That’s What He Said…

February has always been an emotional month for me. My grandmother, who I once spent a week taking care of, died in February when I was still in Jr. High. Thirty years ago, February 8^th, my Father passed away. Two Weeks later my youngest son was born. My dad left a lasting impression on me. One of the greatest things he left his children was the concept of Doing the right thing, even if no one is watching. It has put me in good stead many, many  times. He also had many other more down-to-earth sayings. Some came from signs he had in his workshop, like the one to the left. Others, well, I’m not really sure where they came from. Still, even after all that time, my dad’s many sayings are still with me. They were always given with a wry smile, so we never took them too seriously. I thought it might be fun to revisit some of them again.

 “If your brains we dynamite, you wouldn’t have enough to blow your nose.”

“You couldn’t pour water out of a boot if the directions were written on the heel.”

“I buy you books, and buy you books, and you still can’t read.”

“It’s ok, they’re only half trained.” (Usually about how someone fished.)

“It’s hard to soar with eagles when you work with turkeys.”

"You can't get blood out a turnip."

“You may beat me, but you’ll never whoop me.”

" If you do that, they'll put you away so far they'll have to shoot you biscuits with a slingshot." 

“We never had this when there were beatings.”

And my all-time favorite funny quote:

“If you do that again, we’ll both have to go to the hospital – to take my foot out of your behind.”

Seriously, the best thing he ever said to me happened when I was helping him on a service call a few years after we had moved to California. Our first daughter had just been born, and we had gone back to Illinois for them to meet her. While we were out driving, I asked him if he ever regretted me moving so far away. He looked at me like I had just said that I thought the moon was really made of green cheese. He then asked me two questions.

Are you where you are supposed to be?

Are you doing what you believe God wants you to do?

I answer “yes” to each. He response was both freeing and life affirming. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “What more would I want.” He gave me words of support; words of Love. That what I remember my dad for the best.

Thanks Dad. Can't wait to walk on the golden shores and get to talk again. Save some fish for me.

 

 

Who Am I?

 

Identity is an interesting concept. Many spend countless hours struggling with the concept, while others rarely give it a thought. It can be crippling; It can be amazingly freeing. In Western society especially, cars, sports teams, and occupations are among the major identity markers.

 My father helped me with cars. He would always say, “A car is simply a tool to get you safely from one place to another”. We’ve owned many over the years. Yet I really can’t say I miss any of them that much. Although there was that black Nissan Sentra that seemed to run on oxygen, but that’s another story. Recently, a few of my students told me I should get a new car. I admit, I decided to play games with them. I ask them what I should get. They recommended a BMW. So I ask them, “I’m supposed to go into debt to drive 4 miles to work just because it looks better than my paid off, old faithful Toyota with 250,000 miles on it. Hard pass on that one.

Others try to identify with a sports team. I see flags flying from windows, trailer hitches, and even in front of houses. The diehards may have a license plate cover (on their identity car) with their favorite team. They even say “we won!” when the contest is finished, even though there is probably no one on the team that even knows they exist.

Men especially, may use their occupation as an identity marker. “I’m a teacher. He’s a doctor. Over there is a plumber. Wives may even succumb to the charm of being a (fill in the blank) wife. I remember someone in Bible college asking Pat (we were still engaged) if she was called to be a “teacher’s wife”. I loved her answer. She replied that she was called to be his wife, no matter what he did. It’s only one of the many reasons I was totally smitten with her.

So where should we get out identity? I don’t know about you, but time has taught me that, on my own, I am nothing special. Every accomplishment, every trait that others may appreciate in me is a gift from God. Value comes from many directions, rarity, individuality, condition, or even beauty. I am none of those. But, I am loved. Sometimes something is priceless because of what it means to the owner. I have value because I am loved by God. I still like saying that I’m a teacher, I’m a father, I’m Pat’s husband. But my real worth comes from being loved by the creator of the universe. And I’m just fine with that. 

Did Jesus Have Lemons?

 

Often the simplest question can spark interest in the young mind. Recently the question came up, “Did Jesus have Lemons?”  I have no idea what thought process produces this, but just for fun, let’s run with it.

It turns out, after some research, that the answer is most likely, no. As far as we know lemons came from Asia and didn’t get to the Mediterranean area until about the second century AD. They started being cultivated in Europe in the mid-1400s and made it to the Americas with Columbus.1 So, unfortunately, Jesus would probably not have said “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

So what is my point? I’m glad you ask. (I mean one of you did ask didn’t you? Come on, humor me.) I have always tried to keep learning something new. It could be a new hobby, caring for a new animal, growing a new vegetable, or just learning new information, like the history of lemons. A lover of learning is called a “Philomath”. I like the sound of that. I want to be a Philomath. I never want to stop learning. Years ago, I had a student refer to me as a modern-day Renaissance man. While I think he was slightly exaggerating, I love the idea. If we want to be relevant and not get stale, we need to continually pursue new information and ideas. Always stay curious. It helps keep you young. It also give you things to talk about to total strangers on 5 hour flights. (Ya, not so much of a priority for my wife.) So make it a goal to learn something new this year. The world is your oyster. Hey, you might as well start there. Do you know where pearls come from?

¹ (Julia F. Morton (1987). "Lemon in Fruits of Warm Climates". Purdue University. pp. 160–168.)

Music That Touches the Heart

 

If I had to describe my music preferences in one word it would be eclectic. The Oxford dictionary defines eclectic as: deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. I probably have a different style for relaxing, meditating, worship, working, fishing, and even grading papers. Sometimes they have lyrics; other times I need only instrumental. I especially love movie soundtrack, even if I have never watched the movie. Music can paint pictures, bring back old dusty memories or even put us in the mood to dream.

Yet one person’s music is another person’s noise. My wife and I don’t always agree on what we find relaxing or entertaining. I enjoy classical music, Motzart and Bach especially, for the complexity and patterns that play out. She often finds it harsh or grating. My son loves country music. I can only stand to listen to it for about 30 minutes without it affecting my mood. Yet we both can listen to good bluegrass, especially banjo for hours.

My criteria for choosing music has evolved dramatically over the years. I used to have a long set of rules. Now it has been pared down to a choice few.

1. Is it scriptural? I think this one explains itself

2. Does it bother someone around me? In this day of wireless headphones, sharing should be a thing of the past, but alas, it still can be a problem. Please be considerate, especial in cars!

3. Does it bring be closer to a worshipful spirit toward God? This applies to both worship and what some call “secular” music. Does it lift my spirit? Does it cause me to be a nicer person?

I guess I’m getting “more mature”. (Older is not in my vocabulary.)  Sometimes the simplest melody can bring me to tears. I cry at happy endings. I have begun to cherish simple, organic worship over the larger productions. One of my favorites has begun to be older (let’s be real, ancient) hymns with a new melody or instrument style. I leave you with one of my favorites.

Here is the link for How Deep the Father's Love (Official Music Video) | Celtic Worship on Youtube. I hope you like it as much as I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfhRs5g5t8M