brat. I wondered years later if Phil just pretended to miss the barn all those times and secretly hustle Justin into accepting the role. He bided his time and released, carefully and with malice.

Justin for his part played it like a champ. He always was a good actor. He dropped to his knees screaming as blood spurted from his mouth. His little bloodied hand grasping a tooth, an unwelcome reminder of his 3rd child status. What a performance though, genius!

 It was then our recreation started to look like a bad idea. I rushed inside to get my mom and do something with this screaming kid. I can’t be sure of the exact moment when both parents thought having a gun in the house was a bad idea. That one probably ranks high though.

I like to think I’m a little safer now. Armed, but not dangerous.

The Prepared Soul

 

I remember a great scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy fights with a Turkish man named Kazim, from a secret order designed to keep the Holy Grail safely in place. The fictional order is called the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword. They’re Christian Orthodox and look to me like cross between 1920s gangsters and your local Shriners' official. It’s an appropriate reference given their cult like dedication to preserving the relic.

Jones and Kazim are on a wooden boat and about to be chopped into bits by the propeller from a larger vessel. Dr. Jones threatens to kill Kazim unless he tells him where his missing father is. He refuses to answer and Jones reminds him “we’ll both die”. Kazim responds “My soul is prepared, how is your’s?”

 The line has always stuck with me. He doesn’t say “I’m ready” or “My soul is ready” he says “prepared”. The word fits too. It implies a lengthy, committed process to becoming a specific person. You say “ready” when you play hide and seek as kids. You take a few seconds to select a spot and cross your fingers, hoping they’ll walk right past your cover. But when you prepare for anything in life, you organize and select and plan. Readiness is a state of mind but preparation is deliberate.

The Heavenly Father doesn’t make our place ready, He prepares it. “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3) CSB

When Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps prepares for competition he arranges his diet, exercise routine, sleep schedule and practices years in advance. I saw a special on him after the Beijing Olympics (maybe 60 Minutes?). His dedication to excellence is impressive but it doesn’t come naturally. You get the feeling by listening to him that he doesn’t want to work this hard. His forced preparation is the difference though. He even sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber to speed up recovery. Elite athletes do the extra work, day in and day out. From the mental toughness to the diet and exercise, being an Olympic athlete is a lifestyle of preparation.  

Kazim doesn’t hesitate when facing certain death. Instead he bravely throws the pressure back to Jones. When faced with unyielding dedication to cause, what’s a man to do? Indiana Jones hustles the man off the boat roughly and onto a passing one before the vessel is completely destroyed. After the close call on the boat, Kazim explains his purpose and dedication to cause. There is a lesson there for Christians today. Commitment flows from preparation. He is a disciple (essentially) whose life is committed to protecting something 'sacred' and larger than himself.

The thing itself, the grail, is only an inanimate object. It’s an artifact of a time that holds no significance other than its relation to Christ.

If you study history from the Resurrection through the late Roman Empire you learn how artifacts became currency. It’s really idolatry of sorts and churches participated too. Certainly fakes existed, ‘holy’ objects thought to offer the owner of the piece a measure of security in the magic relic. The seller of a cup or chair, supposedly owned by Saint Peter, need not describe its powers. Just being near the ‘sacred’ piece was thought to be enough. The Donovan character in the movie represents one of these collectors, believing that some mystical powers inhibit the grail. He chooses . . . ahem, poorly.

Given all the known relic chasing from the Middle Ages, Kazim and his order are out of place in the 1930s. His preparation of the soul stands in stark relief to the surrounding culture seeking treasure and losing their own.  But where the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword protects relics we seek relationship.

As believers in Christ we prepare for struggle in life, but knowing that our Savior lives makes our commitment hopeful. We don’t protect the past, we prepare for the future. Ours is not an exclusive order it’s an expansive family dedicated to sharing knowledge of the King.

And so it should be for the church and Christians-the commitment to spreading the gospel. Our souls prepared, for we know what awaits.    

Court Jesters

 

Right after my last blog post the Supreme Court shot Texas down.

I argued that the court would likely take a look and make those wayward states (Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania) pay. Of course that didn’t happen. It’s why I try not to make specific predictions. The court’s refusal to even hear it made me realize what I already knew about lower courts, they don’t want anything to do with deciding elections. The Supreme Court wrote that Texas didn’t show a “cognizable interest” in how other states run their affairs. Which I guess means “Mind you own business and let cities get back to running scams and defrauding the rubes in the rest of the state”. Or at least that’s my reading of it. There was an issue of standing as well, Texas didn't have any.

 I was pretty upset about yet another setback for bringing this case to court and making these states pay for bypassing their own rules. But it’s probably better if election matters are handled in congress and not the courts. Conservatives don’t like ‘activist’ judges and if Americans keep pushing all matters of legislation to the courts we lose. We lose, because the race to put partisans in place at every bench opening will look like fantasy football-get wins or get lost. After a few decades they won’t bother interpreting the law, they’ll just figure out which side is the ‘home’ team and vote likewise.

Cynics might argue we’ve been there for years (I wonder myself). But it could get much worse without attempts to curtail the number of issues they rule on. At least in theory the Roberts court is more conservative in that way. When they aren’t though (Obamacare/ Obergefell) it seems SCOTUS manages all sorts of language to justify their ruling. Justice Roberts famously helped the Obama team by calling the penalty for not carrying insurance a tax. Penalties were illegal, taxes were not. It turned an illegal law into a legal one with a flourish that only a pompous judge can manage.

 During the Obergefell v Hodges (the same-sex marriage one) opinion Justice Kennedy stated “The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity.” Express their identity? What nonsense. Identity is not a legal term. It’s barely a concrete one. I didn’t even mention the more poetic stuff where he talks about “devotion” and “commitment”. This is not the language of an opinion or a dissent. Yet with a 5-4 majority vote the Supreme Court changed the plain meaning of the Constitution to pretend it always had same-sex unions in mind.

So spare me the argument that Texas doesn’t have standing. Anyone who the court wants to have standing can have it with some legal bullshit phrasing. But just the same, I get why they passed on it. I just wish they were consistent. If you think this court is bad try to imagine one with 6 Democrat appointed judges.

It reflects the larger problem of disenfranchisement. If big cities like Philadelphia and Detroit and Atlanta will use their party machines to manufacture votes for the Dem candidate then what’s to be done? Republicans won’t also cheat just to even the score, not on a party scale anyway. If these states get away with this we are in for a new day of lawlessness and corruption. What do you tell those who think their vote doesn’t count because it will get overwhelmed by ballots in trunks of cars that show up at 4:00 in the morning? If enough people believe the system is corrupted and that no legal recourse exists, where to from here?

We aren’t there yet. Believe it or not the Trump administration still has a few cards but no aces. I don’t think this election gets fixed in the courts and that’s probably a good thing. We might get a situation where governors refuse to certify electors, or congress refuses to accept the votes of electors. Or some states’ electors abstain from voting. This is why you don’t quit though. I’ve heard others say the longer the process goes the more it favors Trump. We have to pray too, that a lot of this fraud will be exposed to the point where the legacy media can’t ignore it.