The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.                Matthew 13:22

By any measure, the United States is a wealthy country. No surprise there. In fact, the State of the Nation Project (see www.stateofnation.org) recently released a study showing that the United States outperformed 98% of the rest of the world in “Economic Output”. Here comes the rest of the story…

The United States outperforms only 70% of the world in current life satisfaction; 66% of the world in trust in the police; 33% of the world in belief in democracy, and only 11% of the world in depression and anxiety measures.

Are you surprised? Shocked even? I was not surprised by the “Life Satisfaction” results. I had seen those types of numbers before. However, the United States outperformed only 33% of the world in “Belief in Democracy”. Let that sink in- the trust measure for the world’s oldest and most successful democracy is in the bottom third of the world!

The United States is near the bottom of the world in the mental health measures of depression and anxiety. Nearly 90% of the world fares better in what I would call “measures of personal peace”.

As has been so clear for thousands of years, wealth and a sense of personal peace are not well related. In fact, in the case of the United States, they are almost inversely proportional!

Ah, but we already know that real peace rests in relationship with Jesus and trust in his care of us.  

Prayer: Lord, you are the source of real peace, and we are grateful, Amen

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.                            John 15:13

My wife and I recently took a trip to Philadelphia for a family wedding. Along the way, we decided to stop and visit some museums and monuments that are meaningful in American history. The Gettysburg, Pennsylvania battlefield is rich in the history and valor from the American Civil War. We also went through the American Revolution Museum in Philadelphia, and finally, on the way home, we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial site in Shanksville. Pennsylvania.

For those who may not be familiar with the Flight 93 Memorial site, it was the crash-landing site where a group of 40 brave passengers decided to give their lives to wrestle control of a terrorist hijacked airplane. The plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, interrupting the mission to do terrorist inspired harm in Washington D.C.

It became their grave.

In their brave actions, they may well have saved the U.S. Capitol and a joint session of Congress which was taking place on that fateful day- September 11, 2001. That plane was evidently headed to the U.S Capitol building. Of course, just an hour earlier, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C were attacked in the same manner- with hijacked airliners.

The memorial is very moving, and it includes the last recorded phone calls from the doomed passengers to their loved ones at home. The passengers and crew’s valor were demonstrated by their actions. Their phone messages to family members showed not only courage, but the love that caused them to take those bold actions.

I was struck by the words written in a letter posted at the memorial:

God chose our fields of Shanksville to lay you to rest. We’ll take care of you now. You are the heroes of all America now. This is our thanks. God bless the Crew and Passengers of Flight 93.

Signed- Sam and Coni Stevanus & Jeff Cooper,

Indian Lake

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the courage of those who give their lives for those they love, Amen

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit                II Corinthians 4:8

I took this picture while on a walk in a state park. It struck me because it showed the tenacity of life. This tree was fighting for life in a near impossible situation. It is literally growing sideways on this hill because there was no other place to grow. It is now competing for the sunlight it needs to survive, and somehow, it is surviving.

I have written in the past about growing where we are planted. Sometimes, we can grow even if we were not planted correctly. I think of people who have managed to deal with disabilities and adversities that I could not imagine surviving, much less thriving. But with tenacity and determination, people can overcome so many incredible things.

So, my friends, whatever you have been dealt, there is a way, somehow, to overcome. It may not look the same as the life of other people, but you can find a way.

Prayer: Lord, help us to never give up, and find a way to overcome adversity and prosper, Amen

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”        Luke 1:28

I am currently reading a book about charisma, and how that has influenced American political and spiritual leaders throughout the centuries.  The word charisma has at its root the word “charis” meaning gift, grace, favored, or a variant of those concepts. Paul used the word, for example, to describe how Mary was given the gift of being a “God carrier” as she carried Jesus during her pregnancy.

Charisma, as we have come to use the term, tends to take on the meaning of likeable, charming (there is that root word charis again), compelling others to follow or be drawn to them. Many political leaders have been described as charismatic, partly due to looks, mannerisms, sense of humor, passion etc.

The bad news is that people with charisma do not always use it for good. There have been leaders who use their charisma for evil or egotistical purposes. We need to be careful to look beyond what appears to be charming and winsome. We need to see consistent character, servant leadership and humility as guide stars for our leaders. Yes, that is a very idealistic benchmark for our elected leaders, right?

Wouldn’t it be nice if such characteristics were expected and demanded?

Prayer: Lord, help us to discern the qualities that make strong and faithful leaders, Amen

If you feel pain, then you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you’re a human being.

Leo Tolstoy

There is a great deal of discussion these days about the value of the virtue called empathy. Indeed, any virtue taken to an extreme could probably be considered a vice. However, I am going to land on the side of risking that empathy must be explored and exercised much more deeply in our current culture.

To that end, I would suggest that empathy is a verb. I know, it is technically a noun, but for me, to paraphrase a quote often attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “silence in the face of evil is complicity”. Therefore, to feel empathy and do nothing about it feels wrong to me.

I am thinking about the atrocities around the world to which we have apparently become inured. The vicious invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin- an adjudicated war criminal- continues and is nearing its three-and-a-half-year mark.

To date, that war has produced 1.4 million soldier casualties (killed or wounded) on both sides. There have been over 50,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties, both figures according to the U.S. based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Many thousands of those casualties have been caused because civilian targets have been a priority in this awful conflict.

So, empathy, -indeed humanity- says that we must speak out about this, and then do what we can to help people who are suffering and dying. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suffering people in this world. Yet the suffering of this war is so needless, so senseless. It is the result of one man’s desire for empire and glory. Deliberate causation of human suffering is… evil.

I felt the need to speak out on this atrocity and, fortunately, I have this small platform to give expression. I am doing what I believe is right and I am compelled to respond. Further, I am donating to causes such as Doctors Without Borders which provides medical help to the places in the world where doctors are needed most.

I am convinced that we are called to respond to crises such as this, and many others as well. I am urging my readers to respond in ways that you feel called to respond, whatever that might be. I would also ask that you consider forwarding this blog so that it may reach others.

We can make a difference by using whatever resources we have at hand.

Let’s do that.

If you feel pain, then you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you’re a human being.

Leo Tolstoy

There is a great deal of discussion these days about the value of the virtue called empathy. Indeed, any virtue taken to an extreme could probably be considered a vice. However, I am going to land on the side of risking that empathy must be explored and exercised much more deeply in our current culture.

To that end, I would suggest that empathy is a verb. I know, it is technically a noun, but for me, to paraphrase a quote often attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “silence in the face of evil is complicity”. Therefore, to feel empathy and do nothing about it feels wrong to me.

I am thinking about the atrocities around the world to which we have apparently become inured. The vicious invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin- an adjudicated war criminal- continues and is nearing its three-and-a-half-year mark.

To date, that war has produced 1.4 million soldier casualties (killed or wounded) on both sides. There have been over 50,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties, both figures according to the U.S. based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Many thousands of those casualties have been caused because civilian targets have been a priority in this awful conflict.

So, empathy, -indeed humanity- says that we must speak out about this, and then do what we can to help people who are suffering and dying. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suffering people in this world. Yet the suffering of this war is so needless, so senseless. It is the result of one man’s desire for empire and glory. Deliberate causation of human suffering is… evil.

I felt the need to speak out on this atrocity and, fortunately, I have this small platform to give expression. I am doing what I believe is right and I am compelled to respond. Further, I am donating to causes such as Doctors Without Borders which provides medical help to the places in the world where doctors are needed most.

I am convinced that we are called to respond to crises such as this, and many others as well. I am urging my readers to respond in ways that you feel called to respond, whatever that might be. I would also ask that you consider forwarding this blog so that it may reach others.

We can make a difference by using whatever resources we have at hand.

Let’s do that.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds Psalm 71:17

I have a sunflower growing in my back yard planted (inadvertently) by either the chipmunks or the birds. Both critters feed at my bird feeder- the birds at the feeder, the squirrels and chipmunks underneath. As nature proceeds, birds and ground animals thrive when we feed them with nuts, seeds, suet, etc. Then these animals pay it forward by “replanting” that food in other places.

It is fun to watch nature at work!

That sunflower that is growing by the side of my house is also demonstrating the incredible order of the Creator. The seeds packed into the large head of that flower are set in a sequence called the Fibonacci Sequence. This is a mathematical formula that allows a very tight and economical packing of the seeds in the flower’s head. The Fibonacci Sequence shows up in many areas of nature. The sequence follows the formula 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34…

As you can see, the numbers are sequenced by the sum of the numbers immediately preceding them. This sequence appears at any number of places in nature, and it also follows the “Golden Ratio” of architecture, allowing a stable, pleasing, and economical array of numbers which are part of Nature’s order.

In order to marvel and appreciate our creation, sometimes, we just need to stop and smell the sunflowers, right?  

Prayer: Lord, what a marvelous plan of creation you set forth, Amen

If you feel pain, then you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you’re a human being.

Leo Tolstoy

There is a great deal of discussion these days about the value of the virtue called empathy. Indeed, any virtue taken to an extreme could probably be considered a vice. However, I am going to land on the side of risking that empathy must be explored and exercised much more deeply in our current culture.

To that end, I would suggest that empathy is a verb. I know, it is technically a noun, but for me, to paraphrase a quote often attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “silence in the face of evil is complicity”. Therefore, to feel empathy and do nothing about it feels wrong to me.

I am thinking about the atrocities around the world to which we have apparently become inured. The vicious invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin- an adjudicated war criminal- continues and is nearing its three-and-a-half-year mark.

To date, that war has produced 1.4 million soldier casualties (killed or wounded) on both sides. There have been over 50,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties, both figures according to the U.S. based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Many thousands of those casualties have been caused because civilian targets have been a priority in this awful conflict.

So, empathy, -indeed humanity- says that we must speak out about this, and then do what we can to help people who are suffering and dying. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suffering people in this world. Yet the suffering of this war is so needless, so senseless. It is the result of one man’s desire for empire and glory. Deliberate causation of human suffering is… evil.

I felt the need to speak out on this atrocity and, fortunately, I have this small platform to give expression. I am doing what I believe is right and I am compelled to respond. Further, I am donating to causes such as Doctors Without Borders which provides medical help to the places in the world where doctors are needed most.

I am convinced that we are called to respond to crises such as this, and many others as well. I am urging my readers to respond in ways that you feel called to respond, whatever that might be. I would also ask that you consider forwarding this blog so that it may reach others.

We can make a difference by using whatever resources we have at hand.

Let’s do that.

I was speaking with a client recently about his communication with a person he is seriously dating from a distance. We talked about some of the miscommunications that can come from reliance upon texting for communication. Texting, by definition is a short fast medium meant to convey mostly factual information. It is not always very good about communicating emotional content. Texting has its place, and it can be very effective as far as it goes. However, for conveying something deeper, more intimate, handwritten letters are great.

Yes, very old school- but it is effective.

The beauty of a handwritten letter is that it slows things down so that meaning can be absorbed. In the hyper fast world of texting, instant response is often expected. That response may be hurried, lacking nuance, and certainly, it does not by its very nature communicate warmth and intimacy.

Handwritten letters can convey some weight. They take time to reach the recipient, and they can be received with a sense of warmth. You are holding a piece of paper that was handled by that person with whom you are corresponding. You are seeing how they formed letters, and you can respect the amount of time and effort that it took to compose the letter. There was a process, a somewhat cumbersome process, involved in that person reaching out to you. That letter was crafted with forethought. Time was taken to say what they wanted to convey, and you as recipient have time to process the information before you respond yourself. It slows down the process, but it also deepens it.

In the classic Ken Burns documentary, old letters helped us to learn about the Civil War in a very personal way. Burns gathered a great deal of history from those letters, and more importantly, he explored the perceptions and thoughts of those people who were affected by the war. These were beautiful, poignant letters preserved through history, which helped to make that history come alive. Those handwritten letters were a lens into the thinking and feeling of people who had poured their hearts into the written word.

We of course cannot rely upon handwritten letters as our primary or expected mode of communication. However, there is something to be said about that “old school” way of communication that we can still use to great effect in a world where instant communication does not always hit the mark very well.

I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be…

From the children’s book, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.                                                                  Jeremiah 31:3

I was speaking with a client the other day, and she was relating the pain she felt about the rejection of her adult daughters. The client had been alienated from them for various reasons, and she was unsure how to begin the reconnection process. One of the daughters was in an alternative lifestyle, and the daughter perhaps assumed that her mother would disapprove. Damage had been done on both sides over the years.

I suggested to the client a very simple approach. “Reassure your daughters that you will always love them, no matter what.” Now this is not a very novel, nor even creative approach, but I believe it is the one with the most impact. I asked the client if that statement were true. She said, yes, that statement is true.  

The fact is, when we love others, we need to assume that we will love them forever. That does not mean that they will not hurt or disappoint us, but it does mean that, no matter what, I will always love you.

Isn’t that what God says to us? Isn’t his love unconditional? No, we are not able to love as perfectly as God does, but we can decide that the love we have for our partners, our children, our family, our friends will always be there.

Letting those close to us know that we will love them forever is a very powerful statement, indeed, a gift.

I say, give that gift often.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the marvelous capacity to love one another. Thank you..